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/Adam\

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 17, 2024
250
433
48
Pennsylvania
Title edited for brevity. The original:

"Very happy with my choices thanks to all of you that recommend MM cobs as a new guys first smokers in the new smokers threads. "

Im hoping it’s ok to post a few pics here. It’s nothing special but I don’t have anyone to share with. these are my first 2 pipes. A MM legend from my local B&M. And a country gentleman I bought from Boswell‘s in a starter set. Figured I’d get a few tasty blends by buying it there instead of the MM website.

I bought 2 forever stems for them but I’ll only use one for now. The light horn swirl color just doesn’t look too good on either one. I wasn’t sure what would look better on the Gentleman so I got 2. I also got 2 metal caps, one nickle and one brass. . The black smoke ripple and nickel cap looks pretty sharp on the gentleman. I tried the horn swirl but the black smoke swirl matches the bowls finish much better. The light horn swirl actually looked a lot lighter in the images on the website. It Had more white than brown to its finish. It looks horrible on either cob really. So I used the original black bent stem from the Gentleman and a brass cap to change up the legend a bit. I do really like the way the country Gentlemen looks now. And it smokes much better too. The forever stems from Vermont Freehand make a world of difference.

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Anyway in the last image you can see the only 2 tins I’ve bought so far. I tried Boswell best, no bight delight, and berry cobbler too. I’ll be placing an order in a few days and am finding it very difficult to choose what blends to try next. Honestly I dont like the aromatics as much as the Erinmore or Elizabethan. I’d love to try something like Haunted bookshop or SPC plum pudding special reserve, or maybe that new blend G.L. Pease Horizons. Maybe sample A few straight blends too. I’m thinking it would be good to try a straight Virginia, straight burly, and maybe even straight perique so I can then taste what they all have to offer. Hoping to eventually be able to pick out and recognize those flavors in different blends as I try them. . I want to try a few of the bulk blends too so I can narrow down what I’ll want to buy in the future as my all day daily smoke blends. I doubt I’ll start to Cellar anything just yet. But plan to in the future.

What do you guys think. Can you help a new guy choose some tasty blends? Any and all suggestions will be put Into consideration and greatly appreciated.

If asking questions here along with the images I wanted to post is at all considered a bad idea or the wrong format please let me know. I’ll make sure to do things differently next time.
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Pipke

Can't Leave
Aug 3, 2024
419
1,324
East of Cleveland, Ohio. USA
Being a new guy who likes the Erinmore Flake too, I can suggest other blends I like. I've been enjoying GLP Quiet Nights and Peterson Night Cap. These are popular blends. They're different from Erinmore Flake, but I'm extending my range and trying new things. I suggest for us new guys to just pick a selection of popular blends - stuff that are best sellers that aren't aromatics, and start there. Got a big order showing up Saturday!
 
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/Adam\

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 17, 2024
250
433
48
Pennsylvania
Nice mods and a great start with those 2 tins.
For a decent beginner bargain you might look at Amphora. I think their burley is pretty typical of the style.
C & D Opening night and ES 4th Gen 2012 are decent VAs.
Trying some things straight is a good idea. Good luck with it!
Appreciate the recommendations. And thank you 💯

Wow!! Just read a short review on the ES 4th Gen 2012 you recommend. That looks and sounds absolutely delicious. A straight Virginia is what Im most exited to try. I guess a little pear flavor wouldn’t take away from the learning experience. it'll definitely be on the purchase order.
 
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/Adam\

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 17, 2024
250
433
48
Pennsylvania
Being a new guy who likes the Erinmore Flake too, I can suggest other blends I like. I've been enjoying GLP Quiet Nights and Peterson Night Cap. These are popular blends. They're different from Erinmore Flake, but I'm extending my range and trying new things. I suggest for us new guys to just pick a selection of popular blends - stuff that are best sellers that aren't aromatics, and start there. Got a big order showing up Saturday!
Just watched a Pipe Cottage video with a top 11 blends list. GLP quiet nights was on it. And Nightcap is a definite this round For me. My local B&M had 2 tins but I went with the Erinmore flake. Both the Elizbethan and Erinmore were over 18 months old too. Hopefully the nightcap is the same. Appreciate the Insight bud, have fun opening up the new order. 💯👍
 

