Pipe smoking, a lost art.

[BrewinHooligan]

Ran some McClelland 5100 red cake through a basket estate pipe I cleaned up. A simple, straightforward tobacco that is growing on me the more I smoke it.
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[TheCADJockey]

Had a rough weekend and was really craving cigarettes yesterday so I packed a pipe instead. Probably should've taken a picture to share what I have, but it isn't anything special. Had some Viking Gold. It doesn't taste as good as it smells when my friend smokes it. I think I really need to remember to find some pipe cleaners and give it a good clean.

I still have to work on packing it though. The first quarter/half burns really fast until I poke it down a little with a match and relight it. The last half burns very nice and a lot longer. A trip to the smoke shop might do me good. Being able to pick up something I want to try and a quick talk with the owner might clear some things up and help me better enjoy the hobby.

 

[Ace_Club]

I smoked a bowl of the Margate yesterday. I'm not one who can pick out all the different flavor profiles of a tobacco like some reviewers I see. However, the Margate was a fantastically smooth tobacco. It burned well, and smoked well. Very cool and smooth smoke. The aroma in the tin is not one I particularly care for, but that didn't translate over to the pipe.

Next up, the Sasieni.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Speaking of lost art,

I was inspecting my collection of pipes, cleaning them out, checking the bowls, stems, etc...

Found a couple of my earliest pipes that I, apparently, smoked a bit too hot and caused some burnout. Also have a few cob pipes that could use some bowl work too.

Gonna have to light the fireplace next weekend to make up some pipe mud/cement from the ash. So, just a bit of a PSA to you guys, check your pipes for cracking and burning out. Now is a good time to make those repairs if you've a fireplace full of wood ash.

 

[TheCADJockey]

So, just a bit of a PSA to you guys, check your pipes for cracking and burning out. Now is a good time to make those repairs if you've a fireplace full of wood ash.

I don't have a fireplace full of wood ash.. but what is burning out?

 

[Ace_Club]

I don't have a fireplace full of wood ash.. but what is burning out?

If you smoke a pipe too fast/too hot, you can actually burn a hole in the briar. Lesser cases include charring and cracking of the bowl interior.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I don't have a fireplace full of wood ash.. but what is burning out?

Burning out is a condition where the structure of the pipe bowl itself begins to burn as a result of wood defects, smoking too hot, scraping aggressively, or improper break in of a new pipe.

Usually revealed by a too hot to touch bowl while smoking.

If not caught and repaired, it can burn through the pipe completely. Here is a pick of what I discovered this weekend on an old pipe. Mind you, this is not my pipe but it is identical to what I found.

Burn out can also be caused by aggressive use of lighters. Another reason why matches are preferred.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Some Haddo's Delight from 2010 in a no name Greek briar. Such a good tobacco....
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[burninator]

Some Haddo's Delight from 2010 in a no name Greek briar. Such a good tobacco....
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Haddo's has to be a top 3 favorite for me. Got a tin from '07 I've been rationing out to myself.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Haddo's has to be a top 3 favorite for me. Got a tin from '07 I've been rationing out to myself.

I just cracked the tin and tried for the first time last week, it has really grown on me and I will have a hard time staying out of the jar... I have heard reports that it is better fresh and I haven't tried to compare yet, but I feel it is amazing aged.

 

[TheCADJockey]

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[BrewinHooligan]

View attachment 314974

Not a bad looking pipe at all! Whatcha got stuffed in there?

 

[TheCADJockey]

Not a bad looking pipe at all! Whatcha got stuffed in there?

It is just Viking Gold, it's all I've got.. my friend gave it to me when he gave me the pipe. I may be in the area of our smoke shop tonight, to pick up some pet supplies, and if that is the case I will have to stop in and get some stuff. I need some pipe cleaners, I think since I haven't cleaned it yet it is throwing off the taste. The viking he gave me, thinking may be really cheap. Doesn't taste like much. Though I may still be expecting the chemical taste of cigarettes when I smoke.

I'm going to see if I can find any of the tobacco I've seen listed here, or at least get something really strong or aromatic. Not sure what the deal is still, but I have found that if I only pack it halfway, it stays lit and burns nicely.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

It is just Viking Gold, it's all I've got.. my friend gave it to me when he gave me the pipe. I may be in the area of our smoke shop tonight, to pick up some pet supplies, and if that is the case I will have to stop in and get some stuff. I need some pipe cleaners, I think since I haven't cleaned it yet it is throwing off the taste. The viking he gave me, thinking may be really cheap. Doesn't taste like much. Though I may still be expecting the chemical taste of cigarettes when I smoke.



