Anybody here smoke a pipe?

I used to in college, ~30 years ago. Thinking about taking it up again as I can't afford good cigars and cigarettes are nasty.

Any suggested blends?

Um, Blends of what? Theres some good stuff coming out of Oregon right now ... Or so I hear. I dont partake of any form of combustable weeds but if I did it would be the non THC containing variety and I would put it in a pipe. Probably something sweet like Captain Black.

I had an instructor in high school that smoked his pipe in the class room, He smoked Captain Black and I still know it when I smell it. He was a good teacher and very inspirational.

Interesting that just down from this post is a thread about quitting the smokes.

I did the whole pipe thing in College as well, worked in a Cigar and Pipe shop for ~5 years around that time as well, found that personal taste of what is a good tobacco is very subjective, I would reccomend finding a reputable local pipe shop and trying small sample of some of their most popular blends to find one you like. If that fails hook up with my former employer TheSmokingLamp out of Charleston SC they will be glad to do mail order. They have a wonderful blend they call Sothern Magic that is by far their best seller. Don't forget to use a quality pipe as it can make all the difference in your enjoyment, cheap pipes tend to burn hot and don't really smoke well. I am not talking 200 buck when I say nice but 20-50 should still get you a good pipe that will serve you well for many years. It's also a fairly good idea to have more than one pipe and smoke them in rotation as pipes smoke better when they get some down time.

All I can think about when reading this is:

"It's a 911 Porsche... Hot bit goes in the back!"

I'm an occasional pipe smoker (a couple times/month). Currently, I'm a big fan of Pebblecut, which can be found in tins at most shops. It's on the higher end as far as price, but that still puts it way cheaper than a cigar.

I would definitely repeat the sentiment of finding a good pipe shop nearby and trying out a couple of their blends. Usually they'll give small samples. It's also cheap enough that I figure I can buy an ounce of a couple different blends to try and see what I like.

And don't forget to check out CL for awesome pipe deals! I got a genuine Calabash and a nice Gefapip (Canadian carver no longer in business) for $40.

Pipe smoker here. Once or twice a month, usually when sitting and contemplating a project in my garage.

I second the "good pipe" opinion.

I've got a corncob and it's a terrible smoke.

I have a 1950's Marxman stubby and it's nice but can be a bit hot with aromatics.

I have a new Brigham bulldog that I really like and it uses the rock maple filters. Smokes nice and cool.

You may find that others don't like the smell as much as you do. I keep some cherry aromatic around in case others will be nearby but I prefer english or turkish tobaccos for myself. The smell of these can put people off though.

Shawn

I liked Captain Black black cavendish.

I was always quite interested in pipe smoking, always thought it was neat looking and classy then I started smoking cigars when I was 18, now 20, and want to try out this. I used to do the cheapy Black and Mild's but there's a shop around here that I go to that has these small little sweet things from Italy, perfect taste and smell...mmmmm a little pricy compared to some of the other domincan ones but hey.....

What's the major difference other than price?

I was never a cigar aficionado, but I went through a period of a few years where I smoked about one per month. There are extremely wide variances in flavor and spiciness between cigars. Just as a warning, I started smoking those "small little sweet things" at a rate of one per day towards the end of my smoking experiment. Thankfully I stopped smoking altogether before American Spirits became the next logical step. For me, smoking cigars was part social activity and part vanity. Once I saw that most older cigar smokers look like Jabba the Hut, a lot of the appeal wore off.

I'd like to pick up a pipe. I'm a cigar smoker (once a week, tops). Even at once a week, it can get pretty spendy. I do most of my purchasing online, which helps. I finally found a decent brick and mortar that has good prices, but they're 30 minutes away.

As with any other tobacco, it's completely subjective. My main reason to pick up a pipe is that the room note is almost always better than a cigar's room note. I can deal with the cost because it's rare that I smoke anything that's more than $5 a stick. I'd REALLY like to be able to smoke inside, though.

NickF40 wrote: What's the major difference other than price?

Between what and what? Different cigars? Or Cigars and pipes? I'm presuming the latter. If that's the case...

Price is obvious: pipe tobacco is cheap, but pipes tend to be costly.

In terms of how they smoke: I find pipes a lot smoother and generally a cooler smoke. If you're smoking a meerschaum (the white clay-like material) pipe, the cooling effect is even more so. A pipe bowl is obviously smaller than a typical cigar. Pipes also don't tend to get harsher as they're smoked longer. You can also let them go out and relight them without making things weird. The pipe is more work to light and keep lit. Additionally, you need to let your pipes rest for about a day between smokes unless they're meerschaum. I once repacked a pipe within a few hours of it going out, and the difference was noticeable.

