First time pipe smoker

[binaryghost]

So, this will be my first time actually smoking a pipe, well smoking in general.

My grandfather smoked cigarettes, and my grandmother smoked pipes. I figure she must have known a deal more than him.
Here is my dellema problem, by trade I am an engineer, and I love to build things with my own two hands. I have done some quite extensive research into newcomer pipes and read a lot of topics on these forums already. Some people suggest this pipe, others that pipe. For a new comer though, the general consensus is, unless I am wrong, a corncob pipe. The reason being that they are cheap and weather well, correct?
So, here is the actual question I have for you.
Buy a corncob pipe, a (cheap) alternative, or simply make my own corncob pipe.

I am leaning towards the latter of the three, but I have no idea if it will "make the smoke bad."
Also, as a side note, what kind of tobacco would you suggest for a first time smoker/ pipe smoker?

 

[madmurdoc]

Welcome aboard binaryghost! I'm new here also but I'll give you my 2 cents on the matter. There are from what I understand 2 camps on this issue, those who think you should spend 5 or 6 bucks on a cob as a starter in case you don't pick it up, and those who say go for a low end briar. I myself have never smoked out of a cob, I started with a Dr. Grabow Omega, $25-$30, and it's a decent smoker, from my limited experience. What I hear, and someone correct me if I'm messing this up, is that cobs have a tendency to change the flavor depending on what you're puffing on, and some don't like the change. As I have never had a cob, I can only recommend a good starter briar. But I don't recommend starting with an Aromatic blend tobacco, because they tend to be more wet than other tobaccos and tend to cause tongue bite more often, especially for newer smokers. I'm sure soon someone will be able to recommend you a good tobacco to start with, but as for pipes. You can get a Dr. Grabow, or something like a Brog, or if you don't mind spending near $100. You can get a starter kit such as this.

 

[binaryghost]

Thank-you for the response.
I wouldn't mind spending 30$ or so on a decent starter. My only qualm with the starter kits is the price.

Since I am a new smoker, entirely, I am a little hesitant on spending that much on my first pipe.

However, I didn't realize that a cob would, or could, change something that drastically, thanks for the heads up.

Also, the tip on the tobacco is much appreciated.
I suppose though, seeing as it IS a starter kit that if the price was around 40-50$ I could justify that. I guess I will check those out too.

 

[madmurdoc]

I believe the link I sent, was a $65 starter kit, because it is on sale currently.
Here's a thread with Tips for purchasing first pipe
And How to pick a tobacco

 

[philip]

For a new comer though, the general consensus is, unless I am wrong, a corncob pipe.

Welcome, binaryghost.
Not all would agree with this. You might get a very different experience from smoking a briar. Clay pipes are another alternative if you are looking for inexpensive. You can get a good briar pipe for around $100. Briar pipes do need to rest after being smoked, so getting a cob is also a good idea.
I would suggest going to a tobacco store and trying samples of several types of tobacco.

Many start with aromatics. 1-Q is often recommended.

Also try a Virginia or Virginia/Perique blend. I am currently enjoying 4noggins Prarie Wind. It is nice and mild.

Try an English/Latakia blend, too. Seattle Evening is fairly mild and you will know right away if you like latakia.

Finally try a Burley blend. I like Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired. But it has a strong flavor and lots of nicotine, so I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner.
Luxury Tobacco Reviews has all their tobaccos listed by category so you can know what you are trying.
Whatever you start with, how you pack the tobacco and how you smoke it is critical. Here's one more link for you:

Pipe Smoking Tips
Best of luck. Let us know about your first experiences.

 

[matchstickman]

Murdocs suggestion of a Dr Grabow as a first pipe is well placed, at least in my opinion. Pipe smoking and pipe tobacco is a lot like music. Ask 100 different people what is good and what is bad and you will get 100 different answers. For me, heres my take: A pipe is a vehicle for the purpose of delivering tobacco smoke, and like most things in life, you get what you pay for. Past a certain dollar amount, all you are paying for is aesthetics. As for corn cob pipes, I enjoy them because they are cheap and are good smokers when the filter is taken out of them, although they look a bit rugged (read also: hillbilly). Good starter tobacco? Depends. Aromatics are what a lot of us cut our teeth on, but you shouldn't get pigeon holed into one type of category. Theres Burley, Virginia, Latakia, Perique, Turkish, and all other kinds of leaves. Get familiar with the different kinds of tobaccos and what they all taste like. If you have an idea as to what you may or may not want to taste, we can try and steer you in the right direction.

