Tips and Tricks
Everyone wants to get better at anything they do. This is especially true with smoking pipes. Sometimes you may have learned how to do something wrong and have just done it that way because you didn't know any better.
Well this article on pipe smoking tips and smoking tricks you might just learn a thing or two. Check out the tips and see if they help out your pipe smoking experience. If you've got a tip feel free to post it in the comments section. I'll add it to the list to help out the next pipe smoker that stops by.
Tips for Choosing your First Pipe
- Don't buy a brand new briar pipe as your first pipe. I recommended you purchase a corn cob pipe for your first cheap tobacco pipe, but if that doesn't suite your fancy consider a meerschaum or an broken-in estate pipe.
- Purchase a couple different styles of corn cob pipes to get a feel for what is comfortable to you. It will make your decision much easier when you want to upgrade to a briar or meerschaum pipe.
Tips for Choosing Pipe Tobacco
- Captain Black pipe tobacco is the most popular tobacco ever sold. A must try.
- Beginner pipe smokers are highly recommended to start out smoking an aromatic blend of pipe tobacco.
- Try to smoke several bowls of the same tobacco to get a good feeling for the taste. Mixing several tobacco in the same pipe will change the taste, so be careful how much mixing and matching you do.
- New tins of tobacco may need moisture adjustments. Generally a new tin is a tad wet, so let it sit out on a napkin for a few minutes before packing your pipe.
- Never pinch your pipe tobacco when packing your pipe.
- Reference TobaccoReviews for the best tobacco reviews on the net.
General Pipe Smoking Tips
- Pack the tobacco very loose on the bottom. Remember your pipe is like a furnace which feeds the flame from the bottom. Packing your pipe to tightly on the bottom will make it difficult to draw air through the stem.
- The draw on your pipe should have little to no resistance. Experiment. Find what works for you.
- If your pipe goes out while smoking don't be scared to relight.
- If you have to relight consider dumping some of the ash from the bowl.
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Question. I am a very casual pipe smoker who recently got the itch to get back into it. I bought a pipe while in England and have smoked it a couple of times. It is a very small, pocket sized, pipe. The bowl gets extremely hot, to the point that I cannot hold it. If I take the pipe out of my mouth I have to hold it by the stem. Also, I am assuming this is a related problem, the bowl is turning black and bubbling as if the lamination on the bowl is melting. I had a pipe years ago that did the same thing but I figured the problem was just that it was a cheap pipe. I paid around $50 for this one at a proper tobacconist so I do not think it is of poor quality. What could the problem be? Am I just smoking it too quickly? I got this pipe as a remembrance piece and the beautiful woodgrain is being ruined. What should I do? If I am smoking it too hot, how do I cool it down while still getting quality, thick smoke? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hiya Kelly;
Your pipe sounds like it has a varnish finish. Some good pipe makers still use this finish on their introductory pipes. You can use light sand paper to remove it then buff it with pure carnauba. Varnish finishes hold in the heat a lot, it will as you mentioned bubble and come away from the pipe. I had a higher end Brebia(made in Norway) that had a varnish finish, it smoked hot so I refinished it. After which it allowed the briar to breath and now it smokes smooth and cool. If you don’t feel like refinishing it try loading it more lightly and smoke it very slowly. Let it cool for a minute or two between puffs. Also small pipes will get hot no matter what you do sometimes. I have a small pipe that’s shaped like an Indian’s(from India)head and it gets hot. It smokes cool but the outside gets very hot. I hope you can salvage your intestment. BTW what brand is it?
Thanks for the reply Brandon. The pipe I got is a nose warmer (part of the Fairfield line) made especially for the tobacconist I bought it from, Frederick Tranter. It’s nothing fancy and I wanted something with a bit more local ties. I studied at Oxford University for the Spring term and that was the only tobacconist in town so I picked one up before I left as a fun momento. What says pipe smoking more than sitting in front of a book at a school like Oxford?
I really like mine because it has an unusual yellowish color to the woodgrain. I know I can get on the website and order the same pipe but there is no way to tell if the woodgrain will be the same. It will lose a little of the mojo if I bought one and it looked like all the other briar pipes out there. As a result I am a little afraid to try and refinish it. Its an interesting point that you made about the varnish. I did not really consider that the varnish was perhaps the problem. I also bought a churchwarden pipe for a friend of mine that was only 10 or 15 pounds more than my nose warmer but he did not seem to have any problems with his (I was with him when he smoked it for the first time). I know I did not properly break mine in but it still seems pretty drastic for that to happen. I cant imagine that many people really break their pipes in properly unless they really know what they are doing; yet theirs don’t seem to have the same problems. Either way I should probably find a local pipe shop, take my pipe with me, and see if they can give me some advise.
After reading Kelly’s post I to have the same problem. Just recently I bought a Boswell pipe nose-warmer. Love the design and the color of the pipe is pretty. While smoking my newly found pipe I notice the varnish was coming off on my hands and started to panic. But, reading Brandon’s post about the varnish I think its best if I take off the varnish so the pipe won’t heat as much and wont have to worry about having a brownish color stain on my hands.
Thanks for the info.
I just bought a briar pipe (Big Ben Holland Brand) for my first pipe. (About $75)
I’m smoking a Stanford Aromatic vanilla blend.
