Pipe smoking, a lost art.

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NordeastBrewer77 said:
Got some tasty tobacco from Stauff today.

View attachment 93536

Right now, I'm smoking some Christmas Cheer with a Wookey Jack, but there's also some Chocolate Silk, rum & maple, and nutty hazel. All smell amazing, I can't wait to try 'em.
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I find myself going back to the Chocolate Silk over and over.
 
Do you guys smoke inside? I find myself limited right now by the combination of Illinois weather and my wife's aversion to smoking inside.
 
rifraf said:
Do you guys smoke inside? I find myself limited right now by the combination of Illinois weather and my wife's aversion to smoking inside.
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I'm a lucky man, my wife doesn't mind pipe tobacco smoke, some she even comments on how nice they smell. I try to keep cigars outdoors, but I can even get away with one of those indoors here and there. Stauff's even luckier, he doesn't have to compromise with a lady. :)
 
NordeastBrewer77 said:
I'm a lucky man, my wife doesn't mind pipe tobacco smoke, some she even comments on how nice they smell. I try to keep cigars outdoors, but I can even get away with one of those indoors here and there. Stauff's even luckier, he doesn't have to compromise with a lady. :)
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Haha, you're only half correct my friend. My 20 year old daughter actually lives with me. I've raised her alone since she was 5. When she was young (back in 2000) I gave up cigarettes after 17 years of smoking, because she had awful asthma. I only recently took up cigars and pipes in the last year. My daughter pretty much grew out of her asthma, but I still try to only smoke when she's not around. She says she doesn't mind it, but I still get a guilty complex about it.
 
Since moving off the prairie I have found it easier to smoke outside. Its an excuse to walk the dog. He seems to like the arrangement.
 
Not to go off on some sort of ramble; though I do once in awhile.

I remember growing up in the mid 60's to early 70's, and by 1982, had graduated high school. Seemed as though most men smoked pipes back then. The second hand smoke thing? As long as there was airflow circulation and the smoke didn't get to stuffy or stagnant. All was good. Got to admit, usually the air smelled pretty heavenly with a bit of pipe smoke. Now if it got stuffy, then that was bad. But it rarely did unless people started smoking cigarettes.

Tonight I did something unusual and smoked my pipe inside the house. It was not ill recept. I didn't make huge puffs off smoke and was told it smelled good.

I don't know. Would never smoke a ciggarette inside the house. Those things stink and are laced with garbage. Pipe tobacco smoked slowly smells nice not throat gagging. I shouldn't feel guilty about it but still do. Usually I smoke in the garage or outside.
 
Just bought a beautifuk Mr. Brog pipe off eBay for $20. Been hearing great things about them. Can't wait to try it out!

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Yeah it's garage or basement smoking for me. She doesn't mind the smell so much, but doesn't want it getting into the furniture or walls. Oh well.
 
phoenixs4r said:
I apologize if this has come up, my computer has been commandeered and searching on movie isn't all that fun.

Say one wants to take up this art that has never done it before. Would this be a decent way to see if its worth while?

http://www.smokingpipes.com/accessories/gift sets/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=72356
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Looks like a good deal.

You could also go to a local tobacco shop that sells pipes and pick up a cob pipe, some bulk tobacco, pipe cleaners, and a pipe tool for about $15-$20...
 
Stauffbier said:
Looks like a good deal.

You could also go to a local tobacco shop that sells pipes and pick up a cob pipe, some bulk tobacco, pipe cleaners, and a pipe tool for about $15-$20...
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Interesting ! I will have to visit one. Thanks!
 
phoenixs4r said:
I apologize if this has come up, my computer has been commandeered and searching on movie isn't all that fun.

Say one wants to take up this art that has never done it before. Would this be a decent way to see if its worth while?

http://www.smokingpipes.com/accessories/gift sets/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=72356
Click to expand...

The advice for a cob pipe and a local tobacco store is the way to go. When starting you need mainly to learn how to pack the pipe and what kind of tobacco you like. A cob pipe doesn't need a break-in time and is a cheap way to try different tobaccos. You don't want to try an English blend (for example) in a pie that you have already been smoking aromatic tobaccos in. Since a cob only costs a few bucks you can try a new tobacco without messing up the flavor of your regular smokers. Also, if you are going to smoke regularly it is a good idea to build up enough pipes that you can let each rest between smoke.

