Cobs for Tasting

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Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,250
108,352
a taster is a sad excuse of a pipe - a tiny chamber that you really dislike smoking and would rather use as a tiny potted planter - this new Missouri Meer it's only got 4 smokes on it and it not pushing the right buttons at all
Gotcha.?
 
May 2, 2020
4,664
23,771
Louisiana
a taster is a sad excuse of a pipe - a tiny chamber that you really dislike smoking and would rather use as a tiny potted planter - this new Missouri Meer it's only got 4 smokes on it and it not pushing the right buttons at all
That’s what I’ve relegated my MM Little Devil to. Although they look neat, I am not a fan of the little nose warmer cobs. Chamber is way too small, and they smoke a little hotter than the others. I’ll not buy another. Generals and Country Gents have been my favorite cobs.
 
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select565

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 2, 2020
115
502
My throwaway taster cobs often become my favorite go-to pipes. Especially when I can’t be bothered to figure out which blend should go into which briar. I’ll just load up whatever tobacco I want into the trusty mm devil cutty and enjoy. 90% of the time I enjoy the ghosts
 
M

MARC52

Guest
I would use a small inexpensive meerschaum for sampling tobaccos. All the smoke shops around here carry them.
 
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F4RM3R

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 28, 2019
567
2,512
38
Canada
Many people including myself use clay pipes for that purpose. Pure taste and no ghosting means you can use the same pipe for many trials. I just wash mine with hot water for deep cleaning, which kind of discolors it in a strange way but that isn't really a problem for me. I wouldn't bother with those mini cobs.

Many of the clays have smaller bowls. Just don't get one of those Elizabethan clays which I accidentally purchased once. They hold such a small pinch of tobacco, you would only enjoy it if you actually lived in Elizabethan times.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Ain't no such thing as a tasting pipe. Really small pipes can actually deliver a fairly long smoke if you use flake/coin/rope/plug cuts. I know from trying to catch a short smoke in a small cob during an intermission at a bluegrass concert. Tsuge makes a billiard called a tasting pipe which turns out to be a full size ample-chambered billiard that is better than many pipes. I think the term tasting pipe is a bad coinage and doesn't mean much. You can sample blends in any pipe. You might want to use an inexpensive cob for potential ghosts like Lakeland aromatics with rose geranium, but merely designate that cob for the purpose, don't trash it. You can smoke away any other ghosts, like Latakia, in about two bowls. If your taster is that sensitive, smoke only Meerschaums and stay away from Lakeland aromatics.
 

RookieGuy

Starting to Get Obsessed
May 2, 2021
238
559
Maryland
Why not just put the tobacco in a regular pipe and smoke it?
I've been to a small mom and pop type pipe shop. For the price of a small nose warmer MM cob (or bigger, obviously) , they'll let you sample a few blends. Think of it as a pipe version of the little tasting spoon from an ice cream shop. A quick little 7 minute sample is cheap at the price if your walking out with quantities of tobacco.

Outside of that scenario, I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiment.