Does Anything Really Smoke Better Than A Cob?

robwoodall · Jul 21, 2015

I started with cobs. Like many newbies, I burned myself repeatedly, but eventually learned how to smoke without discomfort. Once I knew what I was doing, I decided it was time to buy a "real pipe."
I bought a $20 dollar no-name on Amazon, that smoked like crap. I was gifted a $30 dollar Dr. Grabow, that smoked well, after a break-in period. I bought a $40 dollar "Breyure St. Claude Extra" on sale at P&C, that smokes well. I next bought (again on sale) a $60 dollar Stanwell and a $100 dollar Big Ben, on sale together for $100. The Stanwell smokes well, and had a perfect bowl size. The Big Ben smokes... OK. It'll burn me bad if I don't pay attention, but I get some good smokes from it. I most recently bought a $120 dollar Meerschaum that smokes pretty good.
Here's a correlation I've noticed, though. The tighter draw pipes smoke most poorly, the looser draws smoke better, and the most open draws smoke best. But...
My BEST smoking briars, the Grabow and the Stanwell, don't really smoke as well as my cobs. I'm currently smoking BlackHouse in a cheap little MM Legend, clenching it as I type, and having a great, tasty smoke!
My gosh, this has been a long time getting to any kind of point! Here's the point: Esthetics aside, and I'm not ruling out the value of esthetics, is there any pipe out there that will actually give me a better smoke than a cheap cob?

cobguy · Jul 21, 2015

LOL ... IMHO the answer is clear. : puffy

:

aldecaker · Jul 21, 2015

Man what a sticky wicket! As with anything else in this hobby, "better" can be a pretty subjective concept. I personally think cobs smoke great as a general rule; drier, cooler, nice open draw, etc. But So far, I haven't found an English blend that I like the taste of in a cob. I know some people who think the taste of English in a cob is absolutely divine. Is it a function of "how well the pipe smokes"? Maybe, because the flavors being imparted are unique to a corncob pipe. Not to mention, some smokers can't stand a draw as open as a standard MM. Who is right? The guy who's having an absolute ball smoking his pipe, that's who! I love cobs, so I don't think it gets much better than a cob with a cob-friendly blend. But I don't love 'em to the complete exclusion of my briars, either.

warren · Jul 21, 2015

Certainly!

aldecaker · Jul 21, 2015

Warren, are you not a cob fan, or do you just have some pipes that smoke better than cobs?

jackswilling · Jul 21, 2015

No, not better, but as good as.

beefeater33 · Jul 21, 2015

is there any pipe out there that will actually give me a better smoke than a cheap cob?

Yes.......an expensive cob!

ray47 · Jul 21, 2015

If cobs are giving you so much enjoyment then search no further. If I had to start all over again, I'd smoke nothing but cobs. Well, maybe a Falcon pipe too.

Perique · Jul 21, 2015

The defining characteristic of a cob is whether it gives smoking pleasure to its owner. If it does, then it's as good as any briar. If it doesn't, it isn't.

12pups · Jul 21, 2015

I know a redhead that, when I piss her off just right, smokes better than a cob.

danielplainview · Jul 21, 2015

A Dunhill Christmas cob. $5700.

12pups · Jul 21, 2015

Since passion runs extreme either way, when I treat her just right, smokes hotter than a cob.

bcharles123 · Jul 21, 2015

Cobs are awesome! They are great pretty much from the first bowl.
Some of the briars really take a long time to shine. 20+ bowls. Some, I guess do sooner and some take longer and some never get there. Cobs always seem good, but briars run a bigger span. My best briars are great. Better than cob? I don't know. As good as? I don't know.
Briars are definitely different than cobs. How's that for a PC answer?

robwoodall · Jul 21, 2015

See, here's my problem.
While I haven't bought an expensive pipe yet, I do seem to be climbing up the price scale. So far, the best I've gotten from briar and meerschaum, is ALMOST as good as my various cobs.
I like the look of briar. I absolutely love the look of meerschaum. But, so far, they just haven't satisfied in any way except looks.
Have I just had bad luck? Would a different briar or meer satisfy? More expensive?
I don't mind paying for quality, and if I KNEW that a Dunhill or a custom-made would satisfy, I'd by one, but if I bought one, just to find out it didn't smoke any better than my $4.49 legend or my $10 dollar Country Gentleman, I'd be kind of mad!
And maybe it's draw more than material. I just like a really open draw. It seems I can better "feel" what the tobacco is doing. I could stick with only open-draw pipes, but it seems very few sellers mention that particular feature.
Anyway, sorry for opening up this particular can or worms, and thanks for all your input!

instymp · Jul 21, 2015

Yes, they smoke good but.....

newbroom · Jul 21, 2015

I think that eventually you'll find a briar, or meer that you will worship. It doesn't have to be a new one, or and expensive one.

It will pack and smoke effortlessly, be easy as heck to clean, and taste great with pretty much any blend you smoke.

Perique · Jul 21, 2015

While I haven't bought an expensive pipe yet, I do seem to be climbing up the price scale. So far, the best I've gotten from briar and meerschaum, is ALMOST as good as my various cobs.

It's important to remember that pipe smoking and pipe collecting are two different things. There's really no reason for a non-collector to spend many hundreds of dollars on a pipe thinking they are going to get a superior smoke. One can spend a third of that price (or less) on a broken-in estate (clean, from a reputale dealer) and get a better smoke. In other words, price scale is an unreliable indicator of the smoking experience.

jamesrsmithjr · Jul 21, 2015

Smoked briars for about 10 years, 11 years ago I got my first cob. Those briars are around here.. somewhere.

lordofthepiperings · Jul 21, 2015

I'm in the boat that cobs smoke good, but not nearly as good as $200+ artisan or factory pipe. If you find an upstart artisan you can find one that blows a cob out of the water for about $100-$150.

warren · Jul 21, 2015

I've been smoking cobs for many years. They are very utilitarian. I have had cobs which smoked well and cobs which smoked indifferently. I've had cobs that needed a reaming before becoming acceptable. For what they are, I think of them as disposables, cobs are hard to beat. Two of my five meerschaums and one of my Peterson pipes smoke better than any pipe I've owned. Also, I can only speak to the pipes I've owned over the years.
And in your most recent post you hit the nail squarely on the top of it's pristine little head! You will never know for sure until you have tried pipes of many descriptions, makes, shapes and costs. You'll get a lot of anecdotal observations from your question but, only you can really answer that question and you're going to have to go through a lot of cash and pipes to find an acceptable answer to your question.
No apology needed, this thread will devolve into a fun read. You've solicited opinions and on this forum we have 'em!

Does Anything Really Smoke Better Than A Cob?

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