New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart

[MarkinAZ]

Originally Posted by jjefrey

I've read that I need to let the pipe rest a few days between smokes is this correct? What would happen if I smoked it daily with out letting it rest?

In addition to Derricks comments, here's a couple of links with further information for your review Jeff:

http://pipesmokersforum.com/community/threads/pipe-resting.1186/

http://forum.pipes.org/messages/26/82419.html?1270580098

[FreakShow]

I've been jarring my tobacco straight from the tins and then drying out what I'm going to smoke before I smoke it. Is this way better or should I dry out the whole tin before jarring?

[688sonarmen]

Originally Posted by FreakShow

I've been jarring my tobacco straight from the tins and then drying out what I'm going to smoke before I smoke it. Is this way better or should I dry out the whole tin before jarring?

I think dry as you go is the best option. Every time you open the jar to pack a bowl its going to dry out and not get any moister. Just my 2cents, Ive only been smoking a few months.

So My Mom gave me something pretty special gift for my birthday today...

This is a collection of my GREAT Grandfathers pipes...

[IMG] Untitled by Robulous78, on Flickr[/IMG]

I know nothing about pipes, so I thought I would post this up and maybe you guys can tell me something about em', also, now since I have them, I wanna give pipe smoking a shot... which one of these do you think I should try to use? how do you prep and old pipe for use?

Thanks Everyone for your help, We both thank you...

[IMG] Untitled by Robulous78, on Flickr[/IMG]

Also... My mom found this to go with my "new" pipes...

[IMG] Untitled by Robulous78, on Flickr[/IMG]

the glass of the jar looks pretty dated, anyone know anything about these?

[IMG] Untitled by Robulous78, on Flickr[/IMG]

Thanks Fellas...

Rob

[Commander Quan]

The pipes look like a pretty standard collection of kaywoodies & Dr. Grabows. The pipes with the clover leaf one them, unscrew the stems from the pipes and check out the stingers. 4 hole stingers are older than the newer 3 hole design.

The stands with jars are pretty common. The jar was used to store your tobacco

Any of them would probably be good to start with however you may want to pick up a corn cob pipe from a drug store or pipe shop to start with so you don't accidentally char the rim up too bad when your starting out.

Do a Salt & Alcohol treatment on them http://pipecollecting.blogspot.com/2...treatment.html
and use an alcohol dipped pipes clean down through the stem until they run clean.

[RevSmoke]

Rob, that is some great stuff there. I don't have any Grabows of Kaywoodies anymore, so listen to Derrick.

I will say this though, it is great to come into a collection like that.

Anyone have a link for Pipe beginners?

I youtubed how to date most of the collection... There are 2 Pre 1940 pipes in the pictures and then 2 from the 70's... the rest I still have no idea about...

I restored the 2 from the 70's with the salt & alcohol method, after some pipe cleaners they were as good as new... the wood however looked pretty dull... so I wiped them with a light wood oil, the tips are pretty oxidized but that doesn't overly bother me...

I watched a video on how to pack a pipe and got some various drug store tobaccos to try...

-Admiral's Choice Cherry Cavendish
-Borkum Riff Bourbon Mix
-Generic Apple Pipe Tabacco from Middleton Co
-Paladin Blackcherry
-Lonestar Gold Pipe Tabacco

Ok... so here in lies my question, Old Farts... I expected that the smoke would contain more flavor, kind of like when you smoke Shisha from a Hooka... but aside from a slight aroma and subtle flavor I can barely tell The Admiral's Choice from the Paladin... I am enjoying the general flavor of the Borkum Riff, but I would not say I taste bourbon in the smoke...

Am I using the wrong tobacco's or are my expectations incorrect for what pipe smoking offers? Is my noise burnt out from cigar retrohaling to "taste" the flavor of the smoke?

I find the rather troubling, because I am enjoying my first bouts into pipe smoking yet can't seem to find exactly what I am looking for... which I can only describe as a powerfully flavorful "shisha-esque" smoke...

Thanks Old Fart / Everyone...

Bump for answers/help...

