My First Pipe Recommendation

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romaso

Lifer
Dec 29, 2010
1,702
6,446
Pacific NW
They don't. By modern standards, Falcons are quite small, and it makes sense. They were designed for a time when smokers smoked more powerful tobacco and if you buy a giant extra-large bowl, you'll change your dentition in a hurry.
Thanks! Are all their chambers about the same size then? I'm thinking of ordering my first from GQ Tobaccos in Britain since the exchange rate is so favorable (I'm in US).
 
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Jul 26, 2021
2,176
8,942
Metro-Detroit
I'd be hard pressed to recommend an estate pipe as a starter pipe. Maybe a used pipe if it were mine (and cleaned thoroughly) or I bought and cleaned it, but not as a reccomendation to purchase (especially online).

A starter kit would be a good place to start (such as the Scotte kit that comes with a pear pipe that is not horrible, 2 pipe travel case, tamper, and tobacco pouch for about $30).

A couple of cobs would be price friendly and helpful to avoid damage until they get some basics down.

And a $100 or less range briar pipe from a reputable company (like Rossi, Molina, Savinelli, Peterson, or Morgan Bones) would also be a good place to begin. A 75 year old estate pipe? Not so much.
 

hugodrax

Can't Leave
Jan 24, 2013
448
669
I'm not very familiar with Falcons, to be honest. What exactly makes them accessible to newbies, in your opinion?
The humidome collects all moisture, so no soggy heel. And the central smoke hole is huge, almost entirely filled by a raised aluminum central post that heats up and keeps the bowl lit to the last shred.

The only real equipment needed is a packet of tissues and a pocket knife to trim the cake out of the hole--otherwise they cake shut relatively quickly.
 

hugodrax

Can't Leave
Jan 24, 2013
448
669
Thanks! Are all their chambers about the same size then? I'm thinking of ordering my first from GQ Tobaccos in Britain since the exchange rate is so favorable (I'm in US).
They differ, I'm sure, but not by much. I say go for it. I really am a fan as they make great work pipes, two bowls and one stem (or one meerschaum bowl, easily purchased from a carver) are all you need for extended travel.

Some hate them, mind. Can't vouch for you loving them. They are all about the smoking and not one whit concerned with the artistic side of the pipe.
 

romaso

Lifer
Dec 29, 2010
1,702
6,446
Pacific NW
They differ, I'm sure, but not by much. I say go for it. I really am a fan as they make great work pipes, two bowls and one stem (or one meerschaum bowl, easily purchased from a carver) are all you need for extended travel.

Some hate them, mind. Can't vouch for you loving them. They are all about the smoking and not one whit concerned with the artistic side of the pipe.
Thanks for the info! What do you think of the bents? Do they clench well? Look a little funky.
 
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K.E. Powell

Can't Leave
Aug 20, 2022
493
1,781
37
West Virginia
The humidome collects all moisture, so no soggy heel. And the central smoke hole is huge, almost entirely filled by a raised aluminum central post that heats up and keeps the bowl lit to the last shred.

The only real equipment needed is a packet of tissues and a pocket knife to trim the cake out of the hole--otherwise they cake shut relatively quickly.
Thanks for the info! That sounds like a pretty neat setup. I may give it a whirl someday.
 
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hugodrax

Can't Leave
Jan 24, 2013
448
669
Thanks for the info! What do you think of the bents? Do they clench well? Look a little funky.
I own a bent, but prefer the straight with a dental bit I dremelled down to fit my palate. Falcon's have a nylon, non-removable bit and my teeth don't grip that well. I don't smoke it like the Duke of Windsor, at a right angle to my jaw. I let it dangle Jack Hargreaves-fashion. Takes some getting used to, but far more comfortable for me.
 
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Piping Rooster

Can't Leave
Jun 29, 2022
398
2,065
Champa Bay
My first pipe was a brylon paneled billiard medico which was a terrible first pipe that would sear your fingers when smoked like a newb! But once I bought a Molina it was game on! Great briar pipes in the $25-$65 range with lots of shapes and finishes to choose from. I agree about not dropping a Benny on a pipe until you are sure you enjoy smoking a pipe.
 
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Sgetz

Lifer
May 21, 2020
1,348
1,839
74
UK
The trouble with some of the above recommendations is that an extended breaking in may be required. This means a newbie will have to do this. Cobs are ok more or less instantly. I suggest this alone makes them the best choice for a beginner.
 