/Adam\

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 17, 2024
250
433
48
Pennsylvania
Cobs are really good smoker though they lack the elegance of briars. Good choices of tobaccos, too!!
I’ll buy one more cob so I can get use from this stem, then it’ll be something elegant. But the act of Buying my first briar will be extremely difficult too. I’ve spent hours and hours these past 2 weeks trying to decide. I’m no closer to deciding than I was the day I started. Im thinking I want something bent to hang from the lip because I don’t have anything bent yet. But the more I look the more I like some other Stuff. I was leaning towards a Peterson. Probably a system pipe. But I’m liking the Irish harp now more. Also love the look of the Clark’s favorite and bings favorite. There are so many Savinelli that I love. All of the rusticated stuff with the different color stems. The Tigre, Fantasia, Paloma lines. Many more also. But I might just go cheaper for my first briar. I really like this pipe that comes in the kit.
 

Uguccione

Can't Leave
Jan 22, 2024
339
819
Italy
You already have your "pipe starter kit" and it's the corncob pipes. For the transition to briar I would opt for something better; but that's just my opinion and in the end a cheap pipe can smoke just as well as an expensive pipe.
 

/Adam\

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 17, 2024
250
433
48
Pennsylvania
I Tend to overthink things at times. Especially when buying something that I don’t have much experience with. pulling the trigger on a more expensive item would take something pretty special. I mean there are plenty of pipes I’ve seen and would love to own but my lack of experience makes me hesitant to spend the money. I think maybe a few less expensive pipes to get my collection going will not only allow me to try different shapes and styles but will also give me a bit more confidence in choosing something more pricey. My brain won’t have so many excuses as to why I shouldn’t spend.
 
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Pipke

Can't Leave
Aug 3, 2024
419
1,324
East of Cleveland, Ohio. USA
I bought a couple cheap briar estate pipes off of eBay - like $10 plus $5 to ship, plus a Pioneer meer for $26. They work. With a few extra pipes I am starting to do things like dedicating a pipe to aromatic blends, for instance. I have a selection of blends - more than enough to enjoy for the rest of the year. I'm all set and didn't break the bank. Keep it simple. There's no hurry. We don't need a lot to enjoy smoking a pipe. puffy
 
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Copperhead

Lurker
Jun 4, 2024
48
246
Very nice!

MM sometimes has a "bag of seconds" for sale. Sure, there are blemishes and whatnot, but it's nice to have a bunch of working cobs on hand. I think of them as "beater pipes" for strong/ghosting tobaccos, or pipes to lend/give away to interested friends or family.

Cobs are an excellent place to start. When I started smoking, MM cobs were first (because I lived in MO, but sadly never made it to the factory), then I went with Crowns and Grabows and low to mid level pipes. Nothing expensive, but a few of those are actually my favorites still to this day.
 

AroEnglish

Rehabilitant
Jan 7, 2020
5,177
15,232
#62
I Tend to overthink things at times. Especially when buying something that I don’t have much experience with. pulling the trigger on a more expensive item would take something pretty special. I mean there are plenty of pipes I’ve seen and would love to own but my lack of experience makes me hesitant to spend the money. I think maybe a few less expensive pipes to get my collection going will not only allow me to try different shapes and styles but will also give me a bit more confidence in choosing something more pricey. My brain won’t have so many excuses as to why I shouldn’t spend.
I think this is a very smart move. When I started I lusted after so many pipes and even though I was slow to acquire them, I couldn't put them to good use because I didn't know how to smoke properly.
 
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/Adam\

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 17, 2024
250
433
48
Pennsylvania
I’ve been looking at pipes on ebay a lot lately and watching estate pipe restoration videos for noobs on YouTube. I don’t have a good polishing and buffing set up but I do have a good dremmel. I might end up going that route. Buying a few pipes for less than $10 US each and trying to give them new life seems like it would be an extremely satisfying experience.