i need some advice :)

[bestregards]

hello all friends in pipe magazine

as you know that i just joined this group, and i'm newby in pipe smoking. I already read the article in

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/new-guy-looking-for-advice

but, because the topic is kinda different, i decide to make a new thread instead comment in there.
here we go,

i love how pipe tobacco can give us great taste, and i wonder, could i make them on my own?

i mean, what is the basic step i should do?

of course if i ask about the recipe like the one that sold in the market, no one can give me the answer because it's a company secret. That's why i ask the basic step

thanks beforehand.

 

[unclearthur]

Here is one source.

http://tobaccoblending.com/index.htm

 

[wallbright]

Quote from the website Arthur put up:

What is a Basic Procedure for Blending?
The first thing to do is smoke a little of each individual component, to get a feel for how it will work in the blend. When putting your components together, it's a good idea to work in 16ths, not just because it makes proportions easier, but because working in units of a gram, a finished blend of 16 grams would easily translate to 16 ounces (a pound) later on. A small food scale is important at this stage.
The second step has already been mentioned: to decide on a base. One generally only needs one type of Burley, but with VA, mixing is often required. Brighter VA's are needed for a top-note, but should be balanced by darker, more bottom-noted leaf. Finding a blend that cuts down on tongue bite is important, though burley (or perhaps Maryland or Carolina) can be brought in for that purpose. One technique is to use a finished VA blend as a base, though this takes away from the uniqueness of your own blend.
The next step is to add the spice tobaccos. Latakia and Oriental work well in combination; Latakia and Perique are a much less-used combination. In such a case, one of the two has to dominate. Of course, using only one type of spice tobacco is common practice. With a Latakia blend, it's important to balance the Syrian or Cyprian, or choose between them.
Care should be taken with the cut of the various tobaccos. Constituents of radically different sized cuts will tend to separate. In general, finer cuts encourage consistency and pack easily, but tend to burn hot, which takes away from the flavor. Courser cuts burn slower, and should be incorporated into a blend. As always, balance is the key.
Taking notes throughout this whole process is crucial. If possible, use percentages. A typical percentage for a spice tobacco would be somewhere between 10-20%, while a percentage for a base tobacco could be 50% or higher. Also remember that a blend that tastes good at first may taste radically different over time, as the blend ages and marries.
[Most of this material has been taken from the ASP posts of Greg Pease and Paul Szabady, with additional material from Charles Perry, Walter De Visser, Sr., Terry McGinty, Michael Lovell, the essay "A Tale of Two Latakias", by Greg Pease, and the essay "Selecting Pipe Tobacco", by Mary McNeill.] Reprinted with permission of ASPipes.org

I actually think there is a thread somewhere with the G. L. Pease article that some of this is taken from.

 

[hobie1dog]

way too complicated and tedious for me :crazy:

 

[marmal4de]

way too complicated and tedious for me

+1! I am content to let the masters astound me with their blends.

 

[pstlpkr]

When I was new to pipe smoking I created a complicated blend of various bulk blends.

It was actually "very not bad" however; it was a pain in the posterior for the Skip at The Briary to put together. Being the consummate Tobacconist, proprietor, and all around good guy that he is; he put up with my requests. That was thirty~mumble years ago.
Now, I just add a pinch of Straight Perique to a bowl of PS Luxury Bulls Eye Flake, Escudo Navy De Luxe, or Peterson's Irish Oak when I want a heavy Perique smoke.
The best advise I can offer is...

Find some good blends that you like, and find a straight tobacco that you like (e.g. straight Perique, straight Latakia, etc.) and add a pinch when the mood strikes you. Trying to blend your own, can be an expensive and frustrating/infuriating/futile exercise.

 

[menckenite]

I won't be driving around the learning curve on Pease street because I’ll crash and burn. There are too many blends to explore and enjoy for me to go mixing around.

 

[schmitzbitz]

I won't be driving around the learning curve on Pease street because I’ll crash and burn. There are too many blends to explore and enjoy for me to go mixing around.

Part of me agrees with this; but the other part looks to the jar of blending Latakia I picked up to "tweak" a couple of blends I found lacking, and realizes I've already started.

 

[admin]

Here's one of Russ' columns that might be of interest. He explains some things in a pretty easy-to-understand manner.
How to Adjust a Blend

 

[cortezattic]

Follow the wisdom of :worship: William.