Since I'm a bit of an infrequent when I get the time or the itch to smoke a bowl type, I have this feeling these days of cutting back. Like, to 2 or 3 blends if that. I've got too many, way too many blends stashed away. I've got tins of blends I haven't tried yet and I have jars of baccy I don't know when I'll ever get to again. Tell me, has anyone just said to hell with it, I'm sticking only to one blend (or two or three) at a time. LOL, can it even be done?
Cutting Back
- Thread starter crawdad
- Start date
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Yes, it can. Mostly smoke Engine 382, Belmont Station, and Black Frigate.
I want to achieve that, to be able to smoke only 3 to 4 tobaccos. My problem is supply, I like Germain's Special Latakia Flake and Brown Flake and Dan Tobacco Skipper's Flake and even if I' ve got a nice amount, it won't be enough for a lifetime. Like you, I've got way to many and I realized that I know what I want after reviewing more than 200 tobaccos on Tobacco Reviews. Now if I had an equal quantity of those mentioned and also G. L. Pease Abingdon and Escudo, instead of those pounds that I don't even know how they taste for some, I would be a happy camper.
Only 3 years into pipe smoking. I don't see myself only smoking a few blends. I am looking to try less. I have too many blends too. It's a great problem.
It'd sure make life easy. Sometimes I envy the old coots who have been smoking the same drugstore blend for the last 40 years.
I am also smoking a little less lately and I also have dozens of blends in multiple vintages stashed; but, in the last 12 months I have smoked 4 blends:
HU Director’s Cut
HU Louisiana Broken
SG FVF
Salty Dogs
I have been thinking about downsizing.
HU Director’s Cut
HU Louisiana Broken
SG FVF
Salty Dogs
I have been thinking about downsizing.
Different blends I prefer but I share your perspective. I'd have less than 1/2 the blends I do if I could really purchase all of what I want whenever I want it. Much of what I want is relatively hard to get so I have bought some second, third and even fourth choices. All high quality stuff, just not my first choice. I've been doing some trading trying to rebalance my cellar.
This^^
I sometimes feel I’ve gone down a tobacco rabbit hole.
I'm going straight back to Captain Black. The well-spring of life.
Been thinking the same. I sometimes find myself going to blends that are ok but not great just to make a dent in them. I do like variety though, but 30 different jarred tins may be too much. Plus a bunch more unopened and more on the way. As a newish pipe smoker I am still exploring, and that is part of the fun. But I may choose a 5 blend rotation from various categories and smoke nothing but that until they are done and then move on to the next five. May do the same with pipes.
I’m the opposite; I like variety. I’ve got at least 40 open tins in jars. A bonus is stumbling across something I’ve forgotten about that’s been sitting in a jar for several years
i have increased my smoking to 6 bowls per day and have been enjoying everyone. I am smoking nothing but aged flakes right now and no more for a rainy day. I am going to smoke what I want when I want and the hell with holding back.
Might as well, you ain't gonna take it with you...
For real! I’ve mostly stuck to C and D. I have a bunch of SG and Rattrays stashed that I don’t smoke because it’s hard to come by but I’m really considering just keeping the C and D only. And a cherry aromatic if I’m in a crowd lol.
Thank you, I resemble that comment ? Although I primarily smoke only one blend (not a drugstore blend) I have quite a few others for friends to choose from, for special occasions, or just to switch things up. 9 times out of 10 though, I reach for ole faithful.
Over the past few years I've found it's really nice to have a blend you can always reach for. I mix it up occasionally and always have some cheaper bulks on hand for a smoke I'm not going to be able to concentrate on as much. But when I sit back and want to relax it's nice to not have to flip through dozens of jars wondering what I should smoke.
This. I enjoy too many different blends, and have 48 jars in a pair of soda crates to grab from, plus more unopened. Sure I have favorites, but haven’t settled on a few daily smokes.
It can be done, although it requires a special turn of mind. My dad did it, perhaps by never getting on the blend variety train. He smoked Granger from about age 15 until he quit cold turkey at 65, with a few years off for King Edward Cigars. He quit when he took a job as a second career at a no-smoking campus and said he figured he'd had all the fun out of it. He was an uncommon guy, but yes, it is done. He died at age 89 licensed to drive without glasses ... I took him to the license exam.
I spent years buying a tin or pouch and not buying another until the first was finished. Then when I had to start ordering online and it only made sense to buy several tins, that is when the cellar started. And in fact a lot of times I'll smoke mainly one type of tobacco pretty obsessively until the tin is gone. As in at least one bowl will be from that tin.