Attn Newbies - If I Had It To Do Over Again.
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Haha, no I was being absolutely serious. It will save you so much time.
Just make sure to set it back before watching a different person's video. I have been startled by unanticipated auctioneer cadence a few times now due to accidentally leaving it in muttnchop mode.
For what its worth I've found Muttonchop Piper's videos really informative. I like his relaxed manner.
Prefer that style to the 'trying to be funny and act cool' piper videos any day.
Prefer that style to the 'trying to be funny and act cool' piper videos any day.
I, too, would like to commend the post. docrameous has given about as good newbie advice as I have read.
Muttnchop is the Bob Ross of pipe smoking. I enjoy his easygoing style, and his low soft voice can easily lull me to sleep. His were the first pipe videos I ever saw. I stumbled across one by accident and it actually got me interested in pipes in the first place. Also, to the OP, good post on summarizing your experience for beginners. I went straight to a briar but otherwise agree. Especially about sticking with a blend and learning how it behaves in order to get the hang of it. That’s a good point. I’m still a newbie, I’ve yet to master basically any tobacco packing/smoking techniques. I will say after about 9 months, I enjoy my pipes a lot more, and worry about relights and whatnot a lot less. Find some tobacco that tastes good, in a pipe that looks good, and smoke it up. The rest will work itself out, if you stick with it.
I've actually thought about for a while to get a post going of our collective wisdom for persons who are entering the world of pipe smoking. I think it's a great post you have here. I, if I may, would like to add my two cents.
To those just picking the hobby/lifestyle/activity up my best piece of advice would be, dont get disugared by what others tell you. If you are enjoying what you are doing, then don't even sweat it, and if you're learning from it, even better. The first time I picked up pipe, after a few months (whilst in the Army) I had a "mentor" who, while a great guy and definitely ment well, and was the only other pipe smoker I knew, often would discourage me and tell me I was smoking "crap" tobacco, or that my cadence was too fast and that my packing technique was all wrong and numbers of other things. And during that time while I did enjoy the pipe, I often would abandon it for cigars and cigarettes, because deep down I felt like I would never be able to get it down "right". So to me, especially in this day and age I feel like pipe smoking is an individual journey. One has to forge their own path. So while everyone here on this forum and many other pipe smokers you meet will offer the wisdom and things they have learned, you will only truly get it and understand for yourself when you forge your own path.
Make mistakes, get tounge bite so bad that it seems unworth it. Relight a thousand times. Smoke crap tobacco. It doesnt matter, just learn and add it to the mental bank. But preservation is key. Then one day you will be sitting on your back porch, sipping your favorite beverage and it will all finally click. You will pack perfectly, your tobacco will be the perfect moisture, your cadence will be spot on, the blend will be perfect for the mood. Then the planets will align and you will have an hour or two of perfect zen. The perfect bowl. And the years of struggle will all make sense. You will gain an insight that no one else can show or teach you. It will all be worth it.
To those just picking the hobby/lifestyle/activity up my best piece of advice would be, dont get disugared by what others tell you. If you are enjoying what you are doing, then don't even sweat it, and if you're learning from it, even better. The first time I picked up pipe, after a few months (whilst in the Army) I had a "mentor" who, while a great guy and definitely ment well, and was the only other pipe smoker I knew, often would discourage me and tell me I was smoking "crap" tobacco, or that my cadence was too fast and that my packing technique was all wrong and numbers of other things. And during that time while I did enjoy the pipe, I often would abandon it for cigars and cigarettes, because deep down I felt like I would never be able to get it down "right". So to me, especially in this day and age I feel like pipe smoking is an individual journey. One has to forge their own path. So while everyone here on this forum and many other pipe smokers you meet will offer the wisdom and things they have learned, you will only truly get it and understand for yourself when you forge your own path.
