Corn Cobs

[3rdguy]

I like the Mark Twain for the bigger bowl size. I drilled mine out a bit bigger when I got it.

Those bulldogs sold out this morning, $54 a pop.

 

[Dr_Harshit_Joshi]

Just throwing this out there.. I like the cheap stems, they are comfortable and easily replaced.

Richmond B. Funkenhouser, haha! Thank you for your view friend!

Happy Piping!

 

[Dr_Harshit_Joshi]

IMHO, any corn cob pipe made by Missouri Meerschaum is a fantastic choice. They smoke cooler and drier than most wooden pipes.

I own several Missouri Prides (about 10) and dozens of other corn cobs. They are all great smokers. There are a few things to take into consideration when choosing one, though.

*Bowl size - The Missouri Pride has a full-size bowl, though far from being the biggest they offer. As a beginner, it may be easier to start with a smaller, and especially shallower, bowl. Starting out, it can be difficult to smoke a bowl most or all of the way down. A smaller, shallower bowl helps prevent tobacco waste. But remember not to force yourself to smoke to the bottom. You can always dry the dottle out and smoke it later.

*Stem/bit length - A longer stem and bit will smoke cooler, since the smoke travels further before reaching your mouth. The Pride has a decent length stem on it. I would avoid getting a really short 'nosewarmer' type pipe.

Filter - the Pride accepts 6mm filters if you would like to use them. I smoke mine without them just fine.

Finish - You probably noticed that Missouri Meerschaum offers both raw and filled/finished corn cobs. There are aesthetic AND functional differences. Personally, I prefer the feel of a finished cob, but I don't clench. If you clench the pipe, raw cobs are considerably lighter and better for this purpose. Raw cobs also smoke cooler and drier, in my experience, than finished ones. I have heard that finished cobs have a greater longevity, but have never had a burnout in any of them. Just don't use a torch lighter and you'll be okay.
Since the Pride is raw, expect a nice, cool, dry smoke out of a lightweight pipe with a rough natural texture on the bowl. You can clean the outside of the cob up gently with a wire brush to smooth it out.

As for my personal recommendation, I would suggest trying their Morgan model, but with a long non-filter bit, instead of the short bit. You can get the Morgan either in raw or finished, smoke it with a short or long bit, and it has a wide, but shallower bowl chamber (same diameter inside as the Pride, but shorter).

Another one I like is the Eaton. The bowl on the Eaton is the opposite - narrower in diameter, but the same depth as the Pride. The Eaton also uses a non-filter slim bit and comes in a finished version (called the Pony Express). Also, the Eaton can be purchased for only $3.

It might be a good idea to buy a larger pipe like the Missouri Pride, as well as a smaller one.

If you have any more questions, let me know. I'm obsessed with corn cob pipes and know their models pretty well.

*Edit for spelling.

Pazuzu93, wow! Great knowledge to share upon. Thank you so much for an extensive info.
Yes it would be a good idea to begin with small bowl size. MM's Pride was looking okay to me but as you stated that it lies in a generous sized bowl category.. I will add a small bowl cob.

Happy Piping!

 

[Dr_Harshit_Joshi]

I like the Mark Twain for the bigger bowl size. I drilled mine out a bit bigger when I got it.

Those bulldogs sold out this morning, $54 a pop.

3rd guy, yeah, Twain cobs are great too to consider. In my wishlist. Thank you for recommending!

Happy Piping

 

[indoeuro]

I love them. They smoke well, are very forgiving of beginning smokers, and you can fix them with non-toxic glue if they crack or develop a minor break.
Don't think that they won't last long, either! With a little bit of care, you can smoke them indefinitely. I have two that I've been smoking for 20 years. Just make sure to stick with the Missouri Meerschaum company. The Chinese copies are terrible.
How does customs work in India for private mail?

 

[Dr_Harshit_Joshi]

I love them. They smoke well, are very forgiving of beginning smokers, and you can fix them with non-toxic glue if they crack or develop a minor break.
Don't think that they won't last long, either! With a little bit of care, you can smoke them indefinitely. I have two that I've been smoking for 20 years. Just make sure to stick with the Missouri Meerschaum company. The Chinese copies are terrible.
How does customs work in India for private mail?

indoeuro, thank you for your insight. Cobs are potentially promising in terms of quality of both pipe and smoke alike.
Customs in India works good but they're pretty strict with imports and export of goods in a fair manner. Things get pretty smooth when they're satisfied with package contents and this type of clearance can take upto a week or two.
Overall, it all depends on Custom officials whether to impose duties or not. Many packages get skipped easily which generally have lower amount and are shipped through postal services. But packs from FedEx, DHL get noticed easily and duties are imposed accordingly.

