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

You're welcome, dude.

Good piping.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

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

Meers will not ghost because they are non absorbing. Briar will, and so will cobs - much to the disbelief of many. However, if you smoke the same blend in a cob, give it a good 10-20 bowls, then you will notice it. If I smoke my cobs, a little of this, a little of that, it won't happen. Of couse, neither will a briar if you are smoking different blends every smoke. However, if you smoke all English blends, or all aromatics, go to a Virginia in it - either cob or briar - and you will tast the Latakia or flavorings.

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

Noob checking in! I've decided to start down a new slippery slope :r Actually just picked this guy up earlier today to see what the whole pipe thing is all about.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...12/photo-1.jpg

I've been looking at some of the Boswell pipes, but unfortunately they don't have some of the swirl/spiral pipes I was interested in at the moment (said to call back next week as they might have it then :banger) Though, something might catch my eye when they update their pipes for sale page this week.

So, what are some must have blends/tins that everyone should try?

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

ok, ;s, I KNOW this question was answered somewhere in this thread already, but I didn't see it....

I picked up a two cobs in Albany last month and have been smoking just those two almost exclusively so that I can get a better feel for the tobacco and smoking techniques, without wondering if it was "the pipe" that didn't work that night.

Anyway, last night I had one that didn't work, but I'm not sure why.

SYMPTOMS: STEAMY tasting smoke, still had "most" of the flavor, but it seemed a little watery and very steamy. It was NOT blisteringly hot (maybe a tad warm), just steamy, which made the flavors go all to hell.

FACTS: strait cob pipe, aromatic tobacco blend, held in sample baggy and tupperware for 2 months. Tobacco left out on the desk for 15-20 minutes to dry out a little bit before loading the pipe (been doing that with most bowls lately). Pipe load was decent quality, I feel that i have at least gotten fairly consistent with my loads (they're not the best, but they are reproducible).

So basically I'm trying to figure out if that tobacco doesn't like that pipe, if that tobacco is just bad, if it was over/under humidified, etc.

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

and one more question: how many times can you use a 9mm filter? once?

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

I think your second post answered your question.

Get rid of the filters - period. Don't use them. They produce steam because they get moist and simply do not dry out.

:2

Peace of the Lord be with you.

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

if it's one of those really gooey, "cherries jubilee" type aromatics you get from a large jar at the local shop, then you could leave it out to dry for 15-20 days and it'll still be too moist.
no lie, i had about 8oz of stuff called "peach cobbler" that i had bought my dad way back in '00 or '01. i had some as well, kept it in a very poor sealing ceramic jar that never kept anything moist before... 6 years later, that stuff was still too moist to smoke.

it's got a good amount of "PG" added to it, like the stuff they tell you to add to the foam humidfying things in a cigar humidor. the stuff never goes dry.

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

I think you got it Rev.

I didn't even realize the things had a filter in em till I couldn't pass a cleaner through it and took apart the stem. Mind you this is after about 7 bowls :r (I was also beginning to taste filter gunk, which was getting nasty)

*waves goodbye to the filter*

Smoked another blend last night that I had smoked before and knew how it smoked, and it was a little steamy too, but not AS bad. So I'm thinking it was a two-part problem. Sounds like i might have been a crappy blend with too much humidant in it, I picked up those at the shop around the corner. No problems at all with the ones from Habana Premium, so I'll have to stick with them :)

I guess the real test will be to try smoking the same blend tonight, without the filter.......

Thanks guys!

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

ok, next question:

Good and cheap soft flame lighter?
I've been using a couple cheapo refillable Ronson soft flames, but really they HATE being refilled and one is already broken.

I've also gotten quite accurate and adept with using a Ronson Torch... but they don't like being inverted and I have gas flow problems....


soooooo whats a good (but inexpensive) soft flame, or torch that doesn't mind being inverted?

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

Francis, I don't know of any torches that like to be inverted. They aren't made to do that, but my blazer doesn't seem to mind if I light it right side up first. I mostly use a torch as I think using a soft flame imparts some chemicals on the baccy.

When I did use a soft flame I went with a zippo with a pipe insert. Always worked and if you have an old zippo laying around it only costs about 3 bucks for the insert. You can also buy a soft flame that comes out laterally. Those can be had for around 20 bucks or so.

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

There about about 40-eleventeen-thousand posts on which is the RIGHT lighter, torch, match, converted hot air balloon- or kitchen stove burner to light a pipe with. It's like the eternal "Cello on or cello off?" thing with the cigar guys.

