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Pipes

So I'm a college student, and cigars are quite expensive. Especially mine, I have expensive tastes (got started on Ashtons and love them). I just bought a humidor and I've pretty much depleted my bank account trying to fill it.

Several of my friends who have been smoking longer than I have keep suggesting I start smoking a pipe, because pipe tobacco is so much cheaper. That's kind of interesting to me, but I'm wondering if anyone has any tips on pipes for a newbie.

Also, is it a good idea to store pipe tobacco in a humidor? Or is storing pipe tobacco not as difficult as storing cigars?
 
To add what Rob said, you can buy an inexpensive pipe from Walgreens. They are decent quality. As far storing tobacco, I really don't worry about my humidity as I do with my cigars. I keep my tobacco stored in mason jars sitting on a shelf in my library. About 15 minutes before i plan to smoke, I put some tobacco on a paper towel and allow it to dry a little. A good rule of thumb (pun intended) is to squeeze the tobacco between your thumb and index finger and let it fall onto the paper towel. If it sticks to itself, then it is a little moist and will be hell to keep lit. After about 10-15 minutes on the towel, squeeze it together again, if it does not stick to itself, it should smoke fine. Anyhow thats what works for me.


DL
 
Funny you should post this. I recently went back to my pipes. I have close to 200 cigars in my humidors that I fell are getting neglected no, and I don't care. Frankly, I'm thinking about selling most, if not all, of them.

Back to the pipes. I recommend smoking partial bowls at first to build up a good heel cake, say half bowls for the first 10-15 or so. This will help make your smoke cool and dry.

One thing that I started doing was putting a papertowl in my pipe after dumping it and giving it a couple of twists making the char cake thin and hard.

Take all this with a grain of salt. Smoke what you like and like what you smoke.
 
Calabresi Pipes can be had in the $20-30 range and are quite nice.

Dunhill, Rattray, Peterson, and MacBaren are some good tobaccos to try.

I get a can of Dunhill for $8 and it is about 20 bowls worth so WAY more economical than cigars.
 
If you're a cigar guy dabbling in pipes or a long time pipe guy that fancies a rather stout cigarish burley, I have but 3 words for you, OLD JOE KRANTZ. This blend by Cornell and Diehl is absolutely TOP SHELF. In my estimation probably the best pipe tobacco currently on the market.
 
As far as storing tobacco, don't store pipe tobacco the same way you do cigars. Pipe tobacco needs to be stored like wine- in a cool, dark place devoid of excess humidity. I personally don't let mine get past 30 % Rh.

That's pretty much entirely unlike how one should store wine (well, at least the low humidity part).

Personally, I don't bother to store my pipe tobacco. I buy it by the pouch, and it lasts just fine.
 
All excellent advice. To add my two cents, start with a Missouri Meerschaum corn cob. These are inexpensive and very user friendly. Also pick up a tamper and some pipe cleaners. After each bowl you smoke, run a pipe cleaner from the bit (the part you place in your mouth) down into the bowl. Do this once or twice. Then rest the pipe, bit up, and allow it to dry between smokes.

As for what to smoke, I would recommend Frog Morton by Mc Clelland. This is a nice mild cool smoking tobacco that is very forgiving. I have found that most "drugstore" aromatics (i.e. Captain Black) tend to smoke hot and bite the tongue. This does not lead to a pleasant initial experience and can be quite a turn off. I also store my tobacco in Mason jars in a cool dark cabinet. Good luck to you.
 
What exactly is Missouri Meerschaum? I'm guessing (given that it's recommended to start with) that it's very different from Turkish Meerschaum pipes?
 
If you think RAD, SCAD, SAD and all of the other AD's associated with shaving are expensive just wait until the PAD (Pipe Acquisition Disorder) and TAD (Tobacco Acquisition Disorder) sets in. :001_tt1: Pretty soon you will be commissioning hand carved pipes and storing tobaccos in Mason jars. You are warned.:smile:
 
So I'm a college student, and cigars are quite expensive. Especially mine, I have expensive tastes (got started on Ashtons and love them). I just bought a humidor and I've pretty much depleted my bank account trying to fill it.

Several of my friends who have been smoking longer than I have keep suggesting I start smoking a pipe, because pipe tobacco is so much cheaper. That's kind of interesting to me, but I'm wondering if anyone has any tips on pipes for a newbie.

Also, is it a good idea to store pipe tobacco in a humidor? Or is storing pipe tobacco not as difficult as storing cigars?

There are several on line sources that sell pipe "factory seconds" on the cheap that are extremely good.

I smoke cigars and pipes and enjoy both for different reasons.

As a previous poster said you can catch PAD and TAD pretty easy, but the other interesting thing I have found is pipe smoking is a lot bigger hit with the fairer sex than cigar smoking.
 
So I just picked up my first pipe.

I popped over to the local smoke shop and pleaded newbiness. Guy was very helpful. The cheapest pipes they had were $20 and they went up from there. The cheap pipes were in a basket and he said to just pick through and find one that felt nice in the hand. We then went over to the tobacco wall, and they certainly specialized in their own blends. They had large mason jars with locking lids labeled with all the house blends. I also noticed a few tins, namely Frog Morton Across the Pond and Around the Town. He recommended their most popular blend - a cavendish blend that he said smoked nice and cool. The first ounce is free with a pipe purchase. So I went with a briarwood pipe made in Italy with the cobbled outside texture, a bag of $2 pipe cleaners, the blend and some matches. Now off to watch the Frank method video...
 
I think it was around this time last year that I got my first cob. All this recent pipe talk has got me thinking that it's time to run and grab a new one since I broke the stem on my current rig. Lord knows I've got plenty of tobacco to smoke in it...:rolleyes:
 
I'll second the bit about buying a cheap pipe for your first time. I think you can get the cheapie packaged burl ones from the supermarket for around $12, they'll work fine.

Do yourself a favor, though. Don't buy the little plastic packs of tobacco from the store (Captain Black etc). Buy some loose tobacco from the smoke shop, it's cheaper (usually) and smokes 10x better.

Get a pipe tool and remeber pipe cleaners, if you're like me you'll forget anyway :lol:

After a few smokes if it starts to taste bitter, use a cleaner dipped in some whiskey. Run a dry cleaner right after and let it sit overnight.

I've found you really need to keep up on cleaning it or it'll sour and taste horrible.

Most smoke shops sell used pipes too, called "Estate" pipes that are significantly cheaper than new ones.

Good luck :)
 
Do yourself a favor, though. Don't buy the little plastic packs of tobacco from the store (Captain Black etc). Buy some loose tobacco from the smoke shop, it's cheaper (usually) and smokes 10x better.

Get a pipe tool and remeber pipe cleaners, if you're like me you'll forget anyway :lol:

After a few smokes if it starts to taste bitter, use a cleaner dipped in some whiskey. Run a dry cleaner right after and let it sit overnight.

Yeah do not buy "drug store weed" order good stuff online or go to a good smoke shop, might look at your local Walgreens to see what to avoid.

I have not thought of using whiskey to clean pipes before. I have always used 70% rubbing alcohol with no ill effects.
 
speaking of store stuff, i bought a bag of admirals choice vanilla cavendish a little while back. you let that stuff dry out some and its not half bad. turns out being a great deal for the money.
 
Echo all of what has been said.
I would add only one thing - if you do buy an inexpensive briar take some fine sandpaper and remove the varnish from the exterior - it's there to make the pipe look pretty, but the problem is that it prevents the wood from "breathing".
Quality pipes are polished rather than varnished.
Best of luck.

Cordially, AvT.
 
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