Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

First of all, pipe smoking and cigar smoking are two completely different beasts. You will not, by any means, get the volume of smoke from a pipe that you will from a cigar. And if you try, you will fry your tongue and be sorry for days.

As to your questions, an unopened tin need not be stored where there is humidity as it is a vacuum sealed environment, neither letting humidity in or out. I have Christmas Cheer from 1999 which is unopened. Sealed tins will last as long as the seal remains intact.

Other tobaccos that are open, mason jars or other canning jars are great for keeping tobacco in and keeping it fresh. A glass jar with a bail top lid is also helpful.

as for the tobaccos you listed, be careful. Your first one, Christmas Cheer is naturally sweet tobacco, but it is a single crop Virginia and Virginias are naturally sweet. But I must tell you that isn't what you might imagine. Virginias are a great thing to enjoy, but not everybody enjoys the aroma of them as it is a natural tobacco without some sort of topnote on it. Royal Yacht is an aromatic and is usually enjoyed highly for the room note which it is smoked.

Furthermore, strong in pipe tobacco terms is something other than what it is in cigars. Do not expect the same affect.

If I could make a suggestion, I'd find a tobacconist near you (or an old pipe smoker) who can teach you how to pack, light, tamp, and keep your pipe lit live and in person - these simple things can make pipe smoking a pleasurable thing, while doing them improperly can make pipe smoking a royal pain in the asterisk, even if you have a great tobacco.

So, when you say strong and sweet, I'd say your best option is to get a bunch of samples to try so that you can find what you like and what kinds of tobaccos you enjoy. If I might, I would summarize the major types of tobaccos in this way.

Here is the link to a post where I list what I consider the main tobacco types.
http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showpo...&postcount=789

Hope this helps.

Peace o the Lord be with you.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Quick question for those more experienced than me.
I'm window shopping for a pipe to purchase right after xmas and I'm seeing the majority of pipes are out of stock. Is this normal because we're dealing with a product that takes time to make properly or is it just the gift buying rush that has depleted the stock (I'm eye-balling P&C specifically), or both?

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

I don't know nearly as much as everyone else, but probably the Christmas rush in your area. I have a guy I. Can ask if you need me to, PM me with what you are looking for Nd I will be happy to ask

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

P&C tends to get an order of pipes in, make a new posting for each style, and when it sells (regardless of any plans or abilities to acquire it in the future) the listing just stays there forever.

If you want to see the pipe you are actually going to receive, I highly recommend http://www.smokingpipes.com/ . They are a classy organization that receives most of my business. Not a bad thing to say about them in all my dealings.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Smoking pipes has what want. Thanks Tony, I'm going with them as the their tins and pipes fit my needs

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

No worries at all. Russ Oulette does mix him some fine baccy. If you've yet to try his blends, several are quite stellar.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

My regular smoking buddy knew I was sniffing around the edges of pipe smoking. He chose the occasion of Christmas to pipe bomb me!

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/c...psc408dd36.jpg


I know very little about pipe smoking. He knows a bit, but I want to give it a try soon. Specifically, I have read to discard the filters. Should I should clean after smoking and while still warm?

Can you refer me to a good youtube video of the proper way to pack a bowl and break in a cob (if there is such a thing)?

He gave me 4oz of a burley kake blend. How do I rub it out? Do I need to?

Finally, I like to smoke mild to medium cigars. I prefer mild non-peppery Dominican and Cubans. I'm not particularly interested in aromatics. Can you recommend some tobaccos to try? I have my eye on squadron leader.

Thanks! I'm sure I'll have a bunch more questions soon!

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

I think I've figured out most of the basics from rereading this thread. Can someone classify the tobacco types and their characteristics? I see English blends, periques, virginias, burley, oriental, etc. what can I expect from these bases?

So far I don't think I like burley. Too much like the Levi Garrett chewing tobacco from my youth. Being from nc, I'm very familiar with flue cured gold leaf that goes into cigarettes and burley out west. Is virginia similar?

