Posted by PP on 10/31/2017 to
News
Shaka Pipe was inspired by the classic brass all-in-one pipe, which is arguably the most popular smoking pipe of all time. I was making leather cases for it and giving them out along with a Proto inside as gifts to my puffing friends. However, one day, I couldn't source any of these brass pipes anymore. I tried a couple of knock-offs, but the quality was terrible. With a Tormach 1100 we had at our motorcycle parts shop, I started to make my own and tried to address a few inconveniences of the original Proto Pipe. After a dozen prototypes, the "Shaka Pipe" was born. Here is a comparison between the old school brass pipe and the new Shaka Pipe.
No more stuck bottom and bent poker
Anyone who has been an old school brass pipe user would tell you a story about their bent pokers. The tar will cause the bottom to get stuck and after hammering on the poker for so long...you bend the poker! It won't go back to the sheath tube, then the stash tube won't lock in place. Many old school brass pipes died from a bent poker. The Shaka Pipe comes with a poker that's made of a custom hex wrench. The bottom tar trap is now opened by loosening the hex screw on the bottom cover and voila, no more bent poker! Now, this leads to the next issue, how to lock the stash tube back in place?
Independently locked stash tube
The Shaka Pipe uses a hidden disc spring to lock the stash tube. The idea was borrowed from my motorcycle parts designs. The stash tube itself is machined out of a long range rifle case. It holds a little more fines than the original brass pipe. It looks cool, too!
Flush top cover with perfect friction and lid stop
Shaka Pipe features a flush top cover. The tightness of the lid can be adjusted with the poker wrench. It also has a stop to keep the cover from swinging sideways. The lid hinge is dialed to a perfect friction so it only can be opened when you slide it open.
Bigger tar trap
The plug on the original pipe takes up most of the space and the drawing hole is so small and get clogged quickly. Shaka pipe features a much bigger tar trap than the original pipe, which means much longer cleaning cycles. For a daily smoker, only monthly cleaning is needed and again, the bottom lid is easily opened with the provided poker hex wrench.
Handy accessories
Shaka pipe comes with a very neat drawstring canvas pouch, with original hand illustrated leafy graphics. You can also get a custom pocket case that can also hold a lighter or a stash tube. The all brass stash tube can double your mileage and is also machined out of rifle casing. The stem cleaner tool comes handy when you want to get all the goo out of your drawing tube. It's a long brass rod with a wooden handle. Just heat up the tip and push it through the draw tube.
