Shape is about 85% aesthetics, but it can factor in some other ways. A bent pipe is less likely to allow the moisture that accumulates in the stem to get to your mouth.. a good feature for a new smoker. A bent pipe also has a lower CG and will be easier to hold in your teeth. One possible drawback is a bent pipe may not allow a pipe cleaner to pass all the way to the bowl, something I really dislike, since I use three or four cleaners during a smoke.
Some shapes have thicker walls around the bowl, I find the thicker ones best suited to Virginia and Virginia/perique flake tobaccos, they tend to burn a little hotter than orientals.
As for affecting the taste, the only shape I could see making a difference is the Dublin shape, since it has a bowl that's somewhat cone-shaped, getting smaller toward the end of the smoke.
In a word.. it's about looking cool!
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