But! This thread* is a dedicated "Screw the search function" thread, damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead kind of thread. No question to old, no question too hard, no question EVER foolish! So! Here is the soft flame answer:


1. Get a Zippo pipe lighter (with the Zippo black can fluid) if you want sub-$20, lifetime guarantee and very, very good performance.
2. Get a Bic lighter at the run-in store if you want cheap and butane.
3. Get a Corona Old Boy if you change your mind about cheap and want a fine pipe lighter.
4. Get a torch out of your head no matter how many times you watch the Frank Method How To Fill Your Pipe YouTube tutorial.
5. Consider any one of several Old Boy knock-offs for $20.

http://www.tobaccoland.co.uk/images/...PIPE-LZ04n.jpg http://www.thegreateststuff.com/IMCoronaLighters.jpg

* top post refresher:

"Attention new pipe smokers! All pipe and tobacco questions answered. All pipe and tobacco problems solved.

Terms of Service: to ask you have to have a serious question; to reply you must have a minimum two years pipe smoking experience. (No snob zone.) There are no stupid questions. Nobody can beat someone with a "Use the search funtion" lead pipe. There will be no rude replies no matter how many times your question has been asked - nosir, not in THIS thread. Maybe a little tiny bit of sarcasm though, just to keep it interesting.

Bring it on."

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

con't...

6. I can't say enough good things about the flame from paper and wooden matches. The match/pipe combo gives you rock-solid performance, time-honored charm, the grandfatherly "puffFLARE puffFLARE puffFLARE" effect and a soft light for, pretty much, free. Beware stout wooden matches - like those pictured below - that can sustain a flame which is long enough to scorch a rim on both sides of the bowl while lighting the tobacco. A wooden match is not a no-brainer - gotta watch your flame, tobacco and rim* all at the same once.

http://www.thepenleycorp.com/images/...1146007010.jpg

* and, if you're driving, you gotta watch the road at the same time. That's almost as important as preventing accidental pipe rim charring while driving and lighting. And sometimes you gotta watch that REALLY hot, charcoal-ie black match tip fall in your lap (or down your shirt or sleeve) while you're puffing and lighting and steering and driving and talking on the phone.

Hope this was helpful.

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

I have a lighter like this one...Paid twice the price listed here. Works good and is butane refillable.
http://www.lilbrown.com/product/tabi...1/default.aspx

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

The best advice you’re going to get, period!

FYI… Bought an Ol’ Boy knockoff in 2003 (did work for ©rap), put up with that POS lighter until last year when I finally broke down and got an IM Corona Old Boy, with nearly a year of trouble free use and free repairs for the life of the lighter from the shop it came from, I can’t imagine buying any other brand of butane pipe lighter.

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

Me too; it has value for the price.

Reports on Old Boy knock-offs seem cover the range of crap to quality. No idea what to add to that. I got a sweet little Bentley refillable with side-flame and built in tamper last year - it cost $2.00 and worked for, uh, two weeks. I am a long-time Zippo booster but since I got the Old Boy I admit I like the more precise flame, the adjustability, longer period between refills and feel in the hand. I haven't seen the Zippo since the Old Boy showed up but I'll forever have a soft spot in my heart for Zippo products.

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

I can't think of the brand of that knockoff for the life of me, CRS don't you know. The head broke off the built-in tamper within three days, needed refilling every third or fourth day of use, the striker wheel didn’t work well and it never wanted to light. I bought an eighteen dollar lighter and got what I paid for.

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

I don't know if this was directed at me or just a general refresh but I didn't see anything wrong with giving spectrr a recommendation. I've only smoked pipes for a little over a year but I just recently went through this same dilemma myself. Thought I'd give my :2 never tried posing as a "pipe old fart".

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

Thanks guys! lots of GREAT info there, much appreciated.

Aww Dan, how did you know I got the idea from that Frank method youtube video :r:r

Although I do have to say I've gotten great consistency from loading the pipe that way. It may not be the "best" way to load it, but it does get me something consistent and smoke-able.

But I will officially banish the idea of a torch :)

I'm sure that Old Boy works quite nice, somewhat akin to the soft flame equivalent of my dupont torch. I'll make that a "one day" goal to work too :)

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

Nope. Just a refresher - we don't ask for resumes or personal references in this thread.


Made you feel guilty though, didn't it? :D

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

Yes it did :( Just trying to help out where I can, even if I'm not the most experienced.

