Re-Starting Pipe Smoking

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natibo

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 10, 2013
610
1
Cincinnati, OH USA
So I decided to start pipe smoking again after a 4 year break. I quit drinking, started cigs and gave up the pipe completely because the wife hated it. Wife didn't like me sober so she's gone, new girlfriend thinks it's sexy. Stopped the cigs 20 months ago so I thought I'd start the pipe again.
Unfortunately, I got rid of my old pipes so are breaking in new ones (mostly Peterson). I thought I would start right up with some old favorites Odyssey, Early Morning Pipe, Balkan Blends, etc. Well, I got a bad case of tongue bite (smokes way too fast). That and the Odyssey didn't taste as good as I remembered. Tried an ounce of aromatic and some Navy Flake (Escudo, man it's good). Things are getting better.
I think I've learned some lessons. Pipe smoking is not like riding a bike, it's like scuba diving. If you have not done it in a while, start as a beginner again. I'm having to re-learn how to smoke the pipe and re-acquire my taste for Latakia.
Was wondering if anyone had similar experiences.

 

latbomber

Part of the Furniture Now
May 10, 2013
570
4
I find that pipes themselves are much like a car or musical instrument, when new or not used for awhile they take some time to warm up and become in tune with their user. I bet that within a few days your pipes will be running great and your tongue bite will go away.

 

Bulldog

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 29, 2012
118
1
Mid-Atlantic, USA
For me, the greatest difficulty is mastering (or re-mastering) the pace of smoking. Cigars taught bad lessons concerning pulling to hard or fast on the tobacco. The price you pay for not 'being in tune' with the pipe can be severe.

 

shawn622

Lifer
Jul 22, 2012
1,081
2
Mount Sterling, Ohio
I took a 6 month break and to me it's like riding a bike. I even started back on the tobacco I started on. I am glad I started smoking a pipe again. I really enjoy it.

 

msandoval858

Part of the Furniture Now
Jun 11, 2012
954
3
Austin, TX
I took a few years off at one point, before I stumbled upon this forum got interested again. My pipes sat and collected dust for a long time so I had a good few days of cleaning and prep to do before I jumped back in.
I will say for me, it was like starting all over again. Because I have always been a cigar smoker and occassional snuff user, nicotine was not an issue for me so I was able to get right back in to some old favorites as well as find some new ones. However, I did my time with tongue bite, relearning my packing technigue, and even now I'm not stranger to relights.
Then there's that PAD and TAD stuff that kicks in :)

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
A little of each for me. Much of the ritual was learned unconsciously growing up with my dad who smoked

dawn to dusk for many years, pipes and cigars, but most memorably pipes. On the other hand, I seem to have

come in on two different worlds of tobacco. My first stretch of pipe smoking in my 30's seemed to be mostly

aromatics, and a I had a problem with lingering aftertaste that gradually made me suspend pipe smoking.

This round, I have tried many more varieties of tobacco, but I have to be much more careful of tongue bite

and mouth burn.

 

bryanf

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 16, 2013
742
8
When people tell me I should quit smoking, I tell them, "My mama didn't raise no quitter!"
Nothing gets between me and my pipe.
All kidding aside, I have friends who gave up drinking, and I know it was really hard for them. I applaud you for it, and it sounds like you do better without the wife.
I never stopped smoking a pipe, so can't answer your question, but I think you'll pick it up soon enough. Most likely, your pipes just aren't broken in yet, and smoking a little hot, burning your tongue. It only gets better!

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
Welcome to the forum!

If you're looking for some good crossover Latakia/aro blends, I'd suggest McClelland Frog Morton Cellar, and Hearth & Home Mazatec. For some other mild crossover Lat blends, I'd suggest Frog Morton Across The Pond, Frog Morton On The Town and Original Frog Morton. For some great Balkans, I'd suggest Hearth & Home Black House and McClelland Blue Mountain and Grade 1 Balkan. Hope this helps!
Dan

 

natibo

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 10, 2013
610
1
Cincinnati, OH USA
My girlfriend just bought me some MacBaren Plum Cake Navy. Seems a bit "aromatic" but I'll give it try. Hopefully back to heavy blends by Xmas.
BTW these forums are awesome. Everyone is very helpful. Thanks.

 

perrybucsdad

Lurker
Nov 21, 2013
7
0
I too gave up drinking and it was a hard thing to do, but now, I mostly don't miss it (and love being able to wake up in the AM and know how the heck I got into bed).
I too just restarted smoking a pipe again, and I have been struggling with the tongue bite. It is mostly gone now, and I think that is because my tongue has just gotten used to that thing I am sucking hot smoke out of.
I know one of my big issues is pace. I too was/is a cigar smoker, and I tend to suck on the pipe a bit too fast and hard. I want to keep the damn thing lit is the problem. I do recall someone telling me to not just inhale, but also lightly blow into the pipe every so often and this will help keep it lit. I know from my cigar smoking, I can pace a cigar nicely and make it last over 1 hour. I have not yet learned how to do that with a pipe. I either run out of tobacco (in 15 minutes from sucking so darn much on it) or it burns out completely and I have to relight.
I'm also trying to find my taste in tobacco's again. In the past, I mostly smoked aero's because they made the room smell nice. I don't believe I have ever tried anything but an aero in the past. I have some older (still in good shape too) Cornell and Diehl tobacco from the early 2000's that I had left from my previous try, but I want to expand my horizons. I have that TAD thing going on I guess too as I have been buying a bunch of small tins of different aero tobacco's, but I have yet to try something different. Not sure where to go just yet for that something different. I want something that has a nice room note, but don't have all the flavors infused into it unnaturally. I know one of the pipe vendors has a nice listing of their top 10 tins and top 10 bulk tobacco's so I may start buying 1 oz bags of these and giving a try. Fairly soon though, I will forget what they all are like, so I better start thinking of getting a notebook and jotting my impressions of each down.
Later...
John

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
natibo, welcome to the site. I took a few years off and it did take me a little bit to get back into the swing of things. Because of this site I learned that I have a body chemistry issue that makes it torture for me to smoke blends that are high in Red Virginia's. Smoking them is like dipping my tongue in acid so I stay away. I have put together a cellar of 28 blends all Virginia.Virginia/Perique and Virginia/Burley flakes that never burn me. I also learned about cube cutting my flakes as I used to only fold and stuff them and enjoy that quite a bit although I still fold and stuff them on occasion. I learned about what pipes smoke my flakes the best for me. i,e sizes, shapes, weights. If you liked the Escudo, here are a few other blends you might enjoy.
Brigham Klondike Gold

Dunhill Flake

Solani 633 and Silver Flake

Peterson University Flake

Mac Baren Old Dark Fired
These are all flakes so you will need to read up on smoking and preparing flakes, but it is well worth it in my opinion. There is so much to learn if you want to get the most out of your pipes ans tobacco so patience is a must. Don't be afraid to ask questions, it is what we are here for.

 
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