Packing the pipe is an art. There is an old saying: Three hands pack the pipe and two to light it. The three hands are the hand of a child, the hand of a woman and the hand of a man. Put in tobacco and pack it down very gently, about like a child would. Put in more tobacco and pack in medium hard, about like you think a woman would do. Put in the final bit of tobacco and pack firmly (not squeezing, only firm), as a man would do. Your pipe is now ready to light. The two hands to light it means two lights to get it going. Make sure you have a pipe damper. Light the tobacco while drawing through the pipe. Light the entire surface. Now, take the damper and lightly pack down the top layer of ashen tobacco. Light the pipe a second time, making sure to light the entire surface. Now enjoy the smoke. Pull gently so as not to get tongue burn. If you feel the fire is going down you can light again, or try holding your finger over the bowl sealing off about half of it while drawing in. This will make the air enter at a higher force and will stoke up the heat in the pipe.

If you use matches to light the pipe let the sulpher burn off before applying to the tobacco.

There is a saying that I love: "Cigarettes feed a habit; cigars feed an ego; a pipe feeds the soul."

One day I was thinking, while enjoying my pipe and wrote the following:

The Bliss of the Burl

Assailed by legion thoughts of dread;
Angst buzzing wild about his head.

Three hands prepare an ancient burl;
Two more release a ghostly curl.

As young moths flit to blazing fire,
Distractions fall upon the pyre.

Uplifted on a pungent dove,
The muse is free to soar above.
 
That gift set is probably a great way to go. Just be careful, I bought a pipe in a set like that once and it came with a pre-carbonized layer that gave me a horrible acrid taste for a while. Retired that pipe.

Corncobs are a great way to sample various tobaccos, and if you find you don't like it you aren't out a lot of money. This grab bag is a good way to not only have a few pipes to try different tobaccos, but also to get a feel for different shapes, sizes, bends, etc.

http://corncobpipe.com/index.php/10-pipe-grab-bag-of-smokable-seconds.html
 
phoenixs4r said:
I apologize if this has come up, my computer has been commandeered and searching on movie isn't all that fun.

Say one wants to take up this art that has never done it before. Would this be a decent way to see if its worth while?

http://www.smokingpipes.com/accessories/gift sets/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=72356
Click to expand...

I'm unsure of the full details of that set. However, I doubt smokingpipes.com would steer people wrong. They are a quality online dealer. If you decide to stick local, Rite Aid pharmacies in the area still often carry Dr. Grabow pipes and several of the standard over the counter blends like Prince Albert or Captain Black. At least, the one in Castro Valley does. I know, because I purchased an Omega there.
 
Shooter said:
I'm unsure of the full details of that set. However, I doubt smokingpipes.com would steer people wrong. They are a quality online dealer. If you decide to stick local, Rite Aid pharmacies in the area still often carry Dr. Grabow pipes and several of the standard over the counter blends like Prince Albert or Captain Black. At least, the one in Castro Valley does. I know, because I purchased an Omega there.
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I local bloke who rides motorcycles, brews beer and smokes a pipe, and we haven't met? Shame. Also a shame I sold my Ducati.

Thanks for the info. I asked my fiance to go to a smoke shop and pick up a couple corn Cobb's for myself and a buddy, with the tools needed and asked the clerk for a good starter tobacco . Her assets generally get her service I would never see. I'm anxious to see what I come home to.
 
Stauffbier said:
I'm smoking a Dr. Grabow from a drug store right now. It's actually one of my favorite pipes. It has a small bowl, which is nice when I want a quick smoke. It smokes as good as my expensive pipes.
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I have a Dr. Grabow and I know it has a small bowl but it still takes forever to burn it down. I like it though. It fits in my pocket nice and I can walk with it lit. :)
 
CHefJohnboyardee said:
I have a Dr. Grabow and I know it has a small bowl but it still takes forever to burn it down. I like it though. It fits in my pocket nice and I can walk with it lit. :)
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Sometimes I'll let a bowl burn out and re-light it all day long. Even on my small Dr. Grabow. I've even re-lit a pipe the next day. Some tobaccos actually taste better that way.
 
phoenixs4r said:
I apologize if this has come up, my computer has been commandeered and searching on movie isn't all that fun.

