New to pipe smoking

[claywyatt]

I am new to this forum and also very new to pipe smoking in general. I have smoked a pipe occasionally for the last 10 or so years, but don't have any real knowledge. I have been reading through this forum and I'm trying to find a good place to start. I have a couple of questions.
1) How do I choose which pipe to buy? I really like the look of the Devil Anse Hatfield pipe that Kevin Costner smoked in the Hatfield McCoys series. Is choosing which pipe to smoke all about preference?
2) Is there a particular tobacco you would recommend starting with?
Thanks for the help.
Clay

 

[hobie1dog]

Welcome to the forum.
Pick a pipe you like the shape/looks of and let that be your starting point. Do you have a pipe shop that you can go to? If so, look at all the pipes they have and talk to the guy to see what he recommends, especially on which blends are the most popular. He will likely let you sample some right there on the spot.

 

[batdemon]

Welcome to the forum Clay.

Everything in pipe smoking is about preference. There really isn't any "right" or "wrong", if

it works for you then it is right for you. You will most likely get a great many opinions in answer

to your questions. My take is this, as far as pipes are concerned, I would start of with some MM corn

cobs. Mainly because they are inexpensive and smoke great with little maintanence.
As for tobacco, you can get some good samplers at pipesandcigars.com. Aromatic samplers, english samplers etc. That way you get more to try for your buck without winding up with a good amount of a tobacco that you may not like.

There are lots of great links at the left of the screen if you scroll down, tobacco tips, smoking tips etc..

Don't be afraid to ask questions, there is a ton of knowledge on here and they are a great bunch of folks.
Again, welcome and happy puffin ::

 

[shawn]

Welcome aboard.

 

[baronsamedi]

For the Hatfield Pipe, briarbird has made some nice versions and Lonestar is about to get rolling on some, too. PM either one of those guys and they'll steer you right.
Get the absolute best pipe you can afford. After that, it's personal preference. If you can afford $200 or more for a pipe, there are many custom craftsmen who would appreciate your business. If you want to spend around $100, there are Petersons, Savinellis and of course Meerschaum (I reccommend having at least one in your arsenal). For $50 or so you can get into Wellingtons, Bjarnes and maybe even a Nording with a little luck. If you're a cheap SOB like me, you can get estate (previously smoked)pipes of many brands for less than that. The benefit there is a better price point pipe for less money and no break in needed. As someone mentioned, Missouri Meerschaum cobs are quite unique, are good for "beater pipes" to use in situations where you don't want to risk breakage to your pricier briars and Meers. They are available for $5 on up. thesmokindragon on this forum makes stunning and truly unique cobs for very little investment.
For tobacco, you just have to experiment. I started with a pouch of Captain Black White. No regrets but Lane 1-Q is better and about the same price. If you have $30 or more, get onto one of the sponsor sites and purchase some samplers. If you have a tobacconist with a decent selection, stroll in and buy 2oz bags of a Burley, a pure Virginia, a VaPer (Virginia with Perique), a Cavendish blend and a light English and go from there! Part of the fun is experimentation!

 

[cigrmaster]

Welcome to the site. Some good info has been posted here. My recommendation is to buy the best pipes you can afford. I would start with estate pipes on Ebay or from some of the vendors who advertise here. You can buy great estate pieces for 80-150. Some names I would look for is Savinelli, Upshall, Winslow, Mastro De Paja, Don Carlos, Caminnetto, Ascorti, Radice. If you can afford more then look for Castello, Ashton, Ser Jacabo to name a few.
As far as tobacco's, I would try some Virginia flakes i.e Orlick Golden Sliced, F&T Cut Virginia Plug, Samuel Gawith Best Brown Flake, Solani Silver Flake, Wessex Brigade Campaign Dark Flake. For Virginia/ Perique blends, Escudo, Haddo's Delight and Renier Long Golden. For aromatics I would go to Boswell's and get a bunch of samples from them.
Good luck in your journey and don't be shy about asking questions. There is a learning curve when it comes to smoking a pipe. Read all you can and that will help with your enjoyment.

 

[judcole]

Good info from several of these gents. I'll just reemphasize what baron said - buy the best pipes and tobacco you can afford. ::

 

[lonestar]

Hi Clay! The choice of what pipe you smoke is probably half of the equation. If you like a pipe so much you just want to hold it in your hand and stare at it, how could that not enhance the experience of actually smoking it ? Especially when a pipe is so well made it practically smokes itself.

The other half of the equation is the tobacco and there are as many good answers as there are pipe smokers. On both accounts (pipe&tobacco) I recommend the best quality you can afford. I'm the type of person who wants to try everything and then decide what I like best. I've found its cheaper just to start out with the best. Two high quality pipes and 4 or 5 good tobaccos will cost the same as half a dozen factory pipes and a dozen 2 ounce samples.

In the end, most smokers will spend several hundred dollars on a small collection of pipes and tobacco. I would rather spend that money on a smaller collection of higher quality, but thats not the right answer for everyone.

 

[lonestar]

Also should add, production on my Anse Hatfield pipes starts tomorrow ! If you want to see what my version looks like, check back by wednesday I'll have some in progress pics to show if not one or two finished pipes.

