Does A Cob Require Blend Dedication?

[lordofthepiperings]

I have a very limited experience with cobs. Do you have to dedicate cobs to certain blend styles? Will a cob ghost?

 

[beastkhk]

I don't really find the need to dedicate cobs.
For me, they are kind of work pipes to beat up on. Usually if I am smoking a cob I am clenching and doing something else that takes my mind off of all the nuances of the tobacco so I am not overly concerned with ghosts.
I have noticed some ghosts. Mainly lakeland blends. I find that a lot of orientals and latakia blends don't smoke as well in a cob so usually I will save those for briar anyways.(So I don't see a lot of latakia ghosts since there aren't as many opportunities)

 

[mortonbriar]

For me, its not so much that they dont ghost, but more that i dont have to worry about it ghosting, just like i dont have to worry about it rolling around in my bag for a month, or sitting in the car... Smoke something latakia, or something lakeland and of course it will ghost, but its a good chance for you to trial what blends you want to be careful with in your briars...
Isaac

 

[piffyr]

I smoke a cob or two every day and, in my experience, a cob will ghost but only if you run the same blend type through it constantly. As long as you can let it rest for about 12-24 hours you can switch blend types without any cross-contamination.

 

[mso489]

Maybe I have lead taste buds, but the only ghosting I'd worry about would be with Lakeland tobaccos with the soapy-floral scent. All others will fade if you give the pipe a rest, after a few smokes or immediately. If you have incredibly sensitive senses of taste and smell, designate everything, but I think this might be more in the mind than in the smoke.

 

[michiganlover]

I smoke mostly cobs, and run a wide variety of tobacco through them. Never had one ghost yet.

 

[leacha]

No worries about ghosting but since they smoke so well and are so cheap, why not dedicate a pipes or two to your favorite blend?

 

[phred]

You certainly don't have to, but they're cheap enough that you can, if you so choose. I did so largely in order to keep things straight when learning the difference between different blend types (codger burleys vs. Latakia-forward blends vs. Va/Pers, etc.), so that I didn't have to concern myself with whether a perceived difference was, in fact, just a ghost of a previous blend.
Now, it's not as big of an issue for me - but I still have my dedicated cobs, and will probably add a couple when I decide to really get into straight Virginias.

 

[momeerphil]

My experience is that cobs do not tend to ghost if you let them rest adequately between uses, as previously mentioned above, and if you run a pipe cleaner through them and swab out the bowl after using. Since I am not as attentive to this cleaning process as I should be, I can usually tell what I smoked last in a cob if I smell the bowl. Consequently, I smell the bowls of my cobs until I find one that has an aroma similar to what I intend to smoke!

 

[warren]

No pipe requires blend dedication. Some smokers have "ghosting" issues. Others do not.

 

[cobguy]

I only have one division in my cobs ... Latakia or Non-Latakia.
Since I don't smoke any Aro's or strong Lakeland blends, that is a non-issue.

 

[fishnbanjo]

I feed my cobs with whatever I'm in the mood for and when the cake gets too thick I ream it back and keep on smoking, have had cobs last 15 years w/o issue.

banjo

 

[condorlover1]

There is nothing wrong with cobs that a miracle would not fix!

 

[jmill208]

I only have one division in my cobs ... Latakia or Non-Latakia.

+1

 

[brass]

Welcome to Cob Country:
If you smoked the same Latakia blend day in, and day out, it might ghost. But smoke all kinds of tobaccos in my Freehands and Generals and it just isn't a problem. I do have a cob that I put aside just for Lakelands. Other than that, stuff them and smoke them.
As has been pointed out, cobs are cheap enough where you could dedicate one for every blend you smoke.