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S

skulltula

Lurker
Aug 17, 2015
41
0
I understand that pipe tobacco is typically blended such that a smoker may enjoy the flavors of a nice, cool evening, sipping slowly upon his or her pipe, to enjoy the different flavor profiles offered by the blender. And it would seem, therefore, that a good portion of the blends I have tried have been intended for slow enjoyment. I know that pipes are all about taking your time, patience, relaxation, and general enjoyment of the local ambiance from within a gazebo, lounge chair, club chair, sofa, or in this case, sometimes a computer chair. If one so much as thinks to puff fast on some of these blends, the risk of tongue bite is unavoidable almost entirely.
So, here now is the point of the whole post, perhaps a question suited more for newbies to pipe smoking who might be interested in the same thing-- is there a blend out there that was intentionally made for faster puffing? This may be a dumb question, because obviously, who wants to puff really fast in an art which, throughout the last few centuries, requires time and patience for maximal enjoyment?
A tertiary question: meerschaums are part of many pipers' collections, so would that be a usable tool for obligate steam engine puffers, perhaps alongside clays and churchwardens? Tongue bite is enemy number one for any blend, so having the benefit of being as bite-resistant [bite free, even?] as some blends have proclaimed with pride may be the very blends used for quicker smoke breaks within a time limit (say, lunch break) and therefore would fit the bill of being intended for quicker puffing methods.
Discuss your thoughts below.

 
Chasing Embers

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,449
109,372
Burleys tolerate a bit of hard puffing, but as far as meers go, you run the risk of cracking them if you get them extremely hot. I would suggest Carter Hall in a cob for quick, short smoking.

 
okiescout

okiescout

Lifer
Jan 27, 2013
1,530
6
Fast puffing just does not have an up side between your tongue, your pipe, and the flavor of the baccy. Learning to control my cadence was one of the hardest things for me to learn.

 

M

michiganlover

Can't Leave
May 10, 2014
336
3
Fast puffing destroys flavor, and as that is the entire point of pipe smoking, I find your question to be basically pointless.
I'm sorry but there is no shortcut to learning proper technique.
Even if such a thing existed, you would just be reinforcing bad technique which has no benefit in the long run.

 
warren

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,733
16,332
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
Speak for yourself. Nicotine is as, if not a bit more, important than flavor to me. I'm also not sure that there is a one size fits all technique for the pipe anymore than there is one blend that will satisfy every pipe smoker. It all depends on what one wants out of the experience.
I smoke slow and easy with my evening pipes. The evening pipe is a nice adjunct to a good book and a bit of adult beverage. Not every smoker sees the pipe in the same light others. The bowls, when working in the field, are smoked both faster and deeper than my evening pipes. And with less interest as I'm concentrating on the camera and the subject.
I do not smoke a pipe to simply to be smoking a pipe. The pipe heightens my enjoyment of whatever I am doing at the time.

 
mso489

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
Some of the tub tobaccos go pretty well with puffing -- Carter Hall and Prince Albert -- or if you want to graduate to something a little more sophisticated but still stick with the tub tobacco and your rowdy puffing ways, PC's Home and Hearth Midtowns serve well. I like the only non-aromatic in that series, Chestnut. I don't think puffing improves any blend, but the tub blends seem to tolerate it better.

 
fadingdaylight

fadingdaylight

Lifer
Jan 8, 2013
1,189
3
I can't say that I would recommend hot boxing a meer. Cobs are pretty durable, if your looking for a pipe that can handle some abusive smoking techniques, go with one of them. I tend to smoke a bit fast myself, especially if I am doing something while smoking. A cob provides a good, flavorful smoke that can stand up to the heat, and even if it doesn't, you didn't dump a small fortune into it like you would a meer.

 
okiescout

okiescout

Lifer
Jan 27, 2013
1,530
6
Nicotine is as, if not a bit more, important than flavor to me. I'm also not sure that there is a one size fits all technique for the pipe anymore than there is one blend that will satisfy every pipe smoker.
Point taken, Warren but outside of a cob, rapid puffing is not going to be a great thing for most meers or briars over the long haul, at least not from what I have read on the subject anyway. That said, I certainly agree that every smoker has his own objectives.

 
warren

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,733
16,332
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
I guess what we need is a definition. What exactly is the threshold at where slow becomes fast? Is there a puffs per minute limitation? Or, a depth of puff limit wherein the pipe itself bursts into flame if exceeded? :puffy:

 
okiescout

okiescout

Lifer
Jan 27, 2013
1,530
6
I think the explanation, as I understand it, for the integrity of the briar long term, is when it gets too hot to hold comfortably it is too hot!. Certainly not missile science, but a reasonable indicator that the pipe is well past warm.
Ignoring this is placing the briar pipe at risk of eventual deterioration on the bole. Smoking Pipes, gives an excellent honest appraisal on their site of all estate pipes they have in inventory. Evidence of overheating is rife in the amount of spider webbing etc. that is observed in many estate briars. If some one knowingly chooses to ignore this for their own purposes or enjoyment in smoking I would not loose any sleep over it. My concern is with new smokers who want to learn how to take moderate care of their pipes.
No rules that I see in play here, just cause and effect. :puffy:

 
warren

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,733
16,332
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
I totally agree with you okiescout. I tend to keep the pipe (cobs or briars) in my mouth when working and have no idea if the bowl is getting hot until the smoke becomes uncomfortable. When that happens I set it aside to cool. So far I haven't "cooked" a bowl and should, I suppose, thank the sensitivity of my mouth for that.
I think (suspect? feel?) that my meers, smoked at home while relaxing, tolerate a more rapid smoke, with the attendant heat, than my briars. Only anecdotal of course. The wood bowl seems to get hotter, faster than the meers. Since I am not exerting myself I smoke at a slower rate than when working.

 
S

shutterbugg

Lifer
Nov 18, 2013
1,451
21
Wimpy nic-less aros are what newbies always start with, and they're like smoking hot air, so it prompts them to puff like crazy. You won't need to stoke up a billowy cloud of smoke and inhale it if you smoke heavy-bodied blends like Royal Yacht, Nightcap, DNR/Escudo et al.

 
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