First Pipe Smoked Today: Questions

[sk806]

Hello All. I recently decided to give pipe smoking a try. I received a Savinelli 88 billiard, and some Orlik Golden Sliced as a gift. I just today had some time to give it a go. I rubbed the tobacco out into loose strands and tried to load the pipe via the 3 step method. I did the char light and then the true light and tried to tamp gently. It went OK, I had to relight a lot, and my tongue has a tiny bit of bite, but it took me about 3 hours to smoke it all! I was trying to go slowly and smoke it all the way down, as all the info I have read on breaking in a new pipe seemed to recommend this. But 3 hours? That seems a bit extreme to me. So, my questions is: why did it take so long? Did I load too much? Did I smoke too slowly? Is this bowl/chamber just big (it's about 1.72 x .82)? Was the tobacco too wet (it seemed OK to my inexperienced fingers)? Any thoughts, suggestions much appreciated. Thanks!
Steve

 

[jpmcwjr]

Almost certainly the tobacco was too wet. Most tobacco ships at a moisture level that's too high for good smoking. Dry it way down!
Yes, that's a big chamber! I'd start with half or third bowls, esp. as you're new to pipes.
And welcome to the forum and a fine pastime.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

why did it take so long? Big pipe. Flakes smoke more slowly that does ribbon cut, even when they're rubbed out.
Did I load too much? Can never load "too much" or "too little". Smoke as much as you want, when you want.
Did I smoke too slowly? Not possible, unless you're having to relight every 30 seconds or something.
Is this bowl/chamber just big (it's about 1.72 x .82)? Bigger than I smoke Virginia flakes in (see question 1.)
Was the tobacco too wet (it seemed OK to my inexperienced fingers)? I've always found Orlik very smokable right out of the tin.
I think you did everything as right as you could have done as a novice. Only advice would be to smoke flakes in smaller pipes, as they burn much slower. Finishing a bowl doesn't have to be the goal, at any rate. You could have smoked it for an hour, come back and smoked another hour, come back the next day and smoked another hour. Virginia flakes take particularly well to coming back to later.
If you kept having to relight, you also may have packed a little too tightly. Experiment with different firmnesses of packing, different moisture levels, different cadences (sipping vs. puffing) and you'll find a way that works for you.
Then try a different tobacco and start all over again
Welcome.

 

[aldecaker]

I believe Tom hit the nail squarely on the head, on all counts.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

As an aside - Orlik Golden Sliced and a Savinelli 88?
Could have done MUCH worse for a first smoke - why don't I ever receive gifts that nice?!

 

[sk806]

Thank you both for the replies. I have my eye on a small apple shaped pipe on an online retailer with a much smaller chamber. Maybe I'll save the Virginia flake for that and try some partial bowls along the way. I bought some nightcap, escudo navy and black house based on recommendations from a tobacconist (I'm a former cigar smoker and he thought I might like stronger flavors), but that Orlik just smelled so good! Can I assume Navy flake would present the same issues with a large bowl like the 88? That also smells yummy. I will also try airing it out a bit before hand and lightening up my packing. I think I'll try to the black house tomorrow...
This is going to be fun...
Thanks again.
Steve

 

[sk806]

I know, I am lucky to have good friends! The pipe is so nice to look at and hold, and man, coming from cigars (years ago, granted), that Orlik smells like candy!

 

[pipesmokingtom]

I bought some nightcap, escudo navy and black house based on recommendations from a tobacconist (I'm a former cigar smoker and he thought I might like stronger flavors), but that Orlik just smelled so good!

Dude - get invited to dinner and order the filet mignon, why don't ya.
You're headed in the right direction and you're obviously getting good advice. You'll be just fine.

 

[sk806]

Thanks again everyone. Uh oh, is this stuff all high end? Its soooo much cheaper than cigars! I guess the tobacconist guy knew a mark when he saw one...
One more quick question, what would a better chamber size for flake be?

 

[mawnansmiff]

Hi SK, welcome to the forum. As with most things in life, an intelligent person determined to master something new will slowly, by trial and error, eventually get the hang of things. Myself, only a piper for 13 months now, having no mentor to guide me got the gist of correct tobacco preparation, packing and lighting within a month or two. Yes I made errors along the way but learned from them. I now like to think I have it cracked and very rarely do I encounter any problems. It does take a while to climb the mountain but be assured the journey is a very enjoyable one as any new learning experience should be.
Do remember, pipe smoking, unlike cigarette or cigar smoking has to be 'learned' and that can take a while...how long? That depends entirely on your dedication. You will find much sage advice (as above) on this forum but most importantly do not rush things...it will happen in due course ::
Regards,
Jay.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Uh oh, is this stuff all high end? Its soooo much cheaper than cigars! I guess the tobacconist guy knew a mark when he saw one...