I'm going to see if I can find any of the tobacco I've seen listed here, or at least get something really strong or aromatic. Not sure what the deal is still, but I have found that if I only pack it halfway, it stays lit and burns nicely.

I usually try to discourage new pipe smokers from smoking aromatic tobaccos. The chemical toppings make for a pleasant smelling smoke but usually don't taste very good. There are always exceptions, but generally speaking. English and Balkan blends have very strong flavors and can be very smoky with the type of fire cured leaf they use, I love them when the weather is cooler. If they have some bulk tobaccos, grab a little of the ones that sound and smell best to you and try a bunch of different things.

 

[TheCADJockey]

If they have some bulk tobaccos, grab a little of the ones that sound and smell best to you and try a bunch of different things.

They do, as far as I know.. question on that though. My buddy told me that I should stick with one type of tobacco per pipe. Well, I am not about to have a collection of pipes for each different kind. Is it really that bad to use different kinds in the same piece?

I can't see it being an issue. Flavor-wise right now, the biggest concern I have is that it tastes burnt or like ash at the moment. Assuming due to it not being cleaned yet, even though I've only used it a half dozen times.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

They do, as far as I know.. question on that though. My buddy told me that I should stick with one type of tobacco per pipe. Well, I am not about to have a collection of pipes for each different kind. Is it really that bad to use different kinds in the same piece?

I can't see it being an issue. Flavor-wise right now, the biggest concern I have is that it tastes burnt or like ash at the moment. Assuming due to it not being cleaned yet, even though I've only used it a half dozen times.

It is best with briars to have pipes that you use for different types of tobacco. I have VA dedicated pipes, english/balkan dedicated pipes, aromatic pipes, etc. They suggest that because a pipe can "ghost" from the previous tobacco used, especially aromatics. Vodka or grain alcohol soaked cleaners run through the stem until they are clean will help that a great deal. I always clean my pipes stems after each smoke as soon as the pipe cools to make it easier. Estate pipes get the bowl reamed and then filled with salt and soaked with vodka to draw out the "ghosts". I cob or two are great to have while building up your supply of pipes. They don't ghost like briar does and they don't require the rest between smoking that briars should have.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

They do, as far as I know.. question on that though. My buddy told me that I should stick with one type of tobacco per pipe. Well, I am not about to have a collection of pipes for each different kind. Is it really that bad to use different kinds in the same piece?

I can't see it being an issue. Flavor-wise right now, the biggest concern I have is that it tastes burnt or like ash at the moment. Assuming due to it not being cleaned yet, even though I've only used it a half dozen times.

Pipe purists will suggest that you MUST dedicate a pipe for aromatics, a pipe for cased, pipe for virginia, etc...

And sure, it does make sense. Tobacco can be very subtle on it's own, and very pronounced when cased.

Others are staunch advocates for resting a pipe after each smoke, another need for multiple pipes. None of my pipe smoking ancestors did this.

I do have a collection of pipes. Cheap ones. And I do rotate through my collection. But not after every smoke. At most, I use one pipe the full day and rotate to another the next day.

I've never been one to choose a certain pipe for a certain tobacco either.

I also keep an old coffee jar for leftover tobacco. When the tin is low enough that I can't pack a full bowl I just dump the leftovers in the jar. Everything goes in, and it has made for a wonderful, ever changing, mixture of "house tobacco". Current jar has a mix of everything from straight virginia, to oriental blend, to cased Blue Note, to cheap heavy cavendish Captain Black White. Has become my go to blend.

 

[TheCADJockey]

None of my pipe smoking ancestors did this.

I see how it makes sense, I just don't want to over-complicate things. Right now, I'm just doing it to deflect cigarette cravings and it is fairly relaxing. The other thing I love is that it does not make my clothes stink. I might just get used to using it, cleaning it, and try out a bunch of different tobacco's. I'd like to get one of those house blends going and then use the pipe for that.. maybe by that time I can get another one to use for something nicer.