 

[brian64]

On both accounts (pipe&tobacco) I recommend the best quality you can afford. I'm the type of person who wants to try everything and then decide what I like best. I've found its cheaper just to start out with the best. Two high quality pipes and 4 or 5 good tobaccos will cost the same as half a dozen factory pipes and a dozen 2 ounce samples.

In the end, most smokers will spend several hundred dollars on a small collection of pipes and tobacco. I would rather spend that money on a smaller collection of higher quality, but thats not the right answer for everyone.

+1 lonestar. I've been a pipe smoker for 6 years now, and only recently have I figured this out. IMO, if I had done this from the start I would have been much better off. I would add that for someone with a small budget, even if you can only start with one high quality pipe, just pick up a couple of cobs for rotation until you can afford another.

 

[claywyatt]

Thanks everyone for all the great information! I just bought a cheap briar pipe at a local tobacco store. Also bought a few different types of tobaccos to try out. One aromatic and one english blend. The selection was pretty poor, so I'll probably resort to purchasing some online and try out the ones some of you have suggested to me.
I'm really looking forward to seeing the devil anse pipe that lonestar is re-creating.
Does anyone know much about Askwith Pipes? They look incredible.
Thanks for all the help!
Clay

 

[lonestar]

Chris Askwith is a great guy and makes wonderful pipes. He's from Plymouth England, where my ancestors sailed from aboard the Mayflower, so thats a cool bonus in my book :D

Dont hesitate to buy an Askwith if you see one that calls to you ::

 

[martiniman]

Welcome aboard, your at the right spot and never be embarrassed about asking anything....well almost anything :D

 

[philip]

Welcome, Clay.
You have some good advice here. How you pack your pipe and how you smoke it may be even more important than the pipe or tobacco you choose.
Please read these Pipe Smoking Tips.
Let us know how you do. If you are like most of us it gets better as you learn good smoking technique.
Enjoy.

 

[gnatjulio]

Welcome, and good luck with the P.A.D.

 

[barkar]

+1 batdemon
I agree with batdemon and welcome to the forum... ::

 

[bigvan]

Here's my 2 cents...
"1) How do I choose which pipe to buy?"

That's kind of a big question. The simple answer is to buy something that you enjoy smoking, holding, looking at, and owning.
"Is choosing which pipe to smoke all about preference?" Absolutely not! A well made pipe is properly engineered to smoke well, first and foremost. But it should also be comfortable to hold in the teeth and hand (which increases the overall smoking experience) and enjoyable to look at.
"2) Is there a particular tobacco you would recommend starting with?" That's like asking 'what kind of food should I eat?' What do you like? Sweet? Savory? Nicotine? Only you know what you like.
My advice is to ignore the cheap drugstore stuff. Some enjoy them for the sake of nostalgia, but they're fairly low quality leaf to which chemicals and artificial flavorings are added. If you have access to a tobacco shop (not a Cheap Smokes), leverage their knowledge and advice.
Let us know how it goes.

 

[claywyatt]

Thanks again for all the great info!
I placed an order today for some tobacco and missouri cobs. Hopefully have that stuff in by the end of the week and I can start experimenting. I got quite a few different virginia blends to try out.
I have a couple cheap briars and I've been trying out some aromatics I picked up at a local tobacco store. I like the aromatics, but am more interested in trying out the virginia and english blends.
I spent some time on trying to pack it correctly and I think this may be an art that is perfected with time. I'm having fun all the same...
Also am talking with Chris Askwith about making me a pipe. Hopefully I can get that ordered this week! Can't wait.

 

[baronsamedi]

A good English or VA / VaPer can be a life changer! I reccommend:
English: H&H Black House (Full bodied, not overly complex), H&H Magnum Opus (Very complex and flavorful), Dunhill EMP (Light but tasty), and GLP Sextant (So flavorful and spicy it will blow your head off!)
VA: MacBaren Mature VA, it's a great blend of flavor.
VaPer: Escudo and Haddo's Delight are really hard to beat.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

Welcome aboard.
As probably stated above, yes personal preference is a big part of choosing a pipe. If you don't like the look you probably won't enjoy the smoke as much. Definitely want to make sure the pipe is balanced well and fits nicely in your hand. Also that the stem joins the tennon nicely and has a good draw, which usually can be determined by the pipe cleaner test. If a cleaner runs smoothly through the stem and into the bowl it should have a good draw. I'd say if you're starting out look for brands like Savinelli and Peterson. Well priced pipes that smoke good on the low end and great on the high end (to me low end would be the $50-$80 range high end being over $100). But once again that's all a preference. Some love these brands while others choose to mostly buy from individual carvers.
Now to the tobacco, I'm sure it's been stated to give the different styles a try. Look for a good aromatic like 1-Q by Lane Limited, a good intro English blend like Early Morning Pipe by Dunhill, and a good VA/Per (Virginia/Perique) like Robert McConnells Scottish Cake. It's best to try and check out sample packs or to look for blends in bulk, because then you can usually order a 2oz sample for under $7 and get a good idea of how the blend is. This way you can get a feel for what style of blends you like.
Enjoy this wonderful never ending hobby.