Smoking a briar as the first pipe works fine for me. After like three bowls it’s starting to taste pretty damn good.
Anybody else use a Big Ben pipe?
G’day lads,
I quit the evil ciggies about 2 month ago and I miss it… A good Cigar is expensive so is reserved for a special occasion, So I thought I’d take up pipe smoking.
I’m looking to get a churchwarden pipe, I’ve been told that they produce a more cool smoke and are good for blowing smoke rings, I will pobably get a corcob aswell I’m told thy are an easier place to start and they’re cheap, after I’m finished with it I can have it incase my mates wannaa try it.
I’m looking for a tobacco that produces allot of smoke, very thick smoke and one that also smells good. Has anybody got any ideas?
cheers,
Matt
I appreciate the finer things in life like real coffee and fabric softener
hey i just started smoking pipe and have a crappy 2 dollar one but am going to get a better one but i figure it will be good to start with also i have been seeing these brass screens what are they for and will i need to get them? thanks and i am really enjoying this i smoke cigars as well but it too expensive and i always wanted to try pipes so these posts were helpful
I am smoking my first pipe after purchasing it many years ago. Initally the taste and difficulty turned me off as I did not know what I was doing.
However now I am properly educating myself and brought it out of the cob webs. I find that I am getting really light headed during and after a smoke and it gives me the rumblies afterward and I go into panic mode looking for a loo.
Any advice and does this happen to anyone else ?
Wow…this is awesome. i’ve been smoking for about two years (started on cigs…blech, the pipe’s where its at). im 18 now (haha i was a rebel…smoking under 18) and i’ve been smoking pipes for about a year. I love pipes…i look at it as more of an art than anything else. not only are there the beautiful aromas on a cool fall night and a stunning sunset and the many different styles of pipes to appreciate…but pipe smoking can be a visual joy as well…case in point: i love watching the smoke. i like to take multiple smaller puffs and watch the smoke slowly drift up when im not inhaling and then suddenly suck back in and disappear as i inhale…its like watching some weird, overly cautious sea creature like an anemone. tons of fun. just be sure not to puff too hard…as you’ll get that unpleasant burning sensation all in your mouth. its also interesting to breathe the smoke out slowly and watch it as it twists and turns…performing amazing acrobatics right in front of your face. and learning how to blow smoke rings: sure fire way to impress people haha. i wish i could…i’m working on it.
also…this is the first time i’ve seen any kind of guide to smoking…i like it. i’ve found that i learned through experience most of the things suggested in the guide, so its good to know i’m doing it right…especially with packing, which i find to be the most crucial part.
a suggestion i’d like to add if i may…i didn’t see it anywhere in the guide and i didn’t have time to read through all of the comments so someone might have already said this, but smoke with some friends! not a whole lot is more enjoyable than a relaxing smoking session with your best buds. i find it is entirely more fun around a bonfire by a lake or just in the woods. anywhere outdoors really…beautiful stuff. its a great way to have tons of fun and the conversations for some reason are always great. plus you can create some really amazing bonds with people. i’ve made some friends that i’d say i’ll keep for a long while.
oh yeah…i’d also like to start carving pipes…i’m an avid artist and i would love to be able to add another medium to my abilities…does anyone know anything about it? because i have no clue where to start. i already can carve, i’m just not amazing at it so i’m not sure how to do the whole curving stem bit. i’m assuming you need some special tools?
anyway here’s to bitin’ da pipe…may we all have a wondrous future in this art and make many friends and even bring others into this realm.
Greetings fellow pipe-smokers!
I’ve been casually puffing for 31 years and rarely do I see anything “new” – which is comforting. Until this past week. And it reminded me of another “thing” I experienced within the last 20 years that I’ve allowed to go unexplained.
Now, perhaps, someone here can enlighten me.
The first had to do with the following picture link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/TrudyNash/TrudysTripToGermany08#5259995260183198290
Sorry, you’ll probably have to copy/paste that as I’m not going to try and remember the html method here.
I’d ask that fellow, who packed those bowls, but I don’t speak German. I think I’ve heard of this being done before, but in any case, what is the good reason for it? If you’re resting your bowls, why stuff them with something (in this case tobacco) to restrict airflow.
And if you’re just pre-packing them for the next week, Why let your pipeweed get stale before you stoke it up??
Next.
At least a few decades ago, someone struck up a conversation with me, as I was enjoying my pipe, and just HAD to tell me all about how he smoked his pipes…. I vaguely recall that he was somewhat annoying, in the process. Anyway, at some point he told me that he would pack his bowls with either sugar, or some sugar-concoction, so they smoked “sweeter”. The latter memory is not vague – he said “sweet”.
The thought of it didn’t/doesn’t make me sick. But it does make me wonder if he was some kinda crackpot. I’ve never tried it, and never had a pipe I didn’t care to ruin by packing it with something other than my favorite blend.
So, what say ye? Two mysteries that I’ve never attempted to google, until now. And that got me here!
Looking forward to what you have to say on the subject!
I just bought my fist pipe today.I bought a briar,made by Brigham.I have alot to learn how to make this thing stay lit.I,m trying a Mac baren,vanilla cream flavor tobacco.I,ll let you know when I get the hang of it.
There are basically three different categories of pipe tobacco: aromatic, Virginia and English. When a different type of tobacco is smoked in the same pipe it will be influenced by the tobacco previously smoked. Dedicate at least one pipe to each type of tobacco (aromatic, Virginia or English).
