I am slowly building my collection and wanted to know how people dedicated pipes by genre? I smoke aromatics and Virginias. That being said I specifically smoke straight virginia, virginia/perique, virginia/burley, and virginia based. Should I dedicated a pipe to each of these or it my current aromatic pipe and virginia pipe enough? I just want to make sure I am getting the full effect and flavor of these tobaccos without breaking the bank.
Genre Dedicated Pipes
- Thread starter cgarverick
- Start date
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Totally up to you and your tastes. You will find out over time what works best for you. I dedicate by genre. Virginia, English, lakeland, aromatic, burley and vaper are how I have mine broken down. Its not a hard rule but more of a guideline for me.
I'm just not a pipe designating guy. If I smoked Lakeland aromatics (rose-geranium flavored) I'd devote a MM cob to them. Otherwise, I just follow my whim. For me, that's one of the strict rules of pipe smoking.
I keep deertongue isolated to one cob. I use another for cigar blends. I have a couple pipes I use for Lat blends, and everything else is pretty much a free-for-all since I don’t smoke much that ghosts.
Other than blend specific pipes, I have pipes for each:
Yenidje
Samsun
Virginias
Burleys
Deertongue
Vanilla
Cherry
Berry
Chocolate
Citrus
Rum
Rose Geranium
Clove
Tonquin
Yenidje
Samsun
Virginias
Burleys
Deertongue
Vanilla
Cherry
Berry
Chocolate
Citrus
Rum
Rose Geranium
Clove
Tonquin
I break my pipes into Virginia, Va./Per., Burley, Lakeland or English. I also have a few blend specific pipes. I use cobs for non-Lakeland aromatics, but these are rare for me.
Honestly I don't think pipes ghost as much as people say they do. And the ghosting I get excepting a few blends in my opinion only add a slight variation to the taste of the next bowl. Then again this "rule" seemed more enforced back in the day when a pipe shop had a few blends like two or three brands you know when it was more likely for a smoker to get a tin finish it get the same tin finish that one, you smoke like that and I bet the ghost gets way more noticeable. You'll notice if you're here long enough it's the old estates from back when people smoked one blend for years that have the ghost complaints.
Virginia, Va/Pers, Lakelands, Latakia, Kentucky so basically I spit my pipes into five categories. I don't smoke Aromatics.
I like any excuse to have more pipes.
However...I find the categories virginialover posted to be pretty good. Add aromatic to that if you smoke them. I actually combine Virginia and Vaper myself just because I don't have a refined taster.
However...I find the categories virginialover posted to be pretty good. Add aromatic to that if you smoke them. I actually combine Virginia and Vaper myself just because I don't have a refined taster.
All of my pipes are by either genre or blend specific. For example I have a number of Va, Vaper and Vabur flakes and plugs. I will smoke my aged Escudo and Dunhill Deluxe Navy in the same pipe. I do have one exception to that, 2008 Escudo goes into My 2012 Rad Davis Lovat, it as my first Rad so I feel it needs a special smoke.
I smoke my 2007 Stonehaven in 2 of my Rad Davis Lovats as they are identical size wise but different colors. The red smokes a tad better than the black, really it is amazing anyone want to buy a bridge I have in my back pocket?
My latest pipe purchase is my Scottie Piersel Billiard got a flake of 2012 Fribourg & Treyer Vitage Flake. When I fold and stuff it, the flake slides in perfectly and is at the perfect height. I get a perfect smoke taste wise and performance wise. I have yet to try that blend in another pipe for a while now. I also smoke my 2012 GL Pease Navigator in a Trever Talbert Goblin. I also have plenty of blends that see maybe just 2-3 pipes with that have similar flavors. For example I will smoke John Aylesbury Luxury Flake and Wessex Brown Virginia Flake in a few different pipes as I taste no ghosting at all. There are times when I just say screw it and put a flake in a pipe it might not go in. I can be lazy one or twice a month.
The 2 aromatics I have go into one of my Wilmer AAA's where they are smoked very nicely.
