Not gettng the cob...
- Thread starter ruscho
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I get burning there, and I've often wondered about what consequences it might have, but it doesn't seem to have wrecked anything. In the meantime, my cobs keep on smoking. Whether they smoke the same as the briar or not is immaterial to me; they provide a good smoke and I evaluate them on their own. If I lose one, it's not the end of the world, If I break one, I'm not out big bucks. Over the years they have proven to be a good investment, lasting a long while, and providing an excellent smoke under a variety of conditions.
ruscho, I have the perfect camping pipe for you. It is nice and heavy and can certainly take a beating, it should smoke your Nightcap just fine, plus the price is a bargain. Have a gander.
http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/rasmussen/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=141243
http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/rasmussen/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=141243
enjoyed cobs back in the aro days...the farther those days get behind me, the farther those cobs get from me...they still serve a good purpose at times...when I'm out on the boat fishing or piddling on the beach with the grandkids...other than that they rarely get used anymore.
I suppose I rode the 1q train just a bit too long.
I suppose I rode the 1q train just a bit too long.
I have several 150-200 dollar briars I got before trying cobs. I am dis-inclined to grab them now. To each his or her own, I suppose, but cobs give me a cooler, drier smoke than any of my briars do. Yes, there is that corn thing going for a few bowls but I find it nice with my VaPers. To be fair, though, I don't do the Latakia blends. Just don't get it. I suggest breaking it in with some Virginia or burley based blends for a few bowls, then try the lat again. One good thing, if you stay away from the goopy aros, cobs tend not to ghost!
I don't know if they ghost lats because I don't smoke lats. They don't ghost burleys, Virginias, VaPers or VaBurPers for sure. If you don't like them, cool. Just giving my experience. Smoke what you like! If cobs aren't your thing, cool!
I had the same problem when I tried to break in a Country Gentleman with my beloved JackKnife Plug. It didn't taste anything like the JKP I had come to love. Then after a few bowls, the strange flavour went away and I was left with one of the finest pipes I smoke, and one that give me the truest flavour of the JKP that I can get.
I find Patton's Stormfront is excellent for breaking in cobs before you put your deep-flavoured tobacco in it.
I find Patton's Stormfront is excellent for breaking in cobs before you put your deep-flavoured tobacco in it.
Regarding Mark Twain and his corn cob pipes...
"Twain reportedly hired 'a cheap man – a man who doesn’t amount to much, anyhow - who would be as well or better dead' to break in his cob pipes. In an 1892 interview with The Idler Magazine, Twain remarked, 'I never smoke a new corn-cob pipe. A new pipe irritates the throat. No corn-cob pipe is fit for anything until it has been used at least a fortnight.”' Twain would then replace the stem and commence enjoyment. It would seem that one reported benefit of smoking a corn-cob pipe – that they require no break-in period – was soundly rejected by Mr. Clemons." -from the blog, "The Noble Cob," at apasdionforpipes.com.
I'm sure many folks are well aware if these stories about Mark Twain, but this seemed an appropriate time to share.
Peace,
Bill
"Twain reportedly hired 'a cheap man – a man who doesn’t amount to much, anyhow - who would be as well or better dead' to break in his cob pipes. In an 1892 interview with The Idler Magazine, Twain remarked, 'I never smoke a new corn-cob pipe. A new pipe irritates the throat. No corn-cob pipe is fit for anything until it has been used at least a fortnight.”' Twain would then replace the stem and commence enjoyment. It would seem that one reported benefit of smoking a corn-cob pipe – that they require no break-in period – was soundly rejected by Mr. Clemons." -from the blog, "The Noble Cob," at apasdionforpipes.com.
I'm sure many folks are well aware if these stories about Mark Twain, but this seemed an appropriate time to share.
Peace,
Bill
That's just not true, brother. After 25 years of smoking both briars and cobs, I like them both
but would never give up my cobs. There are MANY veteran smokers on this forum who acknowledge
the superb smoking characteristics of cobs. I'm under the impression that you've been smoking
a pipe for just a short while and recommend giving it more time before passing judgement.
Cobs are lots of fun. I enjoy them for burleys - they just seem to fit with a burley forward blend. If it came down to a choice between an MM and a cheap briar - Dr Grabow, for example - I'd go with a cob every time. But I don't smoke lat-forward blends in them, and would not consider them anywhere near on a level with a decent briar.
I'm not sure about this. Many veteran smokers so far have voted against smoking Lats in cobs, which I hardly consider "superb" smoking characteristic. To me it sounds like a one trick pony. And I don't smoke burley heavy blends (although the way I've been mixing 5Bros lately, you'd think I do), so me and the cob probably won't be getting together anytime soon. And that's cool.
I would really like to know, however, why people have 10+ briars and 10+ cobs and smoke them all?
I can respect the price of the cob, as well as the historic significance aspect, but if you can afford a bunch of briar pipes, which will give you great smoking experience regardless the blend of tobacco, why own a bunch of cobs?
Crazyhog ... I actually just had a similar experience with a cob of mine.
It could be the heat / humidity conditions especially if it was inside a plastic bag with moist tobacco.
The cob is it's own beast and requires different techniques. The stems that come with them, while cheap,
offer the wide open draw which along with a firmer pack just seem to work best with cobs. I don't ever
want to imply that cobs are the same as or a replacement for decent briars, just another great smoking
alternative.
