How important is the tobacco quality?

[saltedplug]

You would appear to be made to smoke bulk rather than tinned tobacco. It's my belief that tinned tobacco is usually of a higher grade than bulk, but I've never a done side by side comparison. There are in fact some vendors who specialize in bulk tobacco; I believe Pipes and Cigars, of all the the big online stores, offers a large selection. Bulk tobacco can be had typically for half what tinned costs. I pound of tobacco is about 50 smokes, and if you limit yourself to two bowls a day, your $35.00 cost would yield tobacco for a month.
I wouldn't smoke cigarette bulk pipe tobacco for all the world. It's done with the same attitude toward the very inexpensive cigarettes that may be more twig than tobacco.

 

[cortezattic]

1 pound of tobacco is about 50 smokes

Uh, more like 150 smokes.

 

[huntertrw]

"How important is the tobacco quality?"
If you enjoy smoking stems, ribs, sub-standard leaf, tobacco dust, and lots of humectants, then not very...

 

[newbroom]

I would imagine that the pipe ya got ain't much, since the tobacco is basically cigarette tobacco.

You can't go wrong with a Missouri Meerschaum Legend and a tub or pouch of good ole burley codger blend.

Any of these will put to shame this "SuperValue" stuff. Once you've got the hang of it and find you enjoy it, there's a whole 'nuther thing about smoking a pipe that you will get drawn into. At least one 'nuther thing.

You'll want to explore new tastes and flavors. You'll want to try different pipes.

Enjoy what you can, but get away from pseudo pipe tobacco, or pipes.

 

[mso489]

This isn't particularly helpful to a new smoker, but just to consider the point: quality tobacco doesn't always end up in the pricier blends. I've bought bagged tobacco that turned out to be quite good, better than average, and excellent when mixed with other tobaccos or blends. It's just that "fancier" tinned tobacco, or just bulk tobacco from a good blender, will be more carefully selected and will usually be a step up. And some inexpensive tobacco is in fact stale or otherwise not pleasant.

 

[drwatson]

Check your PM's

 

[harlockfan]

Just listen to these guys. I wouldn't say my tastes have evolved but I bought from recommendations from the gentlemen on this sight (both aromatics and non aromatics) and liked them all.

 

[judcole]

I would agree with these gents that a MM cob is probably better than what you have now. They can be an excellent starting place. I like the Country Gent or Mark Twain, myself.

A good point that has been made is "How much do you smoke?" If you're only smoking a couple of bowls a week, then $10 or $15 for a tin is not much at all - the cost per bowl will be pretty low.

Another good point is "talk to someone in a shop". If you've got a local B&M store, start there. If not, call up one of the big e-tailers that advertise here and talk to them about your situation. Get some suggestions, and buy an ounce or so of perhaps half-a-dozen blends. Put 'em in mason jars when you get them. Try them all. If you don't like one or two right away, set them aside - as a new smoker, your tastes are liable to change.

Finally - my standard advice for new smokers: Smoke the best tobacco you can afford in the best pipes you can afford - and enjoy the journey. ::

 

[thebadkitty]

Agreed, totally nowhere to go but up from "Super Value" tobacco. I also really like Peter Stokkebye blends and think they're a great start.

And especially, what Newbroom said because if I remember right, tobaccos like "Super Value" aren't really pipe tobaccos, they're RYO cigarette tobaccos that were labelled as pipe tobaccos in order to skirt tax laws after the nix on shipping cigarettes. Ive tried them and yeah, I think you're going to like tobaccos actually made for pipe smoking much more than those "Super Values".

It's just that if you're not enjoying your smokes, I'd wonder if the value is all that super.

 

[thomasmartin]

What could possibly be more important? You can smoke in a cheap corn cob, tamp with a rusted nail, light with a Bic but you absolutely have to have a good tobacco. Not necessarily pricey, but good.

 

[smokinfireman]

Different viewpoint someone's earlier comment: there IS such a thing as expensive tobacco. If you find yourself smoking 6-8 bowls a day, and seeing how a 1.5 oz pouch lasts about two days, it can get expensive.
@ smalltownrob: My advice to you my friend is to investigate the over the counter blends and brands such as Smoker's Pride and Bugler. Just because you can buy it at wally world doesn't mean it's a bad blend.
BTW- I have had expensive "quality" tobaccos that were so foul and repulsive a pothead wouldn't smoke it. Let your pallet and common sense be your guide. Chances are, If you don't like the first bowl you won't like the tenth either. Happy Smokes!

 

[michiganlover]

Just for the record, Super Value is a brand of Sutliff, and it is actual pipe tobacco, not mislabeled RYO. It's flavored with some of the standard pipe tobacco flavors like Vanilla, Rum, Whiskey, cherry, chocolate, and Peach. Perhaps the Ultra Mild and Mellow Blend are RYO but the rest of the line most certainly isn't. I've never seen flavored RYO tobacco.
I've got some SV Vanilla: it's not horrible, but it's certainly not a complex blend and it does come super wet out of the bag. Hence it also tends to smoke wet.

 

[brudnod]

Now at PipesandTobacco.com you can get Virginia Gold, Black & Gold in 1.25 oz packages for $11.97 for 12 roll up packages. IF you like burley-cavendish-Virginia blends, and this is obviously a taste thing, that is 15 oz (nearly a whole pound!) for under $12. That spares you buying Mason jars or mylar pouches and should last you a long time - depending on how much you smoke. As for the quality; that's up to you...

 

[griffonwing]

I used to smoke "cheap" pipe tobacco when i first started. d get the bags of vanilla Smokers Pride or the greasy aromatics that you find in the jars of smoke shops. I would constantly get heart palpitations and stomache aches from smoking (and no, never inhaled).
I almost gave up, but decided to try a tin of Vanilla Honeydew. OMG, the difference was like night and day. Where the bulk was greasy or dry, this was moist and tasted wonderful, with no nasty side effects. And the price difference was only a couple dollars, literally, between the same weight of each.
So, in my opinion, tinned and bulk from reputable tobacconists are definitely the only way to go, especially if you hit them up on sales.