Brand New to Pipes and Already Learning Lessons

[obc83]

But, without further ado!
(No image filters, but found some pictures came out better with the flash on!)

that looks great

 

[lithicus]

that looks great

Thank you very much! It was in pretty good condition when I got it I'm glad it cleaned up nice though!!

 

[obc83]

Thank you very much! It was in pretty good condition when I got it I'm glad it cleaned up nice though!!

I started with the pharmacy perspective so it was all Grabows. I thought corn cobs were just a novelty because they came on a cheap looking placard. But those are great too, definitely go for it. The Grabows also tend to have smaller bowls so it's easy to get into building cake. Still love them. Actually about to buy another one.

 

[loneredtree]

I though that the early pictures showed a very good grain on the strumel.
That is a fine cross grain pattern. I have that DG did put out a great pipe back in the day.
You lucked out!.

 

[lithicus]

I started with the pharmacy perspective so it was all Grabows. I thought corn cobs were just a novelty because they came on a cheap looking placard. But those are great too, definitely go for it. The Grabows also tend to have smaller bowls so it's easy to get into building cake. Still love them. Actually about to buy another one.

I definitely had picked a Grabow up because I heard they were decent starting pipes and I greatly preferred the look of briar to corncob. It was also dirt cheap, bordering on free. That being said, I'll likely pick up some corncobs in the future so I can rest pipes from day to day.

I though that the early pictures showed a very good grain on the strumel.
That is a fine cross grain pattern. I have that DG did put out a great pipe back in the day.
You lucked out!.

Thank you! I thought it looked really nice and I knew it wouldn't need too much work. I'm not positive, but I think this pipe would date somewhere between the late 80s early 90s. I guess the blue spade was used until about 93/94, but the stem is not vulcanite. I believe DG used vulcanite up until the 80s. It'd be cool to see some very old Grabows! I'm sure there are many fine examples in this community I'll stumble upon as I participate in the future!

 

[lithicus]

I decided to try the Arango Balkan Supreme since it had a lower strength, no flavoring, a fuller taste, and a more pleasant room note.

I think it was pretty darn good! It's hard to say as I have nothing to compare it to. But, it was soft and smooth while still being dark and having a little spice/kick to it. I felt the smoke overall was very pleasant! I'm probably not using any of the right words here, and I do find the taste hard to describe. But, I'm guessing a lot of the taste came from the latakia as it has "generous amounts".

If there was ghosting, I couldn't taste any of it. I also didn't notice anything odd flavor wise with the very thin honey/charcoal coating I gave the bowl.

The bowl did smoke a little hot, but I'm certain that was more my cadence that anything else. I got more into the swing of things towards the end of the bowl. At no point did I feel it was actually smoking hot in the mouth. I didn't have to relight too often until I got toward the end of the bowl where I was lighting more frequently; trying to ensure I burned as much of the tobacco as possible to try and get an even cake.

Overall, I'd definitely call this little project a success and I look forward to smoking more and trying different blends in the near future!!

 

[OzPiper]

Pretty darn good for your 1st attempt

 

[lithicus]

Pretty darn good for your 1st attempt

Thank you so very much!! I definitely need to get better with alcohol around my pipes and could've spent more time working on the stem. But, I wanted to get to smoking! I know patience is a virtue, however. So, at the very least, I wanted to make sure the pipe was bone dry before my first smoke.

I might have another bowl or two of the Balkan Supreme before moving to the next blend. Would just like to get familiar with the Balkan Supreme and the pipe before moving to a whole new thing

 

[Humblepipe]

Thank you so very much!! I definitely need to get better with alcohol around my pipes and could've spent more time working on the stem. But, I wanted to get to smoking! I know patience is a virtue, however. So, at the very least, I wanted to make sure the pipe was bone dry before my first smoke.

I might have another bowl or two of the Balkan Supreme before moving to the next blend. Would just like to get familiar with the Balkan Supreme and the pipe before moving to a whole new thing

Great effort and great post. Keep at it!

