When smoking a cigar it's generally a bad thing when it goes out. Am I to simply to accept that my pipe will go out frequently through a bowl? I know I haven't mastered packing yet so I expect things to improve somewhat over time. I do tamp when necessary.
My Biggest Adjustment From Cigars
- Thread starter slackerdiver
- Start date
SmokingPipes.com Updates
Watch for Updates Twice a Week
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
I think a pipe will probably go out quicker than a cigar if not paid attention to.The packing will come with a bit of practice.
I've only been smoking a pipe for 4months now and the short answer is yes, acept it.....for now. I have good and bad days with packing and relights. Practice makes perfect.
Welcome to the forums Slacker.
As a new "studying/practicing" pipe smoker I concur with Brian and have good days and bad days. Today I had a bowl of PS English Luxury in my new Brigham and I had to light 3 times (not counting the false light). The last time I smoked that pipe I only lit once and smoked down to the bottom.
Roth makes a great point on tobacco dryness and your puffing rhythm. This will all become second nature to you in time, but do read up here and you will learn a lot.
We are also picture whores, so when you make a new purchase of pipes or tobacco do share.
Happy Smoking :
:
Dan
As a new "studying/practicing" pipe smoker I concur with Brian and have good days and bad days. Today I had a bowl of PS English Luxury in my new Brigham and I had to light 3 times (not counting the false light). The last time I smoked that pipe I only lit once and smoked down to the bottom.
Roth makes a great point on tobacco dryness and your puffing rhythm. This will all become second nature to you in time, but do read up here and you will learn a lot.
We are also picture whores, so when you make a new purchase of pipes or tobacco do share.
Happy Smoking :
:Dan
Slackerdriver Welcome to the forums.
I was/am a cigar smoker and in the beginning for me it was frustrating, now that I have been smoking for about a year it does get easier and more relaxing. Since I started with pipe smoking I really haven't had any cigars (used to have about 1 or 2 a week). I find with pipe smoking, its a much lighter smoke so you don't reak of smoke after.
Enjoy!
I was/am a cigar smoker and in the beginning for me it was frustrating, now that I have been smoking for about a year it does get easier and more relaxing. Since I started with pipe smoking I really haven't had any cigars (used to have about 1 or 2 a week). I find with pipe smoking, its a much lighter smoke so you don't reak of smoke after.
Enjoy!
Welcome slackerdiver!
Keeping a pipe lit and avoiding re-lights is probably the biggest challenge in the beginning. It boils down to proper drying (not too damp, not too dry) and packing (not too loose and not too tight) and as Rothnh pointed out, not puffing too much. Pipe smoking is a subtle art and takes patience and some skill. I am not a cigar smoker but I've heard of many cigar smokers giving up on pipe smoking because of the difficulties they encountered early on.
So my advice is not to give up too quickly and ask questions. it is worth the effort. Good luck!
+1
Keeping a pipe lit and avoiding re-lights is probably the biggest challenge in the beginning. It boils down to proper drying (not too damp, not too dry) and packing (not too loose and not too tight) and as Rothnh pointed out, not puffing too much. Pipe smoking is a subtle art and takes patience and some skill. I am not a cigar smoker but I've heard of many cigar smokers giving up on pipe smoking because of the difficulties they encountered early on.
So my advice is not to give up too quickly and ask questions. it is worth the effort. Good luck!
slackerdiver, Welcome to the forum. 3 lights in a bowl is no big deal. The beauty of a pipe is that the tobacco does not get foul if you have to re light a few times. If you let a cigar sit out for even ten minutes it can go bad where as a pipe can be left un attended for an hour or more and will still taste fine in most cases. You also might want to try dumping your ash because it can be difficult re lighting when you have a pile of it.
I found my sweet spot after about six months of experience. It will click for you, just be patient. And, sometimes relights are just a fact of life and as mentioned, no big deal. And btw, welcome!
Thanks for all the sound advice. I've certainly learned to accept the fact that I'm learning and this isn't cigar smoking (it's OK if the pipe goes out). I don't plan on giving up pipes in favor of cigars or vise versa. I enjoy the different nuances of each. I just need to be aware that the differences are much greater than the medium delivering the tobacco. Glad to be a member here!
Welcome Slackerdiver! Your experience is almost universal for cigar smoker starting with pipes. For me it was also a tobacco issue. I think that often well intentioned advise on which tobaccos to start out with works against cigar smokers. I know it did with me. I really began to enjoy it more and my technique really developed when a knowledgable smoker advised me to buy some Carter Hall and a mild English. For me the mild English was Frog Morton. That's when I stopped sucking on the pipe. Before, I was trying to find a fuller more cigar like experience in tobaccos that just couldn't deliver. -bp
Funny you should mention Carter Hall, Bob; I happened to stop on the way home this evening and picked up a can. It was quite a bit dryer than the aromatics and English I had bought in bulk from my B&M. I had far fewer relights smoking tonight's bowl.
I'm still not sure I'm packing correctly. I owe myself a little more research and practice on that important aspect.
Bingo! I've been trying to draw a pipe like I would most cigars and have learned you simply can't do that. Someone mentioned enjoying a pipe slowly, sipping if you will. I started that a couple of days ago and the experience is improving daily.
I'm still not sure I'm packing correctly. I owe myself a little more research and practice on that important aspect.
Great suggestion, rothnh! I'm finding that most of my questions have been asked and answered. Enjoying the conversation, though! Great forum...
slackerdiver, I was a big cigar guy when I took up the pipe and it was a huge difference to me. I found that if I smoked a cigar and then a pipe in the same day it was difficult to get the flavor nuances from the pipe tobacco. I also found the smoking styles to be completely different and needed to slow down and sip the pipe. The one blend that opened my eyes to how great pipe smoking could be was Escudo. It had the flavor that stood up to the cigars I was smoking. Back then I used to fold and stuff the coins but now I cube cut them.
For me, if a pipe goes out and I relight it an hour or so later, like a cigar it doesn't taste good. If I relight it right away, it tastes fine But others let it sit for awhile and it tastes fine for them. Nothing is set in stone with pipes, everyone's experience is different.
Welcome,Slackerdriver
I also was a huge cigar fan-my wife cooperated and built a beautiful humidor in a piece of furniture which hold our tv and projector screen. She hates smoke, but the gesture was not lost on me!
Since getting back into pipes after so many years, the adjustment from cigar technique was substantial. I now never touch cigars and let my friends smoke them when they come over. (Ah, so sad)
Like any other skill, this will come in time. I frequently relight and don't care what so ever. The experience is so relaxing, unlike smoking a cigar. And, other than the cost of pipes and PAD (pipe acquisition disorder) the cost is substantially less!
Good luck
Allan
I also was a huge cigar fan-my wife cooperated and built a beautiful humidor in a piece of furniture which hold our tv and projector screen. She hates smoke, but the gesture was not lost on me!
Since getting back into pipes after so many years, the adjustment from cigar technique was substantial. I now never touch cigars and let my friends smoke them when they come over. (Ah, so sad)
Like any other skill, this will come in time. I frequently relight and don't care what so ever. The experience is so relaxing, unlike smoking a cigar. And, other than the cost of pipes and PAD (pipe acquisition disorder) the cost is substantially less!
Good luck
Allan
- Status