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I had a stretch years ago where I smoked cobs all the time, but then got into Meerschaum pipes, and from there I pretty much just smoked my Burley blends in my cobs. I found that Burley blends taste better in my cobs than any other pipe. So unfortunately, my cobs get neglected most of the time unless I'm smoking some Burley.
My naturals have lasted just as long as my plastered onesI’ve visited the Washington Missouri factory and they have museum on cobs there.
What gave MM the lead on cobs started with a patented plastering process that adds durability to the aged cob. Most all their pipes are still plastered, each one by hand, today. Don’t buy the “naturals”, you’re giving up quality to look like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn on a raft.
Also the larger cobs like the General or Country Gentleman are worth the price because of better stems, bigger cobs, and a dowel insert. Only MM can raise their patented seeds to that size to make them.
A $15 Country Gentleman or General is the best buy for any pipe in the world, I think.
I absolutely agree with this. I went through the same assessment. Started with a cob. Decided to get some grownup high dollar briar. None smoked, for me, as consistently as my beat up old cobs. So, the briars were basically retired. Smoked cobs exclusively. On a lark, tried a meerschaum. Now my cobs are mostly retired as well...
I just gave up on them. I'll stick to briars for pipes since I can't afford meerschaum and I don't like clay. My smokes are usually 45 minutes to an hour so I have no idea how I burn through cob.
I smoke cobs regularly with all types of tobacco. I especially like smoking aromatics in a cob.
Similar to meerschaum, I think that cobs "breathe" and that seems to benefit aromatics in a way that is kinda hard to explain.
