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

Hey Old Fart's, (said endearingly)

Tried some Hearth & Home Meat Candy Maple & Bacon and fell in love, Went ahead and ordered a few more oz's...

I still really have little idea about pipe tobaccos, but this one caught my fancy, any more you can recommend similar to this?

Thanks,

Rob

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

The reason I ask is while reading up on packing pipes the majority have suggested lightly tamping the tobacco when you fill the bowl once, tamping it so it is half full, filling it to the top again, then tamping again. Is this considered the "correct" way? I will go back and read the thread in here about it as well. Rev, I was referring the this step in regards to packing with flake. Thanks for the help, by the way.

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

Most will say something of the "Frank Pack" method.

I have heard the above referred to as the 3 handshakes method. It is what I use with mostly success...

Fill and pack down lightly, as if shaking a baby's hand.

Fill again and pack down, with a bit more pressure, as if shaking a woman's hand.

Fill again and pack down firmly, as if shaking a mans hand...

IDK if its the best way but its an easy one to remember... :tu

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

Thanks Rob, I'm planning on heading to a local shop with a nice selection of tobacco and picking up a few of the basic blends. Hopefully I'll have the time!

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

If you rub the flake out (what I do 95% of the time), you will have basically normal tobacco, so do it that way. If you fill with rolled up flake, I usually dribble some rubbed flake on the top to get an even burn and will lightly press that in.

Hope that helps.

I think one of the best things to do is find and experienced piper to sit with and watch, having him show you things, and then observe your technique. It lowers the learning curve drastically.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

Todd

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

Thanks Todd, that's what I was looking for.

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

C&D's Autumn Evening is mapley like the VMC but not as good IMO. Just like you I've been smoking a lot of this recently too.

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

Not a total newb at this point, but I've come across a question.

Just got an order in and I got an ounce of McClelland's VBC, Vanilla Black Cavendish. I've noticed that it doesn't burn or light nearly as easily as any other tobacco that I've had. It doesn't seem overly moist. Does Cavendish not take a flame as well in general?

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

I'm wondering what are the good "basic blends" that all new pipe smokers should try/start with to guide them in the direction of what they like. I have been watching the latest purchase thread getting ideas but I figured I'd also ask the almighty experts.

I've got two blends right now, a virginia blend from my local pipe shop that is blended by the owner, nice, but pretty sweet. I also have a tin of Nightcap which I have really enjoyed so far. If anyone has some suggestions I really appreciate it.

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

Nightcap is a good place to start for Latakias, its found pretty much everywhere and is a solid blend. The Frog Mortons are also good places to get started for that.

As for VaPers, Escudo is probably the best for just trying them to see if you like em. One of the most consistent VaPers and found dang near everywhere.

Straight Virginias are tricky. Theres so much diversity amongst them that just because you don't like one type of virginia, doesn't mean you won't like another(take myself for example: I can't stand lemon/bright VAs, have grown into orange/red VAs, and absolutely love dark stoved VAs). If theres any particular blends I'd say are good indications of what VAs have to offer I'd say McClelland's yearly Christmas Cheer(almost always a solid middle of the road choice and pretty tasty) and Dunhill Flake as the two stand out blends.

Aromatics tend to be a dime a dozen, but Lane 1-Q and BLWB/Burley Light Without a Bite are some solid choices to start on down that road that can be found easily.

Pete, if you'd like I can take you on in the Pipe NST and send you a good smac--errr, number of samples to try.

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

That'd be great Bear! Although I don't have much stock to send you much in return. If you're still up for it I'll head over to that thread and see what we can do.

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

Basic blends? How about my favorite blends? Hmm, depends on the day. I have tried literally, hundreds of blends. There are some that I keep around to smoke. Not all are presently open, but enough are. Of them all, my go to tobaccos are Gawith & Hoggarth Louisiana Flake and Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake.