As above, I prefer mild to med cuban and Dominican cigars without pepper. What pipe tobacco comes close?

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

First, don't dicount all burleys from a taste of Classic Burley Kake. That is a topped (sugary syrup added to "enhance" the flavor) example that I am not particularly fond of despite burley being a go-to smoke of mine. I'm not saying you'll like burley, just give it more chances.My favorite burleys tend to be nutty and "cigary." Before I continue on, I'd suggest that you call the good folks at Cornell & Diehl and have them put together a sample package to try new and different things.

Tobacco types:
Burley: You've encountered. A neutral tobacco tasting tobacco that has lots of examples both good and bad (Go to your local smoke shop and get a pouch of Prince Albert to encounter a "pure" burley experience.

Virginia: Where it all started. That gold stuff in Brightleaf Square in Durham is, in fact an example of a virginia. While many pipe smokers end up here, it's not necessarily a great place to start. Its high sugar content means that smoking it too hot (i.e. smoke coming from your pipe or mouth that someone else can see) tends to make it tastless and tongue-biting. Once you've played around and can handle smiking on the edge of keeping things lit, you may find you like this stuff.

Perique: A condiment tobacco from St James Parrish in LA. It is often mixed in small amounts with virginias to mitigate their bitey qualities. Many folks call it peppery, but in reality, it's a chameleon that has almost as many tastes as blends it's a part of. Pepper, prunes, raisins, sweet cream, etc are only a few of its associated flavors.

Orientals: A group of tobaccos originally grown in the old orient; Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, etc. These tend to add a spicy or buttery quality to blends.

Latakia: A smoked oriental used in many blends which adds a campfire kind of note. This is a love it or hate it thing. I tend to go through love/hate cycles with it.

Types of "blends":

English: We could write a whole book of what does and does not constitute an English blend. Let's just say it's a mixture that always includes orientals/latakia as well as perhaps Virginia, burley and/or Perique

Vaper: Virginia/perique. Just what the name implies. These two are often combined to raise the pH of virginia tobacco and thus mitigate some of virginia's bite.

Welcome to pipe smoking. The information and number of blends compared to cigars is sort of like chess to checkers.

Like I said, call C&D, and they'll be happy to send you small amounts of various things so you can test drive them. Learn what you like and what you don't, and never be afraid to revisit things as pipe tastes are ever-dynamic. You'll find pipes and cigars have less in common than you might first think. And don't discount perique, or latakia, or whatever simply because of your cigar experiences. Like I said, very different animals.

Hope this helps.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Tony, I think you did a good job with the descriptions.

Cornell & Diehl is a great suggestion - but I'd add a caveat here with them. They do Burley blends like nobody else does, so try a couple burley blends from them. They are also tops in regard to Aromatics as they do not use PG or a heavy syrup when they do top notes, again, my personal opinion is that they do these better than anybody else.

C&D also does a nice job with Latakia blends (what many call English blends). They have a few Virginias and VaPers that are not bad, but here is where you really need to go outside C&D to get a better idea of how these can really sing. This is more of a "you don't smoke only one brand of cigar that you really like" thing.

Once you get through a sampler from C&D, then we can help you get some other things from other blenders to give you other tastes to expand.

Remember though, your tastes may differ from everybody else. What my favorites are may not be yours - or anybody else's for that matter.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Great point Rev. Virginias are not their forte.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

A kindly "thank you" for the very informative replies. Off down another slope... Your knowledge has helped me greatly as I try to get a handle on all this.

Virginias are local (to me) brightleaf? Why doesn't a Virginia blend smell or taste like a marlboro?

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Virginia blends are made from a different tobacco than what goes into Marlboro cigarettes - that tobacco is what we would call in the pipe world a burley tobacco. Pipe tobacco Virginias may or may not be grown in Virginia, in fact, some are grown in Africa, brightleaf is what it is commonly called - Virginias have a higher sugar content than what you will find in cigarettes.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Sorry to be a pest. I'm really enjoying pipes so far!

