Howdy, y'all -
I posted a short intro in the "new members" section, so I won't re-post that info. I'm fairly new to pipe smoking and I have a few questions.
First, I've been using Dr. Grabow pipes because they're inexpensive. But I've read comments about them being "cheap", that the quality has declined over the years, etc. Personally, and maybe because I'm not a real veteran pipe smoker, I find that they seem to smoke just fine. However, I did have an issue with the neck on the stem of one pipe breaking even though I wasn't treating the pipe roughly.
That is pretty much it. They're the only pipe I know of that I regularly hear of them having flaws. Also I just don't like their style personally. But they're serviceable and at the price point it really isn't a big deal if one breaks. Fun fact even the most expensive pipes can have duds too. In my opinion a good portion of what makes one pipe better then another is just how comfortable you are with it. If the stem is the wrong size and doesn't feel comfortable to you, the pipe won't smoke as well. The way I like putting it, is a good smoker (as far as a pipe) is one you don't have to fight with to get enjoyment. What makes it like that or not like that is a combination of the pipe and you. Though one fact is you will get more out of an o.k. pipe if you know how to smoke it well, then you will out of a magically perfect pipe smoked with poor technique.
I glued it back together and can still use the pipe, but from some of the comments I've seen the breakage may be attributable to "cheap plastic" rather than some more robust material.
Probably. And also sometimes things just break as well.
Packing the pipe - I can't seem to find a consistent sweet spot. I've tried three-layer and two-layer packing, and just simply filling the bowl and packing until it is full. Sometimes I get a really pleasant smoke, other times I have to keep re-lighting, and on many occasions the bowl gets so hot that I almost need welder's gloves to hold it.
It is kind of weird how after a while it's the kind of thing that just happens. You just get a knack for it. Takes a while. Though one thing I wish I would have learned earlier. Is there is nothing wrong with dumping a pipe and repacking it.
The two best things I can say though is that too loose is easier to fix mid smoke then too tight. So it's better to pack to loosely and tamp it as you go. The other is to take a test draw each packing step. You might still have trouble getting that sweet spot but you'll be surprised how quickly you can tell if it's packed well or not before setting flame to tobacco. Also drier tobacco is more forgiving of an overly tight pack job then moister tobacco. But really the main thing is just getting the experience.
Pipes are pretty easy but a lot of getting it right is counter intuitive.
Finally, what differentiates a "cheap" pipe, as I have seen Dr. Grabow pipes called, from an "quality" one like Peterson or Dunhill?
Not that much and everything. Quality control is a big part. One thing to note is that if you look at the high end pipe advertising from back in the day they often clearly state that the thing that separates a good pipe from a great pipe is how nice it looks. It's a tool but it's also an accessory. In theory Dunhill is going to be pickier about if a piece goes to market or not. But really at the end of the day it's just a matter of what people are willing to pay. And there aren't any really hard and fast rules. Lots of pipe factories have different grades of pipes they charge more or less for and it really comes down to how nice the grain is (which is objective, but Grabow doesn't care what the grain looks like Dunhill does) and how many pits there are that need to be filled and how obvious those pits are. As far as how well they smoke again that's a personal thing and some people swear one smokes better then another and some swear they're all the same.
Is it just a matter of the materials and workmanship, or do the better pipes smoke better?
Open debate on that. But like I said the biggest factor in how well a pipe smokes is who is smoking it. I'll put it his way it's a tool. And a relatively simple tool at that. One screwdriver might be better then another but who is doing the driving matters more.
I've thought about getting a Peterson, but before I blow a couple of C notes on one I want to be sure that I'm getting something worth the money.
Personally I really do think my best smoking pipe is my Peterson System Spigot but frankly it's not a revelation or game changer. It's a slight thing. Wait until you're sure it is what you want, well at least that's my advice. And the thing is if you stick with this thing, you'll consider a few c notes to be not really all that much for a pipe that you can get years of constant use and enjoyment from. But even at that point it won't be this giant change that blows your mind. Though if you want a pipe that smokes easy and is more forgiving get a Falcon. They're a cheaper pipe and honestly I think they smoke great the gimmick works. It takes more work to burn your tongue with a Falcon then pretty much any other type of pipe. And they have a kind of quirky weird look that I sometimes find fun. Plus you can put a dry ring (small piece of pipe cleaner) or a little bit of cotton ball fluff in the humidome (the part under where the bowl screws on) and that will help cool the smoke without killing too much flavor. All that said if you really do like a pipe a lot it can be more fun to smoke. And a lot of times the pipe that just smokes great for you might as well be magic because it's one of those things that just seems to happen.
I would appreciate any input, comments or suggestions!
I will restate it cause I feel that strongly about it. Just getting more experience and honing your own smoking skills will do more then any particular pipe will to give you the perfect smoke. So just keep at and keep asking questions and keep trying things.
For me me personally the two things that helped the most was one learning that I personally like very dry tobacco, that's what smokes best for me. And that matches over lighters made a bigger difference to my enjoyment then any particular pipe ever has.
