Introducing Uncle Rasta

[UncleRasta]

Greetings all. Living in Monterey California and learning ember management. I bought a horrible (pipe-shaped) contraption from a local headshop a little over a month ago, but my journey feels more underway now after receiving an order of corn cobs. Both excited and slightly intimidated about learning tobaccos, matching pipes with blends, ghosting, all that sort of stuff. Looking forward to gaining pointers from this site.

 

[jaytex1969]

Corn cobs are very forgiving. Are they Missouri Meerschaum?

Welcome to the forum.

 

[UncleRasta]

Yes Jay, and thanks for being the first to welcome me. I like that the breaking in process is shorter(?) and am starting to learn ember management.
Les

 

[redglow]

Welcome mon from Detroit! Don't worry too much. Just smoke and enjoy.

 

[anotherbob]

I'll give you the one rule of pipe smoking. If you're enjoying yourself you're doing it right, if you're not enjoying it you're doing something wrong and asking people will help you enjoy it again. I've never worried about ghosting yes it happens but I've never found it to ruin my next blend, I've only come across a blend or two that if I smoke it that means I should not smoke a few other blends right away. I think ghosting is like wine pairing. People act like there are these rules but if you want a certain wine with your steak then enjoy it. Also one thing don't "rasta" up your tobacco pipes, it creates an unpleasant type of ghosting that I've never met anyone who enjoys.

 

[anotherbob]

oh and try suggestions and see what you think. Sometimes the little things can take your enjoyment to the next level. Like for instance I always bring my water bottle with me. Drinking water seems to increase flavor reduce tongue bite and salivation. Also cobs are cheap because the material is easier to grow in quantity not because they're not as good pipes. I enjoy my briars more but I don't think they're better objectively speaking.

 

[redglow]

I use two or three pipes to smoke all kinds of tobacco. Maybe my taste buds aren't as sensitive as others. But, I never notice any remnants of the previous tobacco that I smoked. ymmv

 

[anotherbob]

I use two or three pipes to smoke all kinds of tobacco. Maybe my taste buds aren't as sensitive as others. But, I never notice any remnants of the previous tobacco that I smoked. ymmv

I certainly have. But honestly except a few blends it's been something I have to look for to notice. And when I started I'd buy a tin or pouch and that was what I smoked till it was gone and yeah the next tin or pouch would sorta taste a little more like what I had been smoking but it passed. Except for with Sweet Mystery X that stuff ghosts like crazy. O.k. that stuff doesn't ghost it's more a full on possession but it didn't ruin any pipes or smoking so.......

 

[peregrinus]

but my journey feels more underway now after receiving an order of corn cobs.

Welcome from Seattle!
Really, a couple of cobs are all you need to enjoy the pipe. I have a number of briars, system pipes, clays and a calabash but still wander back to my cobs every now and then and rediscover the simple joy pipe smoking was meant to be.

 

[trouttimes]

Welcome from Colorado high country. Cobs are great pipes to get your feet wet. It often is more about the blend than the pipe at first. It wasn't until I got the mechanics down that I could tell a difference in pipes.

 

[Daniele Pipa]

Welcome from Italy puf

 

[weezell]

UncleRasta, another Welcome mon from Ohio...

 

[UncleRasta]

I'll give you the one rule of pipe smoking. If you're enjoying yourself you're doing it right, if you're not enjoying it you're doing something wrong and asking people will help you enjoy it again. I've never worried about ghosting yes it happens but I've never found it to ruin my next blend, I've only come across a blend or two that if I smoke it that means I should not smoke a few other blends right away. I think ghosting is like wine pairing. People act like there are these rules but if you want a certain wine with your steak then enjoy it. Also one thing don't "rasta" up your tobacco pipes, it creates an unpleasant type of ghosting that I've never met anyone who enjoys.

I understand that there are separate "rasta" pipes available for that sort of endeavor.

 

[anotherbob]

cobs work for that but you should stick to one or the other per pipe. Though I used to mix drum in a small cob with other herbs. It worked well for the stealth aspect.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Welcome, also from the Central Coast.

There's Hellam's on Alvarado and The Humidor on Wave in Monterey, and Carmel Pipe Shop on Lincoln in Carmel. All have pipe tobacco, pipes, and good owners, something increasingly rare among "tobacco shops". I like the Carmel shop the best. It's tiny, but friendly staff, and they have some estate briars and meers, which Hellam's does not. Humidor has some very high end estates.

 

[smokiespipesmoker123]

Welcome from East Tennessee

 

[lelik]

Welcome from NY.

 

[UncleRasta]

Welcome, also from the Central Coast.

There's Hellam's on Alvarado and The Humidor on Wave in Monterey, and Carmel Pipe Shop on Lincoln in Carmel. All have pipe tobacco, pipes, and good owners, something increasingly rare among "tobacco shops". I like the Carmel shop the best. It's tiny, but friendly staff, and they have some estate briars and meers, which Hellam's does not. Humidor has some very high end estates.

I will check the others out. Hellams is the one I use so far.

 

[mortonbriar]

Welcome uncle, cobs are a great place to start!

Isaac

 

[solideogloria86]

Welcome! If I could give you the one piece of advice that I wish I'd received as a new pipe smoker, it would be about drying your tobacco.
It is a subjective process because people enjoy different tobacco at different moisture levels. But a good rule of thumb is that if you are having trouble keeping it lit or you're experiencing muted flavors, it's probably too moist. I use the pinch test. Lay a bowls worth of Tobacco out to dry and check on it every 10 minutes or so. Pinch it between your fingers for 3 seconds and let it go. If it sticks to your fingers or falls in a clump, it's probably still to moist. Again this is subjective to your preference and will take some trial and error to find what you like but this one tip solved 75% of the problems I had as a new smoker.