Of Broken Pipes and Nicotine Kicks

[swilly]

So yesterday was my first time with the Radice pipe, which was also my first time with a filter-less pipe. Maybe I need the filter, maybe I don’t, but I know that I need to get used to it. This time also was my first time smoking through a bowl so thoroughly, and this bowl is the biggest I have. Towards the end, I suddenly felt the “nic-kick”. Dear god, it felt awful. I hated the feeling. Thankfully, it was about time for me to head to bed, but I still had a bunch of stuff to pack up – more time between me and hitting the sack. I headed out into the cold and my head cleared up a bit, but when I got back to my room, the feeling returned. I lied down in bed and fell asleep, a great relief. After this experience, I wonder, is pipe-smoking really for me? I consider myself an athlete, having swum for twelve years since I was eight, participating on the swim team, before and during high school and college. I’m also an avid road biker and runner and I enjoy triathlons. When I really think about it, smoking a pipe seems to completely go against my love for sports. A good long bike ride or run might serve the same relaxation purpose, and is healthier to boot…

Maybe I need to think more deeply about this. Heh, and I’m thinking all this AFTER I get a Radice. I guess this is my own issue and I need to really consider this based on my own values, but do you all have any input? Maybe I should meet up somewhere in the middle and do 3 bowls or so a week.

My “nic-kick” experience has me worrying about nicotine dependence too. Any good nicotine-low blends you guys recommend?

Oh, good news. Several days ago, when I picked out that Savinelli Tortuga 127 Rusticated, I was too excited to realize the crack in the shank. Well, they called me back today and said that they would replace it for me. Very nice! Of course, the doubting nature in me wonders if the pipe will be of same value, and if it isn’t (less), I’ll see if I can nab some free tins of tobacco P).

 

[mrlblackbird]

Well, I've smoked cigarettes for several years and I'm definitely what you'd call a heavy smoker, 20 years of age. If I'm being honest, yes, the cigarettes have got me addicted to nicotine, and have knackered my lungs.

In contrast, as a new pipe smoker, I find that when it comes to fulfilling my nicotine craving, a pipe just will not cut it when compared to a cigarette. I smoke my pipes for relaxation and pleasure. But I smoke cigarettes because they are the things which have caused the damage and addiction to me.
In my honest opinion, if you don't smoke cigarettes, there isn't much to worry about in terms of pipe smoking causing fatigue and addiction. But who knows, I could be wrong and it may just be because I'm so use to cigarettes. It could just be a case of worrying yourself needlessly :D

 

[chopz]

the boswell blends are low nic, as far as i can tell: http://www.boswellpipes.com/tobaccoblends.html
also i'm of the opinion cavendish blends are lower nicotine than the english blends and flakes i've tried. might be too much of a sweeping generalization. go to the tobacco review website and see what the nicotine strength ratings are for various blends and brands.
as a cigarette smoker who has cut his cig consumption down by 75% and counting, I've found some tobaccos too weak and some that can kick my ass.

 

[schmitzbitz]

Swilly; you can help to lessen the effects of the nicotine on your system by having a bite to eat before you sit down to a bowl, and keeping a drink on hand throughout. If you start to feel "funny", set the bowl down, eat a few crackers (or something lite) and you should be as right as rain in a few minutes. Of course, avoid blends like Peterson Irish Flake or Capt. Earles Ten Russians until you've built up a bit of a resistance.
As for the addictive qualities of nicotine, many pipe smokers can (and do) put down the briar for days on end without experiencing any withdrawls; picking it up only when they have time. The sheer number of people around here who smoke 1-7 bowls a week are evidence of this. Those of us who smoke a lot more (5+ bowls daily) are usually trying to compensate for a cigarette addiction...which, to echo mrlblackbird, is a whole different beast. This can be seen by looking at the effects of a cigarette vs. a pipe. With the former, the nicotine (and various other chemicals) act as a stimulant; while in the latter, the nicotine is presented as the depressant it actually is. Personally, I think that the addiction to cigs is a whole hell of alot more than a simple addiction to nicotine, otherwise every smoker here battling with sticks would have given them up the day they lit their first pipe.

 

[mrlblackbird]

trying to compensate for a cigarette addiction

You rang? :lol:
I think schmitzbitz and chopz have pretty much covered it I was basically ranting and raving about cigarettes, because let's face it, I reckon most of the cigarette smokers on this forum wished they'd been introduced to the pipe first. I love my pipe, but cigarettes still have an uncomfortable level of power over me.
Never smoke cigarettes :lol:

 

[judcole]

As a general rule, English blends are lower in nicotine. IIRC, perique is the highest, then burleys, then virginias,then latakia. A blend that seems high in nic to one smoker may not be to another.
I would just echo what some of the other folks said - don't smoke on an empty stomach, keep a glass of water at hand, and avoid the nic powerhouses. For me that would include Irish Flake and University Flake by Peterson, Navy Flake by MacBaren, and Briar Fox by C&D. All tasty blends, and all with too much nic for this cowboy. ::

 

[chestercopperpot]

I think with cigs it's the speed of nicotine delivery that makes them more addictive than pipes. Cigarettes cause peaks and crashes since you get a huge amount of nicotine transferred via the lungs in a 5 minute period of time, while a pipe will gradually raise your nicotine level over a period of 1/2 hour to 1 hour and then take that long to leave your system. Peaks and crashes cause anything to be more addictive, such as caffeine or refined carbohydrates like sugar or white flour products.

