I Want to Start Smoking Pipe Tobacco

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Doc Robinson

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I don't know a thing about it. It just seems really cool and relaxing. I enjoy cigars, love cigs (but stopped because of the health risks, etc.), and am always looking for the next vice. It isn't something I would do on the daily. I know there are still cancer risks.

I have been researching pipes and tobacco for the last hour or so...as with everything, there is a WHOLE WORLD of stuff out there.

Does anyone else smoke pipes? Any advice for someone looking to spend $50 or less to start?
 
I started when I stumbled on pipes from my grandpa, and I like it better than cigars. You can easily get a nice pipe, some different tobaccos, and a cheapo bic lighter (or wood matches) and be good to go. Two things you don't need: a tamper (use your finger), and a torch lighter (use a regular one or match).
 
You can easily get a nice pipe, some different tobaccos, and a cheapo bic lighter (or wood matches) and be good to go. Two things you don't need: a tamper (use your finger), and a torch lighter (use a regular one or match).

Agreed on every point.

My Grandad used to smoke pipes as well. I've got a few from him and two that I bought myself. I would advise browsing the internet and looking for a site for beginners. Perhaps the pipe smoking guide at notsoboringlife.com

Any problems that you may have with it will eventually disappear with practice.
 
If you can find it, Wessex brigade original is my favorite. Has a light cider taste. Not at all artificial tasting. Very mellow and relaxing.
 
The money on a good pipe is well spent.

I find the key is to smoke slowly and keep the pipe cool. No huffing.

and taking the time to condition the pipe will lead to smokes of 1.5 to 2 hours of bliss.

Like brewing... it is a process that is worth the investment of time, patience and a little learning to maximize the experience.
 
I have a collection of pipes, all of them fall into rotation during the winter, I smoke a blend of vanilla and cherry that I buy at the local smoke shop. pleasant aroma without any notable bite. my favorite one is a preachers pipe, long bent stem with a stand to hold it during a sermon. very easy to keep cool and it has a great draw and even burn. I will have to post pics of a few of my favorites in my gallery if I get a chance. as for the money, 50 dollars can get you a nice starter pipe, or if you can find a restemmed second hand one, you can get a good quality pipe for little cash and the bowl has already been broken in. or just buy an ok pipe, give it a whirl, if you like it, buy a good pipe and enjoy the pleasure!
 
Do yourself a favour & spend the $20 or so on a straight stemmed starter pipe (easy to clean); that way you can see if you like it enough to upgrade to a finer pipe. BTW, Meerschaum is not a starter pipe. Get yourself a pack of pipe cleaners and a tamper to go with it. I know others have said you don't really need a tamper, but it's under $2 and will keep your finger from getting sticky or coated with ash. It's handy to have on hand for cleaning too & for $2 or less, why not? You should be able to get everything you need to start, including a few different (quality) tobaccos, for under $40.

Don't bother with any of the pipe tobaccos you'd find at the grocery store, go to a reputable tobacconist for your tobacco. I've always liked cherry blends, the vanilla blends are nice too. Not sure if you'll be able to find any of the John Kent blends, but if you can, try the #3 & the #7, they're tasty; so is Mac Baren's Danish Plumcake. Part of the fun is trying all sorts of tobaccos & finding out which ones you like. Often tobacconists will let you try a blend or 2 before you buy, all you have to do is ask. Often tobacconists will have their own house blends, sometimes those are pretty tasty, sometimes not so much. You can blend your own too.

There is something to be said for taking the time to sit & smoke a pipe. I always found it to be relaxing, gives you time to think... And the girlfriend at the time loved the way it smelled, some women seem to have a thing for guys who smoke a pipe & the smell of pipe tobacco. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Regards, GF.
 
Wow! Thanks everyone. I told my wife last night that I wanted to go to the local smoke shop to look at pipes and tobacco. Her response:

"Could you please just pick up one more bad habit while we're married?"

Sure can!:ban:
 
I inherited a few pipes from a great uncle (more like I claimed them as nobody else wanted them) and have broken them out since the economy has destroyed my cigar smoking habit ($6 for 2oz of pipe tobacco vs ~$175 for a box of cigars). One thing is for sure, my wife likes the smell of the pipe a good deal more than the cigars.

