New to pipes, former cig smoker

[pipeman84]

Hi everyone
As the title of this thread says, I'm a former cigarette smoker (about 5-10/day, light inhaling) who has recently switched to a pipe. Reason for this, beside watching a lot of YouTube videos of pipe smoking and tobacco reviews that piqued my curiosity was that I didn't like the taste of cigs anymore.
2 of the biggest unexpected differences that I noticed and I'm curious if this has been experienced by others as well:
1.Although I seem to smoke more now (or at least subject the mouth/throat to more smoke in one go - one bowl lasts around 20-25min)I don't feel the throat uneasiness I used to feel with cigarettes - perhaps because the cig paper is really irritant compared with just tobacco?

2.Pipe smoking appears to act as an appetite suppressant - I know that cigs are famous for that, but it has never been the case for me, on the contrary, I felt that cigarette smoking made me hungry.
That's it for my first post here, thank you for reading.

 

[sablebrush52]

Welcome to this forum and to pipe smoking! I can't say that my appetite has ever been affected by smoking, whether cancer sticks or the pipe. But I find pipe smoking to be a relaxing pursuit, unlike cigarette smoking, which was often a pressured one.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Indeed, Welcome!! I find that taking a pipe when I am hungry will remove the urge to eat right away, but doesn't further suppress appetite.
Enjoy!

 

[gloucesterman]

Welcome to the forum. I have never given either of your observations much thought so I can't add much but I would agree with Sable. I smoked both cigarettes and cigars in a past life and often to excess but the pipe is a smoke that by its nature causes one to pause and enjoy. At five to ten cigars a day, if nothing else, pipe smoking will leave your wallet a little fatter. However as you become better acquainted with the membership you'll fine more than a few of keep a stash of good cigars on the side.

 

[pagan]

Welcome to the forum and pipe smoking, nicotine is a natural appetite suppressor, but I wouldn't recommend it as a weight loss option

 

[newbroom]

Of course pipe smoking mitigates appetite.

Your involving your taste buds much more actively.

Nutty tasting burleys with hints of cocoa or cinnamon.

Sweet Virginias with flavors of citrus, and aromas of ketchup (in some instances).

The smoked meat impression of some Latakia blends.

The spicy, and fruity tastes of Perique.

A veritable cornucopia of juicy flavors!

 

[pipeman84]

My taste buds just recovered from tongue bite

I went through a pouch of Captain Black and now I have 3 pouches open: Amphora full, Stanwell classic, Macbaren classic. Only after buying them I realized they're all aromatics - and I like the room note. I wonder, the non-aromatic or English blends have similar room note? Or are they more like cigarette/cigar?

 

[tschiraldi]

NOT like cigarette or cigar, but not like aromatics either. Virginias have, to me, a pleasant room note. It reminds me of my father's and grandfather's pipes. English (Latakia) blends have sort of a campfire smell to me. Earthy, woody, great for the outdoors but I would never be allowed to smoke them in the house. I love the taste of many Virginia, Virginia / burley, and English / Latakia blends, not so much most Aros.

 

[shutterbugg]

As far as throat irritation, it matters if you as a former cig smoker are inhaling or not. If you are, I'd expect a lot more throat irritation, whether or not you can feel it. The better pipe blends are harsher than cigarettes as a general rule.
As for being an appetite suppressant, nicotine has a mild chemical effect, however it also interferes with taste to some degree, which adds to the effect. That's why people who quit smoking are often heard to say they can now taste food much better.

 

[disinformatique]

Buy some GL Pease Westminster, Six Pence and Navigator

 

[judcole]

Welcome to the forum and pipe smoking.

Not sure where you are located - if you're not in the states, it changes your options as to what you smoke. Since you found the Amphora Full Aroma, may I suggest the Amphora Regular? That's lovely stuff.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Pipeman84, welcome.

I feel like you and I share some commonalities with cigarettes and beginning choices.
Might I recommend Orlik Golden Slices?

