Hi All, New Pipe Smoker

[kitobi]

hi all
first post so I thought id say hello and introduce myself.
been a casual cigar smoker for quite a few years, TBH I like collecting the cigars the same as actually smoking them, but the cost is becoming prohibitive so decided to explore pipes instead.
been reading a lot before my first purchases and wow there's more to know about pipes that I would have ever expected!

got my first briar pipe from the local tobacconists, cheap and cheerful Darvill bent which im practicing on right now, and awaiting my first estate pipe to be delivered from good ol ebay which is also a briar by Marxman.
although I love the pipes I have been very underwhelmed by the actual tobaccos, only really tried aromatics as they smell just awesome and my local shop has been kind and sold me several tiny samples to try out, but almost all of them have been utterly vile in the taste.

did some more reading and found out that a lot of the ones I tried were pure Cavendish blend's and maybe a bit too strong to try as my first ones
recently got some macbarren vanilla cream loose cut which is ok, but wouldn't rave about it.

and a much milder blend by erinmore which again was ok, but not one I would look forward to.
anyhoo that's me for now, I will try and keep the dumb questions to a minimum
andy
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[smeigs]

Welcome to the forum Andy. Don't give up, you will find a blend that you will love. It just takes time and figuring out which types of blends you like.

 

[freakiefrog]

First of all welcome to the site, glad you found us. Second I'm going to guess the question is "What are some good tasting aromatic tobacco blends to try?". Here are a couple
C&D - Autumn Evening

Aston - Rainy Day

Samuel Gawith - Chocolate Flake

Any of the Mac Baren Cube.

 

[sidious]

Welcome Andy! You came to the right place. Don't be afraid to ask questions. The people here are extremely friendly and helpful.

 

[kitobi]

hi guys
thank you smeig, yup I know its out there just gotta find it. it took me years to find a cigar that I loved.
freakie I have been looking at the cube range, and the chocolate flake sounds very interesting.
been reading today about pepping up bland/stock tobaccos with your own flavors and chocolate/vanilla is a very popular choice.

I can feel 2 projects coming on, 1 to find a good commercial blend, and also a flavour your own experiment too.

 

[oldreddog]

Hello Kitobi. If you are looking for pipe tobacco similar to a cigar I would suggest trying some rope tobacco from Gwaith Hoggarth, Brown Bogie and Brown Irish Twist are both excellent but not for the faint of heart.
I would also suggest a good English style tobacco like Dunhill My Mixture 965 which has some nice cedar notes similar to a Romeo Y Julieta cigar.

 

[kitobi]

hi oldreddog
thankyou sir, I will certainly look at the dunhill, I have a few Romeo Y Julieta in my humidor right now, wonderful smokes I have been feeding for 8 years now, and their numbers are dwindling..
saw a u tube video with the rope tobacco and im not 100% sure im ready for that yet lol.
even so I may try to get a small piece for experimenting on.. sadly I am in the UK and we have 1 tobacconist within 40 miles so mostly everything will be by mail only.
looking forward to the journey tho

 

[joshb83]

Welcome to the forums! I was in your same shoes when I started as well. A transition from cigars to pipes is a bit bigger than originally expected, but just as fun to start. Good luck finding the tobacco you like and the ones you love!

 

[papipeguy]

Welcome aboard, Andy. Our hobby provides many blends, as you're finding out, and it is a fascinating journey. Glad you're here and no question is not worth asking.

As far as cigar blends there are 2 I have in rotation: C&D Billy Budd and Spectre which contains Costa Rican cigar leaf, latakia and Virginias. It's a very nice blend.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[dottiewarden]

Wecome to the forum kitobi.
Just my two cents:
I have found that getting the most out of a blend has much to do with pipe selection, loading skills, correct moisture level for optimum smokeability, and above all, smoking cadence.
Do not toss the blends you don't like. Fiddle with them and if there are still no improvents in your experience, set them aside and come back to them later.
Welcome to the fold!

 

[kitobi]

hi all
thank you all for the warm welcome and advice so far.
happy days my new pipe was delivered today, a straight briar this time. plus its already been smoked and "broken in" which my other pipe is a long way away from, ill see tonight if it makes a diffrence.
so far I have been saving all my samples I didn't like and sealing them in jars, they smell awesome but taste like ass.
payday tomorrow and I have a day off work, so time to hit the tobacconist and see what they can supply

 

[oldreddog]

Kitobi if you smoke cigars you should get on well with ropes.......
In the UK you should find Condor and St Bruno easily.
If you pm me your address I'll send you some samples to try out.

 

[oldreddog]

Double post.

 

[admin]

Thanks for being a member and participating.
Thread title fixed.
Please use your Shift key in body text as well.
Please see rule 9 here along with the rest of the forum rules

 

[atskywalker]

Kitobi,

I'm new to pipe smoking myself and going through a similar process. I've found that unflavoured straight blends tend to be much more rewarding than most aromatics I've tried. I'm having a lot of fun trying anything I can get my hands on.
In the aromatic department, my personal favourite so far has been Peterson's Connoisseur's Choice. Taste is a very subjective thing but these are my 2 beginner cents . Have fun.

 

[kitobi]

Old red, many thanks for that kind offer sir, I will certainly consider the rope styles of tobacco even if the are a bit daunting at present lol.
Kevin, I feel utterly told off lol.. I will certainly try to keep my punctuation and grammar in a style befitting the board ( and apologise in advance if I respond after too many glasses of idiot water)
Atskywalker I have been tempted by a "straight blend" but the choices are just huge, the Petersons do look good and I have tried a few samples but im not 100% convinced at this time.
I am sure the perfect blend for my taste is out there, and I have the next 40-50 years to go find it.. what a lovely task lies ahead

 

[jmmize]

Welcome and enjoy those are some great recommendations