Not "high end" necessarily in price. I really just meant (personal preferences notwithstanding) you can't do much better than your choices on quality. The ones you have in your possession represent some of the most beloved and nearly universally praised tobaccos available. You're supposed to buy a bunch of garbage as a newbie before you're allowed to get ahold of quality stuff like you've got If you're buying from a B&M, the prices are going to be significantly more than online purchasing, but you're doing the world a service by helping him stay in business.

One more quick question, what would a better chamber size for flake be?

Personally, I never smoke a flake in a bowl that requires more than 1 flake to fill. Often times 3/4 flake in size is what I go with.

 

[pagan]

Big pipe. Flakes smoke more slowly that does ribbon cut

+1
Gota give you credit for jumping in feet first, (Big pipe and Flakes) Try getting some OTC blends, Carter Hall, Captain Black, Prince Albert or such maby a cob pipe or a Dr. Grabow and practice your smoke with those, in time you will have a grasp of what your doing and move on to other blends such as flakes, twists and cake

 

[sk806]

Thanks for all the advice. Think I'll get a cheaper, smaller pipe and start with some loose blends until i feel more comfortable with all of this. Im fairly patient in most aspects, so let's hope that trait holds true. Looking forward to the journey!

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Welcome! You came to the right forum and you're in good hands here. There's always something new to learn, and before you know it, you'll be doing some of the teaching. Pipes can be one of the most rewarding hobbies/lifestyles/pastime/whatever you make of it. Enjoy! :D

 

[carver]

Welcome to the forum, I agree with Jay on all counts. Very good advice. Trial and errors, the learning curve is normal, there will be disappointing bowls but that also is normal so just keep at it. Enjoy!!

 

[sk806]

Had my second bowl this morning with espresso. Tried the blackhouse and the "German" loading method in the same 88. I did a full bowl again, but eased up on the amount. It was much easier to load up and the tobacco was definitely drier than the Orlik I tried yesterday. Anyway, took me about an hour to smoke and was wonderful. I really loved the flavor and aroma of this blend, and I "only" had to relight about 5 times. I also did not use a filter, as I did unknowingly yesterday (the pipe had one pre-loaded. It is so relaxing, sitting outside in the beautiful morning air with my dog, just reading the news and enjoying the pipe. Wow, what a nice experience. I know I have a lot to learn, but this seems like a learning process I will enjoy immensely. Now, if I can only get back into work mode...
Thanks again for all the tips, they really helped. Also, I promise I won't report each and every smoke....
Steve

 

[tslex]

Also this note: OGS is rich in a tobacco variety called Perique. Some folks love it, some folks don't. But it tends to evoke strong opinions. So be sure to try some other varieties - there are about a thousand or so - as you begin this wonderful pastime.

 

[fitzy]

Blackhouse is a fantastic tobacco and comes at the perfect moisture for me for loading right away. Welcome to the forums.
Since you like Blackhouse you could also look into these as well from the same manufacturer:

Magnum Opus

White Knight

 

[callsignawesome]

I'm new to pipe smoking by all accounts. Since it's fresh on my mind I wanted to share some encouragement as I can relate to your problem. My first few bowls were underwhelming. I felt I was either relighting to often or dragging to often to keep it lit. The result was I kept getting my briar hot and had to let it sit to cool. As a result I hit the forums and youtube hard to figure out how to get a pleasurable smoke. For me the solution was in packing the bowl. There's a fine line between too loose and too tight. It took me about a bowl a day over the course of 2 weeks to figure out what worked for me. I can now get through an entire bowl without ever worrying that the briar is too hot. And my number of relights is probably down to 3 or so, although I don't care how many times I have to relight.

 

[sk806]

Just wanted to say thanks for all the advice and encouragement here. I rubbed some of the OGS, left it out overnight, and smoked it this morning. Still need work on my packing, lighting and other skills (of course), but it went muuuuuuuch better than that first time. Now i need to get another pipe (or two), as I let my only one rest all weekend, and really wanted to smoke a bowl or two. Thanks again.
Steve