Hello from the Bay Area.

[MikeCifone]

Check out any of MuttonChopPiper's videos on YouTube, or over at the PipeCottage. Pretty good places to start. Welcome!

 

[leonardbill1]

Welcome from Denver!

 

[FaceGamer1990]

For blends, I recommend you try a good basic Virginia and a good basic burley, since those are the base tobaccos for most blends, base meaning one of those is the highest proportion of most blends. Amphora Virginia and Amphora Burley might be good choices for this purpose. These are non-aromatic, that is, not flavored.

I also recommend that for the first two years or so, buy only small quantities of anything, even the blends you like very much, since your tastes will change a lot. Anything you don't like, jar and try again in about a year. It may taste like a whole new blend.

By small quantities, I mean an ounce or two of bulk (sold in baggies); one tin; or one pouch. The Amphora blends come in pouches and are moderately priced.

Welcome aboard from central North Carolina.

Thank you for the advice.

When you dry your tobacco, how long do you dry before loading?

 

[anotherbob]

Main thing that works on that issue is time. Things that help time are. See how you like different levels of driness with the tobacco, pack lighter, try different tobaccos focusing more on different styles then different brands, sipping the pipe instead of puffing, if you put a pipe with burning tobacco in your mouth and don't draw at all on it you'll still get smoke worth trying just to give you an idea of how little help the smoke needs getting into your mouth, and also giving it more time while trying to not worry about getting flavor or any of that stuff. Seriously the tao approach works wonders.

 

[anotherbob]

Thank you for the advice.

When you dry your tobacco, how long do you dry before loading?

too many factors to say. First it's personal preference and second enviroment makes a huge difference. In fact some days can be so humid leaving it out hydrates it.