Hello all. Decided to end a few weeks of lurking by signing up with some questions! Am currently based in Seoul, South Korea, but have some access to a small selection of both American and European tobaccos at nearby tobacco shop.
Pipe background: Got two pipes to start off. A basic MM corb cob (around $10 in Korean money) and a Lorenzo Spitfire filtro briar (around $35), which came with a dark lining in the bowl. Didn't want to splash out much more in case hobby doesn't match expectations.
Tobacco background: Previous occasional cigarette smoker (usually when drinking too much to think better) and occasional cigar smoker. Prefer not to inhale. First pipe experience was with a No. 55 Astley's Elizabethan. Put in the Lorenzo briar and packed according to youtube instructions. Didn't really enjoy, seemed to taste much more like a cigarette than a cigar and had issues keeping lit. Decided pipes weren't for me and threw away the tobacco but decided to keep the pipe for a souvenir/display! BUT, a couple of weeks later, decided I didn't want to be put off that easily. Got the MM corn cob and stuck some Captain Black Royal in it. Much better packing and lighting and found the whole experience more interesting/even exciting. But this tobacco was a little nauseating, felt like I wanted to get away from the sickly sweet aroma. Didn't hate the aroma but just a little sickly. Now corn cob stinks of Captain Black. Went back to tobacco shop and decided to try something totally different, went for Dunhill Early Morning Pipe. Wasn't crazy about smell on opening, a little like Laphroaig whisky (which I quite like but prefer other Scotch types). Taste was much better than smell, however, and none of the sickly sweetness of Captain Black Royal.
Questions:
1. What tobacco do you recommend I try next based on experience above? I am curious about all varieties and don't want to write any off, even aromatics despite finding Captain Black Royal sickly sweet.
2. Do I need to only use my corn cob for aromatics now or could an English blend or Virginia go in there and overcome the aromatic ghost in time?
3. I have used filters so far. Paper Medico with corn cob and Dr Perl with briar. They don't seem to hurt the experience but I don't know much better. Get decent flow of smoke and filters pick up oils and minor debris. Any thoughts on whether I should drop the filters? I am not keen on hurting my tongue and like the idea of filters protecting mouth from at least some toxins.
4. Not felt anything I would describe as tongue bite yet. But perhaps end of tongue feels a little rough after smoking, a bit like if I was rubbing my teeth too much. In fact it may just be from rubbing my teeth as I have a crown that's not fitting well. Is it normal though when starting to feel some sensation that's not painful or burning but just a very slight tingle or something?
5. If I am midway through bowl and don't want to finish it, how long can I leave the pipe before lighting again? At what point should I just tip it out? I found that I really like the first 10-15 minutes but then could do with a little break. Or maybe I only have time for 15 minutes before going back to work, for example.
6. I love the look of long pipes. Any recommendations that would use a filter that won't break bank?
7. Is there a good sweetspot for smoking pipes that provides pleasure/relaxation without too many health risks? I know this is all individual and mass statistics can only inform us so far. But I want to feel good about keeping things in moderation because I am not doing this for nicotine (don't mind nicotine hit but never craved it) but rather for reasons that could perhaps be best described in poetry.
Thank you in advance. Can't think of any more questions! It's such a nice community here, thanks for your time!
Pipe background: Got two pipes to start off. A basic MM corb cob (around $10 in Korean money) and a Lorenzo Spitfire filtro briar (around $35), which came with a dark lining in the bowl. Didn't want to splash out much more in case hobby doesn't match expectations.
Tobacco background: Previous occasional cigarette smoker (usually when drinking too much to think better) and occasional cigar smoker. Prefer not to inhale. First pipe experience was with a No. 55 Astley's Elizabethan. Put in the Lorenzo briar and packed according to youtube instructions. Didn't really enjoy, seemed to taste much more like a cigarette than a cigar and had issues keeping lit. Decided pipes weren't for me and threw away the tobacco but decided to keep the pipe for a souvenir/display! BUT, a couple of weeks later, decided I didn't want to be put off that easily. Got the MM corn cob and stuck some Captain Black Royal in it. Much better packing and lighting and found the whole experience more interesting/even exciting. But this tobacco was a little nauseating, felt like I wanted to get away from the sickly sweet aroma. Didn't hate the aroma but just a little sickly. Now corn cob stinks of Captain Black. Went back to tobacco shop and decided to try something totally different, went for Dunhill Early Morning Pipe. Wasn't crazy about smell on opening, a little like Laphroaig whisky (which I quite like but prefer other Scotch types). Taste was much better than smell, however, and none of the sickly sweetness of Captain Black Royal.
Questions:
1. What tobacco do you recommend I try next based on experience above? I am curious about all varieties and don't want to write any off, even aromatics despite finding Captain Black Royal sickly sweet.
2. Do I need to only use my corn cob for aromatics now or could an English blend or Virginia go in there and overcome the aromatic ghost in time?
3. I have used filters so far. Paper Medico with corn cob and Dr Perl with briar. They don't seem to hurt the experience but I don't know much better. Get decent flow of smoke and filters pick up oils and minor debris. Any thoughts on whether I should drop the filters? I am not keen on hurting my tongue and like the idea of filters protecting mouth from at least some toxins.
4. Not felt anything I would describe as tongue bite yet. But perhaps end of tongue feels a little rough after smoking, a bit like if I was rubbing my teeth too much. In fact it may just be from rubbing my teeth as I have a crown that's not fitting well. Is it normal though when starting to feel some sensation that's not painful or burning but just a very slight tingle or something?
5. If I am midway through bowl and don't want to finish it, how long can I leave the pipe before lighting again? At what point should I just tip it out? I found that I really like the first 10-15 minutes but then could do with a little break. Or maybe I only have time for 15 minutes before going back to work, for example.
6. I love the look of long pipes. Any recommendations that would use a filter that won't break bank?
7. Is there a good sweetspot for smoking pipes that provides pleasure/relaxation without too many health risks? I know this is all individual and mass statistics can only inform us so far. But I want to feel good about keeping things in moderation because I am not doing this for nicotine (don't mind nicotine hit but never craved it) but rather for reasons that could perhaps be best described in poetry.
Thank you in advance. Can't think of any more questions! It's such a nice community here, thanks for your time!