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panagiotis

Lurker
Sep 17, 2014
30
0
Hi all I m new here! My name is Panagiotis I m 20 years old and I come from Greece. Thing is I d like to start pipe smoking but I m not really sure about this cause I ve never smoked anything in my life. So..me and a friend are looking into it(We saw videos about the basics, what to look for and be careful of etc) but I m confused about what pipe should I start with. I ve seen some pipes with prices ranging from 1 euro to 80 euros! Below I ll post some links on about what I saw but in general I don't want to exceed the price of 30 euros for a pipe.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Durable-Wooden-Enchase-Smoking-Pipe-Tobacco-Cigarettes-Cigar-Pipes-Gift-/350962536276?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51b6ff4f54
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Auction-New-HAND-CARVED-Tobacco-Smoking-Pipe-Pipes-SARMAT-GIFT-/181528587644?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a43f26d7c
http://www.tobaccostore.gr/eshop/product_info.php?cPath=28_107_239&products_id=839
So any suggestions? If you hve a ny tips in general as well it would help a lot. Thanks in advance :)

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Welcome, panagiotis. To start trying smoking a pipe, I'd deal with established online retailers such as Forums

sponsors listed in red at the left of the Forums home page. Lots of pipes and accessories are listed on ebay, but

that is a hit-and-miss way of starting out. Can you buy items online from the U.S. without paying high customs?

If so, I'd order two or three Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipes and some of their tobacco, which are both

reasonably priced. Then you can start looking at lower priced briar pipes, of which there are many. Get back to

us on that.

 

minfarshaw

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 12, 2014
279
1
I found green river vanilla to be a nice, easy smoke. It is not complex and smokes cool. Frog Morton Cellar is a great way to try Latakia. Definitely get an MM country gentleman. That is a good place to start. You are less likely to get frustrated by having to relight so often because it absorbs moisture. Maybe get two cobs, a separate one for Latakia blends.
Curiosity is your best friend. Don't be afraid to try other blends, just explore. I've been smoking for a little over a month and I find that my taste in tobacco is changing. It will probably happen to you too.

 

jsponge

Lurker
Sep 7, 2014
16
0
As has been said... Start with a few cobs. Relatively inexpensive so if you decide you don't like it, it's not going to hurt so much. However, even if you DO stay with it, well... I still smoke my cobs here and there, so they're not wasted. =)

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,087
6,394
Florida
If you buy a well made briar pipe from a reputable dealer you should have a good start. I've said that a Missouri Meerschaum cob pipe is 'fool' proof. They consistently deliver and take abuse like over smoking better than anything.

The variety available in pipes and tobacco provides an opportunity for exploration, discovery, and enjoyment.

 

panagiotis

Lurker
Sep 17, 2014
30
0
Do you ahve anything else to propose except corn cobs? I dunno but I wanted something more to the classic looks like the ones I showed you. I know sometimes it's nota bout the pipe's appearece but... :/

 

oldreddog

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 4, 2014
923
6
I'm no expert but this appears to be very good value
http://www.gqtobaccos.com/gift-ideas/basic-pipe-starter-kit/#.VBrpvNROPcs

 

panagiotis

Lurker
Sep 17, 2014
30
0
Nice! Thanks a lot! Just one question. What's the dfferene between Corn pipes and normal ones?

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,621
44,832
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
What's the dfferene between Corn pipes and normal ones?

Besides price, the basic difference is the material used to make the bowl. Corncobs are made from hard porous center of an ear of corn. "Normal" pipes (and a corncob pipe is a very normal pipe) are generally made from burl tumors in the root of the heath shrub, or other kinds of wood found suitable to the purpose. Pipes have been made from a wide variety of materials over the years. Don't knock the cob, though. It does the job as well as fancy briar pipes costing 200 times as much. After all, you're smoking a pipe, not marrying it.

 

panagiotis

Lurker
Sep 17, 2014
30
0
Alright. So any opinions on the pipe kit oldreddog sent my way? http://www.gqtobaccos.com/gift-ideas/basic-pipe-starter-kit/#.VBwNDPkV6LV
I m between choosing this or a Dr. Grabow, but if I can get something good with less money the better for me. :)
Also any good lighters you would suggest? I mean like Zippos or something. Again somethign cheap but good(I ve heard that liquids in lghters affect taste in a bad way, I don't want something like that if possible). Ofc I know that matches are better but I want an alternative or something.