I quit smoking altogether back in 1985 and now as an old man I remembered how much I enjoyed my pipes. I had about 10 of all shapes and sizes, briars, meerschaums, and a corn cob just for the fun of it. I remembered, though, the old maxim about tobacco, “that which smells like angel’s breath, usually burns like devil’s fire”…meaning it burned the tongue, etc.
So I eased back into pipe smoking, just like a newbie, but a little smarter. I started smoking only a couple burlys that are old standbys…Prince Albert and Carter Hall. Excellent voluminous smoke, cool, dry and very mild
Then, as my new pipes were being broken in with these mixtures, I started using PA and CH to “cut” into some more aromatic blends, making a mixture of 2/3 PA/CH to 1/3 aromatic. Fabulous results. Great flavor/aroma and no burn.
Since all my original pipes were long gone, I’m starting a new collection. I bought a new Peterson, P-lip, bent. (one of my originals was a Peterson and I was impressed with hole at the top of the stem that sent the smoke to the top of the mouth, not directly in front as the typical fish tail stem does that mostly hits the tongue). I later bought a straight Italian made pipe, light weight and cool to the draw. To keep a rotation going, as I only smoke 1 or 2 half bowls a day, I’m buying a couple of good old Missouri Meerschaums for Christmas. My wife said she might join me with the corn cob. That’s an offer I can’t pass up.
That’s about all I can contribute for the moment. If anybody has any questions, just put it out there. I’ll help if I can. Happy smoking!
I’m 19 years old and have been tossing around the ideal of taking up pipe smoking for a while now. Today I am going to the local shop and buying a pipe. I’m a little apprehensive of the challenges involved with this hobby, but I believe the work will be well worth it. This site looks like it will be a great help to me in the near future.
Next month I’ll be eighteen, and being able to smoke legally has got me very excited. “Legal” sex, too, but I’m more choosy about women than about tobacco.
I do smoke cigarettes sometimes although I’m underaged. I mostly do it to complement idle, thinking time. It’s less easy to be distracted when I’m smoking, I find. And I’m a pretty thoughtful person, so I hate to be distracted.
So, I really just want to ask one question about pipe-smoking. I’m considering buying a pipe with my birthday money, simply because pipes seem more personal than cigarettes, and I like the things I use often to be thoroughly mine. However, I’m not too willing to smoke from a pipe if I won’t get a nice buzz. I like for my smoking to be a sort of “spiritual” experience and the nicotine buzz is really what supplies that for me. As much as I like to be at peace and watch the sun rise or something, I don’t want my pipe-smoking to be a mere accessory or hobby. In a way, I want to be addicted to it. If not physically, then…
I read above somewhere that pipe-smoking isn’t about the buzz, but about the pleasant flavor of the smoke and the calming practice of it, but that’s not necessarily what I want out of it.
So, to get to the point, how intense are the effects of smoking a pipe? Should I, as a naive and superficial teenager, stick to cigarettes? Or, if I inhale smoke from a pipe (ignoring suggestions against doing so, and assuming I use a relatively mild tobacco), will I get effects closer to those of a cigarette than I will from puffing on a pipe in the real pipe-smoker’s way?
There is, in my experience, no buzz associated with pipe smoking. As stated by nearly everyone so far, it really is all about the flavor, the relaxation, and the reflection that pipe smoking allows. If you feel that you must have a nicotine buzz to be happy, a pipe probably isn’t for you, at least not right now.
Kaleb-
There is little “buzz” associated with pipe smoking, however, if you’ve ever smoked a hookah, it’s a similar sensation. You achieve a feeling of peace, unity, and thoughtfulness not at all akin to the stimulating buzz from a cigarette.
Greetings,
I tried pipe smoking about 10 years ago and while I got a thorough training at the tobacco store I was a disobedient child about it and put the pipe away after being saddled with a bad sinus infection figuring I wasn’t mature enough to handle the process part of pipe smoking properly. Since then I’ve misplaced the pipe (a pretty briar I got for US$20), though it may turn up one day…
My local watering hole now has “Cigar Bar” every third Saturday of the month where they offer a selection of cigars. Cigars are not my thing, but I remembered being told at the tobacco shop that a corncob pipe is as good a place to start as any, and cost-effective for the inexperienced.
So I picked up a Missouri Meerschaum brand corncob in the style of stem I preferred the first time around for a mere US$6.00 plus tax along with a bag of “Admiral’s Choice” Black and Gold Cavendish from the local drugstore (Please don’t flame me for buying what must seem to be pretty “cheap” tobacco at the “wrong” outlet since this was entirely an experiment on my part). I did recall the packing and tamping instruction I received previously so had a pretty enjoyable time smoking the new pipe for a couple hours with my buddies, and it was nice to be part of the “group” (though most of these guys are into cigars, pipes are just as welcome). The relaxation factor is just what I was hoping for and I look forward to being more methodical with the process now that I’m a bit older (not necessarily all that much wiser).