I have one pipe my first pipe ever a Savinelli Linea Piu 5 Apple that is ghosted with English. I also have an old Perretti straight grain that was sacrificed to Lakeland blends. It is more an heirloom pipe as I remember my dad taking me there as a kid. I personally Think in general I get more flavor and better smoking properties when I match things up.
I smoke my 2007 Stonehaven in 2 of my Rad Davis Lovats as they are identical size wise but different colors. The red smokes a tad better than the black, really it is amazing anyone want to buy a bridge I have in my back pocket?
My latest pipe purchase is my Scottie Piersel Billiard got a flake of 2012 Fribourg & Treyer Vitage Flake. When I fold and stuff it, the flake slides in perfectly and is at the perfect height. I get a perfect smoke taste wise and performance wise. I have yet to try that blend in another pipe for a while now. I also smoke my 2012 GL Pease Navigator in a Trever Talbert Goblin. I also have plenty of blends that see maybe just 2-3 pipes with that have similar flavors. For example I will smoke John Aylesbury Luxury Flake and Wessex Brown Virginia Flake in a few different pipes as I taste no ghosting at all. There are times when I just say screw it and put a flake in a pipe it might not go in. I can be lazy one or twice a month.
The 2 aromatics I have go into one of my Wilmer AAA's where they are smoked very nicely.
I have one pipe my first pipe ever a Savinelli Linea Piu 5 Apple that is ghosted with English. I also have an old Perretti straight grain that was sacrificed to Lakeland blends. It is more an heirloom pipe as I remember my dad taking me there as a kid. I personally Think in general I get more flavor and better smoking properties when I match things up.
jdb67 said: I like any excuse to have more pipes.
Now that's a man who practices honesty!
When I was new and intermediate, I dedicated pipes. I even went so far as to dedicate 3 pipes to the same blend so that if I smoked a pipe once a day I could always have a rested pipe. I had read about the value of resting pipes on a forum. I was dedicated to the best smokes possible.
But I came to regard resting as just another pipe myth as guys would post that they had smoked the same pipe for a month without sacrificing the quality of the smoke.
The myth says that moisture released from the tobacco is absorbed by the briar, and that it is released into the tobacco in there next smoke; or, somehow its affects the burn; or??? I don't know. I don't remember that there was an answer to this. But that didn't countermand the rule.
As I progressed I came to feel that I need not follow this rule as strictly. A VA pipe could also be used for a VA/Perique, etc. A latakia overtone could be enjoyed as it faded under the weight of another blend.
Now that's a man who practices honesty!
When I was new and intermediate, I dedicated pipes. I even went so far as to dedicate 3 pipes to the same blend so that if I smoked a pipe once a day I could always have a rested pipe. I had read about the value of resting pipes on a forum. I was dedicated to the best smokes possible.
But I came to regard resting as just another pipe myth as guys would post that they had smoked the same pipe for a month without sacrificing the quality of the smoke.
The myth says that moisture released from the tobacco is absorbed by the briar, and that it is released into the tobacco in there next smoke; or, somehow its affects the burn; or??? I don't know. I don't remember that there was an answer to this. But that didn't countermand the rule.
As I progressed I came to feel that I need not follow this rule as strictly. A VA pipe could also be used for a VA/Perique, etc. A latakia overtone could be enjoyed as it faded under the weight of another blend.
I think it's pretty common to have dedicated pipes by leaf type. It makes sense and with the affordability of a cheap corncob you could easily do this.
My personal ones----
Family or genre specific:
VA
Va/Per
Burley
Balkan/English
Dark Fired Kentucky/Dark Fired Burley
Navy (specifically blends with a rum/molasses topping, e.g; McB Navy Flake, McB Plumcake, C&D Blockade Runner, C&D Redburn-- not always the cut or the word 'navy' in the name)
Aromatic
Lakeland
Codger (PA and CH mostly)
Blend specific:
Plum Pudding Variants (Regular, SR and Bourbon)
C&D Black Frigate
C&D Sunset Harbor Flake
GL Pease Fillmore
My personal ones----
Family or genre specific:
VA
Va/Per
Burley
Balkan/English
Dark Fired Kentucky/Dark Fired Burley
Navy (specifically blends with a rum/molasses topping, e.g; McB Navy Flake, McB Plumcake, C&D Blockade Runner, C&D Redburn-- not always the cut or the word 'navy' in the name)
Aromatic
Lakeland
Codger (PA and CH mostly)
Blend specific:
Plum Pudding Variants (Regular, SR and Bourbon)
C&D Black Frigate
C&D Sunset Harbor Flake
GL Pease Fillmore
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I absolutely dedicate pipes to a specific genre. If I smoke a bowl of Virginia in a pipe I dedicated to VaPer, I can taste the Perique. I have enough pipes, I can't think of a good reason to do it any other way.
