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gcm

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 10, 2023
150
2,849
Belgium, Flanders
I'd buy the maximum amount you can take back home with you. I would think you could bring 2 to 3 kg back with you which would be 40 to 60 tins. I'd buy at least another 100 and ship to myself and friends hoping some of it makes it through your customs. If your are taking a significant other or friend, max out how much they can carry back in the country.
Id do this if i knew what i liked, as a very very new person this doesn't seem wise.

Its only Germany, couple hours drive
 

Pooh-Bah

Can't Leave
Apr 21, 2023
436
4,468
32
Central Maryland
No, never heard of it - but I'm rather new into pipe smoking, so... Will look into it...
Heck, I hear there's two or three other brands of Semois - just Manil is the only one we can get very easily in the US.
You could be the Semois expert, and tell us all about how Some Other Guy has better Semois than Vincent Manil, and us Americans will just have to trust you and weep.

Semois, in my experience, is good stuff. Has about the consistency of that crispy brown packing paper. Flavor's sort of "floral cigar", is how I'd describe it.
 
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David C.

Lurker
Nov 27, 2024
12
25
51
Is there enough time for you to see if there is a pipe club meeting nearby before your trip? Attendees often bring many blends to smoke and share. You might be able to try some things out and get a better sense of what kinds of tobaccos you may want to stock up on based on an informed opinion rather than a blind guess on everything.
No, we probably are going this week, and combine it with some Christmas Market. Not sure there is a club in the area. Need to do some research on that...
 
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David C.

Lurker
Nov 27, 2024
12
25
51
Heck, I hear there's two or three other brands of Semois - just Manil is the only one we can get very easily in the US.
You could be the Semois expert, and tell us all about how Some Other Guy has better Semois than Vincent Manil, and us Americans will just have to trust you and weep.

Semois, in my experience, is good stuff. Has about the consistency of that crispy brown packing paper. Flavor's sort of "floral cigar", is how I'd describe it.
My father in law lives in the french part of the country. Will definitely do some research before/during our next visit...
 

Ahi Ka

Lurker
Feb 25, 2020
6,851
32,688
Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Go wild. Get 20 different blends. Just ensure you get a good variety of tobacco styles.

I don’t know where you are going, but if it’s to hüber, forget the 20 tins, just go deep on their golden flake or whatever it’s called. You might not like it but you will make most of us jealous.

Also, and yes you should try semois.
 

badbriar

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 17, 2012
812
1,476
Suncoast Florida by the Beach
Personally, I'd advise against 20 different blends. IMHO, there is a high likelihood that you will run into several that are not your preference and you will be stuck with some that you don't care for.
As for English and Scottish blends, lean towards the medium to stronger offerings. Mild English blends can be unsatisfying. You may wish to stick with a number of HU styles, as most have very good followings.

On another note, is it difficult for someone in the US to send pipe tobaccos to Belgium?
 
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Jan 28, 2018
14,044
158,259
67
Sarasota, FL
Id do this if i knew what i liked, as a very very new person this doesn't seem wise.

Its only Germany, couple hours drive
Reasonable. I recommend you buy 2 tins each of John Aylesbury Sir John's Flake Virginia, GLP Quiet Nights, GLP Westminster, GLP Montgomery, C&D Autumn Evening, C&D Bijou, C&D Opening Night ,C&D Pegasus, HU Asmara, HU Dockworker, HU Fayum Kake, HU Louisiana Broken and HU Nashville County.

If I knew everything that would be available, I might make a few different recommendations. What I listed will provide a reasonable cross section of different blends types. I didn't recommend any Mac Baren as their future is questionable. If there is any Fribourg & Treyer Cut Virginia Plug or Cut Virginia Blend, get 4 each. If you go to a Pfeifen Huber store, buy 500 gr of their house blend Gold Virginia Flake. I recently smoked a 30 plus year old tin of Richmond Medium Navy Cut I thought was quite good, grab a couple of tins of that.

Good luck and enjoy the journey. Look forward to reading your opinion on what you end up purchasing.
 

Zamora

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 15, 2023
532
1,414
Olympia, Washington
Since you live in EU I would recommend European pipe tobacco brands like HU, KOPP, John Aulesbury, MacBaren (owned now by Scandinavian tobacco group) and ofcourse Scandinavian tobacco group has lots of nice pipe tobaccos.
Can you order pipe tobacco from Germany?
Dan too. As for Kopp the Rattray's line is really good
 
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David C.

