New Guy Here With a Question

Welcome to the forums maddevil.
To answer your questions, personally at this stage of the game, I wouldn't be too concerned about ghosting a pipe. Since you're just starting out, your palate won't be so tuned into specific flavors that it will make much of a difference IMO. I routinely mix tobaccos in the same pipe. There are some exceptions, but they won't ruin your pipe.
As for buying a single quality pipe, I would urge you to consider buying 2 or 3 quality estate pipes from a reputable dealer like smokingpipes or a solid reseller on ebay. The key to enjoying your pipe is to allow time for it to rest. If you smoke 2 bowls in a day, it should ideally rest 2-3 days afterwards (I prefer more time). This allows it to fully dry out and will prevent the sour taste that can come from over smoking a pipe.
Also, if you have your heart set on a Rosslare (I have one and I like it a lot), go for the Rosslare Royal instead of the classic. It's a higher quality pipe. You can try an overseas dealer. I bought mine from James Fox in Ireland and paid about $120 for a Royal. Here in the states, classics will actually cost more than a Royal.
Finally, I am sure many here will recommend a corn cob pipe as an inexpensive way to own multiple pipes. I prefer briar, but if you're low on funds, it might be a way to get started.
Good luck - pipe smoking is a journey, so be patient and enjoy the ride!

I RECOMMEND GETTING SOME CHEAP COBS OR CLAYS FOR TESTING PURPOSES

Welcome aboard!

I think your question is a great one... and I'm sure it will prompt many comments.

Here's my take:

With your pipe budget I think you can land a decent set of pipes.

Meaning that don't put all of your eggs in one basket... not yet anyway.

That way you'll have a rotation of pipes, and you can dedicate a couple.

I personally only have a couple of pipes that are dedicated to a "type" of tobacco rather than to a particular "blend".

But, as for any apprehention you may have where ghosting is concerned...Don't sweat it.

Hi DJ. Welcome.
Personally I think WAY too much is made about "ghosting" and dedicating a different pipe for every kind of tobacco. Sure, it happens once in awhile but it's never been enough to bother me. I've seen a lot of rookie smokers who are TERRIFIED of ghosting a pipe based on what they've heard from veterans (or other rookies). But unless it's a seriously bizarre tobacco, I don't think you have much to worry about.
If you're going to spend $150 to $200 on a single pipe, then I like your style. Personally I prefer artisan-made pipes over factory pipes like Peterson, but if you've had your heart set on a Rosslare then go for it.
Please post pictures of your new pipe when you get it, and to paraphrase our good friend Jud: "smoke the highest quality tobacco you can afford."

Welcome! +1 for cobs; order a grabbag and you'll have plenty of testers even if they aren't lookers. My best pipe IMHO is my meerschaum, but my peterson and nording briars are close seconds.

Welcome aboard! You've gotten some good advice already; the best, I think is to have a couple of pipes so you can rest them - aside from bigvan quoting me, of course! ::

Welcome to the forum. I am one of the guys that believes you are never going to appreciate the full benefits of a great Virginia blend if you are smoking it in a pipe that you also smoke Latakia blends in. The Latakia will over power the Virginia and you will never get to experience everything the Virginia offers. I dedicate my pipes to Virginia, and Virginia/Perique blends and don't smoke English.
In regards to buying pipes. For 200.00 I would recommend buying two quality estate pipes instead of just one pipe. For example here are a few that I think will make very good smokers.

http://www.mkelaw-pipes.com/html/pipee1748.html

http://www.mkelaw-pipes.com/html/pipee2033.html

http://briarblues.com/gl006.htm

http://briarblues.com/mdp07.htm

http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/italy/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=115723

http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/italy/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=110885

These guys nailed it, cheap cobs are wonderful for testing tobacco, and taking to work for a quick puff on your lunch break. Try and stay away from strong dedicated flavoured aromatics in briar. I recently smoke a bowl of honey and chocolate in my petersons 302, and had to de-ghost it to make anything else taste normal. Just my experience.

New here too (about 3 weeks) just ordered my grab bag from Missouri Meerschum... can't wait to try them out, seems like the best way to try new tobacco. good luck Maddevildog.

I think WAY too much is made about "ghosting" and dedicating a different pipe for every kind of tobacco. Sure, it happens once in awhile but it's never been enough to bother me.

Click to expand...

+100.
Still, you can't get along with one pipe. I propose meerschaum pipe, not cob. It must rest too but not as much as briar. Get two and smoke each one once a day.

Don't over think it! I am not much farther ahead of you on the curve, and here is where I have found myself (with a lot of solid guidance from this lovely board!):
- Don't worry about ghosting until you actually understand the basic archetypes of tobaccos (VaPer, English, etc.)

