I'm a newbie and I have a LOT of questions

[Riff Raff]

Thank you all for the advice so far. I'm definitely going to get myself a corncob at some point in the near future due to all of the recommendations. I had never really considered it before, but now I feel I really should.

The advice to approach this hobby like a new wet shaver really resonated with me for some reason. When I was a new DE shaver I used a few different blades, many different soaps, and a very thorough sampling of vintage razors. I learned a lot this way and have now whittled down my wet shaving to two razors, one blade, one brush, but many soaps. Soaps and aftershaves are my indulgence in the shaving department. What I found though is that through my journey I perfected a technique, and my best shaving razor turned out to be my first one. It's a Merkur HD barber pole.

I'm kind of hoping for the same with pipe smoking. It offers a similar therapeutic effect for me, and I expect that when I'm all settled that I'll have maybe three or four pipes I love, but many different tobaccos.

Right now though I've been focusing on how I pack my pipe. I want to be able to smoke an entire bowl with one light. Im not sure how much the pack affects that, but I imagine it does play a role.

I'm getting really curious about the different cuts of tobacco. I would be very curious if there is an overwhelming favorite or if it is just a preference thing like so many other things here. Is flake the default favorite for aging and packing? Or is there another style that is best? Is aging tobacco like aging wine? Please share.

Once you find a tobacco that you love, aging it will make it better. Really. Check out the link here. As a rule of thumb, straight Virginia's and VaPers tend to age better than English and/or Balkan and Oriental blends. Not that the English/Balkan/Orientals don't age well. They do. But you will see more improvement in a straight VA or VaPer. That being said, Burley blends tend to age very well too.

Now, all tastes are different and subjective. Finding a tobacco that you love is 50% of the fun of this hobby as far as I am concerned. The problem with aging a great tobacco is not touching if for years on end to let Father Time do his work. Trust me, you will be rewarded with your patience.

Here are a few more links that might be of help:

http://glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=64

http://glpease.com/BriarAndLeaf/?p=65

http://www.pipesandcigars.com/faq/article/129/aging-pipe-tobacco

http://www.talkingtobacco.com/2012/07/pipe-tobacco-academy-aging-pipe-tobacco/

These articles are written by two of the most prominent and well regarded blenders in the business. G.L. Pease and Russ Ouellette. These guys are truly masters in their craft.

This website will be one of your go-to sites for all things pipe related. It is at least for most of us here in the Brown Leaf.

Welcome to the Brown Leaf. We're here to help in any way we can. Enjoy the journey!

Also, the "One Light Smoke" is a rare and wonderful animal. It is very allusive but not unobtainable. You can smoke a pipe all your life and not experience it. I have been lucky enough to have done it a handful of times. But when it happens the sense of accomplishment makes the smoke even better!

 

[Kilroy6644]

Also, the "One Light Smoke" is a rare and wonderful animal. It is very allusive but not unobtainable. You can smoke a pipe all your life and not experience it. I have been lucky enough to have done it a handful of times. But when it happens the sense of accomplishment makes the smoke even better!

As a corollary, I'd like to point out that a "One Light Smoke" is not all that hard to achieve. Having a GOOD "One Light Smoke" is the trick. Puff away like a freight train and you'll smoke it all the way to the bottom, but you won't enjoy it. It's the BBS of pipe smoking, and actively chasing it is likely to cause you some grief. Just work on your technique and be content with the process.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Point well taken [MENTION=61905]Kilroy6644[/MENTION]. I'm certainly not trying to smoke through my bowl like a freight train. Since my last post I picked up an estate Kaywoodie. It should be interesting to compare to my current briar which has no filter or stinger or whatever. I'm a little concerned that the person that sold it to me reamed the bowl too deep. The air hole does not sit right at the bottom and there look to be little gouges at the bottom. However there is no cake, and for what I paid for it I can forgive some imperfections.

I'm also going to head to a couple of local pipe shops next weekend with my brother and fellow pipe smoker. I'm looking to pick up a non-aromatic tobacco and maybe replenish my current aromatic stuff.

My next question is how do I avoid scorch marks on the rim of my bowl? I think it's ugly and if I ever buy a nice pipe I would like it to stay relatively nice. Is it unavoidable? Does it matter if I use a match or lighter? For the record I use matches.

 

[Riff Raff]

Point well taken @Kilroy6644. I'm certainly not trying to smoke through my bowl like a freight train. Since my last post I picked up an estate Kaywoodie. It should be interesting to compare to my current briar which has no filter or stinger or whatever. I'm a little concerned that the person that sold it to me reamed the bowl too deep. The air hole does not sit right at the bottom and there look to be little gouges at the bottom. However there is no cake, and for what I paid for it I can forgive some imperfections.

I'm also going to head to a couple of local pipe shops next weekend with my brother and fellow pipe smoker. I'm looking to pick up a non-aromatic tobacco and maybe replenish my current aromatic stuff.