Lurker
Nov 27, 2024
12
25
51
Personally, I'd advise against 20 different blends. IMHO, there is a high likelihood that you will run into several that are not your preference and you will be stuck with some that you don't care for.
As for English and Scottish blends, lean towards the medium to stronger offerings. Mild English blends can be unsatisfying. You may wish to stick with a number of HU styles, as most have very good followings.

On another note, is it difficult for someone in the US to send pipe tobaccos to Belgium?
I'm not so much worried about not liking anything. As with cigars, I think I have had over 200 different ones, with just one that I didn't like. So, 90% end up usually in the 'ok, not bad' area, with a 10% that I really like, and stock boxes of.
I assume it will be somewhat similar with tobacco. And the ones I like less, I likely end up 'infusing' with rum or whiskey or something. I'll probably end up with most single tins, and a few doubles for now.

As for sending tobacco: Commercially, it's not allowed to send tobacco to Belgium, even from within the EU. Hence my trip to Germany. But on a personal, non-commercial level, I don't think there's a restriction.
 

David C.

Lurker
Nov 27, 2024
12
25
51
Reasonable. I recommend you buy 2 tins each of John Aylesbury Sir John's Flake Virginia, GLP Quiet Nights, GLP Westminster, GLP Montgomery, C&D Autumn Evening, C&D Bijou, C&D Opening Night ,C&D Pegasus, HU Asmara, HU Dockworker, HU Fayum Kake, HU Louisiana Broken and HU Nashville County.

If I knew everything that would be available, I might make a few different recommendations. What I listed will provide a reasonable cross section of different blends types. I didn't recommend any Mac Baren as their future is questionable. If there is any Fribourg & Treyer Cut Virginia Plug or Cut Virginia Blend, get 4 each. If you go to a Pfeifen Huber store, buy 500 gr of their house blend Gold Virginia Flake. I recently smoked a 30 plus year old tin of Richmond Medium Navy Cut I thought was quite good, grab a couple of tins of that.

Good luck and enjoy the journey. Look forward to reading your opinion on what you end up purchasing.
Lots of recommendations. Will put them on my list. Thanks!
 

MisterBadger

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 6, 2024
641
4,733
Ludlow, UK
Id do this if i knew what i liked, as a very very new person this doesn't seem wise.

Its only Germany, couple hours drive
Some UK retailers do 10-gram sample packs by mail order. I found this the most economical way of finding out what I did, and didn't, like. And I also use PfeifenShop in Germany for the MacBaren HH blernds that are no longer available here. Hope that helps.
 
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Brad H

Lurker
Dec 17, 2024
12
142
So I got a question and seeking advice.
I am not new to pipe and smoking. Nor new to many blends. But since Sutliff is going belly under I have been purchasing large quantities of tobacco.
My question is a 5 pound bag, should it be broken down into smaller bags if I don’t open the large 5 pound bag? The 1 pound bags I buy (Mac Baren) in their sealed bags I know are safe. The tins I know are safe unopened.
Trying to think of the best way to preserve the large 5 pound bags.
I was thinking vacuum sealing, but have never tried it. Open to ideas.
 
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gcm

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 10, 2023
150
2,849
Belgium, Flanders
Some UK retailers do 10-gram sample packs by mail order. I found this the most economical way of finding out what I did, and didn't, like. And I also use PfeifenShop in Germany for the MacBaren HH blernds that are no longer available here. Hope that helps.
Yes that would be handy, but they aren't legally allowed to do that here.

However im sending OP some samples soon as we're both from belgium!
 
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Ahi Ka

Lurker
Feb 25, 2020
6,851
32,688
Aotearoa (New Zealand)
So I got a question and seeking advice.
I am not new to pipe and smoking. Nor new to many blends. But since Sutliff is going belly under I have been purchasing large quantities of tobacco.
My question is a 5 pound bag, should it be broken down into smaller bags if I don’t open the large 5 pound bag? The 1 pound bags I buy (Mac Baren) in their sealed bags I know are safe. The tins I know are safe unopened.
Trying to think of the best way to preserve the large 5 pound bags.
I was thinking vacuum sealing, but have never tried it. Open to ideas.
I think the larger Sutliff’s factory bags are Mylar and will last the distance if they remain sealed - best check with @woodsroad or @Chasing Embers as I purchase in ziplocks whereas those guys are the big dogs
 
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woodsroad

Lifer
Oct 10, 2013
12,917
21,623
SE PA USA
The 1lb Sutliff bags are polyester (Mylar is a brand name for a polyester film), but not foil laminate. I would not recommend using them for long-term storage, but under good conditions, they could keep the contents viable for a year or longer.
 
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