[Nick]

Alot of guys buy drug store tobacco when they are first starting out in pipes. My opinion is that this is in general a mistake, nothing against the drug store tobaccos as a whole because there are some good ones but usually the quality is a little lacking. You have an assortment of aromatic tobaccos there that have a flavor casing/topping. I believe all of those tobaccos you have listed are made almost entirely cavendish or black cavendish based with whatever topping the maker has employed. Cavendish is a very soft and subtle leaf which means the topping should stand out more. The flavored tobaccos usually smell very nice to the people around you but are not quite as enjoyable for the smoker

The problem with this is that alot of times the topping is either not very noticeable or isn't near what you thought it might (at least in my experience). This may be due to the heat burning the topping off the tobacco before it is actually noticed by the smoker. Another variable is that if you are smoking pipes that have been used before you will get some residual flavors from whatever the person before you, but there are ways to help remedy that.

I always recommend starting out with tobacco that has no topping from a more reputable source (GL Pease, Cornell and Diehl, Mcconnel, mclelland, Macbaren, etc.). Especially if you are a cigar smoker as you will smoke blends that have assortments of tobacco leaf that are carefully formulated and blended by the company. A big mistake new pipe smokers make is that they assume pipe smoking and tobacco is closely related to hookah, its not.

I will post a couple of websites you can check out. Pick up some tins from any of the companies I mentioned above and I think you will find a much more enjoyable experience. Some guys like GL Pease even use a little cigar leaf in there blends, one in particular is GL Pease Key Largo.

The main pipe tobacco leaves are: Virginias, Latakia (syrian and cyprian), Burley, Orientals, Turkish, Cavendish, and Perique. Pipe smoking can get fairly complex but try to not get caught up in all the hooplah and terminology just enjoy it in your own way.

http://smokingpipes.com/ has a very good selection of tinned and bulk tobacco at good prices.

Also check out these sites

http://tobaccoreviews.com/
http://pipedia.org/wiki/Pipe_Tobaccos Great page explaining many different things related to pipe tobacco and the different varieties of pipe tobacco leaves. This site has other interesting pages regarding all things pipes.

Also youtube is another great resource. Have fun and welcome to another slope.

Thanks for the info Nick... Very helpful...

[RevSmoke]

Rob, first, you asked the question on Easter and I didn't get to it. I will try and postulate a better answer later. But for now, Shisha tastes like whatever topping is put on it. Pipe tobacco will never taste anything like Shisha. Nick gave a good answer.

Here's how I'd say it. Do not smoke aromatics (those with a flavoring) for the flavored smell you find when you open the tin/pouch, 95% of the time you will be disappointed. You may smell that in the room when smoking, and others around you may smell it, but you will not find it on your palate.

Pipe tobacco flavors come from the constituent tobaccos. And the smoke volume will be significantly less than from cigars.

Hope that helps a little.

[Nick]

I have to amend my post slightly there are some tobacco blends that use a slight topping however instead of the drug store blends that are counting on the topping to carry the blend; blends like macbaren plumcake and GL Pease Barbary Coast use a slight flavoring to add a little bit of a nuance.

I saw that you do smoke cigars you may really like some of the English style or Balkan style blends. You can send me a PM me your address and I can send a little sampler out for you if you want.

I would love that Nick... Thanks... PM sent

[chaase321]

Alright guys, I am giving the pipe thing a go again...after all, April is Pipe Month!!...but I have a few questions that are buring ( ) inside that I need to ask, so I can enjoy it more:

1. Maybe stupid, but what does a "non-carbonized" bowl mean? Is it that it hasn't been smoked yet?

2. I cannot tell if my baccy is the right RH...what is it supposed to be? and is there a method, other than a hygrometer, that you can use to tell if it is right (like a feel or something)

3. Am I packing my bowl too tight or too lose...Here is why I ask...I am not getting much smoke production out of it? I use the 3-2-1 (thanks Moo!) method, but I'm not sure if it is packed correctly. I light all over, tamp, light again...but then about 45 seconds to a minute later, when I draw, i do not get the "full mouth" feel of smoke anymore, and when I blow it out, it is very little smoke. Am I expecting too much from smoking cigars? I see pictures of people smoking pipes and it looks like they are getting a lot of smoke...I want that! I also have some troubles with keeping it lit, I mean, if I don't puff like every 45 seconds it is out for sure...could this be because it is packed too loosely?
3.a. So could it be that the baccy is too dry/wet, packed too loosely...I am 100% sure it is not being packed too tight.
4. Recommendations for a newb pipe smoker that loves a med/med-full Nicaraguan cigar, and doesn't want tongue bite.

