How Many Tobaccos in Active Rotation?

[jafo1989]

Kind of a rookie question, but since I only picked up a pipe back in September, what’s a fair number of tobaccos to have in active rotation, esp. while I’m figuring out what I like? I’ve been reluctant to open more than 5-6 for some reason, I guess so as not to have a dozen more unsealed before I’m ready to get to ‘em. ?‍

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I*'m very strict. I will never have more than six open at one time. I have a hard rule that if I ever find that I have more than six open, then I must throw away the one that has the most tobacco in it. Believe me, if you ever find yourself doing this, you'll learn your lesson.

 

[timt]

It’s all fair game. It’s why God made jars.

 

[jafo1989]

I*'m very strict. I will never have more than six open at one time. I have a hard rule that if I ever find that I have more than six open, then I must throw away the one that has the most tobacco in it. Believe me, if you ever find yourself doing this, you'll learn your lesson.

Heh. That’s pretty ruthless. ?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Heh. That’s pretty ruthless. ?

Self discipline. I am such and asshole. I heard that.

 

[briarbuck]

10 'ish

 

[WVOldFart]

This is a question that the answer will be different for you. Most people on the forum have smoked for years and have a pretty good idea of what they like. New tobaccos will be tried from time to time. For you, who just started the pipe game, you should try as many different tobaccos that you can to find what you like. I always recommend that you buy one ounce samples of various blends to try. That way you don't have too much open tobaccos and have spent little money.

 

[Grangerous]

Two

Represents a rotation increase of 100 percent.

 

[bullet08]

Now down to 5. Usually 6. Weather's cold enough, I'm not ready to open a new tin.

 

[WVOldFart]

Two

Represents a rotation increase of 100 percent.

Grangerous I envy you. You know what you like and you stick to it. Granger and Pegasus. I am trying to slim down my main choices but it isn't going very well. There are just so many good tobaccos to try.

 

[jafo1989]

Now down to 5. Usually 6. Weather's cold enough, I'm not ready to open a new tin.

That makes sense to me. Didn’t seem right to get into the good stuff while I was doing all my fiddle-dicking with my packing & cadence & whatnot in the fall. And now it’s December in Chicago.

 

[cfreud]

While @cosmicfolklore was joking, I did try to limit the number of tins I have open. It's hopeless.

 

[jafo1989]

I always recommend that you buy one ounce samples of various blends to try. That way you don't have too much open tobaccos and have spent little money.

That’s how I approached it to this point, esp. as I was introducing myself to the B&Ms I have access to.

 

[jafo1989]

Self discipline. I am such and asshole. I heard that.

Imagining the reaction if you gave that same advice to a fine Scotch collector: “No more than six open bottles. At seven, pour out the most full.” ?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

While @cosmicfolklore was joking, I did try to limit the number of tins I have open. It's hopeless.

I really do try my best to only ever have but four tins open in active rotation. But, I do only give myself a limit of 6, to allow for a couple of things to be open that I might be trying new-to-me, or something I am trying again to see if my tastes have changed. But, when I first started on this forum, I seemed to have 12-20 open, and that just leads to chaos for myself. Some blends get forgotten about, or things I am not 100% crazy about gets pushed to the back.
Also, if you are opening the jar over and over, you are not aging it. Nothing is changing for that blend, except it is just getting drier (which is ok) but it's definitely not getting "better." So, I had to set hard rules for myself.

 

[Streeper541]

I tend to gave 5-10 depending on circumstances.

 

[ukbob]

Only 3 , been like that for years can’t see me changing now.

 

[newbroom]

I haven't seen many guys doing what I was able to do when I started out, here, about 8 yrs ago.
I did a sample swap with a guy who had agreed to make a 'fair' exchange for tobaccos I had that he hadn't tried and he returned the flavor. His were much better than what I sent him, but he'd already had them awhile. I was treated to some real hard to find stuff. Many of the unobtainiums...
Now I mostly mix my own and have several varieties of bulk tobaccos from which to choose.
I don't do tins usually, since I am content with what I do now.
I do try to keep some flake in a jar somewhere. Still, I buy it in bulk, not tins.

 

[timt]

When you’re first starting out, why tie yourself down to a tin of something that’s not floating your boat? Jar it up and revisit later and move on. If you like it, smoke it up and buy a few or 20 more to age. Eventually you’ll have a boatload of jars to dip into for your active rotation and a cellar to age.

Cosmic knows all this, he’s just….well, really I couldn’t tell you why. It’s funny like that around here. ?

 

[danish]

In the beginning of my pipe smoking career, I had to try almost all the different pipe tobaccos, despite no internet forums existed then. But later and during many years, I usually had only one tin (Capstan) open at a time and I only bought another tin, when I ran out of tobacco. Sometimes I regretted buying another tobacco than Capstan (or similar) and then had to walk to the local B&M too soon, which then resulted in having two open tins. Now I have about 5 open tins! But I do also have two unopened tins, whereof one is a yellow Capstan for Christmas!