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

Cheer up! You're always welcome here in the "Old Fart" thread. Oo-PAH!

http://www.michigan.org/global/Media...town-Night.jpg

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

I feel at home now :)

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

NIBO makes an "Old Boy" knock-off and it's a piece of crap...had one and it crapped out so early I wrote them and complained...they sent me another one...same problem, so I gave up...found the Colibri Morpheus to be a decent lighter...it's a two-way that lit one way has an angled flame for pipe lighting and lit the other way, a small torch flame for cigars or whatever...I use it mostly for pipe lighting...one of these days I'll probably break down and get myself a Corona Old Boy, but for now the Morpheus (I actually have two of them...got a great buy on them) is working fine...

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

$20 shipped on ebay seems like a good deal, I might just do that......

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=263602_263622

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

Yep...that looks like a great deal, but you also need to know it's a one-way deal as Colibri has gone out of business...if it goes bad or needs repairs that's probably going to be a tough thing to get done, so theoretically you could be looking for another lighter in the future...like I said, when I burn through the Morpheus's, I'll probably pop for a Corona Old Boy in place of a pipe at some point...

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

I thought Colibri went back in to business again?

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

And the answer is: YES, they are back in business, and honoring all old warranties (which were LIFETIME ones by the way). New products carry a 2yr warranty as far as I can tell, which is plenty for me. I'm a-ok with paying $20 every two years for a lighter. Since pipes are currently my wintertime past time, I imagine I won't have to worry about wearing mine out too quickly.......

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar...4,2791,00.html

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

What is the best way to remove the pre-carbon coating on a bowl.... I think this may be the cause of it tasting bitter with this particular pipe.

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

http://www.smokingpipes.com/accessor...roduct_id=5909

I have 2 of them.

I used a candle lighter for about a year, and matches. Most guys I speak too just something cheap...

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

Ah, that's great to know...sometimes it takes a while for news to reach us in the far depths of South Florida...:D

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

Unless it involves the AARP!!! :r

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

Well I went looking for pipes this weekend with a friend... I'm not too familiar with the town, I just go down to Missouri to see my girlfriend on the weekends. Anyways, I asked said friend about places that sell pipes, so we go to this shop that turns out to be more of a headshop. The only wooden bowled 'tobacco pipes' they had, the owner said were made out of cherry wood, and the bowls were quite rough. I've never used a tobacco pipe before, and was wondering... A. would a cherry wood pipe be alright, as I see most pipes are made from briar, and B. are the pipes supposed to have rough bowls like that?... It almost looked like it should be sanded down or something... But then again I've never used/owned a tobacco pipe.

I appreciate any help.

-Jimmy PP

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

Yo JimmyPP! A. I think you will do much much better getting a Missouri Meerschaum corncob pipe from an actual tobacconist and, B. all kinds of pipes have all kinds of finishes from smooth to rough to deeply sandblasted and, C. you really want to get a cob and D. a pouch of Carter Hall or Prince Albert.

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

Thanks for the quick reply, but I think I made myself unclear. It was the inside of the bowl I was referring to. It almost looked like it was just drilled out, and left all rough on the inside. The outside was a very nice red finish. But I'll check out a few smoke shops and see what they have. However, this 'headshop' had a small selection of pipe tobacco, including a Black Cavendish which I was eyeballing... at $4 an ounce. Which from what I've seen online is quite a steep price?

-Jimmy PP

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

$4.00/ounce isn't crazy-wild-high; tins are two-ounces and they usually sell for $7-$12/ea. Bulk is usually $2.50-ounce and up, depending.

Rough finish inside the bowl? Maybe it was coated with something a little raggedy to protect the wood from burning - that's not unusual. I never saw a new pipe with a drilled out chamber that was rough raw wood, though.

Black cavendish... it'd go well with a cob. :)

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

Noob Question Here...

I have smoked a estate brior for the last year and a half, and a friend gifted me a Missouri Meerschaum corncob...looking into the bowl, there is a wood tube shaved off going almost most completly across the base of the bowl. Should there be any type of screen or filter there? There is a paper filter in the stem.

And I know I read this before in this thread (great work reading..), but can I smoke a corncob daily? multiple bowls?

lastly, I have some tobacca thats been sitting in my cabinent for far too long (6 monthish) but its my favorite blend from a shop down in kc...is there any way to revive that so it can be smoked again?

Thanks for the help guys

matt

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

That's they way they're supposed to be...long tube no screen at bottom...not really into cobs (don't care for them for some reason) but I understand those that use them smoke them daily, and I'm gonna guess sometimes several times a day, and/or multiple bowls....

