Brown Leaf Newbie Check-In & General Chat
- Thread starter Boro62
- Start date
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I'm sold. That's a fabulously strange yet beautiful pipe.
Someone said he smokes while mowing the lawn, maybe a month ago. Today I remembered to try it. I burned a whole bowl worth of tobacco (and probably plenty of grass/dust) in record time and drooled a lot.
Its also amazing how comfortable it Is in the hand while smoking. Using it as a pointing tool to direct the wife and child is also effective!
Hello all! I am completely new to pipe smoking and have been lurking (pronounced 'learning') around here for a while. I have ordered the Savinelli One started kit and it should be here today! Of course, being impulsive and impatient, I ended up buying a cob and some Captain Black Royal tobacco at the local smoke shop this weekend. Terrible pipe but I got 2 attempts at smoking in this weekend. Looking forward to learning more and better smokes in the future!!
Chris
Chris
If it's a Missouri Meerschaum, it's probably the very best pipe you could start smoking with (and one of the best pipes you'll ever smoke). Captain Black is likely to be pretty bad, but sometimes it's decent (more likely for someone with practice).
Oh, its definitely not Missouri Meerschaum!! Its junk. I bought it at the local smoke shop whose main sales are glass pipes if that's any indication 
The stem enters the bowl about 3/4" (no exaggeration) above the bottom, leaving that much tobacco unburned. Its good to practice packing but that's about it. They also had 'wood' pipes (not briar) with metal lined bowls... I don't regret the purchase, it gave me some indication that I have a lot to learn!! I am looking forward to a much better pipe and some highly regarded tobacco samples as well. Hopefully today! I am also going to order a Missouri Meerscahum cob as soon as I finish typing this...
I see that your location is RI. I'm just north and east of Worcester but go to Providence fairly often. Any recommendations for retail stores in the area? I know of Leavitt and Pierce in Boston, but getting in and out of Harvard square is a giant hassle. I plan on going this week though, if I can
Thanks for the reply and advice!! I appreciate it!
Chris
The stem enters the bowl about 3/4" (no exaggeration) above the bottom, leaving that much tobacco unburned. Its good to practice packing but that's about it. They also had 'wood' pipes (not briar) with metal lined bowls... I don't regret the purchase, it gave me some indication that I have a lot to learn!! I am looking forward to a much better pipe and some highly regarded tobacco samples as well. Hopefully today! I am also going to order a Missouri Meerscahum cob as soon as I finish typing this...I see that your location is RI. I'm just north and east of Worcester but go to Providence fairly often. Any recommendations for retail stores in the area? I know of Leavitt and Pierce in Boston, but getting in and out of Harvard square is a giant hassle. I plan on going this week though, if I can
Thanks for the reply and advice!! I appreciate it!
Chris
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Ah, you probably have one of those generic Chinese cobs. I find those to be pretty decent, with their own strengths, but quality of manufacture/consistency is definitely not a strength. You can make some "pipe mud" to raise the bottom out of cigar ash and water/saliva.
I didn't even notice you're in MA! I work near Worcester. There's not a lot of good shops around these parts and it's tough to search for them since every way to try you end up with cigarette stores and head shops. Your best chance of success is to look specifically for cigar shops.
Here's a map I made with what I've found. Some I've actually visited, some not.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zaW3DodhzP-A.kxVTwSHgKxJ8&usp=sharing
The Owl Shop in downtown Worcester is well-known and seems to be liked. I've been in once, but cities make me nervous as did an icy winter day so I couldn't really assess it well. They seem like nice guys there. Their Elm Park seems to be re-labeled Lane 1Q. (FWIW, reportedly Captain Black Royal is also relabeled 1Q, perhaps with more preservatives or maybe the packaging doesn't treat it well.)
The New G&M Grocery And Smoke Shop in the Wendy's plaza at 504 Cambridge Street in Worcester is a little busy/hectic and at first you might not expect to find any decent pipe stuff there when you see all the cigarette and head shop stuff, but they do have a selection of Sutliff tins in addition to the more obvious big sacks of Smoker's Pride. At least, that's how it was when I visited a year or more ago.
Rite Aid drug stores seem to have a decent selection of classic OTC blends. You won't find any English blends but you'll find Burleys and aromatics, probably including the decent Prince Albert Soft Vanilla, maybe Black & Mild, maybe Middleton's "Apple" (just says "Apple" with no brand name), very likely Sir Walter Raleigh/Prince Albert/Carter Hall, and maybe even Sir Walter Raleigh aromatic.
Watch City Cigar on Route 9 in Framingham is supposed to be good.
If you get down to RI at all, the Smithfield Smoke Shop on Cedar Swamp Road just off of 44 near 295 is about as good as it gets around here and has Stokkebye bulk blends. It's expensive but the selection is decent and the proprietor is very nice. Keep going west on 44 and there's a The Pic & Pay Food Mart/Smoke Shop in Greenville, a little convenience store with a good selection of OTCs (similar to the list I wrote for Rite Aid). Go a little bit more south to Atwood Ave in Johnston for ArtJim Smoke Shop which I seem to remember having pipe stuff but I can't remember actually having been in there.
I didn't even notice you're in MA! I work near Worcester. There's not a lot of good shops around these parts and it's tough to search for them since every way to try you end up with cigarette stores and head shops. Your best chance of success is to look specifically for cigar shops.