BeeGee
 
I don't know if you will find one in your price range, but Peterson pipes are my favorite. Probably can find a used one with a new stem. Anyway they have a different system in some of them that creats a similar effect as a filter without needing a filter. It doesn't reduce the taste but lets some of the goo stay in the pipe and not coat your mouth.

I love pipe smoking it takes a while to find just the right amount of pressure to pack it and get a nice draw with out it getting too hot. Like others have said take time to break a new pipe in, and keep it clean. Part of the "fun" of pipes is the tinkering and cleaning. I often would creat my own blends depending on my current tastes. It is neat there are tobaccos that are for aroma and others for flavor. In the future if you find your self smoking one daily or more you will want more than one pipe. It is good to let them cool and dry before reuse. I have six myself, you will see one you like and just want to pick up a new one. Each one has a different draw and feel.
 
Pipe smoking is a requirement for reading the paper outside in the springtime. It's not a bad habit. :D


Having smoked everything from fine cigars ( cuban ) and fine 'baccy from all over for a pipe to cigs... I have to say there is nothing good about smoking.
I smoked for over 30 years and in the few short years that I have given up smoking have just started getting back my capacity to breathe normal.

As much as I have liked a fine cigar or pipe, I now find the smell of fresh air to be more satisifying.;)
 
Having smoked everything from fine cigars ( cuban ) and fine 'baccy from all over for a pipe to cigs... I have to say there is nothing good about smoking.
I smoked for over 30 years and in the few short years that I have given up smoking have just started getting back my capacity to breathe normal.

As much as I have liked a fine cigar or pipe, I now find the smell of fresh air to be more satisifying.;)

I agree habitually smoking will not be a good end result. My pipe smoking is sputterly. I like to have a few pipes in a day and then not pick it up for a month or so. My tobbacco flings are always here and there as I want some. As a nessessity I would think things would get cloged up and then are you really enjoying it or just getting a fix. IMHO everything in moderation, some things moderation is very different than other things.
 
Sounds fun. Unfortunately it would not get past the SWMBO for me. No effin chance.

Man up dude.

I agree habitually smoking will not be a good end result. My pipe smoking is sputterly. I like to have a few pipes in a day and then not pick it up for a month or so. My tobbacco flings are always here and there as I want some. As a nessessity I would think things would get cloged up and then are you really enjoying it or just getting a fix. IMHO everything in moderation, some things moderation is very different than other things.

I am the same way and completely agree. I am looking for something fun to do every week or so, and on brew days sitting in the garage, having a beer, watching TV, and waiting for the boil.

I went to a really nice shop today. For now, I grabbed the cheapest corn cob pipe they had and their most popular blend. Just partook. It was nice.

photo-33.jpg
 
Man up dude.

YEAH! What he said! Be a man's man, son! Smack her around a little if you have to, to get your point across! Pipes were made to be smokes, beers to be drank, and women to be slapped! It's not like marriage is a two-way street meant for compromises and respecting other's wishes, it's a man's world baby!




...btw, let me know how that whole 'divorce' thing goes.

/sarcasm :rolleyes:
 
Nothing wrong with a good 'ol corn cob. That is a great way to start make sure you like it. May adventually burn through, but by that point you will know if it is something you wouldn't mind spending money on and get something real nice. OTOH I have friends that use the corn cob until it wears out and then just buy another.
 
It's not like marriage is a two-way street meant for compromises and respecting other's wishes...

:off: post to follow:

Exactly my point. Man up and your wishes will be respected...either that or you're just a doormat in denial, assuring yourself that you can live with that because you are a "good husband"...you respect your wife's wishes. If she doesn't respect yours, then she married a doormat, knowing your were a doormat, and if you are happy with that, I have no problem with that either. My relationship with my wife is phenomenal...I'm an great husband and I have an even greater wife. I would do anything for her except compromise my own happiness, which includes doing what I want to do (within reason) in my free time. I harbor the same respect for her needs. Couples are couples, but each couple is ultimately just two individuals.
 
