How About Not Designating Pipes?

[dctune]

I know the general practice is to dedicate pipes to various blend types to avoid ghosting. And I do it too. I have about 10-12 pipes I keep in the rotation and I smoke about half of those more regularly than the others. But I do keep my designations pretty simple. Basically, it’s aromatics and non-aromatics. However, I do have ones that I find make English, Virginias, Burleys, VaPers, Balkans taste better than in others. And if the aro is a “light aro,” I’ll very occasionally smoke a bowl in one of the non-aro pipes.

In fact, now that I think about it, I really only have two pipes designated for aros. And I’ll even smoke non-aros in those from time to time to sort of “recalibrate” them. After a while, my aro pipes start all tasting the same regardless of what aromatic blend I load.

But I’m just curious if any of you just say to heck with it, and smoke whatever blend in whatever pipe.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

There's nothing stopping you.
Heck, I'm not all that vigilant myself about what's smoked in which pipe. I do have some that I would never smoke latakia in, and I would NEVER smoke an aromatic in one not designated to it. But, I would smoke a non-aro in one of aro pipes.

 

[dctune]

There's nothing stopping you.
Heck, I'm not all that vigilant myself about what's smoked in which pipe. I do have some that I would never smoke latakia in, and I would NEVER smoke an aromatic in one not designated to it. But, I would smoke a non-aro in one of aro pipes.

Yeah, that seems to be most sensible thing, right? A non-aro tobacco in an aro pipe makes more sense than an aro in a non-aro pipe. There’s less that could “go wrong.”

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I'm a big advocate of dedicating pipes to a specific genre. To answer your question, I never give any consideration to saying the heck with it and mixing pipes and blend genres. If I decide to quit smoking pipe and want my smoking experiences to be less favorable to help ease the addiction, I'll starting mixing.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Yeah, that seems to be most sensible thing, right? A non-aro tobacco in an aro pipe makes more sense than an aro in a non-aro pipe. There’s less that could “go wrong.”

When I decided which pipe would be aromatic pipes, I had to think long and hard, "would I be willing to just crush this pipe into splinters right now... never to ever, ever use it again." If the answer is "Yes," then I smoke an aromatic in it. Because smoking an aromatic pretty much destroys the pipe, IMO. Making it useless for pretty much anything else.

 

[sablebrush52]

But I’m just curious if any of you just say to heck with it, and smoke whatever blend in whatever pipe.

Nope. I don't want to taste Latakia in everything I smoke, and Latakia ghosts a pipe furiously well.

 

[mingc]

But I’m just curious if any of you just say to heck with it, and smoke whatever blend in whatever pipe.

That would be me. Latakias, Vas, VaPers, Kendal soaps, go into any of my pipes. The only limitation is that flakes and valued and hard to get blends that I don't have much of tend to go into smaller bowls.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

The following have dedications:
1. Latakia/English (Tinsky bent billiard)
2. Lakeland (60s Dunhill Shell Briar)
3. RDF (Savinelli Antique Shell Dublin)

The rest of my pipes get a mix of burley, Virginias & VaPers. I care not which blend goes in which pipe. ️

 

[Grangerous]

Granger is so clean it loves all of my pipes. You’d never know it was there. Pegasus either. I have only one blend that ghosts and that’s Crooner. But I enjoy it’s ghost which burns away after an bowl or two.

Ghosting is a problem for some. I get it. I loaned a Kaywoodie to a non-pipe smoking friend for a couple of years and it came back smelling like a candy store and still smells aro sweet. He saturated it. Shame.

2022 ??

 

[Carol]

That would be me. Latakias, Vas, VaPers, Kendal soaps, go into any of my pipes. The only limitation is that flakes and valued and hard to get blends that I don't have much of tend to go into smaller bowls.

Interesting topic. When I first started with a pipe, one thing I gathered from what I read is that certain tobacco tastes will ghost a pipe. So I started dedicating pipes by genre. And I have several clay pipes that I try a new blend in, to see if I like it, before putting it in my rotation. Therefore, I'm not sure, but how long would it take for a strong flavor to ghost? Like a cherry, or strong latakia? I haven't tried it to find out. I don't have money to spend on a good pipe, then ruin it with a ghost blend.

 

[anotherbob]

never found ghosting an issue. Not that I haven't encountered it. I just don't have any issue with it. Now where I see ghosting being an issue is when you smoke nothing but the same thing for months to years at a time. Then I could see that ghost getting in the way.
Even before I found internet tobacco sales I'd often smoke the same thing tin after tin. Even then I didn't find ghosting a problem oh I kind of taste the last blend for a few smokes. If anything I kind of consider it a feature not a bug. Kind of allows you to sculpt a more interesting smoke.

 

[telescopes]

As a heathen, I smoke as I wish. In general, my English blends are light and I’ve not noticed a ghosting -and the few Lakeland blends I have are smoked in a cherrywood reserved for them. Otherwise, I smoke whatever in whichever.

 

[telescopes]

never found ghosting an issue. Not that I haven't encountered it. I just don't have any issue with it. Now where I see ghosting being an issue is when you smoke nothing but the same thing for months to years at a time. Then I could see that ghost getting in the way.

That’s my experience as well.

 

[anotherbob]

That’s my experience as well.

The only time a ghost really haunted me was smoking my friends grandpas pipe. The thing is even then I wished I knew what was making every single thing I smoked taste weird and awesome.

 

[jpmcwjr]

No issue with ghosting, but I do dedicate a few pipes to VA's and VaPers to avoid such, or at least give a cleaner impression of those tobaccos.

 

[AlanH]

I do not use Latakia so that is not an issue for me. As of now the only aromatic I like or actual want is KBV Burly Moring Pipe and I will smoke it in one pipe I use for burleys. Pipe use has sort of happened organically for me. Of my 10 or so pipes some like burleys some only Virginia's or VaPers a couple I will do Virginia and Burleys both in. Any weird, new and all other aromatics go to a cob.

 

[mingc]

Interesting topic. When I first started with a pipe, one thing I gathered from what I read is that certain tobacco tastes will ghost a pipe. So I started dedicating pipes by genre. And I have several clay pipes that I try a new blend in, to see if I like it, before putting it in my rotation. Therefore, I'm not sure, but how long would it take for a strong flavor to ghost? Like a cherry, or strong latakia? I haven't tried it to find out. I don't have money to spend on a good pipe, then ruin it with a ghost blend.

A heavily topped blend will ghost a pipe immediately. Maybe for only the next smoke but you'll be able to taste, e.g., Ennerdale the next smoke with something else in the same pipe. But I figure it's a bonus extra dimension to the next smoke! The ghost may be gone by the 2nd or 3rd smoke but the more you smoke the same blend in a pipe the more that pipe will taste like that blend.

 

[sandollars]

Most of what I smoke is non-ghosting so I am not too picky about this. I do keep a few pipes for Crooner and Lakelands separate from the others.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Sometimes, I love a Virginia with a latakia ghost. Most of the time, a ghost is about all of the latakia I would want.
But, I really never want a little aromatic ghost in with my Virginias. The only aromatics I would ever even smoke would vanilla. Maybe a latakia blend in with an aro ghosted pipe, but never a Virginia.
And, feel free to try to humiliate me all you want if anyone should see me smoking a fruity f'n aromatic, because you wouldn't catch me dead smoking one.

 

[Jacob74]

@Carol Corncob pipes will be your friend for this.

I have assigned pipes for aro's, lat blends, and then a specific pipe that I like to smoke Pembroke in. I have a pretty modest collection of briars too, so for oddball blends (like Coniston cut plug), I use a cob.