When I first started smoking a pipe I labored with aromatics and some English(Latakia) mixtures...until I bought a tin of Orlik on a whim..and it was an epiphany.

 

[pipeman84]

Hi guys

I'm in Romania, my options are quite limited compared to what I see on US sites - I bought Amphora on a recent trip to Austria - I also placed an online order with a shop from Germany, it's a bit cheaper than in my country (hope the customs won't bother me as we're in EU) and more products are available.
Speaking about Amphora Full, it gave me last night nicotine sickness!!! How about that, I wasn't expecting it. So after dinner I had a bowl (25min) of Stanwell and a few hours later a bowl of Amphora. I'd just finished it and fell sick for 30min or so - no headache or vomiting, but turned pale, some mild stomachache (grabbed a bite of cheese and a chocolate and settled it) and general uneasy feeling.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Yes, as a former long time cigarette smoker, I did found Orik Golden and Amphora Regular brown being very ejoyable blends,nevertheless in my experience Amphora needs some drying prior to smoking, this brown one is not available in Germany, but available in Belgium ,Italy and Spain,Russia and Estonia.in the end my little advise to pipeman84, I'd only a smoke a half bowls at the beginning,I had been thorough you just described not once but more than twice, and especially when was smoking Dunhill tobaccos in empty stomach, But it will go when one becoming more experimented it seems that many traditional unflavored pipe tobaccos tend to be pretty high in nicotine,

Ps Germany retailers are best place for online shopping'' Keep going forward, Greetings, Paul

 

[timpiper]

Get yourself a tin of -
Macbaren HH Old Dark Fired

Dunhill Early Morning pipe

Dunhill Deluxe navy rolls or escudo
Try using a 9mm filter pipe if the smoke is a bit rough and bity (usually the aromatic blends)

Rub out the flakes to a shag, this will burn easier for a beginner.

Fold and stuffing flakes will burn slower and cooler with more flavour, but are harder to keep lit.
Cheers
Tim

 

[crashthegrey]

Good move switching to pipes. It takes awhile to get used to, but I definitely find that the irritations of cigarettes are not there with the pipe. I only have a problem at pipe shows where I smoke all day long, and then, my tongue is just sore. I've had no other issues. I don't really know about hunger, though. The nicotine sickness won't happen if you eat a little, keep some tea or other beverage near, and learn when to slow down. If you are smoking a bowl in 20 minutes, you are likely puffing a little fast and doing too much off the bat. You'll learn what you can handle. I'd start getting anything non aromatic that you can get your hands on. The room note won't be as pretty, but it will be good. Nothing like cigarettes or cigars. Enjoy the new world you've entered.

 

[mackeson]

Welcome!

as a former cig smoker myself, I highly encourage you to try different blends and find some that really help satisfy that nic urge. I often smoke the higher nic blends myself. I don't crave in the same way anymore, but I REALLY enjoy nicotine. Yeah, it is a different experience and your throat and lungs will thank you. Not to mention the flavor is better and the relaxed evenings are more enjoyable.

 

[mso489]

Welcome to Forums. I find aromatics often have a lot of bite. I've found several that are tobacco forward and not so flavored that don't, or have very little. However, with non-aromatics, even fulll-strength blends and leaf, I find I get no bite or burn. This varies with individuals, but it surprised me that there was such an immediate difference.

 

[pipeman84]

An update
After the first couple days or so, the tongue bite has disappeared and not returned, although I've been smoking steadily. Regarding English blends, I'm quite wary of them - what I like about aromatics is that the smell doesn't stick to clothes, very important, particularly now in winter. It also made me thinking, why when the first smoking bans on airlines started in the US in the late '70s, they lumped pipe and cigars smokers together as the first casualties of anti-smoking bullies? Were they not using aromatics so much back then?

 

[jpmcwjr]

Non-aromatics have been around longer than aromatics, well preceding the entire airplane age. As to airlines banning smoking, I recall only that we smokers sat in back. Perhaps pipes were banned before cigarets, but not for long before they banned all smoking material.