Aromatic - CAO Sweet Vanilla Honeydew mixed 50/50 with McClelland 5100, Two Friends Celtic Mist. Gawith & Hoggarth Bob's Chocolate Flake

Virginia - Dunhill Flake, McClelland 5100, 2000, 2010, 2035, Samuel Gawith Full VA Flake, Gawith & Hoggarth Bright CR Flake, Astley's 109, McClelland Christmas Cheer, Rattrays Marlin Flake, Old Gowrie, Dan Hmborger Veermaster,

VaPers (Virginia/Perique Blends) - Rattray's Hal 'O the Wynd, Escudo, Esoterica Dorchester, Robert McConnell Scottish Flake, Gawith & Hoggarth Louisiana Flake, Samuel Gawith St. James Flake, Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake, Hearth & Home Anniversary Kake, Cornell & Diehl 417P Night Train

English Blends (blends with varying amounts of Latakia) - Cornell & Diehl Bow-Legged Bear, Pirate Kake, Gawith & Hoggarth Mixture #12, McClelland Frog Morton, (used to have a bunch more, but haven't been smoking these much, so it is only these couple that remained in my rotation), McClelland 2020

Others that don't fit one of these categories - McClelland 2050, 2025, Esoterica Stonehaven

Peace of the Lord be with you.[/quote]

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

Well my wife got me a pipe for an anniversary gift. Seems I relight it a lot. Is there a point were you are relighting too much?

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

Only if the pipe is getting too hot. Typically when you get started it takes awhile to get used to the cadence so the baccy will go out fairly often. You'll eventually get used to it, but it takes practice. Also if its about to go out, but not quite out, try tamping while drawing on it, that can sometimes get you a full relight without touching the matches/lighter. Oh, and the baccy always plays a big part in how much it goes out. If its too wet, it won't want to burn and will go out all the time.

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

I'm not an experienced pipe smoker as I have just started, but I have found the different threads here, and also the different questions asked throughout THIS thread. I have also found youtube quite helpful with ideas and tips on how to pack and light different pipes, and different types of tobacco. It really helps being able to actually see someone do it.

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

Thanks I'll give YouTube a try. The wet tobacco is probably true too as I bought it last night from a jar they keep near the door and it's very humid here.

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

No

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

Lots of good stuff here. Wet tobacco means lots of relights. I like the idea of "cadence," never called it that before, but each tobacco (and then humidity in that tobacco) play a roll in how to keep it smoldering enough to stay lit - and then also how many lights you will need even if you find that "cadence."

I personally like flakes, but how dry they are and how much I rub them out will dictate the puff rate (cadence) of my smoke with each of them.

Each of your pipes will smoke differently too.

All this plays into this hobby. You'll get a feel for it.

I will admit a cigar is much easier for the puff rate is immediately noticeable. With a pipe, it is more subtle.

Enjoy it and be patient.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

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

Well that's great advice but it begets another question. What do you mean by "how much I rub them out"?

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

Flake tobaccos are whole leaves stacked on top of eachother and pressed then cut into thin slices, these slices can either be folded and stuffed into your pipe or rubbed out and broken apart and then packed into your pipe. When you rub out a flake/coin you can leave it fairly rough in what would be called a broken flake(ie large chunks still in a flake) with a light rubbing out or you can give them a full rubbing out which will leave it as almost a ribbon cut.

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

There is some tobacco that comes in what is referred to as a ribbon cut and is the form most pipe tobacco is sold in. Some pipe tobacco is made in a pressed form called a plug. Some is slices from a large pressed plug and is called a flakes. Still more tobacco comes as a rope where the tobacco leaves are spun together to make it, and it comes in various diameter ropes. Cut slices from rope may be called either coins or disks.

While you can buy some tobacco even in plug or rope form, what you will more often find is either flakes, disks, or coins. To smoke these forms, there are many method to get them into the pipe - I referred to that as "how much I rub them out." Some will take a flake/disk and fold it and stuff it into their pipe. Some will rub it out completely to basically a ribbon form. And of course, there are varying degrees in between.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

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

When I was writing my response, DaBear hadn't posted his yet. We must have been writing at the same time.

He give more detail on the making of the "plugs" which can be cut into plug sizes to sell or slice into flakes.

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

You all are running willy-nilly here. :sl


:D

Nice to see a reliable pipe smoking resource in a barn full of cigar smokers.

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

what should i do when the baccy tastes kinda watered down? for instance, the first tin of Mississippi river i had was great, but the second tasted watered down so to speak. I tried setting it out for about 10 minutes before smoking it but still got the same results. did i get a bad batch?

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

I am not sure what you mean by watered down. If you mean it tastes like there was not as much flavor as the first time you smoked it, that could come from a couple things.
You might have tried it the first time with a clean palate, and so the flavors were more intense the first time. What I mean by a 'clean palate' is just that, a palate that has not had a smoke in it for a few days, time to be 'clean'.
It might mean that you have tongue bite, where your tongue is sore, and therefore flavors are muted.
Or, the moisture content was different.

