Post-first-bowl thoughts

[Zerozeddy]

I had my first piping experience on Friday, thought I'd share my analysis .

Got myself a corn cob pipe and a 5g tobacco sampler (Kendal Exclusiv) to keep initial costs down.

(Thought #1 - trying to do the 3-layer packing didn't seem to work tidily, not much room for 3rd pinch and fell out everywhere.)

While I would have preferred to be sitting in the garden, I had to smoke it while walking, and was very pleased to keep it going for 20-25 mins without relighting. However I still don't know if I'm doing it "properly", there seemed very little smoke to take in, and there was more flavour in the smoke from the bowl than in my mouth, and what I did get in my mouth tasted different. As I was walking and keeping it in my mouth I don't know if there was a constant breathing in whether I meant to or not. I guess more practice/experimenting will probably sort this out, but I'm giving myself 7 out of 10.

Holding the pipe in my mouth seemed to be better having the mouthpiece clenched between a few molars, rather than perpendicular to the teeth. Wasn't convinced that was right, but seemed most stable.

Having arrived at my destination I then realised I didn't know what to do with the thing! Put it in my pocket but feared it ruining my jacket with smells/residuals.

Questions:

• I don't really want a corn cob* but it's nice and light, so easy to handle in the mouth (mouthle?)... are wooden ones significantly heavier, if at all? Is weight ever a problem? (I also read that cobs are pretty easy to smoke, suggesting others aren't.)
• Are there risks involved with buying cheap used things, e.g. like this? Obviously a battered mouthpiece isn't too appealling either.
• Any of the above sound daft?

* because it's not curvy and shiny, but also not really suitable for being seen in public in north west London.

All the best!

Anyway, generally enjoyable and will plough on. My main concern is simply finding the time to do it properly.

 

[BingBong]

When it feel right, you're doing it right. Take your point about the cob, in London it does seem a tad foreign - I only smoke mine indoors.

Good briars for not too much money, Sarome. Have a look at Invicta, Molina and Dr. Plumb for fairly cheap but fine offerings too - I picked up two Invictas for £35 each recently in a sale, decent smokers.

 

[sardonicus87]

For what it's worth, taste comes from the nose (specifically the retronasal cavity), not the mouth. Tastes from the mouth beyond basic salty, sweet, tangy/bitter, umami, etc is illusory. When you eat a blueberry, the tartness of the taste comes from the mouth, the blueberry taste that makes it a blueberry as opposed to something else tart, comes from the nose. That's just how tasting works.

Don't try to "taste it in your mouth". Even without retrohaling, flavor particles will creep up the back to the back of your nose, you don't have to retrohale, but learning how to do that will help you to taste more/better.

And as to taste, especially if you're new to tobacco, but even if you come from cigars or vape or cigarettes, pipe tobacco has different compounds that give it a different flavor and your body has to learn to detect them. That comes from time and experience.

 

[Sig]

You will get the hang of it, just keep trying different packing methods and puffing cadence.
Briar pipes aren't necessarily BETTER than cobs, but can be a different experience. Most are heavier, but most aren't THAT much more.
Estate(used) pipes are extremely popular in the piping community. Probably half my pipes are Estates.
Mostly due to my love of old English pipe brands.....Comoys, GBD, Sassini...
But I smoke cobs many times a week.
Slow smoking will give you the best flavors. And in my opinion, walking while smoking is a more advanced thing. Sitting and deliberately puffing will give you a better experience. Once smoking a pipe becomes muscle memory, you can include activities. I personally only smoke while NOT walking. It's much more difficult to control your smoke intake and cadence while walking.
And don't put too much faith in the "proper" way to do things. What works for me may not work for you.
I'm at the point, a few decades in, that I just PUT tobacco in my pipe, use a Bic lighter, and use my finger as a tamper. But at first it can be fun to buy all the accessories and play around.
Possibly the most important thing is to find the right tobaccos for you. Don't let anyone discourage you from aromatics, they can smoke and taste great. The odd thing is that most people will suggest aromatics to start. But in my experience, aromatics are more reliant on proper techniques. If you over puff or don't pack well,aromatics taste horrible. In my experience they are for more advanced smokers, but not too difficult if you favor them.

 

[anotherbob]

I had my first piping experience on Friday, thought I'd share my analysis .

Got myself a corn cob pipe and a 5g tobacco sampler (Kendal Exclusiv) to keep initial costs down.

(Thought #1 - trying to do the 3-layer packing didn't seem to work tidily, not much room for 3rd pinch and fell out everywhere.)

While I would have preferred to be sitting in the garden, I had to smoke it while walking, and was very pleased to keep it going for 20-25 mins without relighting. However I still don't know if I'm doing it "properly", there seemed very little smoke to take in, and there was more flavour in the smoke from the bowl than in my mouth, and what I did get in my mouth tasted different. As I was walking and keeping it in my mouth I don't know if there was a constant breathing in whether I meant to or not. I guess more practice/experimenting will probably sort this out, but I'm giving myself 7 out of 10.

