Finally got a pipe!

[oughtsix]

first timer here, been running the idea of pipe smoking thru my head for awhile now but never really got around to it. recently quit smoking (cigarettes) and was solely missing my morning smoke with my coffee and after dinner toke. thought id finally give this pipe thing a try and im glad i did. bought my first pipe this afternoon and lovin it so far, cant wait to experiment with and try different types and brands of tobacco and find what "speaks to me" haha.
my first pipe tobacco is "Mr.B's English mixture" i asked for a tobacco that "tastes like tobacco" .....this is what they gave me. it's not bad actually.
any suggestions for some good quality brands/mixes that are very tobacco like? don't think I'll be into aromatics too much. just looking for some natural tobacco blends without all the flavorings and what not. i like my tobacco to taste like tobacco
one other question how often are you supposed to clean your pipe? everyday? once a week? i understand there will be some personal preference and what not here but really how often is cleaning actually "required"? and ive read on the forum here about letting your pipe "rest" and im wondering what exactly this is for and seeing as i and many newbies only have one pipe is not letting it rest going to hurt it in anyway?
anyway here she is Brigham "voyageur" 5 bowls in and doin great


Cheers,

Kyle

 

[ravenwolf]

Congratulations on your first pipe! A Brigham is a good choice. Beats the snot out of my first choice - it was a Chinese manufactored rosewood (toxic) pipe, and I smoked some truely acrid cough syrup cherry tobacco in it. I imagine you are off to a better start with the hobby than I first had, lol.
I think pipe cleaning is a preference. For me, I at least run a pipe cleaner or two through it, fold over the pipe cleaner and clean out the bowl. Once in a blue moon, I'll run some pipe cleaners dipped in alcohol (everclear, vodka, or something else if you like the flavor of it) through all of my pipes in one fell swoop. Clean the tennons/mortice. Then let the pipes dry out really well. The frequency of a big clean out like that depends on how much I am smoking.
As for natural tobaccos to try, the sky is the limit! There's gotta be hundreds (thousands?) of them out there to try. Take your time and enjoy the journey is my advice :D

 

[tuold]

Nice pipe there!
Although I've been smoking a pipe since 1973 it's just been recently that I've been branching out with non aromatics, so my experience is not that great. I just got my pound of Dunhill Mixture 965 and tried it for the first time. I definitely experienced a little nicotine kick from that though it seem very toasty and smooth. Frog Morton on the Bayou is still my favorite so far. I love the musty creaminess of it. I have a lot of experimenting to do.
As far as "resting" your pipe, I believe you want it dry out as much as possible between smokes so the tar laden moister doesn't soak into the briar and turn the pipe "sour".

 

[nsfisher]

Good choice on a first pipe mate. A hint for you; change the rockmaple filter after each smoke though. Rinse the used one under hot water after about every 5-8 smokes. Many ppl say one can use the same filter for several smokes, but I seriously disagree. I have had Brigs for 20 yrs and find a dry filter is best. I also run a bristle cleaner tru the filter after it drys, it keeps the wood from swelling shut around the metal tip

 

[fadingdaylight]

I suggest running a cleaner through after every bowl, then fold the clean end over and wipe out the bowl. Every other week I sit down with some whiskey and pipe cleaners and give my pipes a good scrubbing down. The alcohol helps to evaporate any leftover moisture. I don't relly have a "rest cycle" for my pipes, I just smoke whichever I feel like smoking. However, I do let them cool completely between smokes. Each pipe probably gets smoked 2-3 times in a 2 day period, but they all rest at least 6 hours a night, lol.
As far as tobaccos go, if your enjoying an english blend I recommend Dunhill Nightcap and G.L. Pease Westminster. I am not a big english smoker, but I enjoy both of these blends alot. Aside from english blends, Virginia blends make for some really good unflavored types of tobacco. MacBaren's HH Old Dark Fired and Blakeney's Best Bayou Slice are both amazing, as well as G.L. Pease Jack Knife Plug.

 

[smeigs]

Good looking pipe... I also run a cleaner through my pipe after every smoke. I usually give them a good thorough cleaning about every month. As for a good straight blend, I would suggest MacBaren's Virginia flake. Has a great "tobacco" taste and room note. Good luck.

 

[dread]

Congrats, and yes, clean after every smoke. If you are ok with the English blend try Frogmorton, pretty smooth mad mellow, or Frogmorton Cellar, a little sweet taste. Look for a mild Virginia if you want the more pure tobacco taste. Orlik Golden Sliced, though it had a dash of Perique ( spicy tobacco) it is really negligible and those of us who smoke heavy Perique blends don't even taste it. I switched from cigarettes and WISHED I had gone straight to the Orlik. Great tobacco taste.

