Salutations gentlemen, I am a new pipe smoker and I have a predicament. I enjoy a Virginia tobacco in the morning and a heavy English/Latakia blend at night. As of yet, I only have 4 pipes; 2 Petersons and 2 L'anatras. Should I rotate them daily? Or maintain 2 separate rotations; 2 pipes for Virginia and 2 for English? Or should I just convince the misses to let me buy more pipes?! Any suggestions are appreciated.
Question on Pipe Rotating When Smoking Different Blends
- Thread starter rhys
- Start date
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If youre only smoking 2 bowls a day, I would say: Do all of the above.
You could dedicate 2 for VA, and 2 for English Blends. Smoke VA1 in the morning, then EB1 in the evening. The next day, its VA2 in the morning and EB2 in the evening. The next day, the rotation begins again. As long as you let it sit for 24 hours after a bowl, it should have plenty rest.
Of course if you think you can talk the missus into letting you buy more pipes, then go for it! I'm of the opinion that its easier to beg forgivness than to ask permission. YMMV
You could dedicate 2 for VA, and 2 for English Blends. Smoke VA1 in the morning, then EB1 in the evening. The next day, its VA2 in the morning and EB2 in the evening. The next day, the rotation begins again. As long as you let it sit for 24 hours after a bowl, it should have plenty rest.
Of course if you think you can talk the missus into letting you buy more pipes, then go for it! I'm of the opinion that its easier to beg forgivness than to ask permission. YMMV
I think there are taste advantages when dedicating specific pipes to specific types of blends. But that's not how I got started. When I started, I had maybe three or four pipes, just like you. And each one got whatever tobacco I happened to want to smoke at any given time. And it worked out fine. True, if you're smoking one bowl of Virginia in the morning and one bowl of English in the afternoon in the same pipe, you'll never really get to understand what the Virginia tastes like; your pipe will always have remnants of the English blend. (I think it takes at least 3 bowls of a new blend to smoke away the flavors of the previous one.) But unless you can buy more pipes, I think your pipes will give you more pleasure, for longer, if you smoked one pipe a day. Currently, you have enough pipes to do this for four days before you would start over again with the first pipe. Four days isn't really enough time for your pipes to dry out after a day's smoking. . . but I'm not sure what better options you have at the moment. And if you're only smoking two bowls a day in any one pipe, I don't think it will be that big a deal. (If you were smoking four or more bowls a day in the same pipe, then I'd definitely recommend giving each one a full week to dry out.)
In an ideal world -- at least, IMO -- you'd have at least 14 pipes: 7 for Virginias and 7 for English/latakia blends. And you would smoke a different one each day with its respective blend. This is how I've arranged my own pipe collection.
Bob
In an ideal world -- at least, IMO -- you'd have at least 14 pipes: 7 for Virginias and 7 for English/latakia blends. And you would smoke a different one each day with its respective blend. This is how I've arranged my own pipe collection.
Bob
I am the odd ball in the group. I smoke whatever baccy in whatever pipe, whenever I want. I have never dedicated a pipe to a baccy. It is a good idea, I just don't do it
Agree, dedicate some for Virginia and some for English blends...and you
could always add in some cobs and clays while taking the time
to build out your briars and Meers. I find myself reaching for a clay
when smoking Virginia blends, outstanding smokers
as well as Meers and you don't really have to rest them ;-)
could always add in some cobs and clays while taking the time
to build out your briars and Meers. I find myself reaching for a clay
when smoking Virginia blends, outstanding smokers
as well as Meers and you don't really have to rest them ;-)
Do both... rotate your pipes and I suggest dedicating specific pipes to your specific blends. Me thinks you may need more pipes. I have seventeen pipes in rotation for three specific blends that I smoke every day.
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I have a problem too. I didn't want to start a different thread (I'm not sure of the etiquette. I don't want to hijack this one, but I think it's related). I have 7 pipes. I smoke about 4 - 6 (Not very often 6, but it happens) bowls a day. I have one expensive Mauro Arminelli pipe that I smoke once a night. It's a big bowl so that's good. I don't know if it's best to use one or two pipes a day or each time I smoke use a different bowl. I really, really like every single pipe I own at this point and really want them to last. I've seen different theories on resting pipes and letting them dry. It keeps me up at night sometimes. I'm going to get more pipes but if I don't slow down my wife is gonna kill me. I've gotten back in to pipes in January and I don't really buy cheap pipes and can't stand cobs for some reason. I got a really cheap bad one that turned me off. Any help or advice would be really helpful to me as well. I use pipe cleaners on them after every smoke now to help dry em down a little faster but I don't want to damage my pipes...
