Dedicating Pipes to Tobacco Blends

[Perique]

I was just smoking a pipe dedicated to a certain tobacco and was thinking: is it just me? Certain pipes and tobaccos seem to find each other. I also seem to be sensitive to prior subtle ghosts - enough so that I'll intentionally smoke one blend in a pipe in anticipation of the next blend because I like the effect of the subtle and temporary ghosting. Flip side is I'll avoid some other blends in certain pipes where I don't want to taste the ghost.  I suppose this has resulted in my dedicating a number of pipes to specific tobaccos.
I have several dedicated to particular styles, but here are my true dedicated one-blend combos: 2 different pipes dedicated to Escudo, 2 dedicated to Haddo's Delight, 1 dedicated to Anniversary Kake, and 1 dedicated to Barbary Coast.  I suppose I also have one pipe that is unofficially dedicated to LNF, by default, because that's all I tend to smoke in it.  And, finally, I have another that while not specifically dedicated to LBF may as well be, since it's such a great combo I tend to stick with it.
What are your dedicated combos?

 

[neverknowsbest]

I have observed this as a retail tobacconist:
Most pipe smokers with more than one pipe separate their pipes into at least those for aromatics and those for non-aromatics (if aromatics at all).
A majority subset of these pipe smokers separate their pipes into aromatics, Virginia, and English, and that's as far as most go.
I only see the pipes dedicated to specific blends thing among pipe smokers with many pipes and many years under their belts and/or pipe smokers with a fine sensitivity to the changing flavors of a blend.
Personally, I have corn cobs and clays for aromatics. I then have an "old-school Burley / American-English" pipe, then several Virginia pipes, and then many English pipes. I only have one pipe dedicated to one blend, and that is a Bill Shalosky pipe I have committed to Exotique.

 

[thesmokindragon]

I dedicate pipes to types of blends; English, Vs, Aros and then I have

pipes for specific blends...gives me excuse to buy more pipes I guess

;-)

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I have a few pipes I smoke only aromatics in and the rest are dedicated to English and non-aromatic blends. Something that I do different is I only smoke Mississippi River in my Savinelli 645 Bent Apple Short Pipe; however, I do smoke other blends in that pipe. For some reason I just prefer to smoke Mississippi River in that pipe only.

 

[drwatson]

Most of mine are for aros, have two or three for english. Thats about as far as I go.

 

[wadmacallit]

4 pipes for any latakia blend. 1 pipe specified for nightcap. 1 vaper pipe, 3vir/bur pipes, 2 virginia pipes, and 1 dedicated to dunhill flake. 2 aro pipes that i have to clean and ream real good because i only smoked aros for a month or two.

 

[judcole]

I have one pipe that is dedicated to a specific blend, and that's a Stan I dedicate to Murdock's Pipe from McCranie's. When I discovered the blend, I fell in love with it immediately. It smoked so brilliantly in that Stan that I decided to dedicate that pipe to to it.

 

[gmwolford]

When I first started I just did not get this concept at all. After a while now I have learned to understand it and watch for it. I don't know why, maybe it's the bowl shape, but some blends do taste better to me in certain pipes. And I have enough pipes now in my rotation that I can separate some for English, Balkans, some for Va/VaPers, and a couple for burley/aromatics, though mostly the aros go into cobs.

 

[rmbittner]

I smoke way too many different blends to dedicate pipes to each one. But as others do, I dedicate pipes to specific styles. Because of what I enjoy, I have pipes dedicated to English blends, Balkans, straight Virginias, Virginia/burleys, and a small handful set aside for the very rare occasions when I want an aromatic. I also have some of my most favorite pipes dedicated to Penzance. the only blend-specific pipes I have. (If I were going to expand on this at all, I could see setting aside a range of pipes for Virginia/cavendish blends like Jocks Mixture and McClelland's Anniversary, two favorites.)
I will say this: I've found that oil-cured pipes seem to really bring out great flavors in Virginia-dominant blends. So my Dunhills and Radices tend to be concentrated there.
Bob

 

[lumberjakpipester]

I don't have any blend specific pipes but I do dedicate by type. My Brighams are my aromatic pipes, my smaller Billiards and Dublin are for Va flakes, and my less valuable "beaters" are my English/Balkan pipes, as I smoke those blends outdoors and I don't really want to go hiking with a pricey pipe.

