Taking whole tobacco leaves and manually shredding them for use in a pipe?

msbqq · Apr 7, 2019

Hello all,
I’m thinking about starting pipe smoking, and I’m curious if I can take cigar leaves (some combination of wrappers, binders, and fillers) and shred them into the “right” consistency for pipe tobacco, and smoke it as normal.
Just to clear, I’m not interested in simply cutting up a cigar, I’m interested in taking whole leaves, blending them, and shredding them myself.
Thanks

papawhisky · Apr 7, 2019

No, don’t do it. Cigar tobacco and pipe tobacco are completely different and do not taste or smoke anything alike. If you want to make your own pipe tobacco out of whole leaf (which I do) you will need to order whole leaf pipe tobacco varieties.

msbqq · Apr 7, 2019

That is unfortunate; I was hoping of being able to try tobaccos from all over - like Cameroon, Indonesia, Brazil, etc. Thanks for answering

canucklehead · Apr 7, 2019

I like cigar leaf in pipes, by itself, and also blended with pipe tobaccos. I especially like chopping up a dark, strong flavoured cigar, and mixing it with a bit of black Cavendish. : puffy

:

cortezattic · Apr 7, 2019

Pipemaker Julius Vesz claimed that a touch of cigar leaf improves any blend. Based on those types of blends that I've smoked, I can see why he came to that conclusion.

anthonyrosenthal74 · Apr 7, 2019

No, don’t do it. Cigar tobacco and pipe tobacco are completely different and do not taste or smoke anything alike

Why not. There are quite a few blends on the market containing cigar leaf. I've also seen it mentioned a few times, people cutting up their cigars and smoking them in a pipe. I say go for it, experiment, and let us know if you're happy with the results.

msbqq · Apr 8, 2019

I think I may just go for it! It may take some time, but I’ll definitely report back!

anthonyrosenthal74 · Apr 8, 2019

You can buy some C&D cigar leaf to add to other components, or even to an existing blend, to experiment. https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipe-tobacco/cornell-diehl/Chopped-Cigar-Leaf-2oz/product_id/211052

Chasing Embers · Apr 8, 2019

No, don’t do it. Cigar tobacco and pipe tobacco are completely different and do not taste or smoke anything alike.

:?
Anyway, I like Connecticut whole leaf by itself. If you don't already have one OP, get a manual shredder.
Manual Shredder

hoosierpipeguy · Apr 8, 2019

If you want, I see no reason why you wouldn't try it. I don't think cigar leaf by itself smoked in a pipe would be very good. Adding some cigar leaf to a blend obviously can be a good thing as there are a number of very good blends with cigar leaf. I like a number of them.

occa · Apr 8, 2019

https://www.leafonly.com/index.php

davek · Apr 8, 2019

I was hoping of being able to try tobaccos from all over - like Cameroon, Indonesia, Brazil, etc.

I (re)began my journey into pipe smoking by doing just that. I smoked cigars years ago, saw the many varieties of whole cigar leaf online, and figured it would be an inexpensive way to smoke quality cigar tobacco.
I read on this forum that cigar leaf tasted totally different in a pipe. I disagreed, enjoying the different cigar flavors I was sampling and recognizing some.
I did notice that I found many varieties of leaf quite good, but too strong to smoke unblended.
After (half assed) rolling some of my leaf into cigars and also after cutting up some locally bought cigars for the pipe, I've come to a conclusion.
IMO, YMMV, yada.
Cigar leaf tastes qualitatively the same in a pipe, but cigar leaf in a pipe is *much* stronger in all ways. My theory is that the difference is how it burns in a pipe, but don't tell anyone.
Anyway, it was still great experiencing the different flavors and all, It was great and I recommend it, but what you like in a pipe might not be what you enjoy as much rolled. Dominican made a great cigar, but I only like it in a pipe at about 10% in a mix due to the strength.
My tastes changed over time and I'm a Burley lover now.

