eBay: Starting Pipe Smoking

[uniquemel0dy]

Hello all,
Recently after smoking a buddies Lucciano I have invested in some pipes from eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390428247336?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
They all seemed nice and decent for the price. If I have three I am thinking that will be a good starting rotation. But before I do I needed to ask a couple of questions.
What pipe should I start off with as a beginner out of those three?

What is a good non-vanilla, non-chocolate aromatic? Maybe something apple like or strawberry maybe?

 

[zonomo]

Very nice. I love the design on the middle one. Welcome to the addiction and the forums.

 

[05venturer]

Any of your pipes or pick up a MM Cob and get yourself a Pouch of Carter Hall tobacco, not an aro but just good inexpensive tobacco. JMO

 

[uniquemel0dy]

Anyone who checked out the auction, was it a decent deal? I bought it before even discovering these forums.

 

[eibhir]

Welcome! All your pipes are great. Once you've cleaned them I would suggest Highland Whiskey or Grandma's Kitchen. Both are great tasting to me.

 

[lifeon2]

I have royal dukes and larks both are good smokers

 

[numbersix]

Welcome Unique! Rothnh gives some excellent advice - you will def want to clean those guys up before using them. Just do a search on Google or these forums for in-depth instructions on how to clean.
It's not rocket-science, but doing it without research can ruin a pipe.
As for aromatics, I've tried about 25 or more different ones and I only really enjoyed about 5 or 6 - so you may wish to buy some sampler packs of various flavors to get started with. FWIW, I recently discovered an aro called Newminster French Champagne and I really enjoyed it. It's an inexpensive aro with a lot of flavor and great room note.
There's a lot to learn, so be patient and ask questions. Most of all, have fun.

 

[tbradsim1]

You did good Uniq, 3 good pipes for under 50$, clean them up, fire them up, smoke them up The old cajun

 

[uniquemel0dy]

I bought some of a local blend called a one-que. It was a vanilla blend priced at $5 a ounce. It's seems to smoke well out of a pals pipe. My shop doesn't have a ton of selection- it's mostly a cigar specialty place. I did like the one-cue, it tasted like a vanilla cake. Am I better off buying my tabacco online, and if so can I get a good recommendation on where to do some sampler packs? If anyone lives in Gwinnett, Georgia that could recommend me a place that would be great.
Also, I enjoy blending some Darjeeling tea to have with my smoke. Is this unusual?

 

[jeffboyrd]

Hi, Unique and welcome. Nice pipes for the price, they should all be decent smokers once they are cleaned up a bit. It sounds like the stuff you bought locally is Lane 1Q, its made by Lane Ltd. and you can find reviews all over this forum and on popular tobacco review websites. 1Q is one of the most recognizable, popular and controversial tobacco's out there. If you ask me, I think its a decent place to start for a beginner, others I know will disagree. If you enjoy smoking it, that's all that really matters. At $5/ounce, you can certainly find it cheaper online by visiting some of the sponsors on this forum, these are listed in the left hand column on this page.
Many of this forums sponsors have sample packs that you can purchase, you'll have to do your research. A company Boswells (google), will also sell you a sample pack and has many tobaccos to choose from. You should keep in mind, however, that supporting your local B&M is important as they can be very helpful with pipes and tobacco questions and helping you to problem solve.
Welcome again and enjoy.

 

[uniquemel0dy]

How it worked is one ounce was around $5 including tax. The more ounces bought the cheaper it was p/ou. If you bought say 6 ounces it would be $2.50 p/ou. I am reading up on ordering some tabacco online too. The only problem is that it says that delivery requires verification. The mail delivers during work. How am I ever going to get my package going this route, or is this just something that the site has to post in order to follow protocol?

 

[ohiopuffer]

Welcome to the forum.You have come to the right place this forum is full of great people.I will +1 for Boswell's they have great aromatics and they have a raspberry flavored one since you are looking for something like that.

 

[uniquemel0dy]

There's only one problem. I am an independent contractor, and run leads all over the place. Do they really care too much about the whole I.D thing?

 

[uniquemel0dy]

Just cleaned out all three and they are ready to go! Sheesh, never knew that the cake would be so thick. Already did the S/A technique. Now I am about to go smoke Dunhill London Mixture, and then maybe some Nightcap. The local tabacco shop is very nice and even tossed in some pipe cleaners with my purchase.

 

[allan]

Welcome to the forum, Unique.
As a 'reborn' pipe smoker after smoking cigars for so many years, my opinion is to go slow in purchasing any tobacco; I have found that my tastes have changed drastically in the last four months or so. From smoking aro's which i started when I was 17, i can't go near them much anymore. Of course, that is a personal opinion which many don't share.
I will say, when you start trying the dizzing aray of possible choices, you may find your tastes shifting.
Watch the forum and learn from the array of experts that frequently post here. Experiment, and above all, enjoy.
Allan

 

[durham270]

Welcome to the forum! Nice pipe lot you have there. I just recently won a Dr. Grabow from eBay to! I think you will really enjoy your starting collection.

 

[jah76]

Just wanted to welcome you to the forums. This is a great place with some good people.