Dedicating Pipes To Particular Tobaccos.

[dunendain]

I have not been dedicating a pipe to a blend or type of tobacco. I am afraid that has been mistake. Last night at the range my wife and I walked by an old gent and his pipe smelled great. My wife asked. "why does your pipe never smell that good?". So, I walked over to the guy, and asked what blend he was smoking. He told me it was Lane 1Q. He said that was the only blend he ever smoked. His pipe looked well used and pretty old, and he has probably smoked 1Q in that pipe for 40 years. When I told my wife it was 1Q and that I have smoked that blend several times, and she never liked the way it smelled, she was confused. I believe it is because I also smoke English blends in the same pipe, and it probably leaves a ghost.
Do you guys do this?

 

[sapo59]

I have a viking bent I only smoke English blends out of. I use my cobs for burleys, and other burley, Virginia, blends. I have a Jansen of N.O. estate dedicated to aromatics cause I only smoke about two different kinds. I use my grabow for flakes and vapers. So I guess I do loosely dedicated pipes to particular kinds of tobacco.

 

[chuckw]

It is a good idea to dedicate pipes to a specific blend. The ghosts left by other tobaccos will taint the flavor of your current smoke. I go so far as to dedicate pipes to differnt tho similar tobaccos like University Flake and FVF, 965 and Tuggle Hall.

 

[python]

I dedicate my pipes to types of tobacco. I have some pipes that are dedicated to aromatics, some are dedicated to VA and VA/Per, and some are dedicated to English/Balkan/Latakia blends.
I have one pipe that I have only smoked SG Full Virginia Flake in since I bought it new. That is the only pipe that is dedicated to a specific blend.

 

[pstlpkr]

I have one pipe that I dedicate to apple flavor.

I smoke latakia blend exclusively in my Sherlock and Watson Meer. set.

I never smoke cherry, because it definitely will flavor the pipe.

As for the English, and other blends mentioned; if you control the caking in the bowl you really shouldn't have any real difficulties.

But, I smoke a variety of different blends with similar flavors. (as do most members, I believe) in my utility pipes.

 

[python]

Actually now that Pstlpkr said something, I also have one pipe that is dedicated to just cherry blends.

 

[sinistertopiary]

I always dedicate pipes to a single genre once I discover which genre comes alive in it: pure virginias, stoved virginias, aro virginias, VaPer (now), English, Balkan, super-heavy latakia blends, aro, and Cajun Black.
I also have a few pipes dedicated to single blends.
However, you can get some interesting and good smokes from occasionally putting a non-native blend in one that's well-broken in. G L Pease has a good blog post about that. (Too lazy to hunt for it right now.)

 

[cortezattic]

From the FAQ section of Pease's blog:

Tobaccos from different categories - Virginias, English blends, Aromatics, and so on - will leave their characteristic signatures in the pipe. If you switch tobacco types in a pipe, it can take anywhere from a few bowls to dozens to begin to get the true flavors and aromas of the new tobacco. For this reason, I recommend at least dedicating pipes to tobacco categories. Of course, a tobacco will reveal more and more about itself if smoked exclusively in the same pipe, but dedicating pipes to the different "families" of tobacco is a good step.

 

[dunendain]

I wrongly thought because I scrubbed the pipes with whiskey, that I would remove the ghosts. Do you guys think I have permanently ruined my pipes? I don't have the money to start over. : (

 

[hauntedmyst]

I ditto dedicating pipes to types of blends - not particular blends. Though I can see the logic in that. I have some reserved for english, and some reserved for aromatics.

 

[dunendain]

Thanks guys. I am buying a new pipe in March. Vapers and Virginia flakes in that one.

 

[sapo59]

I would try smoking just one blend in them to remove the ghost before you spend money to send them to be treated.

 

[admin]

I have not been following this rule either dunendain.

 

[sapo59]

After participating in this thread, I had to test this theory. I smoked PA out of a pipe usually reserved for English blends. I could taste latakia, it was like smoking a completely different tobacco. I really do see the point in have separate pipes for different type of tobacco. Just thought I'd share the results of my "little experiment".

 

[igloo]

I have a HIS sandblast billard that only smokes Frog Morton as it is tar laden goop . A no name bent stem for VaPer and Va . I reserve the Nordings for blends that I really like . Now I clean my pipes by filling them with boiling water,let it set until cool and repeating until the water comes out clean .It seems to leech out the tars from the briar .Then let them dry at least a couple of days before smoking . My uncle taught me this trick after he saw me doing a salt treatment he is 81 years old this week .

 

[dunendain]

Kevin, it's good to know I'm not the only one. I think I will buy some Everclear and start over.

 

[pstlpkr]

I, for one, don't dedicate pipes with any consistency...

I do have one pipe that works very well with VaPers, and that is definitely dedicated.

My Uncle Arthur Tapered Apple.

My suggestion to you would be to identify the tobacco that ghosts your pipes and dedicate a pipe to that particular blend/blend type.

Otherwise just stuff and puff as per usual.
Speaking to your pipe cleaning liquor I would suggest (my personal preference) using Ezra Brooks. It imparts a wonderful taste to the pipe for a bowl or two at the most... I'm not sure that Gin is the best choice.

But, that just my opinion, YMMV.

 

[baronsamedi]

I have heard about briars ghosting, but never about Meers. Are Meerschaum pipes ever known to ghost? I've never noticed anything like that in mine, but I'm pretty new to the game.

 

[unclearthur]

I have had a few meerschaum pipes that I bought as estates that were definitely ghosted by nasty gloopy aromatics. Much alcohol and many pipe cleaners later they finally cleared up.

 

[baronsamedi]

Good to know. I dry clean mine after each smoke and hit it with the everclear about every week or so. Should be OK.