Piping Rooster

Can't Leave
Jun 29, 2022
398
2,065
Champa Bay
The trouble with some of the above recommendations is that an extended breaking in may be required. This means a newbie will have to do this. Cobs are ok more or less instantly. I suggest this alone makes them the best choice for a beginner.
I've never broke in a pipe. Just load em up and go. Just don't let them get too hot and you'll be fine.
 
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edger

Lifer
Dec 9, 2016
2,988
22,299
74
Mayer AZ
They differ, I'm sure, but not by much. I say go for it. I really am a fan as they make great work pipes, two bowls and one stem (or one meerschaum bowl, easily purchased from a carver) are all you need for extended travel.

Some hate them, mind. Can't vouch for you loving them. They are all about the smoking and not one whit concerned with the artistic side of the pipe.
All the babes wave at me when I'm smoking a Falcon and driving my Rambler station wagon. Oddly, it's always a one finger wave. Go figure.....
 

badbeard

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 9, 2017
284
585
Kentucky, USA
The trouble with some of the above recommendations is that an extended breaking in may be required. This means a newbie will have to do this. Cobs are ok more or less instantly. I suggest this alone makes them the best choice for a beginner.
I would have to agree here. Cobs tend to mitigate most of the issues that newcomers tend to have, and at virtually no initial investment. I say this, even having some issues with MM as a company that I will not discuss here.

I can't agree with the OP's recommendation at all as I've seen some really bad recent Petes full of fills. One (A Peterson Christmas) even had a hole in a pit that went clear through the shank and would leak condensate around the fill. I don't hate Peterson pipes, but I wouldn't dare recommend one to a first timer. Keep it simple - the largest margin for error equals a bigger chance for repeated success. Or if you really have a hankering to drop 100 bucks, pick up one of the cheaper SMS meers. They will smoke good and you don't have to be overly precious with it.
 
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cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
I always recommend the same pipe I started with. Mine was a Savinelli Linea Pui 5. It smoked cool and dry from the get go and it showed me how a good pipe should smoke. The baseline I received made it easy for me when I picked a lemon which I did a few times. If a pipe doesn't pass a fluffy pipe cleaner with ease and if the stem whistles and you get a wet smoke, that is not what you should settle for. My Sav was not a filtered pipe but over the years I did get a Sav designed for a 6mm filter. I tossed the filter and the adaptor and the pipe smoked great.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,675
29,391
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
For me when i have been in these shoes i do not have a rote answer but instead have a discusion. What is their budget how serious are they. When i say imagine a man smoking a pipe what does that pipe look like, what is your history with tobacco when do you plan to smoke how soon can you happily buy pipe number 2. Any countries do you love and already collect things from? Last three reccomendations i made where a cob or falcon (not much tobacco experience, curious and willing and able to get a 300 dollar pipe if enjoyed no interest in country of origin) a tsuge tokyo pipe (half jappanesse japanophile, loves smoking pipes never owned one though, smokes cigs would like to cut back, and has 600 dollar budget but would spend if guarented a better smoke.) and a chacom bent skipper (likes the idea of the history of pipe making mid budget can't b0y pipe 2 for long time only occasional smoker but needs a less crazy vice)
 
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keithnelmr

Lurker
Feb 19, 2022
18
14
A Peterson system can be an excellent first pipe, provided the new piper is taught properly how to care and clean them, and how best to use the P-lip for maximum effect should it be a system with a P-lip in the first place (which, I argue, is probably a wise addition, since tongue bite is one of the key things that drives away neophytes).

My first pipe was a MM Charlestown cob. I liked it aesthetically, and at $30, the price was right. But did it suit me optimally as a first pipe? In many ways it did. I took the (mostly awful) advice of strictly sticking with aromatics, and I find the natural sweetness of the cobs (to say nothing of their disposability; several rounds of goopy cherry aros can do a hurtin' on a pipe, especially with a neophyte that is not diligent about cleaning and care) to pair with those kinds of tobaccos nicely. Also, unlike most, I found, and still find, to a lesser extent, cobs to be cool looking. Must be the Appalachian in me.

In any event, my first two cobs, which I still have, served me well and I continue to break them out when I feel like smoking a sugar bomb or codger blend. But I prefer briars most of all, even over meerschaum, for reasons I won't bother to get into.

