Pipe smoking 101

jds1

jds1

Joined
Jun 9, 2007
Messages
6,346
I've been an on/off fan of cigars for a number of years, but thought I'd try something new. Got my first pipe today. I'm looking for any tips, favorite tobacco blends or any good advice. Pipe smokers please chime in and feel free to post pics of a favorite pipe.

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Jeff
 
I spent a couple of years fooling with pipes, and in typical fashion did a bunch of research on the history and use of these devices..

I would hazard that 80-90% of people who try pipes do not learn to fill, light, and tamp the tobacco properly and they have a very poor experience. Also, they do not maintain the pipe properly and it rapidly becomes crusted with carbon and sour.....
Good briar pipes need to be "rested"; that's why most smokers have a number of them. After a day's use, the pipe should be cleaned and put aside for as much as a week.
Filling the pipe in the traditional manner is by "thirds"; the pipe is filled loosely, then a tamper is used to tamp that down to about 1/3 the volume of the bowl. Repeat till the pipe is full.
The degree of tamping depends on the cut of the tobacco and it's burning characteristics; you need to be able to draw easily.
When lighting, the initial application of flame will cause the tobacco on top of the bowl to expand. You should apply the flame, take a few puffs, then re-tamp the expanded tobacco and apply the flame again.
A well-tamped and lit pipe will burn properly without becoming overly hot. Tamping must continue as the pipe is smoked, as the lower levels of tobacco will expand again as they heat up.
A good "pipe nail" or tamper is a necessary accessory.

Avoid cheap briars of the "Dr. Grabow" variety. They are made of nasty wood with cheap filler forced into the holes and voids. They will be fitted with cheesy "filtering" systems that cause more problems than they are worth.

Expect to pay a fair chunk of change for a quality pipe!
 
If you can get a copy of Pipes magazine, they list pipe shows around the country. If there is one near you, go. You may find used but good condition Peterson pipes for a decent price. The old ones are better than the new ones. A good pipe used and cared for will last a life time.

Also, check out Fred Stoker and sons tobacco company in Dresden Tenn. Good bulk tobacco for half the price they charge in the tabaccanist stores.

You need 3 or 4 good pipes. Smoke one day, rest three.

Also, check out to see if there is a pipe club in your area. Meeting with other pipe smokers you will find a great bunch of people to learn from. :thumbup:
 
I second mwerner in pretty much all he says.

Cheap pipes smoke hotter. Avoid them.
If you go to a good tobacconist, sometimes you can find seconds of quality pipes. half the price and still smoke well.

I used to smoke no more than two bowls out of a pipe for in a day, then rest the pipe for two - three days.

Good tobacco is a must. Go to an actual tobacconist and see what he can do for you. I used to go to one and he concocted a custom blend for me as we both found out what types of tobacco I liked. Fresh tobacco is a must. DO NOT get the drug store stuff and assume that smoking that is what it is like to smoke a pipe.

Note: rule of thumb is that the real sweet smelling tobaccos taste rougher than the ones that don't have such a sweet aroma.

PS I quit shortly after I got married 26 years ago. I had a full beard at the time and my wife wouldn't let me kiss her after I had smoked a pipe until I washed my beard. I decided that I was having to wash my beard too much and that I'd rather keep the wife than the pipes. (but I still have my pipes:D.)
 
Do yourself a favor and try some quality tinned tobacco.

It is so much more aromatic and flavorful than stuff you get at the drug store or even house blends you'd get at a tobacco shop.

I haven't smoked a pipe in a while, but I am a fan of some of the Samuel Gawith mixtures when I do.

http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/index.cfm

.
 
Like knarfeng, I rarely smoke anymore. More because when I'd smoke regularly, I'd be short of wind, and I didn't like that feeling. And mouth cancer is a real concern for habitual smokers. Still, I have my pipes too, and once in a blue moon, I'll light up a bowl with a good glass of whiskey, bourbon, or Scotch.

