General Help With a Specific Pipe

[Georgij]

Hello, I recently bought a used Chimney pipe, I have never smoked anything before.

I bought all the needed utensils, and I bought 2 Aromatic tobaccos. White Roses from Danske Club.

I watched tons of tutorials on how to light and tamp, and draw, everything there is to be watched. I know videos don't really help, but practice does.

Every time I stuff my pipe, no matter if loose, tight, the tobacco never stays lit, immediately after removing the fire source, it smokes a bit, and then goes out.

And when it does get lit, the taste is bitter, sour, no matter if smoked cold, or hot.

I also dried the tobacco for about 2-3 hours, same result.


I'm really thinking of just letting it be, doesn't seem like it will work, even with practice.

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[FLDRD]

This is typical of many of us as beginners.
I tried and gave up a long time ago.
Then tried again about 18 years later..........
In my opinion...
Trying to smoke aromatics as a beginner is like trying to start a fire with green wood. Others may disagree.
Think about building a fire if you know how, and work with that.
I'd recommend easier kindling such as a codger blend. Mine was Carter Hall.
Others will come along and give various detailed advice(s) that worked for them.
Years in, I still "learn" something quite regularly about the process and it's nuances.

 

[ThomasS]

Since it's a used pipe, it may be quite dirty. Many of the ones I got from antique shops were pretty awful, to be honest. Did you clean it at all?

As a newer pipe-somoker myself, I wholeheartedly agree with FLDRD: aromatics are not a great place to start with. Even if you get past lighting it well, you're asking for harsh tongue bite until you learn pacing and IMO that only comes from practice. No amount of tutorials will help until you have built up the tongue-muscle-memory to do it.

 

[Georgij]

Since it's a used pipe, it may be quite dirty. Many of the ones I got from antique shops were pretty awful, to be honest. Did you clean it at all?

As a newer pipe-somoker myself, I wholeheartedly agree with FLDRD: aromatics are not a great place to start with. Even if you get past lighting it well, you're asking for harsh tongue bite until you learn pacing and IMO that only comes from practice. No amount of tutorials will help until you have built up the tongue-muscle-memory to do it.

Well, you're right.
I'm really not a fan of normal tobacco taste, since I am guessing that it's similar to cigarettes, and if they taste how they smell, I definitely want to stay away from that.

My grandfather used to smoke aromatic tobacco and it always smelled amazing, so I thought it would be a walk in the park.

The pipe was cleaned and disinfected by the seller, and I cleaned it once more after receiving it.

 

[Georgij]

This is typical of many of us as beginners.
I tried and gave up a long time ago.
Then tried again about 18 years later..........
In my opinion...
Trying to smoke aromatics as a beginner is like trying to start a fire with green wood. Others may disagree.
Think about building a fire if you know how, and work with that.
I'd recommend easier kindling such as a codger blend. Mine was Carter Hall.
Others will come along and give various detailed advice(s) that worked for them.
Years in, I still "learn" something quite regularly about the process and it's nuances.

Well thank you very much for the advice, would you say that non aromatic tobacco has a harsh taste?
That's what I'm afraid of, I quite like the idea of smoking a sweet tobacco.. but I think unless I dry the entire package overnight I won't get an ember going any time soon.

 

[kcghost]

You need to relax a bit and try a mild English instead of an aromatic. Though it is rarely recommended for noobies it is the best tobacco to try and learn with. Have someone who is experienced pack you pipe for you so you can get the feel of how a properly packed pipe with draw.

 

[AJL67]

Goopey tobaccos are probably not the best thing to start with as others have said.

Is this a filter pipe, I'm assuming not, you might want to go online and buy a MM cob pipe to learn with you can even stuff a 6mm filter in one and try some VA blends, the filter will help keep down any tongue bite that newer people can suffer from with VA blends, cheap MM cobs are great pipes, do not buy chinese ones off ebay, get a real one for $4 and up

Cobs Archives - CornCobPipe.com

Cobs Cobs are our specialty and our core business. These pipes are Missouri grown and Missouri made! These Genuine Original Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob Pipes will not disappoint.

corncobpipe.com

 

[jpmcwjr]

Where you live, and the method of drying are real factors in addition to the above.

 

[Georgij]

Goopey tobaccos are probably not the best thing to start with as others have said.

Is this a filter pipe, I'm assuming not, you might want to go online and buy a MM cob pipe to learn with you can even stuff a 6mm filter in one and try some VA blends, the filter will help keep down any tongue bite that newer people can suffer from with VA blends, cheap MM cobs are great pipes, do not buy chinese ones off ebay, get a real one for $4 and up

Cobs Archives - CornCobPipe.com

Cobs Cobs are our specialty and our core business. These pipes are Missouri grown and Missouri made! These Genuine Original Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob Pipes will not disappoint.

corncobpipe.com

It's a briar pipe from "Silver Match" made in the UK, made to smoke without a filter, but a 4mm one fits inside, and so I'm using those. I have both of those Tobaccos spread out on baking sheets drying in the kitchen, they're losing moisture quite quickly now.

