Questions from a newbie
- Thread starter beerczar
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If you have a B&M that's the place to start. Let them know you're new and that you don't particularly care about a "perfect" pipe. My first pipe has a "blemish" on it that I still can't see (after 12 years) and I got it for half-off.
Also, I don't personally like filtered pipes (which is what the above pipe was). It's more stuff to buy and the filters soak up all the juice that gets made while smoking. They're gross and you don't learn how to smoke a non-filtered pipe (because you can just puff away without getting a mouthful of hot, nasty tobacco water). I smoke it without a filter, but the gap is a place where condensation builds up, so it causes problems. Learn to use those pipe cleaners mid-smoke.
Also, I don't personally like filtered pipes (which is what the above pipe was). It's more stuff to buy and the filters soak up all the juice that gets made while smoking. They're gross and you don't learn how to smoke a non-filtered pipe (because you can just puff away without getting a mouthful of hot, nasty tobacco water). I smoke it without a filter, but the gap is a place where condensation builds up, so it causes problems. Learn to use those pipe cleaners mid-smoke.
Okay guys. Your tips have been awesome!
I made my first purchase at lunch today at a B&M...The guy wasn't too helpful. I asked would this be everything a new guy needs, he said, "yup, you just need matches", (which he didn't offer to throw in for free). They didn't have much of a selection either. I went with a Meerschaum Corn Cob-Legend, a pouch of Captain Black-Red, a pack of pipe cleaners and a box of Medico filters.
Now what's the tips for starting. As my first post mentioned, I've never really smoked, never mind a pipe. Suggestions, (for me, more like instructions) on how to pack the first smoke.
Thanks in advance!!
I made my first purchase at lunch today at a B&M...The guy wasn't too helpful. I asked would this be everything a new guy needs, he said, "yup, you just need matches", (which he didn't offer to throw in for free). They didn't have much of a selection either. I went with a Meerschaum Corn Cob-Legend, a pouch of Captain Black-Red, a pack of pipe cleaners and a box of Medico filters.
Now what's the tips for starting. As my first post mentioned, I've never really smoked, never mind a pipe. Suggestions, (for me, more like instructions) on how to pack the first smoke.
Thanks in advance!!
You'll find that packing the pipe "properly" is the most difficult (and probably the most important) part of pipe smoking. You'll also find that there are a multitude of ways to go about it...(you can find quite a few videos on the web showing different ways).
This guys website has some pretty useful information and is not a bad place to start. He does a very good job of demonstrating the practical side behind the theory.
http://smokingpipetobacco.com/pipesmoking101intro/
Good luck and let us know how it works out.
This guys website has some pretty useful information and is not a bad place to start. He does a very good job of demonstrating the practical side behind the theory.
http://smokingpipetobacco.com/pipesmoking101intro/
Good luck and let us know how it works out.
Bob Tate's Pipe Smoking Tips is a practical introduction found right here at PipesMagazine.com
Browse through Bob's Blog for videos on packing, storage, tobacco reviews, and various other issues. It's the best single collection of info I've seen all in one place.
Browse through Bob's Blog for videos on packing, storage, tobacco reviews, and various other issues. It's the best single collection of info I've seen all in one place.
Check out Bob Tate's Blog, especially Pipe Smoking Tips. You'll find just about everything you need to know there. The blog has videos on packing methods too.
Beeczar sorry the B/M guy was a jerk must be related to Mike who owns the one nearest to my home .LOL I drive 35 miles out of way to a better one risking death and a parking meter fine , but it is worth it .
Beerczar, I hope you also got a tamper or pipe nail.
Check out my column, With Pipe and Pen, for some articles, videos, and tips for helping you get started.
Be sure to stick with it. Learning to properly fill/pack the bowl is the most painstaking part of learning how to smoke a pipe. Don't get discouraged and keep practicing.
Congrats on getting started!
Check out my column, With Pipe and Pen, for some articles, videos, and tips for helping you get started.
Be sure to stick with it. Learning to properly fill/pack the bowl is the most painstaking part of learning how to smoke a pipe. Don't get discouraged and keep practicing.
Congrats on getting started!
Welcome Beerczar,
You have received a lot of good advice from members of your new extended pipe smoking family, and so not to be left out here is mine.
I’m a little late, but I would have recommended that you consider purchasing a good estate pipe from a reputable dealer. An estate or used pipe might not have sounded too good to you but look at it this way, once the dealer has cleaned and sterilized it, you are purchasing a quality pipe at a less than new price that has been broken in already by someone else. Breaking in a new briar pipe can sometimes be daunting for a newbie. You see some of us began pipe smoking using one of our father’s of grandfather’s old pipes that been well smoked well before we first fired them up.
Regarding pipe tobacco, I see that several recommend Captain Black, which is a good option to start. If the tobacco is too wet and by that I mean sticky where it sticks to your fingers let the amount you plan on smoking be exposed to the air for a little while before packing your pipe. You want the tobacco moist enough that it clumps together between your fingers, but again not so wet that it sticks to your fingers. I would use the filters for several reasons most of them already mentioned, but you can form your own opinion.