Plus, pipes are just fun works of art. I like the elegance of the simple functionality despite every pipe being unique.

To anyone starting to smoke a pipe I highly recommend buying a proper pipe lighter. My girlfriend just gave me a gorgeous monogrammed one for Christmas. Basic ones can be had for about $20-$30.

Big thing is the soft (candle, not torch) butane flame with a side light (as opposed to a cigarette lighter). They are almost always refillable and with a built-in tamper. Really nice to not burn my fingers constantly.

and that was it lol that's what I needed to know

and the other thing, trying to order online for cigars and cigarillos....gooood looord...so many to choose from and flavors. But yeah i'm interested now in pipe, i'm going to ask the shop what they think a good starter "blend" is lol

Warning: pipes are an addicting hobby. I now feel compelled to collect them, despite rarely smoking them. I'm going to check out a local antique store this week to see if they've got anything cool.

I really want to add a nice Churchwarden pipe to my collection and sit around reading Tolkein.

With cigars, just try as many as you can and only buy ones you like again. Cigar.com has a good forum, and there's always Puff.

Never smoked but I must say Gandolf's Choice does smell REALLY good.

No, but, when I was about 8, my (late) Grandfather whittled this with me, using the seed of a Eucalypt tree as the bowl. It's what he and his buddies used to make when they were kids. Crude as it is, it doesn't smoke particularly well, but it's a cool keepsake.

Smoked a pipe for close to 30 years but quit a couple of years ago... I relied on Brigham pipes and Borkum Riff whiskey flavoured tobacco.

I used to rationalize the pipe over cigarettes because of the cost differential, but when I began to pay $20 CDN for a pouch of tobacco I started to have second thoughts and quit.

Good luck in finding a tobacco that you prefer...

GWG

I do think it's funny the comparison to pipe/cigar smokers and cig smokers... pipes don't tend to have the same stigma as typical smokers do

I guess the fact that pipe smokers tend not to be chain smokers and that the smell doesn't tend to make people sick (I have been known to get sick from the smell of 2nd hand cig smoke)

always enjoyed the smell of pipe tobaccos :) and if I smoked it would be a pipe... but don't need another hobby... let alone one that is bad for my health :-/... although I still like the pic of james may sitting in his winged chair pointing at people with his pipe :)

I used to like a blend called "Mayfair". Anyone familiar with it?

Long cut home grown stuff for me. In fact I have a few good new seeds to grow from this year. I have a italian make F.R.E. small carver now dead I think.

Cannot stand aromatics. Its just not for me.

One cigar a month for me, only the good stuff, Illusione is my favorite brand but its a hard, harsh, and very powerful blend. Most people cannot even finish a petite corona

ggarrard wrote: Smoked a pipe for close to 30 years but quit a couple of years ago... I relied on Brigham pipes and Borkum Riff whiskey flavoured tobacco.

Though I can't stand cigarettes and can barely tolerate cigars, I've always wanted to try a pipe. My uncle and a friend's father smoked them when I was a kid and I've always loved the smell.

I've also always figured that when the day came along, I'd start with Borkum Riff (though I suspect that it's low end stuff since I see it at CVS) because I spent a Summer on Borkum.

While I cannot offer any expertise when it comes to pipe smoking, I highly recommend visiting Borkum if you have the opportunity. I spent one of the best days of my life walking the perimeter or the island. Worst sunburn I've ever gotten, though.

Admittedly, I was unaware of the islands antisemitic history at the time, but saw no firsthand evidence of it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borkum

donalson wrote: I do think it's funny the comparison to pipe/cigar smokers and cig smokers... pipes don't tend to have the same stigma as typical smokers do

Yep, I've absolutely noticed that. Whenever I whip out a pipe at an event, people want to know about it. I had a guy at a racing event thank me for smoking UP-wind from him. Last time I was in the coffee shop I frequent on my lunch breaks, the barista asked me if I was smoking my pipe that day.

Even had a gal hit on me on the patio of a bar because I was smoking a pipe.

Pipes make you look thoughtful and sophisticated.

I still have a brass water pipe as a relic of my misspent youth of the late 60,s and early 70's. I didn't smoke tobacco in it. Haven't used it in many years however.