HOW TO SELECT THE PERFECT PIPE FOR YOU.
By courtesy of the PipeSmokers Council UK.

'What is a suitable pipe? It is a pipe whose mouthpiece is the right width so that the chompers can get a good grip and the pipe does not slip sideways out of control. It should be the right weight, if too heavy the jaw feels as though it has become unhooked and gives off clicks. If the pipe is too light, one, curiously, loses interest in it.' Frank Muir

If the pipe is the mark of a man, then a man is the mark of the pipe he smokes, and his choice of models is so wide as to defy complete definition: a Lovat, inevitably, for the outdoor type (it is named, appropriately, after Lt. Col. Fraser-Lovat, a famous deer-stalker), a Calabash, possibly, for the private eye, and a Saddle Bit Bulldog for the patriotic breed.
With a range of several hundred different models available (though in many cases the variations in design are minute), there is only one simple rule to adopt when it comes to choosing a pipe: above all else, it must be comfortable in the mouth. So much is easily said more difficult to achieve, for comfort is largely determined by shape and this, in its turn, determines a pipe's weight. The lighter the pipe and, thus, the easier in the mouth, the less likely it is to distil the full flavour of the tobacco: the more likely it is to smoke 'hot'.
The balance between weight and comfort is crucial, an imbalance between the one and the other acting as a serious deterrent to the new Pipeman. The ideal, of course, is to select a design with sufficient wood in the bowl and yet of reasonable weight, in a shape that the smoker can live with. As generations of pipeline have discovered, there can be no instant guide to this process, though certain general tips may be helpful:
THE BOWL
As a rule, a very squat pipe will produce the situation where the tobacco only burns in the centre. But whatever the outside form of the bowl, the interior should be straight-walled to ensure even burning. All bowls do not conform to this latter rule but, where there are variations, it is essential that the top of the interior should be wider than the bottom. Again, the shape of the bottom (or 'foot' of the bowl) can vary greatly though the commonest form, the product of long experience, is a gentle U-shape. The key here is to select a design that will not become too charred (a risk of the more flat-bottomed versions), and will not choke up too easily where the channel enters the bowl itself. It's sometimes said by PipeSmokers who should know better, that the cost of a pipe bears no relationship to the enjoyment you get from it.
Those who can afford a perfect 'straight-grain' (the grain running vertically down the bowl evenly) will know this isn't the case. Visual and tactile pleasure adds a great deal to overall smoking enjoyment. But there are excellent pipes at all price ranges. Rather like a bottle of wine, if you pay a little more than for vin ordinaire, the extra investment is out of all proportion in enjoyment.
THE FINISH
Where a briar scores over other materials is in the inexhaustible variety of stains and finishes which can be used by the manufacturer. Many people prefer a smooth finish bowl: on the other hand a 'sculptured' or sand-blasted pipe cannot be scratched, but nor can you polish it on the side of your nose! The softer wood is removed in the sand-blasting thus reducing the weight but not the strength of the bowl, a good argument for the Pipeman who likes the smoking qualities of the bigger pipe, but who finds the unsand-blasted pipe too heavy for him. its followers say that the increased surface area cools the pipe and it does not slip in the hand.
THE STEM AND MOUTHPIECE
The length of the stem is possibly as important as the weight of the bowl: long stems (especially if allied to a heavy bowl) being hard on the mouth and teeth and leading to what is derisively termed 'smoker's droop'; whilst short ones (and certain models have virtually no stem at all), have won the epithet 'nose warmers' The latter come into their own where the pipe-smoker has to get close up to his work, or makes his pipes lead a very dangerous life in the pocket of his overalls.
The mouthpiece (or 'bit') also comes in many forms, from the delicate, fan-tail varieties to the heavy duty, twin-bore versions (i.e. where the manufacturer provides a V-shaped, double channel in the last section of the mouthpiece). Choice depends on the strength of the smoker's bite - the lighter the 'bit' the more likely it is to fracture, especially for smokers who habitually chew on their mouthpiece. Special bits can be obtained for those wearing dentures. These are called 'dentals' in the trade.
PIPE SYSTEMS
It has been estimated that a quarter of all pipes sold include some form of specialist 'system' - whether a cooling device, filter, or wet trap. Although some purists object to interposing such systems between themselves and the tobacco, many long-time smokers say that such a system provided them with their first cool smoke. The majority of pipe-smokers do not inhale. For those who do, a filter whether of the slim type, or the fatter carbon filter should certainly be considered. The Pipesmokers Council has recently introduced the standard "Pipeplan" 6mm filter and pipe manufacturers are being encouraged to adopt a standard bore so that this filter will eventually fit the majority of pipes.
OVERALL DESIGN
In practice, it is a balance between a range of different factors (the size and weight of the bowl; the length of stem etc.) that determine the individual pipeman's ideal smoke, though one general rule does apply: the smaller the pipe, and the thinner the wood, the less likely it is to provide a long, and truly satisfactory smoke. There is an exception to every rule; Bing Crosby once wrote to an eminent Pipeman: 'I buy a little pipe from England, its lightweight and you can carry it in your mouth when you're hitting a golfshot without breaking out your front teeth.'
Brian Barnes, extrovert golf pro and past Pipeman of the Year, usually lays his pipe on the ground when driving off, but invariably keeps it in his mouth while putting. He has a supply of inexpensive pipes for the golf course. 'I often step back on them and a large number go missing to souvenir hunters in the crowd.'
Ultimately, a pipe and its quality will be selected to suit the personality of its owner and, equally, the job that he has to do. It is inconceivable that Holmes, a sedentary type, would have smoked a short stemmed Lovat or, conversely, that the delicacy of a meerschaum would long survive the rigours of a farmer's life.
ROUGH OR SMOOTH
Rough or Smooth, there's been quite a debate about these two finishes, at one time sandblast or rough pipes as they are sometimes called were seen to be a cover up for blemishes and other unsightly marks, it may still be the case with some pipes but I have got some lovely pipes with this finish by well known pipe makers. Smooth pipes show the grain better and tend to be slightly heavier, very pleasing on the eye.
So smooth or sandblast, some say sandblast and it's variations give a cooler smoke due to the finish and feel nice to hold in the hand, smooth pipes are said to be heavier, but in all honesty I cannot tell the weight difference.
To summarise: I suppose it's up to the individuals personal likes and dislikes, go with what pleases and feels right