First Try at the pipe...

[nymtber]

Well, I stopped at a gas station for some zippo fuel (for a handwarmer) and They had corn cob pipes. I just couldn't hold off anymore for my Dr. Grabow to come in, so I figured, what the heck? It was only $4, chump change! That and a pack of cleaners (can't have enough) and I was on my way. I already had a pouch of Carter Hall to try anyway.

So, at midnight, I decide, well its windy as heck out but it sounded like there are breaks, why not give this Pipe Smoking thing a shot! The Carter Hall smells nice out of the pouch, I packed a little over half bowl, and I think it gives a nice mild smoke. Nothing special about taste here, but for $5/1.5oz its a good buy! (I live in NY state, huge tax) Slightly reminiscent of my much loved Black and Milds, albeit a bit drier of a smoke. Not as flavorful, but a nice nutty flavor there. It was likely way to windy out and the tobacco burned a bit hot, but no tongue bite to speak of. In fact the Carter Hall will likely taste better if it had burned a bit cooler, but it was still pleasing. I walked down the road about 1/4 mile and back, super slow just taking my time.

The corncob is not too bad. I took the filter out and tried a method I heard of on another forum, to take a 1" piece of pipe cleaner, bend it into a V and stuff that in the bit. Didn't get any hot embers, a few piece of tobacco at first, nothing major. I figured I was going to end up with a cob anyway for kayaking/fishing this spring... Now I got it Towards the end I could taste the stem charring, so I GENTLY knocked out the burning tobacco and snuffed it out. I have to believe a bit of an off taste from the stem is normal till the pipe is broken in?

I am looking forward to the Grabow and the Butternut Burley I have coming, however. And a calmer day! Not tomorrow, going to be windier yet!

Definitely prefer this to cigars.

 

[Argonaut]

Congratulations!

 

[jwhite]

sound like a good first smoke

 

[nymtber]

Today doesn't look too windy yet, I have the day off, but I am not sure what is going on yet. I have to hit the exercise bike before anything though. Walking in the dark last night (gotta love good eyesight) with the pipe at midnight was very calming to my soul!

 

[Slash McCoy]

A "Missouri Meerschaum" is a pretty good smoke for the money. Only trouble is, by the time it is broke in, it could be close to burning out LOL! Some smokers claim that a cob needs no breaking in, but I think a careful break-in will give you a better smoke. Break it in with short smokes, don't scrape the bejabbers out of the bowl and try to build up a good cake and maybe it will last a few years. If you like those things, always keep a couple of spares so you don't have to be afraid to take your cob into harm's way and worry about losing or breaking it.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur actually had a guy tasked with breaking in his cobs for him because he went through them so fast.

 

[nymtber]

Had a chance to fit another bowl in this morning of the CH. My current impressions of it are that its a bit too closely cigarette tasting. I will give it another chance on a less windy day and pack it a little tighter (too wide open of a draw-followed the three step pack method) If it keeps that taste, I might have to terminate my experience with it. Maybe I am not a burley person? Was more cigar-ish if smoked real slow though, maybe I just need to slow down Butternut burley will be here soon, maybe tomorrow. I have a feeling I will end up with aromatics, as they leave a sweeter smell behind. Or find some of the hard to track down Black and Mild pipe tobacco...or 1Q and RLP-6 are likely my next to try.

I think I am going to have to keep my pipe in the basement, as well. I get a light "ashtray" aroma from it, and don't care to have my room smell of that. Basement has a woodstove, and heavy aromas which will overpower. My room needs to remain smelling fresh and tobacco (smoke) free. I'll keep the CH pouch in here still, that smells delightful!

I have a Zippo Jack Daniels lighter with the pipe insert on its way as well... Always wanted a zippo, and honestly the pipe lighter will work better for my camping than the regular zippo.

 

[Argonaut]

You might be smoking it a little hot, think tiny sips as from a straw in a strong drink. One drawback to cobs is if you smoke them too hot, you start to get the taste of burnt corn mixed with the tobacco flavor. Pipes should have a nice open draw, very little resistance, less or equal to a cigar that would be considered "loose". It takes some getting used to. I'm assuming your getting it too hot because CH tastes nothing like cigarettes to me, but tastes vary. Overheating the tobacco will destroy the flavorings and reduce the flavor to that of plain harsh tobacco, which to me is what cigarettes taste like. Hope this helps some, good luck.

 

[nymtber]

Thanks for that! Yes, the wide open draw takes getting used to, I found myself half inhaling a few times, though I was trying not to at all. I am more used to well packed cigarettes (actually its been 6 years, so maybe not) and smaller cigars.

I have some balsa somewhere in the basement, maybe I can make a small "filter (flow reducer really) like the Savinelli system. I think that would help me learn. Maybe the cob will be put aside till more decent weather, I will have my dr grabow tomorrow or wed, and its gonna be COLD, and pipe smoking is not enjoyable when its 15 degrees (F) outside...

I will "sip" more carefully next time, but strong drinks i don't even sip I don't drink straight liquor through a straw, so... I guess I just have to learn to pace myself. Otherwise, CH burns very well, hardly requiring any re-lights!

 

[Commander Quan]

You can also use an inch of pipe cleaner folded in half as a filter to tighten up the draw.

 

[cb91710]

One drawback to cobs is if you smoke them too hot, you start to get the taste of burnt corn mixed with the tobacco flavor.

I thought cobs were actually meerschaum.... or is meer a corn product?

 

[Granaura]

I believe that Meershaum is actually a material in itself... (white soft mineral thingy..) But then again it is my first day....

