Price Versus Perfection

[mso489]

How do you balance pipe tobacco price versus the perfection of the blend? I have a few favorite tobaccos

that I always want to have on hand, but several of these are relatively expensive. Other blends that are

less expensive offer some real pleasure, but they aren't tops. I find I often balance smoking the great

stuff with smoking the really good stuff. Below that, I try to just compost less good tobaccos. How do

you balance the good with the great, the moderately priced with the pricey? Does anyone smoke less

to smoke better? I doubt it, but that's would be one way to go. Just interested in how other pipe smokers

think about this. Granger can be a pretty nice evening bowl, but it isn't English Oriental, and it sure

isn't Dunhill 965. Also, there's the pleasure of variety, and everything can't be the favorite.

 

[cleidophoros]

If money and/or accessibility is a concern like me and say you smoke about 5-7 bowls a day like me; get a cheap, bulk blend you actually like to smoke but comes without any whistles or bells, just a real solid smoke like PS Balkan Supreme.

Smoke that 3-5 times a day and back it up with 2 bowls a day with more expensive stuff.

Viola!

 

[jgriff]

I think alot has to do with how often you smoke. If I smoked 15-20 bowls a day like the old codgers than I would be pretty price sensitive. As is, I get maybe 5-10 bowls in a good week so I am willing to smoke only the finest. I am only paying about 40 or 50 cents per bowl of Sam Gawaith or Esoterica so cutting back to a 20 cent per bowl bulk doesn't amount to a huge difference.

 

[cleidophoros]

Yeah the price doesn't matter much for me either; it's having to order tobacco from the other side of the pond.
No pipe tobacco is being imported into the country as far as I know so I can only buy aromatics under the counter, online sales are illegal and pretty much no one in EU will ship to me and if/when they do prices are about 10-15 euro a tin. Take into account the Euro-Dollar-TL exchange rate and taxes; EU prices are too expensive. So about 500gr bought from US including shipping costs almost half the price buying from EU and almost as the same buying aromatics here. I would rather get decent tobacco for half the price from US.
There is also a certain risk at the customs, tobacco being confiscated/returned to sender. Repeat postage fees do hurt.
All in all I have to be careful about what I am smoking.

 

[puffy]

Most of what I smoke is bulk I buy it in 5 pound bags.I go through about a pound a month.I also smoke some tin tobacco along.These days though I need to research price.Most tin tobacco if figured by the pound is about 80 bucks or more.

 

[gray4lines]

Here's my advice... if you don't like it, don't waste your money! No point in smoking something just because it's cheap. I think many fantastic blends can be found at affordable prices, though. If you really like a "top shelf" blend, then buy it and stock up as much as you can!
Also, keep in mind what you like about the blend. Maybe you won't find a substitute, but you may just find another blend that you enjoy just as much on its own merits! Try abunch of stuff that sounds good to you!
If someone only enjoys "high dollar" blends, then I'd question their palet! Expensive doesn't always mean it will be a fit for you.
I have found blends (and cigars) that I enjoy at every price point, and I can't say that at a given moment I'd prefer a top shelf smoke over a solid, affordable standby.

 

[withnail]

I guess one advantage of living in the UK is that all blends are expensive. There is probably less than 10% difference between expensive and cheap blends.
I'd rather smoke fewer bowls of something I really like than have a huge supply of an ok blend.

 

[olewaylon]

I will try several baccys that are cheaper along with my staples on every order. i wont order again if I think it lacks the enjoyment that more expensive tobacco is. Im very glad i tried PS Luxury Navy flake. it will compete with many more expensive flake and just over $2 an ounce

 

[cigrmaster]

I just figured out the cost of a bowl of SG Best Brown flake if bought from JRcigars at 8.95 a tin to be .72 cents for a 4 gram bowl which is a good sized group 5 pipe. Now if you compare it to a bulk blend like Luxury Bullseye at 37.59 a pound the cost is .33 cents per bowl at 4 grams a bowl. So depending on how many bowls per day you can save .39 cents per bowl. If you smoke 4 bowls a day you can save 1.56 a day. That is less than the price of a cup of coffee if you are buying coffee out. So if you drink coffee at home you can smoke more expensive tobacco.

 

[hfearly]

Well what's the true difference in price?
Say PS Balkan Supreme Bulk vs. Dunhill 965 in 16oz Quantities.

PS BS 16oz = 32$

Dunhill 965 16oz = 52.50$
2 oz is on average enough for 25 bowls. so 16 oz = 200 bowls. So a 20.50$ difference in 200 bowls, or 10 cents per bowl. At 4 bowls per day, that's about 149.65 bucks per year. Do the math for your own blends and see if what you get in the end is worth the better experience ;-)

 

[uberam3rica]

I smoke what I like, and don't worry to much about the price. I enjoy a blend significantly more then a blend priced less, then it is worth it.