 

[loneredtree]

I am a active road biker also. So I do not see any contradiction with you taking up the pipe in moderation. I do not like the nic kick at all and have only experienced it 2 or three times.
You did not say what tobacco you were smoking. But here are small lists of Low and high nic effect toac that I am in the process of compiling. Also, look at the "stickies " at the top of the forum page and read the one on nicotine..tobacco basics.
Low nic kick
Mc Clelland Collector Series: Three Oaks Syrian

GL Pease: Union Square

W. O. Larsen Signature

H&H's Sweet & Savory (Oriental and Perique blend)

Lane's BCA and 1Q

Altadis Blue Note ? reviews not good

MB Vanilla Creme

Ferndown Mild Brown

Frog Morton
High N uptakeTobac

Escudo

Prince Albert. It would give me a "cigarette like" buzz, but is primarily Burley. For something a little sweet try Erinmore Mixture/ Flake.

Nic hit on the below kind of depends on how you smoke them, and the size of the bowl. Not all powerhouses but you will likely enjoy the flavors:

Mac Baren Navy Flake

Escudo Navy Deluxe - good Nic

Esoterica Dunbar

Gawith and Hoggarth Brown Irish XXX (rope) - don't drive while smoking

Benjamin Heartwell Signature Blend (silver lettering on tin)

Gawith and Hoggarth Dark Birdseye,

Samuel Gawith (SG) 1792,

SG 1792 or perhaps SG Kendal Flake.

G.l. Pease Haddos Delight

Esoterica Dorchester

Dunhill's used to really pack a punch too. Durbar, Three Year Matured and Night Cap

Sterlings 1776 Old Dominion

PS Balkan Supreme and McClelland 5110 - Dark English Full

Captain Earles Ten Russians, by Hermit Tobacco Works

Daughters & Ryan's Picayune

C&D Bayou Morning

Haddo's Delight

G&H Kendal Kentuck
Happy puffing.

 

[olderthandirt]

1st off swilly, big congrats on getting the Tundra replaced, woo-hoo!
You ask regarding lower-nic blends. What were you smoking that gave you such a negative dose? Be a lot easier to offer up suggestions if we knew what it was that did you in! (-:

 

[aussielass]

Fantastic thread guys, especially the list of baccies.
I went on Zyban (different name over there) to quit a 50+ a day cigarette habit (strongest nico available - 16's?)
Worked a treat, but life wasn't much without nico so 6 months later moved on to Cafe Creme Cigarellos and have inhaled 20-30 a day for the last 5 years - heavy cig smoking male friends have one, inhale & nearly pass out with headspin & nausea so I gather they're damn strong - our Govt doesn't allow printing mgs on anything anymore.
Do I hate being addicted? Abso-bloody-lutely, but after 38 years I've kind of resigned myself to the fact that it's totally screwed my inside's health and there's no going back - thank god the outside health is still ok.
I'm hoping the pipe will see me get off the cigarellos altogether - can't afford them anyways. Having said that, I was thinking I'd probably range between 5-8 bowls a day and, yes, I inhale heavily.
Would I start smoking any tobacco again if I was younger - no way on earth! Nico addiction is worse than any other and once it takes hold you're screwed. I can't even take a job that won't allow me to smoke as and when I need to.
A few bowls a week of a baccy you truly love, that's where you want to be if you love the pipe! IMO there's more harm in our city atmosphere, standing around a bushfire or drinking tap water than there is in a few bowls, and I doubt even the keenest sports person would damage their lungs from a few non-inhaling choofs a week.

 

[rigmedic1]

I get a nic hit off of everything C&D makes, lol. And some things don't bother me at all. Best to get some samplers, try many different blends, and find what works best for you. I smoke high nic blends in lil bitty pipes, and save the bigger bowls for Penzance!

 

[philip]

smoking a pipe seems to completely go against my love for sports.

swilly, smoking isn't a substitute for exercise, but most people need more than one way to relax. It's possible to do both. At my age I no longer consider myself an athlete, but I do need to stay in good shape for sailing. Today I spent an hour or so in the water cleaning my prop and putting on new zincs (and the water here is about 40 degrees), then I went for a vigorous walk in the park. My bowl of tobacco is the way I reward myself for doing what I needed to do. It's my day's dessert. Tobacco, wine, or anything else, moderation is the key.

