Dunno. I only use 91% to be safe. Hard to get right now, of course.
So New to Pipe Smoking, My First Pipe Hasn't Arrived Yet
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I wouldn't use anything in the chamber/pipe that I wouldn't drink.
Get some legally purchased liquor and use that. Don't use the isopropyl alcohol. You can even get a bottle of moonshine at a liquor store online, if you want something with very high alcohol content.
No, don't use anything that is poisonous. I've read that sea or kosher salt used in a pipe with the end stuffed with a quetip wrapped in some plastic wrap will plug the hole. Then some type of syringe or maybe a dropper is used to fill the pipe with scotch or bourbon and left to sit overnight. Then, it is all cleaned out and allowed to dry. I'm not sure how strong the liquor has to be to kill a virus.
I think I'll probably follow olkofri's advice and use a bit of my Scotch.
I opened the tobacco pouch.
It smells a lot different than I expected. It has an almost black licorice aroma. Kind of robust, pungent and bitter.
The pipe has hard corners and tool marks as if it is only partially finished. Very rustic (but no rustication). That is how the sportsmans are done, from what I've read. I rather like the look.
Looking forward to tomorrow!
I opened the tobacco pouch.
It smells a lot different than I expected. It has an almost black licorice aroma. Kind of robust, pungent and bitter.
The pipe has hard corners and tool marks as if it is only partially finished. Very rustic (but no rustication). That is how the sportsmans are done, from what I've read. I rather like the look.
Looking forward to tomorrow!
I snuck out for my first bowl last night. Once I got the hang of it, I went for a walk around the empty streets of our neighbourhood and enjoyed the stillness of the crisp 2°c (35°f) evening.
It was a good first experience with the pipe.
It was enough for me to know that it is for me, but I do have to find the right tobacco.
Observations on the Pipe:
The journey now is to try different things to see what I like. My 3 other pouches (Amphora Full, Amphora Latakia and Amphora Kentucky) are still in transit. Should be here next week.
Trying a pipe for the first time at night in 2°c weather and wearing a touque. How Canadian, eh?
My kit:
It was a good first experience with the pipe.
It was enough for me to know that it is for me, but I do have to find the right tobacco.
Observations on the Pipe:
- The bowl is deep and holds a lot
- A full bowl of tobacco lasts for well over an hour
- False-Light/True-Light is real
- Unlike a cigar, relights are easy and taste great
- Pipe goes out if not pulling for over a minute
- Stays lit fairly well with a 20-30 second cadence
- The smoke is cool and there is a lot of it
- The bowl barely gets warm
- No tongue bite
- Tongue tingled a bit for the first few minutes
- Draw is easier than a cigar
- Neither matches nor Zippo seemed to impart any taste (both left lit for several seconds before use)
- Zippo pipe lighter worked like a charm
- Between smoking a pipe and the new bifocals, I feel like a professor
- Amphora Absolute with 3-stage pack
- I let the pinch dry out for about 30 minutes before loading
- Aroma in the pouch is dark with black licorice
- Initial flavour was extremely mild in spite of all the smoke
- Flavour got stronger as the bowl continued
- Pleasant overall
- Room note is not as pleasant as I remember as a child
- Unlike my cigars, taste and room note has some "cigarette", which I don't like
- Unlike my cigars, hangs on my clothes and skin like a cigarette
The journey now is to try different things to see what I like. My 3 other pouches (Amphora Full, Amphora Latakia and Amphora Kentucky) are still in transit. Should be here next week.
Trying a pipe for the first time at night in 2°c weather and wearing a touque. How Canadian, eh?
My kit:
Thank you so much, Admin. It's a kind and knowledgeable community here. The advice they gave me made my first bowl a success. Looks like the pipe is going to replace cigars for me.
Great observations. Also replaced the occasional cigar for me, and I liked it so much I smoke a pipe more often than I used to smoke a cigar.
The smells and flavours of pipe tobacco are so different, you’ll eventually find the source of that misty memory. If I had to put money on it, I’d guess a codger burley. Or a sweet aromatic.
The smells and flavours of pipe tobacco are so different, you’ll eventually find the source of that misty memory. If I had to put money on it, I’d guess a codger burley. Or a sweet aromatic.
Just don't tilt the Zippo at a lower angle than the horizontal and you won't taste fuel. Some also recommend letting the flame burn for a couple of seconds before applying it to the pipe, just like with matches.
Yes, the #84 shape from Brigham is cavernous, which is why I seldom reach for my volcano:
Voyageur 84
I just can't afford to smoke for more than 30 min or so. Alas, the Brigham Canadian (shape #19) has a cavernous chamber as well—a wee bit larger than the #84, so if huge bowls are your thing, you now have your next target.
How did the maple filters work for you?
Yes, the #84 shape from Brigham is cavernous, which is why I seldom reach for my volcano:
Voyageur 84
I just can't afford to smoke for more than 30 min or so. Alas, the Brigham Canadian (shape #19) has a cavernous chamber as well—a wee bit larger than the #84, so if huge bowls are your thing, you now have your next target.