 

[unadoptedlamp]

Give Key Largo by GL Pease a try. I really enjoy it. It has a nice smooth flavour with a light english taste. It's also perfect to smoke right from the tin, in my opinion. The cigar leaf is also very interesting and really makes for a unique blend. I wish I hadn't waited so long to try it.
You might want to look into a meerschaum pipe if you're not sure about all of this just yet. You can smoke them relentlessly and still get great flavour. Cleaning after every smoke is important, but you don't need to worry about resting the pipe as much as you do with a briar. It's worth a shot before you decide to jump in and buy a bunch of briar pipes to see how much you like smoking a pipe.

 

[lincolnsbark]

Welcome to the forums! I have to congratulate you on your first pipe and tobacco.

 

[mso489]

Forums members love their Brighams. I haven't bought one because I don't want another filter system, but I know they're

good. Now you have an interesting choice between smoking your Brigham and a few Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipes

in rotation, while you save up for a limited number of more expensive pipes, or buying quite a few more pipes as you go along

at lower prices. It's an interesting dilemma. If you shop carefully, you can get lower price (low and mid-level pipes) that are

excellent smokers. But if you want the additional hobby of smoking beautiful handcrafted (or upper level machine made pipes)

you can go that route. Also, many enjoy used "estate" pipes, that can either be bought reconditioned and throughly sanitized,

or you can do that yourself (as yet another hobby). Don't mean to put too much on you at once. Just something for the back

of your mind, as you start out. You have interesting choices. Congratulations on your new pipe; it's a good one.

 

[ocpsdan]

I'd check out McClellands 5100 "Red Cake". If you like that, it will open your doors to a ton of great Virginia Blends.

 

[barleynbaccy]

I have two voyageurs, a bent billiard and a volcano. They are very good pipes for the price. I would try Mississippi River on pipesandcigars.com. I would try any of the Rattray's Virginas especially ol' growie if you're comfortable with experimenting with broken flakes.

 

[teufelhund]

Welcome to the forums and congrats on your new pipe! I usually just run a cleaner and a quick wipe after every smoke, but I'll set aside a morning once a month to do an overhaul on my rotation. As far as rest; I don't smoke enough to really have to worry about getting through my 15 briars, but I used to rest my pipes for at least a day after smoking. I've heard a number of times though that you should rest them a number of days equal to bowls smoked, but it really just boils down to preference. If you can't see any difference in the quality; puff away unless you're damaging the pipe by smoking too hot. Good luck to you and happy smoking.

 

[bobpnm]

Great first pipe oughtsix! +1 on nfisher's advice. I love my Brighams! Welcome to the forum! -bp

 

[jmill208]

That's a great first pipe,for sure. Welcome.

 

[oughtsix]

thanks for the advice guys, guess i have some cleaning to do

and thanks for the tip nsfisher about the filters, will change it and rinse right now
think i'll be buying a couple of cobs for now to give my briar a break once in awhile haha
Cheers,

 

[yaddy306]

Welcome, oughtsix. If you're in Canada, I'd recommend ordering from 4noggins or Smokingpipes.com, site sponsors. Keep your order under 200g to reduce the odds of getting stung by Customs.
If you want true tobacco taste, I'd recommend the 4noggins Virginia bulk sampler: one ounce of 5 different Virginia blends, as a way to get started.

 

[oughtsix]

yup im a BC boy. Thanks Yaddy, i shall check that out

 

[skapunk1]

It does depend on the flavour you're looking for. The english blends have latakia in them, gives them that campfire 'tires' smell.

As a cigarette smoker, when I exhale a pall mall through my nose like a pipe, it reminds my of straight virginia flakes. Dunhill flake, Peter Stokebyes Luxury Navy Flake, Orlik Golden Sliced.

After that, i'd recommend going to the perique side a bit, Escudo is brilliant, or Peter Stokebyes Bulls Eye.

I've tried to figure out my flavours as far as more complex Virginias go, ive tried the most recommended from MacBaren and McClellands. I've discovered im a McClellands guy. Try both. It was my first taste of McClellands Christmas Cheer that sold me. Nothing compares to that virginia blend.
Warren

 

[skapunk1]

As well, being an Ottawa boy, I recommend 4noggins. Fast discrete shipping, great service, will give you samples upon request if you're a good boy. LOL
Warren