Frustrated and Desperate :(

pux3 · Feb 14, 2013

Hello fellow smokers,
I've been having much trouble getting into pipe smoking because I expected it to taste somewhat good,
which at least for me didn't.
In fact I'm getting either no taste whatsoever or I'm getting a digusting ash taste.
Of course I did not expect it to be an awesome experience right of the bat, which is why I spent the last two
weeks informing myself as much as I could about pipe smoking, tobaccos etc.
I've made a post once about this issue and did get some tips. I tried different tobaccos (5 different so far), I
tried different methods of smoking my pipe, different ways of lighting it, different ways of packing
and I am as far as I know cleaning my pipe properly. I know that it is needed to take your time with smoking, that
you just want to sip on the pipe and that it is possible to get more taste by letting the smoke run through your
nose.
Many peaople said I might be smoking it too fast but this definietly isn't the issue because for the last, maybe 6
smokes, I've been paying very much attention on how fast I am smoking.
Still, all of those tobaccos taste the same - like ash.
Yes, I could have bad luck with the tobaccos, but I really cant taste any differences beetween the tobaccos at
all.
I bought the pipe from a local tobacconist for 30 euro. 3 of the tobaccos I tried in my pipe were from the same
tobacconist, the others were a freinds fasthers one and the last one was from another tobacconist.
I smoked the pipe maybe twelve times.
Could it be the pipe? I do not think that I just have to sensitize my tasting sense, because I think I should at
least get some taste other than ash.
I am somewhat desperate and frustrated, anything I might have overlooked / not tried?
Thank you, Jonas

hodirty · Feb 14, 2013

It may be the pipe. was it bought new, or was it used when u purchased it? Either way I'd give it a thorough cleaning with some high proof alchol, before giving it up alltogther.

pux3 · Feb 14, 2013

@hodirty

It was a new pipe, never been smoked before. Yeah I thoguht about the alcohol cleaning too maybe this is one alst option
Thank you

hodirty · Feb 14, 2013

No prob. Other than the alchol cleaning, try some baccy completley opposite of what you have now. Id hate to see ya give up the pipe.

zonomo · Feb 14, 2013

do your best to visit a pipe club. My big break through was when someone showed me the ropes. Ie: Get a mentor if possible.

gray4lines · Feb 14, 2013

Have you tried giving your pipe a rest between smokes? (Rests your palate and tongue too)
Is your tobacco dry enough? Tobacco that is too wet will not be as flavorful, smoke hot, and may taste burnt or ashy from puffing to keep it lit. If when you pinch a clump of tobacco between your fingers it sticks together, you need to dry it more.
It takes practice! But you will get the hang of it. I read up a lot before actually smoking, but nothing compares to practice.

instymp · Feb 14, 2013

"In fact I'm getting either no taste whatsoever or I'm getting a digusting ash taste."

That comes at the end? Thats where I get it, on anything I smoke. Even BBq over done

waymon · Feb 14, 2013

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is that tobacco never tastes like it smells in the tin or pouch. At least that has been my experience. If you are getting the ash taste throughout the smoke I would be inclined to think it is the pipe not being broken in. Pipe smoking takes a lot a patience and time to master. I also recommend you get one more pipe so you can alternate, you may be over smoking the one pipe you have. Good luck, and don't give up!!

foggymountain · Feb 14, 2013

If you clean it do not use rubbing alcohol, which will make the taste even worse. A high proof alcoholic beverage is better. New pipes often need extensive breaking in, so don't give up. The less expensive pipes, such as yours are not made from very old briar, which coarsens the taste also. But if you smoke it enough it will improve. You didn't mention if your pipe is sandblasted or smooth. Blasted pipes may take longer before they taste good. At least to my taste. If it doesn't improve after quite a while, get another pipe.

reap · Feb 14, 2013

I found it took me awhile to start picking up on flavours in tobacco, at first I found the pipe to be a bit harsh and tasteless. Now there's nothing I enjoy more then a bowl of tasty tobacco at the right time. Like others have said it can take time to break certain pipes in and they need to be cleaned. My first pipe had a nasty stain in the bowl which impacted the taste which may have been part of it.

allan · Feb 14, 2013

Jonas
I can understand your frustration. Pipe smoking is unlike cigarettes and cigars. It does take more time to master. One can light up a cigar and smoke and get great enjoyment almost immediately; pipes are a more thoughtful process and has alot more rituals than the other tobacco enjoyments.
A new pipe takes some time to break in as others have said. Give yourself time to learn the process and you will be rewarded in the end. There are so many pipe smokers out there and almost all of us have experienced the learning curve-but its worth it.
Good luck

