I'm a New Member and New Pipe Smoker - HELP!

[sarmen25]

hey everyone!
friends of mine always do an 'all guys weekend' where we drink and smoke all kinds..
since i recently quit smoking cigarettes, i decided to buy a pipe and give it a shot...and i must say, i absolutely loved it!
i purchased a Brigham Voyeur pipe for about $60...i also purchased some tobacco from the store....it was their 'house blend'...
i watcehd some videos on youtube on how to pack it, and i think i got it right!
anyways...i just wanted to join this forum and ask anyone if there are any 'tips' or 'secrets' of pipe smoking....shall i buy a 'expensive' one? what are the elite brands? what kind of tools do i need? how often shall i clean the pipe? how often shall i put a new filter in it?
oh, and the pipe was pretty much in my mouth all weekend...so i smoked quite a bit!! but im feeling the pain now, becuase my tongue and mouth have been burned a bit haha
thanks guys!! hope this forum will help out a rookie!!!
Sarmen

 

[theboz]

Slow down and enjoy, that will reduce tongue bite. Also, be open to different blends, you never know what you could find.

 

[uberam3rica]

Make sure the tobacco isn't too wet. To test it, pich it together, and if it sticks together, then it is too wet. Just set it out to dry it.

 

[okrent]

I found orange juice helps a bit with tongue bite. Though, I don't get tongue bite from virginias like most people seem too, so your mileage may vary. When I fist started out, not long ago, I stuck mostly to cobs and tried a wide range of tobaccos to find what I liked.

 

[spartan]

@okrent

He's gotten tongue burn. Actually steaming his tongue and now it's slightly burnt.
Tongue bite is a different creature altogether.

Shall i buy a 'expensive' one?

Meh... You should do some research and buy the best pipe you can afford. Tsuge, Savenielli, Nording, there are some great pipes that can be had for not a lot of coin. But if you want greatness, you're usually going to have to pay for it. Plenty of good smokes to be had that won't break the bank though.

What are the elite brands?

I don't believe we have elite brands. But if you hang around here enough you'll get a feel for which get the most praise from forum members.

What kind of tools do i need?

You'll need some sort of high proof alcohol(the highest you can get), and plenty of pipe cleaners, a standard pipe tool to tamp and dump out the ash and dottle when you're done with the bowl, and that's really the basics that you need to keep your pipe smoking clean and steady. There are tons of other products such as wax, oils, cloths, buffind wheels, etc. that you can opt into having, but I wouldn't say they are necessary for a new pipe smoker, or any pipe smoker really. It just depends on how involved you want to be in your pipe maintenance.

How often shall i clean the pipe?

I give mine a quick alcohol cleaning (1 dry pipe cleaner to soak up moisture, 1 pipe cleaner dipped in alcohol that will be swabbed through the stem and shank, and 1 more dry to soak up any excess alcohol left behind)

How often shall i put a new filter in it?

Most pipe smokers on these forums do not use pipe filters, and I would think that's representative that most probably do not use filters, but if you like them then change them after every smoke or two. They seem to get dirty pretty fast and can impart a bad flavor.
Welcome to the hobby, welcome to the forums
Happy Smoking.

 

[cigrmaster]

sarmen25, welcome to the site. Please do not use orange juice to counter act tongue bite, sorry okrent but in my experience the acid from orange juice will really put the sting on a burned tongue. Any fruit juice or any drink with a lot of acid will really hurt. I would start getting your self a good supply of Biotene mouth wash and using it after every bowl, and whenever your mouth gets dry and tired. I drink iced tea most of the time when I am smoking a pipe and find that it has no acid in it to irritate my tongue and mouth.
In regards to the rest of your questions. There is a lot to learn so take it slow, enjoy the journey and be patient. In terms of tobacco choices. I would grab a tin of Escudo as your Vaper, Dunhill Flake as your VA and Frog Morton as your English. Many people suggest Lane 1Q as a great aromatic so give that a shot. This will give you the 4 basic categories of pipe tobacco. Figure out what you feel comfortable spending on a pipe and I can offer some suggestions as many here can also do in terms of makers or mfgs and places to buy them. It can be overwhelming looking at all the different brands. One piece of advice I will offer when buying a pipe, don't go after just looks, the smoking properties are far more important.

 

[okrent]

No problem, cigrmaster, to each his own

 

[mso489]

The corncob pipes are an excellent idea. Be sure they are Missouri Meerschaum, and also that they are

those with average size bowls; a few models are miniature and not good for beginners, though they may

have their uses. If you enjoy smoking you can go from there to one or two good quality but lower priced

pipes. Tsuges are highly recommended (I don't own one). The Iwan Ries site has Iwan Ries Exclusives

that are good pipes at the most reasonable prices you'll find, made by Benton and, lately I learned here

on the Forums, Savenelli. After that, if you have continued interest, you could decide whether to go with

mid-grades, between about $80 to $150, roughly, right now, or save up and have fewer but more premium

pipes in the hundreds of dollars zone. There you get artistry and bragging rights, and maybe at least a

psychological improvement in smoking characteristics. But if you keep your pipes clean and break them

in with care, a low or mid-grade pipe can give you a great experience with high quality tobacco. If you

surprise yourself and become Bill Gates, you may want to own only $4K pipes and up, but I think that's

about collecting fine art and wealth and not so much about enjoying a good bowl of tobacco.

