Hello all! Longtime cigar smoker here and I've decided I'd like to get into pipe smoking. I've literally never tried a pipe or known anyone who smoked one, but there's something about the simplicity and dignity of it that appeals to me. Given my ignorance, I'm looking for any and all advice for getting started. What sort of pipe is best for starters? What other equipment do I need? What are some common mistakes you made that I could avoid? I look forward to getting to know you all and I'll keep you posted on my progress. Thanks in advance for the wisdom!
So New I Haven't Even Started
- Thread starter jbchilders
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Welcome. Lots of good advice here. Look around the forum and do some google searching on topics of interest. More often than not you will find an old thread from this site that will help you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
I’d recommend starting with a Missouri meerschaum corn cob pipe and a mild English blend. Try to resist the urge to dive into aromatics right away before you develop the cadence to enjoy them. Most importantly, have fun
I’d recommend starting with a Missouri meerschaum corn cob pipe and a mild English blend. Try to resist the urge to dive into aromatics right away before you develop the cadence to enjoy them. Most importantly, have fun
A world of advice will come your way from Forums. We won't all agree, but it's all well-intended, and even contradictory advice is often useful. What you will notice right away is that a tin of tobacco, or two ounces of bulk, or a pouch or tub, will give you a lot more smokes per buck than what you spend on cigars. I certainly enjoy a good cigar, but once you discover pipes, they tend to predominate. Missouri Meerschaum cobs from Washington, Mo., near St. Louis, are pretty wonderful, and I especially like the ones that come with acrylic rather than plastic bits, even though they cost a little more. For starter briar pipes, starting out, I like to suggest Savenelli, Stanwell, Chacom, Nording, and BC, among so many good pipes. Welcome aboard!
All you need is a pipe, a czech pipe tool, a lighter (not a torch lighter) or matches, pipe cleaners, and tobacco.
As far as what pipe to get... get whatever is pleasing to you. It can be as inexpensive as a cob if you want to go that route. But for a first pipe, I wouldn't spend more than 150 dollars. Not when you can find great pipes at the cost or less. Ask any questions you might have here. Most members here are more than happy to weigh in when it comes to helping new pipe smokers. Welcome aboard and good luck :
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Jesse and others have given this great advice: Buy an ounce of the different "base" tobaccos such as Virginia, Burley, Dark Fired, Perique, Latakia, and some Orientals. Smoke them each separately to get an idea of their characteristics.
My starters, knowing what I think I know now, other than the above :
Sutliff Aromatic English - crossover blend
H&H Sweet & Smokey - crossover
Billy Budd - Cigar leaf with latakia
Escudo - Virginia with a bit of Perique
Greg L Pease - Oydessy - Latakia bomb
Seattle Pipe Club Potlatch - a mishmash but smooth smoke
Rattray's Exotic Orange - aromatic worth smoking
Carter Hall, Chatham Manor, Anglers Dream, etc. - Over the counter blends, take your pick, Burley forward, lightly topped
H&H Viprati - Virginia - Perique
Ennerdale - just because - Lake District
You can try any number of aromatics but many are not worth the matches to light them.
My starters, knowing what I think I know now, other than the above :
Sutliff Aromatic English - crossover blend
H&H Sweet & Smokey - crossover
Billy Budd - Cigar leaf with latakia
Escudo - Virginia with a bit of Perique
Greg L Pease - Oydessy - Latakia bomb
Seattle Pipe Club Potlatch - a mishmash but smooth smoke
Rattray's Exotic Orange - aromatic worth smoking
Carter Hall, Chatham Manor, Anglers Dream, etc. - Over the counter blends, take your pick, Burley forward, lightly topped
H&H Viprati - Virginia - Perique
Ennerdale - just because - Lake District
You can try any number of aromatics but many are not worth the matches to light them.
And one other thought: there is great value in buying an estate pipe. It is easy enough to buy one already restored and sterilized, so to speak, but I have really enjoyed finding nice pipes and restoring them myself. Or at the least, cleaning them up. They're many talented pipe restoration folks that restain and buff but it is easy enough to get smoking with some elbow grease and a few supplies.
Some specific questions I'm searching the forums for answers to:
Filtered vs. non?
Importance of bowl/bit shape?
Reliable online resource for buying tobacco?
I'm also trying to find a solid starter tutorial. As I said, I've never smoked a pipe and I've never even known anyone who has, so I truly have no idea what I'm doing. I need a "Here's how to pack it - here's how to smoke it - here's how to clean it" sort of guide.
Filtered vs. non?
Importance of bowl/bit shape?
Reliable online resource for buying tobacco?