 

allan

Lifer
Dec 5, 2012
2,429
7
Bronx, NY
Seems a good way to start
Zippo lighters can be fine. Just wait a few seconds after lighting to let the fumes burn off before lighting the tobacco
Any soft butane lighter will be fine also, just not a torch style used for cigars. It could burn the edge or rim of the cob
Good luck and welcome to the forum

 

hedgehog

Might Stick Around
Sep 25, 2013
61
10
Welcome Panagiotis!
You're clearly in good hands here with the advice that other folks have already given. I'd just add a word about smoking technique, which is very important in enjoying pipes. Unlike cigarettes and cigars, which you pretty much just suck on, pipes need to be smoked with care. Good technique keeps you from wrecking your pipe, or burning your tongue, and it also allows you to discover the world of subtle, profound pleasure to be found in good tobacco. So: most importantly, go slow! You don't want your pipe to burn hot that you can't hold the bowl. In order to go slow, you need to pack the tobacco well, not too loose but most importantly, not too tight. There's a happy medium that you'll discover in time, but your goal is a slow, steady burn, producing a cool, dry smoke. People talk about sipping pipe smoke, and I guess that means taking small, light puffs on the pipe. One good thing to watch out for is avoiding smoking so hot that a lot of smoke pours out of the bowl of the pipe, like a chimney. A pipe burning at the correct temperature will not produce much smoke from the bowl, but will still give you good puffs of white, dry smoke when you draw on the stem. Finally, a word about the dreaded tongue-bite. Tongue-bite is, quite simply, a painful burning in the mouth that lasts as much as a day after smoking a pipe. Some tobaccos (higher in sugar content) tend to bite more, but any tobacco, packed too hard or smoked to hard, can bite. Once again, the goal is to go slow and to take your time. I'm a slow learner, but it really took me a good long while to really feel like I had the hang of pipe smoking. Speaking personally, sticking with it really paid off. It's now one of the things I look forward to most in my day. So be patient! And enjoy!

 

monk

Lurker
Sep 18, 2014
4
0
Two points . . .
The corn cob is, to me, the logical choice for you because they provide a good, inexpensive smoke; after all, having never smoked a pipe before you may decide that you do not like it - why start with a more expensive brier that ends up as a paper weight? Whether it is a corn cob, brier, or meerschaum, you will experience what it is to smoke a pipe.
That said, all pipe materials contribute to the quality of the smoke, i.e., they add or detract from the flavor or the aroma of the smoke. For the most, this is subtle and it should not detract from your initial experience. Regardless of the material used, however, I would suggest that it will take several smokes before you can judge the overall experience. Why? I think most folks would agree that, until you build up a bit of char layer in the bowl, the smoke will be noticeably compromised as compared to the smoke from the same pipe once the char layer is established.
Finally, in the order of their effect on the quality of the smoke (as I discussed, above), corn cobs have the most, meerschaum the least, with briers in between.
Enjoy.
Monk

 

panagiotis

Lurker
Sep 17, 2014
30
0
Thank you all for all the help, advises and the warm welcoming!!! I hope I ll get into pipe smoking soon enough and tell you my impresions :D

 

panagiotis

Lurker
Sep 17, 2014
30
0
Hey there guys. I tried to see if I can order a pipe today but many of the sites I saw don't ship in Greece. Do you know any that can ship to Greece? I ve also checked Pipes and Cigars but I can't see where they can ship stuff. :/

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,087
6,394
Florida
It seems to me that Greece is a source of one of the suitable materials for pipes and it would seem logical that there are pipe makers of some skill who live in Greece.

I'd search for some of these folks.

How do I know that the difference between the Greek briar block and the Algerian briar block is down to the source, or rather just the natural variance between two random blocks of briar? I can't. Not all Greek briar smokes the same, nor all Italian. One just has to take what nature deals and make the best of it. If pressed, I have *generally* noticed the following minor characteristics, but they're definitely subtle. Algerian briar, to me, seems to offer a darker, richer, heavier flavor. Greek seems extremely neutral, allowing the tobacco itself to shine. Italian and Corsican seem "bright", giving blends a sharper edge. At least in my experience. But often none of these things are true.
http://pipedia.org/wiki/Pipe_Brands_/_Makers#Greece

 

papajoe

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 9, 2014
181
5
From the three you mantiond on your first post, dont get near the first one.I have bought it and it is no good. I also bought it as my first one to save money. She is not worth it. the secound one, I see a lot on eBay but am not familloiar with this kind. Maybe some other member con tell us if he had any expiriance with the Ukraine pipes? the third looks nice.

 

judcole

Lifer
Sep 14, 2011
7,147
32,909
Detroit
Looking at the pipes you showed, I'd get the last one. You stand a better chance of getting a decent pipe from a shop than from EBay. I also notice that they are Greek. Call 'em up, if you can, or, better yet, visit their store,which is listed in the "contact us" section of the website. You can learn a lot from a good pipe shop.
You might also want to check out Synjeco. They are Swiss. I have not dealt with them, but they have a good rep.
The guys here are well-meaning, but you may well not be able to get Grabows and MMs easily in Greece. (Personally, I'd take a MM over a Grabow any day.) You have to go with what you can get there. Good luck, and happy smoking. :puffy:

 
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