Any Recommendations for a Struggling Ciggy Smoker?

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olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,179
15,025
The Arm of Orion
Most aromatics are low in nicotine, yes. But some like the War Horseys aren't. Also, consider Lakelands: they are notoriously higher in nicotine than your average Seven Seas aromatic. Samuel Gawith's 1792 Flake anyone?
 
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F4RM3R

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 28, 2019
567
2,516
38
Canada
A big thing that helped me was holding off on the morning cig and going for a pipe instead. It's tempting to get that nic rush with a first of the day ciggy, but try a pipe instead and then see how long you can hold off and just keep reaching for the pipe if you can. That first cig always set me off and it was hard to go the whole day without another one.

Take it slow and knock down the cig consumption 1 by one and eventually you'll be having 3,2,1 smokes a day and may start to go days without and cig and stop altogether . It was gradual for me and took a few months but I've been off the cigs for 8 months now and I'm not looking back and am much happier with just the pipe now.
 

Crawley1066

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 14, 2014
161
408
United Kingdom
www.jpcleather.com
Most aromatics are low in nicotine, yes. But some like the War Horseys aren't. Also, consider Lakelands: they are notoriously higher in nicotine than your average Seven Seas aromatic. Samuel Gawith's 1792 Flake anyone?
Was looking at reviews of the war horses tonight. Looks really interesting and if I can get that aro itch scratched with Nic too I’m a happy man. Might have to order some. 1792 flake I have a tin of, but haven’t yet summed up the courage to light it. ?
 

Crawley1066

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 14, 2014
161
408
United Kingdom
www.jpcleather.com
A big thing that helped me was holding off on the morning cig and going for a pipe instead. It's tempting to get that nic rush with a first of the day ciggy, but try a pipe instead and then see how long you can hold off and just keep reaching for the pipe if you can. That first cig always set me off and it was hard to go the whole day without another one.

Take it slow and knock down the cig consumption 1 by one and eventually you'll be having 3,2,1 smokes a day and may start to go days without and cig and stop altogether . It was gradual for me and took a few months but I've been off the cigs for 8 months now and I'm not looking back and am much happier with just the pipe now.
Congrats on the 8 months - you’re where I hope to be!
I’ll try it tomorrow and report back. I get what you mean with the morning cig. Sometimes I just don’t have one and am fine until around 13:00 so there’s hope with a pipe I can push it back further.
I think a big issue for me is having to smoke outside. I live in the north of England where the standard is wet and grey, so just nipping out for a cig is much more appealing quite often. Hoping I can make use of this warmer weather to cut back to the pipe though!
 

davek

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 20, 2014
685
952
Quit for a while. If you quit any tobacco intake mode for 6 months and then start another, you will not crave the first choice at all. You will be hooked on the second.

It's likely that even a day or two without tobacco before piping would reset your cravings to the pipe quite a bit.
 
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Spinkle

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 16, 2019
892
5,956
43
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Old Joe Krantz is very strong in flavour and nicotine, that would be my suggestion.

FWIW I quit cigarettes immediately in 2014 when I found Swedish Snus. Never had another craving again on that stuff. These days you can get pouches that contain nicotine without tobacco in all sorts of flavours, so I use those whenever I know I can't smoke for an extended period of time.
 

marconi

Part of the Furniture Now
May 17, 2019
696
5,349
England
As you live in England I would suggest Gawith Hoggarths Dark Flake.Its very strong in nicotine and perfect for a ten minute nic hit and easily available in 10g samples
 
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Ctbill

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 6, 2019
285
775
CT & VT
Never a cig smoker, but Swedish Snus is my nicotine fulfillment now...after decades of American snuff & chew...Much cleaner, no spit, and dare I say healthier...? Lyft, and others with NO tobacco as well (just nicotine pouches).
Pipes for flavors now here.
Good luck! Preserve...?
 

trubka2

Lifer
Feb 27, 2019
2,470
21,644
I successfully made the transition from cigs cold turkey (more like hot pipe). Couldn't be happier with that decision. Key lessons learned:
1 - smoking a pipe will never deliver the same strength nic hit as cigs, it's just totally different, so it doesn't help all that much with withdrawal at the beginning. I tried everything, and 7gr Dryft pouches worked best for me when withdrawal would get bad. Nicotine dependence recedes with time, and now I use them only when I can't smoke my pipe all day.
2. Blends with high nic are nice, but it's more important to find something you can enjoy smoking.
3. Inhaling a couple puffs at the beginning of a bowl helped me slow down enough to enjoy the rest of the bowl. I don't do that anymore, but it was a big help.