Happy Piping..

 

[anotherbob]

I don't know if I said this but I really like Old Dominion cobs. They're more old school and I think they smoke better then a M.M. cob. They're also got a more natural look and frankly a great stem made from bamboo.

 

[Dr_Harshit_Joshi]

I don't know if I said this but I really like Old Dominion cobs. They're more old school and I think they smoke better then a M.M. cob. They're also got a more natural look and frankly a great stem made from bamboo.

I did heard about Old Dominion and also saw some couple of their pipes. Yes.. they do look old school due to all wood stem and of natural looks.
I would certainly look to them soon.. thank you for recommending..

Happy Piping..

 

[docrameous]

My first cob was a Country Gentleman, but as I was a new smoker I found the shallower bowl of the Washington Rob Roy a bit easier to learn to pack with. Both are awesome smokers regardless.

 

[Dr_Harshit_Joshi]

My first cob was a Country Gentleman, but as I was a new smoker I found the shallower bowl of the Washington Rob Roy a bit easier to learn to pack with. Both are awesome smokers regardless.

docrameous, hoping you stayed with pipe smoking after getting along with cobs.. I also saw some smaller bowls then Missouri Prides.. Mini Cob, Pony Express n Mizzou.. from Non Filtered section. Are they any good to begin with apart from Prides?

Happy Piping..

 

[chopper]

I've got a Diplomat, a Country Gentleman and a Legend.
All of them are good smokers. I'm not a clencher usually but there are occasions when I need to clench for a moment so I've fit two of them with a rubber bit to protect the stem [the Legends stem is too narrow for a rubber bit]

I'm ordering a few more MM cobs to add to my rotation. With duty, postage and the lower Aussie $ they aren't as cheap as buying them in the U.S. but they're totally worth it.

Breaking them in isn't my favourite past-time but after a few bowls the vegetal taste goes and I've smouldered off the protruding hardwood stem by then.

 

[Dr_Harshit_Joshi]

I've got a Diplomat, a Country Gentleman and a Legend.
All of them are good smokers. I'm not a clencher usually but there are occasions when I need to clench for a moment so I've fit two of them with a rubber bit to protect the stem [the Legends stem is too narrow for a rubber bit]

I'm ordering a few more MM cobs to add to my rotation. With duty, postage and the lower Aussie $ they aren't as cheap as buying them in the U.S. but they're totally worth it.

Breaking them in isn't my favourite past-time but after a few bowls the vegetal taste goes and I've smouldered off the protruding hardwood stem by then.

Chopper.. this was the core reason I went up for them. Here in my place too after all currency conversions and customs.. cobs get lil expensive for me. But I think they'll be worth it for a long run.
I ordered 2 Missouri Prides from SP. Chose Super Saver International Shipping method and for now they are in transit and hoping to receive them by next week or coming after.

I will definitely share my experience once I ll receive them and lit my first bowl..

Happy Piping!

 

[Old School 3319]

I am fairly new to pipe smoking and am a tight wad bastard so i love cobs. I own a morgan, devil cutty and a legend. My go to pipe is the morgan

 

[Dr_Harshit_Joshi]

I am fairly new to pipe smoking and am a tight wad bastard so i love cobs. I own a morgan, devil cutty and a legend. My go to pipe is the morgan

Old School 3319, Morgan is a good pipe to consider for small smoke breaks.. Legend is an all time favorite of many.. Devil cutty is a beautiful pipe to look upon...

May you never run outta smokes and blends and beautiful cobs..

Happy Piping!

 

[subsalac]

A little tip I learned of recently: if you order from MM, they have natural/unfinished options for most of their cobs. So in the notes, it helps to write down that you prefer an unfinished piece and they may send you one. I got this information from an MM representative. I wish I knew this before I ordered my Mark Twain and Washington, I definitely prefer(and agree with the poster who said they act like a radiator). The ridges on the cobs and the porosity of the material create a heat-sink effect which dissipates heat and moisture, it's really a remarkable smoking material, and I think it's a real shame this gets filled with putty and slathered in varnish purely for the reason of making the pipe more aesthetically pleasing. I prefer the visual of a rugged cob, and enjoy the tactile feel of raw cob in my hand verses the feeling of varnish, which to me is unpleasant and unnatural. I've had good results sanding off this coating too, so that's an option you may want to explore.