As for rehydrating the tobacco...get yourself one of those little spray bottles (misters) they usually have in the pharmacy/toiletries section at WalMart...use distilled water only...spread the tobacco on some paper towels and give it a light misting to get it to where you want it hydration-wise...if you over wet it pat it with a dry paper towel or let it sit a bit until it dries a bit more...you should be able to tell by feeling a pinch of it when you have it the way you want it...

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

awesome. thank you very much for the quick response. looks like im stopping by walmart on my way home from work today.

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

All the MM cobs are like that, no you don't need a screen, and you don't even need that paper filter in the stem. Use if if you like but most people just throw them away before they starts smoking the pipe.

Cobs are sorta the workhorses of pipe smoking, you can ride them hard and they don't mind. If you want to smoke multiple bowls go ahead just run a pipe cleaner down through the stem a couple times and then bend in in half and go around the inside of the bowl.

The 6 month old baccy may be perfectly fine to smoke right now, pinch some between your fingers, if it doesn't crumble into pieces I'd smoke it as is, if you think it's too dry put it in a bowl with a wrung out paper towel over top and check on it periodically till it is where you want it.

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

What is the paper filter in there to do? I don's understand why cobs have those, while briar's dont?

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

It's supposed to absorb tar and nicotine and to some degree it does...it also tapers down the whole draft hole business..som like it and some throw them away but if you do, realize you're going to have a very large draft hole running through most of the shank and stem...you can buy more of those if you want...Medico filters fit fine...

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

Too bad it doesn't absorb the taste from the first five bowls! Hey! I love a cob - smoke one all the time - but that wood thingie sticking in the chamber needs to char out over several smokes. Don't be alarmed if the second half of your first several smokes tastes like your old Pinewood Derby car.

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

I'd love to know why you were smoking your old Pinewood Derby Car...then again, maybe I don't want to know...:D

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

I'm happy you just said that, because I just picked up a cob pipe and some captain black cherry... The smell of the tobacco was almost overwhelming, I assumed the taste of all of that cherry would make me want to puke... But I could hardly even taste it. I could taste it a little at first then it just started tasting like crap. My mouth tastes like I just licked an ash tray.

I also forgot to get pipe cleaners. And I'm using a 308 winchester case to tamp(don't worry, its been fired... And its fresh out of my case tumbler, so its clean)... And it also went out every time I went to tamp.

I also burnt the hell out of the top of the bowl... Good thing the pipe only cost $4. I almost opted for the $20 one, but I kept all of your opinions in mind, and for those I thank you all :)

-Jimmy PP

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

Troy,

Take some really light grit sandpaper and wrap it around your finger and then rub it around in there. Only do this enough to take off the coating. You definitely don't want to get too wild in there and shave it down too much!

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

DISCLAIMER: I'm not even at the level of "young fart" yet. Greenhorn, wet behind the ears, those are more fitting descriptions :)

Having been where you are Jimmy, keep at it. It took me a few months, but I finally learned to load the pipe in such a way that it stays lit part of the time and only needs tamped a few times. And I got a eel for what kinds of tobacco work and don't. And well... the world just starts lining up for you :)... until then, keep at it, it doesn't take long to get there.

I'll leave the wet aromatic tobacco bit and any other actual advice for an old fart to touch on, just wanted to give you a bit of encouragement that it will get much better fairly quickly. :D

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

Actually I haven't really been having too many problems. By the third bowl I had looked bowl packing up on youtube. And I found a way that works pretty good... I sprinkle tobacco into the bowl until full, tap the side to get it to settle down, then pinch tobacco in my fingers and set it on top, and coax it in by pushing on the sides, then repeat........ And the third time I smoked it didn't go out once. I did tamp it about every 5 minutes though. Who else does it like this?

I was smoking for at least half an hour, if not longer... I really didn't expect a tiny bowl to last that long!

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

I'm not sure what the rule of thumb is with tamping. I usually forget too, and end up tamping then relighting. It also really depends on what type of tobacco you are smoking.

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

Here's a question for ya fellas...

I have two Peterson Pipes, Donegal Rocky Style pipes with the sterling silver bands. What can I do to clean the silver up? They are starting to look a little dirty.

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

Wright's Silver Polish but use a q-tip to put it on and be careful you don't get any on the briar, although it probably wouldn't hurt the finish...I do it carefully and don't want to chance it anyway...

Wright's Silver Polish on ebay