New to You Tobacco: Any Process?

[mso489]

halfdan, an original post on your relationship with clay pipes would be interesting. I enjoy clays, but it is a unique way of smoking. How much of it is loyalty to the historical experience, and how much is the particular smoking characteristics of clays?

There were generations of pipe smokers of past centuries who knew mostly or exclusively clay pipes, and it is your distinction to replicate this experience. It would be interesting to hear a little more about this. What I remember is, don't hold the bowl, hold the shank/stem. Also, I've seen it advised to always smoke clays with a plastic or other-than-clay bit. Something about it being deleterious to lips to be dried out by the clay.

The title could be, simply, Why i Prefer Clay Pipes, Exclusively.

 

[The Clay King]

halfdan, an original post on your relationship with clay pipes would be interesting. I enjoy clays, but it is a unique way of smoking. How much of it is loyalty to the historical experience, and how much is the particular smoking characteristics of clays?

There were generations of pipe smokers of past centuries who knew mostly or exclusively clay pipes, and it is your distinction to replicate this experience. It would be interesting to hear a little more about this. What I remember is, don't hold the bowl, hold the shank/stem. Also, I've seen it advised to always smoke clays with a plastic or other-than-clay bit. Something about it being deleterious to lips to be dried out by the clay.

The title could be, simply, Why i Prefer Clay Pipes, Exclusively.

@mso489 More to do with historical interest than anything else. I don't hold the bowl and don't clench them; I don't want to get pipe notches. Also, there is no flavouring from the pipe itself. As they can burn hot if you puff them too hard, you can't puff them too hard. However, this led to thinking the pipe was going to go out; I managed 15 minutes until my pipe went out recently.

 

[pappymac]

@mso489 More to do with historical interest than anything else. I don't hold the bowl and don't clench them; I don't want to get pipe notches. Also, there is no flavouring from the pipe itself. As they can burn hot if you puff them too hard, you can't puff them too hard. However, this led to thinking the pipe was going to go out; I managed 15 minutes until my pipe went out recently.

I have a pipe rack with 7 clay pipes in it. My favorite clay looks like a cutty with long round stem. Some of my clays are shorter than most straight briars. All of them have bowls that are smaller (both width and depth) than most of the briars I own.

That being said, I've have smoked all of these clays for 45 minutes or longer. It may be a personal thing in the way I smoke a clay. As MSO said, you don't want to touch the bowl while smoking a clay.

Most of my clay pipes were made in Germany and the main reason they don't get smoked more is because of the shape of the stems. They are not even close to being round and are more oval in shape. It makes it hard to hold the pipe clenched even for one or two seconds.

 

[The Clay King]

I have a pipe rack with 7 clay pipes in it. My favorite clay looks like a cutty with long round stem. Some of my clays are shorter than most straight briars. All of them have bowls that are smaller (both width and depth) than most of the briars I own.

That being said, I've have smoked all of these clays for 45 minutes or longer. It may be a personal thing in the way I smoke a clay. As MSO said, you don't want to touch the bowl while smoking a clay.

Most of my clay pipes were made in Germany and the main reason they don't get smoked more is because of the shape of the stems. They are not even close to being round and are more oval in shape. It makes it hard to hold the pipe clenched even for one or two seconds.

@pappymac I don't think I could make a clay pipe of baccy last 45 minutes but I'd like to give it a go...

 

[cigrmaster]

I am like a kid at Christmas. As soon as I get a new blend. I ignore the bowl I was smoking. I open the box, grab a tin and fire it up. I will use Virginia pipes for a Virginia, Vaper for Vaper, you get the idea. I have to try it the minute it gets here.

I am the exact same when it comes to pipes ]. I would be smoking a favorite blend but as soon as I clean the stem of the new pipe, I fire it up. I have the patience of a 10 year old getting a new toy. I admit I have no self control with new toys. Hell if I get a new lighter in, I use that for a while until I begin using my other lighters.

I have never understood not smoking a pipe or a new blend the minute I get it in my grubby paws. I may have issues.

 

[aspiring_sage]

I am like a kid at Christmas. As soon as I get a new blend. I ignore the bowl I was smoking. I open the box, grab a tin and fire it up. I will use Virginia pipes for a Virginia, Vaper for Vaper, you get the idea. I have to try it the minute it gets here.

I am the exact same when it comes to pipes ]. I would be smoking a favorite blend but as soon as I clean the stem of the new pipe, I fire it up. I have the patience of a 10 year old getting a new toy. I admit I have no self control with new toys. Hell if I get a new lighter in, I use that for a while until I begin using my other lighters.

I have never understood not smoking a pipe or a new blend the minute I get it in my grubby paws. I may have issues.

I can relate to this

 

[kcghost]

It isn't often I try a new blend and that is usually just a tin or two. If I don't care for it much I usually finish the tins off and never try again. If really bad, I just give the stuff away. If it is really good then I have a decision to make.

 

[Franco Pipenbeans]

I’ve bought a couple of clay pipes over the years. One lasted about three days before it took a nosedive off the bathroom shelf and split into two unequal pieces; the other I just can’t get used to how it feels in my teeth compared to a briar. I’m sure I’m missing out on something though.

 

[The Clay King]

I’ve bought a couple of clay pipes over the years. One lasted about three days before it took a nosedive off the bathroom shelf and split into two unequal pieces; the other I just can’t get used to how it feels in my teeth compared to a briar. I’m sure I’m missing out on something though.

@Franco Pipenbeans I've lost count of how many clay pipes I've broken...

 

[Franco Pipenbeans]

@Franco Pipenbeans I've lost count of how many clay pipes I've broken...

You’re just leaving them for Time Team to find in 500 years! @halfdan

 

[The Clay King]

You’re just leaving them for Time Team to find in 500 years! @halfdan

@Franco Pipenbeans Hi there ? fellow UK member!
Have you ever smoked a clay pipe???

 

[Franco Pipenbeans]

@Franco Pipenbeans Hi there ? fellow UK member!
Have you ever smoked a clay pipe???

Indeed @halfdan, this is my latest one to try and get into them; please excuse the electrical tape around the mouthpiece, I was just trying to make it more comfortable in the old nashers…I didn’t succeed I don’t think.
I never fully realised how much I like a pipe dangling from my mouth until I tried to smoke a clay pipe; they can really grate on the teeth!
Also, I never fully realised how hot tobacco can burn until I inadvertently held the bowl mid smoke and nearly gave myself third degree burns ?

 

[tmcg81]

My process is as follows:

1. Buy tin.
2. Say "I'm gonna finish this jar of 'x' then I'll open the tin"
3. Don't finish the jar, immediately open the tin and smoke a bowl.
4. Three puffs into the first bowl, say to myself "This is it! This is the tobacco I've been looking for. Why do I even have all these other blends?"
5. Order ten tins off the strength of those three puffs.
6. Have a second bowl and start finding things wrong with it.
7. Go back to MacBaren HH Burley Flake.

And then it repeats a month or two later.

 

[Franco Pipenbeans]

My process is as follows:

1. Buy tin.
2. Say "I'm gonna finish this jar of 'x' then I'll open the tin"
3. Don't finish the jar, immediately open the tin and smoke a bowl.
4. Three puffs into the first bowl, say to myself "This is it! This is the tobacco I've been looking for. Why do I even have all these other blends?"
5. Order ten tins off the strength of those three puffs.
6. Have a second bowl and start finding things wrong with it.
7. Go back to MacBaren HH Burley Flake.

And then it repeats a month or two later.

True ?