Say one wants to take up this art that has never done it before. Would this be a decent way to see if its worth while?

http://www.smokingpipes.com/accessories/gift sets/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=72356
Click to expand...

The only problem I see is that the set appears to come with several varieties of Tobacco but only one pipe. Tobaccos will actually taint the pipe with some of their aromas and flavors so if you use an aromatic blend (which will have flavors added to the tobacco) and then try to smoke an English blend (which has no flavorings other than tobacco) you will get left flavor and fragrance from the aromatic and have no idea what the English blend actually smokes like. This is what cob pipes are perfect for, since they don't need to be seasoned or broken in. I use them when I want to try a new brand or style of tobacco. Never smoke untried tobaccos in any of your regular pipes and always smoke the same style of tobacco from the same pipe. If you want to add another flavor of tobacco to the line up then it is time to add another pipe.
 
cluckk said:
The only problem I see is that the set appears to come with several varieties of Tobacco but only one pipe. Tobaccos will actually taint the pipe with some of their aromas and flavors so if you use an aromatic blend (which will have flavors added to the tobacco) and then try to smoke an English blend (which has no flavorings other than tobacco) you will get left flavor and fragrance from the aromatic and have no idea what the English blend actually smokes like. This is what cob pipes are perfect for, since they don't need to be seasoned or broken in. I use them when I want to try a new brand or style of tobacco. Never smoke untried tobaccos in any of your regular pipes and always smoke the same style of tobacco from the same pipe. If you want to add another flavor of tobacco to the line up then it is time to add another pipe.
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Interesting. The fiance came home from the local smoke shop with two pipes (not Cobb, they didn't sell them for some reason) and some captain black. In my haste I didn't even remember there is a 'break in' needed on the pipe, but it was an overall enjoyable experience. I'll have to do some more research on the above as well as different pipes and their effects on smoke.
 
Everybody seems to have a little different way to break in a pipe. Usually it involves a half bowl smoke and then slowly over time increasing to a full bowl--with a few days rest between bowls. Some like to sweeten a pipe with an occasional coating of Scotch or Bourbon. I find this last hard to fathom. I smoke English (undressed) tobacco blends. If I wanted a sweet smoke, I'd smoke sweetened (dressed) tobacco. Some also argue coating it like this will damage the burl.

One common mistake early on is overcleaning the pipe. With a briar pipe you don't want raw exposed wood after break-in. The goal is to build a thin cake coating the inside of the bowl. So never scrape out your pipes. If you have a good pipe tool it will have a thin metal probe. Use this to break up the spent tobacco and simply tap it against the ball of your hand. Don't hold the mouthpiece for this. Hold the bowl in one hand and lightly tap against the ball of the other hand. I know you see them holding the stem and smacking it against their hand in the movies, but it is a great way to break a treasured pipe. If one breaks it will likely be your most expensive one--Murphy is a SOB.
 
Damn, fell right into that noon mistake. Scraped the pipe the night I smoked it. Won't do that again. I have issue with the tobacco staying lit unless constant drawing, I'm assuming that is my packing procedure, as I'm still learning how to do it. The tobacco is captain black. Still enjoying the experience though. If one were fill the bowl, light it and decide to continue smoking at a later time, is it proper to let the tobacco extinguish itself or manual stamp it out inside the pipe?
 
Stauffbier said:
Sometimes I'll let a bowl burn out and re-light it all day long. Even on my small Dr. Grabow. I've even re-lit a pipe the next day. Some tobaccos actually taste better that way.
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Totally. I seldom finish a whole bowl in one sitting, and often re-light a pipe the day after the first smoke. In my, albeit quite limited experience, as long as there's not a bunch of ash and char on top of the unsmoked leaf, a day or two between relights isn't bad. And like Stauff said, I've noticed some smokes better the morning after.

