Matching Pipes With Tobaccos and Building a Rotation

[ofafeather]

I'm finding it a bit challenging at the moment to narrow down what I feel like smoking. I usually have a bowl a day during the summer, dwindling out through the autumn until winter, when I may have 1 bowl over 4 months because I live in the Northeast and smoke outdoors. If I have multiple bowls in a day it's usually the same blend, in the same pipe, back-to-back. I'm usually focused on one or two blends at a time, and though I smoke all types of blends, I rarely switch back-and-forth.

Now seems different. I'm trying a bunch of stuff, have 9 open tins, in addition to the ones that I already have jarred, and I'm feeling a bit out to sea. In addition, I have at least 8 new-to-me pipes, plus I'm going through my cellar and pipe rack rediscovering stuff moment by moment.

So, I'm curious about how the following works for you (understanding that there is no right way):

1) How do you match a pipe with a blend or family of blends? Do you find certain shapes, sizes, etc. work better for one type or another? Any exceptions that you have come across? I know some people dedicate a pipe to a specific blend. Others usually to a family of blends, which is what I tend to do, though sometime the line is blurred between Va (generic term here for non-latakia) and Danish/English style aromatics.

2) Those that smoke multiple bowls throughout the day, what kind of tobacco rotation do you use?

3) What's your pipe rotation like?

For me, most of my pipes are medium to large - 1.75" tall, .8 chamber width. I have larger ones and smaller ones but usually shoot for the middle. I don't have a standard for how I approach matching a pipe and blend but probably 2/3 of my pipes are non-latakia.

Anyway, here I am on a bit of a ramble, putting off making one of the least important decisions in the world - what to smoke today. Poor me!

 

[saltedplug]

It seems to me that you follow the grand tradition of the forums of generating just such a number of questions. When I was starting out, in fact perhaps for the first five years, I felt everything in pipe smoking affected everything else. I tried to establish causal relationships between things without relation, say between bit configuration and the finish.

But it seems to me that you are in the same way overzealous, yet the notion that a pipe would be more friendly to VA or latakia was widespread 15 years ago. Guys would smoke a few bowls of each and declare that it liked one or the other.

I say that this is a pile of redolent hoodoo. I find there is no relationship between specific pipes and specific blends.

Evaluate a pipe for its drilling. Very few makers use anything as elaborate to warrant the term as engineering. The term mostly means that they can drill straight and enter the chamber precisely.

Choose a pipe for its drilling and its shape and finish. Choose a pipe for its size for how long you wish to smoke. Load, smoke and enjoy.

That's about it as I see it.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

I think you’re overthinking it. I just keep blends that ghost in specific dedicated pipes. And most ghosts are only temporary anyway, and can be removed with smoking a few bowls of something else. Lakelands may be an exception. I would just pick a pipe, pick a blend type, and roll with it.

For me, I have at least one pipe dedicated to the following:
Cigar leaf blends
Straight Virginias
VaPers
Deertongue blends
English (read “Latakia”) blends
Aromatics

 

[ofafeather]

Yeah, over 20 years that I have smoked a pipe I've gone in different directions. I rarely obsess but am at the moment, mostly because I've been going in a bunch of different directions at once. I pulled out some WCC Persian Slipper to dry. Haven't tried it yet so will go with that. Now just need to find a smoking implement for it.

 

[Pipelady20]

@ofafeather Because I'm new and I have enough to think about with work and the children, my pipe smoking hobby is really basic for now, I haven't become sophisticated about this yet. But, i have marked some of my cobs on the bottom with a sharpie (yes I did) with "VA", "LAT/ENG" "Aro" until I get the hang of it. I've not quite figured out how to do that with the briars. Since my briar pipes are few in number I can pretty much remember which is which.

To get to your question, I keep the English in a few pipes but have run into the issue of running out of pipes, so to speak when I've had more than one aromatic. So in this example, I may pull out a pipe from the day before that's a cob for a virginia. I'm sure the pros will contribute better information, but maybe this helps someone with realizing the process we all go through. Cheers.

 

[jpmcwjr]

1) How do you match a pipe with a blend or family of blends?
—I don't.

2) Those that smoke multiple bowls throughout the day, what kind of tobacco rotation do you use?
—Nothing set; whatever appeals.

3) What's your pipe rotation like?
— Fluid! Whatever grabs my attention. For walking about, a smaller lighter pipe. For a long sit, a big one. Limited to whatever's in the cleaned pile, but that's usually 3-4 dozen.

 

[ray47]

I really don't have a pipe rotation. I just pick the pipe I want to smoke and match it to the blend I choose at the time. The pipe will let you know what blend it likes. As Country Bladesmith said, " Don't overthink it".

 

[mso489]

Pipe smokers are like cats, all different. I don't pair pipes and blends. I have about twenty tins and jars I am using at a time, so my rotation is long. Likewise with pipes, I have perhaps one hundred, and I attempt to keep them all in rotation, so they have long rests. I try to be as free form as possible, since the rest of life seems arranged around rules, routines, habits, and requirements, I look to pipes for unending latitude.

 

[Smoked69]

As a piper for about 50 years, I have around 30 favorites in my rotation and usually about 6 blends going at any given time. I smoke a lot(about 5-6 bowls daily.) I choose a few pipes for the day and load up whatever i'm in the mood for. I have never matched a pipe to a specific blend. A good pipe will smoke all with enjoyable results.

