Well, let me start off by saying that I too came from the cigar smoking side, but I never had the patience nor the money to spend on giving my palate time to adjust to nuances with multiples of the same cigars. I knew after smoking one cigar, if I wanted to smoke another of that offering.
I've been smoking pipe tobacco just under a year now, and I'm going nuts with all the options out there. I've narrowed A LOT down to what I know I prefer. I've smoked things I've disliked, but I also have revisited that blend to give it a second shot, at times I'm glad I did. Whereas, with a cigar I wouldn't put down an additional 6 to 8 bucks for another stick. A $8-$10 dollar tin of pipe tobacco, will give you about 13 - 18 bowls of hour long smokes.(can I get a "bang for your buck" from the congregation please??) :clap: Pipe tobacco(right now) is very inexpensive in comparison to cigars.
I would give a blend at least a tin(1 & 1/2 to 2 oz) or the same amount in bulk to get an idea of what you'd like to buy more of. To me the countdown clock is ticking for the legislation going into effect, prices going up, and potential blends going away. I'm doing elimination by hypothesis of lots of pipe tobacco offerings I don't even plan on trying because I have a pretty good idea that they wont be for me based on reviews, or their makeup due to my history of smoking similar blends.
My advice if you've never smoked a pipe before, is get a couple of corn cob pipes. They're what I consider the inexpensive "workhorse" of pipe smoking. They smoke great, and don't require a lot of finesse. There are a lot of small details that add up to the total smoking experience with pipes, be it the prep of tobacco, or material the pipe is made up of. Cob pipes really dumb it down to basics, so you can enjoy the tobacco first, and not have to fuss with resting, or the breaking in of briar. Start working your way through blends and stocking up. Pipes will be around for a while. Great tobacco
may not be, within a year or so time. Time to "get your TAD on", the PAD(my opinion) is better suited for a later date.
And don't forget to smoke slowly...the tobacco flavor gets lost if it's over heated.
A big change is the the amount of flavor you'll get from pipe tobacco, by trying to keep the temp down as best you can. Lots of times with cigars, it's billowing smoke, it's really kind of the opposite with pipes. It's all about temperature control. That's why you'll see phrases like "cool smoking" in some pipe tobacco blend descriptions.
Anyway, welcome to the forums, and to pipe tobacco. It really is better over here. ;-)
One more thing.(and you'll see what I'm talking about as you post more often) As with anywhere, you'll find just as many colorful personalities here as you do "in real life". Don't be afraid to ask questions, and speak your mind, but understand sometimes answers are given with a healthy sidedish of zing. It's because we're a bunch of dudes, and that's what we do. Try not to take much of that exchange to heart if some may come your way. :
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