Question: the pipe stem contained what looked like a cylindrical bit of rolled card (which I found on inspection after leaving the store, and the clerk would not have been able to advise being just a cashier). I wasn’t sure whether this was/was not a kind of filter so I removed it thinking it might have been just for packaging purposes (to keep the pipe “dry” on the shelf much like silica packets are enclosed in the packaging other items). And I didn’t want to ruin the pipe by not taking it out if it wasn’t supposed to be in there during use. I also presumed “no filter” would not be categorically “bad” on a first outing, but after reading a bit on this site I now am wondering about opinions on filters. Would any kind experts care to advise whether I should have kept this article in the pipe while smoking? (I still have it.) And should I (in general) use a filter with this (or any) pipe? Are there exceptions depending on the type of pipe? And how does one tell when a filter needs replacing?
The pipe’s packaging, by the way, did not stipulate whether the bit of rolled card was/was not a filter and no care instructions were enclosed (although a few paragraphs about the manufacturer were interesting — their website however is strictly for ordering and does not provide usage or care instruction as I’ve found here).
I’m happy enough with the pipe itself (feel, weight, and style) and don’t find the “hillbilly” stigma of corncobs of any concern (although 10 years ago I was quite a snob and turned my nose up at them — I see now I had a lot to learn and probably still do!). For those who say to steer clear of corncobs, may I ask what is the reasoning? (Okay, that’s a second question.)
Thanks in advance for any responses.
PS: I should also have mentioned, the rolled cardboard inside my pipe’s stem was wrapped in a kind of plastic and printed on the card were the words “MEDICO Trade Mark.” Thanks for any advice.
PPS: A bit of clicking around and some common sense, plus a visit to a higher end drugstore provided me with some answers, but I’m still interested in knowing how the experts feel about filters and why the bashing of corncobs, in general by some contributors…
1. The insert was indeed a filter. Dr Grabow and Medico companies produce such filters and I picked up a bunch for a buck or two after trying out the filter in my pipe. The filter appears to have caught a lot of moisture and I tossed it after my session, cleaned the pipe thoroughly, and replaced the old with a fresh new filter (all ready to go for next time). For me the filter also provided a more pleasing smoke with the same tobacco I mentioned above. I understand from this site there are metal filters that can be cleaned and reused, but for now the paper ones will do until I see myself truly “hooked”.
2. It’s pretty easy to see when a filter needs replacing; it gets “icky” and I personally wouldn’t use a soggy filter twice anyway. ‘Nuff said.
3. I sought out video footage of the “Frank Method” of pipe filling and found I had a couple things to learn that surpassed what I had already been taught. The vids are easily found on YouTube. After practicing (and dumping out) several bowls of tobacco I lit up one and found I could smoke it to nearly the bottom with only one re-light (amazing) and I was not huffing and puffing on the pipe like a big, bad wolf either.
4. For those of you who gagged at my initial choice of tobacco, I picked up a packet of “Captain Black’s White” to try out. I’m not a cherry fan, and didn’t know what to expect from Royal. One whiff of the tobacco and I could understand why some people keep this on the shelf in those huge containers.
So, thanks if you care to weigh in on whatever I’ve said. A few ziplock bags within bags make a good enough “pouch” I can tuck in a larger knapsack, and I’m on the road…can’t wait to find a spot in the outdoors to sit, relax, and “smell the roses” more than I have been.
Additionally, thanks to everyone who’s contributed to the string here because I’ve noticed a recurring theme (that being Tranquility) among the more seasoned respondents. That alone is encouragement enough.
So how does one break in a pipe? that wasn’t explained
dear Scott in Ohio City,
I have been smoking for three or so years now, and in my curiosity I have talked with many veteran pipe smokers. many of whom say there are only a few things that should ever go into a pipe of caliber. a good whiskey (For cleaning purposes of course), the cake gouge and the tobacco… as for the sugar thing, that seems a bit off to me. I have a Savinelli and I’m looking to get a meerschaum pipe, any suggestions?
-Drew
Lots of good advice here. I’ve been puffing pipes for about 50 years and depended in the beginning for advice from magazines. The internet has opened a bright new world of information, and I’m still learning. One bit of info I’ve been unable to locate is how to get rid of the stains on the bits. I’ve tried soaking solutions, pipe stem cleaners and polishers and even scraping with a blunt instrument to no avail. Anybody know of a sure fire method?
Phil,
what worked with mine is alcohol, the drinking kind, not the medical grade stuff, and a soft cloth, i used an old handkerchief but i suppose a similar rage will do. i used wild turkey to get the stains off the bit the white marks came off but the scratches and indentations stayed.
-Drew
Do estate pipes ever “go bad”?
I’m just getting into pipe smoking and thought about picking through some of my grandfathers old pipes. They haven’t been touched in over a decade and a half, so I was worried they might not be good for smoking anymore.
Hearing that some people are using the same pipes after 50 years gives me hope, but does anyone have any insight on the lifespan of a typical pipe? (I don’t know what kinds of pipes he had, but I’m sure he had a dozen or so… I’d have to imagine that the typical briars were there)
I HAVE BEEN PIPE SMOKING FOR ABOUT 3 WEEKS NOW AND THE FIRST PIPE I BOUGHT WAS EXPENSIVE BUT WORTH IT, I WOUND UP TAKING THE FIRST AMAZING PUFF AND DROPPED IT AND BROKE IT… ANGRY I MADE ONE VERY QUICKYL, BUT THE NEXT DAY WENT FOR A MUCH CHEAPER ONE. AND FINALLY GOT INTO MY RHYTHUM… MUCH APPERICIATED FOR ALL THE READ OUTS ON IT…
Having a grand old time puffing away on my assortment of corn cob pipes. Here’s a tip for those of us who tend to gnaw on stems and flatten out the tips:
Many of the plastic kinds (which you regularly clean with alcohol and pipe cleaners, right?) tend to “flatten out” with continued use if you, like me, tend to bite hard. The solution, of course, is not to bite hard, but that’s not the solution I have for you here.