I have a few opened tins laying around (with the lids on). Any danger of them drying out in say six months or so? I see some store in mason jars, but it seems those 50g tins seal fairly well. What's best for storing opened tins? I'm thinking desk drawer.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Screw on top tins might keep for a while, but 6 months is pushing it. And that Dunhill square tin would not make it 6 months.

I like to store opened tins in a Tupperware cake or bread container, something that seals completely.

Oh, they will rust in your humidor. ;)

Peace of the Lord be with you.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

:tu

Would a boveda be too much to throw in with them?

Different Tupperware for aromatics?

And also with you.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

If it seals air tight, you don't need a boveda.

If your tobaccos are in a tin, I think you'll be good. Although if you want to put the aromatics in one and the others in another, it wouldn't hurt. Also, if you have any with Latakia, those are the ones that are more powerful in regards to proximity to contaminating other tobaccos.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

My :2 would be that a case of jelly jars from the big box store would be your best bet. Container vs. container, they are cheaper than the trademark tupperware brand containers and at least for me...I don't have to listen to my wife ***** about her missing tupperware.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Your wife has missing tupperware too Wayne? Amazing:D

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Funny, all my Tupperware says Rubbermaid on it. ;)

Rubbermaid that has an air tight seal is the same as Tupperware.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

A dozen small bell jars only runs about 10 bucks. I highly recommend them.
Also, if you go the jar route, check the lids on jars you don't open often after a couple days as they will sometimes loosen a bit. You should only have to re-tighten once though once fixed and left alone.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

I use canning jars for my bulk tobacco, but for tobacco already in a tin? Do you seriously take it out of the tin to put in a jar? I applaud you for doing so!

Personally, I like the tins for another reason - because I can slip one in my pocket and go. If I want to take some tobacco that is jarred, I take a couple pipe's worth and put it in a tin or pouch - glass jars don't not travel well, and break too easily (yes, I learned the hard way - I even thought 1/2 pint jars, being smaller was the ticket - it took break 2 of those even to teach me).

I have a large-ish Rubbermaid container that seals air tight, I think it was made to hold a loaf of bread. At present it has 9 tins in it, some 50g and a couple 100g. A couple of the tins have been in there for over a year and are still fresh.

In the 32+ years of pipe smoking, I've done a bunch of things. In college, I had only one container with tobacco, and it was the only blend I smoked. It held almost a pound, so I would just fill it up and smoke it. Usually, it lasted me about 2 months. I had either a pipe or a cigar in my mouth almost constantly, and pipes more than cigars. (My humidor held about 100 cigars, and it usually only had Punch Rothschilds, AF Chateaus, AF Rothschilds, and El Rey del Mundo Robustos in it.)

It wasn't till I was at Seminary that my tastes in tobacco expanded. I tried to get by on the cheap, and I really thought I couldn't justify a bunch of different tobacco sitting around. Well, that changed and so I needed to discover ways to store numerous open tins and bulk tobacco in baggies that were open so I could leave Mason/Ball jar sealed shut w/out opening and closing all the time. I also began to smoke less often, and cigars began to take up more of my smoking rotation space. That's where I discovered the Rubbermaid container. It has been servicing my "open tobacco" sealing needs for about 25 years or so.

There are many ways to do this, mine is just one.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

When "I" open a tin, it goes straight to a canning jar. I have so many cigars & pipe tobacco that I could never finish a tin before it would dry out because I am usually smoking a different tobacco most of the time.

When I travel for work for days on end, I do take a range bag (it is cushioned) full of the little jars & the pistol case carries about a dozen pipes . Sometime is it is just a day trip, I'll load a few pipes or take an old tin with some tobacco in it.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Like Wayne, I dump the majority into a jar but keep some in the tin for smoking. I do like the idea of using rubbemaid/tupperware too though Todd, I'll have to pick up something during my next errand run. Seems a small price to pay for a little more peace of mind. The issue never presented itself in the past as I would only buy enough baccy to smoke. Now that I'm starting to branch out and explore more, I've found I have a small "collection" of blends on my hands that I wouldn't want drying up.

