New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart

[RevSmoke]

Originally Posted by ApexAZ

Hi all. I bought a couple corn cob pipes. I was wondering if the information on breaking in and caring for briars is interchangeable with corn cobs? I read somewhere that they do not need to be rested in between smokes. Is this true?

Thanks in advance!

First, get rid of the filter in it, that will improve the flavor immensely. It serves more like a tampon, absorbing moisture and never drying out.

Second, if it gurgles at all, then rest it inbetween smokes. In fact, resting a pipe between smokes - whether briar or cob is always a good idea.

Hope that help.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by ApexAZ

I was wondering if the information on breaking in and caring for briars is interchangeable with corn cobs?

Not entirely. Cobs don't "break in" by building cake like briars; they just taste rotten for a few smokes until the pine shank chars out and the corn taste, if any, goes away. Cobs don't need to get caked up. Also, after cleaning a dirty stem, most people* would not leave their $11,000 Teddy Knudson flame grain sitting outside for a couple of days to air it out; this you can do to good effect with your $11 cob.

* I am not talking about the people with that IHT kind of money, but most of us.

[Emjaysmash]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

* I am not talking about the people with that IHT kind of money, but most of us.

[ApexAZ]

Okay thank you all.

Last question for now. I was reading that you should dedicate pipes to certain blends. Aromatics in one, naturals in another, flavored in another, etc.

If a cake is not possible, or unecessary in a cob, do you need to reserve it for particular blends of tobaccos like you do with briars? I got some cheap 'bargain' tobacco that might be good for breaking it in, but not if it means limiting the pipe to cheap bargain tobacco for the life of it.

Thanks for your help!

[RevSmoke]

Originally Posted by ApexAZ

Okay thank you all.

Last question for now. I was reading that you should dedicate pipes to certain blends. Aromatics in one, naturals in another, flavored in another, etc.

If a cake is not possible, or unecessary in a cob, do you need to reserve it for particular blends of tobaccos like you do with briars? I got some cheap 'bargain' tobacco that might be good for breaking it in, but not if it means limiting the pipe to cheap bargain tobacco for the life of it.

Thanks for your help!

Lots of questions - great.

I have one for you. Have you ever smoked a pipe before? Do you know you will like it? If not, then you're putting the cart in front of the horse.

Briars will absorb flavor, they will take on the characteristics of the tobaccos you smoke, but it won't happen with one bowl (neither will it with briars).

If your are going to smoke Virginias (or VaPers), which have very subtle flavors, if you smoke them in pipes which have been heavily smoked with either Aromatics or English blends or heavy Orientals, you will not get all the subtleties of VAs or VaPers - that is why you dedicate pipes. Also, if you don't want your English blends to taste like Fruit Loops, then don't smoke them in pipes that you have smoked Aromatics in.

If you are experimenting now, it isn't a problem.

If you take this up as a hobby, then you will need to consider some things.

I keep 3 pipes specifically for Virginias. I keep another 4 specifically for VaPers **and** Virginias. I have another 2 pipes that only get English blends, but if I'm not to concerned about getting all the subtle flavors, I will also smoke VAs and VaPers in them. Then I have a couple more pipes that I really don't care what I smoke in them - aromatics/English/VAs/VaPers - but I also know that I may get a cacophany of flavors that have ghosted in that pipe, it is a nice change of pace.

In sort, you don't want to smoke Virginias in pipes that may be ghosting flavors from other heavy bodied/flavored tobaccos for that would cover up flavors that might otherwise be tasted in a blend.

If you want to experiment, get a few cobs - dedicate them to the different types - then, after smoking a couple dozen bowls of the aromatic, try an English blend or a Virginia in that pipe just to see how the flavor changes in a pipe that is ghosting stronger flavors.

Oh, if you smoke a 30 bowls of an aromatic cherry blend in a pipe, and then smoke an aromatic rum blend in it, expect it to taste like cherry rum.

Just saying....

Peace of the Lord be with you.

[jkstewart1]

Cobs most definitely do 'ghost'. I have one that I have smoked some Lakeland blends in (they have a very distinctive topping flavor) and I can't get that flavor out of it for anything. It will remain dedicated to the Lakeland varieties, but otherwise just experiment and figure out what works best for you. Cobs are relatively inexpensive and you don't have to worry about getting them out of sorts for any smoking you might want to do in the future.

[ApexAZ]

Thank you. Yes I've tried them and yes I like them. I think right now I like natural or slightly aromatic, although I haven't really tried any english or flavored blends. I have an english blend that I haven't tried yet that smells very smoky. I have a replacement briar coming and 2 corn cobs coming. I figure the inexpensive corn cob pipes might be more cost effective while I experiment, and allow some time between bowls between the 3 of them. At 10 bucks each, if the cobs smoke well, I may just buy a few more of them.

Thank you for answering my question. Did you mean to say Cobs will absorb flavor, but not in one bowl?

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by jkstewart1

Cobs most definitely do 'ghost'...

I always wondered who started that "Cobs don't ghost" fiction.

[ApexAZ]

Thank you for your responses. I appreciate it!

[jkstewart1]

I always wondered who started that "Cobs don't ghost" fiction.

Probably someone who got wrapped up in the 'meerschaum' part of the name. Moo, you're always a great recommender of cobs and with their low price point, it's easy to dedicate them to some of the more 'fringe' tobacco styles. I might not have tried Lakeland blends otherwise.

[Commander Quan]

I believe that the actual phrase is "Ghost's don't cob" and that somewhere back on the ASP newsgroup someone transposed this phrase and it took off.