 

[woodrow]

I’ve restored a bunch of Grabows in the grab Bags you can buy. They smoke very, very well. Just as well as my Stanwells.

 

[Sigmund]

Maybe Im stupid but Ive NEVER bothered with alcohol/salt packing in an estate. Ive owned a lot and only a couple were ghosted. My choice was to just smoke away the ghosts and it worked in all but one heavily lat smoked pipe. So guess what...I use it for lat blends.

Sanitize it and smoke...that works great almost all the time.

I dont think most expensive pipes smoke better than decently made inexpensive ones. I just happen to like the looks of some more spendy pipes and Im old enough I dont care.

Maybe Im missing something but Ive never owned a cob. I like briar too much.

 

[lithicus]

I’ve restored a bunch of Grabows in the grab Bags you can buy. They smoke very, very well. Just as well as my Stanwells.

It definitely is a good smoker! The only "complaint" I have, if you will, is that I smoke it without a filter or an adapter. So, the draw is pretty open. I think since I am new to pipe smoking, this was causing me to smoke hotter than I realized and also made it more difficult to figure out what I was doing packing wise. The pipe just seemed very "sensitive". I have the same issue with my MM corncob pipe. It is filtered, but I smoke it without the filter and without an adapter. My favorite pipe currently is a Butz Choquin I was gifted, which is a non-filtered pipe. I immediately noticed the difference in the draw. And, I find as a newcomer to pipe smoking that it is easier to keep it cool and packing/tamping is a little more forgiving.

Maybe Im stupid but Ive NEVER bothered with alcohol/salt packing in an estate. Ive owned a lot and only a couple were ghosted. My choice was to just smoke away the ghosts and it worked in all but one heavily lat smoked pipe. So guess what...I use it for lat blends.

Sanitize it and smoke...that works great almost all the time.

I dont think most expensive pipes smoke better than decently made inexpensive ones. I just happen to like the looks of some more spendy pipes and Im old enough I dont care.

Maybe Im missing something but Ive never owned a cob. I like briar too much.

I guess I truly had no reason to do the salt/alcohol bath It seemed deceptively simple and easy. So, I figured why not? Found out it's a lot easier to screw up than you'd think. I feel I have it down pretty pat now though. So, I'm not as worried about doing it in the future if it is absolutely necessary. I also might give the cotton/alcohol a try if the situation ever arises. Heck, I've also heard of some that (I think) only use the spent coffee grounds trick to remove ghosts. So, maybe I'd give that a shot instead and forego any alcohol in the bowl/chamber entirely.

I used to collect traditional pocket knives and feel much the same about expensive vs inexpensive ones. I think as we become infatuated with our hobbies, we tend to spend more money solely for aesthetics/artistry and maybe a little bit of function. It's fun to take pleasure in these things. Almost everyone does it from clothes to cars. Sure, an expensive knife will fit better in the hand, have very tight tolerances, maybe a stronger backspring for safety, and might hold an edge longer. But, in truth, a cheap pocket knife will likely still cut and probably get the job done. I'm sure much of this is true with pipes as well!

I did finally break down and bought a cheap cob. Mostly because I found a B&M nearby that carried MM. So, I didn't have to pay shipping. But, I'd be lying if I said I liked it more than my briars. I just love a nice wood grain and corncob cannot satisfy that itch

 

[OzPiper]

I used to collect traditional pocket knives and feel much the same about expensive vs inexpensive ones. I think as we become infatuated with our hobbies, we tend to spend more money solely for aesthetics/artistry and maybe a little bit of function. It's fun to take pleasure in these things. Almost everyone does it from clothes to cars. Sure, an expensive knife will fit better in the hand, have very tight tolerances, maybe a stronger backspring for safety, and might hold an edge longer. But, in truth, a cheap pocket knife will likely still cut and probably get the job done. I'm sure much of this is true with pipes as well!

So true
But boys will have their toys