Is there a good way to store a pipe? I don't like to leave it sitting out, so I just put it in a small container.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I see how it makes sense, I just don't want to over-complicate things. Right now, I'm just doing it to deflect cigarette cravings and it is fairly relaxing. The other thing I love is that it does not make my clothes stink. I might just get used to using it, cleaning it, and try out a bunch of different tobacco's. I'd like to get one of those house blends going and then use the pipe for that.. maybe by that time I can get another one to use for something nicer.

Is there a good way to store a pipe? I don't like to leave it sitting out, so I just put it in a small container.

I just leave mine out. In the garage on a shelf. After I smoke it, I leave it to cool, and then clean it out so it'll be clean by time I get back to it.

At the very least, I would not worry about having a dedicate pipe for each tobacco, but do try to at least deep clean it before you switch to a different tobacco. Flavors do carry but it does not bother me except for a particularly nasty tobacco (Captain Black Cherry, for example). But it is usually foul enough that I'd choose to not smoke that blend again and I just deep clean the pipe before I load it with something else.

Don't get me wrong, there is some very sound rationale behind dedicating pipes and rotating through a collection. Just like there is sound rationale behind glassware for beer. Neither are habits that I practice.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I just ordered a Baraccini Churchwarden Egg along with Hearth & Home Signature Frenchy's Sunzabitches, Tsuge Gods Series Sampler, and Spectre Pipe Tobacco from pipesandcigars.com.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Since I've neglected my want to go to smoke shop so that I could go home and play with our new puppy... my buddy ran to the shop for me. Told him to get me a tin of whatever sounded good (and cleaners). Excited to see what he picked up for me tonight.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

Since I've neglected my want to go to smoke shop so that I could go home and play with our new puppy... my buddy ran to the shop for me. Told him to get me a tin of whatever sounded good (and cleaners). Excited to see what he picked up for me tonight.

I have to wait until Wednesday to get my stuff. I'm walking around looking like that coach in the bad lip reading video. "I want it now! I want it now! I want my pipe & tobaccy now!"

 

[TheCADJockey]

I have to wait until Wednesday to get my stuff. I'm walking around looking like that coach in the bad lip reading video. "I want it now! I want it now! I want my pipe & tobaccy now!"

I couldn't find a picture of a churchwarden egg, google just gave me 100 images of different pipe styles. I've seen churches posted here, but wasn't sure what the egg was about.

I'm excited, as long as the dude didn't get me some caramel apple vanilla captain black tobacco or something.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

it's the 2nd one down.
http://www.pipesandcigars.com/pipes/89517/baraccini-churchwarden/

 

[TheCADJockey]

it's the 2nd one down.
http://www.pipesandcigars.com/pipes/89517/baraccini-churchwarden/

Oh.. it looks like an egg.. go figure. Thanks man! I definitely want a Dublin then. Price doesn't seem bad at all either, though I have nothing to compare them against.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

Oh.. it looks like an egg.. go figure. Thanks man! I definitely want a Dublin then. Price doesn't seem bad at all either, though I have nothing to compare them against.

I spent around 3 hours looking through all the pipes trying to decide. I think my wife was getting annoyed.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Decided to freshen up my selections today and ordered the following;

Dunhill sampler, 4 tins, elizabeth, nightcap, mixture 965, and london mixture.
Escudo Navy flake
SG 1972
Dan Milonga

All blends I have never had before.

These delivered yesterday. I couldn't resist opening them up to have a look and a whiff. Of the 7 tins the Elizabeth, and Milonga have the most pleasant aroma in the tin. Nightcap comes in a close second. (Whoops, meant to expand on this) Aroma is leafy/bready, honey sweet, and vanilla.

The others have a strong earthy, wet camp fire aroma.

And the SG1972 smells of decaying athletes foot, mixed with compost and chimney creosote. It is absolutely rank. Can't wait to smoke this one!

 

[Ace_Club]

These delivered yesterday. I couldn't resist opening them up to have a look and a whiff. Of the 7 tins the Elizabeth, and Milonga have the most pleasant aroma in the tin. Nightcap comes in a close second.



The others have a strong earthy, wet camp fire aroma.



And the SG1972 smells of decaying athletes foot, mixed with compost and chimney creosote. It is absolutely rank. Can't wait to smoke this one!

Both the Margate and Sasieni had that camp fire aroma in the tin.

 

[Ace_Club]

Was bored during my stroll at lunch, so I wandered over and picked up a tin of Sobranie.

 

[burninator]

Both the Margate and Sasieni had that camp fire aroma in the tin.

There's no substitute for that Latakia aroma. Love it in my English blends.