How Many Tobaccos in Active Rotation?

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jafo1989

Might Stick Around
Dec 2, 2021
72
447
Chicago
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. ?‍♂️
 

WVOldFart

Lifer
Sep 1, 2021
1,938
4,757
Eastern panhandle, WV
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.
 

jafo1989

Might Stick Around
Dec 2, 2021
72
447
Chicago
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.
 
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.
 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,088
6,397
Florida
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

Lifer
Jul 19, 2018
2,844
22,729
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

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 12, 2017
245
490
Denmark
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!