 

[nbpiper]

So far in my limited smoking, the only blends that give me a nic-kick are nightcap (haven't smoked much after a bad kick on my 2nd bowl of it) and the 2 C&D blends I have tried (epiphany and haunted bookshop), both of which I can feel within 10 minutes of lighting. I've found that McClellands blends don't give me a kick. The previous post recomending either 3 Oaks Syrian or Frog Morton are spot on for low nic blends. Might want to try, as much as some may disagree, Captain Black. Only got a light head off CBW a few times and it wasn't that bad (unlike the burly blends).

 

[juni]

Cigarettes deliver the nicotine quicker, but I have found that a bowl lasts much much longer and am trying to train my body to adapt to the new delivery method. I think I could perhaps quit cigarettes completely if I only smoked high-nic tobaccos like Irish Flake and even University Flake. So far I mysteriously find a cig in my hand, without thinking about it.
I like the nick-kicks!

 

[swilly]

Dear lord, what an amazing wealth of information right here. Thanks so much for the input. Between the time that I wrote my first post on a word document and the time that I posted, I actually went onto tobacconist university to read up on some stuff. I learned quite a bit of stuff about nicotine and the addictive properties and was put slightly at ease, but by then it was actually 4 AM so I just threw up my initial write-up before making any edits because my questions for the most part still remained the same. Also, there is a possibility that

I was smoking a bowl of Dan Pipe 2000 by Dan Tobacco. Pretty good stuff, but yeah, I think it was too much for me. Before I finished the final half of the bowl, I was actually getting hungry and I went and bought me some food and water. I finished the snack, proceeded to finish the bowl, and then felt the nic-kick.
Here in China, cigarettes are almost a form of courtesy. Since most people smoke, it’s very, very common for someone to whip out a pack and offer a smoke. Initially I was told, before going to Beijing, that if you didn’t accept this cigarette, it was like saying “No, I don’t want to get to know you”. Well, after getting here, both cases are possible, where it’s okay to say no and where you might have to accept the cig. In my class, when I just got to know people, they might have offered me cigarettes, but I told them that I didn’t smoke and that they’d be wasting a cigarette and everything was fine. Maybe with some older generation Chinese, declining the smoke isn’t overlooked as easily…
I know that there is no way I’d start smoking something that requires you to inhale because, well, it has a huge effect on the lungs and I used to have asthma. After starting up swimming, that asthma has gone away, but in certain rare cases when a bunch of bad things line up, I get some wheezing. Cigarettes would just aggravate that so much more, not to mention I’m not a fan of the odor.
Once again, a huge thanks for the list and your nicotine experiences. I think I’ll have to scribble down all the recommended tobaccos for whenever I make future trips. Today I stopped by the shop to pick up the replacement pipe (a Sav Tortuga 128, and I actually prefer this one’s taper bit over the 127’s saddle bit). Of the brands I wrote down, the store I go to has only WO Larsen’s Signature. I passed up on getting any more tins because I still have quite some tobacco left (and I don’t smoke too often).
And now, to give the Dan Pipe 2000 another shot.
-Swilly

 

[hauntedmyst]

One of the things I did when dealing with nicotine was to look at it by comparison. One night after feeling some heavy nic kick, I decided to try something else. Unfortunately, I smoked some crack and WOW, that will make your nicotine addiction look like child's play! That one bowl of crack had me hooked like a fat guy at a buffet! After several successful muggings and car jackings to pay for more crack, I was caught and my time in county helped me get over it. Now when I feel the nic kick, I'm just thankful thats all it is.

 

[ejames]

I smoked cigarettes for almost 40 years. Went to the pipe as a possible means of escaping them-and it has worked for me. I started out smoking the pipe at night after work,cigs during the day. Weekends usually just the pipe. After a few months I shit canned the cigarettes. Still a nicotine addict,but I don't need as much,as often as I once did. I have a pipe going all day,but can put it down for hours without the cravings I once had for the nicotine.

 

[lonestar]

Unfortunately, I smoked some crack

WOW, I'm glad they caught you before it got out of hand. I'm scared of the kind of stuff you would write after a couple of rocks. :rofl:

 

[cortezattic]

lonestar, some of us think he's still out of hand. :lol:
As for the thread topic, Hearth & Home Sweet & Savory is relatively low in nicotine and has a prominent Oriental taste. Interesting to smoke.
BTW, haunted, what are you doing for a Halloween costume this year?

 

[hauntedmyst]

I'll be going as the odd suburban neighbor with a disproportionate amount of taxidermy around his house and yard whose neighbors say "he mostly kept to himself, but seemed a little strange" after his wife mysteriously disappears.