As always, thanks to all who contribute to this thread, top notch information and ideas.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

If I take a couple pipes along fishing or golfing for, I don't usually have room for more than one blend in one container (and a 3-finger cigar case). A tin (or tobacco pouch) is safer for me than even a small Mason jar held in my pocket. The round twist-to-open tins seal fairly nicely and float better than Mason jars too.

I have even taken to putting labels on old tins, taking a few ounces out of a larger Mason jar to put in that tin, and till the tobacco is gone, keeping that tin in my Rubbermaid storage.

Of course, as I shave with a double edge razor, I put spent blades in an old Robert McConnell Scottish Flake tin that I super-glued shut and cut a corner slit in with a saws all. I have put spent blades in there for the last 2 years and there is still room.

Tins come in handy.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

You're a better man than I am. I would suggest that in the future you let a tin or two "dry out." There are a lot of tobaccos out there that are simply better when "crackly."

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

I do not know about crackly, but I definitely like my tobaccos better on the drier side than the wet or even moist side.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Here's one I'm hoping you old farts can help me with. My pipe smells and tastes like an ashtray. Pretty badly too. I've had two bowls through it thus far and it's got a black char on the inside of the bowl. Is the ashtray taste and charring normal? I've ran about six pipe cleaners through it since I bought the pipe. The cleaners help a little but but it's still got a really strong ashtray smell and taste. I'm pretty sure it's something I'm doing wrong though, probably smoking too fast/hard. Any help ya'll can give me to get that smell and taste out is greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

Edit: it's a Missouri Meerschaum pipe and a burley house blend from the B&M that I'm smoking.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Since its a cob, no need to worry. Cobs need about 5-10 bowls smoked in em to break in. Those first bowls that "ashtray" flavor comes from the bowl getting its initial char. Once thats done itll calm down. Then you get my favorite thing about a cob after its smoked, that faint smell of my great-grandmother's corn if you smell the outside of the bowl.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Thanks for the info! So another question on the same topic. Do briars that come "pre-charred" still go through that ashy taste period? Or do briars not really have this happen to them at all? Thanks again!

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Briars tend to not have that same period like a cob. On the other hand, a new briar still needs broken in and a good cake formed in the bowl for heat reasons mainly. A good cake helps keep the bowl cooler throughout the smoke, and in newer briars, this typically means the bowl will get hot much quicker than will be the norm down the road. And I'm assuming the "pre-charring" you're referring to is the bowl having a finish on the inside. Thats just something a lot of companies use to help that initial cake form in the bowl.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

I do dry 'em as I go. If I dried then packed it into jars, it would turn to dust. (I pack the jars pretty tight sometimes)

I smoke a lot of cobs too...when I'm done with a bowl, I tend t take a paper towel and wad it up a bit to wipe the inside of my cob...sometimes I'll dampen it a tiny bit if I let the pipe cool down before wiping.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

A) Does it still have the filter in the stem? If so, get rid of it. It is more of a pain than it is a benefit, and often smells nasty.

B) You do not need to wipe the inside of the bowl. Dump the dottle and let a bit of a cake build up on the inside of the bowl, that is what protects the pipe itself. When you wipe it out, the cake doesn't have a chance to build up.

How to build a cake? This is the simple explanation. Smoke your pipe down to dottle (ash), put your thumb over the bowl and shake the ash inside for a couple seconds, remove thumb and dump dottle out, set pipe down and let it rest. If you have not done so, run a pipe cleaner through it. A cake will develop on the inside of the bowl and protect the pipe itself, this is a good thing.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

I can say for sure that my cobs I use a lot, have a good amount of cake in them. I have even had to ream a couple old ones. But at the same time, they never have smelled bad.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Thanks for all the great advice frats! I'm heavily down the slope now. My first few tries with a pipe were unfulfilling. With your kind guidance I feel like I'm fully experiencing all the bowl has to offer. I never thought I'd get the same satisfaction as with a cigar, yet I do and then some. Also it's much more cost effective. Thanks!!