Make mistakes, get tounge bite so bad that it seems unworth it. Relight a thousand times. Smoke crap tobacco. It doesnt matter, just learn and add it to the mental bank. But preservation is key. Then one day you will be sitting on your back porch, sipping your favorite beverage and it will all finally click. You will pack perfectly, your tobacco will be the perfect moisture, your cadence will be spot on, the blend will be perfect for the mood. Then the planets will align and you will have an hour or two of perfect zen. The perfect bowl. And the years of struggle will all make sense. You will gain an insight that no one else can show or teach you. It will all be worth it.
Well, by your own admission, you had a crap mentor.
Most of us don't have a real live mentor, and this forum is as close to that as you can get to having a good one. No need to suffer when there are generally straightforward answers to most pipe smoking questions.
Most of us don't have a real live mentor, and this forum is as close to that as you can get to having a good one. No need to suffer when there are generally straightforward answers to most pipe smoking questions.
I started pipe smoking at the same time that Dunhill was being discontinued. In that instance, I stocked up on Dunhill because almost everyone was recommending them and I didn't know what the future of Dunhill tobacco would look like. I'm glad I did.
If you find a blend that you like, stock up. Tobacco will never be cheaper and it won't get any easier to buy it.
If you find a blend that you like, stock up. Tobacco will never be cheaper and it won't get any easier to buy it.
I'm a relative novice myself but here's some things I've learnt along the way
- Stick to virginia's when starting, I know it's tempting to go for the aromatics with all those 'exotic' flavors but virginia's are a much simpler and satisfying smoke (IMO)
- Dry your tobacco out before smoking, either leave it to air out for a day (at least) or put it in the oven for a few minutes
- Realize it takes a considerable number of bowlfuls to break in a new pipe, it may not taste great to begin with but it's all part of the process and hopefully even in those early bowlfuls you'll catch glimpses of what it's like to smoke a broken in pipe
- If your smoking a bent pipe and you clench then in between relights occasionally insert a pipe cleaner into the stem to absorb moisture from your breathing, stops the tobacco at the bottom of the bowl becoming moist and difficult to relight
- Stick to virginia's when starting, I know it's tempting to go for the aromatics with all those 'exotic' flavors but virginia's are a much simpler and satisfying smoke (IMO)
- Dry your tobacco out before smoking, either leave it to air out for a day (at least) or put it in the oven for a few minutes
- Realize it takes a considerable number of bowlfuls to break in a new pipe, it may not taste great to begin with but it's all part of the process and hopefully even in those early bowlfuls you'll catch glimpses of what it's like to smoke a broken in pipe
- If your smoking a bent pipe and you clench then in between relights occasionally insert a pipe cleaner into the stem to absorb moisture from your breathing, stops the tobacco at the bottom of the bowl becoming moist and difficult to relight
I’ll give one counterpoint: You’re just as well off buying large quantities of everything instead of just sampling blends one tin at a time. As long as you can jar it there’s no harm in buying bulk and you’ll save money in the long run.
Good advice. As others have said, the only major item I'd add to that list is being sure to dry your tobacco sufficiently before packing a pipe.
Also, you've definitely got to get around to trying Carter Hall. I'm not a big OTC blend smoker, but I LOVE Carter Hall, and it's probably the most often smoked blend in my rotation, with the caveat that it must be smoked out of a Missouri Meerschaum cob. It just doesn't taste quite as good in a briar for some reason to my taste. It's not really an end-of-the-day contemplative type of smoke, but rather, it is my all-purpose fishing, hunting, wood-chopping, yard work, truck driving, on-the-go tobacco.
Also, you've definitely got to get around to trying Carter Hall. I'm not a big OTC blend smoker, but I LOVE Carter Hall, and it's probably the most often smoked blend in my rotation, with the caveat that it must be smoked out of a Missouri Meerschaum cob. It just doesn't taste quite as good in a briar for some reason to my taste. It's not really an end-of-the-day contemplative type of smoke, but rather, it is my all-purpose fishing, hunting, wood-chopping, yard work, truck driving, on-the-go tobacco.