 

[sarmen25]

thank you so much for the replies!! i read every single one of them, and googled the suggestions!
are there any websites you guys go on the purchase pipes/tobacco/tools/cleaners? i guess i an always go on ebay...
the person who sold me the pipe said it would be good to get a filter for a rookie like me...that way, it won't be as harsh...i guess i can always remove teh filter and smoke it as is...
where do you guys keep the tobacco when not smoking it? i'm assuming there isn't a 'humidor'-ish type of tool...
thanks again!! this was awesome!!
sarmen

 

[brdavidson]

Sarmen25 welcome, check out any of the site sponsors on left side of the forums and you will find some excellent and highly reputable retailers.

 

[allan]

Welcome!
I have very little to add to the great advice already mentioned, except to say that if you spend some time looking at the 10 million previous posts you can get all the info you will need about pipe choices, cleaning, packing, lighting a pipe, how to tamp, when to tamp, etc etc
For me, the biggest hurdle was to change the way I smoke a pipe from a cigar; slow, slower, slowest. Cuts down enormously on tongue bite.
Good luck and enjoy

Allan

 

[sarmen25]

i do have one more question...
I travel with work about once a month...do you think i can get away from smoking a pipe in my hotel room? does the smell stick?

 

[Perique]

All great tips here, I'll add a few more
- Spent a lot of time searching and reading through this forum and the main site. There are a number of articles on tips for newer pipe smokers. There are also many videos on YouTube, of varying degrees of quality.
- Clean your pipe regularly, but don't go overboard. A few pipe cleaners are fine after each smoke, but it doesn't need a full salt treatment or alcohol scrubbing. Give yourself the opportunity to develop a nice cake and fully break-in the pipe.
- If you try a blend you don't like, never throw it away. I wouldn't even recommend trading it for a beginner. Set it aside and come back to it in 6-12 months. You'll be surprised how much your tastes change and develop. Plus, as your smoking technique improves, you'll find new flavors and subtleties in blends you didn't care fore previously.
- Be wary of B&M 'house' blends or jarred aromatics. I'm sure there are some good ones out there, but most will be heavily humectified, burn hot, and bite. Plenty of great recommendations to read through on this site, but Harris's recommendation list above is certainly a good start.
And a big one:
- While corn cobs are a great way to fill in your pipe rotation, I would recommend looking for clean estate pipes rather than purchasing new briar pipes --- not from ebay but from reputable vendors specializing in clean estate pipes such as Briar Blues (a member here), Pulver's Briar, etc. Doing so will get you twice or thrice the pipe for the money, and it will come already broken in. Taking the break-in experience out of the equation will allow you to really enjoy your tobacco and therefore gain more taste experience more quickly. Not only is pipe break-in important, but so many of today's mass-market pipes, even from venerable brands, contain nasty bowl treatments that distort the taste of your smoke for fairly long time. Once you gain more experience in smoking, it will be easier and more pleasant to break-in a new pipe. You'll also probably have a better idea of what kinds of tobacco you prefer and which pipes / shapes are best suited to those blends.
- Don't even think about buying a Meerschaum pipe from an overseas vendor....

 

[numbersix]

Welcome Sarmen. Glad you discovered pipe smoking. There's lots to learn, but it isn't rocket science. ::
I will say, when it comes to a quality pipe, you do get what you pay for. That said, a $80 Savinelli or Stanwell will generally serve you very well. You can easily spend thousands on a single pipe, and while the very pricey pipes often do smoke exceptionally well, you don't need to break the bank to enjoy a good smoke.
You've already rec'd a lot of fine advice here. Best advice I can give is to stay active on the forum. Read and ask lots of questions.
We also have a "tip" post that was recently started, a lot of excellent starter tips to be found there:
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/your-favorite-pipe-smoking-tip

 

[teufelhund]

+1 for cobs and a vote for slow down and enjoy too; pretty soon you'll be trying not to spend any more money on this hobby. I only started this year and I already have a 5 pipe rotation. Welcome to the forum and enjoy your new found PAD.

 

[judcole]

Welcome aboard. The only thing I'll add to all this good advice is smoke slowly, use lots of cleaners, and let that pipe cool down between smokes.

 

[hodirty]

Welcome! smoke slower, drier tobacco. definetitly buy some MM cobs, and biotene is excellent for bite. smoking rooms are common where I usually travel, but that depends on where ur traveling. and pipe tobacco smoke isnt nearly as smelly as nails(ciggs). Enjoy and keep puffin! hope to see you on the forum more often.

 

[yazamitaz]

Welcome to the forums Sarmen.
I too am new and took the majority of the advice that has already been laid out by some of the more experienced folks on the site. I asked similar questions and read just about every thread on here. You pick up a lot just by reading other threads. I would much rather spend 30 minutes on here than watching some lame reality TV show.

 

[sarmen25]

so can i ask why people say it is important to have Missouri Meerschaum in your collection??

 

[zonomo]

Hi Sarmen - Welcome. Roth hit it on the head. BTW, i started pipe smoking for exactly the same reason and now I am totally 100% hooked on pipes. I love trying new tobacco. The MM Corn Cob is a great idea but I dont want you to get the impression this is a low end, crappy product. I have 4 of them and they're wonderful smokes, especially after you replace the stems. Take care and welcome to the Addiction.