Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

we need some banter, somewhat pipe related would be nice.

but this place is dead. the crickets are telling ME to keep it down




as inspired by Slow T, I have self-blended my first experiment

~3 parts MB VA No1
~1 part black cavendish (not entirely sure who made it or anything, it was a gift from TOB9595)

they've been in a ziplock for 4 days now. at day 7 I'm gonna try a bowl and see how it is.

anyone else try any simple blending like this?

anyone else still check this forum?

I sure like the churchwarden my brother got me for Christmas, it screams "intelligent... crime solver... genius pimp" and some other things

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

This pipe forum needs some juice to get it going. Yee haw.

(I was going to post a nude-carved meerschaum but I was too embarrassed.)

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Yep. I just got my first pipe a few days ago - a Savinelli. Good times. :pi

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

I recently got my first Savinelli, a churchwarden from my brother (ridmaster). smokes like a dream, and it makes me look considerably smarter while puffing

Moo, I can't figure out why this place isn't any more active, we should recruit some folks perhaps

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

I would think that there aren't too many pipers in general, and this place is relatively new. So what can we do?

Naked women usually do the trick.

But I guess we'd have to bait and switch them, because not too many of that around here.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Maybe change the forum name to something like "XXX Naked Supermodels & Pipers Forum". :D

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

I smoke an occasional pipe. Problem is, for me, one bowl and I don't feel like smoking anymore. Tend to have one when I know I only have that much time.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

I was going to try blending the two "aromatic" blends that I currently have - "very cherry" and "vanilla" into cherry vanilla (seems to make sense).

You noted that you will keep the new blend of tobaccos in the ziplock for 7 days...Would it work to just take some of each tobacco, mix them together and fill the pipe? Or is it recommended that to truly "blend" the flavors, the tobaccos should have time to rest together?

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

You can simply mix 2 blends into one bowl and smoke it and you will get a combination of the flavors, but you will get a much better marriage of flavors by making a mix and allowing it to sit together for a while, the longer the better!

I've done this with blends before and noticed a huge difference from day one to day 8 and an even bigger difference on day 28. Part of the fun of the hobby is making your own blends and seeing which work well together! :D

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Well, I should mention that I have zero prior experience with blending. But, my thinking was that giving them some time together in a somewhat closed system would help the flavors and essence to meld together some. I've got at least 7-10 bowls worth, so I'll try it at a week, and then hopefully at weekly intervals and see how it goes. I've got a sweet tasting natural tobacco, and then a sweet cased tobacco, I'm hoping for good results, but we'll see.

it may turn out to be better with a sweet and a not so sweet. But that's the whole point right? try something, and learn from the results. I'll put updates in this thread as the times come

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Cool. Sounds like your plan will work out well. Looking forward to reading about your results! Enjoy. :pi

Alex,
Thanks for your input. Time to start thinking of some good blends to experiment with.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

I have tried my hand at blending a few times. What I like to do is to try the new blend immediately - then revisit it as it ages and mellows together (1 wk, 2 wks, 1 month, 3 mnths, etc...). I'd also say that a week is too short a time to get full idea of how they'll marry.

Just a couple blending tips, use portions that will convert into 16 (as 16 is 1 pound), and if you like it, you may want to repeat it. Write the recipe down. To blend, put constituent tobaccos in a large bowl and get your hands in to toss the mixture well - kind of like a salad.

If you want the tobaccos to marry more quickly, when you get it mixed, put it into something which you can compress. I like to put it in a zip-lock and I have devised a way I can press it with a couple C-clamps. This get the tobaccos as close together as possible, helping them to marry. I have done a couple blends where I press some and leave a portion in a zip-lock without pressing. It is amazing the difference after 1 wk, 1 mnth, etc...

Have fun with it!

