Pipe Smell

[STP]

I was going through some of my grandfather's old pipes and came across a few that smelled great. The bowls had a fruity sweet aroma, which I was amazed that the scent was still present after 25+ years. I took a whiff of some of mine and they smell similar to a typically dirty ashtray... including the pipes that I use w/aromatic blends.

In search of this scent I purchased a bunch of OTC tobacco pouches, including Captain Black (White and Royal), Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic, Prince Albert, Carter Hall, Borkum Riff, etc., which were probably the brands that he would’ve smoked and were readily available, but no luck.

Any suggestions of what he might have been smoking that leaves a pleasant marker behind? Thanks

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Of course, it was Stanwell Melange

 

[J.GANDY]

Seems like you have all the normal otc blends. Possibly some of the match blends, HoW Field & Stream, maybe flying Dutchman, Lane ready rub.

If it were something latakia, the smell would be more obvious.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I suspect 25 years rest accounts for most of that.

As to your dirty pipes, a quick flush with very hot tap water can work wonders. Removes ash from the chamber and gunk from the airway.

 

[smokiespipesmoker123]

Doesn’t matter what I put through mine. I wipe the bowls out with a damp paper towel when done. They all smell the same. Resting pipe smell, aka awesomeness

 

[highwaycobbery]

Probably a Lakeland blend.

 

[olkofri]

My pipes smell fantastic after I've smoked Sillem's Black, MB Vanilla Creme, and Vauen Auenland in them.

Oh, and I'm sure that having no stinking cake at all helps.

 

[mikethompson]

You are asking the forum to pinpoint a blend based solely on a ghosted pipe, which unfortunately we can't do online yet.

Maybe smoke a bowl or two of each blend and see what matches up?

 

[saltedplug]

What time does to the remnants of incinerated tobacco is, I would think, completely indecipherable. If you do reproduce it, how can you be sure that the cause that effected it 25+ years ago is the same as the cause today? If you feel sure what would that do for you? I suppose that it might give you greater connection with your grandfather, but since he is long gone dead, wouldn't it be entirely virtual; that is, worthless?

 

[mikethompson]

I suppose that it might give you greater connection with your grandfather, but since he is long gone dead, wouldn't it be entirely virtual; that is, worthless

If anything could remind me of either of my grandfathers, I would not consider it worthless at all.

 

[Elric]

Probably a Lakeland blend.

He said his grandfather, not his grandmother!

 

[kcghost]

You could be in for a long and fruitless search but if you find it let us know.

 

[pappymac]

I consider myself lucky. My step-grandfather died in 1979 and I never knew what happened to his pipes and really never thought to ask. About 10 years ago, I was given two of his pipes. I asked my older sisters and one of my cousins, what tobacco he usually smoked and was told George Washington. Sadly, they stopped making it around 1974.

Then I found a 14 oz. tin on pipestud's page and bought it. I am slowly smoking it and each time I have a bowl I wonder why it was discontinued in favor of Prince Albert.

 

[olkofri]

I wonder why it was discontinued in favor of Prince Albert.

Maybe because it was made in England by loyalists? ?
?

 

[LOREN]

I suspect 25 years rest accounts for most of that.

As to your dirty pipes, a quick flush with very hot tap water can work wonders. Removes ash from the chamber and gunk from the airway.

I've heard that before. I don't know why for sure, but I'm kind of afraid to try that.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I've heard that before. I don't know why for sure, but I'm kind of afraid to try that.

As are a number of other folks. Don't worry, many stress tests have been performed on briars and Meers, to no ill effect. Plus, when you smoke the stummel is subject to higher water/steam temperature and for much longer periods than a 30 second flush.

 

[pappymac]

Maybe because it was made in England by loyalists? ?
?

Well, they were both made by R.J. Reynolds in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I just didn't know that R.J. Reynolds were loyalists.

 

[sumusfumus]

Those old, OTC aromatics that were faithfully smoked by most codgers back in grandpa's day usually leave behind better memories than their actual aromatic realities. Our easily fooled, imaginations, fill in all the rest. I will bet that if you could somehow sniff grandpa's pipes right after he smoked them...that familiar "ashtray" ghost would be present.

Sometimes, it's just better to remember things as you wish them to be.

****************************************************************************

If you want to prevent that "dirty ashtray" smell from stinking up your pipes.....twist a fresh piece of oily, juicy, orange peel into the bowl before resting the pipe. Twist that peel in tight- and leave it there overnight, or, for the pipe's resting period. After some time, the peel will dry out, shrink away from the bowl walls, and then it can be removed very easily. What lingers, is the prize. It will leave behind a great citrus-tobacco scent, but no ghost, as the aromatic citrus oils flash away as the pipe is smoked. Un-stinkify your pipes with a piece of peel.

I use citrus-peel in all my pipes. I HATE a rank pipe as much as I hate a filthy public-toilet. Both are repulsive and both assail my nose.

 

[timpiper]

Ive encountered a delicious mysterious aroma in old pipes before.

I have come to the conclusion its the deer tongue, coumarin or tonka bean that was used in a lot of the old blends. It has a unique complex sweet vanilla cinnamon coconut fruity aroma. Coumarin is the active ingredient in deer tounge and tonka bean, that gives the aroma and taste.

After smoking C&D’s Gentleman Caller (which contains deer tounge) in my cob pipe, the pipe developed that delicious sweet aroma.

In fact Ive read that tonka been is used in fragances that try to mimic the pipe tobacco aroma.

Another blend that gives the pipe that delicous sweet aroma is Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic blend. I swear it has coumarin or a synthetic replica in it.

-TimPiper

 

[BROBS]

Ive encountered a delicious mysterious aroma in old pipes before.

I have come to the conclusion its the deer tongue, coumarin or tonka bean that was used in a lot of the old blends. It has a unique complex sweet vanilla cinnamon coconut fruity aroma. Coumarin is the active ingredient in deer tounge and tonka bean, that gives the aroma and taste.

After smoking C&D’s Gentleman Caller (which contains deer tounge) in my cob pipe, the pipe developed that delicious sweet aroma.

In fact Ive read that tonka been is used in fragances that try to mimic the pipe tobacco aroma.

Another blend that gives the pipe that delicous sweet aroma is Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic blend. I swear it has coumarin or a synthetic replica in it.

-TimPiper

Exactly. What you are smelling in a pipe that old is likely one or two main components of the tobacco.. and some of those aren’t used anymore in OTC type tobaccos so it can be near impossible to “smoke what your grandpa smoked”.