Thoughts of a Returning Pipe Smoker

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marcel

Might Stick Around
Feb 25, 2015
72
0
In 2004 or there about, I started smoking a pipe in a failed effort to quit cigarettes. In 2006 I kicked cigarettes and therefore was afraid of any tobacco lest the addiction return. I was inspired to unboxed them, by a recently purchased box set of the films of Jaques Tati. One of the trademarks of Tatis’ character, Mr. Hoult is a pipe.
There is a big difference smoking pipes without an addiction to cigarettes, it’s enjoyable in itself instead of being a substitute for nicotine delivery. I have nothing but contempt for “Big Cigarette,” greed spoils everything. I do have some fond memories of cigarette smoking though. I was an art student in the Seventies at MACD and of course we’d never dane to smoke anything domestic. We smoked all the foreign cigarettes we could find; English Ovals, Gauloises, and especially Soubiran ‎Balkans. Those came in little tins with the same artwork as the pipe tobacco tins, unfiltered, very strong but wonderful, I can understand why it’s coveted by pipe smokers.
I’m now in the process of matching pipes with tobaccos. I bought a few 9mm filter pipes just to try them but after listening to Brian Levine’s interview with Trevor Talbert I see the reason for their existence. A 9mm filter tones down the flavors of those big juicy aromatics. Similar to adding a little water to Scotch or Bourbon, making the flavors more accessible. I recently read a review of Peterson’s Connoisseur's Choice in which the reviewer gave the tobacco 2 stars because it was messed up with too many flavors.
I thought I could keep may taste profile to just Aromatics and Virginias because a Latakia blend smelled like something one would burn to keep away mosquitoes. I tried Hearth and Home’s House of Lords in small amounts and kept with it; it’s a taste that develops over time. I can see a I have a lot of Latakia blends to explore.
On having my ass kicked by nicotine, I thought I was immune to such things but Samuel Gawith’s Kendall Cream Flake did make the floor tilt. Pipes and Cigars was very generous with my order so I have a quite a lot of it. Probably because it’s not very popular.

 

darwin

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 9, 2014
820
5
I suggest getting yourself some MM cobs to use as testers for new blends. Missouri Meershaum sells them with bowls small enough to deliver minimal nicotine even from very stout blends and you won't have to worry about ghosting your "good" pipes with aromatics, Lakelands, or other blends that you just don't fancy. And keep in mind that reviews should be taken with a large helping of salt. Your palate is exclusively your own and has little or nothing to do with the palate of the next guy over.

 

pipebaum81

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 23, 2014
669
235
marcel, I don't have much to offer but I just wanted you to know that I enjoyed reading your thoughts. I hope you continue to enjoy tobacco in a way you deem suited for a healthy lifestyle and of course welcome to the forum.
j/B

 

marcel

Might Stick Around
Feb 25, 2015
72
0
I've actually begun to do this. So far I'm just smoking one Latika blend ( I've read on this site, probably from a Mr. Pease article; we should be calling them Latika blends instead of English blends and while that's correct it's also bucking tradition) isolated to a small Hilson prince or corncob or Meerschaum. I think Latikia's are the most likely to ghost a pipe. The Virginias seem to do best in my Billiards and Canadians anything bigger and they tend to smoke hot.
As my taste for Latikia develops, I'll have to find the proper pipes that fit them best.

 

settersbrace

Lifer
Mar 20, 2014
1,565
5
Latakia is really nothing more than a smoked tobacco that is used as a condiment as are other oriental leaf. A ghosted pipe to me is one that has had goop ridden aromatic, deer tongue or Tonquin (Lakeland blends) smoked in it. Latakia can be smoked out in a few bowls and when I do stuff some VA flake in a bowl that's seen some heavy use from the English/Balkan blends, I kind of dig the crossover from the Lat.

Welcome to the hobby and the forums and keep at it, you'll find that your tastes will change as they evolve and try not to get too set in your ways with just 1 or 2 blends. There's so many to try and enjoy.

 

beefeater33

Lifer
Apr 14, 2014
4,090
6,196
Central Ohio
Welcome Marcel!

Enjoy the journey, and don't read too much into tobacco reviews..... one man's pleasure... yadda-yadda.

Find out what you like, and explore that genre, you'll find hits and misses, but that's the fun part!