If you go to this website http://www.cornellanddiehl.com/tinned_blends.htm
in the tinned blends, look for Back Porch - it is my recipe for a blend. They also used to have a blend called Orthodoxy, but they can no longer get any Syrian Latakia (one of the constituent tobaccos), so they cannot make it.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

no problem, I know a few people like to use Prince Albert as a base tobacco for experimenting as it burns cool, has a pleasant taste and is cheap. So you may start there, or with carter hall or something of that nature

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

With all this talk about blending, here are a few I have done - that I kept on hand as they are those which are very tasty. There are some blending experiments that have ended up in the circulatory file.

As you consider this, notice how every blend is able to be multiplied simply to make up 16 - so that it can be done in 1 pound lots. Remember that a "part" is an equal part - grams, ounces, etc... Just so they are equally measured out.

A VaPer
3 parts McClelland #5100
3 parts McClelland #5105
2 parts Perique


Another VaPer
6 parts McClelland #5100
2 parts Perique


Another VaPer
5 parts Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake (rubbed out)
3 parts Perique


An aromatic (am not normally a fan of aromatics)
1 part CAO/Dan Sweet Vanilla Honeydew
1 part McClelland #5100


Two English blend
5 parts Latakia
5 parts McClelland #5100 (or Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake - rubbed out)
3 parts unflavored black cavendish
3 parts Perique

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Todd,
Some terrific advice here! Thanks. For compression, I'll just place a bag under my wife's favorite chair ! :r (j/k, she's petite and very health concious...but just made me laugh thinking about it).:D

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

About the most "blending" I've done is to go to my BM and say "I want some berry vanilla tobacco". So he mixed a few things together and gave it to me.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Another VaPer that I tried, it turned out great.

1 New 100g tin of Rattray's Marlin Flake

.5 - 1 ounce of Perique

If you only put .5 in the blend it is a good mild VaPer. The closer you get to a full ounce, the spicier it gets.

If you want it even milder, then mix it with Old Gowrie instead of Marlin Flake.

:pi

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Well I took one of Revsmoke's recipes and put it together last night. I did make a substitution however. I mixed 5 parts of Gawith's Best Brown Flake (fully rubbed out) to 3 parts of McClellands Blending Perique.

Wrapped it tightly in wax paper and then put it into a ziplock. Took it out to the garage and put it between two small 2 x 4s and then clamped it down in the vise. I'll let it sit for a week and then sample it, put it back in the vise and sample it again a week later, and so on.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

That just sounds like it will turn out good. Let us know how it goes. :pi

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

ok, tomorrow is the day, I'm gonna try this out, it will have been 10 days. School's finally done for a couple weeks, so my tobacco consumption should rise by a few hundred percent :pi

I'll let you guys know how it turned out (hopefully not overly sweet)

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Scott - you are a regular goll-danged trailblazer. Standing by to hear your results.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

I've been called worse!!

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

When you unwrap it, you should be able to just crumble off a piece to rub out and fill your pipe.

I am looking forward to seeing how you enjoy this.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

I took some photos while I was putting this together. When I unwrap it for the first time I will take some more and then open a new thread about tobacco blending to show everyone the steps one at a time.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Ok, my Va no1 / black cavendish was good. Lots of good sweet virginia flavor with a smooth hint of vanilla. But there was also a good deal of tongue bite. Probably made worse by the fact that I haven't smoke a pipe in almost 2 weeks, but still.

So I will let this blend sit a while longer, and hopefully meld together more, and hopefully reduce the tongue bite as well.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Smoking a little SG FVF in a cob. Its tasty. Anyone else smoking?

How's the blending going Slow? If ya need some testers, dont look far.!

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Well in usual fashion I went overboard and purchased a nice lot (at least from the pics) of about 9 estate pipes. Cleaning kit is in the mail as well so hopefully when I get them all cleaned up I can toss up some pics of the new small collection.

