Cob>Briar

[Grimlineman]

Picked up two nice briar pipes few months ago ( one staight savinelly and a bent peterson) and been giving them a fair shake as I started with Cobs little over year ago and thought forever pipes sound nice.

Other than the beauty of briar I don't see an advantage. With an upgraede stem on a cob I get a much dryer smoke through a vessel that costs a 10th of the price and don't have to worry about a ghost or being too fussed about taking care of it.

Tell me why I'm wrong you old codgers .

 

[cosmicfolklore]

For you, you aren't wrong. If you enjoy cobs, smoke cobs. For me, I prefer briar, and it is not my job, nor in my interest to convince you that your "opinion" is wrong.
Enjoy what you smoke, and smoke what you enjoy.

 

[Auxsender]

Flavor.
I find my cobs don’t showcase “sweet” in a blend the way my briars can. I still love all my pipes. I have 0 stinkers in the bunch but I do find I reach for my briars more frequently.

I also +1 what the codger above perfectly stated.

 

[Chasing Embers]

After three decades of smoking and many artisan pipes I've decided Falcons are the greatest pipes ever made. Each to their own.

 

[Grimlineman]

Well let me ask this since nobody gonna talk me out of it.

My biggest complaint with my briar is I can't smoke the bottom of the bowl it is always wet. Same tobacco in a cob I can get it down to a dry ash.

I'm I to blame or that just the nature of briar?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Water is the natural bi product of combustion. So, even if the tobaccos was bone dry, there would be moisture made from smoking. A very wet dottle could mean that you are smoking too fast, not giving the moisture a chance to evaporate away into your smoke.
Although your cobs may make a faster smoking style more pleasant, there are some advantages to slowing way down to just a trickle of smoke,
1) You'll taste the leaf more, as it is the surrounding leaf that gives off the oils that flavor your smoke, not the actually burning tobacco.
2) As you've noticed, slowing down can also allow you to finish more of the tobacco in the dottle.
3) you'll also absorb more nicotine, as it takes time for the nicotine to pass through the small blood vessels in your mouth, so slowing down prevent that nicotine from just blowing in the wind.
4) you're pipe will cake more. This isn't exactly a "benefit", but some people seem to freak out over lack of cake development. But, just a little cake can help protect your pipe. I just keep mine beat back by reaming with a paper towel after I rinse my pipes out.


How slow is enough? As soon as you think you've slowed down as much as humanly possible, slow down some more. Think sipping, and trickles of smoke.

I hope this helps.

 

[BingBong]

True, I never have to flick a cob, while I do flick briar to empty moisture. But it's no hardship.

 

[The Libertine]

I prefer briars. I don't have much dootle due to slow smoking.

 

[Grimlineman]

I prefer briars. I don't have much dootle due to slow smoking.

But you cold be smoking a Cob and have no dootle!

 

[WVOldFart]

Cobs are alright. I enjoy my Cobbit Shire occasionally, but overall I don't think cobs are all that and a bag of chips. I would rather have a cheap briar than a cob, but that is just me. Enjoy what you like.

 

[BayouGhost]

Cobs are great. I also enjoy beer out of a red solo cup just as much as a hand-made glass German stein from Bavaria. Part of it is definitely the admiration of aesthetics.

 

[Grimlineman]

Cobs are alright. I enjoy my Cobbit Shire occasionally, but overall I don't think cobs are all that and a bag of chips. I would rather have a cheap briar than a cob, but that is just me. Enjoy what you like.

Fair enough what turns you off about how a cob smokes and what makes brier the superior smoke for you?

I'm really trying to figure out what makes them so great besidethe being classy. I don't hate them I just ain't seen them do nothing better than a cob when the flame meets the tobbacoo.

I have the Shire as well and although not one I smoke often I do enjoy it too.

 

[Grimlineman]

Cobs are great. I also enjoy beer out of a red solo cup just as much as a hand-made glass German stein from Bavaria. Part of it is definitely the admiration of aesthetics.

Me too maybe that's my trouble maybe I'm just to white trash to understand

 

[ziv]

Me too maybe that's my trouble

I enjoy my beer straight out of the bottle/can. If only tobacco could be smoked out of bag.

 

[bullet08]

I prefer briar. Cob has its thing. But I like what briar adds to the smoke. Only smoked one meer, and meer is rather too clean. Cob, to me even after the break in, adds that corn sweetness to smoke. Briar, on the other hand, adds that certain warmness. Meer misses all of any added notes.

 

[anotherbob]

honestly some tobaccos taste better in a cob and some in briar. The thing is the ones that taste better in a cob aren't better in an earth shattering way but the ones that taste better in a briar certainly fall flat in a cob. Or at least that's my experience. You can do more interesting shapes with briar too. Though I still need to get a cob after my last one broke.

 

[WVOldFart]

what turns you off about how a cob smokes and what makes brier the superior smoke for you?

There is nothing about a cob that turns me off, but then again there is nothing that turns me on. As a hobby, there is more choices in style and shapes with briar, and overall I think tobacco tastes good in a briar. Some swear by Meerschaum and I don't have anything against them either. In fact, I have one that I like rather well, but I don't think they are any better than a good briar. I don't like having to be so careful not to break a Meerschaum and the taste is not that much better. So it gets back to the beginning with smoke what you like. The pipe police won't stop by your house and beat the shit out of you if you are smoking a cob. So enjoy what you like.

 

[sablebrush52]

Cobs VS briars? I don't see the point. As for proving you wrong, I don't see the point of that either. I've smoked cobs, briars, meers, clays. They all work fine. Of them, briars are the most durable. Smoke what you like, like what you smoke.

Any repeating issue with any of them is more likely operator error than anything else. Got a lot of moisture in the heel of your bowl? Dry out your tobacco more, smoke slower. You'll get more flavor and max out any other benefits from your choice of tobacco. Or, don't change a thing.

 

[warren]

Tell me why I'm wrong you old codgers

You'll have to figure that out for yourself. You made personal choice, none of my business. I smoke with both and do make class distinctions as you seem to want to do. Inse4cutiry in your choice? You don't to anyone to justify your choices. Just enjoy your wee vice.

 

[anotherbob]

Cobs VS briars? I don't see the point. As for proving you wrong, I don't see the point of that either. I've smoked cobs, briars, meers, clays. They all work fine. Of them, briars are the most durable. Smoke what you like, like what you smoke.

Any repeating issue with any of them is more likely operator error than anything else. Got a lot of moisture in the heel of your bowl? Dry out your tobacco more, smoke slower. You'll get more flavor and max out any other benefits from your choice of tobacco. Or, don't change a thing.

What you're saying kind of reminds me of how many activities have tools that require more technique to use but have better results in the hands of the skilled or practiced. Where the amateur's version is easier to use and certainly can get the job done but when you try to do something a little extra special it won't cut it. High performance cars are a good example of this. A good car will do the job of getting you safely from point a to b.