 

[pstlpkr]

Welcome aboard BianaryGhost.
I for one didn't care for Corncob pipes when I started smoking a pipe some thirty-mumble years ago.

However; I have kept my very first MM Cob and tried it again after these many years. At first it did impart a mild flavor (and that is probably why I put it down), but that "cob taste" is soon gone by the way-side. They smoke well and make a marvelous "Churchwarden".
Now to address your question about the "hands on approach".

Missouri Meerschaum's methods of manufacture might be difficult to replicate.

First off they have a particular variety of corn plant that produces cobs suited for pipe making.

Secondly; I believe they dry their cobs in a singular manner.

Thirdly; after drilling, shaping, and the other steps in the process they use a peculiar formula of Plaster of Paris on the exterior.
I'm not trying to discourage your desire to make your own corn cob pipe after all there are some on this site that do modify Missouri Meerschaums, but don't produce their own. You might try searching the Missouri Meerschaum website and reviewing the video they have about their production process... I'm sure that would be of tremendous value in your endeavor.
Until then, I would recommend that you obtain a MM Cob, or an inexpensive briar so you will have something to enjoy WHILE you try your hand at making your own cob.
::

 

[wnghanglow]

Lawrence is spot on abiut making a con, Also Cigar international has a starter pipe and some 1q "good starter aro" for 15 bucks after shipping. That is probably the best bet right now.

 

[joey]

an experienced pipe smoker introduced me to the art, so if possible I would recommend seeking out someone equally generous. my buddy let me try a couple pipes, showed me a couple ways to pack the tobacco in, helped me with puffing, tamping, etc. i don't know if you know anyone near you like that, but I'd say that gave me a great head start into figuring out what i'd like, including the corncob pipe.

 

[hfearly]

I guess the main idea behind the corn cob pipe is less the pipe itself, rather than you being able to try out whether you'd like the taste of pipe tobacco smoke at all, without all the overhead associated with smoking a briar pipe, and all the fussing and experience needed to get a sweet smoke out of a briar pipe and maintaining that briar to continue smoking sweet.
If you want to buy a 500$ Dunhill as your first pipe by all means go for it. You'll probably get 600$ for it on ebay with the madness that's going on these days, if you don't like the way pipe tobacco tastes. If you have the means, please - buy one Dunhill for every tobacco blend that you want to try to avoid cross-over taste ;-) See where I'm going?
Many new pipe smokers tend to lean towards buying a single medium priced well-crafted pipe that in the community is known to have good smoking characteristics. However, you have to understand that as a new pipe smoker you will make a ton of mistakes in the learning process. You will smoke too fast causing the pipe heel to get wet. You will want to smoke more than one bowl a day just to 'try again' - so the pipe never truly rests and recovers. You will want to try different tobaccos and let me tell you a Virginia that's supposed to be sweet and bready is not enjoyable if it tastes like Cherry candy rolled in the ashes of a camp fire because you tried some goopy aromatic and some English in that same pipe.
My recommendation is to first try different tobacco families in a cob, learn how different packing methods and packing densities influence burn, taste and the overall experience. If you ruin the cob throw it out - 3$ gone, so what. Get a rejects bag of 30 from Missouri Meerschaum and you are off to a good start. Once you get the hang of what you like and how to prepare it properly and keep it lit, go for two or three of those medium-quality pipe described earlier. A well-crafted pipe that smokes well but won't win prizes for beauty. You can learn how to maintain the briar properly and get a notion whether you will need more pipes depending on your smoking frequency (such that each pipe can rest 24 hours after you smoked it).
Once you get the hang of that probably two things will happend. TAD and PAD. You will want to try different tobaccos, but please don't mix tobacco families in your existing small collection. Once you put an English through your pipe it's hard to get the taste out. But by all means, try as many different tobaccoes as you can get your hands on (in a Cob) you'll never know if there isn't your dream smoke out there - it's part of the fun of the hobby. The second (PAD) will lead you to wanting to enlarge your pipe collection. I recommend extending along three lines: shapes, bowl sizes and finishes and pairing these with different tobaccos to see which combination resonates the best. By then you will on your best way to becoming one of the maniacs like us here on the forums ;-)
Needless to say that I did all the above wrong because no one ever told me (I wish!). So while the above is probably not the ultimate truth and others will have very different opinions on the topic, it's the advice I'd give to a younger me ;-)

