A not-so-brief-intro: I took up pipe smoking a couple of years ago hoping to kick the filthy habit of cigarette smoking. I decided to go all-in at that time, and purchased several hundreds of dollars' worth of pipes without regard to tobacco, thinking all tobacco was pretty much the same and the pipes were what made the difference. I'm not sure why I could justify spending $200 on a pipe but not $20 on a tin of decent tobac back then, but I promptly set the pipe aside and sold several of the more expensive pipes I had acquired.
I honestly loathed nearly every minute of pipe smoking back then. Captain Black made me nauseated with every sip, and PA was only slightly less offensive. As a last resort, I decided to buy an inexpensive Missouri Meerschaum Country Gentleman at a local smoke shop and it changed my life. I found the MM and PA duo to be sublime. However, I lost the pipe in the woods one day and went back to cigarettes due to convenience and ignorance.
Fast forward a couple of years and I have finally gotten back into pipe smoking in earnest; again to help kick the cig habit and, now, out of sheer enjoyment. While I still smoke PA regularly, I have taken the time to visit a true tobacconist an hour away and have purchased several tins of real tobacco (both there and online) that have helped me more appreciate the nuances of various blends and flavors. I have found that I cannot smoke aros, cavendish still doesn't suit my palette, burley is my standard smoke, latakia is growing on me, and Virginia and English blends are slowly making their way into my rotation. My current favorites are PA, 1Q, and Frog Morton's Cellar. I also have some Gawith Squadron Leader, Dunhill Early Morning Pipe and Night Cap, and myriad samplers of various blends and types. That being said, on to my question...
Having tried various briar, meerschaum, and cob pipes, I find I have trouble smoking anything other than cobs. With pipes more expensive than cobs by orders of magnitude I frequently get gurgling, have to relight MANY times in the course of a bowl, and don't enjoy the taste as much.
Other than my MMs (x14), I have a few Petersons, Comoys, Savinellis, and some freehand briars that are all estate pipes. My hypotheses include the following:
1.) I screwed up the cleaning process of these pipes (all draw well, return a clean pipe cleaner dipped in grain alcohol, and smell fine)
2.) I am becoming a victim of confirmation bias
3.) I'm practicing the art of smoking a pipe all wrong.
I know the only thing that matters is enjoying the smoke, but I feel I am missing out on a huge part of the experience by finding myself focusing solely on cob smoking.
What am I doing wrong with briars? I want a Dunhill, and Canadians appeal to me, but I am hesitant to spend money on pipes that I feel I won't enjoy as much as my reliable $10 cobs.
As a country boy, I am comfortable smoking a cob around a pick-up while talking about the weather and the price of gas. As a scholar and an archaeologist, I have no qualms about discussing things of import with erudite colleagues cob-in-mouth, but I would feel more comfortable if I knew what I'm doing wrong with the briars so I could, at least on occasion, employ a fancy-pants pipe.
Thanks for any help!
I honestly loathed nearly every minute of pipe smoking back then. Captain Black made me nauseated with every sip, and PA was only slightly less offensive. As a last resort, I decided to buy an inexpensive Missouri Meerschaum Country Gentleman at a local smoke shop and it changed my life. I found the MM and PA duo to be sublime. However, I lost the pipe in the woods one day and went back to cigarettes due to convenience and ignorance.
Fast forward a couple of years and I have finally gotten back into pipe smoking in earnest; again to help kick the cig habit and, now, out of sheer enjoyment. While I still smoke PA regularly, I have taken the time to visit a true tobacconist an hour away and have purchased several tins of real tobacco (both there and online) that have helped me more appreciate the nuances of various blends and flavors. I have found that I cannot smoke aros, cavendish still doesn't suit my palette, burley is my standard smoke, latakia is growing on me, and Virginia and English blends are slowly making their way into my rotation. My current favorites are PA, 1Q, and Frog Morton's Cellar. I also have some Gawith Squadron Leader, Dunhill Early Morning Pipe and Night Cap, and myriad samplers of various blends and types. That being said, on to my question...
Having tried various briar, meerschaum, and cob pipes, I find I have trouble smoking anything other than cobs. With pipes more expensive than cobs by orders of magnitude I frequently get gurgling, have to relight MANY times in the course of a bowl, and don't enjoy the taste as much.
Other than my MMs (x14), I have a few Petersons, Comoys, Savinellis, and some freehand briars that are all estate pipes. My hypotheses include the following:
1.) I screwed up the cleaning process of these pipes (all draw well, return a clean pipe cleaner dipped in grain alcohol, and smell fine)
2.) I am becoming a victim of confirmation bias
3.) I'm practicing the art of smoking a pipe all wrong.
I know the only thing that matters is enjoying the smoke, but I feel I am missing out on a huge part of the experience by finding myself focusing solely on cob smoking.
What am I doing wrong with briars? I want a Dunhill, and Canadians appeal to me, but I am hesitant to spend money on pipes that I feel I won't enjoy as much as my reliable $10 cobs.
As a country boy, I am comfortable smoking a cob around a pick-up while talking about the weather and the price of gas. As a scholar and an archaeologist, I have no qualms about discussing things of import with erudite colleagues cob-in-mouth, but I would feel more comfortable if I knew what I'm doing wrong with the briars so I could, at least on occasion, employ a fancy-pants pipe.
Thanks for any help!
: As stated above, slow down and enjoy it, perhaps dry your tobacco a bit before packing and small sips. Relights don't matter. It can take time to develop your taste, so relax and enjoy. Oh yeah, welcome aboard!
