"Inhale or not to inhale" toughts and question from an ex ciggaretsmoker.

[atuukson]

Hello there fellow pipesmokers and greetings from then land of polar bears, smörgåsbord and hot chicks! :wink:
i've been I cigarettes smoker on and off for about 10 - 12 years. And resently I started smoking pipe (about 5 - 6 months ago and loving it so far!) but here's my problem! i still think in my head that am smoking a ciggarett so i try not too inhale just sip on the pipe soo far i take like 3-5 "huffs" then i inhale the smoke, so my question is: how do u pipe veteran's do? inhale or not, also i tend to smoke to fast. so u have any insights or tips too smoke then pipe "the right way" it would be most appreciated! :D

 

[thesmokindragon]

no inhale, pipe tobacco isn't processed/meant to be inhaled like cig tobacco (thank goodness :wink:

 

[tedswearingen]

Most guys don't do it. Some do. It's like anything: a matter of preference.

 

[schmitzbitz]

While pipe-tobacco isn't really meant to be inhaled, I fall firmly into the "if it feels good, do it" camp; and as a cigarette smoker, inhaling feels good. Well, maybe not a lung-full of perique, but I do take the occasional small puff into the lungs. In particular, I enjoy a good "French Inhale" (hold the smoke in ones mouth, and take it into the sinuses and lungs through the nose), it really brings out the nuances in the blend. You do have to watch out, however, as some blends will leave you green and gasping if you inhale too much smoke.
Try actually forming a mental cadence to slow yourself down. Count to say, 5 between each sip at the smoke - and I'm not talking count like the meter on the gas pump; give yourself steamboats in there. I think this was the best piece of advice I received when I first picked up a pipe; it really helped me to get the most out of a bowl.

 

[damien83]

I have been a cigarette smoker for 16 years and have went from a pack a day to abot 1 to 3 cigs a day cause of the pipe, and I dont ever inhale my pipe. There is no need to inhale to get the vitamin N, you get plenty from just puffing. I honestly dont know what to tell you on ways not to inhale cause I guess its just a mental thing, being I have never had this problem so I dont know the best advice other than getting a good strong vitamin N toby, maybe a good strong VaPer with heavy Perique. Or if your into English blends my bro says Dunhill Nightcap has enough to make ya sick lol.

 

[docrx]

Same as Damien here.

 

[hilojohnny]

I believe you will find that the longer you smoke the pipe only and no cigarettes that you will find you are less driven to inhale. But this habit-breaking can take a few years. Also...an inhale occasionally with the pipe is much better than going back to the cigarettes.... :clap:

 

[nemrod]

Welcome from a fellow Swede
I never inhale. I think most that aren't former cig smokers don't inhale while many that are inhale occasionally.

 

[atuukson]

Thx guys for the quick answers!

@Damien I love english blend! been smoking Peterson old dublin and it's heavy on vitamin N(loooove it!), haven't tryed nightcap yet but i'll put it on list of tobacco i have too try! any other tobacco whit heavy vitamin N recommendation?

 

[seanz]

As for inhaling i find that it gets less and less. being an ex smoker inhaling is almost automatic though it does drop off. Funny thing is i had a cigg the other day and it felt alien in my end.

 

[pawpaw]

i have only been a month off the nails and i am still inhaling but not on every puff but my morning bowl of burley well it may be every other puff i find there are some blends that are just not enjoyable to inhale but are still enjoyable to smoke
what blend are you smoking and inhaling?

 

[seanz]

At the moment i am on virginia nice and has a good n kick. its this cheap as brazilian stuff called tabac. i like it. Bit 1 dimensional but all good

 

[atuukson]

it teend to be towards the English blends that I inhale, not so much when come's to aromatic's.

English Blend: Frog Morton, Frog Morton on the bayou, Old dublin, pirate kake and baldheaded teacher & britt's balkan (if the two last fall under english blends)
aromatics: Bob choclate flake, Top black cherry, Essence of Vermont.

 

[jallen49]

YES, NIGHTCAP will knock your block off, trust me, I know from experience. Also, Peterson's Irish Flake is a reputed virginia flake that also packs quite a punch.

Finally, pretty much any of the Sam Gawith ropes pack a punch as well.
Hope that helps

 

[pstlpkr]

Addressing the inhaling thing...

I think it's a kinesthetic memory thing.

Cigarette smokers inhale... fact of life.

It's hard to unlearn that practice.

I haven't smoked a cigarette Jan. 09.

However; I generally inhale once during the true light, and maybe once more.

When I had first stopped, the frequency was much higher, but has tapered off over time to the twice a bowl level.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

If you like a heavy dose of vitamin-N then you might want to give University Flake a try. It's just a Burley/Virginia flake with a plum casing that's hardly noticeable. The blend is definitely heavy on the nicotine though, because after a good hour and a half long smoke of it my head is usually buzzing. As far as the inhaling, I've never been a cigarette smoker, so I never inhale. Prefer to blow as many smoke rings as I can instead lol.

 

[ace57]

I was a nail smoker, (check out No more NAILs post) I do inhal about every 3rd puff. I go by 2 rules, If when 1st starting pipe smoking and it tastes like crap Your puffing too fast, after You start enjoying the pipe more and if it starts to taste like crap your smoking too much. Find your way and enjoy.

 

[bubbadreier]

I am a former Cig smoker but I have never felt the urge to inhale during my smokes!

 

[olderthandirt]

Nothing wrong whatsoever in inhaling the smoke from a pipe.

Some will contend it's not proper or correct or insert-your-stuffed-shirt-platitude-here, but as many have stated in this thread, it's all up to you!!
I'm a reformed cigarette smoker of 35 years or so. When I took up the pipe I did everything in my power to NOT inhale. Wasn't that awfully hard to do really, most blends didn't feel good when inhaled anyway.

These days I don't stress it any at all. A puff here, a puff there that goes allll the way down, no big deal.

I am enjoying my tobacco.
It's all up to what you want atuukson.

If you don't want to inhale, you'll probably be able to accomplish that eventually if you stick with the briar.
As for slowing down your rate of puffing, check this article from G.L. Pease. Huge turning point for me in learning to slow down and sip!

Breath Smoking

 

[pipetrucker]

I still smoke cigarettes, although I have cut them down a lot, but never inhale from a pipe. To me, they are so totally different that it never even ocurrs to me to inhale pipe smoke.