Do I Really Need A Cob?

oldsalt · Jul 12, 2016

So I've been at this for over a year and a half and have yet to get a cob. I know they're about as American as apple pie and baseball but I can't seem to bring myself to buy one despite their supposed smoking characteristics and low price. I know some would call it snobbery but I just can't take the whole Huck Finn thing seriously enough to clench one in my teeth(Sorry Samuel Clemens) when there are other pipe options that have so much more visual and tactile appeal. I have a very modest collection of pipes but a third of them (four pipes) are meerschaums, (courtesy of my father-in-law that lives in Turkey). I love my meers. They're hands down my best smokers. But the feel of briar in hand is what I reach for the most. I know it's just a few bucks but is a cob going to fill any gap here? Am I missing out not having a cob? I know there are a lot of cob smokers here so I can't wait for your responses. Happy smoking!

fmgee · Jul 13, 2016

Interesting thread.
No you don't need one. But, you started this thread so I already know you are going to end up with one at some point.

jndyer · Jul 13, 2016

You do not have to do anything. You get to smoke what you like and like what you smoke; however, I would recommend getting a couple of cobs to try. Heck, maybe you will end up liking the way they look and feel.

tinsel · Jul 13, 2016

I find cobs to be perfect for smoking when I don't want to risk ruining a briar or meerschaum pipe.
I work in an auto shop, so I use cobs at work (greasy hands and power tools). They are also great when mowing, fishing (wouldn't want to drop a nice briar in the lake), or any of a million other situations that might put your beloved pipes at risk.
Even if you only smoke while sitting leisurely in your easy chair, I still think it's worth picking up a cob to try out. They're cheap, and you just might wind up liking it

perdurabo · Jul 13, 2016

Yes, you have got to get a cob. Break it in! And fall in love.

Chasing Embers · Jul 13, 2016

Yes you do.

mayfair70 · Jul 13, 2016

Not having a cob is like not having a socket wrench in your toolbox. Yes, an adjustable wrench or a driver will do the job, but it's NOT THE SAME. Once you use one, you know what it is about. Maybe you won't like it, you prefer to use the driver. But maybe, like many of us, you'll say: "Damn, this is so much simpler and easier to work with."
You only live once and you could die tomorrow. Why deprive yourself of the experience when you have the means? They are cheap and if you don't like them, donate to the Free Pipe Project. Then you can speak with some authority on why briar is better in YOUR experience. As of right now, you are still in the dark. Come to the light.
Damn right you need a Cob !!

warren · Jul 13, 2016

No, unless you're the type who works or plays in the out of doors, in all weather. Of course you might be a smoker who only smokes a bowl or so a day and mostly inside, out of the weather and doesn't worry about damage or loss. Cobs fit a need for me, they're disposables. My meers I smoke inside and my briers when in civilized settings, not when I'm working or playing hard.
So yes, you are missing standing in the middle of a stream casting a fly while enjoying a pipe. Driving a chainsaw with a light, tasty cob in your mouth. Finishing off a first snowman for your grandson, holding him up and letting him push the cob into the snow, the finishing touch to a great winter afternoon.
Cobs fill a need for many and are the pipe of choice for more than few. But, restricting yourself to the more conventional brier or meer is a choice. I simply find cobs fill a need in my smoking.

pipesmokingtom · Jul 13, 2016

Wow, Warren got really poetic there for a moment.

jefff · Jul 13, 2016

I love fly fishing.....And pipe smoking

ejames · Jul 13, 2016

Yes.

frozenchurchwarden · Jul 13, 2016

I think everyone should get one even if only just to try out the wide open draft.

Normally a draft hole that open would only be found on artisan pipes, just because the tolerances are so close if you want to maintain an attractive stem shape and have an open draft, but the plastic molds do a decent job.

Missouri Meerschaum plastic stems are actually really well engineered, it's ironic that the cheapest pipes on the market are also some of the most highly developed, but whoever made the die for those plastic stems knew what they were doing. Not only is there almost no restriction from one end to the other, but the transition from round draft to square button slot is nearly perfect.

The primary problem that most people have is that the stems are squishy due to the nature of the plastic used, so stems tend to degrade quickly if you clench a lot, and the second problem is that the button is a millimeter or two thicker than most high quality stems, so the shape can feel odd as well, but other than being a bit quirky (and the odd burnout) it's really hard to find fault with a Cob.

fnord · Jul 13, 2016

Oldsalt:
Just try one. They're affordable and they do smoke very well indeed.
I'm a briar guy to the core, but there's always a cob or two laying around my house.
Fnord

jvnshr · Jul 13, 2016

I have only 7 pipes and 4 of them are cobs. All 4 smoke perfect and by perfect I mean dry and cool. I am thinking about ordering more and modifying them.

newbroom · Jul 13, 2016

Pipe smoking is all about choices, selection, and tastes from a vast array of possibilities.

You don't need anything other than a pipe and tobacco to do it.

Personally, I found that starting with a cob was easy and when I started smoking briar and meer, I had already learned a little bit about how it all works, and my initial investment was negligible.

I'd venture to suggest that there is no substitution for a cob. They are unique.

It's your choice to experience and you are free to decide.

I suggest you do and do it with a Pride.

grue · Jul 13, 2016

My two briar pipes get almost no love. You don't need a cob but if you want a feather-light, never-gurgling, never-ghosting, cool-as-hell pipe you will probably enjoy one. : puffy

:

thomasmartin · Jul 13, 2016

As you said yourself corncob pipes are part of the American culture and they have many fans here. So, I may not make many friends with my point of view. Here in Europe I have never seen someone smoking one in public. Even back in the day when smoking was socially still acceptable. In fact, I would'nt even know where to buy one. I hear they are great smokers but personally I find them but ugly. I enjoy a (briar) pipe not only because it gives me the pleasure of smoking but also because I find it to be an object of beauty. That's why I don't own a cob and never will.

newbroom · Jul 13, 2016

I don't smoke a pipe for it's appearance, although, I will grant you that some pipes are quite exquisite.

stanlaurel · Jul 13, 2016

As much as I enjoy smoking pricier blends in artisan pipes, I keep asking myself why it is that the most sublime moments that I have lately are when I smoke a codger blend in a "Mark Twain" or a "Country Gentleman"? I don't know why, but it is true. You know....simple pleasures and all that.
Grab a Mark Twain and a Country Gentleman while the July sale is on. It will set you back $15. Then smoke some Chestnut or some Chatham Manor. You won't regret it.

pagan · Jul 13, 2016

Yes, yes you do

Do I Really Need A Cob?

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