Just one guy's opinion

[sixmp]

Hmm this is turning into an interesting discussion.

From my limited experience you can take a briar a meer and a cob and as long as they are all made to the same standard ie drilled properly, same wall thickness etc, the smoking experience is probably impacted more by personal taste and smoking style rather than the cost of each piece of equipment.
A beginner who smokes fast and wet will get a wet and hot smoke from all three. A silver band and less fills and amazingly straight grain will not save them from tongue bite.

 

[cigrmaster]

Kevin, I drink boxed wine out of a dixie cup, lol.
gwtwdbss, I wonder how many of us took up the pipe to quit the nails. I know when I came back to my pipes it was because of that and I was spending 50 bucks a week on cigs. So a 50 dollar investment to get that monkey off your back is not a lot.
Mountainman, thank you for the nice comments. I have always tried to be helpful to everyone newbie and oldie alike, and my point of this thread is to only be helpful. I honestly believe we will retain more newbies if they are smoking a good quality briar. I may be wrong, wouldn't be the first time, but I believe what I believe.
papipeguy, very good analogy and great post.

 

[dervis]

Again MR. BROG is somewhere in the middle they can land and enjoy a great smoke.

 

[quaffer]

Thanks for the link to your article, Kevin. I rarely see pipe snobbery, but encounter reverse snobbery on a regular basis.

 

[philip]

Cobs are excellent pipes for some of the blends I smoke; for others they are not so good.
I like to give cobs away to new smokers, just because I can afford to give them away. When I do I usually give away samples of a few different types of tobacco.
Perhaps I would do them a better service if I also communicated to them cigrmaster's point of view and let them know they might get a completely different experience if they also get a briar pipe to compare.
Also it is good for them to know that whatever they start with, it will change as it gets broken in and their tastes will likely change rapidly, too, as they learn to smoke. As I remember all tobacco tasted much the same to me when I was first starting.

 

[photoman13]

I think it is more important to recommend good tobaccos than specific pipes. That is my opinion.

 

[winton]

As a woodworker, I really wanted a wood pipe initially. A cob would not satisfy. Thus I bought a basket pipe. It is difficult to explain how horrible it was. It could not pass a cleaner and tasted terrible. I was glad when it cracked. The next pipe I found at an estate sale was much better. Then I bought a cob for trying blends at the pipe show. Then I started buying pipes that actually appealed to me. There is a progression. Most of my favorite pipes now are made of pear wood. Would I enjoy a high quality pipe, sure! But I haven't put cash down on it yet.
Winton

 

[numbersix]

I don't think Harris is being a snob in anyway, shape or form. I usually agree that when starting any hobby, one should start with decent equipment so that you keep from being discouraged before really getting started.
But a cob can be a good starter choice IMO, but once a person is convinced they are going to stick with it, the next logical step is usually a briar - and then I would agree wholeheartedly with cigrmaster. Get a decent one.
Harris - these types of posts are my favs - I like a good debate now and then. And everyone is entitled to their opinion, no matter how wrong they are! :nana:

 

[garyovich]

Harris, I can make a pretty good argument either way, in fact, with prospective new pipe smokers whom I know, I have actually recommended it both ways. On one hand, if someone is not sure if they're going to like smoking a pipe. They can get a few cobs and several different kinds of tobacco representing the touchstone blends of the different flavor profiles for the price of a decent briar. Another plus for this approach is if they get one good briar and smoke it all day for a few days...well you know the rest of this story, they end up getting bad smokes from it. I recommended the multiple cobs/multiple blends to one friend of mine who I know likes variety. Now a couple years later, he has a very nice rotation of briars and will probably continue to enjoy smoking for some time to come. Another friend of mine who is more artistic in nature wanted some advice on picking out a first pipe. I took him to the B&M and he held and checked out lots of briars and asked a lot of questions, eventually he picked out a pipe that he was drawn to. If he had gone the cob route, he probably would have lost interest, quit the pipe and gone back to nails pretty quickly. He is also a happy piper to this day.
Different strokes. Good conversation.