Peace of The Lord be with you.

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

If I may add to the good Rev's post, time of day also affects your palate. Anytime you eat or drink you potentially alter your palate. Ambient temperatures also may affect flavor. If your smoke feel rushed, flavor will be compromised. Other environmental factors come into play as well with allergens being notable for me.

Everything tastes better on vacation or during a long relaxed weekend.

Edit: Per the thread - been smoking pipes since 2002. :)

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

i'm pretty sure it wasn't tongue bite, but i'm gonna try not smoking for a few days and trY again.
Thanks

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

Do you smoke cigars?

I ask for it brings up something I thought about later. If I smoke a cigar and then smoke my pipe, the pipe always tastes flat. Cigar smoke is much stronger (even from mild cigars) and while you may not notice it, leaves a finish that lasts a long time in the mouth.

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

that may be it. so far it's only happened with Mississippi river and a couple aromatics
Thanks

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

I have a question...I'm fairly new to pipes as I smoke them only occasionally but want to get more into it. I saw these pipes on the 'bay that are carved from pear tree root by a craftsman in Poland. Question: Does anyone know how pear tree root compares to briar?

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

I bought a pear root pipe and sadly was very unhappy with it. For the price of most the ones I seen back then I could have picked up a nice smoking Briar same price and less in some cases. I don't know what kind of Tobacco you plan to smoke out of it, What I seen is that the pipe didn't like to build a cake and it smoked hot. Also was a little bit of wood burning. A friend of mine liked the look of the pipe and wanted it so I was more then happy to let him have it.

James

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

Gotcha! Thank you.:D

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

Glad someone else had an answer. I was going to say this...

After the past couple hundred years of pipe smoking, briar, meeshaum, corn cob, (and to some extent, clay) pipe are now presently widely accepted and available. I know that there are many other things that have been tried. As those 3 (4) are the ones that are "readily" available, I doubt that pear root is a good choice.

But, that was only to be my :2

Peace of the Lord be with you.

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

So I have had 2 tins of GLP Virginia blends, each with about 3 years of age on them, according to the sticker on the bottom. Laurel Heights and Stratford.

I haven't had a lot of experience with virginia blends before now, and the sweetness really just blows me away each time. The Laurel Heights seems especially sweet, since it's lacking the perique the other blend incorporates. It kind of reminds me of sweet black tea.

Anyways, I was reading a piece written by Mr. Pease where he stated that pretty much all tobacco has some type of casing or topping added to enhance the flavor.

My question is, how much of the sweetness is attributed to natural sweetness, and how much to topping? How do I find out what was added?

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

I dare not attempt to speak for GLP but it's my understanding that he uses the smallest amount of "juice" to hit the target flavor for his blends. As you try more VA's , you will notice many do have a great natural sweetness due to the higher sugar content that is the norm for those leaves. If I'm off base, please chime in.

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

This has probably been asked before, but how does one properly "break-in" a new pipe? The wife has been pretty supportive of this new-ish aspect of the hobby/sickness so I've pulled the trigger on a couple of new Chacom pipes. As I've only ever bought estate pipes and Dr. Grabows, I don't want to screw it up.

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

Here's a nice article by Patrick Dennis titled "Breaking In A Pipe":

http://www.chicagopipeshow.com/educa...rickDennis.pdf

And, another from PipesandCigars:

http://www.pipesandcigars.com/faq/ar...-pipe-break-in

I tend to agree with Mr. Dennis myself...

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

For me I am different then most people that smoke pipe. In some cases I do the Dennis method and I use Prince Albert to start my break in. However seeing that I am not like most I rarely have a pipe with cake in it. I make sure that I clean my pipe after every use and that I keep the stem and bowl as clean as I can daily. I do use alot of Cleaners and from what I have seen in Estate pipes that I have bought I can't understand really how some people could let the pipe fill with such cake. I mean I have had some pipes that you couldn't even put a Pipe tool into let alone a Dr. Grabow filter How in the world did they even smoke the pipe. Then when I take the stem out and it is filled with SO MUCH junk I am like OMG that is nasty. This one pipe I just got from a person that said they didn't want to smoke pipe anymore and didn't like it, Buying the pipe at 1/4 the cost of new because he thought there was something wrong with it. I get it, The pipe wasn't really deep with cake but the drawhole was filled with unsmoked tobacco and the buildup in the shank was deep tar and i was like no wonder they didn't like it. Honestly it looked like they never ran a pipe cleaner in the stem or shank at all. Again the bowl wasn't that bad, ran a Czech took around the bowl maybe 15 times before it was a good clean thin cake. The shank took my shank brush, 40 Q-tips before it came out looking almost clean and the stem took 15 Q-tips and 5 bristle pipe cleaners, and 4 soft pipe cleaners before I could pass it with Alcohol on the tip and pull all the way through clean.