 

[Slash McCoy]

Yes. Meerschaum is I think Magnesium Silicate. It is found in high quality and in significant deposits only in the area of Ekesehir, Turkey. "Missouri Meerschaum" is actually a brand name for the only major maker of cob pipes in Missouri. They do not contain any actual meerschaum.

 

[cb91710]

"Missouri Meerschaum" is actually a brand name for the only major maker of cob pipes in Missouri. They do not contain any actual meerschaum.

Makes sense.

So they actually are cob.

 

[Argonaut]

From Pipedia;

Meerschaum (hydrated magnesium silicate), a mineral found in small shallow deposits mainly around the city of Eskişehir in central Turkey, is prized for its plasticity which allows it to be carved into many decorative and figural shapes. It was used as early as the 17th century in Turkey in the production of various utilitarian articles, but the first use as a pipe was not earlier than, according to translated documents, about 1725-1750. Along with clay, meerschaum represented the other common medium for pipes before the introduction of briar as the material of choice in the mid-19th century. See Antique Meerschaum Pipes and Materiali Fossili, Schiuma di mare
The word "meerschaum" means "sea foam" in German, alluding to its natural white color and its surprisingly low weight. Meerschaum is a very porous mineral that absorbs elements of the tobacco during the smoking process, and gradually changes color to a golden brown. Old, well-smoked meerschaum pipes are prized for their distinctive coloring.
In selecting a meerschaum pipe it is advisable to determine if the pipe is indeed carved from a block of meerschaum, and is not made from meerschaum dust collected after carving and mixed with an emulsifier then pressed into a pipe shape. These products are not absorbent, do not color, and lack the smoking quality of the block carved pipe. It is not always obvious. Some collectors believe that some pipes marked "solid block meerschaum" may not be genuine. With no uniform grading authority, it is difficult to be sure in the case of an unknown maker, unless you are purchasing it from a trusted, well informed tobacconist. Be wary of inexpensive pipes from untrusted sources. Also look for the quality of the carving. Better carvers are unlikely to waste time carving composite meerschaum.


On the other end of the scale, "corncob" pipes made from maize cobs are cheap and effective, even if some regard them as inelegant. The cobs are first dried for two years. Then they are hollowed out to make a bowl shape. The bowls are dipped in a plaster-based mixture and varnished or lacquered on the outside. Shanks made from pine wood are then inserted into the bowls. The first and largest manufacturer of corncob pipes is Missouri Meerschaum, located in Washington, Missouri in the United States.[2]. Missouri Meerschaum has produced the pipes since 1869. General Douglas MacArthur and George Lincoln Rockwell were perhaps the most famous smokers of this type of pipe, along with the cartoon characters Popeye and Frosty the Snowman.
Corncob pipes remain popular today because they are inexpensive and require no "break-in" period like briar pipes. For these two reasons, corncob pipes are often recommended as a "Beginners pipe." But, their enjoyment is by no means limited to beginners. Corncob pipes are equally valued by both learners, and experienced smokers who simply desire a cool, clean smoke. Pipe smokers who wish to sample a wide variety of different tobaccos and blends also might keep a stock of corncobs on hand to permit them to try new flavors without "carryover" from an already-used pipe, or to keep a potentially bad tasting tobacco from adding its flavor to a more expensive or favored pipe.
For great additional information see The Complete Corncob primer and Missouri Meerschaum Corncob Buying Guide courtesy of John Patton (tiltjlp).

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[nymtber]

whoa...back on subject...

Commander,
I use the pipe cleaner trick. It does a little, not really much though, IMO. but with the wide open stem on the cob, it does keep tobacco in its place, instead of in my mouth

 

[nymtber]

My order from Pipesandcigars.com came in today! Of course my family is lazy and it was still in the mailbox when I got home at midnight... 9F outside! The following is my order that arrived:

-Dr Grabow Duke Bent-smooth bowl
-3 czech tools (they sell them 3 at a time?)
-pipe cleaners
-1oz butternut burley

When I opened the box, first thing I grabbed out was the tobacco, and brought the bag straight to my nose...
WOW! Smells delicious, reminds me of the Black and Mild scent quite a lot! If it wasn't 9 degrees out, I would go get a bowl of the butternut going, but I think that will have to wait a few days... Which is fine by me. I will wait till I can comfortably enjoy a bowl.

I will also commend Pipesandcigars on their return address label. It simply states "order fulfillment center" Might not be a big deal to most of you, but with my family, better it be a covert package.

And boy, does that tobacco smell delicious!

 

[Blade Boy]

I like Butternut Burley a lot, sometimes your pipe can start to taste nasty at the end of the bowl, sometimes the juices build up, the filter aren't bad they can help with that nastiness, I use them in the pipe that take them, I also use the Savinelli version which are a triangle shaped piece of balsa wood they suck up a lot of the nasty juices and give a sweeter and dryer smoke IMO, I got some new filters today, they are little chalk pieces that you put in the bottom of the bowl before loading the tobacco, I will let you know how they are once I try a few. Filter are very popular in europe more than the U.S., Europeans should know they were pipe smoking long before us, I think Americans just think is wimpy or something

 

[nymtber]

Yea, I am going to give the first bowl of butternut burly a shot with the grabow filter left in. It helps tighten the draw a little, and I need that right now!

Might also pick up some balsa sometime and make my own balsa filters. But if I like the grabow filters, they are cheap enough, and I won't be smoking THAT often anyway...

 

[Argonaut]

It goes great in the morning with a cup of coffee, enjoy!