 

[mordy18]

I haven't found ghosting to be a thing (although I haven't smoked blends with strong lakeland essence). If I smoke an aro a few times in a pipe, and then let it sit, I can detect a slight sweet aroma in the bowl. When I then smoke an English a few times in the same pipe -- I get no taste of the aro and after a few bowls it has a slight lat smell to it. Seems to me it would take an awful stinky blend to ghost a pipe to the extent it would require a salt or coffee treatment. So I don't worry about it.

 

[Chasing Embers]

1) How do you match a pipe with a blend or family of blends?

One tobacco tastes the same to me in every pipe I smoke it in. Whatever I used to break the pipe in with is the blend or genre that gets smoked in it.

2) Those that smoke multiple bowls throughout the day, what kind of tobacco rotation do you use?

No set rotation if any at all.

3) What's your pipe rotation like?

Don't really have one. I smoke the same pipe multiple times per day for a week or more before changing out.

 

[Guppy]

My pipes are lumped into general categories of Virginia blends, Latakia blends, and aromatics other than that no particular order.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I dedicate pipes to a blend genre quite religiously. If I smoke a mild Va in a pipe that I've been smoking VaPer blends in, I can absolutely detect the spicy flavors of perique coming through. If you have an adequate number of pipes to do so, I see no reason for not dedicating pipes to a genre if not a blend (if you smoke one blend often).

I start the day with mild and move progressively stronger. Light colored Va Flake first, lighter brown Va Flake next, perhaps a Red Va next and then a darker Va such as Astley's 44. Then switch to VaOr or VaPer blends from there.

 

[Magpiety]

I spent a bunch of time thinking through this at one point, but now I've regressed into a simpler approach:

1) Just for fun I split pipes into burley, VA, and English. No real reason to have separate pipes for burley and VA, but I still do.

I have one of the standard pipe shapes for each: billiard, poker, author, oom, etc.

2) My "regular" rotation is Escudo, McConnel Scottish Flake, MM 965, Blairgowrie, Solani ABF, and a light VA flake like FVF, Capstan, or Peterson Flake. I also smoke quite a bit of Carter Hall. I just smoke these out of the tins, which are usually laying all over my desk. I also have a bunch of blends in jars that I smoke from time to time when i'm feeling adventurous, but i'm getting lazy about it. I tend to just stick with my normal routine.

3) I just pick whatever pipe I want. If i'm going to be outside doing stuff, I pick a good clencher. If i'm just going to sit there and hold it i'll grab a thicc one. If i'm staying in my office, it's often this humongous Moretti poker that just sits on my desk.

 

[saltedplug]

While there is a lot of good information to be had on the forums, accompanying it are such as the concerns of the OP who no doubt read it somewhere. The best way to do this, I think, is by questioning what you've read in light of your experience.

 

[ofafeather]

While there is a lot of good information to be had on the forums, accompanying it are such as the concerns of the OP who no doubt read it somewhere. The best way to do this, I think, is by questioning what you've read in light of your experience.

I wouldn’t say they are “concerns”. Mostly I was just trying to get out of my own head and am curious how other people do things, which I enjoy hearing (reading) about. I’m not really looking for a different way, or better way. Just wondering what others do. It’s a conversation and a bit of therapy at the same time. ?

 

[litup]

I am always surprised to hear when people say that a blend tastes the same in every pipe. That's just not been the case for me. I've tried blends that I loved in one pipe but when smoked in a different pipe the same day I didn't care for it. I may not be as religious about dedication as others, but when I find a pipe and a blend that work great together I do dedicate that pipe to that blend. Why wouldn't I? It seems like the most logical way to increase my chances of enjoying my smoke.

But to answer the OP's questions:
1) Mostly experimentation until I find the combo I like. I do think bowl shape influences flavor but not so much that I wouldn't be willing to go against prevailing wisdom.
2) I let myself have the freedom of choice and choose whatever blend sounds best at that moment. What sounds the best might be somewhat dependent on the season though.
3) Mostly random.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I usually jusy grab two or three pipes and and a blend of two as I walk out the door.. I never spend much time thinking about it, as I never have time.

I do try to grab pipes that have had some drying time.. but not always.

I basically try to keep english blends with their pipes and aromatics with their pipes.. but I don't have hard and fast rules.

 

[smokey789]

I smoke more cigarettes than pipes. I only have 4 pipes. There is one I have been using consistently for some time. I don't smoke indoors. I smoke less, if any pipes in the winter. It's too cold to sit there that long. I could change them out, but one I have never even broken in and don't know when I will. Another seems to burn the roof of my mouth. I don't smoke it much. I tried several different blends and pouches. I have found that only English blends or Balkans really satisfy me. Since they aren't that different, I don't worry about any dedications.

 

[ofafeather]

I smoke more cigarettes than pipes. I only have 4 pipes. There is one I have been using consistently for some time. I don't smoke indoors. I smoke less, if any pipes in the winter. It's too cold to sit there that long. I could change them out, but one I have never even broken in and don't know when I will. Another seems to burn the roof of my mouth. I don't smoke it much. I tried several different blends and pouches. I have found that only English blends or Balkans really satisfy me. Since they aren't that different, I don't worry about any dedications.

I think my new plan for the winter is to use a small-medium pipe and some strong tobacco like rope or twist. Smoke 10-15 minutes a few times instead of one long session. I sometimes get small cigars for winter but even they usually last 20-25 minutes.