Shayde - my first English was a generous sample of Becks ol' Limey Bastard. It smelt like burnt rubber, asphalt & butt.
Thinking 'Do people actually smoke this crap?', I tried a small bowl which was a little intriguing & didn't taste like the bag-note.
Tobacco is way too expensive here so nothing goes to waste. Mixing the Becks 50/50 with Windsail Virginia, I'd smoke a small bowl once a day. One small bowl was enjoyable, two was one too many.
18 months later blends with latakia make up around 60% of my rotation.
For some of us latakia needs to be taken slowly to become acquainted.
Unless a smoker needs a stronger blend, I'd recommend a newbie start with Ashtons Consummate Gentleman or a crossover such as Revelation or Chestnut.
Thinking 'Do people actually smoke this crap?', I tried a small bowl which was a little intriguing & didn't taste like the bag-note.
Tobacco is way too expensive here so nothing goes to waste. Mixing the Becks 50/50 with Windsail Virginia, I'd smoke a small bowl once a day. One small bowl was enjoyable, two was one too many.
18 months later blends with latakia make up around 60% of my rotation.
For some of us latakia needs to be taken slowly to become acquainted.
Unless a smoker needs a stronger blend, I'd recommend a newbie start with Ashtons Consummate Gentleman or a crossover such as Revelation or Chestnut.
Jar and save the blends you don't like and try them again in a year. Your tastes will develop and change a lot over time, so this continues to be good advice even after you gain experience. Even if they aren't good in a year, you may know what blend to mix them with to get a good smoke.
Lawdawg - I second your recommendation.
Having been warned about PG loaded OTCs I was a little hesitant at first but since it's recommended by many I ordered a few 1.5oz boxes of Carter Hall.
Smoking a small bowl when it arrived had me kicking myself for not ordering it in bulk.
Carter Hall is a very pleasant tasty smoke that fits my preference for mild blends with low nicotine.
Having been warned about PG loaded OTCs I was a little hesitant at first but since it's recommended by many I ordered a few 1.5oz boxes of Carter Hall.
Smoking a small bowl when it arrived had me kicking myself for not ordering it in bulk.
Carter Hall is a very pleasant tasty smoke that fits my preference for mild blends with low nicotine.
As usual, with a group as large and varied as this forum, there are going to be disagreements. I fail to see the obvious love of corncobs. Next someone will recommend smoking grapevine. I would never recommend to a new pipe smoker (or anyone else for that matter) the use of a "Gen McArthur" standard. Corncobs generally burn my tongue and can burn through quickly if you are not careful. Someone in the past gave the good advice to buy the best you can afford. That is good advice. Don't get me wrong. I'm not looking for an argument here, I'm just amazed at the number of corncob users in this group-both old and new.
Keep it simple, especially with tobacco purchasing. Carter Hall or the Hearth and Home remakes of the standards. And small samples 1 ounce if you can, to experiment. Enjoy and don't fixate on details, too much 
docra, you're trying things out, developing your own taste, and maintaining a sense of humor, so I'd say you're doing great.
I've made some mistakes and spent some money I probably didn't need to but I regret nothing.
My start was a bit disorganized, perhaps even chaotic, but know I'm focused on just a few specific things I really like, both in PAD & TAD. If I hadn't made a few mistakes I might not know as much about my preferences.
The only advice I would have is while it's okay (and good) to seek advice to help enhance your pipe experience, you don't have to follow all of it. If you're enjoying pipe smoking with your own method then you are doing it right.
My start was a bit disorganized, perhaps even chaotic, but know I'm focused on just a few specific things I really like, both in PAD & TAD. If I hadn't made a few mistakes I might not know as much about my preferences.
The only advice I would have is while it's okay (and good) to seek advice to help enhance your pipe experience, you don't have to follow all of it. If you're enjoying pipe smoking with your own method then you are doing it right.
I would have started with a cob. I think they are more forgiving on the pack until you get it down correctly. That and an OTC blend as they still lit easier. As a newbie it would have saved me some time and frustration back in the day.
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