 

[judcole]

Welcome aboard.
I wouldn't recommend a Grabow to anyone, myself. I always suggest that you buy the best pipe you can afford. Here's some Savinellis at one of our sponsors for about $53. You will get a significantly better smoke from a Sav than you will from a Grabow.
Cobs are OK - they are inexpensive, and take a beating, but they are not great pipes. I have 2, I enjoy them, but I am aware of their limitations.
Enjoy your explorations.

 

[sparroa]

Making your own corn cob pipe is probably more trouble than it is worth.
It will take you a lot of time, it will probably cost your more money (or sweat) than it would take to pay for said MM cob, and most likely it will be inferior due to the special strain of corn that they use to provide their high grade cobs.
Still, if you want to do it as a labour of love and for its own sake, go ahead by all means.
But as an economical solution, just go with the MMs.
I'm not quite sold on Grabows and other drugstore pipes. It doesn't hurt to have one, but I prefer cobs.
Jud is doing you a favour with the Savinelli recommendation; they have the best prices for a decent briar.
If you are an engineer, then it's probably easier for you to learn a few things about woodworking and aspire to make your own briar pipe someday. Read what you can, ask questions, amass tools, and practise...
You'll be more likely to have success with a wooden pipe than with a cob IMHO.

 

[binaryghost]

Wow, thank you all for the wonderful advice. I can definitely say that these forums, and the people of them, are among the best people on the internet. ( I wonder if there is any correlation to the hobby :wink: )
I think I will go with the mass cob pack idea. It seems that, for the price, it is the best way to be able to break into the hobby and experiment without really loosing anything or getting a bad smoke; being the case that I will want to try a few blends before I put real money into it.
Sadly, I don't live in an area where there are a lot of pipe smokers; also the nearest pipe shop seems to be about 400 miles away, there are many "smoke" shops nearby though I figure they might be worth a shot.

However I have been reading articles on this site, as well as ones on artofmanliness.com, this one particularly:

http://artofmanliness.com/2009/10/14/a-pipe-smoking-primer/

As for the tobacco, I am extremely fond of peach flavored/scented anything. I have read reviews about "Milan Tobacconists Peaches & Cream",which seem quite good, I think that might be my first direction to head in. After that, since I will have a few pipes, I figure I might try a type other than aromatic.

I was thinking along the lines of "4noggins Prairie Wind".

Someone else suggested a "Burley" blend. I have no idea what kind that entails though.

 

[sparroa]

