Matching a Pipe with Tobacco

[wgstraub]

I recently came into possession of a pre-transition Barling and used it to smoke some My Mixture 965. Long story short, after more than 45 years of pipe smoking, it was the best smoke I can recall. So I will use it solely with MM 965. Which got me to thinking -- are there any ideas in regard to matching a certain pipe with certain tobaccos? For instance, is it generally acknowledged that a particular tobacco works better with a certain type of pipe, say a pot, or is it all completely hit-ot-miss? I like pots a lot and now I'm wondering if it makes sense to dedicate them to a particular type of tobacco. Any thoughts?

 

[bullet08]

Depends on who's smoking. Some say wide chamber is better for blends with many components. Some days they don't notice any difference. I do enjoy English/Balkan in wide chamber. But not really notice much difference for Va blends. Va blends are usually sauce to be better in narrow chamber.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Depends on who you ask. I happen to believe dedicating pipes to a specific blend or at least a specific blend genre is highly beneficial. I don't know that bowl shape affects the smoking experience but i 100% believe the inner bowl geometry does.

With that said, there's numerous very experienced and respected members who believe the opposite

 

[augiebd]

I recently came into possession of a pre-transition Barling and used it to smoke some My Mixture 965. Long story short, after more than 45 years of pipe smoking, it was the best smoke I can recall. So I will use it solely with MM 965.

I do generally agree with @bullet08 but don’t get too worried about it. If I do notice a certain pipe pairs well with a certain blend, I will try to remember to smoke that blend in the pipe it shines in.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I do it completely based on whimsy. Whatever a pipe reminds me of or makes me think about is what gets smoked in it.

Example:

Japan has and island volcano with three peaks called "Sakurajima" that is covered in cherry blossom trees (sakura). I have a pipe that was dubbed a tri-cano by its carver and that is my pipe for Ken Byron's Sakura blend.

 

[augiebd]

I do it completely based on whimsy. Whatever a pipe reminds me of or makes me think about is what gets smoked in it.

^^^ This! There is a lot of what strikes me at the time in pairing a pipe with a blend and then those discoveries when a blend shines in a certain pipe.

 

[romaso]

When I get a new pipe, after breaking in a bit, I'll try a light Virginia in it to see how it tastes. If it works well, that'll be for Virginia. If not, It'll be for Burley or sweet blends. I have several (mostly Rossi) that smoke bitter, so sweet blends go in those as it cuts the sweetness.

 

[BarrelProof]

I do it, but for no specific reason. If I find a blend I really like, I’ll assign a pipe to it just so every smoke is the same blend and I don’t ever have to worry about ghosting it with something else.

 

[karam]

I recently came into possession of a pre-transition Barling and used it to smoke some My Mixture 965. Long story short, after more than 45 years of pipe smoking, it was the best smoke I can recall. So I will use it solely with MM 965. Which got me to thinking -- are there any ideas in regard to matching a certain pipe with certain tobaccos? For instance, is it generally acknowledged that a particular tobacco works better with a certain type of pipe, say a pot, or is it all completely hit-ot-miss? I like pots a lot and now I'm wondering if it makes sense to dedicate them to a particular type of tobacco. Any thoughts?

I'm a bit like you that if I get a particularly sublime smoke with a blend/pipe I try to match them in future smokes, but I have 10 pipes and 60 blends at hand so it's not possible. I split in Latakia pipes, VaPer pipes, and Kentucky pipes.

Don't know about chamber shapes, have had sublime smokes and mediocre/poor smokes in all my pipes, there are too many variables to account for a little time or inclination to figure it out.

 

[judcole]

A lot of this is very subjective - like most things about pipesmoking!

 

[gervais]

I have a pipe dedicated to codger blend ie: Ready rubbed match, ps cube cut. I have a couple pipes that are dedicated Latakia blend, and my VaPers, Va's, burleys, dark fired are all kinda thrown in whatever other pipes I feel. I may dedicate straight Virginias to my next one coming in. Weather it all makes any difference or not....probably not much, unless you are mixing heavily flavoured aros with a more natural tobacco. Or lakeland...

 

[JOHN72]

Try and experiment. Only yourself will get the answer...........

 

[burleybreath]

I've got two pipes "dedicated." One is a slim Castello billiard that just happens to fit folded flakes perfectly, and the other is a Jesse Jones--a gift, no less--that I reserve for other Virginias. The other pipes fight among themselves to be selected for whatever nicotinic swill I choose that day to inflict on them. With few exceptions, the stench of poor choices will eventually burn itself out, so I don't really concern myself too much with perfect mating of tobacco to briar. Or meerschaum. Or cob.

 

[bullet08]

One pipe is for Balkan Supreme. Peterson House Pipe just goes very well with that blend. Most Rhodesian/Bulldog are for English/Balkan. But I do smoke rolled cake and coins in them also. They just fit nicely. Flakes all go into tall chambers regardless of the width. All OTC and burley blends are reserved for cobs. Aromatics all go into Morgan Bones, but I haven't smoked aromatics in a long while.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Confirmation bias is always a tendency to tell us what we want to taste I think

 

[OneGoodBulldog]

I have one pipe dedicated to Latakia, in that when I smoke Latakia I'll always use that pipe, but I don't necessarily smoke only Latakia in it. I have one pipe that is my dedicated flake pipe because it's chamber geometry is conducive to the fold n stuff method, which I believe is the best way to smoke flake. Other than that, I smoke whatever in whichever, as my mood dictates. That being said my work cob has been putting in the most time, and not necessarily because I work 12 hour days. When my Mark Twain cobs arrive I'll be setting one aside for Latakia only.

 

[STP]

I’ve had an epiphany as well regarding those perfect combinations, but attempts at duplicating those sublimed bowls are seldom successful in my experience. Nonetheless, I have several holiday themed pipes that I only smoke holiday blends, but otherwise I generally mix and match.

 

[OlJawBone]

I do it completely based on whimsy. Whatever a pipe reminds me of or makes me think about is what gets smoked in it.

Example:

Japan has and island volcano with three peaks called "Sakurajima" that is covered in cherry blossom trees (sakura). I have a pipe that was dubbed a tri-cano by its carver and that is my pipe for Ken Byron's Sakura blend.

Is the sakura blend like a mix between a lakeland and a cherry aromatic?

I do it, but for no specific reason. If I find a blend I really like, I’ll assign a pipe to it just so every smoke is the same blend and I don’t ever have to worry about ghosting it with something else.

what if you want to smoke one blend all day long? Do you just use the one pipe?

 

[jpmcwjr]

I don't dedicate pipes to blends nor vice-versa. But I have no truck with those who do! It seems like a good idea in some cases, but I cannot be arsed to do so.

 

[dcon]

All of my pipes, with the exception of cobs and meerschaums, are dedicated to either genre or a specific blend. There is no science to this. It is simply belief or alchemy.