Take the stem of the pipe off and if you find you can no longer get a pipe cleaner all the way through the stem to clean it properly because the tip has flattened out do the following:
1) Microwave or heat about an inch or two of water in a mug or cup. Get it hot; it does not need to be boiling, just hot.
2) Place the tip end of the stem into the hot water for a few minutes. The plastic will soften (as it does in your mouth which is why, with the pressure of your bite, the tip of the stem might eventually collapse on itself with use).
3) Remove the stem from the water and, using a flat-head style screwdriver, immediately insert the screwdriver into the softened plastic tip that has gone flat and gently push inward until you have restored the opening to its original, gaping grandeur. Do this quickly but carefully because the plastic hardens and becomes brittle as it cools. If you insert a screwdriver into the tip of a room-temperature stem and twist, for example, the stem will crack. You don’t want that to happen.
Replacement stems for corn cob pipes are certainly cheap enough (25 cents each) when ordered from Missouri Meerschaum directly, however there’s no need to ditch an otherwise usable stem if all you have done is clamped down hard enough with your teeth to cause the tip of the stem to flatten on itself, hindering the passage of smoke and pipe cleaners. Now you have a fix, and it only takes a couple of minutes to heat the water and pry open the tip of the stem.
This may work with other plastic stems on briar pipes, et.al. so I suggest you try it before rushing out and investing in a new stem if all that is wrong with the stem is that the tip has flattened out.
Remember, every penny you save on stems you can devote toward tobacco or that new pipe you have your eye on.
Peace.
Hello everyone…Just took up pipe smoking from cigars…I remember as a boy my grandfather used to smoke what I have now found is Vanilla Cavandish and fell in love with it, so naturally that is what I have started with…First pipe is a cheap wooden one, but nice looking all the way around…It is possible to find them in the 12 to 15 range and I hope that it lasts awhile…Thanks for the information it has helped a lot…
Hello. I am traveling round India and, after a short spree of smoking local beedies, have bought myself a pipe. I managed to get a ‘major dash’ in a antique shop. I gave her a good clean and have been happily tooting on her for a month or so now. Is there anything i need to do to ensure the pipes longevity or to check, bearing in mind i bought it 2nd hand?? All i can get here is captain black tobacco, which i like, but is there any fruity blends out there you recommend for when i get more choice??
I’m a lady of a certain age, who kept pipe-smoking friends company in my youth but never owned my own. Now I’m entertaining this whim, or new obsession, but haven’t done anything but web surf and go to a tobacco store.
The tobacco store was lovely. The men were smoking and listening to Rush (I think) and didn’t seem to mind a bit that I dragged a cloud of estrogen behind me into “their” space. I had fun looking at all the pipes on the wall and smelling one or two samples.
I have two questions:
Will pipe smoking affect my ability to taste food? Both my parents smoked cigarettes, and I wasn’t aware that food had flavors or smells until I’d moved out and detoxified.
Also, how do men tend to feel about wives smoking pipes? My husband is supportive of all of my whims and obsessions so far, but what if he feels about pipe smoke the way I feel about the fu manchu mustache he foregoes for my sake?
I’ve been smoking pipe for a fairly short period of time, and find similar question regarding tasting food…as I love cooking and experimenting with flavors.
As of this time, I have not found any obvious loss of taste…I’ve not found that I need to add more spices or salt to get the flavors I desire. I wonder if there is a difference with pipe smoking as one’s tongue does not get as ‘burned’ as when one smokes cigars. I never could get into cigarettes…burn to fast and too hot and I never liked the smell.
As for the thought of a wife smoking a pipe? I don’t know that I’d be unhappy for my wife to take it up. In fact, I have a very small pipe just right for her should she decide…I don’t know the manufacturer although the side of the stem has a diamond with letter P and the side of the bowl says “Tom Thumb”.
I think it is as interesting a “vice” as wines…and I sure enjoy them.
A brief primer on pipe tobaccos:
Pipe tobacco blends generally fall into three categories: aromatics, Virginias and English blends.
Millions of people enjoy aromatics, but pipe snobs wouldn’t touch them with a battle lance. They are to pipe connoisseurs what wine in a box is to lovers of fine wines. Aromatics are made from cheap, flavorless burley which has been heavily soaked with artificial flavors, fragrances and humidifying agents. They smell heavenly and taste like crap. They also goop up your pipe.
Virginia blends are made, oddly enough, from Virginias, a type of tobacco leaf which is naturally sweet and fruity, and greatly improves with age. McClelland Tobacco Company makes some outstanding Virginia blends, including Deep Hollow and Virginia Woods. Some Virginia blends include perique, a tangy, spicy condiment tobacco. Esoterica’s Dunbar and Dorchester are excellent Virginia/perique mixtures. Personally, I would recommend beginning pipe smokers start with Virginias, rather than aromatics.
