Newcomer Seeks Advice from the "Pipe Elders"

[OverMountain]

I may have missed it above, but make sure you are smoking slow and low so as to not over temp the tobacco (flavor loss) or irritate your tongue (Tongue bite). Those concepts are true no matter what pipe you select. Don’t forget to relax and enjoy! Good luck, from across the pond.

 

[AJL67]

Nearly every reccommendation or comment you read hear is purely anecdotal. Some is better than others. Look for the reasoning, how well it's written and is it logical before going off on "half-cock." The pipe is a personal tool, there is a learning curve which can't be taught, even with UTube, especially with UTube on occasion. The best way to learn is find a nearby smoker, a shop with someone qualified or, lastly, teach yourself, trial and error. It's a worthwhile exploration for most, a tribulation for some and a waste of time for many. So, get a pipe and do your best to filter all the suggestions.

Learning is a lot of the fun of smoking a pipe and as you figure out things that work there a sense of happiness and joy, like if i ever figure out how to load a bowl with SG FVF and have it burn well in the first hour (to be fair this was the first bowl i tried and it did take a few lights and chars to get it going) I’ll be over joyed! ?

 

[lraisch]

When you say a cob didn’t work for you did you mean a $4 cob bought online and mass produced in China or a Missouri Meerschaum because those are two totally different things.

I have had a number of Missouri Meerschaums and other cobs in the 50+ years I've been a pipe smoker. Whether I try Burley, Virginia, aromatic or English/Balkan, cobs just don't appeal to me.

Real meerschaums are fine, but cobs or various system pipes I've tried do not approach the quality of smoke I get from a decent briar. I'm not a complete pipe snob. Amongst the 100 plus pipes I have is a Savinelli which you cannot tell apart from a Dunhill Red Bark I have except for the white dot. The Savinelli is the better smoker.

 

[AJL67]

I have had a number of Missouri Meerschaums and other cobs in the 50+ years I've been a pipe smoker. Whether I try Burley, Virginia, aromatic or English/Balkan, cobs just don't appeal to me.

Real meerschaums are fine, but cobs or various system pipes I've tried do not approach the quality of smoke I get from a decent briar. I'm not a complete pipe snob. Amongst the 100 plus pipes I have is a Savinelli which you cannot tell apart from a Dunhill Red Bark I have except for the white dot. The Savinelli is the better smoker.

Makes total sense and for some reason I though this was a reply to someone else that was new to smoking. I have a dunhill i love because it looks great and a birth year but my fav smoker right now is a Savinelli Autograph lol

 

[Kan]

I have 2 corn cob pipes I use when I'm outdoors doing some yard work or grilling. The acrylic stem is a plus for since at times I have to bite down on the pipe when I'm lifting heavy bags of soil or planting. If I drop it I don't worry about the finish getting ruined it's a hardy pipe. Here's a link on the ones I have
Corn cob pipe

I do like the look of the more sturdy ones, I saw some corn cobs that just looked like a bowl of tinder waiting to go up

 

[Kan]

It appears that you are in Britain and so some advice from some members might not be available to you. However, if you can get a couple of cobs and an inexpensive briar (even an estate from a good vendor) do so. I think that it is important to get more than one pipe and that at least one should be a briar. Some folks smoke only, or mostly corncobs or meerschaum, and that is fine, but the vast majority of us smoke mostly briar pipes. If you can get a Amphora sampler from an online vendor you should use this as a stating point. This will give you an aromatic (full), a virginia, a decent English, a burley and a cavendish style blend. Clean the pipe with pipe cleaners vigorously after each smoke. If you cannot get a sampler, try to get some of the (other) MacBaren virginia and Burley blends or some of the Stokkebye bulk blends. I would stay away, for the time being, from flakes, fruity aromatics and Balkan blends . Perhaps more of our British and European Brother and Sisters can give you some more advice about easily available vendors and blends. Good luck. This is a lifestyle and, dare I say it, hobby which can provide a tremendous reduction of stress. I have been a pipe smoker for a long time and, while not risk free, the benefits, at least for me, have been incalcuable.

Thank you! This is certainly specified to my situation. It's certainly a pursuit which requires a lot of research for sure. I will take all of this into thorough consideration.

 

[Kan]

Site sponsor, The Danish Pipe Shop,

I've been thoroughly interested in Scandinavian pipes, since the majority of my heritage is Swedish/Norwegian.
Though I haven't found many Swedish pipe options online. Perhaps I need to keep looking.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Title edited for caps and specificity.

I have absolutely ZERO experience with pipes. I bought a crappy £15 pound one at some knock off shop ages ago, it didn't work.

It's been something that's been on mind and has been appealing to me for years. Cigarettes are gross to me, and too corrosive to one's health. Cigars make me feel like I'm smoking tree bark... plus it's too expensive.

But I like sensation and flavour of something burning. It seems like a pleasant pass-time.
I was thinking something like... a corn cob pipe since that's what most beginners go with? But I have no idea what price range is acceptable...

That and tobacco types are utterly alien to me, I will be doing my own research intermittently so it's not a matter of me being lazy. I would just also like to receive information from multiple people, not just one or two sites that one guy writing about pipes made.

I appreciate those willing to assist me in this endeavour and taking the time to read this.

First off get one of these: Barber B Line Pipes Page 1 - J.N. Barber Limited - https://www.smoke.co.uk/acatalog/Barber_B-Line-p1.html

Bargain price and the quality of sandblast on these pipes is top notch.
You "might" find some wonky drilling but all the pipes will smoke just fine, at worst the draft hole in the bowl might have too much coating, but that's easily fixed with a 4mm drill bit.

