$200 Question for Smokers

[pipesmokingtom]

If you were given two crispy $100 bills and the caveat for their use was only pipes/tobacco/accessories, what would you use it for? I was thinking about collectors as I watched some videos and read some threads and realized that I'm just not a collector guy. Maybe it's from being in the military and moving around so often and not wanted to haul around "stuff."
I never became a collector of anything, so maybe that's why I never fell in love with the idea of gathering briar pipes. I really think they are beautiful and appreciate the craft, but have never had a burning desire to have an expensive one or the latest or anything like that. As such, I'm pretty much exclusively a cob smoker and choose to use essentially all of my tobacco budget on different tobaccos. I developed a love for the leaf and not the bowls themselves, and personally see pipes as functional tools for burning and enjoying nicely crafted blends. Wondering if there are more like me out there with this mindset.
SO - I would use $200 on a variety of tins that I still haven't gotten my hands on and don't think I'd use any of it on a pipe, a lighter or anything like that.

 

[mcitinner1]

Atta boy Tom, that's what I'd do too.

 

[aldecaker]

I'm with you guys. Having at least a couple briars or meers is a must for those blends out there that don't pair real well with cobs. Beyond that, sticking with the bare bones of pipes and going all-out on tobacco makes total sense to me. After all, if you're a one-blend guy, it probably won't taste too much different pipe-to-pipe after a few months or years.

 

[mcitinner1]

"those blends out there that don't pair real well with cobs."
There's no such thing as a blend that doesn't work in a cob, for me.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

What are some examples of blends that you find don't pair well with cobs? Are their specific blends or styles of blends that you feel that way about? I may be with you on some virginia/burley blends that all I thought I tasted was nutty/woodiness with them, but I wasn't sure if that was my imagination - and it wasn't every bowl.

 

[jamesrsmithjr]

TAD, Agreed; Pipes are the tools.
Ok, maybe I'd to some CAD (CobAD), but 95% TAD

 

[aldecaker]

Let me tell you, Tinner, I loooooove me some cob smokin', and if for some reason cobs were all I could get, I would happily smoke any of the blends I like out of them. But, if this forum teaches us anything, it's that one man's ambrosia is another man's mouthful of blech. I like a few English-style blends, and I think the different tastes come through better in a briar than in a cob. Doesn't ruin them by smoking in a cob, just sort of mutes them. Tom, I'd like to say it's just across-the-board Style "X" + Cob = Yuck, but no, it's weirder than that. OGS in a cob is a little slice of heaven; PIO, not so much. Old Dublin loses something for me in a cob, but 60% CH + 10% OGS + 30% blending lat in a cob is one of the best things I've ever tasted. Strange...

 

[phxrock]

OK for me it would be a couple bags of Cobs seconds. Then there is a shop not to far away that has some nose warmers for $30.00 each get 3 of them. The balance would go to baccy.
John

 

[seacaptain]

I'd go with as many different tins of tobacco that I haven't tried yet.

 

[northernneil]

If you wanted, $200 could get you an excellent Briar and a healthy haul of tobacco. There are some great French and Italian Pipes that can be had for under $100, and the remaining funds could be put toward some new leaf!

 

[pipesmokingtom]

OK for me it would be a couple bags of Cobs seconds. Then there is a shop not to far away that has some nose warmers for $30.00 each get 3 of them. The balance would go to baccy.
John

Yeah, those grab bags could push me to the "collector" side of things quickly. I'm amending my $200 of tobacco to one grab bag and the rest tobacco.
As an aside, the last grab bag, I got a Great Dane Egg AND a Wizard Cobbit bowl. Worth the price of admission there. The Wizard came with a regular filter bit though and MM won't sell me a warden stem for it! (I know.. Forever Stem, but $28 bucks+shipping UGH!)

 

[cobguy]

I developed a love for the leaf and not the bowls themselves

Ditto!

There's no such thing as a blend that doesn't work in a cob, for me.

... and Ditto! I prefer to break in a cob with Burley but after it's broken in it will smoke anything well.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

If you wanted, $200 could get you an excellent Briar and a healthy haul of tobacco. There are some great French and Italian Pipes that can be had for under $100, and the remaining funds could be put toward some new leaf!

40 cobs or 1 briar for $100! I just couldn't do it! I'd look at the briar and harbor ill will towards it because I know it could have been 40 cobs.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

I wouldn't buy 40 cobs if I had $100 to blow.... or would I. Now I'm second guessing my entire view of myself.

 

[jmill208]

I'm in! Where do I get my $200.00?

 

[pipesmokingtom]

I'm in! Where do I get my $200.00?

Check's in the mail.

 

[jmill208]

Are you from the government, and here to help me too? :wink:
I'd buy tobacco, BTW.

 

[disciplewalk]

I believe that I would use $100 for a new pipe and the other $100 for some good tobacco.

I would certainly buy some tins and some bulk to have an assortment (I really like aromatics - so Sutliff tobacco would be high on my list). As to the pipe I'm really not sure - I have always wanted a Savinelli so I would probably get one of those.

 

[stickframer]

All on tobacco I think.

 

[troutface]

I'm pretty much exclusively a cob smoker

So have you smoked a good briar yet ? They do have a different flavor, one which I find enhances my smoking enjoyment. I still smoke a cob when there is a high probability of my losing or damaging the pipe (think fishing :rofl