New smoker and enjoying it.

[martin]

My beautiful new Astley turned up last week and I wasted no time in loading it up with some "Pipeman" tobacco I got from one of the 2 pipe specialists in Sydney.

We are not really spoiled for choice here as far as pipe tobacco goes, most people here smoke generic cigarettes or roll their own ciggies.

I have been smoking the new pipe gently and have already purchased another no name pipe to use while I rest the good one.

As with most new smokers I am working out the best way to pack and light etc and so far I'm enjoying the experience a lot. Getting it right and tasting things like nuts and honey in the smoke is a real delight and I'm keen to try as many tobaccos as I can get my hands on. A 50 gram pouch here costs about $35-40 australian dollars which right now is about equal to the US dollar. Is that about what you pay in the USA for tobacco?

You definately have more choices there, I wonder if I can import the odd tin of something new and tasty without too much grief. probably not.

Anyway thanks to the people behind this forum for all the great advice and experience that newbies like me can benefit from.

I'm also finding it really hard not to buy too many pipes from ebay etc, I can easily see how people can end up with huge collections of beautiful pipes.

I could be hooked!

 

[nemrod]

More like 10 AUD for a 50g tin in the US (check out web stores and you'll see the prices). Here in Sweden it's maybe 30 AUD or so and in the UK and Germany (where I order from) it's like 16 AUD. Glad to see Sweden isn't alone in totally messed up tobacco prices!
You should check out the import tax on tobacco in Australia and if it isn't too high you'll definitely be better off buying from abroad with those crazy prices. In Sweden we have a 75% import tax and 25% VAT to pay if we import from outside the EU (i.e. from the US) so the price more than doubles, which is why I buy from EU web stores instead.

 

[martin]

We have crazy taxes here on tobacco and alcohol.

A packet of cigarettes is about $16 but I recently bought a carton of 10 packets duty free (in Singapore) for about $20 !

 

[ohin3]

I'm from the states but live in Nova Scotia Canada. Tobacco in the states is around $10 to $15 usd. for a 50gm tin. Here in Nova Scotia it is $15 to $25. Cigarettes cost $12 to $15 here. Not sure what your tobacco importing laws are like but you should check with customs. I am allowed to purchase and have shipped to me up to 200 grams or 8 ounces before I have to pay duties and excise tax. It is well worth it for me to buy tins online from the states or Europe at $10 less per tin. I look at it like this: If I buy 4 tins and save $10 each, after 2 orders I have saved around $80.00. There are alot of nice pipes out there for $80.00 he he he. Now if I could just find a way to save money on pipes I could accumulate more money for tobacco and then I would have more money for pipes which would, of course, lead to more money for tobacco which w...holy shit, I think this really is a viable mental condition.

 

[lonestar]

Martin, very very nice Astley, and welcome to the world of pipes !

I hate to hear the prices some of you guys are having to pay.

Its true that Americans have it pretty good for now, but its only because our forefathers were willing to fight ANYTHING which stood between us and personal freedom.

Thats the only reason we still have it fairly good here. As more and more people care less and less about every one of our rights, it will get just as bad over here. Sorry to put a political slant on your post, but politics is the only reason tobacco isn't $5 a tin everywhere.

 

[dd951]

great looking pipe Martin LOL you may be hooked

 

[nabottle]

Martin, as a new guy I have found this group to be full of wisdom, advice, opinions, and a little BS from time to time. It's just what I needed! Welcome. The Astley looks superb!

 

[jcsoldit]

Martin... You have chosen a beautiful pipe.
Well done and I wish many years of enjoyment.
JC

 

[marmal4de]

Here in beautiful British Columbia, a tin of baccy runs between $30-50 CAD.

 

[cortezattic]

I am working out the best way to pack and light etc and so far I'm enjoying the experience a lot.

Martin, you've hit the nail right on the head! No single aspect of the entire pipe smoking experience

is as important as developing good packing techniques for the various blends you smoke.

 

[ivan08]

wonderful pipe brother!!! a beauty!!

 

[westcoastrich]

Good looking Astley, I am sure you will enjoy it.

 

[kcvet67]

Martin, check with Rich at 4noggins.com, he specializes in overseas shipping and can probably answer any questions you might have. There's a link at the bottom left corner under Site Sponsors.

 

[menckenite]

That's a nice first pipe! Congrats and welcome to the forum.

 

[capnbellamy]

Here in the UK, 25g is about £10. If you're lucky enough to find somewhere that sells 50g of anything, it's about £15 - £20. Prices are always an issue of some kind.
Glad to see someone new getting into the hobby, and glad you're enjoying it. Defenitely don't be afraid to experiment :P

 

[martin]

Thanks guys, the Astley is a sweety and seems to smoke well. Not that I really have anything yet to compare it too! But that's gonna change. I lightly sanded the inside of the bowl since it had a bit of varnish in there and I'm breaking it in slowly and lovingly. kcvet67 I'll definately check out that link, anything that lets me try more varieties has got to be a good thing.

I've seen many many pipes that I'd love to own and with our dollar being strong right now it makes it a very attractive proposition buying from the USA and getting it sent here. I just can't decide which one I want next. I can see how some of you experienced smokers end up with lots and lots of pipes and tobaccos. I had thoughts of starting up a collection of unsmoked exotica but like a lot of you here I don't think I could own a nice pipe without actually smoking it so whatever I buy I'll end up using.

The best thing is my wife is cool with the whole idea, probably because it makes gift buying for me a bit easier now. Funny how I've only been at it a couple of weeks and already I don't go anywhere without a pipe. A very civilised hobby indeed.