English blends are usually made from three types of tobaccos: Virginias, orientals and latakia. Oriental tobaccos are usually not very sweet, but have a nutty, savory flavor and give body to the blend. Latakia is a strong, smoky condiment tobacco which gives a creamy smoothness to the mix. English blends are usually categorized as mild, medium or full, depending primarily on the amount of latakia in the mixture. Full English mixtures often also include perique. Blends described as Balkan, Oriental or Scottish are similar to English. Good English blends include McClelland’s Bombay Court and Esoterica’s Penzance. If you’re new to pipe smoking you should try an English blend, but know that they are something of an acquired taste, like coffee.
By the way, Virginias usually don’t come from Virginia, Orientals don’t come from the Orient, and English blends may or may not come from England.
Hello!
I allso recently started to smoke pipe. I got myself some Borkum Riff Cherry, Original and Vanilla and have to say, i am a bit dissapointed. I`ve read all your posts and everybody prides how pipe smoking is a beautifull sensation, but to me it didn`t happen (yet):/ .. i think i considered all your advices, but still no go.
I get a bitter taste all the time, i don`t actually smell the good scent that i smell when others are smoking .. any sugestions? How long does it take for my mouth to get adjusted? Please help ..
Many thanks
ATB
Grega
I’ve just come back from the local cigar shop here in Holland.They refuse to sell me pipe tabacco untill they have seen my pipe.I’m a begginer.They said its like when you first start drinking.You dont put beer in a whiskey glass or whiskey in a beer glass.I have’nt got a clue what their on about but they have been running the cigar shop all their lives.I’ll take my pipe with me next time I’m passing
ive recently started to smoke a pipe after 50 years of cigarettes. can anyone recommend a tobacco that would taste close to a hav-a-tampa cigar? any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance!!!
Maybe it’s just me, but I think Sail Natural is somewhat similar. Keep in mind I haven’t smoked a Hav-a-Tampa in decades though!
I’ve recently inherited an old “Real Briar” pipe, and am wondering if it’s easy to replace the teeth-marked, worn stem. The bowl’s in perfect, aged shape but the stem’s looking a little worse for wear. Thanks for any suggestions,
I just started smoking a pipe. I started with 2 new, never-smoked pipes. I smoke almost everyday, alternating between each pipe, allowing them to rest for two full days between smokes. I’ve noticed the flavor improving over the past month, however, it’s nowhere near what I expected it to be. Could someone tell me about how long it will take before I experience the full sweet flavor of the tobacco at the rate I’m smoking? A few months? A year? Either way, I’m still enjoying the process and I just can’t wait to get that smooth, sweet smoke I’m looking for.
I’m twenty years old and was given a pipe by a friend of mine today. I’m going to my local smoke store to get some pipe tobacco. I found the tips and tricks on this site as well as the posts by other users very interesting and helpful. I’m really looking forward to giving it a try tomorrow. Happy pipe smoking all!
Being a cigarette smoker, I inhaled my pipe smoke when I started smoking a pipe in college. Thirty years later, and I still deeply inhale my pipe smoke. Besides some wheezing and not being able to run a marathon, I’m in fine shape. Are there other men or women out there that believe that you are not really smoking anything unless you inhale? Pipe tobacco has no additives like cigarettes, so it may be better for you (or no more harmful). Since 1979, I can’t imagine smoking a pipe without deeply inhaling the smoke. Check this out from youtube, “hot hot sexy lady smoking pipe”. I would love to meet a woman who smokes a pipe like her.
Don’t use a butane lighter! Butane has a flavor (and not a very nice one) and will affect the quality of your smoke. It’s a bigger issue with a cigar than with a pipe (as the cigar tends to trap that gas flavor more) but why do anything to mess up the experience? Stick with simple and cheap wooden matches. They are better for the smoke, cheaper, and better for the environment.
A tip that was given to me many years ago about breaking in a new pipe (particularly briar)was this: before filling the pipe rub the bowl round the inside with a little honey taking care not to allow it to fall into the draw hole and then half-fill the pipe with tobacco as normal.
Smoke it gently until it is not quite finished and then leave it to cool with the tobacco and ash untouched.
Repeat the process two or three times and your pipe will not be good as new but better for being used.
This is not ‘the done thing’ with a seasoned pipe but with a new one it help to build a coked coating which eventually leads to a cooler smoke and avoids cracking from overheating and from burning your hands.
I have been smoking pipes for a year or so. I have enjoyed them very much but have never really gotten that aroma that is synonomous with pipe tobacco. Is the aroma of the tobacco a product of the way in which the pipe is smoked? Or do certain tobacco blends produce that classic aroma whereas others don’t?
i believe pipe smoking is strictly for the modern aristocrat.it implied a high-life style statement and shows influence and class.
Hello there!…
It has been about one month I started to smoking pipe. On my 30′s that’s interesting. I’m not a common smoker, but I always had this interest of good tobacco and watched my great grandfather and my grandfather smoke pipes and always got my attention. Now after i turned 30 years old I started this delicious and relaxing hobby, and, approximately one month of smoking pipe, I can say I’m enjoying this the way it should be.
Happy Pipe Smoking to everyone!