Allan

05venturer · Feb 14, 2013

As mentioned earlier try out a Missouri Meerschaum pipe they have virtually zero "break in" time and are very reasonably priced. I have both briars and cobs and it is very rare that I grab a briar as "I" feel I get a much better smoke from my cobs. A also noticed that when I do smoke a briar that my "estate" pipes smoke far better than the ones I purchased new. I have only been smoking a pipe for a bit over 3 months and it took me nearly 1/2 of that time to get a really good smoke after trying more tobaccos than I care to remember. Don't give up, I was very close to going back to the coffin nails and dumping the pipe but with time and all the help from the "friends" on this forum I can truly say I enjoy the pipe better than I ever did a cigarette. PATIENCE, PATIENCE and a little more PATIENCE. You won't regret it. :lol:

sparroa · Feb 14, 2013

Buy a corn cob pipe if you want to skip the extensive "breaking in" process.
A cob tastes better after the bowl has been seasoned a little, but a new cob is more forgiving than a new briar in my humble opinion.
Alternatively, have you ever smoked tobacco before?
Though it is a little premature to speculate on the matter - perhaps smoking a pipe is just not for you...
(I don't say that to be negative; it's just that we all have different tastes and sometimes expectations do not match up with realities.)

pitchfork · Feb 15, 2013

Jonas,
What exactly are you smoking? Some tobaccos require more technique in smoking than some others. VA's, for instance, are notoriously difficult for the new smoker to properly enjoy. By the same token, aromatic tobaccos can smell wonderful in the jar or pouch, but taste like hot air in the pipe.
An English/Latakia blend is probably your best bet for starting out because the flavors don't require perfect packing or technique. VA's are much more "fussy" and I think your palate has to become trained to pick out the good flavors that are there. Once you get it, you get it, like riding a bike, but my first VA smokes tasted like hot air or like ash and soot (not pleasant).

philip · Feb 15, 2013

It may well take more than twelve bowls to break in a new pipe, depending on the pipe's construction and quality. Depending on the person, it may take many more than twelve smokes to break in a new pipe smoker. If you enjoy the process of pipe smoking, be patient and give it a little time. You will learn to taste the different flavors if you don't give up.
I remember shortly after I began smoking I was in a tobacco store and I wanted to smell all the tobaccos to find something good. The tobacconist commented that he didn't care what a tobacco smelled like. He wanted one that tasted good. I thought that was a funny comment because I couldn't imagine that any tobacco actually tasted good. To me they all tasted the same - all bad. But I kept at it because I was having fun with the process of smoking, packing the pipe and lighting it and blowing smoke around. After a couple of months I found I was choosing favorite blends based on the way they tasted. It just took a little time to learn.
Welcome to the forum, Jonas. It can be helpful, but nothing will help more than some patient practice. Good luck.

pux3 · Feb 15, 2013

Wow I just woke up to so many answers, sadly I really have to go now, gonna read them when I come home again.
Thank you so much for reading and helping out!

metalheadycigarguy · Feb 15, 2013

Lots of great suggestions in this thread.
I agree on getting a corn cob as it will give you a more accurate taste of the tobacco (after about 2-3 bowls). It will also allow you to have a small rotation of pipes and allow your other pipe to rest.
I also agree on using regular drinking alcohol and not rubbing alcohol for cleaning. I suggest using Vodka, Everclear or 151. Run multiple clears with alcohol on them through the pipe and do a salt treatment on the bowl. I would let the salt treatment sit for a good 12-24 hours and if its really brown do another one after the pipe drys out. Always be sure to clean the pipe well after each smoke.
Its possible one of the tobacco's you're smoking is ghosting your pipe. If you find that you enjoy the tobacco, but it's leaving a ghost then its best to dedicate one pipe to that particular blend whether it be a cob or your briar.
Good luck and hang in there. It takes time but eventually you'll get the hang of it.

Perique · Feb 15, 2013

Jonas, I didn't have exactly your problem when I started smoking a pipe, having been both a cigar and cigarette smoker.
However, I had some other, similar problems. And it's one reason why I am a big proponent of new pipe smokers starting with estate pipes (reamed, but wrh

Perique · Feb 15, 2013

Jonas, I didn't have exactly your problem when I started smoking a pipe, having been both a cigar and cigarette smoker.
However, I had some other, similar problems. And it's one reason why I am a big proponent of new pipe smokers starting with estate pipes (reamed, but wrh an existing cake). Not to mention you'll most likely get much better quality pipes for your money. My vote is that the pipe itself may be the primary culprit. Other than that, just remember to be patient. It does take awhile to get one's technique down and get the hang of this. Finally, while many new pipe smokers start with aromatics, these are among the most difficult to smoke (and the most difficult to successfully blend into a quality product).

cynyr · Feb 15, 2013

I've been paying very much attention on how fast I am smoking.

I have a specific suggestion, one that helped me immensely. First, whatever the tobacco, leave it out for a good hour before packing. Put it in a shallow bowl and let it dry.
Second, pack it, light it up, and crack open a good book. Read the book and puff the pipe maybe once in thirty seconds. You want to forget the pipe. Forget it's there. Read the book.
Relight when you need to, just enough to get the top to burn. Don't get a raging inferno in there!
I think that you are paying too much attention and over-thinking the process. Don't worry about relights, don't think about smoking. Read the book.
"Zen" is a word that is way overused, but it may have been invented for pipe-smoking. Let what happens, happen. Don't give up!
As a side note, I feel for our European brethren, with the price of tobacco being what it is over there. Welcome to the forums, and good luck!

Frustrated and Desperate :(

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Site Sponsors

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Lurker

Lifer

Lurker

Lifer

Lifer

Part of the Furniture Now

Lifer

Lurker

Lifer

Might Stick Around

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lurker

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Part of the Furniture Now