Late Bloomer from Norway

[ItsKarl]

Welcome to you, sir! From your description of your inagural bowlful I would like to offer a few suggestions that I suspect will further refine and improve bowlful #2:

1. 15 minutes of “dry” time is likely TOO little. In my opinion, especially for new folks…. I would suggest drying for perhaps one or two complete days. In my opinion, too dry is going to be more successful for a new pipe smoker than too wet ever will be.

2. A major commonality in most everything pipe oriented is that SLOW is usually more successful. This can include lighting, but in my opinion is especially important for drawing on the stem itself (puffing). Being SLOW in this puffing, you will likely get more flavors, cooler smoke, and less tongue bite.

3. After you slow down the “puff rate”…. SLOW down some more….. and get additional improvements.

4. Finally….. for as long as you enjoy the activity…. keep practicing.

Whoa - one or two days? Won't that cause the smell to spread through the house? Maybe I'll take some out this evening, or tomorrow morning, if I want to try again on Sunday.
Thanks for the pointers!

 

[jpmcwjr]

Welcome to you, sir! From your description of your inagural bowlful I would like to offer a few suggestions that I suspect will further refine and improve bowlful #2:

1. 15 minutes of “dry” time is likely TOO little. In my opinion, especially for new folks…. I would suggest drying for perhaps one or two complete days. In my opinion, too dry is going to be more successful for a new pipe smoker than too wet ever will be.

<< Snipped bits out >>

Agree- very dry better than very damp.

Drying tobacco is part science, part art. Fifteen minutes in outdoors Arizona might be too much. Two days in Alabama in the Summer might not be enough, and might end up wetter than when you started. @cosmicfolklore

But, indoors things level out sometimes perfectly.

I see the O.P. lives in Norway. Where does Mr. Oc'Cabot hang his pipes?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

and might end up wetter than when you started. @cosmicfolklore

agreed. I like to dry whole tins or jars when I pop them, so that the tobacco is ready to pack without having to play with it before each pipe full. Being in a very humid area, I will set the tin or jar on a coffee mug warmer, like the one below. The heat helps push off most of the moisture.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Yep, dry several dozen ounces and seal up; you don't have to mess with drying for a long time, and it's ready, ready, ready.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Welocome & Greetings from Finland
(as a side note, If I
m not wrong in Norway You may be able to find traditional Norske shag cut smoking mixtures , among others, Tiedemanns Gul 2 lett mixture fint snitt för pipe og Rolling , Asbjörnsen Eventy Blanding and Petteroes blanding nro 2 Pipe snitt tobaccies

 

[marlow-se]

Welcome from Sweden!

 

[FurCoat]

Welcome from North Carolina

 

[simong]

Only 2 hours into it? Wow, don't get carried away with all the advice, just take it for what it is and enjoy it!

I'm in the UK & don't dry my tobacco, works for me.

Welcome!

 

[ItsKarl]

Welocome & Greetings from Finland
(as a side note, If I
m not wrong in Norway You may be able to find traditional Norske shag cut smoking mixtures , among others, Tiedemanns Gul 2 lett mixture fint snitt för pipe og Rolling , Asbjörnsen Eventy Blanding and Petteroes blanding nro 2 Pipe snitt tobaccies

And here I thought Sørensen was the only extant Norwegian brand of pipe tobacco! Or is it that shag tobacco can be used just as well for pipes as for cigarettes?

 

[ItsKarl]

Only 2 hours into it? Wow, don't get carried away with all the advice, just take it for what it is and enjoy it!

I'm in the UK & don't dry my tobacco, works for me.

Welcome!

Now, that's good advice. Cheers!

 

[ItsKarl]

Oh! Please excuse the triple post, but... what the hey, it's my thread. I forgot to mention the two other pipes I've bought. One has already arrived, a Mr. Brog 78 Indiana, a briar wood I liked the looks of. Turns out it has a stinger, which I gather is quite an unpopular feature, but it removes easily. Makes the stem draughty as hell, though, so I'll probably leave it in for the first few bowls at least.

The second one is a Vauen Shire pipe, the (sandblasted) Hugg model. This one hasn't arrived yet, and that's the one I'm really looking forward to. I've always liked the look of churchwardens, and I found the Shire models to be particularly appealing.

 

[Trainpipeman]

Welcome, Karl!

Are you in, or near, Oslo? If so, you have a very nice pipe club that meets at least once a month. We have been several times, and it was a nice group of people.

 

[AJL67]

Welcome from Florida.

• Use less tobacco than you think you should;
• Pack your tobacco looser than you think you should;
• Tamp less frequently than you think you should;
• Use less pressure while tamping than you think you should;
• Dry your tobacco more than you think you should.
• Slow down, you’re not a Choo-choo train, slow draws mean a cooler smoke, more flavor and less chance of tongue bite and gurgling
• Relax and enjoy the experience, be contemplative.
• And again dry the tobacco more than you think you should.

I've discovered i like very very dry tobacco, I smoke 9999.99999994% Virginias and it's fine.

 

[BingBong]

Welcome from Florida.

• Use less tobacco than you think you should;
• Pack your tobacco looser than you think you should;
• Tamp less frequently than you think you should;
• Use less pressure while tamping than you think you should;
• Dry your tobacco more than you think you should.
• Slow down, you’re not a Choo-choo train, slow draws mean a cooler smoke, more flavor and less chance of tongue bite and gurgling
• Relax and enjoy the experience, be contemplative.
• And again dry the tobacco more than you think you should.

I've discovered i like very very dry tobacco, I smoke 9999.99999994% Virginias and it's fine.

Have you smoked Semois from the Ardennes? I've only had a generous sample of fine cut, no humectants present at all. It's its own thing, I rather liked it. Dry as a bone, but it's fine.

 

[sablebrush52]

Welcome from The Center Of the Known Universe!

Ashland, Oregon

 

[tobakenist]

Hi and welcome from Northamptonshire, England and a Peterson Collector.

 

[Bbailey324]

Welcome from Texas. You are getting some good advice here.

 

[OzPiper]

Welcome, @ItsKarl,
From Sydney, Oz. Where the weather can be a tad schizophrenic.
If it’s a nice sunny day with blue skies, 10-15mins in the direct sun will result in a crisp tobacco
If it is overcast and cloudy like it has been these past 6-7 days, then you have Buckley’s (ie NO chance at all)

Most of the advice already given is pretty spot-on, so I will not repeat.

I do use meerschaum chips or Nording Keystones at the bottom of my bowls
I find it results in a drier smoke and much less or no gurgle.
The air-space it provides under the tobacco results in much better combustion. Meaning less relights.
And tobacco will most often burn down to ash with little or no dottle.
Given the price of tobacco in Oz, that is a considerable saving.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

And here I thought Sørensen was the only extant Norwegian brand of pipe tobacco! Or is it that shag tobacco can be used just as well for pipes as for cigarettes?

Hello Carl, when it comes to those aforementioned tobaccies, Tiedenmanns nro 2 , Petteröes blanding and Asbjörnsen's Eventyr, as far as I'm informed , there were varous cuts, as Fine snit nro 3 and : nro nr, 2 as fine cut /and medium fine cut:: good for use both in pipes and making your own cigarettes
as a rule, these are light Virginiä forward tobaccies which you should smoke very slow and pack em tight in the bowl

 

[ItsKarl]

Welcome, Karl!

Are you in, or near, Oslo? If so, you have a very nice pipe club that meets at least once a month. We have been several times, and it was a nice group of people.

Far from it, I'm afraid. I'm in the north-west (in Norwegian terms - I suppose on the bowl just next to the shank in pipe terms). But I might look you up when I'm there next