I'll still look into a cob pipe, Thank you very much for the advice.

 

[Georgij]

Also a very important thing I forgot to mention, this pipe does NOT have cake, almost none, a very thin black coating, on some spots you can see through and look at the briar. This also might be my problem.

I also went ahead and cleaned it with salt and spirit, got some gunk out as well.

 

[Georgij]

Where you live, and the method of drying are real factors in addition to the above.

I live in Germany, and the tobaccos were like a moist brick when I opened the pouch, quite a bit of moisture in them, hence why I'm drying them now.

For me, abysmal taste, but other people loved the smell, at least something positive.

 

[AJL67]

It's a briar pipe from "Silver Match" made in the UK, made to smoke without a filter, but a 4mm one fits inside, and so I'm using those. I have both of those Tobaccos spread out on baking sheets drying in the kitchen, they're losing moisture quite quickly now.

I'll still look into a cob pipe, Thank you very much for the advice.

4mm is just rolled up paper, not a true filter, unless they actually use some really small filter. Cop pipes and looking like cob pipes are not equal.

 

[BingBong]

Well, you're right.
I'm really not a fan of normal tobacco taste, since I am guessing that it's similar to cigarettes, and if they taste how they smell, I definitely want to stay away from that.

My grandfather used to smoke aromatic tobacco and it always smelled amazing, so I thought it would be a walk in the park.

The pipe was cleaned and disinfected by the seller, and I cleaned it once more after receiving it.

It's pretty rare to get cigarette taste from pipe tobaccos (thankfully), although some can leave a little bit of cigarette-like aroma in a room. Pipe tobaccos are a different beast, smoking a straight virginia is way different from smoking a viginia cigarette.

 

[InWithBothFeet]

I just started in march, and at first all you will taste is smoke, at least that's how it was for me. You just have to dry your tobacco well and keep after it. After awhile you begin to taste what is behind the smoke, but it is a learned thing. It will come to you slowly. It will never be a bite from a candy bar though. It's tobacco.

 

[Georgij]

4mm is just rolled up paper, not a true filter, unless they actually use some really small filter. Cop pipes and looking like cob pipes are not equal.

Oh alright, so it's basically useless so to say

 

[Georgij]

It's pretty rare to get cigarette taste from pipe tobaccos (thankfully), although some can leave a little bit of cigarette-like aroma in a room. Pipe tobaccos are a different beast, smoking a straight virginia is way different from smoking a viginia cigarette.

I guess I will have to try just plain tobacco in that case, I appreciate your reply!

 

[Georgij]

I just started in march, and at first all you will taste is smoke, at least that's how it was for me. You just have to dry your tobacco well and keep after it. After awhile you begin to taste what is behind the smoke, but it is a learned thing. It will come to you slowly. It will never be a bite from a candy bar though. It's tobacco.

I see, I'll do my best, thank you for the tips.
Hopefully I'll get used to it

 

[didimauw]

This is typical of many of us as beginners.
I tried and gave up a long time ago.
Then tried again about 18 years later..........
In my opinion...
Trying to smoke aromatics as a beginner is like trying to start a fire with green wood. Others may disagree.
Think about building a fire if you know how, and work with that.
I'd recommend easier kindling such as a codger blend. Mine was Carter Hall.
Others will come along and give various detailed advice(s) that worked for them.
Years in, I still "learn" something quite regularly about the process and it's nuances.

I realized I could be a pipe smoker after all, once I discovered Carter Hall.

Then I learned to dry my tobacco till crispy. No muss no fuss.

 

[FLDRD]

Well thank you very much for the advice, would you say that non aromatic tobacco has a harsh taste?
That's what I'm afraid of, I quite like the idea of smoking a sweet tobacco.. but I think unless I dry the entire package overnight I won't get an ember going any time soon.

No, to me non-aros do NOT have a harsh taste, and I was NOT a cig smoker.
After the Carter Hall, light English blends were what got me going on to the path that worked for me.
A couple were some of the "classics" like Early Morning Pipe and Presbyterian. I figured that if it had lots of positive reviews over many years, it would be a decent idea to try them.
Worked for me. Now I can enjoy many different styles.
Still, it wasn't easy, there are many little things to learn along the way. Riding a bicycle is difficult, but only in the beginning. Seems an easy act to smoke a pipe, but one must still learn it.

 

[InWithBothFeet]

I would suggest finding a light english with some orientals and latakia, that was the first taste I could recognize behind the smoke. It's a bold enough flavor that you don't have to search for it very hard. I'm a newbie though, so...