Cobs
- Thread starter okiematt
- Start date
I've been curious to see how the Old Dominion stems feel in the mouth.
Same. However I have a few Ropps with horn stems, and they are all more round than flat. Taking me a looooong time to get used to that still.
My Mac Queen churchwarden has a wooden stem. Quite the difference between them.
The Old Dominion stem definitely feels like a stick. I guess it’s because it is! Hopefully I’ll get an opportunity to break it in this evening.
Sat down last night and had a go with the Old Dominion. General thoughts-The bowl is very small but that was expected. The pipe is super light but clinching was still awkward feeling due to the round wooden stem. The tobacco had a more “earthy” flavor which I assume was the wood stem. To me, it was meh but it didn’t cost more than a cigar so no real loss. Maybe a good pipe for the boat
I can imagine clenching would be tough.
One of the members here (can't recall who) recently posted a picture of his fly fishing rig and the OD that he smoked while fishing. With certainty, while fly fishing one would have to clench one's pipe. How he did it with that stem is a puzzle to me.
Same (for me) is the difficulty of smoking a clay pipe. It's even harder.
Try one of those cheap rubber clench bit guards.
I like to just sit on the porch with my cobs. Just the pipe for a slow day.
Many years ago I was gifted a tyrolean pipe with a wooden stem by a girl whom we knew when she came back from some time in the Czech Republic. It looks great, and it means something to me -- and what's more, one of my daughters adores it and begs me to smoke from it -- but what I'll tell you guys that I'd tell neither the giver nor my daughter, is that the wooden stem is very drying in the mouth, making it less pleasant to smoke. There's also the slightly tannic-woody flavor imparted to the smoke, but the most noticeable discomfort is how drying it is on the tongue. I'm sincerely glad to have it, though.
Interesting that you said that. I used to keep a wooden toothpick in my mouth a lot and things were ok with it for a time, but after a longer period, I would experience a dry mouth sensation as well.
I suppose that the wood fibers tend to "leech" moisture from one's mouth.
Yep, if you get one of the rubbber bits just make sure you don't get the large. It's too large for all the MM stems.
i got like 4 of them laying around, but never actually used one.... I only clench on a few of my pipes... and not much
I bought a packet of those rubber tips years ago under the pretense of "protecting" the stems on some of my more valuable pipes because occasionally, I do clench. But it just ruined the experience for me of the entire smoke so I just try to clench "gently" with certain pipes. I don't crank down like I'm trying to bite a 10 penny nail in half.
MY WORLD HAS BEEN TURNED UPSIDE DOWN! I bought these two at a garage sale about 8 days ago. I had not smoke a cob for over 30 years and back then I didn't like it at all. I have smoked the Churchwarden several times with Half & Half, which seemed appropriate somehow, and I have to admit I've really enjoyed it. Only complaint is that it's too heavy to hold in your teeth... but nothings perfect. 
I have the MM Virginia Planter, which is the larger-bowled version of the Old Dominion, with a reed stem, and it is one of my favorite smokers. It has a huge bowl, a nice and loose draw no matter how tight I pack it, and I have zero fear of ghosting it so I run lots of aromatics and heavier blends in it. It’s lasted for nearly 2 years now, and I’d buy another in a heartbeat.