 

[yazamitaz]

I am also in the camp of dedicating pipes to blends, not necessarily tobaccos, but I am still getting my feet wet here and in a year I may have 5 pipes dedicated to 5 tobacccos. I look forward to revisiting this around Christmas and see if I have changed my thought process on that

 

[crpntr1]

I have a Pete 303 dedicated to FVF and thats the only pipe I smoke it in, I have a Pete 69 that I only smoke VaPers in, but I do smoke VaPers in other pipes too...I have a Baachus meer for Englishs but I only smoke them a few times a year now...The rest will smoke whatever I load in them. I don't smoke any stout aros, 1Q, Erinmore and the like are about it, so its usually Va & VaPers

 

[tjameson]

I have one cob that I've smoked everything in. A meer that has smoked everything but only smoked one thing well, GLP Ashbury. A Tsuge Dublin and LaRocca Bent for VAs and VAPers, the LaRocca smokes lighter VAs very well and has a large bowl. A little Stonehaven basket pipe that smokes everything but English and heavy aros. A bent Eriksen for English. An Amphora Canadian that smokes Balakans very well but especially Black House. A Pete that Chris gave me that smokes aros and Burleys very well. One straight GHB that Jim (Fnord) gave me that I haven't quite figured out what works best so I've been smoking SWR in it as it seems a fitting combination. I am realizing though that I don't have a GREAT pipe for Latakia blends yet most of these pipes have slight flaws in construction that effect the smoking qualities. I'm on the hunt for a great pipe that will let those Latakia blends be the best they can be.

 

[dragonslayer]

I have one each for SJF,BBF,FVF,Esucdo. Two for AK and two for other VA/Vapers. I have 2 I use for the ocasional Aromatic/English and a ceramic for whenever someone sends me something with Latakia to try. All estates I restored/fixed and everything goes to the cellar. When tobacco goes crazy I'll be looking at artisan pipes.

 

[ohiopuffer]

I do the same thing.Some pipes I have dedicated to a type while others I will dedicate to a specific tobacco.

 

[admin]

This one is 4th down on the Featured Articles list on the left sidebar -
Dedicating Tobacco Pipes to Pipe Tobacco Blends

 

[plet]

I have three "categories":
1: 6 pipes for blends containing Latakia and/or Oriental.
2: 6 pipes for Va/Vaper/Vabur/Bur blends.
3: One pipe for Aro's.
Besides ghosting issues IMO the different categories of blends are smoked better in certain types of pipes. Blends with Lat/Ori are best in wide large bowls. Va/Vaper/Vabur/Bur are best smoked in narrow tall bowls and Aro's in wide bowls with thick walls. So to me the design of the pipe is determining what type of blend I am dedicating to the particular pipe.
Let me know if you think I am a nut ::

 

[cigrmaster]

I have always dedicated pipes to certain categories of blends. I have my Va flake pipes, my vaper flake pipes, 2 aromatic pipes and then I have a few pipes specifically for certain blends. For example I smoke Sg FVF in my Lane Era Charatan After Hours Dublin. I have a Rad Dublin I only smoke Escudo or Dunhill Navy rolls in. I use my Savinelli Linea Piu 5 for Carter Hall. I believe that certain pipes smoke certain blends better and when you find the right combo it is Nirvana. I have a Don Carlos Billiard that just sings with SG Best Brown Flake, so that is all I smoke in it. When you build a cake of a certain category it just makes sense to me to stick with it.