Last night, we had our friends over for dinner, and afterwords my buddy was picking my brain about my new found love for smoking pipe. So I gave him one of the MM grab bag cobs and a sampling of tobaccos. I guess he fired up some of the Chocolate Silk as soon as he got home, he texted raving about how good it was and how nicely the little cob smoked. I think he's come over to the dark side. :pipe:
 
phoenixs4r said:
Damn, fell right into that noon mistake. Scraped the pipe the night I smoked it. Won't do that again. I have issue with the tobacco staying lit unless constant drawing, I'm assuming that is my packing procedure, as I'm still learning how to do it. The tobacco is captain black. Still enjoying the experience though. If one were fill the bowl, light it and decide to continue smoking at a later time, is it proper to let the tobacco extinguish itself or manual stamp it out inside the pipe?
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If I am smoking and need to go into the house for something--I keep the smoking outside--I simply take the lit pipe and tuck it into my front pocket. It quickly goes out and when I go back outside I pull it out and relight it. I've never had my pants ignite or burned anything. There is nothing wrong with sitting it down for a bit and coming back to it, either.
 
One thing to do when you feel the fire is going out, you can hold the briar cupped in your hand with a finger or thumb held over about 2/3 of the bowl opening and then draw. This boosts the temperature because the air comes in at a higher velocity. Do this when it seems the fire is going down and it will get hotter. Be careful though because overheating an unseasoned briar pipe can crack it.

Also, try letting a sample of your tobacco set in the open air for an hour or so to dry out some. Many dressed tobacco are really too wet for a good smoke.
 
cluckk

That is great advice. I do the same sometimes. I guess that comes with a little experience. Pipe smoking is not hard but there are a few tricks and your's is certainly one of them.

Cheers my friend!
 
The thing I like about smoking a pipe is that, unlike many other forms of tobacco, it really encourages you to slow down, relax and enjoy the time.
 
phoenixs4r said:
Interesting. The fiance came home from the local smoke shop with two pipes (not Cobb, they didn't sell them for some reason) and some captain black. In my haste I didn't even remember there is a 'break in' needed on the pipe, but it was an overall enjoyable experience. I'll have to do some more research on the above as well as different pipes and their effects on smoke.
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By the way, you say your fiance bought these for you. So, you have a woman who not only doesn't mind you smoking a pipe but is encouraging it. I will assume she also supports your home brewing habit since you are on this board. Marry that woman quickly before she gets away!
 
cluckk said:
By the way, you say your fiance bought these for you. So, you have a woman who not only doesn't mind you smoking a pipe but is encouraging it. I will assume she also supports your home brewing habit since you are on this board. Marry that woman quickly before she gets away!
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Not only does she support my random hobbies, she frequently develops recipes and is fully confident from start to finish brewing an all grain batch, grows hops in her garden and constantly makes pizza/deserts from the spent grain. Ya I'm not gonna let her go anywhere.
 
Minorly off topic. Yesterday at lunch, I passed by a large, linebacker sized African American man. He was wearing a Peacoat with high leather boots, a woolen hat, and was smoking an intricate Meercham pipe.

I love my city so much.
 
CreamyGoodness said:
Minorly off topic. Yesterday at lunch, I passed by a large, linebacker sized African American man. He was wearing a Peacoat with high leather boots, a woolen hat, and was smoking an intricate Meercham pipe.

I love my city so much.
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CG you know what? When you first started posting here I wasn't sure what to think. Over the months that I've gotten to know you through your threads and posts.. They say a lot about you. Mostly they say you my friend are not only very creative in your posting. You are a man of honor and integrity.
 
Yeah.....creepygoodness is fantastical.;) Does it bother you that he and I are the same person?

Smoked some Captain Black white tonight. MAN I dig that stuff.

Am I missing the boat somehow? It seems so packaged and BMC like.

What do you all smoke?
 
Captain Black is pretty good stuff. My go to is Boswell's Best from www.boswellpipes.com. Just got another shipment in. If I'm out of that, it's whatever random bin from the bulk jars at the cigar shop I'm in the mood for.

I need to try this Virginia 1 I keep hearing about though.
 
I don't smoke aromatics--I find them too syrupy--but prefer English blends. My favorite is hard to find these days, Presbyterian Mixture, so lately I've been smoking a blend made by my tobacconist named Sir Winston (the tobacco, not the tobacconist). It is a blend of Virginia, Burley and a touch of Latakia. It's designed to be a rather cool smoke with a mild nicotine kick.
 

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