@brass
Personally I find good pipes and pipe smoking in general infinitely more glamorous than any cigar!
Can Pipe Tobaccos compete with Cigars?
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Personally I find good pipes and pipe smoking in general infinitely more glamorous than any cigar!
Well, I had some quality Cubans in the past that I thought were "WOW!" I loved Monte Cristo cigars when I had the occasional cigar (I only had one cigar about every 4 months). I still have a stocked humidor full of cigars. Usually reserve those for when friends come over. Pipes....now that is a different story. I haven't been puffing long on the pipe, but I usually have about 3-4 bowls a week (would have more but time is an issue). Really haven't found a blend I didn't like to the point of a bad cigar. The varieties of blends is simply outstanding! My biggest problem with pipes is may "too much!" Haha!! Personally, I like pipes way more than I ever did cigars. Cigars have been demoted to "golf course" duty.
To me they are better than cigars. More subtle, more variable and easily adjusted to the time available for each smoke. I did smoke cigars, especially in business situations when a pipe took too much fussing, but greatly prefer a good pipe.
I think the pipe smoking and the rituals that go with it provide a deeper level of satisfaction. The prepping of tobacco, the packing of the bowl, that initial light and calm satisfaction that comes from a pipe is hard to beat.
It just takes practice, learning all that you can and experimenting with different tobaccos to understand what you really like. Like Mr. Bittner said up post, you might not end up liking pipes as much as cigars. He is also correct that it could take time to find those magical blends that just sing for you from the get go. You just have to keep at it.
It just takes practice, learning all that you can and experimenting with different tobaccos to understand what you really like. Like Mr. Bittner said up post, you might not end up liking pipes as much as cigars. He is also correct that it could take time to find those magical blends that just sing for you from the get go. You just have to keep at it.
Interesting. It seems that some folks enjoy both, but many prefer cigars over pipes or vise versa. I guess liking cigars would require some research, and a wallet that would require a wheeled cart to take it with you. At $20 a stick its hard to roll the dice as it were. Anyway smoke up and enjoy. I hope ya find some pipe tobacco that suits ya.
As someone who's smoked quite a bit of both cigars and pipes I'd say that pipe tobacco offers way more diversity and bang for the buck in flavor/taste. I drifted from cigars into pipes and then smoked pipes exclusively for some years with only the rare cigar thrown in. Then, for whatever reason I drifted back, slowly, into cigars and then smoked them exclusevly for a few years with little to no pipe smoking ever taking place. Now I smoke both with the pipe dominating my overall preference. I find that when I am in the mood for a good cigar I get more enjoyment from it then I've ever had in the past and after I've finished one, I may not want another for a week or more and happily continue to persue the pipe hobby. I also enjoy nasal snuff but again, in very moderate doses. I guess I just love good tobacco and enjoy it in many forms.
I am a pipe guy through and through. However, the convenience of a cigar can really come in handy.
This past weekend I had a 50 year old poplar tree removed from my front yard. It was a big, healthy, beautiful tree; but was at risk of someday falling through my roof and needed to be removed. Nonetheless, it took the arborist's 3 days to take the tree down due to size and location of my house below it. They did an amazing job.
When they were finished I wanted to give them a tip to say thank you, but the cost of tree removal had the bank account drained of funds. I ended up offering the guys some Cuban Cigars to say thank you. They were thrilled and we all sat and smoked to the memory of my tree.
This was an experience that could not have been achieved with a pipe simply due to the technique required to smoke a pipe not being very common.
This past weekend I had a 50 year old poplar tree removed from my front yard. It was a big, healthy, beautiful tree; but was at risk of someday falling through my roof and needed to be removed. Nonetheless, it took the arborist's 3 days to take the tree down due to size and location of my house below it. They did an amazing job.
When they were finished I wanted to give them a tip to say thank you, but the cost of tree removal had the bank account drained of funds. I ended up offering the guys some Cuban Cigars to say thank you. They were thrilled and we all sat and smoked to the memory of my tree.
This was an experience that could not have been achieved with a pipe simply due to the technique required to smoke a pipe not being very common.
Lots of good replies already, but here is my 2 cents:
They can't compete, they are totally different experiences. But then, why should they compete? Why not dabble in both a bit? I do, seems alot of guys do. Get the best of both worlds.
They can't compete, they are totally different experiences. But then, why should they compete? Why not dabble in both a bit? I do, seems alot of guys do. Get the best of both worlds.
Enjoying the thread. Some people have made a distinction that puts into words something I was only vaguely noticing: my cigars are something someone else did for me to decide if I like or not; pipes allow a much more active role. Pipe tobaccos I don't like at first, I can put in a different pipe, alter the blend, fill differently and vary my technique.
Never so consciously thought about that before.
Thanks for the thread!
Never so consciously thought about that before.
Thanks for the thread!
I'm gland pipes vs cigars isn't an either/or proposition, but is a both/and. A couple of months ago or so, I hosted a cigar herf at my house. One of the guests bought his pipe. That awoke some memories of my pipe smoking days and I dug up one of my old bents, picked up a tin of Sutliff Luxury Balkan, and I was off to the races.
For some reason, in my earlier days, I smoked only bulk tobaccos from my local B&M and never sampled the tins. I did dabble in mixing my own blends in those days but tinned tobacco has opened a whole new world.
For some reason, in my earlier days, I smoked only bulk tobaccos from my local B&M and never sampled the tins. I did dabble in mixing my own blends in those days but tinned tobacco has opened a whole new world.
