I Just Lost My Virginity And F***ed It Up...

[piperatthegatesofdawn]

@alaskanpiper

Smoking and keeping the bowl smoldering without it going out will become second nature after 10 or 20 bowls.

10 or 20 bowls?! If I'm stuggling with less than half a bowl, it does not bode well!

 

[piperatthegatesofdawn]

@hugodrax

Bet you didn't like your first sip of whiskey, either. It will click.

True, but I had no problem working out how to pour it and taste the flavour.

 

[piperatthegatesofdawn]

@hawky454

Trying to use the breathe technique on your very first try is just silly. It can be an acquired taste but you’ve got to give it a chance before you make up your mind for sure.

The funny thing is, the breathe technique was about the only bit i got right! No tongue bite either.

 

[alaskanpiper]

10 or 20 bowls?! If I'm struggling with less than half a bowl, it does not bode well!

For some less, for some more, that was just my experience. Everybody struggles right out of the gate. Some people stick with it (those here). Most people probably do not. Pipe smoking seems like a real pain in the ass when you first start out. You'll figure it out, you just have to put the effort in to get over that first learning curve.
Once you figure out that magical combination of drying, packing, lighting, and cadence it all comes together and becomes quite enjoyable and you won't even have to think about it while smoking. It just takes several bowls to figure it out.
You have received some good advice from folks on this thread. Take that, apply it, and try again and it will get easier each time.

 

[piperatthegatesofdawn]

@mtwaller

Sounds like you’re doing it about right, if you keep getting nasty ash taste maybe that tobacco just isn’t one that suits your palette.

Maybe you're right. I didn't get a hint of anything pleasant at all, and I'm not a fan of that cigarette taste.

 

[piperatthegatesofdawn]

@logs

I'll keep plugging away at this blend in different pipes and give it some time. Maybe I'll get where I'm trying to get and end up loving it, but who knows? It may be a flop for me. It's part of the process.

If it hadn't been for the post sickness I would be fully prepared to try again until I worked it out.

 

[alaskanpiper]

If it hadn't been for the post sickness I would be fully prepared to try again until I worked it out.

Did you smoke on an empty stomach? This can make even the most experienced smokers a little queasy, particularly if it is a strong blend, and depending on your sensitivity. I always make sure to eat fairly recently before smoking, as my nicotine tolerance is fairly low.

 

[piperatthegatesofdawn]

@the pipe monk

Don't smoke too much or too fast or you will feel dizzy as you mentioned, it's just nicotine. You will get used to it after a few months.

i certainly didn't smoke to much and didn't get the change to go to fast! Light dizziness I could take but full on nausea and sickness from so little? My body seems to be rejecting these chemicals.

 

[piperatthegatesofdawn]

@pappymac

Were you able to win the race the first time you rode a bicycle?
Did you hit a homerun the first time you stepped into a batter box?
Don't expect to be a perfect pipe smoker the first time you try it.

I certainly didn't expect to get it perfectly right. It was the dreadful taste that disappointed me rather than the technique.

 

[alaskanpiper]

I certainly didn't expect to get it perfectly right. It was the dreadful taste that disappointed me rather than the technique.

The two are inherently linked together. Your cadence and technique can significantly influence the flavor of the tobacco.

 

[piperatthegatesofdawn]

@trubka2

Bummer! I hope you recovered quickly. There's a lot to be said for not getting accustomed to nicotine. In fact, I'm kind of jealous. Maybe you can just sniff tins if you like the smell? Tobacco potpourri? I'm dead serious. Anyways, good luck either way!

Knowing me, I'd start getting nauseous from the smell of unburnt tobacco alone!

 

[olkofri]

My body seems to be rejecting these chemicals.

There's a thought. Not every thing is good for everyone.
I did get sick to my stomach with one blend once. Haven't touched it since, though I wanna try it again, see what happens. You might sometimes react to a single ingredient. I know someone who just can't smoke latakia.
Experimentation. Provings. That is, if you're not entirely throwing in the towel.

 

[piperatthegatesofdawn]

@tbradsim1

1/3 you push gently, the other 1/3 a litter harder, the remaining third firm it up.

Wait... we are still talking pipe smoking virginity here aren't we?

 

[piperatthegatesofdawn]

@alaskanpiper

Your cadence and technique can significantly influence the flavor of the tobacco.

Maybe it would have been easier if I had come from a smoking background, but the acrid aftertaste in my mouth was so off-putting, it's very difficult to imagine it being that much different even if i get those elements right.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Maybe it would have been easier if I had come from a smoking background, but the acrid aftertaste in my mouth was so off-putting, it's very difficult to imagine it being that much different even if i get those elements right.

Could be. Hard to say without knowing what you are tasting. Smoking, no matter what you smoke, is going to leave an aftertaste though, that's for sure. Whether it is pleasant or not, is up to you.

 

[piperatthegatesofdawn]

@olkofri

You might sometimes react to a single ingredient. I know someone who just can't smoke latakia.

I tried a few puffs of a cigar once and didn't feel great after that either. If it is the nicotine, then I must have absorbed a surprising amount given that I only took a few non-inhaled puffs. Maybe it's some other additive my body just rejects.

 

[alaskanpiper]

It sounds like you are just very sensitive to nicotine. Don't ever take a dip. You will puke for the rest of your life.

 

[hawky454]

I have to, sadly.

Pipe smoking is one of the greatest pleasures that I can dependently rely on time and time again. It’s quite sad to me that thow hath given up on it so easily. I hope you’re not always this easily discouraged.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Pipe smoking is one of the greatest pleasures that I can dependently rely on time and time again. It’s quite sad to me that thow hath given up on it so easily. I hope you’re not always this easily discouraged.

Sadly, I don't think this is that uncommon. I have talked to quite a few people who have "tried" pipe smoking "once or twice" but very few who were willing to put the effort in to actually figure it out.
"Couldn't keep it lit."

"Didn't taste how I expected."

"Too much work."
Are the three reasons I hear most often.

 

[logs]

Post-smoke vomiting is a side effect I've never heard before. Tongue-bite, yes. Bad aftertaste in mouth, yes. Wife yells at you because your pipes stink, yes, yes, yes. But vomiting?? That would be a deal breaker for me. I can understand your wanting to take a pass on further adventures in smoking.