As far as Latakia blends ... only after the cob is really well used.
Last night I loaded up a Country Gent with Sterling Balkan and had a 2 hour perfect smoke.
The size / shape of that pipe is perfect for a complex Lat blend.
The ultimate goal is just to enjoy the experience and try new things.
Happy puffing and peace to all. :
:
It could be the heat / humidity conditions especially if it was inside a plastic bag with moist tobacco.
The cob is it's own beast and requires different techniques. The stems that come with them, while cheap,
offer the wide open draw which along with a firmer pack just seem to work best with cobs. I don't ever
want to imply that cobs are the same as or a replacement for decent briars, just another great smoking
alternative.
As far as Latakia blends ... only after the cob is really well used.
Last night I loaded up a Country Gent with Sterling Balkan and had a 2 hour perfect smoke.
The size / shape of that pipe is perfect for a complex Lat blend.
The ultimate goal is just to enjoy the experience and try new things.
Happy puffing and peace to all. :
:
My first was a cob, and I didn't know what I was expecting, im glad I stuck it out and broke the baby in.
Im sure if I smoked a brair that had been broken in first with a good blend, I would have never ever gone to a corncob- they are different, and they just take patience in different areas.
Im sure if I smoked a brair that had been broken in first with a good blend, I would have never ever gone to a corncob- they are different, and they just take patience in different areas.
No shame in not loving cobs. I'm not a huge cob fan myself. I find they always burn hotter than any other sort of pipe. They're all pretty small in terms of bowl size which I find frustrating. The wide bore with the positioning above the bottom of the bowl can leave dottle behind, result in ashes in your mouth unless you go with a filter which has problems of it's own. And they definitely impart a distinct cobby flavor to the smoke.
I have one cob I really like -- it's a nearly 30 year old H&B -- and I love it particularly with certain tobaccos -- a VaPer flake like Escudo is a dream in it. I also like Semois in a cob -- you need to pack the Semois tight as a drum anyway, and I don't want it ghosting my briars.
I have a handful of cobs and they get use -- they're cheap, easily replaceable, easily portable without worry. But aside from Escudo in that one old H&B not of 'em are my first choice.
I have one cob I really like -- it's a nearly 30 year old H&B -- and I love it particularly with certain tobaccos -- a VaPer flake like Escudo is a dream in it. I also like Semois in a cob -- you need to pack the Semois tight as a drum anyway, and I don't want it ghosting my briars.
I have a handful of cobs and they get use -- they're cheap, easily replaceable, easily portable without worry. But aside from Escudo in that one old H&B not of 'em are my first choice.
Cobs are a great "learning" pipe. In order to get the best smoke out of it, you have to smoke it real slow. They do tend to get hot if your not careful. If you have a problem with puffing to fast and hard on a briar, then go to a cob, if for nothing more than the practice. However, don't be surprised that while you are working on a slower method of smoking, you discover that maybe you do like the pipe after all.
Is a cob my go to pipe? Sometimes. If I am sitting out in the yard enjoying the day, I'll grab a cob. Same if I am fishing, mowing the lawn etc. For being made out of a cob, they are very durable, (and even if something happens to it, they are fairly inexpensive and easily replaced. (and a plus, if you drop it in the lake while fishing, the thing floats) If I am in the house, I will usually go with a briar.
After the first few smokes, the corn taste pretty much is gone and you can get the true taste of the tobacco. Never had a problem with ghosting, but then again I have a number of cobs. Some are used for VA's others Aros and so on.
I can sympathize with the taste changing on the tobacco, I had it happen myself. Not just with a cob though. In my case it usually tends to happen with the same pipe. I can smoke a blend during a warm summer day and then smoke the same blend out of the same pipe during the late fall and the taste is completely different. (Go figure)
I don't think that it's "kool-aid" if you get a cob, at least not any more than it would be if you got a Peterson, Dunhill, Ador or so on. It's just a pipe. And it isn't for everyone, but that doesn't make it good or bad. Choice is the one really great thing about this hobby. You don't have to like everything and yet there is still plenty enough to keep it worthwhile.
Is a cob my go to pipe? Sometimes. If I am sitting out in the yard enjoying the day, I'll grab a cob. Same if I am fishing, mowing the lawn etc. For being made out of a cob, they are very durable, (and even if something happens to it, they are fairly inexpensive and easily replaced. (and a plus, if you drop it in the lake while fishing, the thing floats) If I am in the house, I will usually go with a briar.
After the first few smokes, the corn taste pretty much is gone and you can get the true taste of the tobacco. Never had a problem with ghosting, but then again I have a number of cobs. Some are used for VA's others Aros and so on.
I can sympathize with the taste changing on the tobacco, I had it happen myself. Not just with a cob though. In my case it usually tends to happen with the same pipe. I can smoke a blend during a warm summer day and then smoke the same blend out of the same pipe during the late fall and the taste is completely different. (Go figure)
I don't think that it's "kool-aid" if you get a cob, at least not any more than it would be if you got a Peterson, Dunhill, Ador or so on. It's just a pipe. And it isn't for everyone, but that doesn't make it good or bad. Choice is the one really great thing about this hobby. You don't have to like everything and yet there is still plenty enough to keep it worthwhile.
I have one cob, which is my least used pipe. I only smoke Semois out of it now. The bowl is just too small, it smokes hot and it doesn't have anything on my briars.
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