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Falcon Pipes

Hey guys, I've recently starting looking more seriously at getting a Falcon. These seem more like the kind of no-nonsense type of thing I would love. Plus I don't have to own 7 pipes to have a 7 day roatation or what have you...just a stem and some extra bowls.

What's your opinion on these pipes?
Does anybody know of a good and fair-priced place to buy these?
Also, if any of you are thinking about letting go of one please feel free to pm me.
 
What's your opinion on these pipes?

The bowls tend to be on the small size, about a grp2 or so. The Falcon system doesn't work terribly well, and needs special thin pipe cleaners. IMO it's mostly a gimmick from the days when aluminum was considered impressive high tech. IMO a better option is a Peterson system pipe or an african meerschaum pipe or even a cob. The Peterson system pipes don't need as much rest since they don't depend on the absorptive properties of the briar. And an african meerschaum pipe (Peterson, Manx, and BBB) is nearly as tough as a briar but smokes like a meerschaum except for the coloring. Cobs have about the same size bowl as a falcon at a tenth of the cost, and will smoke drier and cooler to boot.
 
I may need to reconsider then...on another forum a lot of people have given them nothing but praise. As for the small bowls I believe the classic ones are bigger than the standard ones FWIW.
 
I know guys that absolutely love them, but they're not for me. I've seen 'em go on the 'bay for $10-$15 so if your interested give them a try. They tend to be a love hate sort of thing. For me it feels unnatural to smoke a metal pipe, but that has more to do with aesthetics then anything else.
 
I own several Falcon Pipes and they are at there best when you are on the go. SOME of the bowls are smaller, but there are a couple that hold plenty of tobacco. Mine take pipe cleaners well. Considering the nature of the bit, I would never ebay one unless it was brand new. They smoke cool and dry. When finished all you have to do is unscrew the bowl and loop the pipe cleaner to quickly wipe out the bowl. Run the stem under some hot water and it will clean up quick. Wipe dry and screw the bowl back on.

I like em and plenty of others like them as well, so don't let anyone tell you anything that will convince you to not get one. I prefer the Algiers bowls. I have a smooth one and a rusticated one. I have other bowls as well, but the Algiers is the best IMO.
They are well worth giving a try...especially if you like to light up on the move. I'll throw a complete pipe in my pouch + a couple extra bowls and I'm good all day till I can get home and fire up one of my finer pipes.
 
I was given a pair of falcons and a few bowls. After a bit of cleanup, they smoke fairly well. It's pretty weird smoking a pipe that's mostly metal but it isn't bad at all.
 
I may need to reconsider then...on another forum a lot of people have given them nothing but praise. As for the small bowls I believe the classic ones are bigger than the standard ones FWIW.

I saw your post on smokers forums but wound up responding here. There are more falcon fans on SF because there are more pipe smokers there. I don't think there is a higher proportion of falcon fans there vs here. Give 'em a try if you're curious, some guys really like them. They do have a funky art deco vibe, though the Kirsten has more of it.
 
Hey thanks parker! I'll have to find you on there. I'm hoping a falcon or a meer (falcon being cheaper so we'll go with that) would treat me well, because out of the 10 or 12 pipes I own I've only found 2 that I'm totally pleased with. One of with was a cob that when combined with Half & Half is magical. The other is a full-bent basket pipe that is great for flakes, but tends to make baccys bite easily and I still had to raise the heel to get it to the point that I'm alright with it. I even have an Nording Eriksen that I'm not satisfied with, then again maybe I just haven't found the right blend for it yet.
 
I've never smoked a Kirsten, but I've got a couple of Falcons and they definitely have their place. The flavour of the tobacco isn't constricted too much, especially if you smoke FVF or something and they can be kept very very clean. The most important thing about as Falcon and the reason so many people have them, is you don't have to be protective of them. Stick one in a bag or your pocket and it'll take a hell of a lot of punishment. Still want to smoke after finishing a bowl? No problem, simply clean well and refill. They're great for "no-nonsense" smoking, whereas a quality briar is something you do have to take care of. Think of it as a "beater" pipe.
 
I have a straight chrome Falcon and added the blk carbon fibre bowl. It gets more attention than any pipe at 10x the price. awesome 'cool' factor and
conversation starter.
 
Odd, I've been able to use Dills in mine just fine.

All the shops in the area carry Long's; that might be the problem. These work well in my Falcon, which one would hope given that they're Falcon pipe cleaners. If Dills fit the falcon then it's possible that these are rebranded Dills; I doubt that Falcon has their own cleaner-making division...
 
I have a Kirsten 1/4 bent with a medium Bulldog bowl and enjoy it.

This is not what I would consider to be a "robust" pipe. While I've never had a problem, the bowl mount somehow seems fragile to me. It's certainly not a pipe I'd just toss into my pocket.

The bit, although acrylic, fits my bite nicely and it's a light enough pipe to "clench" comfortably. Keeping it clean is not a problem. Stem off on one end, valve off on the other, whistle a paper towel through, wipe the "ramrod" down, a pipe cleaner through the bottom of the bowl and the stem and it's ready to deliver another nice, cool, dry smoke. A nice pipe, all in all.
 
All the shops in the area carry Long's; that might be the problem. These work well in my Falcon, which one would hope given that they're Falcon pipe cleaners. If Dills fit the falcon then it's possible that these are rebranded Dills; I doubt that Falcon has their own cleaner-making division...
Hmm, interesting. I'll throw a pack into my next order and try them out. :thumbup1:
 
I've never smoked a Kirsten, but I've got a couple of Falcons and they definitely have their place. The flavour of the tobacco isn't constricted too much, especially if you smoke FVF or something and they can be kept very very clean. The most important thing about as Falcon and the reason so many people have them, is you don't have to be protective of them. Stick one in a bag or your pocket and it'll take a hell of a lot of punishment. Still want to smoke after finishing a bowl? No problem, simply clean well and refill. They're great for "no-nonsense" smoking, whereas a quality briar is something you do have to take care of. Think of it as a "beater" pipe.

That's my reasoning. I have a couple of Falcons that I smoke in the shop and they get knocked around plenty. Working on the lathe with cutting oil and metal chips on your hands and need a re-light? No problem. Heck, I light mine with a little prest-o-lite torch at the bench and don't always aim too well, so the rim of the bowl needs to be touched up now and then.

I wrap a pipe cleaner around a small tube and then cut the spiral into rings that fit under the bottom of the bowl where it screws into the stem assembly. I can disassemble the pipe, clean it and change the ring every load. Never had trouble using Dill's pipe cleaners for normal stem cleaning.

It's not fancy, but it's a buddy like an old pickup truck that you don't have to worry about getting a dent in, and it does what you need. Hmmm, never actually had a pickup, but.....
 
They go for about $60 new, replacement bowls are around $25 each, they offer what they call "Dry Rings" that go in bottom drip area also to soak up excess moisture, I looked at them but I don't care for the metal look, they probably do smoke well though.
 
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