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Hello All,
I have been lurking on this site for a little while now. It seems that no matter the issue/question I am having, a member of this forum has done a superb job of answering it. As a result, I decided to create an account so that I could contribute my thoughts as well.
I am a new pipe smoker, though not a new smoker in general. I smoked cigarettes in my early 20's, but due to an unexpected health issue I had to give that up, and boy am I ever grateful! Looking back, I realize I didn't truly enjoy the experience that much anyway. I have been smoking cigars for about the last 5-6 years and feel like I am finally in a place where I know what I like, and can recognize certain characteristics within various sticks. Then in 2020, while being holed up due to the pandemic, I felt this urge to pick up the pipe. I turn 40 early next year, so perhaps this is an onset to a mid-life crisis?
Living in a small suburb of Pittsburgh, I have found that (and please correct me if I am mistaken) there isn't a large pipe smoking presence here and therefore not a very wide selection at my local tobacconists. That being said, their cigar inventories are second to none IMHO. As a result, most of my knowledge of pipes have come from online resources like this one and the YouTube pipe community. Hopefully, I will be able to find a local pipe club in the near future so that I can interact with others and learn even more about this hobby that we all love.
I'll be the first to admit that I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to pipe smoking. I have been trying to structure how I go about my journey, but perhaps that is a mistake? I have been smoking exclusively out of cobs for the last 3 months and am considering picking up my first briar soon. I gravitated early to English blends because I was already a medium to full bodied cigar smoker. I have to say that my first taste/smell of Latakia surprised me, but I felt like I immediately understood what these blends were trying to achieve. I am slowly expanding my palate and am very intrigued by VA and Va/Per blends at the moment. I appreciate the challenge that they seem to present, so I hope that I can come to enjoy them in the not too distant future. I am not necessarily put off by Burley but to me, it seems like a rather simplistic smoke which sometimes can be a bit harsh or cigarette like. I have decided to keep them in my regular rotation however, and hopefully as my technique improves, I will find some new favorites! I would also like to try some different aromatics, but I feel like they would have to be only lightly cased, seeing as though I didn't really smoke many flavored cigarettes or cigars, and prefer more of a straight tobacco taste.
Well, this was a bit more long-winded of an intro than I was intending, so I will finish up by saying thank you to all for helping me get started into this wonderful hobby. It is something that I hope to enjoy for many years to come. As a new member, I can only hope to contribute the occasional valuable content and absorb as much information as I can from the collective wealth of knowledge that is the PipesMagazine.com community.
All the Best,
CG412
I have been lurking on this site for a little while now. It seems that no matter the issue/question I am having, a member of this forum has done a superb job of answering it. As a result, I decided to create an account so that I could contribute my thoughts as well.
I am a new pipe smoker, though not a new smoker in general. I smoked cigarettes in my early 20's, but due to an unexpected health issue I had to give that up, and boy am I ever grateful! Looking back, I realize I didn't truly enjoy the experience that much anyway. I have been smoking cigars for about the last 5-6 years and feel like I am finally in a place where I know what I like, and can recognize certain characteristics within various sticks. Then in 2020, while being holed up due to the pandemic, I felt this urge to pick up the pipe. I turn 40 early next year, so perhaps this is an onset to a mid-life crisis?
Living in a small suburb of Pittsburgh, I have found that (and please correct me if I am mistaken) there isn't a large pipe smoking presence here and therefore not a very wide selection at my local tobacconists. That being said, their cigar inventories are second to none IMHO. As a result, most of my knowledge of pipes have come from online resources like this one and the YouTube pipe community. Hopefully, I will be able to find a local pipe club in the near future so that I can interact with others and learn even more about this hobby that we all love.
I'll be the first to admit that I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to pipe smoking. I have been trying to structure how I go about my journey, but perhaps that is a mistake? I have been smoking exclusively out of cobs for the last 3 months and am considering picking up my first briar soon. I gravitated early to English blends because I was already a medium to full bodied cigar smoker. I have to say that my first taste/smell of Latakia surprised me, but I felt like I immediately understood what these blends were trying to achieve. I am slowly expanding my palate and am very intrigued by VA and Va/Per blends at the moment. I appreciate the challenge that they seem to present, so I hope that I can come to enjoy them in the not too distant future. I am not necessarily put off by Burley but to me, it seems like a rather simplistic smoke which sometimes can be a bit harsh or cigarette like. I have decided to keep them in my regular rotation however, and hopefully as my technique improves, I will find some new favorites! I would also like to try some different aromatics, but I feel like they would have to be only lightly cased, seeing as though I didn't really smoke many flavored cigarettes or cigars, and prefer more of a straight tobacco taste.
Well, this was a bit more long-winded of an intro than I was intending, so I will finish up by saying thank you to all for helping me get started into this wonderful hobby. It is something that I hope to enjoy for many years to come. As a new member, I can only hope to contribute the occasional valuable content and absorb as much information as I can from the collective wealth of knowledge that is the PipesMagazine.com community.
All the Best,
CG412
