Finally Starting to "Get It"

[AppalachianPipe92]

I'd think you can get whole leaf from a decent cigar shop. Hell, I've copped up cheap Honduran and Ecuadorian cigars for pipe smoking. I mean, a great deal "European/old-world" tobacco comes from the seeds the Portuguese brought back from South America. If you can get your hands on native stock, I read a lot of people are using cheap noodle presses off Amazon.com to press cake. Marcos and Guevara are well known anarchists pipe smokers, so light that black flag on fire and wave it high.

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It's worth noting this tobacco will need to be processed to make it palatable.
I use whole leaf (and am looking to grow my own). I absolutely love it, but it's something you tinker with. You'd really have to enjoy tobacco to spend the time experimenting and reading, etc. For me it's tons of fun. I'll hope anybody trying their hand at it also enjoys it.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

Relig

Going on about two weeks for me and feel that I too am getting the hang of it. Currently only smoking Sir Walter Raleigh aromatic blend, because that's what my grandfather smoked. It's a nice trip down memory lane when I light up.

I do agree, a tamper helps. If I've learned anything by lurking these pages it's to definitely slow down, use less tobacco and pack with a lighter touch. When I started applying those principles, my experience improved. I still have to relight, but who cares. I figure it's part of the experience anyway.

I forgot to add that I occasionally use a pipe cleaner mid-smoke. Really improves the over all bowl.

Relighting is absolutely a part of it for some of us. Rarely do I light a bowl and smoke it nonstop. I usually set it down for one reason or another then relight it when I'm ready to continue.
To each their own.

 

[fMf Piper]

What a strange hobby! I’ve only been puffing a few weeks. The first attempts were pretty bad but I’m now getting better and packing a bowl and keeping it lit. A tamper helps . Seems to be a questionable health choice and a clearly socially unacceptable anachronism. But hey, it’s now growing on me and I actually look forward to sitting on my deck, listening to some slow blues and smoking a bowl (summer time here).

I still don’t think I’ve had any truly good tobacco. I currently live in Chile and there’s not a great deal of alternatives here. Captain Black Cherry, Amphora Original and MacBaren Vanilla Choice. Definitely didn’t like the CB cut. Stringy like cigarette tobacco. I believe it’s shag. The Amphora and MacBaren are much thicker cut and appeal to me more. The taste of the MacBaren is quite light and easy to smoke. The reviews online are bad to not good but I like it.

I ordered a Tobacco Barn aromatic sampler from a local online vendor. Looking forward to it arriving later this week. I also ordered a Savinelli 701 from the same vendor. Can’t wait for the package to arrive.

I have to say that I wouldn’t have stuck with it without the help from this forum. Thanks guys (and hopefully gals, even though it’s hard to tell gender from posts).

Regards from Santiago

I just started about two weeks ago, and I agree, it's getting better with every smoke. I too now look forward to sitting down and enjoying a bowl and just relaxing.

I also agree that this forum is an excellent resource, and the encouragement and advice when you are doubting your pipe smoking abilites are amazing.

I wish you many happy, relaxing bowls.