I'm also trying to find a solid starter tutorial. As I said, I've never smoked a pipe and I've never even known anyone who has, so I truly have no idea what I'm doing. I need a "Here's how to pack it - here's how to smoke it - here's how to clean it" sort of guide.
I prefer no filters in my pipes.
Shape is a personal preference as is the bit.
Any of our site sponsors is a reliable source.
As to starting to smoke, dry the tobacco thoroughly, but not until it crumbles. Scoop some into the bowl. Scoop some more. Press down lightly. Scoop in some more. When full, press down more firmly so it's about 1/4 inch from the top. Light by keeping the flame above the tobacco, drawing the tip to near-but not on- the tobacco. Several quick deep puffs to get it going, then slow down to just keep it going. Do not inhale. Do not worry about it going out; relights are quick and easy.
Enjoy!
Shape is a personal preference as is the bit.
Any of our site sponsors is a reliable source.
As to starting to smoke, dry the tobacco thoroughly, but not until it crumbles. Scoop some into the bowl. Scoop some more. Press down lightly. Scoop in some more. When full, press down more firmly so it's about 1/4 inch from the top. Light by keeping the flame above the tobacco, drawing the tip to near-but not on- the tobacco. Several quick deep puffs to get it going, then slow down to just keep it going. Do not inhale. Do not worry about it going out; relights are quick and easy.
Enjoy!
jbchilders, very smart of you to go that route and get some opinions from forum members. You'll save yourself a huge amount of time and money. Keep in mind that you will probably end up with many recommendations as this is mostly based on personal experience, taste, preferences. I'll give you my take on it, the advice I would give to myself if I could go back in time.
First the supplies, I would get a Czech tool and two bundles of pipe cleaners, one regular, one bristle
For pipes, I would get two. I think most members here will agree that they are excellent starter pipes but can also be valuable assets for any experienced smoker.
First a Missouri Meerschaum corn cob. They are very easy to smoke and forgiving for the beginner. My personal favourite is the Country Gentleman, it has a hardwood bottom, can last you decades if you take good care of it.
Then I would get one briar. Don't break the bank, around $100-$150 max. Personally I would go with a Savinelli 673. Nice all around, comes with filters and an adapter if you chose not to use the filters. The bowl shape is somewhat universal to all tobaccos.
For tobacco, I recommend these 4. A very decent exposure to virginia, english, burley and aromatic blends.
Dunhill Elizabethan
GL Pease Meridian
Mac Baren HH Burley Flake
Solani X-Sweet Mystery
Last, give yourself some time. Don't give up after the first week! Watch youtube videos and read on this forum.
All the best!
Olivier
First the supplies, I would get a Czech tool and two bundles of pipe cleaners, one regular, one bristle
For pipes, I would get two. I think most members here will agree that they are excellent starter pipes but can also be valuable assets for any experienced smoker.
First a Missouri Meerschaum corn cob. They are very easy to smoke and forgiving for the beginner. My personal favourite is the Country Gentleman, it has a hardwood bottom, can last you decades if you take good care of it.
Then I would get one briar. Don't break the bank, around $100-$150 max. Personally I would go with a Savinelli 673. Nice all around, comes with filters and an adapter if you chose not to use the filters. The bowl shape is somewhat universal to all tobaccos.
For tobacco, I recommend these 4. A very decent exposure to virginia, english, burley and aromatic blends.
Dunhill Elizabethan
GL Pease Meridian
Mac Baren HH Burley Flake
Solani X-Sweet Mystery
Last, give yourself some time. Don't give up after the first week! Watch youtube videos and read on this forum.
All the best!
Olivier
I would also recommend GL Pease Key Largo if you are a fan of cigars. Not the same taste but you'll find similarities in terms of depth and earthiness.
Hiya, jb, & welcome! Best advice I can give has already been given. "Take what you need & leave the rest." 
Personally I prefer non-filter, & whatever bowl/shape feels good in my hand & just "looks right." Our hobby is *highly* subjective & personal preference. I'd start with an inexpensive but decent pipe; you check out estatepipescentral.com; quite a few be with a wide range of styles/brands/prices. eBay can be tempting to start, but stay away from it until you get a handle on what's/who's good & not.
Basically, follow what feels best for *you* & don't worry too much about what other people think. There's a wide WIDE range of what we all like, & a lot of it conflicts. Just the nature of our beloved beast! -laugh-
Bill
Personally I prefer non-filter, & whatever bowl/shape feels good in my hand & just "looks right." Our hobby is *highly* subjective & personal preference. I'd start with an inexpensive but decent pipe; you check out estatepipescentral.com; quite a few be with a wide range of styles/brands/prices. eBay can be tempting to start, but stay away from it until you get a handle on what's/who's good & not.