 

[Kan]

I may have missed it above, but make sure you are smoking slow and low so as to not over temp the tobacco (flavor loss) or irritate your tongue (Tongue bite). Those concepts are true no matter what pipe you select. Don’t forget to relax and enjoy! Good luck, from across the pond.

I watched a few smoking guides online so I don't mess up, so hopefully I'm not guzzling the tobacco like a big gulp

 

[Kan]

First off get one of these: Barber B Line Pipes Page 1 - J.N. Barber Limited - https://www.smoke.co.uk/acatalog/Barber_B-Line-p1.html

Bargain price and the quality of sandblast on these pipes is top notch.
You "might" find some wonky drilling but all the pipes will smoke just fine, at worst the draft hole in the bowl might have too much coating, but that's easily fixed with a 4mm drill bit.

Thanks for the recommendation! I don't think I've seen this company before

 

[karam]

You’ve got pretty much all of the advice you need already. Above all don’t stress about it. You may love pipe smoking, or you may not. In the UK you have some of the best tobaccos under the sun at your fingertips. No need to buy 15 pipes at once, it will come, believe me it’s far more important to CLEAN a pipe after use rather than watch the clock and calendar to see if they rested enough. As said above, it’s trial and error, mostly error, until it clicks. And highly subjective. Dry tobacco more than you think, and pack lighter than you think is needed.

 

[Kan]

You’ve got pretty much all of the advice you need already. Above all don’t stress about it. You may love pipe smoking, or you may not. In the UK you have some of the best tobaccos under the sun at your fingertips. No need to buy 15 pipes at once, it will come, believe me it’s far more important to CLEAN a pipe after use rather than watch the clock and calendar to see if they rested enough. As said above, it’s trial and error, mostly error, until it clicks. And highly subjective. Dry tobacco more than you think, and pack lighter than you think is needed.

Very assuring, thankyou. I might get 3?
I simply want to make this a weekend treat if anything else. I'm fairly busy throughout the week anyway so no need to put a ridiculous amount of expenditure into it.

I'll make sure to get those pipe cleaners.

 

[karam]

It’s a rabbit hole. I started with one pipe, a Savinelli 106 straight billiard, still use it nearly 15 years later as it’s a great pipe. Then came a gift of a Savinelli 603 bent billiard. Then an uncle gave me 3 Savinelli seconds he used 20+ years ago. Then i got three pipes off an auction, one broke, the other two I don’t like anymore. Then I found a nice 1960s Savinelli Grand Prix and a Rossi for a very good price at a fleamarket. Then I got a Peterson 120 army ‘cause I wanted a pipe with an army mount. Then I got an Altinay as I wanted a meer. Before that 2 cobs from Missouri Meerschaum. Then a Savinelli 904 new, and one more off ebay at a great price as I love that shape. Now waiting on another 9 pipes from an estate auction. Also talking to a carver for a bespoke pipe of my own design. Made 3 pipes myself from hobby blocks. Also after a bulldog shape… this is over the last 3-4 years, my first 10 years were with two pipes and smoking a single blend (Dunhill Nightcap). Should say there are several kilos of tobacco in my drawers, and have smoked over 60 blends last time I checked. Bear in mind that both in terms of numbers, quantities and costs these are rookie number compared with a lot of people here. It adds up, it’s all fun, there is no right or wrong!

 

[reloader]

Welcome from New Mexico.

 

[FurCoat]

I've been thoroughly interested in Scandinavian pipes, since the majority of my heritage is Swedish/Norwegian.
Though I haven't found many Swedish pipe options online. Perhaps I need to keep looking.

I'm a Spaniard. Not many options there either.

 

[OzPiper]

Very assuring, thankyou. I might get 3?
I simply want to make this a weekend treat if anything else. I'm fairly busy throughout the week anyway so no need to put a ridiculous amount of expenditure into it.

I am a weekend smoker.
Except when I have a day off work or when I'm on holidays.
I average 4 bowls most weeks

That did not stop me from accumulating a ridiculous number of pipes (relative to my smoking needs).
PAD and TAD does not respond to rational thinking

 

[OzPiper]

I'm a Spaniard. Not many options there either.

Even slimmer in the Land of Oz !
There are a few cigar shops in Sydney, with a very poor smattering of pipes. Absolutely NO dedicated pipe store. ?
Melbourne is slightly better served.

Thank goodness for the internet and online sales.

 

[dctune]

Welcome from Central KY. In “pipe world,” there’s a lot of advice, mainly bc we all enjoy the gentle art of pipe smoking so much. But here’s one nugget of wisdom I’ll pass on to you: don’t overthink it. You’re literally just buying a container in which to stuff dried leaves, light them on fire, and taste the smoke. It’s real easy to overthink pipe smoking. And the time for thinking it through more thoroughly will eventually come for anyone who ends up sticking with it. But to start out, just buy a serviceable pipe, a tobacco you think smells good, and light it up. Just like millions have done before.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I've been thoroughly interested in Scandinavian pipes, since the majority of my heritage is Swedish/Norwegian.
Though I haven't found many Swedish pipe options online. Perhaps I need to keep looking.

I'm a Spaniard. Not many options there either.

Pipe Brands / Makers - Pipedia

pipedia.org

 

[Sgetz]

Welcome from Durham in the UK