As for storing tobacco, I'm a fan of small canning jars. They're airtight, and your tobacco won't dry out as fast. Also, you can buy little tabs that you wet and then put in with your tobacco; in a day or two in the airtight container, dry tobacco will rehydrate and smoke much better.

pipes.jpg
 
Eric Nording, 5 thumbs up for a great looking and smoking pipe for a superb price. And the Humidor in San Antonio makes my favorite, Gentleman Jack. I've been all over the country and smoked proprietary blends and this one takes the cake, hands down. I have them ship it to me in Idaho.
 
Lots of good info in those half dozen posts gentlemen. :thumbup: Thank you.

Jeff
 
Ohhh.... the pipes!!!

I love smoking my pipes. I usually smoke english blends (I bought a ton of dunhill Early Morning blend, 965, and Night cap) or virginias such as Marlin flake, which is the king or tobaccos in my book. Ya, you just smoke it nice and easy, don't puff too fast, don't puff to slow. Gotta learn how to fill your pipe up properly. Add the tobacco and don't press it down at first, only start to press it down once you start to get to the top. The key you want your tabacco to not be pressed TOO firmley in your pipe, or your smoking expierence will suck.

As said above, you want to rotate your pipes around, ideally one for every day of the week. Also, you only want to dedicate one pipe to one type of tobacco. DO NOT MIX TOBACCOS IN PIPES, it will really suck and ruin the flavor of your tabacco and essentially ruin your pipe. Do not smoke virginia tobacco in a pipe dedicated to english blends, your tobacco will not taste right. Keep away from cavendish or other flavored tobacco, they might smell good in a room but hey usually taste like horses ass, or worst, and they will completely ruin your pipe, because that cavendish oil will seep into your pipe and all your tobacco will taste like what ever that oil is.

I love me some stanwell bamboo pipes, got a nice collection of those, bamboo will make the smoke cool faster,and also Dunhill pipes. Dunhills are pretty much the top of the top when it comes to pipes. Also, when you tamper your tobacco just let the tamper do the work, do not force the tamper in at all. The weight of the tamper is more then enough. You just want to compress the ashes on top of the bowl down a little, keeps everything burning nice and even because ash is a great insulator.
 
Mwerner hit a lot of good points! Smoking a pipe is a genuine pleasure in life, and quite relaxing. There's something a bit 'zen' about preparing your smoke, and then maintaining a good smoke.

Smoke your pipe and be silent; there's only wind and smoke in the world. ~Irish Proverb
Click to expand...

-Take the time to look up everything you can about smoking them properly; it's worth it for a good smoke! Take your time, get a smooth draw from a firm-ish tamp, rest your briar.

-Corn cob pipes make for a surprisingly quality smoke. I use them almost all the time. Very cheap (a few dollars), and good for testing new blends in that you wouldn't want to subject your briar to. Still, they smoke well and I use them most often.

-Tobacconists are great! You can get their opinions, and smell many different flavors.

-There are a ton of great internet resources. Use them!

http://www.pipesmokingguide.com/
http://pipes.priss.org/howto.php

Check out estate pipes for decent cheap briar, if cost becomes an issue...

www.frenchyspipes.com used to have some great stuff, his site seems to be down at the moment...
 
When I was a pipe smoker my tobacconist would mix any blend you wanted and let you sit out on the porch and try it out. He kept an index card file by customer where he listed the recipes for your favorite blends. I favored blends of latakia and burley. I also used to keep some aromatic blends around - even though I haven't smoked in years I still like the smell of a good aromatic blend.

By several pipes of as good quality as you are willing to spend. Longer stems give a cooler draw. Straight stems require more of a tooth clench than curved stems when you hold your pipe in your mouth.
 
I think over in the WS&S forum there used to be some pretty big threads...you may check over there...
 
knarfeng said:
PS I quit shortly after I got married 26 years ago. I had a full beard at the time and my wife wouldn't let me kiss her after I had smoked a pipe until I washed my beard. I decided that I was having to wash my beard too much and that I'd rather keep the wife than the pipes. (but I still have my pipes:D.)
Click to expand...

We're living the same life:eek:

Same story here with a few years less married for me- though my pipes went to a good home and I still have the beard - she's never seen me without it.
 