Basically, follow what feels best for *you* & don't worry too much about what other people think. There's a wide WIDE range of what we all like, & a lot of it conflicts. Just the nature of our beloved beast! -laugh-
Bill
Well, you’ve certainly come to the right place. A few thousand of your closest friends will be more than happy to give you all sorts of advice. Here’s what I tell all new pipe smokers;
1. Your tobacco should be a lot drier than you think it should be.
2. Your tobacco should be packed a lot looser than you think it should be.
3. You should smoke your pipe a lot slower than you think you should. This will result in your pipe feeling comfortably warm—not hot—in your hand. It should be warm enough so that if you held it against a baby’s arm, she would smile at the comfortable warmth, not scream at the heat.
1. Your tobacco should be a lot drier than you think it should be.
2. Your tobacco should be packed a lot looser than you think it should be.
3. You should smoke your pipe a lot slower than you think you should. This will result in your pipe feeling comfortably warm—not hot—in your hand. It should be warm enough so that if you held it against a baby’s arm, she would smile at the comfortable warmth, not scream at the heat.
Now, you’re going to want to light your pipe. Let’s assume that the lower the temperature of your lighting medium, the better it will be for both pipe and tobacco.. Herewith a few facts to help you along: Your choice, but you should never use a torch lighter. They’re ok for cigars, but not a great idea for a pipe—nearly 5000ºF. That’s way too hot!
Zippo. 575°F or 301°C
Match. 1100°F or 600°C
Butane. 3590°F or 1977°C
Torch. 4850°F or 2677°C
Zippo. 575°F or 301°C
Match. 1100°F or 600°C
Butane. 3590°F or 1977°C
Torch. 4850°F or 2677°C
And, as with cigars, don't let the flame touch the toby, but hold it ~1/2 inch above.
Try filtered pipes, you might like them. I prefer them because of my smoke cadence and sipping intensity.
Try filtered pipes, you might like them. I prefer them because of my smoke cadence and sipping intensity.
A lot of great wisdom has already been shared here...
Wooden matches, a Czech pipe tool, and regular pipe cleaners are the only supplies I regularly need to keep me going besides a clean good-quality pipe and the best tobacco I can find.
Make sure to try a Virginia, Virginia/Perique, Burley and English blend fairly soon because one of those tobaccos might change your outlook entirely. My early appreciation of latakia died off after a few months and I've been smoking mainly VA blends for years since.
I won't go into every smoking technique under the sun but I will say a few things about tobacco moisture.
Certainly heed the advice to dry your tobacco before you smoke. Experiment until you find the level that suits your taste but err on the side of dryness because smoking overly wet pipe tobacco can be highly unpleasant.
Drying your tobacco until it feels just right for you is like one of the simplest things anyone can do to improve their pipe smoking. It is like how eating clean can help prevent so many health problems that one might encounter.
Excitedly smoking straight from a freshly opened tin is not a good practice for many brands because the ideal moisture level for storing tobacco is rarely the best moisture level for smoking it. The flavours are far better when you find the right balance.
Definitely buy a few Missouri Meerschaums as starter or tester pipes. I smoke them all the time but I really swear by them for getting a hang of the basics and testing new blends. You can get a decent briar right away, too, but I like to handle them carefully so cobs have always been my workhorse pipes.
Wooden matches, a Czech pipe tool, and regular pipe cleaners are the only supplies I regularly need to keep me going besides a clean good-quality pipe and the best tobacco I can find.
Make sure to try a Virginia, Virginia/Perique, Burley and English blend fairly soon because one of those tobaccos might change your outlook entirely. My early appreciation of latakia died off after a few months and I've been smoking mainly VA blends for years since.
I won't go into every smoking technique under the sun but I will say a few things about tobacco moisture.
Certainly heed the advice to dry your tobacco before you smoke. Experiment until you find the level that suits your taste but err on the side of dryness because smoking overly wet pipe tobacco can be highly unpleasant.
Drying your tobacco until it feels just right for you is like one of the simplest things anyone can do to improve their pipe smoking. It is like how eating clean can help prevent so many health problems that one might encounter.
Excitedly smoking straight from a freshly opened tin is not a good practice for many brands because the ideal moisture level for storing tobacco is rarely the best moisture level for smoking it. The flavours are far better when you find the right balance.
Definitely buy a few Missouri Meerschaums as starter or tester pipes. I smoke them all the time but I really swear by them for getting a hang of the basics and testing new blends. You can get a decent briar right away, too, but I like to handle them carefully so cobs have always been my workhorse pipes.
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