Holding the pipe in my mouth seemed to be better having the mouthpiece clenched between a few molars, rather than perpendicular to the teeth. Wasn't convinced that was right, but seemed most stable.

Having arrived at my destination I then realised I didn't know what to do with the thing! Put it in my pocket but feared it ruining my jacket with smells/residuals.

Questions:

• I don't really want a corn cob* but it's nice and light, so easy to handle in the mouth (mouthle?)... are wooden ones significantly heavier, if at all? Is weight ever a problem? (I also read that cobs are pretty easy to smoke, suggesting others aren't.)
• Are there risks involved with buying cheap used things, e.g. like this? Obviously a battered mouthpiece isn't too appealling either.
• Any of the above sound daft?

* because it's not curvy and shiny, but also not really suitable for being seen in public in north west London.

All the best!

Anyway, generally enjoyable and will plough on. My main concern is simply finding the time to do it properly.

So a this is a huge part of why this site exists.
Sounds like you've made a good start.
As far as risks are concered with buying a used pipe. Mostly they fit into the are you getting what they say they're selling. So at this point don't buy from e-bay but from a site that is dedicated to properly selling estates. Like Smokingpipes or pipestud. Places where you know they're not going to out right lie about what they're selling.

 

[dottlejockey]

Plenty of great estate briars (and meers) on the market in good condition -- or in some cases, unsmoked -- for very reasonable prices. Smaller straight briars, bent stems and nose warmer styles all make for great clenching, if that's how you prefer to smoke.
The packing and smoking cadence will work themselves out. Sounds like you're off to a good start.
Cheers and glad to have you around.

 

[Choatecav]

Congrats to you on your first "dip in the pool" with a pipe.
Just remember that unlike most everything else in this world today, piping is about slowing down, taking it easy and relaxing.
As @BingBong said above, when it feels right, you're doing it right.
Just experiment, slow down and enjoy the ride.

 

[Auxsender]

Keep smoking.
It literally takes practice for a few reasons.
First, you’ll need to understand and practice the mechanics of packing and smoking. There is a lot of both mechanical and chemical action and reaction happening inside a smoldering bowl. By practicing, you’ll begin to understand these dynamics and over time, should you choose to continue, master them.
Second, you’ll want to try as many tobaccos as you can to find what you love. Only way to do that is to smoke as many different brands and varietals as you can, again and again and again.

For me personally, I think a Missouri Meerschaum cob is a great way to start as they generally tend to be more forgiving of bad form than briars and they’re WAY less expensive.

Welcome to the hobby.

 

[Ryan]

One little thing, you said you kept it lit for 20-25 minutes. Nothing wrong with that, but don’t think of keeping it lit as your goal. There is nothing wrong with re-lighting. If you try too hard to keep it lit you can end up smoking too fast and losing out on some of the flavor. Enjoy!

 

[sardonicus87]

One little thing, you said you kept it lit for 20-25 minutes. Nothing wrong with that, but don’t think of keeping it lit as your goal. There is nothing wrong with re-lighting. If you try too hard to keep it lit you can end up smoking too fast and losing out on some of the flavor. Enjoy!

* Also increased risk of getting tongue bite by trying too hard/smoking too fast.

That's another bit of advice... don't fight it if it's not smoking easy, readjust if you need to—gently smack the open end of the bowl against your palm, stick a pick or pipe nail in to loosen the tobacco, run a pipe cleaner down the stem/shank, whatever.

 

[OzPiper]

I had my first piping experience on Friday, thought I'd share my analysis .


Questions:

• I don't really want a corn cob* but it's nice and light, so easy to handle in the mouth (mouthle?)... are wooden ones significantly heavier, if at all? Is weight ever a problem? (I also read that cobs are pretty easy to smoke, suggesting others aren't.)
• Are there risks involved with buying cheap used things, e.g. like this? Obviously a battered mouthpiece isn't too appealling either.

@Zerozeddy
Firstly, Welcome to the Forums

Re: weight of pipes
Sellers usually list the dimensions and weight of the pipes.
I tend to go for smaller pipes because they are much more comfortable to clench.
As I almost always smoke sitting down on the front verandah, holding a large, heavier pipe in hand is generally not an issue

Re: ease of smoking
There are a lot of cob lovers on the Forums.
One of the reasons often put forward is their ease of smoking and how forgiving cobs are

With all things, there is a learning curve.
I have pipes made from briar (the majority), morta, meerschaum (Turkish and African), olive wood, cherry wood, cobs (one), clay, porcelain and even ivory.
Yes there are differences, but in the end, they smoke much the same. Once you work out how to smoke them.

