What was your first pipe experience like?

Hey everyone, I had posted in the newbie section, and ended my painfully long debut post with a question about suggestions. I had also mentioned that I know it's opening a can of worms to ask everyone here what they think I should start with....but I figure we all had to learn at some point, so where would be better. B&B has been great to me so far with knowledge, so why change where I get the info from if it's been sound advice so far?

Anyway, I have NEVER smoked a pipe or anything of the nature. Tried cigarette's TWICE in my life and never liked them enough to try again. I don't really understand or like the idea of a cigar either. I very seldom use chewing tobacco when I'm working outside in the yard or on a vehicle or in the garage on a project. The chewing tobacco is the extent of my "experience" and I've only ever had a couple very commercial brands from gas stations, and usually the pack dries out before I even finish it. But having dove into the nostalgia of classic shaving (both DE and SR), has primed me to continue to try nostalgic things, because I like the idea and what it stands for. So...any suggestions on a first pipe? First tobacco? Basically the entire process because I have no idea where to even start, and would rather not walk into a cigar shop and say, "screw me with expensive things because I'd like to experiment".

So in the essence of teaching me things, I'd like you guys to offer up some advice in the form of what you learned from your first experience, through mistakes, through luck, however you learned. And tell me about your first experience all together. What pipe did you use, do you still use it? Why or why not? Same with the tobacco. Take a trip down memory lane. Thanks!

AVOID the OTC aromatics ! At least at first. As a teenager and non smoker, I first tried some Borkum Riff in a no name cheap briar pipe, tasted nothing like it smelled like in the pouch, burnt my tongue (beginner's poor technique) and put me off of trying again for about 40 years! Buy a Missouri Meerschaum cob pipe. They smoke well and are cheap. Try some Carter Hall, Half and Half or Prince Albert for your first smokes. Learn to sip the pipe gently, everyone starts out puffing too hard and burns their tongue. It's like learning to use "no pressure" when first shaving. Captain Black in the White pouch would be a good choice for something with a bit more flavor. READ the stickies. Particularly this one: https://pipedia.org/wiki/The_Complete_Corncob_primer

I inherited a pipe from my great-grandfather. Nothing special, and in fact he never smoked it -- when he quit smoking, he bought this pipe just to have something to hold/clench. It's just a Jobey bent billiard (curse that tenon!!!!) so nothing collectible, but it has a lot of value to me because of who it belonged to.

Anyhow, one day I was in a mall that had a tobacconist, and on a whim I stopped by to check out the pipe tobacco -- I had always loved the scent. I ended up getting a "Highland Whiskey" aromatic (rebranded Stokkebye) and a tamp. I had no idea what I was doing, but the guys at the shop gave me some pointers. When I got home, I loaded the pipe and lit up. It wasn't a great experience, but it was nice enough that I kept trying, and my experience improved over time. I worked through that 4 ounces, and tried some other aromatics (vanilla, cherry...the usual suspects). My experience totally changed when I tried Peterson's Old Dublin. I quickly moved away from aromatics and into English/Balkan blends, then into Virginias (and Va/Pers), then into burleys. Now I smoke a little bit of everything, although I tend not to smoke aromatics very often.

Like John said, I would advise a beginner to stay away from strong aromatics at first. Imperfect packing, puffing, and tamping can really make them harsh and nasty. The OTC burley blends are best (I prefer Carter Hall). Even though most of them are at least slightly aromatic, they are very forgiving. I love complex blends, but I often crave the simplicity of burley. BTW, for me the king of all the burleys is Wilke Nut Brown Burley. That blend is closely followed by Solani Aged Burley Flake. These are the Rolls Royce blends in a category of Corollas and Civics. Nothing wrong with Corollas or Civics, they're great daily drivers. But the Wilke and Solani burleys are something special.

The suggestion of a corncob pipe is also a good one. They're cheap, they have an easy draw (I always remove the filter), and it's not such a big deal if dropped, or if the new smoker decides pipes aren't his/her cup of tea.

My first experience was in November. It was cold and I bought a meerschaum (still have it but don't smoke it). I don't recall what I smoked. I just remember being comically confused on how tight to pack it, puff on it, etc. I remember it wasn't the best outcome but it was enjoyable enough for me to keep trying. Now it's second nature and I greatly enjoy the hobby. I think when picking your first tobacco you should buy OTC, and buy whatever your nose tells you to buy. If it's the cherry cordial, or the green apple, or whiskey, or straight Virginia, buy it and try it by the single ounce. Get a few varieties and let the world of pipe tobacco take you where you're supposed to end up.

nortac said:

AVOID the OTC aromatics ! At least at first. As a teenager and non smoker, I first tried some Borkum Riff in a no name cheap briar pipe, tasted nothing like it smelled like in the pouch, burnt my tongue (beginner's poor technique) and put me off of trying again for about 40 years! Buy a Missouri Meerschaum cob pipe. They smoke well and are cheap. Try some Carter Hall, Half and Half or Prince Albert for your first smokes. Learn to sip the pipe gently, everyone starts out puffing too hard and burns their tongue. It's like learning to use "no pressure" when first shaving. Captain Black in the White pouch would be a good choice for something with a bit more flavor. READ the stickies. Particularly this one: https://pipedia.org/wiki/The_Complete_Corncob_primer

Click to expand...

