Couple First-Timer Questions

[1adsarge]

I am very new to pipe smoking and ordered my first few tins of tobacco to smoke in my Preben Holm freehand. I am a huge fantasy/scifi guy and saw the Middle Earth Pipeweed Series on justforhim.com. I figured that would be a good place to start so I ordered a few ounces of Longbottom Leaf, Old Toby, and Treebeard. Has anyone tried this stuff and could share there insight? Second, I am trying to decide on the best method of lighting. I have read that matches don't burn clean and will leave a nasty taste as well as butane lighters like a Zippo's. What is your preferred lighting method. I'd like to hear what you experts have to say. Thanks for any input!
Cheers,

Jared

 

[stickframer]

Welcome. I've not tried those tobaccos, so can't comment.
Matches or a zippo are both good. I smoke outside so I prefer the zippo. With either method, burn it for a few seconds to get rid of the sulphur or fluid smell and you'll be good to go.
If you use matches go with wooden ones.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

LOTR names for tobaccos is for suckers. Just find a blend that you'll like and rename it after your favorite hobbit or wizard.

As far as what you light your pipe with, I haven't found a way to light my pipe that matters a hill of beans. If you taste fluid or the match, it's only for a second. I don't notice anything.
Welcome to the forums, where every question will get you at least a dozen conflicting answers. Ha ha!

 

[redpanda]

I think matches is the best thing you could light your pipe with. Second best is a gas lighter. Zippo stinks (some like it ).Welcome.

 

[virginiacob]

In regards to lighting your pipe, I've used wooden matches, Zippo lighter with pipe insert, butane pipe lighters, and with my cobs I've even used disposable Bic lighters from time to time (do not use Bics on expensive briars as you can easily burn the rim of the bowl but I don't worry so much about it with a cob). Matches work good but if you have a finicky blend that's a little hard to light, going through a pile of matches can be frustrating. I probably use my Zippo lighter the most, but the only drawback with Zippos is that you are constantly having to refill them with lighter fluid as the fluid evaporates from them rather quickly. BTW, if you use a Zippo lighter, make sure to only fill it with the Zippo brand lighter fluid that comes in the black can. Like Cosmic and the others have said, the fluid taste disappears quickly, so for me it's always been a non-issue. Welcome to the forums.

 

[cigrmaster]

This is my favorite pipe lighter. https://www.smokingpipes.com/accessories/lighters/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=54363
I also have a Corona Old Boy in Briar that I bought 15 years ago that still works great. I have the zippo lighter with the pipe insert and I am not a fan, the flaame is hard to control and sometimes is a bitch to get to the bottom of your pipe.

 

[prairiedruid]

Welcome to the forums.
I haven't tried the blends you mentioned. Peter Stokkebye's Nougat is supposedly what they were smoking during the LOTR movies. It's a light aro that tastes a bit like nougat plus has a nice room note. Being a bulk blend you can pick up an ounce or 2 cheaply to see if it's something you like. I use both lighters and matches and don't notice a off flavor. Like mentioned earlier let the match burn a little before moving it over your bowl.

 

[agnosticpipe]

1adsarge: I've tried 3 blends from JFH, and I like all three. The 3 are, Ruins of Isengard, Shortcut to Mushrooms, and Whiskey Biscuit Gravy. Of those my favorite is Whiskey Biscuit Gravy, but the others are good too. I believe that they have a little latakia in them and they are somewhat aromatic blends, but are not too sweet like most aros and are a very nice smoke. Mclellands Frog Morton series are very good too, especially the Cellar blend.
I use a Savinelli (Corona) soft flame butane for smoking inside, and a Zippo pipe lighter for outside. I don't have any issues with the fuel smell, but that's just me I guess.

Anyway, welcome to the forum, hope you have some fun here.