Re: estate pipes
Estate pipes are the only way to go if you want a pipe that is no longer in production.
It's also a way to buy expensive pipes at a significant discount over their new prices

I'll second the advice to buy from a reputable seller if you don't have any experience cleaning old pipes.

I note you are in London.
SmokingPipes EU and The Danish Pipe Shop are relatively close to you.
Otherwise Blue Room Briars and SmokingPipes (on the other side of the pond) have good selection of estate pipes across a wide price range.

EBay can be a crap shoot unless you know what to look for, and who the reputable vendors are.

I hope you stick around.
Ask as many questions as you like.
But most of all, enjoy

 

[Dshift]

I had my first piping experience on Friday, thought I'd share my analysis .

Got myself a corn cob pipe and a 5g tobacco sampler (Kendal Exclusiv) to keep initial costs down.

(Thought #1 - trying to do the 3-layer packing didn't seem to work tidily, not much room for 3rd pinch and fell out everywhere.)

While I would have preferred to be sitting in the garden, I had to smoke it while walking, and was very pleased to keep it going for 20-25 mins without relighting. However I still don't know if I'm doing it "properly", there seemed very little smoke to take in, and there was more flavour in the smoke from the bowl than in my mouth, and what I did get in my mouth tasted different. As I was walking and keeping it in my mouth I don't know if there was a constant breathing in whether I meant to or not. I guess more practice/experimenting will probably sort this out, but I'm giving myself 7 out of 10.

Holding the pipe in my mouth seemed to be better having the mouthpiece clenched between a few molars, rather than perpendicular to the teeth. Wasn't convinced that was right, but seemed most stable.

Having arrived at my destination I then realised I didn't know what to do with the thing! Put it in my pocket but feared it ruining my jacket with smells/residuals.

Questions:

• I don't really want a corn cob* but it's nice and light, so easy to handle in the mouth (mouthle?)... are wooden ones significantly heavier, if at all? Is weight ever a problem? (I also read that cobs are pretty easy to smoke, suggesting others aren't.)
• Are there risks involved with buying cheap used things, e.g. like this? Obviously a battered mouthpiece isn't too appealling either.
• Any of the above sound daft?

* because it's not curvy and shiny, but also not really suitable for being seen in public in north west London.

All the best!

Anyway, generally enjoyable and will plough on. My main concern is simply finding the time to do it properly.

I had the same experience when I first started and was generally very confused on how things should feel or taste - if was smoking a tobacco with peach aromas, how much peach was I supposed to taste for example. For me it all came to spending some time with the habit and trying to improve everything a little bit every time I lit a new bowl. Now I get a perfect smoke almost every single time, except sometimes when I am trying a new pipe or tobacco.
Packing and smoking techniques in my opinion are also very individual and you will figure them out on your own in no time. Don’t overthink them and just try different things that make sense to you - right now I put 0 thought in my tobacco packing but somehow my fingers know what to do, even if am switching between different cuts or moisture levels.

As for the pipe I think I can give you a great advice - get an estate pipe, nothing too expensive, but don’t just buy a random one, contact someone who has a lot of estate pipes and instead of you choosing a pipe for the looks, ask them to recommend you a couple of pipes. You will often see people talking about what I call “Unicorn pipes” - these are pipes that perform way out of their league. I am not going to get into the reasons why this happens, because I am also not sure. There are multiple theories, myths and legends, like Algerian Briar for example. I might have a couple of pipes like that and they all outperform 300€ dunhills for example for like a 6th of the price and they will also serve you for centuries.
Good luck and welcome

 

[Zerozeddy]

Thanks for all the advice, team. Much appreciated!

In the interim I've discovered that trying to smoke half a bowl is actually quite tricky, especially if you try to light it in a breeze.

 

[Morbius]

Sounds to me like you are off to a great start. If you want you may wish to read John Patton's Complete Corncob Primer. You can find it on the web. It is a fantastic source for a beginner - even if you wind up with a briar.

Best advice I can give you is to try many different kinds of tobacco to find what you like. You were right. The room note ( what others smell) is almost always different from what you taste when you smoke. (The aroma from the tin/pouch is something different again). To begin with try one ounce sample sizes of an English blend, an aromatic blend, a non-aromatic blend, and a VaPer. See which family you like most and then concentrate on finding its hidden gems. I have never been to London but you probably have access to some great tobacco shops. Ask them to help you find some blends to try. While you're at it, ask if they know of any pipe clubs in your area.

The one thing about pipers is that we are all interested in sharing what we know and learning new things from others about this hobby we love.

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[PiperCalvinist]

Cobs are great pipes - especially because they are very light! However, you can find briar pipes that are 1oz or less in weight, and at very affordable prices. Check out Ropp & Rossi. Those are very good pipes for their price.