Is this cheap pipe even worth trying? (& other beginner questions)

[Artistik]

I have heard of people having smoked the same cob for 10+ years. For some, they smoke as well or better than a quality(?) briar.

[OnTheRoadToZen]

Thanks a lot everyone for informative answers! I'll definitely try a corn cob first then! If I like it, I can move on to other pipes later. pipesbyjake seems to have a lot of nice refurbished pipes, and nice prices as well! I'm in Norway, where tobacco is heavily taxed. Orders from other countries with a value of NOK 200 (= ~ $33 right now) or more are also subject to extra taxes (except for books..), so I try to avoid that...

It's friday night here, and I'm tired from too little sleep and too much work the last days, but again: thanks a lot for your input! I really like this forum and you people!

[TheClassicGentleman]

I personally would not smoke that pipe, I would get a nice corbcob from Missouri Meerschaum for about $6 to $8 that smokes way better than this one ever could and will last a long time. They are not simply for beginners and they make some that look pretty nice like this one

This is a Missouri Meerschaum Country Gentleman, it comes in straight or bent; I prefer bent.

Other alternatives are in local smoke shops, they have pipes made out of mahogany or cherry most require a 9mm filter, they smoke very well for the price and are pretty nice like this one



Dr. Grabow also makes some nice pipes too, they are a little more expensive; around $30 a piece, but they are very nice pipes for the price and you can find them in local stores like RiteAid and Walgreens and they require a 6mm filter

This one is a Dr. Grabow Omega, I get a lot of compliments whenever I smoke this one in public.

Have you decided what type of tobacco you want to try?

Cavendish blends are nice and an excellent start for beginners of the pipe. I started with natural cavendish in my first pipe and through the years have tried other more full bodied blends like English and Balkan blend, but I always come back to cavendish blends like Captain Black Royal or Grant's Macon Supreme. IN the long run its all about personal choice and what you like as a person.

[bnalley]

The cob does have that uniquely American backwoods hillbilly look about it. I can say that because I'm southern a born and bred Arkansas boy, Whooo Pig Souie! but don't let that scare you away from one. They truely are great smoking pipes, but I would buy a "forever stem" to go with your cob. I believe there is a link to forver stems on the Missouri Meerchaum site. You won't be disappointed with the MM, They smoke as fine as frog hair split two ways.
Yes, I just said that!

[TheClassicGentleman]

The cob does have that uniquely American backwoods hillbilly look about it. I can say that because I'm southern a born and bred Arkansas boy, Whooo Pig Souie! but don't let that scare you away from one. They truely are great smoking pipes, but I would buy a "forever stem" to go with your cob. I believe there is a link to forver stems on the Missouri Meerchaum site. You won't be disappointed with the MM, They smoke as fine as frog hair split two ways.
Yes, I just said that!

LOL!! You're crazy my Southern brother.

Here is the link for Forever Stems, they are made by Walker Briar Works

http://www.walkerbriarworks.com/html...er__stems.html

They have a wonderful assortment of stems to choose one so you can create a truly unique corn cob. I like the Black Rose stem color.

[Stevew443]

Thanks a lot everyone for informative answers! I'll definitely try a corn cob first then! If I like it, I can move on to other pipes later. pipesbyjake seems to have a lot of nice refurbished pipes, and nice prices as well! I'm in Norway, where tobacco is heavily taxed. Orders from other countries with a value of NOK 200 (= ~ $33 right now) or more are also subject to extra taxes (except for books..), so I try to avoid that...

It's friday night here, and I'm tired from too little sleep and too much work the last days, but again: thanks a lot for your input! I really like this forum and you people!

But you can get Troost Slices there in Norway, can't you? That is an excellent tobacco. I had a friend who used to send me a tin or two every now and again. I would send him some of my home blended tobacco and mark it as hobby supplies to get through customs. I used to send tobacco all over the world and not once did customs catch on and tax my tobacco.

[cb91710]

LOL!! You're crazy my Southern brother.

Here is the link for Forever Stems, they are made by Walker Briar Works

http://www.walkerbriarworks.com/html...er__stems.html

They have a wonderful assortment of stems to choose one so you can create a truly unique corn cob. I like the Black Rose stem color.

LOL at putting a $25 stem on a $7 cob.










I ordered two

[TheClassicGentleman]

LOL at putting a $25 stem on a $7 cob.










I ordered two

I know it's rediculous right? LOL and you ordered two ROFLMAO! Well thats better than me, I have more than 12 cobs and I ordered forever stems for all of them LOL!

Don't tell my fiance, she'll kill me

[cb91710]

I know it's rediculous right? LOL and you ordered two ROFLMAO! Well thats better than me, I have more than 12 cobs and I ordered forever stems for all of them LOL!

I forgot to grab a Pete on the way out the door Thursday, so on break I picked up an MM from CVS. Figured I'd let this one "live" in the glovebox for the days that I forget to grab a Pete.

It was a very enjoyable smoke, though I don't care for the bit shape and it's hard to get a cleaner through the stem angle.

So when I got home, I ordered a Country Gent and "a few" amber stems in both straight and bent. That order was almost $50.

