Cob Vs. Hardwood Vs. Clay

[Callaxic]

I'm a new smoker, and decided to go with a Missouri Meerschaum Country Gentleman cob pipe. While on their website, I saw an option for hardwood and even clay pipes.

What's the difference between them?

What should I practice with first before branching out to other types of pipes?

Which tobacco burns best in each?

I would appreciate some help and feedback.

Thank you for your time!

 

[HRPufnstuf]

The first thing to note is that pipes, tobaccos, and smoking styles are highly individual. A common response you will see relative to opinions on any of these matters will be YMMV (your mileage may vary). In other words, you will be the determining factor in this hobby.

Clay, Meerschaum, Porcelaine and Cob pipes generally impart little character to the tobacco you smoke in them. They are often considered "clean" smoking pipes.

Briars, Morta, and Hardwood pipes all lend a character to the tobacco.

Do not break the bank on your first pipes, an inexpensive briar, and a cob are a good starting point.

Another good starting point is a neutral 3 tobacco blend, Virginia, Burley, and Cavendish. Experiment, there are thousands of blends to sample.

I also recommend ribbon-cut tobaccos. Plugs, cakes, coins, shags, and cube cut all vary in their preparation and smoking techniques to some degree.

Walk before you try to run.

Remember this is a hobby and have fun.

 

[Bbailey324]

A MM cob pipe is a good place to start. They are good smokers and have a low entry cost so you can pick up a few to experiment with different types of tobacco blends. I've never smoked one of their hardwood pipes so don't have a comment there.

 

[Callaxic]

The first thing to note is that pipes, tobaccos, and smoking styles are highly individual. A common response you will see relative to opinions on any of these matters will be YMMV (your mileage may vary). In other words, you will be the determining factor in this hobby.

Clay, Meerschaum, Porcelaine and Cob pipes generally impart little character to the tobacco you smoke in them. They are often considered "clean" smoking pipes.

Briars, Morta, and Hardwood pipes all lend a character to the tobacco.

Do not break the bank on your first pipes, an inexpensive briar, and a cob are a good starting point.

Another good starting point is a neutral 3 tobacco blend, Virginia, Burley, and Cavendish. Experiment, there are thousands of blends to sample.

I also recommend ribbon-cut tobaccos. Plugs, cakes, coins, shags, and cube cut all vary in their preparation and smoking techniques to some degree.

Walk before you try to run.

Remember this is a hobby and have fun.

I appreciate the lengthy and thought-out response. This gave a lot of helpful insight. I started this hobby on my own with no others around that can give me advice on these topics. I'm glad I found this community and I am planning to have fun on this journey. Do you have any suggestions on where to find the aforementioned blends? Is it better to shop online or in person?

 

[Callaxic]

A MM cob pipe is a good place to start. They are good smokers and have a low entry cost so you can pick up a few to experiment with different types of tobacco blends. I've never smoked one of their hardwood pipes so don't have a comment there.

I definitely was planning to try a few different ones. As you mentioned the prices are pretty fair and I'd rather expirement with budget options to get a feel before going up in price range. I think they actually only have like one or two hardwoods, but lots of clay.

 

[HRPufnstuf]

I recently started shopping online, after 35 years. If you have a local tobacconist, I would start there because there will be advice you can get from the senior staff there. This forum is also a fountain of knowledge and experience. I am reluctant to give you more personal advice because I have my own preferences, they are not secrets, I just prefer not to "groom" new pipers.

 

[Callaxic]

I recently started shopping online, after 35 years. If you have a local tobacconist, I would start there because there will be advice you can get from the senior staff there. This forum is also a fountain of knowledge and experience. I am reluctant to give you more personal advice because I have my own preferences, they are not secrets, I just prefer not to "groom" new pipers.

I completely understand. No worries, thanks for the insight

 

[bullet08]

Cob is a good choice. So called codger blends specifically stand out in a cob along with burley. By codger blends, we are talking about things drug stores used to sell like Half & Half, Carter Hall, Capt. Black and so on.

 

[Briar Lee]

This pipe



And because it’s the last common codger blend sold for five dollars or less at all big liquor and smoke shops, a pouch of Half and Half.



The Country Gentleman is one of the higher quality Missouri Meerschaum line. It uses a big cob, with a dowel in the bottom. The stem is a little better. You’ll like it better than the smaller, cheaper ones.

Half and Half has not changed one bit in the fifty years I’ve loved it.

If you hate Half and Half you aren’t going to like pipe smoking.

Soon enough you’ll need pipe cleaners.

And there are hundreds, maybe over a thousand different pipe blends.

But my first pipe was a 69 cent Missouri Meerschaum cob and a 25 cent package of Half and Half in 1972 and I’ve loved the pipe since.

