New pipe smoker working out my preferences...

[jgon]

Hello All,

I am new to pipes and pipe smoking, and after a few weeks of research here and my first few smokes, I figured I'd set up an account here so I can begin interacting with you all. Thanks for all of your help in pointing me in the right direction!
First things first, I like black coffee, unsweetened tea, simply seasoned foods, and on my gear I like simple... leave the bells and whistles off. I used these principles to help me decide on a pipe and some tobaccos, and I ended up pulling the trigger on a simple Savinelli Pipe.

I then went to my local tobacco store, and they provided me with a few options to sample. I tried a traditional English blend, something called a Berkshire blend, and a Balkan Blend. I'ver never smoked pipe before, but I enjoyed all three. My first impressions were that the Balkan was my favorite, but I definitely enjoyed all three. It had a little spiciness to it that I enjoyed.

I'm looking forward to reporting back and I'd be happy for any suggestions.

Thanks,

JGON

 

[mluyckx]

Welcome aboard !
Savinelli.. good choice ! I like my Savs as well. With regards to tobaccos, the world's your oyster. There's too much out there to try and finding consensus amongst pipe smokers as to which is the best is liking herding cats pipesmokers.
So sit back, relax, buckle up and enjoy the ride

 

[nsfisher]

Welcome aboard mate. You are in for a great first few years. Sample as much baccy as you can afford. Even tho you may what you like immediately, don't stop looking for that "Holy Grail". So much to see, hear, taste etc. enjoy.

 

[jah76]

Welcome to the forums!
Check your PMs.

 

[photoman13]

Welcome. I started here as a noob and now I feel like I know a great deal about tobacco and pipes. Plus I've made a boat load of friends.

 

[thesmokindragon]

Welcome-welcome; you are in luck you found/like English and Balkan

blends since there is a few....thousand of them (perhaps more) out

there...which does give you lots of room for exploring what works

best for you.
Some pipe and bacci advice I can offer;
Pipes; get yourself some nice MM cobs, they are cheap and

will be great additions to your pipe collection; 5th Ave bowls

make great English blend smokers. The country gent and

Washington make great flake pipe smokers if you wander

into pure Virginia territory ;-)
English and Balkan Blends (here are some as I don't want to

creat a huge post ;-). ...too late
Penzance

H&H Black house

H&H Cerberus

H&H Mag Opus

H&H Larry's blend

MC's Froggy On the Town and On the Bayou

Dunhill's Nightcap and EMP

SG's SL

C&D's Crooked lane

SPC's Plum pudding

SPC's Seattle Evening

NYPC's Jack's Shanty

NYPC's Hell's Kitchen

 

[erdnase]

Welcome to the forums!
There is so much information here and loads of really good folks who will answer your questions. I'm with Belgian Mick, I like my Savinelli and Peterson Pipes. Lot's of good choices out there. Don't forget to check your local antique stores as well. Restoring an old vintage pipe is a lot of fun! You can find information on doing that here as well.
Onward...

 

[baronsamedi]

Don't have a Savinelli, but I know plenty of folks who like them. Welcome to the group.

 

[gmwolford]

Welcome to the "gang"! Lots of good folks with lots of knowledge to tap into here. Antique stores and flea markets can yield great estates to learn on, both smoking and working on them. I second the Nightcap; it was my first foray into English/Balkans and I'm excited to go further. Most of all have fun and enjoy it all. Afterall, this is supposed to be a relaxing hobby. 8)

 

[sparroa]

Don't forget Virginia Perique blends in your search... To me, it is the tastiest and simplest combination of all!
I like latakia as much as the next guy but I'm a sucker for the spiciness found in a good va/per. And Escudo followed by a dark roasted black coffee - magnificent!

 

[thesmokindragon]

Oh yeah, Escu-do-Licious ;-) great VaP
Also on that note;

SG St James

MC's Tudor Castle (outstanding blend)

MC's St James Woods

LJ Peretti's London flake

Low Country's Waccamaw

NYPC's Bedloe's Island
Oh the TAD nerves are shaking right about now :-(

 

[judcole]

Welcome aboard.

 

[hawk60ce]

Welcome. I love Savinellis and have two of them.

 

[cigrmaster]

Welcome to a great place to learn and hang out. My first pipe was also a Savinelli and I still smoke it. It is a great pipe and has given me tons of good smokes over the years. Here are a few of my favorite blends. These four are a nice introduction to quality Virginia Flakes and Virginia Perique Flakes, that are readily available at one of our great sponsors.
Fribourg&Treyer Cut Virginia Plug ( sweet, all day Virginia Flake that won't bite and is ready right out of the tin)
Escudo ( world class Virginia Perique blend that every smoker should try, best to dry for half hour before smoking)
Wessex Brown Virginia Flake ( another all day easy going Virginia with no bite, ready right out of the tin)
Solani 633 ( great Virginia Perique blend that is one of my favorites, might need 20 minutes drying time, but could be ready to ).

 

[jgon]

Thanks for all the good feedback and warm welcomes! I've got a few bucks to spend so I might try to get some of my hands on some of the tobacco blends that I keep seeing pop up over and over again... such as the H&H Black House and Magnum Opus, Dunhill, and Balkan Sobranie... I'll keep you posted!