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Thanks for the cake building advice Rev! It came with a filter but I pulled that out as soon as I walked out of the shop. I don't smoke filtered cigars, why would a pipe need one. Gonna go for another bowl tonight, hopefully that ashtray flavor will dissipate some more.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Back again with another question gentlemen.

What is sort of the general rule of thumb when it comes to puffing on the pipe? By this I mean that in the cigar world one draw per minute is the most general advice given, is there a similar timeframe with pipes? I've been experimenting with several different cadences and have yet to find one that really feels right. Thus far taking a small puff (sip I guess) every few seconds is working the best for keeping the pipe lit, but are longer paced fuller draws the better way? What's the best puffing method for really tasting the tobacco? Thanks again everyone, this is a new and exciting venture and it's really nice to have a resource like this available.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

It depends on the tobacco really. Pure Virginias and Va/Pers are meant to be sipped and kept right on the edge of going out. By doing so, you can get puffs of sweetness you never knew existed in the tobacco world. English and Burley blends on the other hand tend to be very blend specific. There are several of these that I find deliver the best flavor when puffed like a steam engine, while there are others that taste best when smoked like a pure Virginia. Experiment extensively with what you're smoking.

This is why I always have to laugh when reviewers say things like, "I tried one bowl and knew it was not for me." I don't really feel I'm qualified to judge a tobacco until I've smoked at least 2 (preferably 8) ounces of a particular blend.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Spot on advice Tony. Very well put.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

:tpd:

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

I'm roughly a month into pipe smoking and really digging it so far. I thank all you old farts for the kind advice.

I have quite a few open tins that I have sampled.

C&D Crosseyed cricket
Dunhill Flake
Dunhill Elizabethan Mixture
Squadron Leader
Three Nuns (current)
Escudo
Home and Hearth Burley Kake

Here are my takes and ranking so far:

7. Crosseyed Cricket - Aromatic- Sweet and smokey. Tough to get my arms around this one. Had quite a few bowls to start, but haven't found my way back recently... Not bad, just different.

6. H&H Burley Kake - mild aromatic - Not as smokey as sweet. I can see the nutty characteristics associated with burley here. Nice room note for the non-smoker. Very cool smoking and easy. Nice and relaxing, but lacking in flavors and engagement for me.

5. Dunhill Flake - Straight Virginia - I call this the champagne of pipe tobacco. Not strong, not spicy. I've folded and stuffed: I've cube cut and rubbed it out. A full bowl lasts two hours. I'm tired of this one half way through. Light, and savory. I don't get the sweet out of this that others do. Not bad, but not very engaging. I think I may rub this out with some burley kake to see what happens...

4. Squadron Leader - English/oriental Mixture - moderate strength, mild to moderate smokey flavors. The tin note is more smokey and scotch-ey than the smoke. Very nice tobacco. Perhaps not my cup-o-tea. Love the icky sticky consistency of this one out of the tin. Very appealing!! Not giving up on this one by any means, just more wild about the next three right now.

3. Escudo - VAPER - Very nice coin cut tobacco. One coin quitar pick folded into my small Kaywoodie is perfect. One hour of bliss. Slow smoking and cool. I find myself tamping the edges into the fire. I've not had as much luck rubbing it out. I figure it's coin cut for a reason. Not spicy or confrontational at all. Very smooth and strong in a backhanded kind of way. I can see many layers in this smoke. It seems to hit it's stride right before it clogs up my stinger with dottle.

2. Elizabethan Mixture - VAPER - this was tops in my book for a while. Spicy, smooth, sweet, and thick smoke. What more can be said about this one? I could be a very happy man smoking nothing but this. I love it.

