Non-tobacco Herbal Blends - Does the bowl wood matter?

[sebdhaese]

Hi,
I'm new here and also to pipe smoking. I'm looking for a pipe to smoke non-tobacco herbal blends based on damiana, mullein and raspberry leaf, but I'm not sure if I should spend any money on a briar pipe or if a cherry pipe would be just as good for that? I will be most likely smoking different blends from the same pipe. I know briar is better, because it soaks up the moisture from the tobacco, which matures and flavors the pipe better. But would that come into play in my situation?

 

[davet]

 

[didimauw]

Glass works nicely too...but we aren't that kind of forum here... :crazy:

 

[aimlesswanderer]

Greetings sebdhaese, this forum is very tobacco-centric, and I'm not sure anyone here will have the answer for you. I have no idea how hot or wet these herbs tend to burn, and therefore how torturous they would be to briar or hardwoods. If you're wanting to smoke a herbal mix without looking like a stoner, maybe a meer lined pipe would be something to try.

 

[sebdhaese]

I'm not talking about anything like weed or any of that kind of herbs. Damiana, mullein and raspberry leaf herbal blends are closer to tobacco in taste and use. They are about taste, not about getting any mental effects. And they are completely legal to.
Let me rephrase the question:

Are briar bowls any better than cherry wood bowls, if you smoke different blends (tobacco or herbal) with the same pipe?

 

[davet]

Off-topic, E-cig, Hookah Posts, Marijuana, etc.
7. Discussion of electronic cigarettes, or any other electronic nicotine delivery device is forbidden. Posts regarding marijuana or other drugs are not allowed. These items have NOTHING to do whatsoever with the true pipe smoking experience. If you want to talk about these items, you are in the wrong place. That goes for Hookah too. Hookahs are the wine coolers of the tobacco world, and they also have nothing to do with the true tobacco pipe smoking experience. Again, if you want to discuss them, please find another website to do so.

Kinda sums it up, you may want to smoke belly button lint but this isn't the forum for that either :mrgreen:

 

[sebdhaese]

Update: Herbal blends burn at same or lower temperatures than tobacco. The wetness of the blends is controlled by spraying them with honey water when they are prepared.
I know most people here use only tobacco, but I can hardly find any information about this elsewhere. I do know that usually wooden pipes are used because of the better taste.

 

[mayfair70]

The wood doesn't really matter when smoking those herbs. Cherry wood is fine. They will burn much hotter than tobacco. Coltsfoot makes a nice addition to that mix. I'm not fond of Damiana, but it has been a long time since I have smoked it. Those herbs are worth mixing with tobacco for different flavors and medicinal effects. How much it is worth to you I have no idea. They are VERY old traditional tobacco substitutes and will extend your tobacco supply when in peril or feeling adventurous. Since Motzek Strang uses blackberry leaves, I wouldn't scoff too hard ladies and gentlemen. Raspberry will dry your mouth out like chewing cotton and chronic use can cause kidney stones. Might as well mix them with a good Burley or Virginia, or both. Good luck. :P
edit: Never used honey water. Hmmmm. In my experience they burn hotter and faster, but they were well dried.

 

[ttakata73]

I doubt anyone can give definite answers but the consensus is a Meerschaum pipe can handle high heat and imparts no weird flavors.

Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipes are neutral flavor and smoke well too.

Briar wood pipes are the best of all woods for smoking because they can take heat well, other fruit woods get hotter or burn out faster.

Some people say rosewood is dangerous to smoke out of .

 

[sebdhaese]

Off-topic, E-cig, Hookah Posts, Marijuana, etc.

7. Discussion of electronic cigarettes, or any other electronic nicotine delivery device is forbidden. Posts regarding marijuana or other drugs are not allowed. These items have NOTHING to do whatsoever with the true pipe smoking experience. If you want to talk about these items, you are in the wrong place. That goes for Hookah too. Hookahs are the wine coolers of the tobacco world, and they also have nothing to do with the true tobacco pipe smoking experience. Again, if you want to discuss them, please find another website to do so.

Kinda sums it up, you may want to smoke belly button lint but this isn't the forum for that either :mrgreen:

This has nothing to do with e-cigs, hookahs or drugs
Herbal blends are meant to be smoked like pipe tobaccos, they smoke very similar to. They just taste different and are somewhat healthier. And again they are made for taste not mental effects. They consist of everyday herbs, like thyme, sage, lavender, mint, nettle, chamomile, etc. They are basically smokable teas.

 

[warren]

I doubt the herbs you speak of would be any healthier to smoke than tobacco. The chemicals to be concerned with, when smoking, are the result of combustion and incineration.
And, yes, your herbs have "nothing to do whatsoever with the true pipe smoking experience." Ergo, your post is out of bounds, entertaining as it was.

 

[davet]

Ergo, your post is out of bounds, entertaining as it was.

I thought so too but apparently not, so I was told :roll:

 

[mayfair70]

I'm sorry Davet. I meant no disrespect. You and Warren are almost certainly correct. But when has the inappropriateness of a topic ever stopped me from prattling on.
Herbs, as a whole, are decidedly NOT safer to smoke than tobacco. Some are less deadly than others is all. As Warren points out, combustion itself is one of the main killers. Personally, I'm just interested in the herbal components of old tobacco blend recipes. I know Indigenous Americans smoked certain herbs alone, and in combination with tobacco. I would never (again) smoke thyme, sage, or lavender due to the harmful effects of the volatile oils on the lung's alveoli. Unless there is clear precedent, do NOT under any circumstances, smoke willy-nilly out of the spice/herb/tea rack. I've been a practicing herbalist for over thirty years. Do your extensive peer-reviewed research first, then make tea. You have been warned.

 

[mortonbriar]

Sebdhaese, you could try a clay pipe.

 

[weezell]

Sebdhaese, you could try a clay pipe.

AHA!!! There in lies the answer...

 

[mawnansmiff]

"Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipes are neutral flavor and smoke well too."
I would beg to differ on that point. My MM Mark Twain (bought three months ago) still imparts a certain sweetness to most blends I smoke in it. Am actually smoking it right now with some Condor Flake with no sweet taste but when I smoke 'lighter' blends in it there is a most definite sweetness there.
It's not unpleasant at all but it most certainly is there.
Regards your smoking 'herbal mixtures', I wonder, do you have some aversion to smoking tobacco proper?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[kanse]

One of Stalin's favorites was a Cherry pipe I believe.

 

[josephcross]

I feel like this was a troll post. It certainly was entertaining to read through the comments.

 

[toobfreak]

I seem to remember that damiana is supposed to make you horny, raspberry leaves gets the juices flowing and mullein lubes up the ol' plumbing! ::
Oh wait, that is if you take them orally, not sure when you smoke the stuff.

 

[crashthegrey]

Troll or no, appropriate or off topic, clay is the answer. Thanks for the amusing read...