Okay, taking some suggestions from here and going to order some blends to try - Haddo's Delight, Hobbit's Weed, Wilke #191. Will look at Mac Baren's Navy flake a bit later based on my past experiences with multiple blends by Mac B.
Another question: Since I've noticed that the taste is "flat" when I smoked my current first try blend bought at a local B & M, and much briar, is there anything I can do to improve that? And yes, the meerschaum is already broken in from my last outing 35 years ago...
Do meerschaums normally taste flat like this?
Also, another question. I used to have a favorite calabash, that I considered my sweetest smoke. It was made from a yellow gourd with a meerschaum bowl insert. But in looking at pipes these days, the calabash seems to always be made of wood. Is this now common? Is it because the gourd would sometimes burn through (most likely from puffing to frequently and getting it too hot?)
Enjoying all of your comments and doing a lot of reading in here. If I can't find my old collection, I'll be pipe shopping so I can give these oldies a rest and rotate them...
Another question: Since I've noticed that the taste is "flat" when I smoked my current first try blend bought at a local B & M, and much briar, is there anything I can do to improve that? And yes, the meerschaum is already broken in from my last outing 35 years ago...
Do meerschaums normally taste flat like this?
Also, another question. I used to have a favorite calabash, that I considered my sweetest smoke. It was made from a yellow gourd with a meerschaum bowl insert. But in looking at pipes these days, the calabash seems to always be made of wood. Is this now common? Is it because the gourd would sometimes burn through (most likely from puffing to frequently and getting it too hot?)
Enjoying all of your comments and doing a lot of reading in here. If I can't find my old collection, I'll be pipe shopping so I can give these oldies a rest and rotate them...