 

[papipeguy]

Welcome, Jared. These videos by James Fox Co. of Dublin' Ireland are very instructive for the new pipe smoker. They are short and entertaining. Let us know how you're progressing.
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=james+fox+pipe+smoking+videos&view=detail&mid=141516F30609D0B9D464141516F30609D0B9D464&FORM=VIRE1

 

[jpmcwjr]

Welcome!
There's no method short of an acetylene torch that's not doable. Simply keep the flame away from the bowl rim. You draw it down so the tip of the flame just touches or is slightly above the tobacco. Matches burn coolest, butane torches the hottest. Distance from combustibles is the key. The all can work. I find the Zippo my least favorite, but use it when I gotta.
And, sorry, I know nothing about the tobaccos you cite.

 

[1adsarge]

Thanks everyone for your input! I love the commodore and friendliness this forum offers. It makes us new pipe smokers look forward to the coming years of not only pipe smoking, but the friends and experiences that come with it.
Cheers,

Jared

 

[danhester]

In terms of lighting method, I think cedar matches are the best. They can be kind of a pain, and if you're anything like me, you'll go through quite a few of them as you smoke. Next best is a soft-butane lighter. Many are configured just for pipes, but a bic does the trick for me just fine as well. After that, soft flame lighter fluid lighters like Zippo. These taste the worse, but the lighter fluid taste fades pretty quickly. The only thing I wouldn't use is a torch. A. It's not necessary, and B. They burn incredibly hot and I've heard they can damage the pipe.

 

[shutterbugg]

Never heard of those blends. Over the past several decades I've tried countless blends, most of them only once. What I've come to discover by experience is:
-I disliked drugstore blends when they were dirt-cheap and sold in every drugstore and supermarket. They were fine for the old goats who had a pipe lit in their mouth from sunup to sundown, or folks who lived hundreds of miles from a decent tobacconist before the internet came about. But as I don't smoke that much, and online retailers stock good blends at excellent prices, the cost difference between OTC crap and a high-end blend is inconsequential. For whatever health risk there is in a few bowls, I'm inclined to smoke the good stuff.
-I have not yet found a single blend I liked come packaged in a cardboard "tin".
-I have not found any except Dunhill blends that consistently can be smoked right out of the tin, both in terms of moisture level and no need for aging (although aging may improve them even more).
-I have found that any blend with enough Latakia to taste, tastes like Latakia. So I smoke Nightcap, as it is the mackdaddy of English blends.
-I only smoke outdoors and found that the only way to light-up without frustration is a Zippo. I let it burn for a second or two and there is no fuel taste whatsoever (Zippo fuel in black can). I keep the lighter in a spare glass bail-top jar like I use for tobacco, which I find helps inhibit fuel evaporation. Typically a fill lasts me a week, more or less, depending on how many times I fire it up of course.

 

[drumbumb83]

Still new to pipe smoking myself and found the Pipe Zippo to work the best for me. As for tobacco blends I'm getting an ounce or two from the bulk selections. I imagine tobaccos inspired by Middle Earth aren't terrible. I had tried some beer inspired by the Star Trek Universe. The beer was over priced for what it was but I kept the bottles because they looked cool.

 

[mrbigglesworth]

After putting in tobacco, I like to fill my bowl about 1/3 full with kerosene. Then use a torch for lighting. This lights my pipe on the first try every time; no false light needed. A word of caution though, I did lose my beard and eyebrows the first time I tried this. :rofl:

 

[drumbumb83]

I'd like to know how to light my pipe with statistics like Mark Twain :D Just joking.

 

[andrew]

Wooden matches are a pretty traditional way of lighting the pipe, I've never encountered any undesirable taste from using them. Usually I just use a bic lighter. I agree with cosmic's statement about LOTR pipe tobacco's. However I have tried a blend called longbottom leaf from my local B&M, I can't be sure it's the same as the just for him, but it was slightly aromatic (vanilla) but you could predominately taste the tobacco which was Virginia. It didn't blow my socks off, but it wasn't bad. http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/2117/just-for-him-longbottom-leaf Having read the tobacco reviews for it, it leads me to believe it was the same blend.

 

[andrew]

P.s. if you're a big sci-fi guy you have to try Jar Jar Binks Balkan blend. The force is strong in this one.

 

[1adsarge]

P.s. if you're a big sci-fi guy you have to try Jar Jar Binks Balkan blend. The force is strong in this one.

I google searched that one and couldn't find anything. Where might I acquire some of this stuff? :mrgreen: ::