Did Anyone Have a Good First Smoke?

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wayneteipen

Can't Leave
May 7, 2012
473
221
My first pipe was pretty awful. It was a local blend called Ginger Snap in a GBD zulu that bit me like a rabid dog. I wasn't sure from that point if I'd be able to enjoy it at all but I kept on and finally figured it out.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,345
Twenty-seven years ago I was experimenting with all tobacco products. With a pipe it was a Grabow Omega and Prince Albert Soft Vanilla. Other than not knowing to dry the tobacco and a bit of gurgle at the end of the bowl, it was satisfying enough to keep going.

 

5star

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 17, 2017
727
2,018
PacNW USA
I came to the pipe after being a long time cigar smoker. My first bowl was CH smoked from a MM Legend bought in one of the few real pipe tobacco shops that remain in our region. I believe the first few bowls were occupied with the mechanics of everything. I do recall lots of re-lights. I believe I thought ‘There’s not a lot of flavor, compared to a cigar.’ Of course, this was because I had run the pipe too hot. As I learned to sip the pipe, I was able to pick up the flavors that I initially missed.

 

mikethompson

Lifer
Jun 26, 2016
11,291
23,322
Near Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Interesting that we generally have all had a terrible first experience, yet here we are. My first pipe story is very boring and has all the main talking points; wet tobacco, poor packing, terrible technique, yet there was something about it that drew me in.

 

haparnold

Lifer
Aug 9, 2018
1,561
2,389
Colorado Springs, CO
Interesting that we generally have all had a terrible first experience, yet here we are.
Definitely. I think for me that first smoke was still pretty perfect in a holistic sense. I remember clearly sitting on a little hill by our barn lighting up my first smoke and feeling incredibly grown-up. The smoke itself was miserable, but the overall experience made me certain it wouldn't be my last smoke.

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,087
6,394
Florida
The first time I smoked Escudo. I think that first coin was treated so 'reverently' that not only did I enjoy the blend's superb and delicious flavors, but I made a leap forward toward understanding cadence.

 

sumusfumus

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 20, 2017
596
545
New York City
1st time....was horrible. "Mixture No. 79" provided the smoke and a disgusting, full-bent Peterson knock-off was the pipe. Packed that "briar saxophone" tight, and lit matches until the tobacco reeked from sulfur. Then smoked away. Smoked until I turned green, and stuck my head in the toilet far too many times. Enjoyable? You're kidding, right? But, I was a wise-ass, sixteen year old man, and didn't give a flyin' crap how sick I got....I was going to smoke that damn pipe, and convince myself that I was cool. All that worked out, not so much.
Eventually, years later, I started to actually enjoy pipe-smoking. Learning how to do it correctly, helped. Now, there're more years behind me than in front of me. I found Nirvana, finally.
Frank

NYC

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
I actually have no recollection of my first bowl of tobacco. I know that I used the first pipe I ever bought, a Savinelli and I know I was hanging out in my buddies cigar lounge. He showed me how to load and smoke a pipe and I guess it wasn't so bad as I began buying pipes and tobacco right off the bat. I did learn about tongue bite as I struggled trying to smoke blends with red Virginia. I would scorch my tongue on certain blends but not others and I had no idea why. In the beginning I gravitated to English blends as they didn't burn me like some straight Virginia's did.
At the time I took up the pipe, I was a big cigar smoker and the only reason I took up the pipe was because a cigar buddy (hoosierpipeguy) worked me for over 2 weeks telling me I had to try it. If it wasn't for him, I really doubt I would have ever tried a pipe.

 
Jan 28, 2018
12,952
134,600
66
Sarasota, FL
My first pipe smoke experience was kind of like my first sex experience. The tobacco/girl weren't all that great, both were too moist, I didn't pack either as tight as I should have, my cadence was too fast, the container got very hot, I finished too fast and I didn't really know what I was doing. Still enjoyed both quite a bit though, enough so that I still enjoy both to this day. Oh, that first tobacco was Borkhum Riff Whiskey so both had some alcohol in them.
These days, the tobacco is much easier to obtain and it never complains or bitches at me.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,565
27,068
Carmel Valley, CA
First bowl of tobacco- no memory thereof. First time with a girl, the bowl needed more prep time/work and yet it was spent in a short period of time.

 

cajomu

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 15, 2018
124
0
At my age, I can barely remember if my last smoke was any good, and it was only three hours ago.

 

jmsmitty6

Can't Leave
Jan 12, 2018
411
4,718
44
Cincinnati, Ohio
I had been smoking premium cigars for several years and loved them. I happened to be in Gatlinburg, TN and wondered into the Gatlinburlier (I think that's the name) and the guy working in the shop sold me on the idea of the pipe. I bought a basket pipe (quarter bent rusticated rhodesian) and some goopy aromatic tobacco. See Pipestud's description for the rest. Since then, I've always wondered why tobacconists recommend aromatics for the beginner.
Fast forward two years and I'm sitting in a cigar lounge and a distinguished gentlemen was sitting next to me was happily puffing away at his pipe. I struck up a conversation and told him about my struggles and we laughed. He told me to come back the next day with my pipe and he promised to help me out.
As in all aspects of life, a good mentor is worth their weight in gold. I've enjoyed the pipe ever since.

 

sumusfumus

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 20, 2017
596
545
New York City
I laughed out loud after reading through some of the responses and recollections of "first encounters".....
The anticipation, is always better than the reality.....
Frank

NYC

 
May 3, 2010
6,423
1,461
Las Vegas, NV
Interesting that we all had pretty much a bad first experience and are still here.
I do remember that I didn't really stick with it after that first go. It was like I'd get into it for 6 months or so and then forget about it for 10 months or so. Finally in 2010 my then girlfriend caught me having a bowl and said, "Oh I didn't know you smoke a pipe. That's sexy", and so I was motivated to learn more about the hobby. That's when I checked out YouTube found Pearse aka DubInTheDam and was introduced to McConnell's Scottish Cake, Mac Baren Navy Flake, Mac Baren Vanilla Cream. I got good enough flavors from those to dedicate time to learning better cadence and technique. From there I hit up local B&Ms and found a few fellow pipers and met up semi-regularly with them. I really made leaps and bounds though going to the West Coast Pipe Show. Talking with master carvers and blenders I soaked up so much knowledge that made my pipe smoking so much more enjoyable. Now here I stand today a confirmed pipe and tobacco snob lol.

 
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