My 2nd pipe, a Savinelli showed up day before yesterday which looks to be in outstanding shape and it had a great aroma to it. I asked the seller what it was and he said it was Lane LTD BCA 5000 Black Cavendish. I was looking around for it and could only find a listing for BCA sans the "5000", but I think it maybe the same deal.

Now it's time for this newb to wade through all the tobacco out there and try to figure out something to purchase.

I hope your New Year's Eve is great, to a great bunch of folks! :pi

Chris

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Took the blend out of the press a few days ago and put it into a jar. Letting it rest for a few more days until I smoke it.

The wax paper that the tobacco was wrapped in was almost completely brown. Good sign that this stuff mixed rather well.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

The colored wax paper is a good sign. Personally, I'd give it a sample now... just for scientific purposes. It will change even more as it ages. It may or may not need to do so. But, you don't know unless you taste it.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Nice! Glad to hear it mixed well.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

This is fun. Can't wait to see how it all turns out!

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Hello? Anybody in here? Slow, how'd the mixture come out? Chris, let's see those new old pipes. :pi

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Zzzzzzzz Zzzzzzz Zzzzzzz
:dance: Good Morning!! :dance:
I'm sitting here smoking some St. James Flake in my Wessex thinking! :hm Hmmm, Where is everyone? :hm

Someone has to have some good pipe going this morning!

I know, I know! Everyone went to china to have a smoke with this pipe....
http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...rt/006pipe.jpg
A bronze tobacco pipe weighing 116 kilograms is on display at an exhibition centre in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province on Saturday, October 6, 2007. At 1.16 meters in diameter and 2.8 meters in length, the pipe is reported to be the largest in China.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Blend came out mighty tasty!!! Sent it to a few friends and they agreed. Time to do a larger batch when it warms up in the garage a bit.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Drama whore. You got us all busted. ;)



:rofl

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

what?:r

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

scott, i will have some more tonight. i, for some stupid reason, thought you mixed 5100 w/ blending perique. when i was smoking it, i thought, "this is too good to be McClellands VAs, too thick, too tasty, burning too well. It has to be a SG flake of some sort."
then Evan reminded me that it was Best Brown.

i may be inspired, one of these days, to attempt my own blend. between your work that i've tasted, and the work of tzaddi that i've seen in pictures.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Evening all. Haven't had a chance to have a bowl yet, and probably won't get to. It's quite windy outside and chilly. I hate not having a garage to smoke in anymore.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

That is usually when I break out a nice aromatic blend. The Mrs. doesnt mind a little 1Q or Butternut Burley.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

since my wife stopped smokin cigs, i get the ol' wrinkled up nose treatment no matter what i smoke, inside or outside.

there's a blender that has one called "wife repellant". it's probably half latakia, half oriental, 1/3rd burley (i cant' count).

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

could be odyssey, I smoked that inside one time and I got kicked outside...

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

found it.
scroll down to the 5th tobacco listed.

that's only 14 parts?? where's the other 2 parts? gotta be in dosages of 16 (like ounces).
if i were his wife, i'd nag his ass all day, too. he can't even blend tobacco with the right amount of parts.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

hahahahaha! :r

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

Don't have a Mrs. to worry about, but I won't smoke in the apt because my oldest has asthma and when it's my weekend I don't want anything affecting her. I am out on the porch though since it seems to have warmed up nicely and the wind has died down. Just lit up.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

sounds good!

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

It is good. :D

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

I don't have to worry about my girl but my room mate doesn't like it.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

those were the days. good thing my wife's not payin attention to me typing this. :r

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

:r:r It's definitely give and take. I only get to see my girls 5 days out of every 14, so it could be better.

Re: Too Quiet Around Here... (open thread)
 

tzaddi was kind enough to send me a homegrown blend. Tasted magnificent.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/.../tzaddi001.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/.../tzaddi002.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/.../tzaddi003.jpg

He also sent me some perique seeds I hope to get going pretty soon. I'm going to order some other seed types online so I can try my hand at homegrown blending too.