 

[brian64]

I really don't think it has to be an either/or issue. IMO, a beginner would do well to acquire at least one decent briar or meer (as high quality as he/she can reasonably afford) and at the same time pick up one or two cobs for rotation and experimenting with blends.
I've been a pipe smoker for appx. 6 years now, and it's only been fairly recently that I've gotten better at picking up on the more subtle characteristics of some blends. The ability for me to do that has been, in part, due to acquiring a few higher quality pipes...IMO.

 

[philobeddoe]

I don't usually like to ruffle feathers, but I don't think I can stay quiet anymore. The reverse snobbery on this site is out of control. There are so many haters whose jealousy over those who can or choose to afford nice pipes is vitriolic. What cigrmaster said was as PC as poss., but that wasn't enough. Anyone who ever speaks of briar must also say how great cobs are, that cobs really do have a place, and so on. Enough is enough, get over it, cobs are not the equal of briar anymore than a pup tent is the equal of a house. They both do the same function but are not equal!

 

[garyovich]

@ philo, I think you might be taking it a little too serious dude. I doubt very seriously that anyone on this site would say that a cob is as good or better than a quality briar. As for your house vs. pup tent comparison, you're right but a lot of people really like camping and you can't do that with your house. different pipes, different functions, not the same.

 

[nsfisher]

At this point, it's all been said. On the one hand, but then on the other hand....... There is definite grounds for both arguements.

 

[sixmp]

cobs are not the equal of briar

Dude it's personal taste. Non are superior. They all have uses and some people are bound to prefer one over the other.

I prefer meerschaum but i also like briar and cobs that's my preference.

You can bet there are people who prefer cobs over meer and briar.

 

[bigvan]

"But as bigvan would say where is your scientific proof to all this."
If I may...
A well made pipe (regardless of material) has a draft hole at the bottom of the bowl. I think that's a generally agreed upon standard.
Cobs have a shank that protrudes into the bowl, so it's impossible for its draft hole to be at the bottom.
A well made pipe has a comfortable bit made of quality materials. An entire mini-industry has sprung up around a cob's need for a replacement stem.
You get my point. The guitar analogy is a good one. A cob is a cheap alternative, but it's no substitute for a quality pipe.
And I know for a fact that Harris is NOT a snob, because I am and he's NEVER at the meetings.

 

[numbersix]

And I know for a fact that Harris is NOT a snob, because I am and he's NEVER at the meetings.

:rofl:
Some good points bigvan.

 

[mp31guitar]

These are all OPINION'S! No one is right or wrong. And, You know what opinion's are like.

 

[garyovich]

Ok, now I'm sick of all the un-reverse-re-snobbery, get ready for my "I'm leaving" thread. And by "leaving" I probably mean putting the computer down and going out onto the balcony to smoke and welcome Hurricane Sandy to the East Coast.

 

[sixmp]

bigvan
Yes those points are correct.

Bits can be replaced and pipe mud can fix the bottom of the bowl issue.

Also it doesn't change that some people might not consider smoking all the way to the bottom of the bowl to be an issue.
It all depends on how you are grading the pipe. What qualities someone is looking for.

I look for ease of use and an unaltered flavor most of the time. Meerschaum and cobs do this better than briar in my opinion

I see briar pipes as a pain to look after, you have to rest them and they take longer to break in.

The fact that they retain flavor works in their favor (seasoning) but also works against them (ghosting)

Price differences also work for and against each type of pipe.

 

[numbersix]

I really cannot imagine anyone getting worked up over this topic. I love a good debate and I rarely if ever take my opinion too strongly. Opinions change all the time, so best not to get too hung up on one.
When I first started out, I bought a $35 briar pipe, a sampler pack of tobaccos. The whole thing (not counting the $10 in gas I spent driving the 2 hrs back and forth to my "local" BM) cost me $55.
I was lucky. The cheap pipe I bought was pretty decent. But had I decided that pipe smoking wasn't something I'd stay with, I'd be out a lot of dough.
So while I agree a cob is not a briar, I still think it has its place and can be a good way to test and see if you like smoking pipe tobacco in the first place.