Segregating Pipes

writingraav · Nov 20, 2018

This may be a basic question, but after years of smoking only Virginias and VaPers I've suddenly acquitted a taste for English blends. Do I really need to dedicate some pipes to one style and others to the other? I don't have that many pipes and the ones I do have I like to smoke regardless of which tobacco I happen to choose at that moment. How much will it matter? Thanks in advance.

sablebrush52 · Nov 20, 2018

If you don't mind "cross talk" from Latakia and Orientals in your Virginia blends, then you don't need to dedicate pipes to specific types of blends. Personally, I prefer to reserve a few pipes for English blends as I don't want to taste Latakia when I'm in the mood for a straight Virginia or Va/Per.

mikethompson · Nov 20, 2018

I think 'dedicating' certain pipes to certain blends might be overstated. Do you need a pipe for VaPers and a different one for Virginia's? Do you need a different pipe just for your Dunhill blends? Maybe not, but it is a good excuse to get more pipes.
That said, having a pipe set aside for aromatics might be a good idea just because they ghost pipes so hard.

hoosierpipeguy · Nov 20, 2018

I believe the ultimate pipe smoking experience would be to dedicate a pipe to a specific blend. Next is to dedicate a pipe to a specific genre of blends (only VA's for example). Then you have "smoke any and all" approach.
I can only speak for myself but if I smoke a VA blend in a pipe I've smoked VaPers in, the Perique flavor and spiciness will be evident, particularly in the first half of the bowl. That may not necessarily be a bad thing if you really like VaPer blends but why then smoke a straight VA blend if you really want to taste a VaPer? I find the ghosting to be more evident with Latakia and Oriental blends, particularly heavy Latakia blends.
I don't find going the other direction to be near as notable. If I smoke a Latakia blend in a pipe that has been dedicated to VA blends, I may get a bit of extra sweet notes but the Latakia overwhelms the VA.
If you only have a few pipes now, purchase a couple of cobs for the latakia blends.

ashdigger · Nov 20, 2018

I have a bunch of pipes....non are specialists.....some certainly treat blends better than the others, but I just grab a pipe, load it up and go.

piffyr · Nov 20, 2018

Bur/Va pipes, Lat pipes, aro pipes.
Floral Lakelands go in a Falcon that's not allowed to play with the others.
Meers and cobs smoke anything but Lakelands.
That's how I roll.

mso489 · Nov 20, 2018

Two considerations, the sensitivity of your taste and the size of your rotation. If you have dozens or scores of pipes, and your tongue, mouth and nose aren't highly discerning, you may not need to designate pipes for most blends. A few blends, like Lakelands aromatics are probably best enjoyed in designated pipes. However, if you have ever been annoyed by Latakia taste coming through a bowl of Va or Va/Per, by all means, reserve pipes for the separate genres. Apparently I have a washboard for a sense of taste, or perhaps I just enjoy an array of flavors even when it's not what I selected for that bowl.

lordofthepiperings · Nov 20, 2018

It's definitely a personal preference to dedicate pipes.
I pretty much only smoke Va's/VaPers/Burley/ and some aromatics still. Recently I've started to smoke the non-aros more and smoke them in all my pipes. If I have a bowl of an aromatic usually it's just one bowl in the pipe and then the pipe gets back to the non-aros with very little if any ghosting.
If you're into Latakia's you may want to keep a few dedicated to them, cause they tend to ghost more than other blends and you very likely will get some cross over from the smoke of the Lat blend to a VaPer/Va.
I'm also using my cobs a lot more now for the heavier cased aros cause they tend to ghost a lot less than briar.

alan73 · Nov 21, 2018

If you want to smoke a pipe for the appreciation of the tobacco, absolutely segregate. If you don't taste much difference between tobaccos then do what ever floats your boat, IMO.

mikethompson · Nov 21, 2018

Maybe we can say that if you get to a certain point with your pallet then you should put some aside for different blends if you want. Initially you are just trying to get your technique down.

crashthegrey · Nov 21, 2018

I dedicate my pipes to certain blend types or even blends sometimes. But sometimes I cross smoke just to see if a particular blend needs a different pipe, or if I was wrong about what a pipe liked the first time. I don't segregate many pipes, except for corn cobs. I don't want them bringing down the atmosphere of my briars.

cigrmaster · Nov 21, 2018

I dedicate all my pipes into categories plus I have a few pipes dedicated to certain specific blends. I would hate to taste Latakia in my Va or Vaper or Vabur pipes.

timt · Nov 21, 2018

I've got a couple pipes designated just for lat or lakeland blends if that urge strikes. The rest of my pipes get anything and everything else.

npod · Nov 21, 2018

I was raised to believe that segregation is a bad thing.
But in regard to pipes, I do dedicate them to at least blend types specifically. I have a few special pipes dedicated to only one blend.

Chasing Embers · Nov 21, 2018

My Weavers and Sordinis are blend specific, all else are genre specific.

dethmutt · Nov 22, 2018

Heavy or all latakia blends should be set aside or reserved for an arsenal of pipes... if you fear ghosting! HH Lat flake is the only thing ive had ghost a pipe.... your other half can be good for anything, unless you love virginia, then maybe save a pipe for the sugar!

mikethompson · Nov 22, 2018

It should be mentioned that most pipe smokers half a century ago probably only had 1 or 2 pipes. But they probably only smoked 1 blend and nothing else. My point? I'm not sure I have one, but I wonder if keeping separate pipes for separate blends is a relative new concept.

seanv · Nov 22, 2018

I have pipes dedicated to genres but like someone else said, every so often I will mix it up to see if there is a better option.

64alex · Nov 22, 2018

One of the reasons I prefer meersclaymorta over briars is that they ghost close to nothing so I don't have really to think about dedicating pipes to a specific blend. I choose pipes depending on the tobacco cut and my mood and I don't like to add the ghosting issue to the equation which would expand the number of pipes to a non comfortable level for me. One thing which I do with all my pipes except cobs is also cleaning them with hot running water after a smoke. I know many disagree with this but I don't like caking and it also decreases ghosting on briar.

crashthegrey · Nov 23, 2018

I find morta to ghost just as easily. And not everyone minds dedicating pipes. Some enjoy the practice.

Segregating Pipes

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Site Sponsors

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Starting to Get Obsessed

The Bard Of Barlings

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Part of the Furniture Now

Lifer

Lifer

Part of the Furniture Now

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Captain of the Black Frigate

Can't Leave

Lifer

Lifer

Part of the Furniture Now

Lifer