Help Please: First Pipe, Tounge Bite :(

[pipesmokingtom]

I think you take a lot of things too personally. I don't see nearly the "chiding" that you are apparently experiencing.
For what it's worth, I rarely smoke to the bottom of the bowl, and I rarely dry tobacco. I get more annoyance than pleasure out of blends I can't just pop and smoke. Often, I'll go by the B&M to just grab a tin and sit and smoke, which is impossible if I have to let a bowls-worth dry out for an hour or more.
Even though I agree with you on "technique" (for the most part) your perceived persecution regarding it is getting to just be comical.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

This is very clearly a forum for enthusiasts, call them hobbyists sure, but at minimum for people who put a little more thought in to their pipe smoking than the pipe smokers of old who bought/buy the same pouch day after day, year after year.
If your interest in pipe smoking doesn't reach beyond that, and you so clearly despise all of us who are enthusiastic about the nuance, one begins to wonder why you are here, beyond some responsibility you feel to be the counter-argument for nearly everything.

 

[mawnansmiff]

"Smoking to the bottom of the bowl with the least amount of relights is frequently cited as something to which all pipesmokers ought aspire,"
Shutterbugg, having read literally hundreds of threads on this forum never have I once seen that comment cited in the way you tell it.
Can you provide an example please?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Mr. Bugg:
"Smoking to the bottom of the bowl to a fine white ash and no relights" is used comically to twit the few reviewers who wrote such.
Edit: Also what Jay says.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

No he can not.
It's frequently cited in tobacco reviews as some nebulous indication of a high-quality tobacco. Most of the comments I see regarding "burning to the bottom with minimal/no relights, and fine white ash" are panning that almost universal description on reviews.
No one argues that if you have to relight you're doing something wrong. No one argues that you SHOULD or MUST smoke to the bottom of the bowl. Some people do - the same people that say "Do whatever works for you."

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Here is a link to a short write-up I did a few months back. Perhaps you'll find some information in there useful.
Tongue Bite for Beginners

 

[mso489]

For a better tobacco blend, you might want to see if 4noggins can help you. They are one of our sponsor online retailers. They are in red at the left side of the Forums threads. 4noggins has a reputation for knowhow in shipping tobacco overseas, and they might be able to help you. If they can't, you might be able to get someone traveling to Europe or the U.S., or some other place with tobacco, to bring a selection of small quantities of several blends back to you to try. I'd keep the amounts small until you have been smoking for a while since your tastes will change. I think you might like mild tobacco-forward aromatics (flavored) blends for starters. I think 4noggins has a sampler of those that would be appropriate. Hope this helps. Welcome aboard.

 

[aldecaker]

Simply put, Shutterbugg, your chickens have come home to roost. You deride those who put what you think is too much thought into pipes or tobacco as nonsensical "pipe hobbyists". Conversely, you deride those who simply and contentedly smoke OTC blends in inexpensive pipes as pedestrian, knuckledragging "working classes" with no taste who smoke "crap tobaccos". Only you, it seems, inhabit that enlightened and rarefied strata of pipesmoking perfection somewhere between dilettante and illiterate jack tar. When some tire of your snide and judgemental swipes, you build your own windmill to tilt at out of imaginary implications and nonexistent subliminal innuendos. Much like Tom, I wonder what you are doing here, other than using it as a place to vent your spleen and showcase your asinine snobbery.

 

[jackswilling]

We have at least one other active member in Egypt who might be able to steer you in the right direction for some other blends to try.

 

[fitzy]

We need a popcorn eating emoji as I sit here and watch the entertainment but instead I'll settle for a . ::

 

[pipesmokingtom]

It's the same old song and dance.
Shutterbugg chimes in on a thread, troll-ruffles a bunch of feathers, and conveniently ignores all the better-thought-out responses and defenses against all his perceived injustices. If it weren't for ill-will, he'd have none at all, it seems.

 

[fitzy]

He does it just to get everyone riled up. I usually just ignore every post he makes.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

It doesn't rile me up, but I do think calling him out continues to be the right move. NOT ignoring someone who is purposefully trying to lessen other peoples' experiences seems to be the correct course of action. I could be wrong, though.
What's unfortunate about it is that it ruins otherwise useful threads. I don't prefer that side effect.

 

[antimatter]

Thanks a lot for your advices. Much appreciated.

 

[antimatter]

Here is the pipe with the metal filter that I bought. I hope it is good for beginners.

 

[aldecaker]

I have no experience with Dr. Plumb pipes, but I have not heard anything bad about them. Should serve you just fine.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

3 posts and he nails the avatar AND posting a photo!
Agreed, it should be just fine for you. Again, welcome!

 

[antimatter]

thanks, pipesmokingtom

 

[alexnorth]

It's always nice to read the occasional forum beef.. :nana:
In my limited experience, what has helped me stop the tongue-biting and re-lighting every ten seconds has been drying the tobacco a bit more than i used to and refining my packing. In my experience a wet aromatic will taste superb for about 30 seconds but then the bowl fills up with condensation and the tongue feels like you put a flamethrower to it. Right now in not smoking flavored tobacco so I can't really say what happens to that type being dry

 

[mawnansmiff]

Antimatter, from your picture I would say you have a Dr. Plumb 'Dinky', a small pipe ideal for the beginner. I think I have about three of them, all part of estate lots I picked up on Ebay.
One of mine I cleaned up for the sole purpose of testing out my own tobacco mixes though I did remove the metal stinger (what you call a filter) first. Nice little smoker it is too!
Regards,
Jay.