my first thought when I seen this was It had to have been HORRID to smoke this pipe.

James

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

Here's a thread regarding breaking-in your pipe from Pipesmokersforum for your review Darren:

http://www.pipesandcigars.com/faq/ar...-pipe-break-in

As you will see, there are various thoughts as to how to break a new pipe in...

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

I have very little experience myself, but I figured I'll just smoke the thing and not worry too much about it, EXCEPT for keeping it as cool as possible. Heating it up to the point of burning the briar seems like a bad idea and I can see the rationality behind that.

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

I find Chacoms can break in very slowly and difficultly.

Fill it and smoke it. There are all sorts of methods. Virginias I have found make the hardest cakes.

Smoking too hot and/or too fast are the sure ways to possible harm a pipe.

Peace of The Lord be with you.

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

Hi James, I'm kinda anal like that, too. :r I've only bought estate pipes that have been reasonably serviced; you know, bowl reamed, everything cleaned up a bit. I, of course, do my own cleaning, too.

Mark, thanks for the links! And thanks for the good advice from Brian and the Rev, too. I'm not too worried about smoking too fast, see, I smoke a lot of small ring CC's so I tend to smoke slowly, anyway. Hopefully, the Chacoms won't give me too much trouble. I hear that they're pretty cool smokers and the smallish bowl sizes suit me as well. Besides, they make such pretty pipes.

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

Here is something to consider, since you already like estate pipes. Certain pipe brands really hold value well, usually 50% of new pipe prices. It is why I buy estate pipes. You get a pipe for about 50% of the new price at the time of purchase... as the price of the new pipes in that brand rises, so does the price of the estates of that brand. I have purchased an estate pipe for $50 which I sold about 15 years later for $110.

You are also right, they come cleaned and ready to smoke, and you usually do not have to struggle through the break in period.

Brands I have found easy to break in: Castello, Radice, Don Carlos, Lee von Erck, Cobs. Stanwell, Savinelli, Meerschaums

Brands I have found hard to break in: Peterson, Dunhill, Chacom, Butz-Choquin

Brands that were all over the map in regard to breaking in are plethora!

Peace of the Lord be with you.

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

Like I said elsewhere, pure gold!

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

So a pastor friend of mine decided I needed to "smoke pipes like a man" instead of cigars. I'm not quite sold as I have come to enjoy cigars quite a bit. He gave me a Dr. Grabow and a corncob pipe. I have tried smoking both but I'm not quite sure if I'm doing any of this right since I have never smoked a pipe or known anyone who has. It seems like it should be self explanatory but I am having problems. When I light it the top burns but then it goes out, and I can never seem to get to the bottom. Anyone have some words of wisdom for me? Cigars seem like a lot less work.

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

Dry the tobacco more than you think you should
Fill the pipe less than you think you should
Puff often, but not too often, and tamp only when needed.

There is a learning curve that all pipers go though, stick with it and you're technique will improve.

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

How do I know when to tamp? I guess I don't necessarily understand the concept.

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

You only want to compact the top layer of ash, not compress the tobacco underneath.

If the pipe isn't staying lit, you probably either have the tobacco packed too tightly in the pipe, or it is too most.

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

Probably a combination of the two. Thanks for the help

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

Do you know where Riegels is in Georgetown Square in Ft Wayne? Get over there with your pipe and sit down with Dennis and tell him what your issue is. Live tutoring is a great benefit, and he's a great guy. Tell him I sent you. If not Dennis, his son would also be a great help.

We can tell you what to do, but sometimes a live tutor is a better resource, and much more helpful than any advice we can give you here. I learned more from experimentation and then time with a veteran pipester refining with him, watching him, letting him watch my technique and then his commentary.

Peace of The Lord be with you.