If you're serious about Latakia, try some of the Pease offerings...... Greg does them better than anyone IMO. There's a full range there too.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
Small pipes are a good way to moderate your intake. I used to think they were novelty or souvenir items, but a Forums member put me onto them, and now I enjoy them along with many mid-sized and a few extra large. For a short smoke, an appetizer or dessert bowl, sampling blends especially full strength blends, and so on. The French pipe maker Ewa, available through Iwan Ries, makes a quality line of small pipes at reasonable prices, great for flake, coin, and plug.

 
Mar 1, 2014
3,647
4,917
On filter use, I almost never use a pipe without some sort of filter, but it has nothing to do with the flavour.

I just want to stop bits of tobacco from getting in my mouth, and my taste buds have no appreciation for subtlety (flavour is best cranked to 11 in my opinion).

 

brass

Lifer
Jun 4, 2014
1,840
7
United States
Welcome back. You struck a chord when you expressed your dissatisfaction with pipes as a surrogate, when trying to quit cigarettes. In my younger days, I smoked a pipe exclusively, then got hooked on cigarettes and their convenience. I never gave up the pipe but the cigarettes were my everyday addiction.
Like Mark Twain said, quitting cigarettes was easy. I did it hundreds of times. Several times I attempted to quit cigarettes by substituting the pipe full time. Since I wasn't inhaling the pipe tobacco, the smoke couldn't match the nicotine dose I was used to. In fact, it just provoked nicotine attacks, so I couldn't enjoy the pipe.
With patches, Wellbutrin, nicotine nasal sprays, Chantix and God's grace, I quit cigarettes going on ten years ago. I used no nicotine products for maybe 5 years, when I started smoking the occasional premium cigar. About a year ago, picked up a tin of a Davidoff blends and pulled out one of my old pipes. I didn't expect the pipe to replace my cigars but found myself enjoying the pipe daily. I still smoke cigars but usually only when I have guests for a drink.
When it comes to quitting cigarettes, I say try anything. When I smoked cigarettes, I could enjoy the pip but often smoked a cigarette after a bowl to bring my nicotine levels up. It wasn't until I was a long way from cigarettes that I could enjoy again for its own merits.
Regarding Latakia, there are countless great blends on the market. I prefer Latakia as a condiment rather than the predominant note. You'll get lots of recommendations and I rely on those of other smokers here at PipeMagazine. Frankly, I haven't tried a pipe tobacco I didn't like, at least eventually. I just like some more than others.
However, for what is worth my top three favorite Lat blends are Samuel Gawith Luxury Navy Flake, GlPease Quiet Nights, and Penzance. I'll throw in Bob Chocolate Flake for a change of pace. And just an FYI, I think flakes, plugs and cakes in general are richer, deeper and more satisfying than ribbon cut blends. Not that there aren't terrific ribbon and course cut tobaccos out there.
Good luck. It will be interesting to see where your taste buds take you.
Pax

 

marcel

Might Stick Around
Feb 25, 2015
72
0
Thanks for all the acknowledgments and suggestions. I've learned so much in the past month from the people here and all the You Tube videos. Those resources weren't as plentiful when I started pipe smoking.
Initially I was the kid in the candy store, "Ooh look at all those different tobaccos! I must try each one!" Fortunately that quickly faded and I have settled on first exploring Virginia Flakes. Orlik Golden Flake, Mac Baren Navy Flake, and Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake (besides the aforementioned Kendall Cream) are in the current rotation. Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake and Capstan remain unopened and I'm contemplating cellaring tobacco, I think those would be a good start.
I only have that one blend of Latakia but when that's finished I have an eleven year old tin of G.L. Pease Caravan that was stored along with my pipes. Looking forward to cracking that open.

 

brass

Lifer
Jun 4, 2014
1,840
7
United States
Over the years, I went from PA in a tin to various old time OTC blends to b&m house blends (probably all re-labeled Lanes, I expect to tins and bulks. I'm still in the candy store. I make it a point to always have an open new tin as well as my stock favorites in rotation. And my rotations changes and evolves as well. Vive la confiserie !
Pax

 

seagullplayer

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 30, 2014
500
129
Indiana
I believe Fox and Hound is a good "English" entry blend if you can find it.
Glad you could quite the cigs. I know lots of folks that want too.

 
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