While I'm on the topic of modifying cobs, even if you get a natural/unfinished one, I recommend removing most of the hardwood on the bottom of the bowl and doing your own fill with pipe mud/pipe cement/pipe mortar(BarePipe and CaneRodPiper have great tutorials on youtube). Extremely simple if you have power tools, but I don't own any and still managed so it's not that hard. It dramatically reduces the unpleasant break-in and creates a smoother bowl as you'd find with say a briar, just make sure to really compress it as firmly as possible with the somewhat concave shape of your finger or some similarly shaped hard item(I used a drumstick). Bowls which bottom out cyllindrically often have tobacco stuck in the corners/crevaces, which is a problem with the hardwood insert aside from the acrid taste. You solve the only 2 flaws in an otherwise flawless(mechanically speaking) pipe this way.

 

[Dr_Harshit_Joshi]

A little tip I learned of recently: if you order from MM, they have natural/unfinished options for most of their cobs. So in the notes, it helps to write down that you prefer an unfinished piece and they may send you one. I got this information from an MM representative. I wish I knew this before I ordered my Mark Twain and Washington, I definitely prefer(and agree with the poster who said they act like a radiator). The ridges on the cobs and the porosity of the material create a heat-sink effect which dissipates heat and moisture, it's really a remarkable smoking material, and I think it's a real shame this gets filled with putty and slathered in varnish purely for the reason of making the pipe more aesthetically pleasing. I prefer the visual of a rugged cob, and enjoy the tactile feel of raw cob in my hand verses the feeling of varnish, which to me is unpleasant and unnatural. I've had good results sanding off this coating too, so that's an option you may want to explore.

While I'm on the topic of modifying cobs, even if you get a natural/unfinished one, I recommend removing most of the hardwood on the bottom of the bowl and doing your own fill with pipe mud/pipe cement/pipe mortar(BarePipe and CaneRodPiper have great tutorials on youtube). Extremely simple if you have power tools, but I don't own any and still managed so it's not that hard. It dramatically reduces the unpleasant break-in and creates a smoother bowl as you'd find with say a briar, just make sure to really compress it as firmly as possible with the somewhat concave shape of your finger or some similarly shaped hard item(I used a drumstick). Bowls which bottom out cyllindrically often have tobacco stuck in the corners/crevaces, which is a problem with the hardwood insert aside from the acrid taste. You solve the only 2 flaws in an otherwise flawless(mechanically speaking) pipe this way.

subsalac, Wow.. never knew MM provides unfinished cobs upon request. Thank you for the tip.
Yes.. I did heard the break-in period of cobs can be lil problematic for some due to wood taste from extended shank in the bottom. And the mud to varnish the bowel bottom does help for increasing the life of a cob.

I don't have any such experiences for now. Waiting for my first ever Prides to arrive and then will switch to Legends and other bigger bowls if things work as planned.
I myself want to test out the difference between plastered and unfinished cobs.

Thank you for this valuable information.
Enjoy your blends and smokes..
Happy Piping!

 

[mso489]

I'll try any blend in any pipe, whatever the material. It's true (to me and some others) that briar brings up some English blends especially well. Meerschaum may do the best by exquisitely subtle Virginia blends. And good cob pipes have a special magic with down home Va/bur/Cav blends and similarly based aromatic (flavored) blends. But various pipes surprise me and do wonderfully with blends and single-leaf that are off their beaten track. Learn the "rules," because it is so fun to break them.

 

[Dr_Harshit_Joshi]

Learn the "rules," because it is so fun to break them.

Aye captain!

 

[anotherbob]

or get an Old Dominion most of which have the natural outside. I find it gives it a more rustic charm. Looks like something the well read country doctor would smoke.

 

[Dr_Harshit_Joshi]

or get an Old Dominion most of which have the natural outside. I find it gives it a more rustic charm. Looks like something the well read country doctor would smoke.

anotherbob, Old Dominion is in my radar.. will surely give a try soon after I get along with Missouri Prides..
Thank you for recommending..
Happy Piping!