To me, people get way too hyped up what their first pipe should be, and not enough on what tobaccos they should try, or learning to cultivate the routine necessary to properly care for their tobacco and their pipes. Your first pipe should be one you find visually pleasing, should be of decent quality, and should fit your budget. I liked piping when I was just smoking aros with cobs weed pipes, but I LOVED it when I branched out with quality briars, different tobacco blends, and treating the care and cleaning of the artifacts of my alchemy as not just a chore, but a ritual just as important and enjoyable as the smoking itself.
Hello. I'm new to pipe smoking and I was hoping for some advice. I'm looking to get a pipe suitable for learning but also one that isn't junk. I'd like to keep it in the $50 and under range as I'm still unsure the hobby is for me. I have been looking around a bit but I just don't have any idea what I'm looking at. Any advice or recommendations welcomed. I'm also going to need some intro tobacco suggestions as well. I was thinking aromatic was a good jumping off place but don't really know. Thank you all in advance.
 

Highlandpiper

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 23, 2023
148
333
Clynder, Argyll & Bute, G84 0QX
Today I’ve changed the pipe I recommend anyone in my office who admires my vast accumulation of Lee pipes from a Dr. Grabow made Royalton to a Peterson System #307.

I just got one in that’s 75 years old.

It’s the perfect starter pipe, I think.

—-

System Standard Heritage 307​

Our Flagship Line​

Our flagship line, the System Standard stamp first appeared in 1945, but the design has been a staple in our catalogues since Charles Peterson secured his final patent in 1898. Designed to provide a cooler, drier smoke, each pipe features a deep reservoir within the shank to collect excess moisture; a graduated bore mouthpiece that funnels the smoke and allows moisture to collect within the reservoir; a sturdy nickel military mount, which allows the pipe to be broken down and cleaned without damage or warping; and our patented P-Lip bit, which draws the smoke upward, thus reducing tongue bite.
The 307 shape is among Peterson’s largest bent Billiard smoking pipes with a gently upturned shank and moderately curved stem for optimized smoking comfort. The stout shank, substantive Billiard bowl, and gently angled stem are signature Peterson design cues.
With an ebony black acrylic bent stem, rugged rusticated finish, and sturdy nickel mount, this briar tobacco pipe projects a traditional and refined aesthetic.

Peterson System Standard Heritage 307 Tobacco Pipe Amazon.com - https://a.co/d/iqqkceE

A Peterson 307 is just over one hundred dollars, brand new.

No pipe at any price will smoke better, last longer, and give more pride to either give or receive.

And, they make you feel like Sherlock Holmes smoking one.:)

What’s your first pipe recommendation, to somebody who either wants to give a man a pipe, or a man who wants to try out pipe smoking?
Thank You for sharing this video. Really enjoyed it and feel a new pipe coming, at last once the last one purchased has arrived.
 
Jul 26, 2021
2,176
8,942
Metro-Detroit
Hello. I'm new to pipe smoking and I was hoping for some advice. I'm looking to get a pipe suitable for learning but also one that isn't junk. I'd like to keep it in the $50 and under range as I'm still unsure the hobby is for me. I have been looking around a bit but I just don't have any idea what I'm looking at. Any advice or recommendations welcomed. I'm also going to need some intro tobacco suggestions as well. I was thinking aromatic was a good jumping off place but don't really know. Thank you all in advance.
See the link below. Pipe, case, pouch, and accessories for $30. Grab a pouch of tobacco and lighter to have leaf and fire.

Or pick up a Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipe on the cheap, instead of the accessory kit, since they smoke very well.

 
Sep 7, 2023
49
72
Being a new pipe smoker myself, what do you normally notice when going from say an inexpensive cob or briar to a more expensive better quality pipe? Is it something a new smoker will feel or know when smoking a better pipe?
 

FLDRD

Lifer
Oct 13, 2021
1,662
6,172
Arkansas
I second a cob for keeping cost down.
I started on "typical" aromatics with vanilla flavoring and wish I hadn't.
Carter Hall is what showed me there was something a little better out there, and I should search for it.
When I tried a "mild" English I knew I had found a path I could follow. I wish I had started there.
For me that was something like Peterson Early Morning Pipe or Presbyterian.
That led me into other "gentle" and mild offerings of other blend styles, but I've still stayed away from the bulk aromatics found in every B&M with fancy names like "Viking" abc, or "Woodsy" xyz.....