Greetings from Puerto Rico
IBN
Im 27 yrs old and have just bought my first pipe and starting trying to smoke it yesterday lol….i really enjoy the taste/smell of my new pipe as well as the relaxation i get from it…..i have read the above tips and news feed but any personal tips for keeping this thing light would be helpful….also i do not inhale the smoke but have noticed after smoking my tounge stinging, is this normal or am i doing something wrong?
After reading all the posts above I can see the value of corn cob pipes, they are cheap and you can use one per type of tobacco. I’m a brand new smoker and just ordered about 16 types of tobacco to test them out. Smoking all of them on the same pipe will probably not be a fair test, and buying a $30 pipe for each one isn’t realistic. I think corn cobs are the way to go to give each a fair test. Also corn cobs are great if you are smoking away and a friend decides he wants to try to smoke your blend, just let him have a $3.00 corn cob pipe! I did order two pipes, one briar and one walnut, but plan to use these on all of the tobaccos, for convienience. But I’m sure it will skew my interpretation of each type of tobacco, especially smoking a straight english after an aromatic.
I’m getting my first tobacco and pipes tomorrow in the mail from P&C.com, I’m really looking forward to my first ever pipe smoking experience!
Hi all, it’s great to see a forum with such a fine common interest (without the odd wacko comments of course!)
I have a plain bent stem Dr Grabow and a corncob “Missouri Meercham”, and love them both, cheap as they are. The tips on packing and lighting are really helpful here- it’s added about 10 minutes to my ‘bowl time’, and using smaller puffs to ‘just keep it going’ is a great way to keep the smoke cooler.
My Dad smoked a pipe, and he would never use a metal scraper in it- he always sharpened the end of a soft stick or a Popcicle stick to scrape it when needed – and a twig with a burl end on it would be the tamper. Sais that if you scratched the Briar it could cause a hotspot and burn-thru.
Keep sharing your comments and just ignore the idiots-don’t even reply to them!
50 yrs old and going strong in Phoenix…
I’m new to pipe smoking and I just bought a Dr. Grabow Omega. I can’t get the stem off. It seems pretty tight. I’m sure I could get it off if I really exerted some pressure but I don’t want to break it. Should I just pull really hard or try to twist it out?
Hi Folks,
Many thanks for this article and to everyone who posted in this forum. The advice and depth of experience offered has been invaluable as I take the plung into Pipe Smoking.
I’ve been a smoker for 30 years now, cigarettes first off then 5 years ago switched to cigars in an effort to cut down on my habit. Now in order to cut down further I’m moving to pipe smoking – I don’t want to quit, ever. I think life is to be enjoyed while you can and for me that means taking pleasure 3 or 4 times a day with a good book, a coffee and a smoke in peaceful surroundings.
I opted for the Missouri Corn Cob, as recommended, and went for a Viginia and Burley blend (Gold Block by Ogden’s of Liverpool). It took me a couple of times to get the packing right (still have to relight 2 or 3 times but what the heck it extends the quiet time) and I do have difficulty not inhaling (but getting better) but I must say I much prefer the pipe now and am slowly weening myself off cigars. The smells and taste are truely a pleasure. But the biggest boon of this switch has been the approval received from my wife, she loves the smell too and has finally stopped encouraging the kids to hassle me to quite smoking.
Thank you one and all.
I am 20 and starting smoking a pipe when i was 16 and have smoked off and on over the past 3 years and have always been facinated by the pipe. I started with Captain Black and i really like the flavor and have recently found that Middleton’s Cherry blend is a good smoke but i have the hardest time keeping it lit. I just ran across your website and am thinking im packing it wrong. I usually end up with half a bowl unsmoked cause it goes out or gets too hot and starts biting. I use a Dr. Grabow Omega carved bowl bent stem and love the way it fits my face and sits in my mouth. I used to have a Dr. Grabow Grand Duke with a smooth bowl and found that carved bowls burn cooler. I’ve been tossing around the idea of getting a Peterson Hans Christenson Churchwarden set with a regular stem for smoking round town but thats alot of money to me for a pipe. I was wondering if anyone has used one…..I really like the pipe but my fiance hates me smoking so I do it while shes gone but I think I will really miss it…
Thanks to all who shared.
I’m interested in anyones combination of pipe tobbacco and drink of choice to enhance the flavor.
I’ve been smoking a pipe for almost two years, since my sister bought me a pipe for my seventeenth b-day. I smoked cigarettes before then for about a year and a half. One piece of advice for real beginners: Don’t try to smoke every flake of tobacco in the pipe. If you packed it right, you should have a wonderfully pleasant smoke, and after about 45 mintutes to an hour (depending on amount of tobacco) you should start feeling yourself drawing much more air, the smoke will get thinner, and your mouth will feel just a little bit dry. STOP. Dump out the pipe. If you packed it right (loosely on the bottom) you should knock out some unburnt tobacco along with the ashes. That’s fine, anything more and you probably would have ended up burning you mouth, and you wouldn’t have tasted much for the rest of the day. Smoking a pipe is contemplative. Take it from one who smoked (and occaisionally still smokes) cigarettes, and likes the nicotine buzz: enjoying a pipe is different from enjoying a cigarette. Going too fast too soon will jst trun you off from what could have been a pleasure for (I hope, in my case) the rest of your life. I love smoking a pipe, and in fact, just finished a bowl while reading this.