I agree. I always swab out my pipe after a smoke and I also remove the pipe cleaner rather than leave it inside the pipe to allow it to air dry.
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I have always dedicated my pipes and find it works well for me.
I also let a pipe rest at lease 24 hours after each bowl smoked in it. I do not believe a pipe can dry properly if you do not rest it at least one day.
I also let a pipe rest at lease 24 hours after each bowl smoked in it. I do not believe a pipe can dry properly if you do not rest it at least one day.
I used to smoke aromatics and English's in the same pipes when I only had a few pipes. Now that I have about 16 pipes I have 8 briars that I use for English blends, 4 briars that I use for aromatic blends, and I have 3 corn cobs and a meerschaum that I smoke whatever in. I currently don't have a pipe dedicated to one particular blend but that could always change too.
As for letting a pipe rest for 24 hours, I don't believe in that. I've smoked the same pipe backed to back before, or once in the morning and later again in the evening, and sometimes I've even smoked the same pipe several days in a row. I've never had an issue. A friend of mine who is a pipe carver made himself a poker pipe and he's smoked it multiple times a day for over 340 straight days as he's testing the theory that you have to let a pipe rest. He disproves that theory every day.
As for letting a pipe rest for 24 hours, I don't believe in that. I've smoked the same pipe backed to back before, or once in the morning and later again in the evening, and sometimes I've even smoked the same pipe several days in a row. I've never had an issue. A friend of mine who is a pipe carver made himself a poker pipe and he's smoked it multiple times a day for over 340 straight days as he's testing the theory that you have to let a pipe rest. He disproves that theory every day.
Many years ago, I would only smoke one pipe and one blend all day and every day. Sour pipes were the indication to buy a new pipe. But, since I started smoking three blends and buying more expensive pipes, I treat them and myself, with more care and respect. I don't diagree with anything said above. I, too, will smoke one pipe several times per day with one blend, but only when on the go, making my preferred rotation inconvenient. But, then I give that pipe a rest for a few days. I no longer have sour pipe syndrom, ever. Rotating my pipes and dedicating specific pipes to a particular blend has greatly increased my smoking pleasure. My taste buds do not tire of a particular blend since I started this process. This works for me. I'll just add that if you tire of a favorite blend and pipe, just consider a fresh dry pipe and perhaps an alternative blend to spike your taste buds.
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Philosophically, I'm with nsfisher, I'm just not going to organize myself about which pipe goes with which tobacco. The visual and taste experience
is pretty subjective and aesthetic rather than logical. It's like too many rules about eating spoils the enjoyment of the food. However, over time,
I do tend to smoke English tobacco in medium bowls, Virginia in smaller bowls, and some of the Cavendish blends in really big bowls. Not invariably,
but by inclination. I've subconsciously come to an orderliness despite my desire not to. Since I have quite a few pipes by some standards (about 36)
they get a good rest between smokes. I've never had a ghost problem, or perhaps I simply don't have a cultivated palate. (I like wine very much
but I do not have the makings of a connoisseur.) However, if I started tasting ghosts, getting aromatics wafting around my good old English blends,
I might start lining up the pipes on the racks so I didn't have that going on. I guess I react to my experience, not a concept, about this.
is pretty subjective and aesthetic rather than logical. It's like too many rules about eating spoils the enjoyment of the food. However, over time,
I do tend to smoke English tobacco in medium bowls, Virginia in smaller bowls, and some of the Cavendish blends in really big bowls. Not invariably,
but by inclination. I've subconsciously come to an orderliness despite my desire not to. Since I have quite a few pipes by some standards (about 36)
they get a good rest between smokes. I've never had a ghost problem, or perhaps I simply don't have a cultivated palate. (I like wine very much
but I do not have the makings of a connoisseur.) However, if I started tasting ghosts, getting aromatics wafting around my good old English blends,
I might start lining up the pipes on the racks so I didn't have that going on. I guess I react to my experience, not a concept, about this.
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