My next question is how do I avoid scorch marks on the rim of my bowl? I think it's ugly and if I ever buy a nice pipe I would like it to stay relatively nice. Is it unavoidable? Does it matter if I use a match or lighter? For the record I use matches.

That is an outstanding question. You need to be careful with your flame. You shouldn't fill your bowl right up to the top. This will help prevent the flame from touching the rim of your bowl. Most "scorching" you see on a pipe could very well be just smoke residue. If you take a very lightly dampened paper towel and rub the rim you will see the smoke residue come off. If the wood has been scorched, it will of course not come off. I always wait until I am done smoking and the pipe has had a chance to cool down. Then part of my cleaning routine I do the paper towel trick and the smoke build up comes right off.

For using matches (wood matches I would presume) when they burn down, knock the head off of the match after the flame has passed it. That way you don't run the risk of it falling into your bowl. Also this allows you to get the match closer to the tobacco as the match burns down.

HTH

 

[DC_MPA]

I've light smoke or two light smoke (false light, tamp, relight) all depends on the tobacco for me. Some tobaccos I can and some I can't and I've been smoking a pipe for 10 years now. I see it as why God made butane soft flame pipe lighters.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I finally made my way to a local tobacconist on Saturday with my brother. I am almost out of my vanilla cavendish tobacco that I purchased quite a few years ago when I did not fully understand or appreciate the subtlety of pipe smoking.

Now that I have learned to just sit and enjoy a quiet smoke while lost in thought I thought I should get some non-aromatic stuff. I got one ounce each of Dunhill Morning Pipe and Nightcap. I also got a 50g tin of Dan Tobacco Liberty.

What do I do with the tin? Should I open it and smoke it or try to store it? Can I age tobacco in a tin? I'm really curious to open it, but I don't want to spoil anything.

 

[jiminyshiznit]

You can definitely age it in the sealed tin, but at this point I'd say open it up and enjoy some. That's what it's all about at first, or at least that's how it was for me. I'd get a flat of mason jars soon and get those jarred up, so they don't dry up in the bags/tin. I like the Kerr wide-mouth 8oz jars, which are just the right size to transfer a 50g or 2oz tin into. They come in a 12-jar flat, so you'll have extra for those other samples and tins you'll be picking up soon!

 

[Price]

You can definitely age it in the sealed tin, but at this point I'd say open it up and enjoy some. That's what it's all about at first, or at least that's how it was for me. I'd get a flat of mason jars soon and get those jarred up, so they don't dry up in the bags/tin. I like the Kerr wide-mouth 8oz jars, which are just the right size to transfer a 50g or 2oz tin into. They come in a 12-jar flat, so you'll have extra for those other samples and tins you'll be picking up soon!

Pretty much everything he just said.

 

[simon1]

^^^ What they all said.

Crack that tin open and see what ya got. Get a flat of 1/2 pint mason jars to store the tobacco in after you open it. The 1/2 pints are perfect for a tin. I noticed all of what you got are english blends with latakia. If you are able to get the samples, you may also want to try some Virginia/Perquie blends just to try something different. And maybe a burley blend just to check that out.

It is a requirement......that you try some of the OTC burley blends like Prince Albert and Carter Hall. Carter Hall seems to be the one I dip into the most during the day, and the premium tobaccos are my sit down of an evening after dinner smoke. But that's just me.

I'm sure you are aware that some people think Nightcap is a bit strong in the Vitamin N department. I do like a good strong tobacco before bed though...it seems to make me a bit sleepy.

Keep us posted.

 

[simon1]

Ooops...my bad. I saw where Liberty was supposedly Virginia/Latakia in the contents. Maybe that was a misprint on the contents on Tobacco Reviews...it also says the blend type is straight Virginia. I've never had that tobacco before so I'm confused. I can definitely tell when a blend has the smokey Lat. in it. Although I may not be experienced enough yet to differentiate between the blend type and contents.

http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/1519/dan-tobacco-liberty

 

[Blitzkrieg]

It's quite alright [MENTION=27468]simon1[/MENTION]. I was also confused when I read your comment about the British blends. The Liberty tin has a big picture of George Washington crossing the Delaware on it. That would make for quite a dubious British brand. I was simply going to do more research though to figure out what I missed.

I appreciate your feedback, of course, and Carter Hall is going to the top of my list to try next.

I have only had the Early Morning Pipe so far, and I had actually not heard about Nightcap being somewhat strong. Truth be told, my brother does not share my enthusiasm for the brown leaf and I felt like I couldn't quite take my time at the shop. Next time I will most likely go alone and do a lot more perusing of my options.

 

[Nsgators]

^^^ What they all said.

Crack that tin open and see what ya got. Get a flat of 1/2 pint mason jars to store the tobacco in after you open it. The 1/2 pints are perfect for a tin. I noticed all of what you got are english blends with latakia. If you are able to get the samples, you may also want to try some Virginia/Perquie blends just to try something different. And maybe a burley blend just to check that out.