:off: post to follow:

Exactly my point. Man up and your wishes will be respected...either that or you're just a doormat in denial, assuring yourself that you can live with that because you are a "good husband"...you respect your wife's wishes. If she doesn't respect yours, then she married a doormat, knowing your were a doormat, and if you are happy with that, I have no problem with that either. My relationship with my wife is phenomenal...I'm an great husband and I have an even greater wife. I would do anything for her except compromise my own happiness, which includes doing what I want to do (within reason) in my free time. I harbor the same respect for her needs. Couples are couples, but each couple is ultimately just two individuals.




nothing more to add here, this just about sums it up guys!
 
Last :off: post from me:

I would do anything for her except compromise my own happiness, which includes doing what I want to do (within reason) in my free time. I harbor the same respect for her needs. Couples are couples, but each couple is ultimately just two individuals.

The 'within reason' of your sentence sounds like you're already compromising on some things that would make you happy (like having an affair, etc.****), just maybe to a lesser extent than some others. If the wife 'needs' or 'wishes' to have a husband that doesn't smell of/smoke cigars, then it comes down to "when does respecting someone's wishes overrule your own happiness?"
My point is that it's all shades of gray (or something similarly sage-like), so just because someone doesn't smoke cigars because his wife doesn't want him to, doesn't mean he needs to 'man up'... maybe he's saving his stamina for the 'discussion' about buying a harley, boat, going skydiving, etc.

Anyway, carry on, and enjoy the pipe smoking. A guy next to us smokes a pipe with cherry tobacco (I assume), and it smells pretty good. Doesn't make me want to smoke a pipe, but it's a nice aroma once and a while.


***Just to clarify, I'm not implying that you WANT to have an affair, just using it as an extreme example.
 
I doubt I have much to add to the off topic, but here it goes.

"No effin way." Is an exaggeration. It could go down, but it would be upsetting to her (she has lost people close to her from lung cancer. Now I think don't occasional smoking significantly increase that risk. However, because it does hit home for her, and I don't really care all that much, I forgo. She has proved more than willing to show the same consideration for me. That's why we got married. Don't think that I am a doormat by any means. Maybe I'm too much of a ***** to even know though...

Cheers
 
I used to work at Georgetown Tobacco in DC, and here are a few small bits of advice:

Get someone to teach you the proper way to pack the pipe. Stuffing it in, and trying to light it will most likely only lead to frustration. Simple rule of thumb we used at the store is the first pinch should be packed liked a baby did it, second pinch like a lady, third pinch like a man. You want the tobacco looser in the bottom of the bowl than on top.

A good simple shape to start with would be a poker. The bottom of the bowl is flat and can sit up on it's own on a flat surface.

As for tobacco, I highly recommend McClelland Arcadia.

"Never hire a pipe smoker, they already have a full time job."
 
I smoked for over 30 years and in the few short years that I have given up smoking have just started getting back my capacity to breathe normal.

As much as I have liked a fine cigar or pipe, I now find the smell of fresh air to be more satisifying.;)

I see exactly what you are saying. It is all about frequency of the habit.
I smoked for three or so months on a regular daily basis years ago. I stopped one day because it had lost it's entertainment factor. No point to it when the only things I smoked cost $20 for a tin of 20 clove cigarettes. (Pipes weren't allowed in the dorms) At that point I changed to my current frequency, which is perhaps 6-12 pipes and a few imports a year, mostly with company. It elevated the experience for me, and really provides an enjoyable hour or three.
 
Just be careful. I thought I could handle a pipe after quitting cigs, but I ended up hauling all the damn pipe smoking stuff with me and smoking on that thing all day. I ended up with half a dozen pipes, because they have to cool down between bowls. Then I'd get harassed by cops thinking it was weed, etc. But I'm that way with nicotine, I'd take it over anything and everything else- all or nothing for me.
 
Back from the dead! Found this through a "related" link at bottom of the "Pipe Smoking Lost art" thread Dan created.

For thos of you still innerested, have a look at 'Missouri Meerscham' website (aka corncobb.com). They offer a factory seconds 10 pipe cobb pack for $29.99. If you've never smoked from a cobb, you are missing out. They may not be elegant looking but they can offer the best smoke from the worst of tobacco's.
 
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