 

[Coreios]

All the M. M. cobs are great for beginners. They're forgiving with tongue bite. Definitely start with those. But don't be mistaken, the cobs may be cheap, but there are a lot of people that have smoked for years that love their cobs. They really do smoke great, and are easy to clean. I reach for my cutty cob more than some of my other high end briars. In the 30 ish dollar range you can even get acrylic stems. If it's not Missouri I wouldnt trust it though. But all their pipes even their cheap wooden ones are good. They are the exception.

 

[OzPiper]

@Callaxic

Welcome to the Forums

I have briar, cobs, clay, porcelain, morta, meerschaum, and olive wood pipes
Just because I like to experiment

I would not suggest starting out with a clay
They have thin walls and tend to smoke hot, unless you learn to slow your cadence and “sip”.
And until the inner walks are carbonised, you will get a clayey/earthy note to your smoke

Cobs are pretty forgiving, and are usually a good starting point for most novices, especially if you’re unsure if you’re going to continue with pipes.
They are not as neutral as most aver them to be.
You can often detect a “cob” flavour in your initial smokes.
Also most cobs have part of the shank projecting into the chamber and if you smoke right down to the bottom or relight the tobacco at the bottom of the bowl, that bit will char/burn and give off a bad taste of burning wood

My most neutral pipe is my double walled porcelain.
I can get the chamber back to bare porcelain with a couple of moist scrunched kitchen paper wipes.
I use this as my “tasting” pipe.

I usually recommend a modestly priced briar for beginners.
There are many affordable, well made briars (both new and estates) available from the Forums sponsors

An estate pipe is a pre-owned pipe. They are usually smoked.
But you can find NOS (new, old stock) pipes. These are pre-owned pipes that have never been smoked.
Some are left over stock from a closed tobacconist.
Others are from owners who have not gotten around to smoking every pipe in their collection.

The advantage of estates is buying a pipe that may no longer be in production.
Or buying one at a discounted price

If you get an estate from one of the Forums sponsors the chances are you’ll get one in a good, cleaned condition.
Buying estates from EBay can be a crap shoot unless you know what to look for

Happy

 

[kcghost]

Starting with a cob is a good choice. Clay pipes smoke very to the touch so be careful with them. Briar is the medium the majority of the users here stick to. We usually mix it with an occasional cob. We do have some that only smoke cobs, though.

 

[ThermionicScott]

The MM Hardwood is basically just a cob except the bowl is made out of wood. I picked one up last year at a store when I didn't like any of the cobs they had in the basket. I like it!

 

[Lumbridge]

Being similar in construction, they are also similar in performance. The hardwoods smoke every bit as well as cobs, if not better. Cobs are, perhaps, a bit more absorbent of moisture.

My number one most smoked pipe is a MM Zenon bent hardwood with a regular bent stem. I would highly recommend getting at least one. It smokes sweetly and effortlessly
for me every time.

The hardwoods can have a bit of a varnish taste for the first few smokes, especially the Ozark pipes; I didn't notice much of this with any of the Zenons I've bought... yeah, I bought several more as backups, just in case my main one has an unfortunate accident. Cobs or hardwoods, you can't go wrong either way.

 

[Lumbridge]

As for the other questions:

Clays have their merits, such as providing a very clean or pure tobacco taste, but they are fragile and tend to smoke hot.

The cob is a solid starting point to get the hang of things. Eventually you might want to pick up a MM hardwood and a briar to try out.

I wouldn't say any particular pipe material is suited to any particular type of tobacco. A lot of people say that burley blends taste best in a cob, but I'm not entirely sure I agree. You just have to figure out what you like.

The Country Gentleman is a great pipe, and cobs, while accessible, are by no means relegated to the status of "starter" pipes. I'd say grab some single ounces of some bulk blends that sound appealing to you. This would be the most affordable way to try a variety of different tobaccos.

 

[The Clay King]

Clays all the way for me!

 

[Tyke Piper]

Hello Callaxic

I started out my pipe smoking journey with a cheap briar about 4 months ago. Then tried a cheapo from Amazon (not recommended).

Thankfully, my local tobacco specialist (focuses on pipes & cigars) let me have a really nice Savinelli briar for £65 (about $80) a few weeks later. I can honestly say this really transformed my smoking experience.

I did recently try a MM cob, but I must say it just wasn't for me, it smoked ok, but so used to briars i just couldn't 'get into it'. But if they work for you - especially as a fellow newbie - stick with them, at least for the short term.