Then remembered the "Forever Stem" and spent the next hour debating between one of the long "mini churchwarden" stems or a basic "spear" replacement. The Spear won.




Then I ordered a Stetson Panama hat

[conroygc]

I forgot to grab a Pete on the way out the door Thursday, so on break I picked up an MM from CVS. Figured I'd let this one "live" in the glovebox for the days that I forget to grab a Pete.

It was a very enjoyable smoke, though I don't care for the bit shape and it's hard to get a cleaner through the stem angle.

So when I got home, I ordered a Country Gent and "a few" amber stems in both straight and bent. That order was almost $50.

Then remembered the "Forever Stem" and spent the next hour debating between one of the long "mini churchwarden" stems or a basic "spear" replacement. The Spear won.




Then I ordered a Stetson Panama hat

That right there is a good day! You're mailman is going to be your best friend (or enemy) for the next little while.

[haiku44]

The post master has given me a hard time the last couple months about how many packages I'm getting. I only have a small po box so they have to write out a card when I get a package that won't fit. Pretty sure she is getting tired of seeing my face at this point. Haha.

That right there is a good day! You're mailman is going to be your best friend (or enemy) for the next little while.

[cb91710]

That right there is a good day! You're mailman is going to be your best friend (or enemy) for the next little while.

The post master has given me a hard time the last couple months about how many packages I'm getting. I only have a small po box so they have to write out a card when I get a package that won't fit. Pretty sure she is getting tired of seeing my face at this point. Haha.

That's the norm here.
I'm getting something every couple of weeks, maybe less, but SWMBO gets something every couple of days.
Combination of things... she's on disability and her pharmacy mails her drugs to her, so those are signature needed anyways, but she has her hobby/business making necklaces. She buys her materials on eBay and other online sellers and sells locally at places like Woman's Spirit and Goddess Temple. She doesn't make much money... I'd call it more of a self-supporting hobby, but it gives her something to do and doesn't cost anything.

I too live in a condo complex and have only a 4x4 box, but the carrier doesn't need to fill out a card unless nobody is home (or he's being too lazy to walk the 50ft from the boxes to our door).
UPS and DHL/Cal-Overnight are great. We've had a LOT of problems with FedEx. SWMBO sat in front watching the street one day for the entire afternoon. FedEx truck never came down the street.
Tracking showed "Business closed or resident not home"
This is an every-time thing with FedEx ground out of the Industry depot. Overnight out of Ontario is never a problem.

[haiku44]

There is no home delivery for the postal service where I live so it's a box at the post office. I get nothing but problems with DHL (which doesn't even come here anymore) and the Fedex ground person. Fedex express is always great.

I almost took a picture of the package they put in my box yesterday. It was so crammed in there I had to cut the box open, take out the pipe, and dismantle the box to get it out. Does beat having to wait till tuesday this week to get it though.

That's the norm here.
I'm getting something every couple of weeks, maybe less, but SWMBO gets something every couple of days.
Combination of things... she's on disability and her pharmacy mails her drugs to her, so those are signature needed anyways, but she has her hobby/business making necklaces. She buys her materials on eBay and other online sellers and sells locally at places like Woman's Spirit and Goddess Temple. She doesn't make much money... I'd call it more of a self-supporting hobby, but it gives her something to do and doesn't cost anything.

I too live in a condo complex and have only a 4x4 box, but the carrier doesn't need to fill out a card unless nobody is home (or he's being too lazy to walk the 50ft from the boxes to our door).
UPS and DHL/Cal-Overnight are great. We've had a LOT of problems with FedEx. SWMBO sat in front watching the street one day for the entire afternoon. FedEx truck never came down the street.
Tracking showed "Business closed or resident not home"
This is an every-time thing with FedEx ground out of the Industry depot. Overnight out of Ontario is never a problem.

[DC_MPA]

We get that same crappy service here from our post office. I've had to literally cut boxes out of my mailbox before too. What's even worse, my Masters degree diploma was folded in half to shove it in my mailbox. The university had stamped all over it "DO NOT BEND" and yet they still folded that sucker in a "V" and smashed it in. One gets fed up calling and bitching about the poor service when nothing is ever done. I am a citizen who does not mind seeing all the layoffs at the post office. I get sick of going into a post office and they are in their tshirt, jeans, and sneakers and act like their job is below their standards. Sorry for the rant, but I feel your pain.

[haiku44]

Wow. Thankfully they've never ruined anything putting it in my box. All the lapping film I got with a do not bend stamp got put aside for me to pick up in person. Only 3 people work at this office so figuring out who ruined something would be crazy easy.

We get that same crappy service here from our post office. I've had to literally cut boxes out of my mailbox before too. What's even worse, my Masters degree diploma was folded in half to shove it in my mailbox. The university had stamped all over it "DO NOT BEND" and yet they still folded that sucker in a "V" and smashed it in. One gets fed up calling and bitching about the poor service when nothing is ever done. I am a citizen who does not mind seeing all the layoffs at the post office. I get sick of going into a post office and they are in their tshirt, jeans, and sneakers and act like their job is below their standards. Sorry for the rant, but I feel your pain.