I don't smoke straight Virginia much so I have VA/VAPer pipes, which rarely might get a really natural Va/Per/Ky smoked in them.
Then I have my "natural pipes" which get my light or no case mixes of Ky/Va/Per.
Then I have my flavoured KY pipes (don't smoke regular burley much) I make some Ky/Va/Per and Ky/VA blends using tonquin and bourbon, sometimes using floral essential oils which I only have a pipe or two designated, like clay.
Then onto the latakia pipes, which are big wide bowls and take all my lat blends, even ones with a bit of tonquin.
I do my own blending of whole leaf, so I don't have to designate as many pipes to particular blends with certain aromas or casings. Just basically 4 groups:
-va based(mostly because of the size of the pipe/narrow bowl)
- natural blends with little or no casing like licorice(not anise) and maple syrup for sweetness
-flavoured/topped
- latakia
Then I have my "natural pipes" which get my light or no case mixes of Ky/Va/Per.
Then I have my flavoured KY pipes (don't smoke regular burley much) I make some Ky/Va/Per and Ky/VA blends using tonquin and bourbon, sometimes using floral essential oils which I only have a pipe or two designated, like clay.
Then onto the latakia pipes, which are big wide bowls and take all my lat blends, even ones with a bit of tonquin.
I do my own blending of whole leaf, so I don't have to designate as many pipes to particular blends with certain aromas or casings. Just basically 4 groups:
-va based(mostly because of the size of the pipe/narrow bowl)
- natural blends with little or no casing like licorice(not anise) and maple syrup for sweetness
-flavoured/topped
- latakia
My two-cents: Dedicate a pipe to straight VA, one to "augmented VA" (VaPer, VaBur, VaTur, etc.) , and one to Aromatics. The condimental tobaccos should stand out with their unique flavor from one blend to the next, but I feel some of the subtleties of a straight VA can get obscured by perique and burley ghosts.
And let's face it, you were looking for an excuse to have to buy another pipe anyway, right?
You're welcome??
And let's face it, you were looking for an excuse to have to buy another pipe anyway, right?
You're welcome??
I dedicate mine to VAs, VAPERS, English/Balkans, and "Beater Pipes" that I use to work in the yard. I don't smoke aromatics.
I think you can split your pipes into broader categories. My briars are all either Virginia or Latakia pipes, and then I've got a bunch of cobs that I use for burley blends and aromatics. I've had very few issues with ghosting from this arrangement (except in the corn cobs from smoking aromatics, but no big deal) so I've not had any reason to split up my collection any further.
I've noticed some minor ghosting from perique, so it might make sense to also dedicate some pipes to VA/per blends if you smoke those much.
I've noticed some minor ghosting from perique, so it might make sense to also dedicate some pipes to VA/per blends if you smoke those much.
I didn't get so many pipes to avoid ghosting, but I think it may be a reason not to designate. I try to rotate them all regularly, and none of them are likely to get repeated smokes of any particular blend, of my many. I can safely say I have more than eighty pipes and about twenty blends or single leaf tobaccos available at a time. I don't smoke Lakeland aromatics, which would be the only blends I would isolate in a designated pipe. Maybe my taste is just not discerning enough, but I never detect a different blend than the one I am smoking, not Latakia nor Perique nor any kind of aromatic flavoring.
I basically break my pipes into three categories: i) non-areos (i.e., virginias, vapors, burleys, etc.), ii) latakia blends (i.e., english, balkans, etc.), and iii) areos.