How did the maple filters work for you?
I don't have anything to compare the maple filters to. What I do notice is:
- I haven't experienced any tongue pain or substantial heat
- The filter is sopping wet and a bit darker when I remove it
- It's tricky but not impossible to get the pipe cleaner down the stem with the filter in
The Voyageur pipe is beautiful! Aside from the depth of the 84, how do you like it? I want to get a few more pipes and wasn't sure how dots relate to how nice they smoke.
The Zippo pipe lighter lends itself very well to holding at 90 degrees. It's very user friendly.
Definitely appreciate all the advice. It has made my first few smokes easy and enjoyable.
Yes, the filter it's doing its work. Rinse it with lukewarm tap water and set out to dry. Insert another filter whilst the first one dries. You can wash them up to a certain number of times (~10) but they'll just continue to darken. Toss it when it's quite dark brown.
RE: cleaners: you shouldn't have to insert a cleaner mid-smoke to 'soak up the moisture', for that's what the filter is for; besides when your pipe is assembled you won't be able to pass a cleaner to the chamber anyway (see below). For cleaning, however, you do have to take the pipe apart. Please do this when it's cool (let it cool for about an hour before disassembly). You have to do this to wash the filter anyway, so it's no big deal as long as you're careful when detaching the stem so that you don't break either tenon or mortise.
Here's the breakdown on the piping of Brigham pipes (pun intended):
See how there must be a receptacle for the metal head of the maple distillator?
You can think of Brigham pipes as having two draught holes: the Thin Hole, which runs from the chamber to a larger channel (the Thick Hole) which in turn runs to the mortise.
As you can see, in a bent pipe there's no way to pass a cleaner to the chamber when the filter is inserted, but you can do so without problems when the stummel is detached from the stem and you can see down the draught hole. With straight pipes you don't have that issue.
Also, do note that Brigham doesn't drill the Thin Hole dead centre of the mortise, but rather essentially flush with the top of the Thick Hole, much to the dismay of some "purists" who insist that anything not dead centre is "bad" drilling. Your pipe is not drilled badly—this is all by design, and it's a must with the bent versions because of the need to provide a receptacle for the straight filter's head.
Whew! Looks like I posted a lot, but I hope that helps.
My Voyageur volcano is nice, overall. Another thing I don't like besides the large chamber is the vulcanite stem. I prefer acrylic: it doesn't turn green like vulcanite.
Here's a 5-dot to tease you: my Heritage Canadian, which smokes superbly:
Too bad the chamber is larger than the Voyageur's. ?
?
About an hour, eh? That was the missing piece. I waited over night before disassembling, which is why I thought I needed to do an initial clean with it assembled.
The bowl cooled down VERY quickly after discarding the ash.
That is EXACTLY the kind of detail I needed. This makes so much more sense now. Thank you for all of that. I'm an analytical person and love the nitty-gritty like that.
What a beautiful pipe! Your 5-dot is shape 19, is that right? I like that shape best of all the straight pipes.
I have more questions about the dots and what they mean but I think that might be a separate thread.
Thank you once again for all of the help.
Thankee for the compliment. I just won't tell my pipe because it might swell with pride and the chamber will get larger!
You don't have to wait for a full hour: if it's cool before that, by all means go ahead. Just don't take the stem off while it's still warm (only with military mounts can you do that fearlessly).
You don't have to wait for a full hour: if it's cool before that, by all means go ahead. Just don't take the stem off while it's still warm (only with military mounts can you do that fearlessly).
I had my 3rd bowl this afternoon. Still the Amphora Absolute. This time, I let the pinch of tobacco sit out for over an hour.
Wow.
What a difference.
It packed better, lit better, stayed lit better and tasted better.
I didn't notice nearly as much "cigarette" in it.
Of course, perhaps my palate is beginning to adapt too.
Wow.
What a difference.
It packed better, lit better, stayed lit better and tasted better.
I didn't notice nearly as much "cigarette" in it.
Of course, perhaps my palate is beginning to adapt too.
Yup. I too set my tobacco out to dry in a coffee filter. Careful with aromatics, though: dried too much they lose flavour. Degree of moisture is something you'll have to experiment and find out for yourself (part of the fun, maybe) as it varies by geographical location, time of day, and season, and room conditions, and.... you get the pic.
Just to report back.
I've now tried:
The Kentucky is my favourite so far. So much so that I've ordered a tin of HH Old Dark Fired. I'm loving the earthiness.
I also ordered Vanilla Cream loose cut. Aromatics are interesting.
I've now tried:
- Amphora Absolute x 3
- Amphora Kentucky x 2
- Amphora Latakia x 1
The Kentucky is my favourite so far. So much so that I've ordered a tin of HH Old Dark Fired. I'm loving the earthiness.
I also ordered Vanilla Cream loose cut. Aromatics are interesting.
Welcome!!! Are you new to pipe smoking or new to tobacco in general. This is a great community to get all the info.
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