Sorry if that was lengthy, just trying to get it figured out so I can relax with a bowl as easily as I do with a stick, and enjoy the change of pace that pipes give.

Thanks all!

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by chaase321

Alright guys, I am giving the pipe thing a go again...after all, April is Pipe Month!!...but I have a few questions that are buring ( ) inside that I need to ask, so I can enjoy it more:

1. Maybe stupid, but what does a "non-carbonized" bowl mean? Is it that it hasn't been smoked yet?

2. I cannot tell if my baccy is the right RH...what is it supposed to be? and is there a method, other than a hygrometer, that you can use to tell if it is right (like a feel or something)

3. Am I packing my bowl too tight or too lose...Here is why I ask...I am not getting much smoke production out of it? I use the 3-2-1 (thanks Moo!) method, but I'm not sure if it is packed correctly. I light all over, tamp, light again...but then about 45 seconds to a minute later, when I draw, i do not get the "full mouth" feel of smoke anymore, and when I blow it out, it is very little smoke. Am I expecting too much from smoking cigars? I see pictures of people smoking pipes and it looks like they are getting a lot of smoke...I want that! I also have some troubles with keeping it lit, I mean, if I don't puff like every 45 seconds it is out for sure...could this be because it is packed too loosely?
3.a. So could it be that the baccy is too dry/wet, packed too loosely...I am 100% sure it is not being packed too tight.
4. Recommendations for a newb pipe smoker that loves a med/med-full Nicaraguan cigar, and doesn't want tongue bite.

Sorry if that was lengthy, just trying to get it figured out so I can relax with a bowl as easily as I do with a stick, and enjoy the change of pace that pipes give.

Thanks all!

Let me have a go...

1. Me, I prefer to see raw, natural wood in a new pipe, not the pre- carbon coated variety. That's regarding a new pipe. On a well smoked pipe it is possible someone would ream out the chamber thoroughly, removing previous carbon build-up. In either case you'd be talking about a non-carbonized bowl. A thin coating of carbonization protects the wood in a pipe from burning.

2. Tobacco moisture meter for ribbon or shag cut. Squish a wad between your thumb and index finger; it it squishes and -
i. stays squished, it's too moist and needs a little drying out
ii. springs back, it's probably good to go
iii. crumbles to dust, it's way too dry and needs remoisturizing

For flake tobacco, if you bend a flake 180* and -
i. it bends like rubber and nothing breaks it's very moist
ii. it bends but fractures a fair bit at the bend it's about right (for me)
iii. it snaps in half it's probably dried out and might benefit from remoisturizing.

3. You're packing a bowl?! It's too tight. Never pack, fill. Too loose a fill and you can always moosh it down a bit after lighting. Too tight from the get go - ferget about it. You'll suck your cheeks off trying to keep the pipe alive. I routinely produce large, almost opaque clouds of smoke with small-to-modest sips. Getting there is finding the right balance between pipe, tobacco and filling technique. When something isn't working, make a change. It's like sex - timing and technique. Here is a recent sip-cloud:



Too wet, you think? That's easy to determine. Is the pipe drooling into your mouth instead of the other way around? Is the heel of the pipe wet and swampy? If so, the pipe and/or the tobacco are too wet to smoke. Consider dry time for pipe (24 hours) or tobacco (let a wad sit out 30-60 minutes).

4. I never could equate pipe tobacco with cigars. People talk about it a lot but, for me, it's like comparing pumpkin pie with whipped cream to aluminum billets. They both have their purposes but have nothing in common (for me). I like cigars and pipes but I sense them in totally different ways.

[Commander Quan]

Moo your mustache and your pipe look a lot alike. Life imitating art at it's finest.

I've been told I look like a pipe too, only it was just an burned out cob.

[chaase321]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Let me have a go...

