Recently picked up a brylon pipe and some basic corn cob ones to get started. I was curious of who around here is into the hobby? To start off I snagged some Captain Black Gold and CAO Eileen’s Dream. The Captain is ok, but kind of boring in my opinion. The CAO seems really nice. I don’t mind the aromatic at all. It’s pretty good. It’s rated as a mild medium. Looking to try some other stuff.Maybe something with a bit more flavor. I smoked cigars for a bit, but they didn’t have the taste that I enjoyed. Recommendations?
I would find a local place and go buy a bunch of 1-2oz sample bags. Local blenders can do some amazing stuff and recommend a lot of different things. My local blender probably has 100 different “blends” and single source tobacco’s.
I tried to get into pipe smoking, bought a $50 pipe(not cheap, but not expensive), bought 10 “sample” bags of various blends from the shop, had the guy show me what was going on, etc… and I gave it my best shot, but I just couldnt get into it. I always found myself reaching back for a cigar so I gave up on the pipe, gave the pipe and all the leftover tobacco to a buddy who DOES really enjoy smoking pipes and he gave me 10 cigars from his humidor in trade. I was happy, he was happy.
I am not an anti smoking Nazi or anything. I think you are free to do whatever you want to do as long as you aren’t harming anyone else.
That being said, my Mother just died of lung cancer in May of this year. She was never a smoker but was around people who were at work and leisure. She was diagnosed in Feb and died in May.
My Father in Law was just diagnosed with lung cancer a month ago. He has been a smoker since age 9.
Again, you are free to do whatever you want to do and I will fight for your right to do that.
But I can tell you that the pain of losing someone to lung cancer is real.
Please go into it with both eyes open.
a lil too extreme for me :blink: i don’t mind a cigar every three or more months but as stated above, tread carefully man.
I smoke a pipe often and I agree with rjacobs, go to your local tobacco store and get some of their stuff. smoking a pipe gives you a lot of versatility. You can decide how much you want to smoke at a time instead of having a cigar and either throwing it out half way through or smoking the whole thing. I never like relighting cigars. its nice to have several pipes so you can rotate them. avoid pipes with plastic bowls, the wood ones will only get better with time. watch out for mold and learn how to pack it and you will like it.
Yea, I might pick up a briar next month. I just wanted to make sure I found something decent first. Most of the types I am ordering now are the 1.5oz tins to test and such. I don’t need much really. I’m not even sure if there are places locally around here. I might have to check that out.
And remember, pipes get better as you smoke them. They develop character. My buddy who helped me get setup said keep trying for a few weeks and get the pipe seasoned and it will taste better and smoke better. He was right, but in the end, it just wasnt for me.
On the cancer bandwagon:
A good friend of mines parents live in an area with a lot of Indian’s(from India, not Native Americans). We were outside one night smoking cigars and my buddies dad was smoking cigarettes(he’s Polish, forgive him). His neighbor came over and was smoking what looked like a cigarette, but had a natural type wrapper like a cigar. He explained that in India people smoke a lot, but they dont necessarily smoke cigarettes with a paper wrapper. He said India doesnt have nearly the cancer rate from smoking that we do in the US and they probably overall consume more tobacco than we do. His opinion was that the paper in a cigarette wrapper burning is producing carbon and that is what is causing the cancer and not necessarily the tobacco. I have never seen a study that actually differentiates different tobacco types and cancer rates, I dont know if any such study actually exists. All I ever see is everything lumped together in one. It would be interesting to have this tested though.
I’m not sure where I stand on the cancer thing. I did lose my nana to smoking, but she smoked like 3 packs a day. I smoke a pipe not even half way down a few times a week maybe. For flavor of course.
I prefer Captain Black Regular AKA White.
I heard from a lot of fellas that white is great. I’ll order some
It’s pretty decent. Admittedly, it’s my preference when smoking a pipe because it’s what my father always smoked when we backpacked together when I was growing up (he only smoked a pipe during camping/canoeing/backpacking and not at home). The scent brings back my best childhood memories.
That is awesome. I will toss it in my next order for sure.
Huge pipe smoker. Call me a ninny, but I love me some aromatic blends.
I think I’m going to stick to aromatics actually. Are we the underdogs lol
Been smoking pipes now going on thirteen years, I will say I prefer bent pipes to a straight pipe. I have a modest collection that I’m always adding too when I find something that strikes my fancy. On the list is a Churchwarden, Meerschaum (I have an uncle that collects these), and a Calabash.
Pipe smoking is almost a lost art. Most guys starting out loose patience, it’s not something you do in a hurry. In fact that defeats the purpose. When smoking be sure to take your time, you want to keep your bowl lit but not get it too hot as you can actually burn your bowl. You will have to let it rest from time to time depending on the duration of your smoke and rotate them. I suggest you get a pipe stand/rack as they store the pipe at the proper angle to allow them cool/dry. And yes they are like cast iron cook wear in the since they get “seasoned” over time with use. You want a nice char inside your bowl.
If you can find a local source for tobacco then your golden, sadly all my local sources have dried up to the demand of cigars so I have to shop online. While the internet offers huge selections you have to buy larger quantities and you can’t sample a bowl before you spend your hard earned cash. But I cannot tell you how many compliments from friends/family/and total stranger when I bust out a pipe in a pub/bar/social setting! I would stay clear of “drugstore” tobaccos as their flavor can have a lot of “bite” and produce an unpleasant smoking experience. I only smoke various Aromatics and Cavendish.
Since most of the time people will be enjoying their pipe outdoors I highly recommend a dedicated pipe lighter, I use a Colibri but there are others out there. Traditional wood matches are great but blow out easily in the wind when outdoors. As with the lighter a proper pipe tool that has a tamper, pick, and spoon is a must. And don’t forget pipe cleaners you want to keep your stem and shank free of debris and saliva as they can have a negative effect on your next smoking session. Lot of good books on the subject matter as well and highly recommend one for the hobby.
As Moose Knuckle pointed out, a good pipe lighter is a must. If you’re a purist, use a match, as it won’t “contaminate” the natural flavor of the tobacco.
A Churchwarden is king. You will get a nice smooth, cool, smoke and less tongue bite from one.
I will check into a decent lighter for sure. I know right now I have just been kind of stuck with the crap 1$ ones. It’s a slow process getting it all set up. I like the pipes you mentioned, but I don’t feel I can support getting one till I get my feet on the ground with it. I am in search of some decent aromatics with a nice full flavor. A churchwarden seems like it would be awesome to own. I will put it on the list of things for the future. As far as basic tools I have all of those. Should I be sticking to one type of tobacco to one pipe or can you mix and match all you want? I believe I read you want to keep consistent with the type used in each so I was trying to find a decent smoke before dropping the dime on a new pipe.
when I smoke in my garage I lite with a match, but that is impossible in a fishing boat, I have learned to buy the 20 dollar pipe lighters. the cheap ones never work longer than a week.
I had an uncle who died of Emphysema. It was a horrible way to go. I am surprised that anyone who is a serious prepper would be smoking. The last thing you want to be coping with in a crisis situation is withdrawal from an addictive drug.
Guess it’s a good thing I’m not addicted to tobacco then.