1. Three Nuns - Virginia, Kentucky - Curly cut - spun There seems to be some controversy surrounding this one. I never had the pleasure of smoking the VAPER blend, so I can't compare the two. The original must have been bliss if this is a mere shadow as some allege. This is perfect in my opinion. The tin smells like sweet horse feed. Heavy molasses scents and flavors. Smokes cool with no bite. I was worried since this is a Mac Baren blend and others are concerned with the McB bite. The small coins stack and fold nicely in my pipes. I seem to tamp and push this one together quite a bit, but the sweet; humid, cool smoke is it's own reward. I don't have to tamp and relight as much as Dunhill flake, but it's almost as annoying. The flavors on re-lighting are superb. Thick; smooth, tongue coating, nutty sweetness. Bliss. :tu:tu

Again, thanks for the pushes in the right direction. I can't wait to try more blends.

Next on my list is Hal O the Wynd, or Dunbar if I can find it locally.

Cheers!

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

So, I am assuming the Thee Nuns is the new edition? I'd gladly trade you a for few bowls of Three Nuns - I will send you a couple of Hal 'O the Wynd? If you are interested, give me a PM.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

Todd

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Same here. It's tough to hear the stories of tobaccos past and how the current homage to the blend "just isn't the same". If anything, it's pushed me towards stocking more than I need for cellaring.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Indeed it is. PM incoming :tu

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Three Nuns was very good, but it wasn't something that really "WOW"ed me personally. Do not get me wrong, I liked it, but some thought it was better. It never lived up to the hype (in my estimation). So, does the new stuff by MacBaren NOT have Perique in it? Hmmm, is that really Three Nuns then? I thought this was a recreation of the old recipe? If it is, how can you do that by removing a key ingredient? Granted, there was not as much Perique in it as I would have liked.

I would still love to try it, just to see how it compares to the old stuff. It does scare me that MacBaren is blending it though, for everything MacBaren does bites me like a rabid dog.

Yes, if you find something you really like, put some away. If nothing else, even if it stays in production till forever, aged tobaccos usually are even better.

By the way, sometimes memories are better than the reality ever was.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

IMHO, "The good old days" were always better. We see the past through rose colored glasses. Are some good blends gone? Sure. But there are more great blenders/blends about today than there have ever been in the past. If you find something you can't live without, buy big. Otherwise, there's always another 50 great blends to try.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Jerry, it is good to see someone trying new things. Do not let yourself be corrupted by thinking, "I need to like it because Joe Pipester says it is marvelous." I have a buddy who smokes only Carter Hall. I cannot stand it, but he loves it - so be it.

But, try a bunch of things to find what you like.

I still try things, but I have found a few blends that are my staples. I do not see spending money on tobaccos that I think are nice but don't get into the rotation.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

Todd

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

I think we are echoes of one another.

I miss Syrian Latakia in blends. Cyprian is nice, but different. Some blends have changed just by that simple omission. So, while some is rose colored glasses, some is not.

I also agree that we have access to more stuff than before. But while there are more blends and blenders, I also believe there is also more schlock out there as well.

I do not smoke as often as I used to, so when I do smoke something it has to be something I really like. If it isn't, I get upset that I wasted my one smoke for a few days on a mediocre tobacco - that sucks. So, while I still like to try stuff, I have found a bunch of stuff that really satisfies me, so that is what I stock up on to keep on hand.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Ever since I joined this site I have been sneaking around in this section trying to pick up a few beginner tips and trying to convince myself to give pipes another try. I used to think smoking a pipe was just filling a pipe with tobacco and lighting it. However after reading this thread for awhile that's obviously why I became quickly frustrated with pipe smoking.

Anyway, I have one question for the experts. When packing flake, do you still tamp it down like you would with regular tobacco? I've never smoked flake and am curious about it. Thanks in advance.

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 

Once lit, yes, you will tamp.