For me, I tend to stick with briars now, although I'd happily give a clay a try if I ever get to meet up with @halfdan

Also, check out Muttnchop Piper on YouTube. His beginner series of videos, from around 6/7 years ago, were indispensable to me (and many, many others) in helping to get to grips with the learning curve on this thoroughly enjoyable but formidable journey to piping heaven

 

[RookieGuy80]

Start with the cob. If later on you like smoking a pipe, go nuts with clay and hardwood. Cobs get a reputation as a starter pipe, training wheels. While it is a very deserved rep, they are very forgiving of those learning technique, they are great pipes for seasoned smokers as well. Clay and hardwood are both good mediums though. Except the hardwood ones tend to get very very hot very fast. When I first learned to smoke a pipe not only was I unable to smoke a slow as the hardwood required, I didn't know it was even possible.

 

[Briar Lee]

I burned my first cob out, in a few months.

I loved my pipe, but I didn’t know how to pack it, or puff it, or clean it like I do now.

I remember buying a few Dr Grabow pipes off the racks which even today is a good choice.

My first really good, higher quality pipe was an E A Carey apple mail order for $16 that is still available today.

What was not as available then as now is really top notch large pipes from Peterson and Savinelli and Nording, brand new at about $100, which fifty years ago works out to only $14.43. There’s no way in hell a $15 pipe from then can equal a $100 pipe today, it’s not even close, we are living in the good old days today and not then:


One more thing about starting pipe smoking.

If any old men my age tell you to make a cake the thickness of a dime they are wrong, unless you smoke outside in the wind.

In 1973 pipes were a way to get nicotine other than cigars and cigarretes.

Honestly they still are, and you will become a nicotine slave, but you don’t see men waking down the street or in a store or watching ball games with pipes clenched today. Pipe smoking is a private recreation and relaxation today.

When men smoked outdoors cake helped them not burn out their pipes in the wind, and it still does if you smoke outdoors in the wind.

But indoors, or outdoors in calm weather, a briar is better if you have only a black, oily resin in the bowl of a completely broken in pipe. The reason that cured, seasoned and aged burl roots of one shrub that grows around the rim of the Mediterranean and there are no good substitutes have been used to make all wooden pipes of quality since the middle 1800s is that only Mediterranean briar properly selected and broken in produces the best possible smoke from a pipe.

I still smoke cobs, clays, and meerschaums but rarely. My 75 year old Marxman pipes made of rare old aged Algerian briar then are better now than 1948 and not as good as they will be in 2048.


Use a twisted paper towel soaked in 190 proof Everclear (vodka also works but dries slower) to wipe off the cake as it builds leaving only a black, oily resin.

Pack looser instead of tighter and puff slower instead of faster. Don’t inhale. When it’s not good anymore stop.

Enjoy your pipe.

We are privileged beyond measure to have briar pipes to treasure.

 

[proteus]

Cake

As to the matter of cake, I have never let a cake build in any modern briar I own. Or any other modern pipe for that matter. I use a 12 ga shotgun mop to swab with grain alchohol the chamber and a Long's 9 inch pipe cleaner to clean the draft hole. One end to soak with the alcohol, the other to dry. I do this more or less after each smoke. Depends on my mood. Pipe smoking shouldn't be a chore. I believe the 1920s and 1930s Kaywoodies I own benefitted from cake due to thinness of the briar walls. Modern types and cobs and meers do not in my opinion need a cake of any appreciable size or at all.

What's the difference between them?

After smoking these types for 30 plus years, not much difference I've found other than material shape and size. They all smoke well enough but the one thing I've found is the draft hole to be too small in most pipes. I was taught decades ago by an old timer opening up the draft hole and the stem air way down to about half way along the stem does wonders for any pipe. He used certain unmarked drills. I measured these particular drills, since he didn't know what size they were, turns out they were 11/64 on the draft and 9/64 on the stem. So I use these sizes today as such. You may want to practice on less heartbreaking types before attempting this on a more prized pipe.

What should I practice with first before branching out to other types of pipes?

You can practice on any type of pipe, the techniques are the same generally. Not by material but by specific pipe does one load and smoke as each smokes and loads on its own merits.

Which tobacco burns best in each?

Any well-made tobacco will burn in any well-made pipe. You may find certain tobacco and certain materials or even certain pipes you own will smoke a certain tobacco better. You'll have to experiment - which is the attraction to this hobby. And why over time serious pipe smokers end up owning more pipes than can be reasonably counted. There is no universal approach. Even between smokers with the same pipe model and tobacco will have different experience.

If you want a starting point here is my advice.

In a cob smoke aromatics like Sutliff Vanilla Custard or burley like CD Pegasus or Virginia/burley like MacB Golden Extra.

In a briar start with a straight Virginia like Newminster 400.

In a meer grab some Arango Balkan Supreme.

In a clay try some GL Pease Stratford.

These are just starting points. You'll want to do plenty of reading here to find new blends, styles and combinations of tobacco as well as the many fine pipe makers, shapes and styles to choose.

It's a lifetime of learning. Welcome to the party!