Newer Pipe Smoker Wants Thick Clouds

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The Clay King

(Formerly HalfDan)
Oct 2, 2018
6,362
60,606
42
Chesterfield, UK
www.youtube.com
I was watching one of your vids awhile ago where you're puffing like a freight train. I thought, "WTF?!!! His tongue must be made of leather!"

LOL
@TheIronMonkey When I go to the living history re-enactments I'd like to see how long I can make a clay pipe of baccy last; I got 15 minutes out of a clay bowl last weekend before it went out, as the baccy tends to if you leave it smouldering too long. And another thing; blowing out a candle extinguishes it - but doing the same with a pipe stokes the fire!
 

KaunThePiper

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 2, 2022
159
1,540
46
New England
www.instagram.com
Title edited for caps and brevity. —jpm

I'm sure other threads with that or similar titles have been posted before. I imagine you're thinking, "Another newb doesn't know how to use the search function on the forum." I hope the body of the post lends itself a bit more uniqueness.

TL;DR Newer pipe smoker returning to hobby after long hiatus looking for tobacco blend and/or pipe suggestion for thicker clouds of smoke with less tongue bite.

I posted in the new member introductions that I'm a former cigarette smoker, and pipe smoker returning to the hobby.

I'm also a cigar smoker, as well as enjoy hookah (when someone else does all the work).

One thing I didn't like about pipe smoking was the near constant tongue bite I got from trying to keep a bowl lit (instead of relighting as necessary), and my preference for thick clouds of smoke instead of thin whisps of smoke. As I do more research now, getting back in to the hobby, I've learned to properly pack my bowl (not perfected it yet, but I'm way better than 15 years ago), properly light it, and just go much slower.

But I do miss the thick clouds of smoke. I've gotten the impression through some of my research that there could be certain tobacco blends and pipe combinations that may lend itself to thick clouds without tongue bite. Pipes suggested are clay pipes and churchwardens. I've also heard clay pipes are MORE prone to smoking hot and having tongue bite, so that could be something I misunderstood, or just a one-off opinion contrary to the general consensus of the pipe smoking community. Churchwardens though seem to generally lend themselves to the long stem allowing the smoke more time to cool before reaching your mouth...

But Churchwardens are never listed as a suggested pipe for beginner smokers and I don't know why. They also seem exceedingly rare by comparison.

Suggestions? Thoughts?
As someone who vapes as well, I know what your looking for. But here's the deal with a pipe: The general method of producing more smoke requires more heat and oxygen. This Ultimately leads to tongue bite. I've learned that this desire for more smoke in the mouth consistently is counterproductive to the proper methodology of smoking a pipe. Learn to focus on the flavor in small "sips". Enjoy learning the "breath" method. With developing that technique you will no longer want big clouds. That said look for Burley blends. Carter Hall is amazing for producing more smoke, and rarely bites.
 
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AJL67

Lifer
May 26, 2022
5,491
28,121
Florida - Space Coast
Most really amazing Cuban cigars I’ve smoked, 25ths, 1992s, Dunhills, Davidoffs, etc., have always had more flavor and subtlety when “sipping” the cigar. If you’re smoking Diggers out in the golf course that might be different but seems any tobacco is going to be more flavorful and nuanced when taking it slow and easy.
 
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OverMountain

Lifer
Dec 5, 2021
1,403
4,994
NOVA
I’ve heard multiple people on here talk about the old timers that didn’t produce big clouds of smoke. Is keeping it low and cool really just the “breath” method?
 
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PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
5,238
30,884
Hawaii
Big Thick Clouds, is not what pipe smoking is about, and I personally don’t see any reasons or benefits to needing this.

Also as mentioned before, all this is going to do is lead to a hot pipe, hot smoke and a hot mouth/tongue, not fun, when it comes to Briar.

Pipe Smoking should be considered, more akin to like wine tasting.

You sip when you smoke a pipe, searching for the flavors/nuances in the smoke, that is the enjoyment of smoking a pipe.
 

renfield

Lifer
Oct 16, 2011
5,191
42,645
Kansas
Replace the sensory stimulus of seeing clouds of smoke with teasing out the flavors.

Close your eyes, relax and concentrate on the taste. Don’t do this if you smoke while driving.
 

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,179
15,025
The Arm of Orion
I too prefer big clouds of smoke: no smoke = no enjoyment of pipe smoking.

That's MY personal preference and I'm sticking to it. I think one of the "tenets" of pipe smoking is that people shouldn't tell you how to smoke your pipe. I've seen some smokers get all vexed over even the mere, vague impression that someone is telling them they're "not smoking right" and then they turn around and do the same when someone smokes or asks advice on how to smoke in a manner that is completely different from theirs. I'm like... :rolleyes:
 
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molst

Lurker
Sep 8, 2021
43
105
Sweden
"Big clouds" would probably quickly result in too much heat and rushing is a bad idea, but I have to add that it is perfectly possible to achieve a nice thick volume of smoke with most tobaccos at the right moisture level. So if you want that, don't give up!