Need some help, novice

[Clinton123]

Good morning all and thank you for allowing me to join the club/forum.

I’m new to pipe smoking but a complete novice, so was hoping for some guidance if possible.

My attraction to pipe smoking comes from my hero’s, Bertrand Russell, CS Lewis, Tollkien but also from sitting in many country pubs as a kid and smelling that sweet delectable aroma wafting over. I’m an avid reader and enjoy to relax so I wanted to try something different. I am 45 this year so maybe a bit late to the hobby.

My question is hopefully a simple one, I want to find a simple, mild tobacco or something easy on the pallet and similar to those wonderful sweet smells I experienced as a kid in all those pubs. Trouble is there are so many on the market I don’t know where to start. Someone recommended Peterson Killarney (Sweet) Pipe Tobacco - I tried this yesterday and it’s given me really bad tongue bite. I have purchased a simple starter Joyoldelf Wooden Tobacco Smoking Pipe from Amazon which is quite nice.

Can anyone recommend a perfect tobacco to try? I was going to buy one of these - Condor, Three nuns, Fribourg & Treyer: Golden Mixture. People are telling me to avoid aromatics.

I would hugely appreciate some help.

Regards Clint

 

[gamzultovah]

Lots to be said here and a quick search of the forum will give you many more answers. But here is my two cents:
1) Start with a well loved blend like Carter Hall, Granger, Lane 1Q or BCA.
2) Dry your tobacco thoroughly in the beginning and pack your pipe lighter/looser than you think necessary. You can always tighten up the pack with a tamper if need be.
3) Take slow small sips (not puffs) and every third sip or so blow a little smoke through your nostrils. This will help you to pick up on flavors.
4) Try not to clench a pipe in the beginning but hold it in your hand. This will help teach proper cadence and reduce the chance of tongue bite.
6) If you find that you’re still getting tongue bite/no flavor, switch to an English blend like Peter Stokkebye Proper English. Guaranteed not to bite and will be packed with discernible flavor.

Many more people will chime in and lots of good advice is coming. Enjoy and welcome to the forum.

 

[Clinton123]

Lots to be said here and a quick search of the forum will give you many more answers. But here is my two cents:
1) Start with a well loved blend like Carter Hall, Granger, Lane 1Q or BCA.
2) Dry your tobacco thoroughly in the beginning and pack your pipe lighter/looser than you think necessary. You can always tighten up the pack with a tamper if need be.
3) Take slow small sips (not puffs) and every third sip or so blow a little smoke through your nostrils. This will help you to pick up on flavors.
4) Try not to clench a pipe in the beginning but hold it in your hand. This will help teach proper cadence and reduce the chance of tongue bite.
6) If you find that you’re still getting tongue bite/no flavor, switch to an English blend like Peter Stokkebye Proper English. Guaranteed not to bite and will be packed with discernible flavor.

Many more people will chime in and lots of good advice is coming. Enjoy and welcome to the forum.

Massive thank you

 

[tobakenist]

Where are you ? you mentioned country pubs so maybe UK ? it helps to know where people come from as blends have different availability in different country's.

 

[OzPiper]

Hi @Clinton123
Welcome to the Forums from Sydney, Oz
You’re never too old to start at 45

I got back into pipes a few years ago in my 60s and I’m enjoying smoking them a lot more than when I first got into pipes all those years ago When I was a University undergrad.
A large part of the enjoyment now results from hints picked up from Forum members

Firstly while aromatic blends are pleasant to smell, they tend to contain PG (propylene glycol) to maintain the moisture levels.
This makes them more difficult to keep alight.
As well as increase the chances of tongue bite

Drying tobacco well really makes a huge difference
Easy test for dryness is to take a pinch, squeeze and let the strands fall/drop. If they don’t clump/stick together, it should be dry enough

Don‘t puff like a Choo-Choo train.
Sip gently.
And learn to retrohale

English/Balkan blends ie those containing Latakia and/or Oriental tobaccos tend to stay lit easily and I would advise starting with these rather tHan aromatics or Virginias
A lot experience tongue bite with Virginias

Shag cuts (the finest) tend to be the easiest cuts to keep lit and require less re-lights.
Ribbon cuts are the next easiest.

While a lot of more experienced smokers prefer flakes, they do require practice to get right
Flakes smoke best for me if I rub them out really, really well or cube cut them.
The fold&stuff technique rarely works for me

I wish you lots of enjoyment in your pipe journey

 

[bullet08]

Location, location, location. It's all about location when it comes to availability of a blend. If you are in US, codger blends are mild enough. But, if in UK, they won't be available. If you are familiar with Peterson brand, some of their Latakia blends are mild enough. For now, avoid Virginia and aromatic blends since you already experienced tongue bite. But most important part is, not puffing on the pipe. Of course, drying the tobacco is a good idea. Also learning to pack the pipe. Take your time and go slow. It will all come together sooner or later.