I've never seen a manifested soul smoking a cob so it has got to be true.

I think a ghost's pipe material of chose is morta. That is why the Ancient Roman goddess of death was named after it.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Commander Quan

I believe that the actual phrase is "Ghost's don't cob" ... I've never seen a manifested soul smoking a cob so it has got to be true... I think a ghost's pipe material of chose is morta. That is why the Ancient Roman goddess of death was named after it.

This makes more sense than my belief it came from a coffee site thread titled "Clods Don't Roast". You have once again snapped things into sharp focus. Well done.

Just to remind everyone and short-circuit any controvery, Mrs. Muir's ghost (Rex Harrison) smoked briar.



This movie always makes Mrs. Moo and me cry.

[RevSmoke]

Originally Posted by ApexAZ

Thank you. Yes I've tried them and yes I like them. I think right now I like natural or slightly aromatic, although I haven't really tried any english or flavored blends. I have an english blend that I haven't tried yet that smells very smoky. I have a replacement briar coming and 2 corn cobs coming. I figure the inexpensive corn cob pipes might be more cost effective while I experiment, and allow some time between bowls between the 3 of them. At 10 bucks each, if the cobs smoke well, I may just buy a few more of them.

Thank you for answering my question. Did you mean to say Cobs will absorb flavor, but not in one bowl?

Yes.

[ApexAZ]

Okay so I got my new cobs today and I'm smoking one now with a bowl of Peter Stokkebye Proper English and I have to say that the pipe smokes wonderfully and I also really enjoy the English blend quite a lot. I kind of like how it's a little rough around the edges but still functions well. Perfect!

[Mister Moo]

I gotta add this for you newguys: I recently sent my second "Thank You" note to a Secret Santa that hit me with a modified MM Country Gentleman* pipe last December. He started with a bent version, pitched the stem and filed a MM freehand stem to replace it. I have hardly been without this pipe (when smoking virginia/vaper tobaccos) for nearly as year. It is absolutely teriffic. It was puffing some nice Magnolia Avenue from Pipe & Pint this morning and will do the same on the way home from work this evening. MM corncob pipes can last for decades (with some care and maybe a little mud) and may have bowl sizes and smoking qualities that rival your finest briars. For the 20-something bucks it took to put this pipe together I am awed each and every time I use it.

*

[Blak Smyth]

Okay I have a couple questions for you pro pipers.

I use to smoke a pipe a few years ago, the pipe cost me about $75 if I remember correctly I would just go grab whatever cherry like flavor they tobacconist sold and enjoy it. I broke it and decided to quit rather than replace it. Now I am considering starting it up again as a way to enjoy a nice short smoke. My wife prefers the smell of pipe tobacco to cigars so that is a plus.

This "cherry" tobacco I was buying, is it comparable to infused cigars?
Is it completely flavored and unnatural?
Does good natural tobacco put off an unappealing aroma to a non-smoker?
In other words if I am smoking what you would consider good tobacco will my wife think it stinks?

I realize now, I know nothing about what I was doing back when I tried this hobby.

[ApexAZ]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

I gotta add this for you newguys: I recently sent my second "Thank You" note to a Secret Santa that hit me with a modified MM Country Gentleman* pipe last December. He started with a bent version, pitched the stem and filed a MM freehand stem to replace it. I have hardly been without this pipe (when smoking virginia/vaper tobaccos) for nearly as year. It is absolutely teriffic. It was puffing some nice Magnolia Avenue from Pipe & Pint this morning and will do the same on the way home from work this evening. MM corncob pipes can last for decades (with some care and maybe a little mud) and may have bowl sizes and smoking qualities that rival your finest briars. For the 20-something bucks it took to put this pipe together I am awed each and every time I use it.

*

I got the CG with a straight stem, which was what I was using last night.

So how do you get the freehand stem in it? You have to file the tenon down? Also, I noticed that yours has a very even thickness around the entire circumference of the bowl. Mine has a thin area in the back left quadrant. I noticed it was getting warmer in that area, which makes sense. Should I be concerned about this?

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by ApexAZ

I got the CG with a straight stem, which was what I was using last night.

So how do you get the freehand stem in it? You have to file the tenon down? Also, I noticed that yours has a very even thickness around the entire circumference of the bowl. Mine has a thin area in the back left quadrant. I noticed it was getting warmer in that area, which makes sense. Should I be concerned about this?

Santa told me he filed it down a little to make a good fit.

I wouldn't worry about the hot spot until it's too hot of a hot spot. Then get another one. Some cobs last years, others last not-so-years. If the bowl was very irregular on a $200 briar - get concerned. Cobs are kinda like disposible pipes and the fact that so many of them last a long time is like a miracle to me.

[ApexAZ]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Santa told me he filed it down a little to make a good fit.

I wouldn't worry about the hot spot until it's too hot of a hot spot. Then get another one. Some cobs last years, others last not-so-years. If the bowl was very irregular on a $200 briar - get concerned. Cobs are kinda like disposible pipes and the fact that so many of them last a long time is like a miracle to me.

That's kind of what I figured. It wouldn't even be worth paying the shipping to return it.

The bowl seemed to last about 30 minutes. Does this seem about right?

[WittyUserName]

So, I am new to the whole pipe thing but looking to pick up a couple corn cobs and some tobacco. I guess my question would be, is there a "starter kit" (pipe, tool, cleaners, tobacco) that can be purchased somewhere. I am limited to online purchases only for the pip itself. The NEX here sells some pipe tobacco, the normal super market/right aid stuff. Thank you in advance for the advice and direction. Also, I will do my best to never say the dirty "P" word.