Make sure you have lots of soft absorbent pipe cleaners… you’re going to need them and a tamper. If you’re like me you will be wet smoker at first. By that I mean that saliva will gather in the stem of your pipe as you smoke. It’s kind of like your first kiss it takes some time and a little practice to get it right. If your pipe starts to make a gurgling sound while you’re puffing on it just run a pipe cleaner down the stem until it just touches the tobacco at the bottom of the bowl it will soak up the saliva and then you can enjoy the rest of your smoke.
There are a few things you should never do… never light your pipe with a torch (cigar) lighter, their flame is too hot and will damage your pipe. Use matches or a soft flame butane lighter, a disposable Bic type lighter works great. Never remove the stem from your pipe while or just after smoking, let it cool down first. The expansion and contraction caused by the temperature change could lead to the pipe stem no longer fitting snugly. Lately never fire up a cold pipe, by that I mean one that is much colder than room temperature. I live in northern Ohio and nothing ruins a good pipe faster than living it in your car overnight during the winter mouths and then firing it up before it has had a chance to warm up naturally.
Enjoy your new hobby and again welcome to our group.
You have received a lot of good advice from members of your new extended pipe smoking family, and so not to be left out here is mine.
I’m a little late, but I would have recommended that you consider purchasing a good estate pipe from a reputable dealer. An estate or used pipe might not have sounded too good to you but look at it this way, once the dealer has cleaned and sterilized it, you are purchasing a quality pipe at a less than new price that has been broken in already by someone else. Breaking in a new briar pipe can sometimes be daunting for a newbie. You see some of us began pipe smoking using one of our father’s of grandfather’s old pipes that been well smoked well before we first fired them up.
Regarding pipe tobacco, I see that several recommend Captain Black, which is a good option to start. If the tobacco is too wet and by that I mean sticky where it sticks to your fingers let the amount you plan on smoking be exposed to the air for a little while before packing your pipe. You want the tobacco moist enough that it clumps together between your fingers, but again not so wet that it sticks to your fingers. I would use the filters for several reasons most of them already mentioned, but you can form your own opinion.
Make sure you have lots of soft absorbent pipe cleaners… you’re going to need them and a tamper. If you’re like me you will be wet smoker at first. By that I mean that saliva will gather in the stem of your pipe as you smoke. It’s kind of like your first kiss it takes some time and a little practice to get it right. If your pipe starts to make a gurgling sound while you’re puffing on it just run a pipe cleaner down the stem until it just touches the tobacco at the bottom of the bowl it will soak up the saliva and then you can enjoy the rest of your smoke.
There are a few things you should never do… never light your pipe with a torch (cigar) lighter, their flame is too hot and will damage your pipe. Use matches or a soft flame butane lighter, a disposable Bic type lighter works great. Never remove the stem from your pipe while or just after smoking, let it cool down first. The expansion and contraction caused by the temperature change could lead to the pipe stem no longer fitting snugly. Lately never fire up a cold pipe, by that I mean one that is much colder than room temperature. I live in northern Ohio and nothing ruins a good pipe faster than living it in your car overnight during the winter mouths and then firing it up before it has had a chance to warm up naturally.
Enjoy your new hobby and again welcome to our group.
Try a different B&M. The one that I frequent has semi-monthly "pipe nights" where they provide samples of tobaccos that they are highlighting, and glasses of port and sometimes combined with exhibitions of local artists (one of whom works at the store). They are an amazing social experience, with a room full of all ages all enjoying and discussing pipes.
I can't really give advice from my extensive experience since I am a newbie though I started some 20 years ago. I smoked my pipe for 2 years and put it down for another kind of smoke and now recently picked it back up again.
My first pipe was a Falcon briar bowl. It's strangely enough more expensive in the UK than in the US. In the US I think you can get them for $10 (UK they run around £26).
I love the pipe and switched bowl types (as the bowls are interchangeable) until I found the perfect fit for my hand. You can buy it with whatever bowl you like but I just wanted to try many types.
It smokes very nicely and is easy to clean and dry for the next smoke. I think its a good newbie/intermediate smokers pipe.
These days you can get the bowls Meerschaum lined but I like the plain briar best.
On the tobacco thing, I started with the Cherry Cavendish (from Walgreens) which I got loads of from a friend in the service and went to Black Cherry and Cherry & Vanilla. I am now exploring other tobaccos.
My first pipe was a Falcon briar bowl. It's strangely enough more expensive in the UK than in the US. In the US I think you can get them for $10 (UK they run around £26).
I love the pipe and switched bowl types (as the bowls are interchangeable) until I found the perfect fit for my hand. You can buy it with whatever bowl you like but I just wanted to try many types.
It smokes very nicely and is easy to clean and dry for the next smoke. I think its a good newbie/intermediate smokers pipe.
These days you can get the bowls Meerschaum lined but I like the plain briar best.
On the tobacco thing, I started with the Cherry Cavendish (from Walgreens) which I got loads of from a friend in the service and went to Black Cherry and Cherry & Vanilla. I am now exploring other tobaccos.
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