 

[Clinton123]

Where are you ? you mentioned country pubs so maybe UK ? it helps to know where people come from as blends have different availability in different country's.

Big thanks, from the UK

 

[OverMountain]

A wizard is never late.

Agree with above advice. Slow sips. Dry tobacco first.
Peterson Killarney is a tough one for me too. It burns hot and can bite.

Keep us posted with your progress! One day it just “clicks”. Then the fun begins…

 

[Clinton123]

A wizard is never late.

Agree with above advice. Slow sips. Dry tobacco first.
Peterson Killarney is a tough one for me too. It burns hot and can bite.

Keep us posted with your progress! One day it just “clicks”. Then the fun begins…

 

[Hunter1]

I find SWR aro and regular to be a very good all day tobacco. Both smell great, I find them mild, both smoke very well. Also they both have no bite to me.

 

[Clinton123]

Can you recommend

Where are you ? you mentioned country pubs so maybe UK ? it helps to know where people come from as blends have different availability in different country's.

From UK

 

[proteus]

My recommendation is Pipers Pleasure. Boswell. There's a video on this site which shows how to pack from some old pipe tobacco commercials.

 

[Indygrap]

Greetings from New Orleans, US! You’re not late to the wonderful world of pipes. I started last year at 48 & am enjoying it just as much as my other obsession, beer. (Started as a home brewer & have been brewing professionally for 10+ years) This forum is a god-send & a wealth of information. Everyone has opinions, but very little judgement. I pick & choose what info is given to find what works for me & my particular style. One thing that remains constant is; dry your tobacco, take your time with your smoke, & enjoy every bowl.
That being said, you may want to invest in a couple of other pipes. I started with a Rossi, which are made by Savinelli, & available at Smokingpipeseu.com & other online retailers. They’re affordable, high quality, smoke great, & look outstanding. If you have access to Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipes, pick up a couple of them as well. Low cost, well made, & great for taking new aromatics for a test run. (Aros can ghost & cobs are much easier to ream out). No matter how you proceed, I hope you enjoy your journey & find the smoke you’re looking for!

 

[FurCoat]

I find SWR aro and regular to be a very good all day tobacco. Both smell great, I find them mild, both smoke very well. Also they both have no bite to me.

If it's available in your neck of the woods, this ^^ would be my recommendation. Still in my rotation after 36 years.

 

[zenistar]

Being around the same age and near enough UK (Isle of Man) you were likely smelling the same stuff as me around pubs with parents, grandparents etc. in the late 70s and 80s. Certainly for me that would have been what was generally sold in the local news agent: St Bruno, Condor, Clan, Gold Block and maybe even some of the Lakeland styles from the Gawith companies.

Both my father and grandfather were St Bruno smokers so guess what one of my favourites is….. i have some Clan and Condor etc too but i always go back to StB. It should still be available in the UK too and I would recommend the flake over the ready rub, it is easy enough to learn to rub out the flake.

 

[kcghost]

I'm going to give you a good lesson free of charge. Don't pack your pipe near so tightly and above all smoke gently and slowly. No need to get in a hurry. Take your time and enjoy the pipe instead of trying to rush through. You don't and shouldn't draw on a pipe as if it were a cigarette. Relights are not something to complain about. Just relight as often as necessary.

 

[JimPM]

I would recommend Stokkebye's Natural Dutch Cavendish to any new piper. It has a managed sweetness due to heavier casing which is their style of production and plenty of native tobacco flavors. Also, a milder Burley such Prince Albert, Carter Hall and a bouquet one like Ken Byron Venture's Burley Moring Pipe.

 

[Searock Fan]

Here's something you need to know and understand. This is based on my 60 years of experience. Take if for what it's worth.

The pipe you smoke can make a huge difference in what you smoke. A tobacco that smokes well in a quality pipe can taste terrible in a cheap, poor quality pipe, like what you bought from Amazon. Unfortunately most newbies don't understand this and will opt for a poor pipe to save money. There are recomendations galore here as to what pipes that can be bought at a reasonable price that can give you a good smoke.

 

[JackOrion]

Why not try the tobacco Tolkien himself reportedly favored. Capstan. Get a tin of the blue and yellow and explore those. They’ll be a great introduction into Virginia flakes.

 

[cersono]

I'd suggest Peterson Old Dublin. It's one of the standard introductions to the world of pipedom for great many new smokers who aren't happy with aromatics.

Straight Virginia flakes, even as good as Capstan, are for more experienced smokers, in my opinion.