Ok guys
This IS a knife forum!!
I wanna see your SMOKERS KNIVES!!!:D:thumbup:

I finally got mine
It's a Dawes and Ball
Made in Sheffield
I'm guessing it is from the 70's
It has OIL THE JOINTS stamped on one blade (I ALWAYS dreamed of having a knife with that stamped on it!!:cool:)
and the bonus:
It has PIPE SCRAPER stamped on one blade
For some reason I thought the pipe scraper blade was gonna be thin/flexible
It's actually kinda thick
And it's sharp...hehehhehe

I'll post pics of mine soon
 
mwerner said:
I spent a couple of years fooling with pipes, and in typical fashion did a bunch of research on the history and use of these devices..

I would hazard that 80-90% of people who try pipes do not learn to fill, light, and tamp the tobacco properly and they have a very poor experience. Also, they do not maintain the pipe properly and it rapidly becomes crusted with carbon and sour.....
Good briar pipes need to be "rested"; that's why most smokers have a number of them. After a day's use, the pipe should be cleaned and put aside for as much as a week.
Filling the pipe in the traditional manner is by "thirds"; the pipe is filled loosely, then a tamper is used to tamp that down to about 1/3 the volume of the bowl. Repeat till the pipe is full.
The degree of tamping depends on the cut of the tobacco and it's burning characteristics; you need to be able to draw easily.
When lighting, the initial application of flame will cause the tobacco on top of the bowl to expand. You should apply the flame, take a few puffs, then re-tamp the expanded tobacco and apply the flame again.
A well-tamped and lit pipe will burn properly without becoming overly hot. Tamping must continue as the pipe is smoked, as the lower levels of tobacco will expand again as they heat up.
A good "pipe nail" or tamper is a necessary accessory.

Avoid cheap briars of the "Dr. Grabow" variety. They are made of nasty wood with cheap filler forced into the holes and voids. They will be fitted with cheesy "filtering" systems that cause more problems than they are worth.

Expect to pay a fair chunk of change for a quality pipe!
Click to expand...

AMEN!

I have about 20 pipes of all different styles. Most rest after smoking for a week or three. Got a good brass tamper, and a leather pouch for tobacco and a pipe when out and about.

good pipe polish and rags keep your pipes looking new, and good fat NON wire pipe cleaners keep em clean.

as for pipe tobacco, there is tobacco and then there is good tobacco. Expect to pay for GOOD tobacco that has NO flavours or "fillers". I like a good Burley and Virginia mix or plain Virginia for regular smoking and a good dark 100% Latakia or Latakia & Perique mix for when in the woods.

avoid smoking too fast, yer tongue will burn (tongue bite). pouch tobacco will cause that more than good tobacco. IF you do get tongue bite, cold coffee will sooth it.....

EDIT, haveing said bad things about pouch tobacco, I will say this.....Captain Black is a favorite of mine. I get women old and young chatting with me wihen smoking it. (and on more than one occassion them cougars have somehow taken me home! :) )
 
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Trent Rock said:
Ok guys
This IS a knife forum!!
I wanna see your SMOKERS KNIVES!!!:D:thumbup:
Click to expand...

While I have a pipe knife or two, I always thought a Case Baby Doc would make a good pipe knife. It has a spatula for bowl cleaning, and the end of the knife is flat, which would make it a good tamper.

5536.jpg
 
I'm surprised no one has mentioned meerschaum pipes! When I was a pipe smoker I had several good pipes with meerschaum lined bowls, as well as a couple of meerschaums (not the fancy faces or eagle claws... just nicely rounded bowls.) When properly broken in, these smoke very cool and sweet, and are much lighter than brier pipes. Watching a brand new meerschaum slowly turn golden yellow over the course of a couple of years is another one of the pleasures of smoking! I also had one meerschaum that was just a hunk of stone with the sharp edges polished off and a stem fitted to it. Not shaped at all. Filled my hand but was light enough to keep in my mouth without holding. These make a lovely addition to a smoker's rack, right beside the good briers!

I stopped smoking completely 11 years ago, and miss my pipes most of all...

Stitchawl
 
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