For me personally, C&D burleys and various Latakia blends helped bridge the gap between cigs and the stuff I smoke now.
 
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danimalia

Lifer
Sep 2, 2015
4,486
27,241
42
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
I made the transition last July and aside from a party I went to in November, I have been cig-free.

What has helped me the most has been high-octane blends. My favorites are Gawith Hogarth & Co Dark Flake Unscented. I also like Sam Gawith 1792 and Lakeland Dark, and the brown ropes from both Gawiths. If you don't have easy access to those, I also recommend MacBaren HH Bold Kentucky and Pease's JackKnife Plug. The latter two aren't quite as strong, but can still do the job. MacBaren's HH Rustica is another bell-ringer for if and when it becomes a regular release. I find these blends provide more than enough nicotine, but the absorption process is different and slower. Set aside the time you need to smoke a large bowl or even two in the morning. It will help you get going without being in withdrawal. Plus it's just a great way to start the day.

I also kept a can of General snus around for non-smoking situations. If you find smokless to not be your jam, you could use nicotine lozenges or gum. You may also want to have a few smaller cigars or cigarillos around for when you want to smoke but a pipe would ve a hassle. Basically, I wanted to avoid putting myself in situations where cigarettes would be the most convenient option.

Good luck! It's made a big difference in my life. I even started exercising. When I first started with 25 years worth of cigarette-induced lung baggage, running had me gasping for air and nearly passing out before I could get to the 1/4 mile mark. Now I'm up to 3 miles.
 
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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,857
31,612
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
o.k. everyone focuses on the nicotine for cigs to pipes. But from the successes I've seen it seems more important to find blends that taste right. That have some similarities in profile to what you smoked before. It's less chemistry and more emotional association. That taste tells you mind relieve and satisfaction is coming. So I say what kind of cigs did you smoke and we'll try and find something that will taste like tobacco to your palate.
 

Moonbog

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 22, 2020
121
312
57
Hey man. Good luck. I was in your boat a dozen or so years ago. The pipe tobacco helped me cut back, but I couldn't kick the cigarettes completely. I tried patches, chantix, gum,pipes and cigars, snus and snuff. Sometimes in combination. LOL... I'm sure I was getting the nicotine I needed, in fact, more than I needed. Still couldn't kick them.

At the risk of not helping you with your addiction or even making it worse, what helped me quit the analog smokes was a proper sub-ohm e-cigarette. And only because they most closely mimic the act of smoking a cigarette. I haven't smoked cigarettes for close to 8 years now with the exception of one or two and that was a few years ago...and they were gross.

I vape low nicotine ejuice now, having started at 24 mg and stepping down over the years to 18, 12 then 6 and now I"m vaping 3 mg ejuice. BUT... I still love the tobacco part. The smell, taste, room note. etc. I enjoy a couple of bowls of tabacco a day now, sometimes as many as 5, but that's only because I'm not working due to covid shutdown. Pipe tobacco and the occasional cigar really help me enjoy the ritual of smoking without the need for cigarettes..

The blends that work best for me when I first tried quitting the cigarettes were Haunted Bookshop, Old Joe Krantz and others you'll here people recommend. But it was when I branched out that things really clicked for me. The latakia blends were a revelation to me then and still are frankly. I've come to appreciate some aromatics over the years too. Your taste in tobacco will change over the years to be sure, but it will be an interesting journey.

Eventually, you'll dial in your nicotine and tobacco needs without any consideration for cigarettes.
They really are not that interesting a way to get where you need going.
 
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lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,812
Codger burley and cobs. That’s how I did it. Burley blends can deliver big clouds of smoke and about as much nicotine as any pipe tobacco will have. My burley blend of choice is Carter Hall. For the most part, any old school / codger burley blend will burn easily and give you the type of consistent no-fuss smoke that will help to replace cigarettes.

I eventually got to the point where cigs don’t appeal to me 99% of the time. More or less quit cigs several years ago, though I do still have one on rare occasion, usually after quite a few beverages, especially if I’m drinking with a cigarette smoker.
 
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