Here's a map I made with what I've found. Some I've actually visited, some not.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zaW3DodhzP-A.kxVTwSHgKxJ8&usp=sharing
The Owl Shop in downtown Worcester is well-known and seems to be liked. I've been in once, but cities make me nervous as did an icy winter day so I couldn't really assess it well. They seem like nice guys there. Their Elm Park seems to be re-labeled Lane 1Q. (FWIW, reportedly Captain Black Royal is also relabeled 1Q, perhaps with more preservatives or maybe the packaging doesn't treat it well.)
The New G&M Grocery And Smoke Shop in the Wendy's plaza at 504 Cambridge Street in Worcester is a little busy/hectic and at first you might not expect to find any decent pipe stuff there when you see all the cigarette and head shop stuff, but they do have a selection of Sutliff tins in addition to the more obvious big sacks of Smoker's Pride. At least, that's how it was when I visited a year or more ago.
Rite Aid drug stores seem to have a decent selection of classic OTC blends. You won't find any English blends but you'll find Burleys and aromatics, probably including the decent Prince Albert Soft Vanilla, maybe Black & Mild, maybe Middleton's "Apple" (just says "Apple" with no brand name), very likely Sir Walter Raleigh/Prince Albert/Carter Hall, and maybe even Sir Walter Raleigh aromatic.
Watch City Cigar on Route 9 in Framingham is supposed to be good.
If you get down to RI at all, the Smithfield Smoke Shop on Cedar Swamp Road just off of 44 near 295 is about as good as it gets around here and has Stokkebye bulk blends. It's expensive but the selection is decent and the proprietor is very nice. Keep going west on 44 and there's a The Pic & Pay Food Mart/Smoke Shop in Greenville, a little convenience store with a good selection of OTCs (similar to the list I wrote for Rite Aid). Go a little bit more south to Atwood Ave in Johnston for ArtJim Smoke Shop which I seem to remember having pipe stuff but I can't remember actually having been in there.
Wow! Thanks for the info! Looking at the map, i'm bummed that I didn't go to the place in Portsmouth when I was there last week!! I've driven by watch city a million times! Never even thought to stop in. There are a couple up near my son's house in Nashua I'd like to try.
I may try to sneak down to owl city in a few...before traffic gets ridiculous!!
Thanks again for all the info!!
Chris
I may try to sneak down to owl city in a few...before traffic gets ridiculous!!
Thanks again for all the info!!
Chris
Hirsute
Used to have fun with Commander Yellow Pantyhose
Chris, you'll also want to check out LJ Peretti in Boston--better than L&P. I used to live in Boston (and Providence before that), and Peretti is just about the best place you can go that's reasonably close. Lots of pipes and tobacco, lots of knowledge to help you figure out packing, lighting, etc, and it's the kind of place where you can fill your pipe from a jar to sample before you buy and smoke in the store (a real rarity in Mass!).
I'll definitely check it out! I've been in L&P before...back before colonial drug moved. I thought the store was pretty nice, BUT (like colonial drug) since I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt, I got pretty much ignored. I was there checking out razors, ***, etc. The place smells FANTASTIC though!
I just got back from the Owl Shop in Worcester. Great little store, HORRIBLE location!! Right in the middle of downtown
I dislike Worcester anyway and trying to park down there was not fun. Good little shop and the lady that helped me was very informative. She explained some things that I've read a little better and showed me a few things I didn't know. I left with a new pipe, an oz of their 'natural' tobacco and a couple little things I needed. I managed to get a half bowl packed pretty well and smoked it on the way back here. Very enjoyable! I'm afraid I'm hooked lol!!! I've already gone through a bad case of (straight) RAD, mild case of DE RAD and AS AD, and now can see myself wanting to try every variety of tobacco and pipe that there is!! Chris
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So that location really is a pain? I thought it was just me being my weird self.
Nope, its horrible. Unless you enjoy walking through the dregs of society to buy your smoking accessories. Right on Main St in the middle of downtown right by the courthouse. Little to no parking on the street but the city parking garage is right up Pleasant St. When I go again, I'll time it a little better so there isn't as much 'workday' traffic. I missed it the first time and had to circle back...not fun with the normal Worcester crowd much less adding people that work lol!
Chris
Chris
Yeah, I had to circle back once or twice, and it was during freezing rain.
Yup.....same thing when I tried to smoke and mow too, not the best idea.
Kilroy6644
Smoking a corn dog in aviators and a top hat
Today is J.R.R. Tolkien's death day, so have a bowl in his honor. Especially if it's a churchwarden full of Capstan.
I do it. I'm a drooler.
I'm gonna be mowing the lawn today with a pipe as well. It helps me keep focused on the lines.
Update:
Rite Aid (at least that one on 44 in Smithfield RI) has no pipe tobacco at all, not even tax-dodge RYO cigarette tobacco labeled as "pipe tobacco". There were empty areas of shelf where I would expect it to be. Maybe the closeout that was mentioned was for the whole chain, not just an individual location.
The Pic & Pay Food Mart/Smoke Shop doesn't have as much selection anymore, but they still have Captain Black white/Royal/light, Carter Hall, and I think Prince Albert regular.