1. Me, I prefer to see raw, natural wood in a new pipe, not the pre- carbon coated variety. That's regarding a new pipe. On a well smoked pipe it is possible someone would ream out the chamber thoroughly, removing previous carbon build-up. In either case you'd be talking about a non-carbonized bowl. A thin coating of carbonization protects the wood in a pipe from burning.

Thank you for explaining that...So, would you recommend a Non-Carbonized pipe to a newb? I have a few, so I have smoked already, but the last thing I want to do is crack a pipe

2. Tobacco moisture meter for ribbon or shag cut. Squish a wad between your thumb and index finger; it it squishes and -
i. stays squished, it's too moist and needs a little drying out
ii. springs back, it's probably good to go
iii. crumbles to dust, it's way too dry and needs remoisturizing

Perfect, so I think my tobacco is in the right mixture then

For flake tobacco, if you bend a flake 180* and -
i. it bends like rubber and nothing breaks it's very moist
ii. it bends but fractures a fair bit at the bend it's about right (for me)
iii. it snaps in half it's probably dried out and might benefit from remoisturizing.

3. You're packing a bowl?! It's too tight. Never pack, fill. Too loose a fill and you can always moosh it down a bit after lighting. Too tight from the get go - ferget about it. You'll suck your cheeks off trying to keep the pipe alive. I routinely produce large, almost opaque clouds of smoke with small-to-modest sips. Getting there is finding the right balance between pipe, tobacco and filling technique. When something isn't working, make a change. It's like sex - timing and technique.

Ok, maybe "packing" was the wrong word to use; however, now...maybe I was lying, and maybe I am packing it too tightly...after all, the pipe is running a little hotter than I would like it to while puffing. Perhaps that is from things being too tight and me having to frequently puff to keep it lit. I'll work work on my technique...geez...same answer i give my wife! kidding!

Here is a recent sip-cloud:



Too wet, you think? That's easy to determine. Is the pipe drooling into your mouth instead of the other way around? Is the heel of the pipe wet and swampy? If so, the pipe and/or the tobacco are too wet to smoke. Consider dry time for pipe (24 hours) or tobacco (let a wad sit out 30-60 minutes).

Yea, no worries here then, thanks!

4. I never could equate pipe tobacco with cigars. People talk about it a lot but, for me, it's like comparing pumpkin pie with whipped cream to aluminum billets. They both have their purposes but have nothing in common (for me). I like cigars and pipes but I sense them in totally different ways.

Guess once I figure all this out really good, I'll just have to follow the one main rule...Smoke what you like, like what you smoke

Thanks Moo, very much appreciated!

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by chaase321

...Ok, maybe "packing" was the wrong word to use; however, now...maybe I was lying, and maybe I am packing it too tightly......

Thanks Moo, very much appreciated!

Of course you were lying and, now, here you are - trapped in your own web of deceit and self delusion.

Fortunately for you there are Old Farts at the ready! All new pipesmokers believe tobacco should be mashed into a bowl with a hydraulic-assist ram. It is the way of things. Not to worry. Start your bowl with just enough compression to slightly resist a sip. After the initial charring light you can tamp things down a bit more - but not much tighter than that easy sip. Go gradually and you'll find the sweet spot where optimal compression actually does produces big clouds with small sips.

Carbonized bowl vs. raw wood with a new pipe? Personal preference. I like raw wood - it can't conceal defects in the chamber of a new pipe. As is often advised, start a new pipe with half-filled bowls for a dozen or so smokes to keep the pipe's heel dry and get cake forming in the bottom half of the chamber. Or not. It's pretty hard to burn out a decent pipe if you're not outdoors smoking in a breeze.

Carbon or not? Pipe too tightly filled or not? It is a game of patient experimentation until it all comes together.

[RevSmoke]

Glad to see that Moo caught you here and got you up to speed. I always fill on the light side, I can always tamp it a bit tighter later.

I am also not a fan of carbonized bowls.

I think Moo and I agree about liking our tobaccos a little drier than moist, they burn better. Too often people have this idea that tobacco needs to be fairly moist. Really? Ever burn firewood?

Keep experimenting and it will come to you. If you can find a good tobacconist where some older guy/gal is smoking a pipe, go over and ask for some pointers. Watching and/or hands on experience far outweighs simply reading what we suggest.

Peace of the Lord be with you.