It is a requirement......that you try some of the OTC burley blends like Prince Albert and Carter Hall. Carter Hall seems to be the one I dip into the most during the day, and the premium tobaccos are my sit down of an evening after dinner smoke. But that's just me.

I'm sure you are aware that some people think Nightcap is a bit strong in the Vitamin N department. I do like a good strong tobacco before bed though...it seems to make me a bit sleepy.

Keep us posted.

+1

 

[mwinne63]

What a great informative thread.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

So I've been smoking my Kaywoodie estate pipe that I didn't mean to win in an online auction. It's got a stinger in the stem. I've seen on another thread that there are some negative feelings toward stingers. I'm not sure I understand why.

I don't really care for the Kaywoodie compared to my inexpensive Graco I've been smoking. However, it seems like it's just because the stem feels cheap and not because the stinger is doing much. I like the idea of not mistakenly sucking up little tobacco flakes.

I think most of the differences I've noticed with the two pipes is actually due to smoking different tobaccos in each. I've been smoking an aromatic that was cased (is that the right term?) by the local tobacconist in my Graco, and the Kaywoodie has been getting the Dunhill Early Morning Pipe. I do this to avoid the ghosting that everyone talks about.

So the question is... Why all the negativity towards stingers?

 

[Price]

So I've been smoking my Kaywoodie estate pipe that I didn't mean to win in an online auction. It's got a stinger in the stem. I've seen on another thread that there are some negative feelings toward stingers. I'm not sure I understand why.

I don't really care for the Kaywoodie compared to my inexpensive Graco I've been smoking. However, it seems like it's just because the stem feels cheap and not because the stinger is doing much. I like the idea of not mistakenly sucking up little tobacco flakes.

I think most of the differences I've noticed with the two pipes is actually due to smoking different tobaccos in each. I've been smoking an aromatic that was cased (is that the right term?) by the local tobacconist in my Graco, and the Kaywoodie has been getting the Dunhill Early Morning Pipe. I do this to avoid the ghosting that everyone talks about.

So the question is... Why all the negativity towards stingers?

I think generally most people don't like the stingers because you can't run a pipe cleaner through them, and they tend to cause excessive condensation in the stem.

That said, there is no right or wrong...use it if you like it.

 

[alpster]

...... I want to be able to smoke an entire bowl with one light. ......

I would caution against this as a goal. Pipe smoking became most enjoyable for me when I gave up trying to 'keep it lit'. Don't torture yourself with it. You will just burn your pipes & tongue and spoil the flavor of your tobacco. Nothing beats a cool smoke. You have the right idea, pack it properly and different cuts/blends pack differently, but most of all, if it gets hot, STOP for a few minutes let your pipe cool down and lightly tamp and relight. Matches and lighters are cheap and your mouth will thank you.

 

[Hirsute]

I think generally most people don't like the stingers because you can't run a pipe cleaner through them, and they tend to cause excessive condensation in the stem.

That said, there is no right or wrong...use it if you like it.

Yep, agreed. Plus I'll add one more--some styles of stingers have a smaller opening than I like and I feel that the draw is a little restricted. Ok, and I'll add one more with an anecdote. My first pipe way back in college was a Kaywoodie with a stinger. It's the kind where you screw the stinger in to a metal ferrule in the shank. Over time it got overtightened and doesn't align properly anymore. This is fixable, but it's a little bit of a pain. With that said, I enjoyed smoking that pipe and it was my only pipe for about a decade. Easy to unscrew while smoking and stick a cleaner into the shank to get the excess moisture and blow through the stem to clear any moisture there. I still have that pipe and plan to fix the stem at some point. It's caked to hell with Captain Black White because I used it so much and never reamed it.

 

[Alejandro Salemandro]

Can I jump in and ask a new question about tins and storage;

I have read that circular tins maintain integrity better than the square ones. Today I took my collection of tins, square and round, and used electrical tape around the lid. I stretched it tight to create a good seal. What say the experts? Will this project my investment, or am I setting myselfup for disappointment?

My plan is to hold the tins for years for aging purposes. I'd rather not open and jar them all, I've got way too many. Even if a seal lost the vacuum, wouldn't the tape maintain the air seal?

 

[cursethis]

Can I jump in and ask a new question about tins and storage;

I have read that circular tins maintain integrity better than the square ones. Today I took my collection of tins, square and round, and used electrical tape around the lid. I stretched it tight to create a good seal. What say the experts? Will this project my investment, or am I setting myselfup for disappointment?

My plan is to hold the tins for years for aging purposes. I'd rather not open and jar them all, I've got way too many. Even if a seal lost the vacuum, wouldn't the tape maintain the air seal?

If you want to be super duper safe, while still keeping everything in tins, you'd be better off using paraffin wax to seal it.

Personally, I leave everything in the tins unless it's dented. Otherwise, it goes into a mason jar.

 

[Alejandro Salemandro]

If you want to be super duper safe, while still keeping everything in tins, you'd be better off using paraffin wax to seal it.

Interesting. I'm have to look into that. Is it just running a bead around the seal?