Brother if you live in the USA then 4noggins/smokingpipse/pipes&cigars and other etailers can completely take care of your needs. Most also provide free shipping with a $100 order. (Which is not that hard to do) For that reason, don't fret about being far away from a brick and mortar tobacconist. They have all the supplies you could possibly need, plus better prices and selection on pipes and tobacco.
I prefer Country Gentleman cobs so I have no interest in the grab bag but it is a perfect way to create an instant rotation for a small amount of money. ($30 is one Grabow, you can't get anything else new for that cheap except basket pipes of unknown origin) So with 10 cobs, first off you'll learn whether or not you like cobs and it'll be no big loss if you don't - secondly, you'll never have to worry about ghosting a briar with an unpleasant blend because you'll always be able to test them out.
I'm just going to warn you now - a lot of aromatics are let downs.
I am not familiar with the blend you mentioned, but as the name suggests they are all about room note and aroma instead of flavour - some can be like puffing on air.
There are supposedly plenty of good ones out there, but I don't have a taste for them.
I don't smoke aromatics so other people will have to help you out.
Prairie Wind is supposedly a solid Virginia Perique blend. They have a very appealing sweet and spicy character. Escudo is my favourite example of a Va/per - it is cut into coins which you can rub out, cube cut, or fold and stuff. It has a high perique content than most run of the mill blends so there is a little more pronounced pepperiness.
Burley is a specific type of leaf most famously grown in Kentucky but it is now planted in parts all over the world. It has medium to high nicotine strength depending on the treatment, and it has low sugars and little taste on its own. As such, it is always cased to some degree or another. (Chocolate and liquorice are most common flavours, but these can be so subtle that you don't notice them except as a slight sweetness) One of the drugstore burleys such as Prince Albert, Sir Walter Raleigh, Carter Hall, or Sugar Barrel would be passable introductions but you'll have to keep in mind that these are sweetened quite noticeably and are not very complex. Wessex Burley Slice is my favourite burley to date, but it is probably not for the novice. Solani Aged Burley Flake gets equally high reviews. C&D has quite a reputation for burley but so far I am not a fan - they are also usually cut with other condimental tobaccos so you'll be getting quite a different experience with them.
Good luck on your journey. Sample widely to determine your tastes in tobacco - or even if smoking is for you. It's not for everybody, but I think there is something out there that would appeal to everybody if they were so inclined to find it... Try latakia, try orientals, try Virginias - you just might like them all or you may have very specific tastes.
(If I understand correctly you are completely new to tobacco)

 

[brassonly]

Hey Binary , welcome aboard . I am not a very experienced piper yet. I have only been smoking pipe for about 6 months now & so I can really relate to you in making choices to get going. Its quite a difficult process at first but sites like this sure are helpful with all these friendly & seasoned pipe smokers who are always willing to help out. I myself ended up taking the advice to get myself a decent briar pipe & small variety of tobaccos to get started. I ordered a Peterson pipe priced just below $100.00 & have been enjoying it ever since. I've only smoked about 8 different tobacco blends so far but I must say its been nothing but a pleasure. My favourite tobacco out of these so far is Lane's 1Q . I think its a great tobacco for anyone starting out since its so pleasant of a smoke. Take some time to check out the tobacco review site & read about all kinds of tobacco's . I've found it very helpful interesting & enjoyable. Good luck & enjoy !!

 

[mluyckx]

BinaryGhost, welcome to the forum !
You have tons of advice already, so I'll just pile on some more to make it even more confusing. 8O
I personally don't like cobs as they do indeed impart a little, imho, weird flavor. I've just never been a big fan. But many here do have cobs and smoke them regularly. So you may want to get a couple, try it out, but don't be discouraged if you don't like it. And I wouldn't recommend making one to start with since if it's poorly constructed it will provide a poor smoke.
I second the idea of a solid, but cheap briar. I agree with Jud (once again ;-) ) on getting a Savinelli. They are excellent.
Tobacco wise, a good Burley would be Double Eagle, which you can get here. Besides that the aforementioned 1Q is a good starter.
But remember above all that it will take some trial and error. It's like drinking wine or driving a car. You practice, you figure out what you like. Why do some like Merlot vs. Cabernet ? Or Chevy's and some like Ford ? Same applies to pipes. And all the exploring and trying is more than half the fun.
Welcome and enjoy the forum and hobby :puffpipe:

 

[fitzy]

Binary the best thing I can tell you to do is try as many tobacco's as you can. That's where bulk tobacco comes in.
Visit smokingpipes.com and buy an ounce of a few different kinds of tobaccos to find ones that you like. An ounce of 1Q for example is only $2.72. I'd suggest you buy 1 aromatic, 1 english or balkan style blend(containing oriental tobaccos), 1 virginia blend and 1 virginia/perique blend. This will give you a base idea of what types of tobacco's you do or don't like. Also like someone else mentioned here read up on those reviews when researching tobaccos.