+1, sipping is the technique!

My very first pipe smoking experience was fun, but it really wasn't quite what I like about smoking a pipe. It was a cheap, small pipe with an aromatic tobacco named "Rum Runner." I had no idea what I was doing--how to pack, how to light, or how to smoke--but it looked cool and it tasted a hell of a lot better than the cigarettes some of my friends were smoking or the dried out Swisher Sweets or Dutch Masters I could pick up at the drugstore. This is all getting close to thirty years ago and when selling tobacco to a high school student wasn't an issue. I'm pretty sure it wasn't even illegal yet. The best part of the whole experience was that I did get to go to a good tobacconist who enjoyed talking with me about pipes and tobacco, and it was a more pipe oriented shop (a Tinder Box at the local mall). At the time, cigars had not caught on anything like they have since. I continued to play around with a couple other bulk and drugstore blends, but I eventually just let it go by the wayside.

My first pipe experience that was more like what I think of pipe smoking happened about a couple years later, once I was in college. A few of us were sitting around just shooting the breeze when someone mentioned that they'd always been curious about smoking a pipe. I replied that I had done it and that it was "pretty cool" or something like that. They next thing you know, we're all piling into a car or two and heading over to the local shop, another good pipe-oriented tobacconist (I think it was Uptown, in Nashville). We all bought decent pipes and a few ounces of good, bulk tobacco. I would up with some medium English blend or, maybe, some sort of "detective" blend. In any case, it was good stuff. Shoot, I even got a pretty good rusticated Savinelli that must have been on sale (because I don't know how else I could have afforded it at the time). We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening hanging out and enjoying our new pipes. It was quite nice--a very fond memory.

So, what I learned:

-- If you have a local shop that does some decent pipe business, go over there and chat. If they have bulk blends in jars, then you're probably in a decent spot. If they have all of three brands of tinned tobacco and no pipes but a humidor that's larger than your first apartment, you probably aren't going to get much out of it. Still, there's no substitute for actually laying your hands on the stuff (and your nose on the leaf). Even better is getting the chance to converse with someone knowledgeable or even passionate. Don't worry about getting screwed because you're new. If it's a good shop, that won't be a problem. If it's the sort of place that is looking to screw you, I expect you'll pick up on that.

-- If you want to go with the pouch tobacco, the other guys have mentioned some good places to start. Avoid anything cherry. It might sound wonderful, but I don't know if there is a decent one on the market, anymore. You're asking for a bad time if you get a cherry blend. If you have a local, see about a mild blend that is burley forward, as burley is good about burning cool. A good store also will let you sample (especially if you wind up buying a pipe from them--even a cob).

-- A cob pipe is a fine place to start, but keep in mind that they are not for everyone. You might be one of those. I'm not too keen on cobs, myself, but I still enjoy one from time to time. You can't beat the value for the money, especially if you are just sticking your toe in to test the water. If money were no object, I would always point a beginner to a meerschaum, since they smoke cool and aren't at all fussy, but not everyone wants to start off by laying out $100, give or take, on the pipe (you can find meers for more like $50, but they may not be all that great). You can get a very decent briar for under $100, but they might be a little fussy for a brand new smoker. One great advantage about the price of cobs is that you can buy two or three of them to avoid "ghosting" issues while sampling tobacco.

-- Take your time, and don't fret if you find yourself relighting a bunch or anything else like that. It takes a little time to figure out stuff like loading, moisture, lighting, and smoking pace. Just relax, and you'll get there. Don't hesitate to try something different if things don't seem to be working out (or even if they do).

-- Especially if you have a good, local store, bulk tobacco is the way to go for a while when you're getting started. You can buy an ounce or two as a sample and try all sorts of varieties. If you find something that really turns you on, it'll probably be even cheaper to buy in larger quantities.

-- With all this talk, don't worry to much about laying out a whole bunch of money to try things out. A $5 cob, a $2 Czech tool (or a $1 pipe nail), a couple or few ounces of bulk tobacco, and a pack of pipe cleaners will get you all set up. Upgrade from there as you desire.

I started dabbling about 3 years ago. I had been a cigar smoker for over 10 years before I tried my first pipe. I had a cheap briar basket pipe but my first smoke was Lane 1Q in a MM Cob. I was a nice change of pace after a heavy cigar but I thought there had to be something more substantial. Shortly after I picked up a quality briar and moved on to English blends like Peter Stokkebye Proper English and C&D Star of the East and started building up a respectable collection. My first epiphany smoke where I thought "This is damn good" was smoking H&H White Knight in a Castello Billiard. I'm not an everyday pipe smoker and I still smoke cigars on a regular basis but most of the time I will smoke a bowl or two every week.