mso489 · Apr 8, 2019

C&D and others sell cigar leaf as a condiment mixing tobacco for pipes, and smoked by itself, it is quite pleasant. It's not a cigar experience. Cigars are carefully crafted to deliver a specific experience usually with several different kinds of tobacco and are just a different animal, if you will. However, shredding various tobacco leaf to smoke in a pipe, I'd start with very limited quantities and do trial sampling. Most of the blends we buy are extensively processed -- cased, flavored, aged, pressed, sliced, and so on. Some air-cured and otherwise non-processed leaf is good, other is very harsh. I'd start with small amounts and small bowl pipes, and when you discover something good, go to a bigger bowl, and let us know what you've sourced and what's good to smoke.

cosmicfolklore · Apr 8, 2019

It is absolute bullshit that you can only smoke "pipe leaf" in a pipe. There is no such thing as pipe leaf. It's tobacco (period). Yes, you can use leaf that was fermented with cigars in mind, but to say that it is exclusively a cigar leaf is just as bad.

Cigar guys and pipe guys just have this notion in mind of what a smoke should taste like. Cigar guys are probably worse about this, siting Some Cuban cigar of antiquity as the model for what all cigars should taste like.
I say go for it. Give yourself a truly unique experience that some "stick in the mud" purist will never know.
ANY tobacco is capable of being smoked in a pipe.

papawhisky · Apr 8, 2019

Just to clarify my original reply, I was assuming the OP was hoping to use cigar varieties to create pipe tobacco blends that would be similar to "traditional" pipe blends that are mostly Virginias and Burleys. I just didn't want him to be disappointed in the results if that was the case.
Obviously there is no reason you can't smoke cigar varieties in a pipe. I do it myself when I am experimenting with new blends for my home rolled cigars. And one of the varieties I grew last year, Glessner, makes a very pleasant pipe tobacco by itself. However, the taste profile, to me, is Cigar, and if that's what you like, then yes, go for it!

The easiest way to prepare the leaf if you don't have a shredder like the one above is to roll the destemmed whole leaf into a very tight cigar, then cut off coins, then cut the coins in half or quarters.

davek · Apr 8, 2019

If I remember correctly, from Leaf Only, Honduran cigar tobacco was pretty mellow and lent itself to piping straight. Brazilian Habano… I think was good. The aforementioned Dominican was a favorite of mine blended, too strong straight for me.

mso489 · Apr 8, 2019

Echoing earlier posts, I'd note that blends with cigar leaf are fairly common, blends such as Key Largo and Billy Budd just for examples, but there are many. I was intrigued when I first learned that tobacco wrapper leaf is grown in Connecticut, which is not usually associated with the Tobacco Belt.

5star · Apr 8, 2019

There have been times when I’ve been in the mood to smoke a particular cigar, but was short on time. Rather than waste good leaf, I’ve cut off the last 1/3 or 1/2 of the cigar and jarred it for later. I’ve cut up that leaf and smoked it in a pipe. The smoking results are nothing like the original cigar, of course. I haven’t done this all that many times, but wasn’t particularly impressed. It was ‘just o.k.’ Perhaps if I mixed the cigar leaf with pipe tobacco I might better like the results.

cosmicfolklore · Apr 8, 2019

There are a couple of other single leaf cigar - pipe blends. McConnels Pure Carribe is an interesting one. I have a friend who only smokes that one. I avoid the whole "tin of cigar leaf" stuff. What the hell is in them? Why not just tell us what it is?

msbqq · Apr 9, 2019

In addition to the shredder above, I got: Aged Indonesian Sumatra Seco, Brazilian Arapiraca Filler, Canadian Virginia Flue Cured, and Burley. Both of those cigar leaves are medium/med-mild. So I’m planning on trying both the leaves and the traditional pipe leaves separate, and then try blending based on associated strength and flavor of both. I have really enjoyed this discussion, I have learned quite a lot.

Taking whole tobacco leaves and manually shredding them for use in a pipe?

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Site Sponsors

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Lurker

Lurker

Lurker

Lifer

Lifer

Lifer

Lurker

Lifer

Captain of the Black Frigate

Lifer

Lurker

Part of the Furniture Now

Lifer

Lifer

Lurker

Part of the Furniture Now

Lifer

Part of the Furniture Now

Lifer

Lurker