The Review of the Pipe Tools

[Tobias Lutz]

While recently getting starting with some spring cleaning as it pertains to my humidors and pipe accoutrements, I discovered that I have no less than 7 varieties of tampers/pipe tools in rotation right now. I thought it would be fun to post on the merits and shortcomings of each since 5 of the seven are readily available to other smokers online.



1. The Czech Pipe Tool
This classic is the first variety of pipe tool I ever owned. Very cheap, and available almost anywhere Captain Black is sold, it has been getting the job done for over a decade in my case. Key pluses include the ability to lace a key ring through it for easy transport, and the round, narrow diameter of the poker is excellent for attacking a plugged cigar as well. Minuses are mainly based around the fact the spoon- shaped reamer isn’t worth a damn



2. The Brigham Pipe Nail
A slightly more polished version of the plain pipe nail, the Brigham variety is nice to have for its simplicity. It has no sharp edges, so it carries well in the watch pocket of my blue jeans, and the tamping surface area is adequate. While it does have a faintly concaved end with which to ream, it is good for little more than knocking out dry dottle. Positives include it’s price (~$2), and feel in the hand; negatives are lack of poker and uselessness for reaming.



3. The Generic Aluminum Pipe Nail
They don’t come any more straightforward than this. It’s basically a large headed nail with a paddle end rather than a point. As with the first two examples, the reaming function is woefully inadequate, but they cost barely over $1, so they’re almost disposable. The biggest plus with this one is the large tamp surface. It ties my bat-shaped tool for the best in the lot. The downsides include lack of style- you get ZERO points when you break this one out in the company of others



4. Wood Bat-Shaped Tool
This one is named after its shape (when closed) and is a bit of a step up in appearance. While the veneer isn’t perfectly cut or applied, the grain adds a little bit of class to the tool. The foot is oval shaped and of reasonable size, the pick is square at the point and tapers on its way out from the handle. The reamer is functional with a serrated edge. The biggest assets with this piece are the looks and the weight. I like to tamp by positioning the tool ¼” above the ash and dropping it, rather than apply direct pressure myself. Negatives are the oval shaped foot (my bowls are generally round) and the fact that the reamer doesn’t always fold cleaning into the handle.



5. The Pipe Shaped Pipe Tool
This piece matches the aluminum nail for tamp surface area and includes a nice, flat pick and a decent serrated reamer. The pick design is the best of all of the tools when utilized as a cigar poker, and the weight is second only to the Bat-Shaped tool. Positives are certainly the tamp size, the pick shape, and the functionality of the reamer. Negatives , in my mind, are the pipe-shape (just a bit over-the-top for me) and the weird way in the pick and reamer are mounted which prevents you from opening both at 90 degree angle to the handle at the same time.



6. Bamboo Tamp (custom)
This was a bonus that @rx2man threw in when I purchased a gorgeous bamboo stem pipe from him last month. The tamp foot itself is from a Winchester .357 bullet. It is glued neatly onto the end of a few inches of bamboo and really makes for a cool looking accessory to just about any pipe. While the lightest of all seven, it works well and the novelty of the material has made it a quick favorite for me.



7. The Zurg Custom Pipe Tool @Emperor Zurg had already sent me an absolutely awesome custom cob called the “Zurg Glass Sipper” a while back, so when he PMed me last month that he was making a pipe tool he wanted me to try, I got excited right away. He gave me the choice of personalization and since we had been discussing FDA regulation that day, I told him to go with Exodus 10: 25 (And Moses said, “Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God.) as a bit of tongue and cheek humor. The tool in constructed out of a piece of machined steel that has been inserted into a Winchester .308 casing. The tamp weight and surface area are ideal, and the reaming edge is a great length, but is also nice and sharp! In fact, the only problem I have found is that I can’t carry it in certain pockets because it stabs me The design itself is highly functional, novel, and the ability to personalize it has made it my go to tool for the past couple weeks.

[Branzig]

Great looking tampers!

I like the wood-bat tool. It looks like a pick-axe when opened up like that

[JollyRogers]

I love that custom offering by @Emperor Zurg looks incredible!

[455 Punch]

I enjoy everything you write, even about a simple pipe nail!

[Pugsley]

I use mainly the Brigham (or Brebbia) tool. The small scoop works well for moving tobacco from the sides of the bowl to the cherry in the center . Also, they're inexpensive and I'm sure I've lost dozens of them over the years. I'm rather particular about reaming, though, and I never use a knife. For a quick reaming I use a Castleford reaming tool, and for more careful reaming I use the Senior pipe reamer. The only thing my pipe knife has ever been used for is cutting plug tobacco.

[OnePyroTec]

I thought for sure the last one would be the old golf tee.

You do know you made every piper start looking through their desks to see how many tampers we have...

[Bruck]

LOL, golf tee, beat me to it!
Someday I'll pick up one of those pocket knife-looking ones...
...because they're cool.

[Haebar]

Clockwise from the top (yellow packaged pipe tool): Yello-Bole pipe tool. I haven't cracked this one out yet; used to have one of these that I used years ago and liked it. It is kind of heavy in the pocket and on close inspection appears to be a Czech tool with a cover/handle that keeps the tools from flopping out. The spoon "reamer is almost useless, like Tobias mentioned about the Czech tool. Don't know if these are still available.

Made in China: This is a shorter and thinner tool than many of the rest. I don't like it because the poker tool is not round and seems ungainly. The reamer is a little more useful than some of the others because it has a flat edge that could be conceivably be sharpened a little bit to be more effective.

Richards Sheffield England: This has a decent quality knife blade and doubles as a pocket knife. If you're careful with the point on the blade, it makes a good field reamer. The poker tool has a point and is great for cigar adjustments. All that said, the tamper fall short... It is rectangular and not very broad across the working end. These are probably not made any more.

Ebay China pipe tool: Saw this on ebay from a Chinese vendor and got one to check it out. It is long, 4 inches! The poker is not round but is narrow enough to be useful for stirring and other tasks. The spoon "reamer" is almost useless, like the Czech tool. The tamper is great. These are available on Ebay.

Mastercraft Italy: The reamer on this one is thick steel with edge sharpened like scissors blades (not too sharp) with a rounded end. This one has a decent knife blade. The poker is not round but is fine enough for most relevant pipe tasks. The tamper is convex and is big enough for the task but I prefer flat tampers. Pretty sure these are not made any more.

[bluenoser]

The Zurg Custom Pipe Tool is cool, Love any type of re purposing of old brass.

[Tobias Lutz]

Clockwise from the top (yellow packaged pipe tool): Yello-Bole pipe tool. I haven't cracked this one out yet; used to have one of these that I used years ago and liked it. It is kind of heavy in the pocket and on close inspection appears to be a Czech tool with a cover/handle that keeps the tools from flopping out. The spoon "reamer is almost useless, like Tobias mentioned about the Czech tool. Don't know if these are still available.