My first time was with a Missouri Meerschaum from the drug store and some Borkum Riff. At our farm when I was in high school. We used to smoke pipes and cigars (Swisher Sweets, White Owls, and others) in high school, but that was in the mid 1970's and I have not smoked since.

Mine was very pleasant. It was Dunhill Early Morning Pipe packed in a GBD Midnight billiard. Both of which I had recently been PIFed at the time. It was a pleasant experience for me. Six months later, I now have over 30 pipes and around 50 pounds of tobacco! This is a link to the PIF thread where I very briefly give my first impressions: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/484804-Pipe-PIF

I still use the pipe, but not very often. It started out as a gurgler, and it still is one. When it was warm and dry in the middle of this past summer it didn't gurgle much, but it's been humid in these parts lately, so I have a feeling that it'd bubble a bit if I packed it up and gave it a roll tonight. It was great for me to start out with, but I had also acquired a corn cob pipe and a bent Rhodesian that was dedicated to aromatics, so I had three pipes to play with different blends without a risk of mixing the flavors of different styles of blends.

Check out this sticky to learn some more about pipes, tobacco, and the Brown Leaf: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/433874-Gentleman-s-Guide-to-the-Leaf

Trying small amounts of multiple different types of tobaccos is key to start with. The more tobaccos that you try and learn, the more you will be able to know what you are going to like and what you won't like.

Learn how to pack it properly, but keep in mind, there are many different ways to pack a pipe. Long story short, review a few packing methods, try them out, and choose which works best for your pipe and your tobacco.

Slow and steady wins the race. I got lucky with my first few bowls. My next few I chiefed pretty hard and didn't have as nice of an experience as I could have had. Learn how to sip your pipe and learn how to get a nice cadence with each of your pipes and tobaccos. Knowing how and when to puff will help you to keep your pipe going without getting it too hot or needing to relight it.

I remember a member saying to me in one of these threads something like, "Don't pick your pipe, let your pipe pick you." The Brown Leaf AD can set in pretty fast and pretty heavy. Personally, I'd say wait off until buying any big league pipes until you know a bit more about what you like. With that being said, start doing some research on trustworthy pipe manufacturers. It's daunting at first, but I've probably passed up some worthwhile pipes in antique stores in the beginning because I didn't know what to look for. In the same vein, don't be afraid to pick up a pipe if it speaks to you and looks to function properly. A few of my favorite pipes I got when I was first starting out and just shooting from the hip. It's like with finding shaving gear, sometimes it's like a craps-shoot, and sometimes the cards are stacked in your favor. The more you get into pipes, the better you'll be able to tell when a pipe might be worth it or not.

I wish you well on your pipe journey!

Boy , my first Pipe Smoking experience ... hmmm . I was about 14 , I think , and it was a Corn Cobb with Prince Albert . I'd been helping build a deer hunting cabin in the middle of nowhere , with a friend's Grandfather supervising (smoking like a freight train , cigs) . After working I'd fire up the pipe , and relax . There's a picture somewhere after we finished all sitting around on the porch with me and the grandson puffing away . It always was relaxing and a restful feeling .

Before that was when I was little just being around my great uncles smoking pipes , and one a cigar . They all smelled So Good ! Plus my Grandfather's camels or lucky strikes . Cigarettes smelled better back then , now they stink , no good flavor like they used to have .

After my #2 wife started smoking cigs occasionally , I bought a Pipe : Savinelli Duca Billiard ($25 , if that) , and started with store blend (probably Peter Stokkebye's) Vanilla Cavendish , smelled great , gooey mess , tasted fair , but bit the tongue if you weren't careful . Got a few more Pipes , a cob , and some others , then eventually tried Savinelli's English , LOVED IT ! (discontinued BTW) Good Bye Aromatics (and goo), Hello English . Some were misses , but others I loved . Taste changes . More Pipes and tobacco , started PAD (UGH !) , went Dingaling , but finally came to my senses . Got hung up on Balkens for a long time , with Virginias like Orlik Golden Sliced :All Good Judges Know , and Rattray's Marlin Flake , I guess Virginia with Perique , Mac Baren No 1 Virginia , and Navy Blend , and others . Then just kept going : Adventures in Pipe Smoking .

I still see Pipes I would like , but I have so many , and I get into rotations of some for a while , then others . Some I call my Flake Pipes , others Latakia Pipes , and then Virginias . One or two for a Aromatic just incase .

But Prince Albert is a good starter , and not over powering , mild . Cobs are more forgiving as far as not ghosting . But I don't own one right now .

My first experience was okay. The thing kept going out, and I was disappointed the stuff didn't taste the way it smelled, but I kept trying. Then after several, several months of trying and failing to both keep the pipe lit and not burn my tongue I gave up. Dumped all my pipe stuff in the garbage back in the summer. It's a shame, because the few times I got it to work it was enjoyable. And a pipe is much, much better to smoke while reading compared to a cigar.