May be a little off topic, but having been a pipe guy, I had the opportunity while on a Caribbean cruise a couple years ago to visit the Dominican Republic and tour a tobacco plantation where they also hand rolled their cigars. They had plenty of samplers available to try their different cigars and while for me it didn't replace the subtle flavors I get out of smoking my pipe, I must say that a couple of the cigars I tried were rather enjoyable. I did find it interesting that while the filler was grown down there in the Dominican Republic, the wrapper leaves came from the U.S. Apparently the variety of tobacco needed to grow the wider leaf that they use for their wrappers grows better in cooler climates rather than in more tropical ones. Found that to be an interesting tidbit.
I was a cigar smoker for over 25 years and smoked mostly Cubans, lots of Fuente and a boat load of Padron Anniversary Maduro's. I like the pipe better and get more complex flavors from my pipes and tobacco.
If you are relighting 6-12 a bowl, that is way too much. You need to hone your technique some. Also I would recommend buying a Rad Davis pipe, either used or new, it will enhance your smoking experience big time. Are you drying your tobacco properly, packing it properly, smoking slow enough? All of these factors will lead to more enjoyment.
Here is a small list of flake tobacco's that I would recommend.
Solani Silver Flake
Mac Baren Old Dark Fired
Astleys no 44 Dark Flake
Brigham Klondike Gold
These are all flakes which burn cooler and longer and provide some great flavors. I would also recommend getting proficient at cube cutting your flakes, that also makes a big difference.
If you are relighting 6-12 a bowl, that is way too much. You need to hone your technique some. Also I would recommend buying a Rad Davis pipe, either used or new, it will enhance your smoking experience big time. Are you drying your tobacco properly, packing it properly, smoking slow enough? All of these factors will lead to more enjoyment.
Here is a small list of flake tobacco's that I would recommend.
Solani Silver Flake
Mac Baren Old Dark Fired
Astleys no 44 Dark Flake
Brigham Klondike Gold
These are all flakes which burn cooler and longer and provide some great flavors. I would also recommend getting proficient at cube cutting your flakes, that also makes a big difference.
I was a cigar smoker for years as well. Lots of Cubans, Fuentes, etc. I think I reached the point that cigars just became boring to me. Nothing was exciting me anymore. Prices on cigars became a bigger deal once I had kids and had to put more consideration in to what I was getting for my money. All the new cigars were coming out in stupid ring gauge sizes that I wanted nothing to do with. When I worked in a store in college, we had one 60 ring cigar in the humidor that was almost more of a gag gift than a serious smoke.
I've had maybe two or three cigars this year. They were very enjoyable, but I find the flavors of my favorite pipe tobaccos so much more interesting. I still like both but if I had to choose one or the other right now, the pipes win hands down. The nice thing is I still have a decent selection of cigars aging nicely to enjoy when the mood strikes.
I've had maybe two or three cigars this year. They were very enjoyable, but I find the flavors of my favorite pipe tobaccos so much more interesting. I still like both but if I had to choose one or the other right now, the pipes win hands down. The nice thing is I still have a decent selection of cigars aging nicely to enjoy when the mood strikes.
After some consideration and experimentation, I offer a couple of observations
1. Pipe tobacco quality is on average much better than the average cigar. By this I mean, that I haven't' tried a tinned or bulk pipe tobacco that wasn't at least good, and most very good. For every decent cigar, there are dozens of dog sticks or are at best, blah.
2. For my tastes, the price spent for pipe tobaccos isn't a good predictor of quality. Peter Stokkebye's bulk Luxury Navy Flake and Orliks Golden Slice are every bit as good as blends costing 50% more. A smoker might like an SG Flake more than one of the aforementioned but I would argue that it is a matter of taste not quality. $10 cigars are almost always better than $5.00 cigars.
3. Cigar leaf based blends are a disappointment if you expect a cigar taste. But they are are decent tobaccos in their own right. Having tried Key Largo, C&D Habana Daydreams, H&H Stogie, the last has become one of my favorites.
1. Pipe tobacco quality is on average much better than the average cigar. By this I mean, that I haven't' tried a tinned or bulk pipe tobacco that wasn't at least good, and most very good. For every decent cigar, there are dozens of dog sticks or are at best, blah.
2. For my tastes, the price spent for pipe tobaccos isn't a good predictor of quality. Peter Stokkebye's bulk Luxury Navy Flake and Orliks Golden Slice are every bit as good as blends costing 50% more. A smoker might like an SG Flake more than one of the aforementioned but I would argue that it is a matter of taste not quality. $10 cigars are almost always better than $5.00 cigars.
3. Cigar leaf based blends are a disappointment if you expect a cigar taste. But they are are decent tobaccos in their own right. Having tried Key Largo, C&D Habana Daydreams, H&H Stogie, the last has become one of my favorites.
There is a degree of consensus that cigar tobacco used in pipe tobacco blends does not give a cigar
experience. Some of the blends are tasty, but not as a cigar substitute. Most just aren't very good.
I would point out that you can get about twenty pipe bowls out of a tin of the choicest tobacco and
it will cost you a fraction per bowl of what one or two choice cigars will cost. In light of the fact that
many of us prefer the pipe experience over all anyway, it's an easy decision.
experience. Some of the blends are tasty, but not as a cigar substitute. Most just aren't very good.
I would point out that you can get about twenty pipe bowls out of a tin of the choicest tobacco and
it will cost you a fraction per bowl of what one or two choice cigars will cost. In light of the fact that
many of us prefer the pipe experience over all anyway, it's an easy decision.
I smoked my first cigar today... and had to lay down. I have three more to go, and I'm not sure that I'll make it. I shouldn't have told the cigar guy that I liked strong pipe tobaccos. Now I know that my VA, VaBur, and VaPer flakes don't match up to strong cigars.
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