My first pipe was a MM corn cob, and my first tobaccos were Presbyterian and Escudo Navy Deluxe. At that time, I really didn't like either of them, especially Escudo, but Presbyterian was rich enough keep me coming back a bit even though I was pretty sure I wouldn't buy more. My 3rd tobacco was MB No 1. What a pain in the ass it was, until one night I finally found the right cadence and experience a wonderful smoke. That is when I knew I could enjoy the hobby if only I could stick with it to learn how to smoke properly. So I stuck with it - still smoking cigs in between, but that is another story.
I began to read about briars and how they differ from cobs and somehow I associated them as being the kind of pipes I should acquire as a pipe smoker, really for no good reason. And I actually still feel that way, and maybe now for good reason. I think I enjoy the briar experience - the smoke, the feel, the smell, the look more than cobs. But my MM Wizard is the only pipe I have that I can successfully smoke MB No 1 out of, so I will probably always use that one.
As far as pipes in general, I used to try and figure out which pipe - type, style, size, etc - would match with tobacco best. I spent quite a bit of time researching this. The only time my conscious effort of matching actually worked was for MB No 1 and the MM Wizard. It was rec to me to use a taller, narrower bowl for it. I did, and it works great. Outside of that, I have found that if a pipe smokes a certain blend well, it likely will smoke similar blends well. And naturally over the course of time my pipes - which I have about 9 of now - just began to get dedicated to certain types of blends naturally. I like that. I am not opposed to purposely matching in the future, but I haven't had to in a while.
I have also found that there are blends that I really like and blends that draw me. I posted here a couple times about how I just didn't see the why OGS was popular. I smoked a couple bowls and let it sit. But now, when I think of smoking a VA, I almost every time reach for OGS. I have quite a few burleys stocked up, and almost every time I think of smoking a burley, I want Old Joe Krantz. I fell in love with Capstan when I tried it, but I haven't been able to recreate that initial experience, and I just don't reach for it when I want a bowl. It's not on purpose, I just am not in the mood, ever really. It is just interesting to me how some blends end up calling me, and others which I though would end up in my rotation just don't. And really, it's only about 3 blends that call me out of maybe 20 I have.
On packing, I really think I packed wrong for about 10 months. Bowls took forever to smoke, the draw was a bit difficult, the leaf got too hot too fast. Then I was a video from one of the C&D guys. He said after you pack you should have no resistance on the draw. This changed everything for me. Less tobacco, looser, no resistance. I can actually finish a bowl now in a reasonable amount of time and feel I have much more control over the smoke.
Finally, a note on smoking and cadence and such. I am not so sure yet, but it seems to me - for me - that in general there is a way to smoke a pipe. And that way is determined while in that moment of smoking, each time. I've learned to smoke slow, smoke slower, and smoke slower, the breath method, puff to bring is a back and slow back down, etc. These discrete skills come into play depending on the way the smoke is acting in the moment. I may do all, some, repeat, etc. My goal is just to continually enjoy my experience and these skills, implemented at the right times, have allowed me to do that more often than not these days.
Anyways, thanks for reading. It's been fun so far, and hoping to keep enjoying for years to come.
I began to read about briars and how they differ from cobs and somehow I associated them as being the kind of pipes I should acquire as a pipe smoker, really for no good reason. And I actually still feel that way, and maybe now for good reason. I think I enjoy the briar experience - the smoke, the feel, the smell, the look more than cobs. But my MM Wizard is the only pipe I have that I can successfully smoke MB No 1 out of, so I will probably always use that one.
As far as pipes in general, I used to try and figure out which pipe - type, style, size, etc - would match with tobacco best. I spent quite a bit of time researching this. The only time my conscious effort of matching actually worked was for MB No 1 and the MM Wizard. It was rec to me to use a taller, narrower bowl for it. I did, and it works great. Outside of that, I have found that if a pipe smokes a certain blend well, it likely will smoke similar blends well. And naturally over the course of time my pipes - which I have about 9 of now - just began to get dedicated to certain types of blends naturally. I like that. I am not opposed to purposely matching in the future, but I haven't had to in a while.
I have also found that there are blends that I really like and blends that draw me. I posted here a couple times about how I just didn't see the why OGS was popular. I smoked a couple bowls and let it sit. But now, when I think of smoking a VA, I almost every time reach for OGS. I have quite a few burleys stocked up, and almost every time I think of smoking a burley, I want Old Joe Krantz. I fell in love with Capstan when I tried it, but I haven't been able to recreate that initial experience, and I just don't reach for it when I want a bowl. It's not on purpose, I just am not in the mood, ever really. It is just interesting to me how some blends end up calling me, and others which I though would end up in my rotation just don't. And really, it's only about 3 blends that call me out of maybe 20 I have.
On packing, I really think I packed wrong for about 10 months. Bowls took forever to smoke, the draw was a bit difficult, the leaf got too hot too fast. Then I was a video from one of the C&D guys. He said after you pack you should have no resistance on the draw. This changed everything for me. Less tobacco, looser, no resistance. I can actually finish a bowl now in a reasonable amount of time and feel I have much more control over the smoke.
Finally, a note on smoking and cadence and such. I am not so sure yet, but it seems to me - for me - that in general there is a way to smoke a pipe. And that way is determined while in that moment of smoking, each time. I've learned to smoke slow, smoke slower, and smoke slower, the breath method, puff to bring is a back and slow back down, etc. These discrete skills come into play depending on the way the smoke is acting in the moment. I may do all, some, repeat, etc. My goal is just to continually enjoy my experience and these skills, implemented at the right times, have allowed me to do that more often than not these days.
Anyways, thanks for reading. It's been fun so far, and hoping to keep enjoying for years to come.