One more thing for the newbie: It only got a little side note on the guide, but should be seriously considered: stay away from varnished briars. The varnish bubbles if you smoke it too fast and it gets too hot (I ruined the finishes on two pipes this way), which it invariably will until you become a pro. Like I am now.
does pipe tobacco smoke taste better than or similar to cigar smoke? i’m 17 and i turn 18 in feb. and i look forward to purchasing and enjoying a good ol’ pipe! i just want to know what to expect haha
I found this collection of articles to be really helpful. As a young woman living on her own, juggling work, school and a breakup all at once, life gets stressful. I was considering taking up smoking cigarettes because I’ve seen what that little thing can do to people when they’re stressed out, but smoking a pipe seems so much more elegant, and I can take as much time as I like with it.
These articles have been so helpful. I’m going to pick out my first pipe tomorrow. Wish me luck!
What website would you suggest to be better for ordering different pipe tobacco from? besides ebay.
Great article by the way
I’ve just bought two pipes. A corn Cob one, and a briar one. I’m waiting for the Briar one to be delivered, but I have the Corn Cob, and two tobaccos. Black Honey, and Black Cavalier.
So far, I prefer the Black honey, yet they both seem to be slightly harsh. Perhaps another tobacco is in due. I’m looking for something smooth, yet perhaps sweet. Something pleasant to the nose. What do you recommend?
Also, before I smoked it, I checked inside the Corn Cob pipe, and I lack a metal filter. Instead, it seemed to have a sort of cloth, wound into a conical shape, and wedged into the stem. Is this normal? Or do I need to acquire something else?
My first smoke didn’t go too well. I was getting tiny amounts of smoke, and I had to relight many times. Yet, this is my second smoke now, and it’s vastly better than my first. It hasn’t required for another relight yet, and I’ve been puffing for around 10 minutes now. When I relight it however, I get that “bite” feeling people talk about. Is there a better way to do it without getting that feeling?
Also, on an average, slow smoke, how much smoke should be coming out of your mouth each puff?
Thanks for the guide!
Tai,
welcome to the wonderful world of pipe smoking!! For your questions I have some answers. For tobaccoo try captain black in the white package or try Carter Hill. I was a devoted Captain Black fan but tried Carter Hill on a whim and am not going back to the captain. it is in a creamy yellow box and is very easy to light, stays lit, and tastes wonderful. I have tried both briar and cob and am a devoted cob man. they are cheap and to me taste better, burn longer, and are lighter which keeps mouth fatigue down. and if your like me you have a tendency to drop them while working. the paper in the stem is a medico filter and is basically just like a filter on a cigarette but are replacable. Dr.Grabow pipes use them as well as Missouri Meerschaum. I simply discard them the second i get a new pipe. I find it easier to smoke and better tasting with out one but its simply up to you. As far as your smoking problems go you are packing to tightly or loosly and are drawing too often which is whats giving you your bite. google the three step method of packing a pipe, Baby, mom, and dad. I smoke nothing but cob and simply pack the bowl in a sensable manner with enough to fill it but not enuff to pack it to the brim and i do fine. different tobaccos pack different and smoke different depending on the pipe. my suggestion is to pick one pipe and play with packing it and dry different tobaccos. corn cob pipes are great starter pipes cuz they dont need breaking in and are cheap. smoke amount depends on the time spent smoking. as you get farther down the bowl, the puffs will slowly dwindle and start to taste different. the taste will get harsher and a lil wetter. I only smoke two or three times a week so what I usually do is smoke til im ready to quit or til ive got bout 1/5-1/6 of a bowl left then i dump it out. Another tip is to never leave a pipe with leftover tobacco in it then come back a day or two later and try smoking it. it wil be hard to light, taste like u licked a used ashtray and will be a waste of flame. simply dump your bowl when your done and pack fresh next time. Make sure to clean out your pipe every third or fourth smoke at the most for best taste. Hope this helps!
Matt
Alright everyone,I need some help. I ordered a Classic Briar Churchwarden by MacQueen,and I`m anxiously awaiting it`s arrival.In the meantime,I am going to need to decide which tobacco to get. I read about the Middle-Earth blend,now called King Arthur blend,and I admit,I really want to get my hands on some. Is there anywhere I can get some of this? If not,what is there that is very similar to this? I`ll admit, I`ve always thought pipe-smoking was interesting,but I personally never liked the smaller pipes,the ones I called ‘Sherlock Holmes pipes’.Then I saw Lord of the Rings,and I thought to myself “They make pipes like THOSE!?” and ever since I had to have one. Well,that was nearly 10 years ago,and here I am.Finally ordered my “Gandalf pipe”! I`m very excited. Anyways,if anyone could help me with the King Arthur blend,or recommend something very similar,I would appreciate it. Also,I need a recommendation on a very lovely smelling blend that I can smoke around people that hate the smell of cigarette smoke. Any advice for a newbie pipe-smoker would be welcome,and I appreciate it!
Gandalf’s pipe is badass. Can you blow smoke-ships though? Haha
Hi.
Been pipe smoking for years and am now experimenting with home grown tobacco. However my favourite off the shelf brand is “Clan Aromatic” produced in Denmark by the Orlik Tobacco Company. It has a medium body, an aromatic taste and drives the opposite sex crazy with the smell (or so they say). A good cool smoke Try http://www.orlik.com.
Well woth a try if you can get it in your part of the world.
Regards
Doug.
Swinton, Scottish Borders