- Be willing to try anything twice.

- Estates are your friend. Seriously. Cobs may not satisfy the aesthetic, but they work like plow horses, steady and reliable.

- Look for decent pipes right now, and hold off on that "good pipe". Tastes change, but more so on the early part of the learning curve.
There is so much out there, it is easy to go nuts, especially on the starting package. Go slow, have fun with it, and realize you will never be done learning on this journey. And the people here seem ever able to provide a nudge in the right direction. o)

Agree with those who encourage not worrying about ghosting a pipe. I can't tell you how many different blends I smoked in my first pipe . . . and she's still with me, thirty-three years later.
I'm no corn cob fan, so I'm not going to suggest that you spend $10 instead of $200 on a pipe! But I will suggest that you could get two very good quality briar pipes for $200 -- even three if you look on the estate market. Also: You don't say how long you've been smoking a pipe -- or if you've ever smoked a pipe -- but, as with any hobby, there's a big difference between buying something suitable only for a "beginner" and going whole-hog and investing significantly in something you may not even know if you enjoy yet.
On the other hand, I notice that no one has actually answered your question regarding feedback on brands. Honestly, in the $200 price range, you really have so many great-quality options that it's simply up to your personal preferences in terms of finish, shape, style, etc. I don't personally love the Peterson style you mentioned (don't like colored stems like that), but those are fairly traditional shapes. You might want to look at some of the higher-end factory pipes from Denmark. I'd also suggest taking a close look at some of the Italian brands: Ascorti and Radice in particular. (Castello might be outside your price range, unless you go with an estate.)
Finally, I'll just add this: Assuming you're a very new pipe smoker, I think you might actually be better served by spending $80-100 for a pipe and then using the rest of your budget for 10-12 different tins of tobacco, so you can get a wide sampling of the various styles available. Along the way, you'll get an education in what typifies each particular style, and you'll get a better handle on the blends you really like, those that you'll need to "grow into," and those you simply don't like.
My .02, anyway. . .
Bob

Welcome to the forum, maddevildog.
Some smokers enjoy the ghosts. I wouldn't worry about ghosting your pipe at this stage.

By the time your palate is trained well enough that you know what tobaccos you like, and

what ghosting is all about, you will probably have bought several pipes.
Just smoke and enjoy.

Rest the pipe in between smokes, at least a day.
And most ghosting will go away after a few bowls.
So if you're mixing tobaccos in the pipe you should smoke the same tobacco maybe 3 times. The first bowl will have lingering taste of the last tobacco, but by the second bowl you should be tasting solely whatever you are smoking.
Either way most ghosting is only a mention of the former blend in the pipe. Rarely will it dominate the taste.

An estate pipe is a used pipe. Some come in rough shape, but can be cleaned up (use search in this forum and on Google for tips on how to do it - not difficult really).
Other estates are pre-cleaned (though most of us will still run a pipe cleaner through it with alcohol before smoking). They represent a good value.
For brands to look for, I recommend Savinelli and Stanwell. Can't go wrong with those brands. Peterson has a spotty record of late. I still like them, but you have to be careful with the newer ones.
I would start with smokingpipes.com. They have an excellent number of quality estates, all perfectly cleaned and ready to smoke. Just read the specs, especially the "condition" rating. Avoid over-reamed bowls and charred bowls. If it's a 4.85 or higher (out of 5), usually good to buy.
Ebay is a place where you can get awesome deals, but you can also get burned pretty badly, so maybe hold off on that until you're more comfortable with brands and conditions.
Finally, don't be in a rush to buy too quickly. The longer you look, the better the odds that you'll find a really good deal. Also don't be afraid to PM some of the more knowledgable members of this forum to get their opinion before you buy.

DJ, do you have a local pipe shop? Go there first, & then follow advice of the Pro's above.

for the price of that peterson i'd buy 2 or 3 savinellis.

When I only had one pipe I wasn't concerned about ghosting the pipe or dedicating it to English or Aromatic blends. I smoked what I had went back and forth between different blends. I just suggest that after you're done smoking your pipe you clean it with a pipe cleaner or two. As for resting a pipe, I don't buy into that line of thinking. I have a Savinelli that in the past I had smoked day after day with multiple pipe bowls each day and never had a problem. I would hope that if a $50 pipe can smoke that well then a $150-200 pipe could.
As for your pipe budget I would suggest buying 2 nice pipes of $75-100. If you're set on that Peterson, then I suggest picking up at least a MM corn cob as well. Never hurts to have a cob or two. They're great for sampling tobacco blends. Good luck with your journey into pipe smoking.