Blog by Steve Laug

Wind caps have always intrigued me. I have picked them up over the years more by accident than by design. They have come on pipes that I have picked up in EBay lots and those I have found in thrift shops and antique malls. I honestly don’t think I have ever purchased one new. At least that is how I remember it in the recesses of my aging memory. I know why they were designed and what their intention was from the start; but I suppose for me they are more of a way of keeping the tobacco in the bowl in my coat pocket and not all over the pocket than they are about protecting the pipe in blowing wind. I tend not to smoke my pipe in a windy area so I don’t use them for that. Probably as close as I come to using them for their original purpose is when I am smoking a pipe while walking in the rain here on the Wetcoast of Canada. They keep the errant rain drops out of my bowl and thus keep the pipe smouldering nicely while I walk outside on a rainy day.

When I look at the wind caps in my collection (I say collection because I have about six I think and any more than one makes a collection) I see that there are probably three basic designs. In the pictures below the two on the top are spring loaded. The first on the left has two small tags on each side that are compressed and the lid is put in place on the pipe. Once in place the tags are released and the cap is held in place. The multiple holes in the top aid the flow of air to the tobacco and do not restrict the burning of the tobacco. The second design, the one on the top row, right side is also spring loaded. But instead of tags the design has a cylinder across the middle of the cap and in that is a spring and two pistons that are compressed and the lid is place on the bowl. Once it on the bowl the pistons are released and the cap holds on to the sides of the bowl. This one has fewer and larger air holes and seems to work equally well. Both of these designs make relighting the pipe a bit of a chore as the cap needs to be removed, the pipe relit and then the cap put back in place. Because of this I rarely use these caps when going on my walks. They tend to be relegated to the task of keeping the tobacco in the bowl and not spilling around my jacket pocket while I am traveling to and from work or appointments.

The second row of wind caps is similar in design and function. Both of these are held in place by metal triangular tabs that extend into the bowl and rest against the sides of the bowl. They can be bent to fit different bowl diameters. Do not assume that just because they look like spikes they are to be driven into the briar of the bowl rim. I have to tell you that I have cleaned up several older estates that had these installed in that manner. It was almost as if the owner had put the cap in place with a hammer. I believe that the true use of them is to pressure fit the cap to the bowl and adjust the fit until it is tight. Both of these models have a centre portion to them that is like a coiled spring. In fact it flexes like a spring when touched. The airspace on both of these is quite generous and keeping the pipe lit is no trouble at all. I have a third one like this but it is missing the centre bead. It still works great though. These by far are my favourites in terms of wind caps. They are hinged so that to relight the pipe is no problem; the top is opened by the small handle on the cap. The top opens to allow access to the inside of the bowl. After relighting, the cap is pushed back into place and the smoke continues.

Besides these aftermarket wind caps I have several older pipes which incorporate them into the design of the pipe. In the first series of pictures below is an older Red Point with a silver cap attached to a silver rim that was original equipment for the pipe. The lid has a handle on the front and on the top that enables it to be opened for loading and relighting as necessary. The domed cap and the look of the pipe speak of a past generation of pipe smokers. The bling on the pipe makes it look rich and elegant.

A second pipe that I have with an integrated wind cap is what is commonly known as Hurricane pipes. This style of pipe was made by several English pipe makers. The one I have is an F&T Shipmate made for Abercrombie and Fitch. The wind cap on it is made of Bakelite and is pinned toward the bottom of the bowl on each side. It is hinged and tips backward toward the smoker for loading and relighting. The first photo below shows the cap from the sides and the top of the bowl. It has the appearance of a pepper shaker. The next two photos show the same pipe with the wind cap opened.

The third pipe in my collection with an integrated wind cap is a Wally Frank that I posted about earlier on the blog. It is pictured below in a series of photos. In this model the cap is made of a briar dome that swivels on a metal pin that holds the cap to the bowl. To load and relight the pipe the pipeman only has to swing the cap to either side. The workings of this wind cap are very simple and uncomplicated. The beauty of the design is that the cap can be removed and the pipe smoked sans cap. The cap is not integrated into the design of the bowl in a manner that makes removing it a major change to the pipe.

As can be seen from the various wind caps, both integrated and aftermarket, they are here to stay. The wind caps and pipes pictured come from different times and eras but they all incorporate the same basic design purpose. I rarely use the three pipes with the integrated cap. It just seems like one more thing to fuss with. The aftermarket add on caps work for me as described above – a means of keep a loaded bowl safe in my pocket for a later smoke.  When I reach for a wind cap I reach for these. They work best for my purpose as when I have taken the bowl out to smoke I just remove the cap and put it in my pocket to reuse later. It typically does not see another use until the time I need to carry another bowl in my pocket.