The Dedicated Pipe Dilemma

[nolan613]

Getting older, 78 this fall, and having na bad memory is part of the joy with pipe smoking for me. Have probably a dozen different pipes that I tend to reach for more than others in the cabinet. Combine this with half a dozen or so of vintage tobacco jar at least half full of tobaccos I enjoy but forget what is in each jar makes pipe smoking a surprise most of the time.
Too old to remember and too old to care so each pipeful becomes a pleasant visit with a different old friend each smoke.

 

[Coreios]

I only do that for extreme blends like Cherry, Gawith, what ever, but mostly no. Unless its just super strong I don't care to keep up with which pipe goes to what. It's best to, but I don't want to.

 

[Wet Dottle]

I maintain a latakia rotation, a Virginia rotation, and an aro rotation. I find that this works well for me, but this was after a lot of experimentation.
Try it for yourself, and make your own decision.

This reflects my experience exactly. And also my opinion.

 

[EvertonFC]

I've never once noticed my current bowl being impacted by what I smoked in that bowl previously. And if I did, I'd just do a deep cleaning.

 

[Bassman65]

I know many of you dedicate specific pipes to aro’s due to ghosting. For you aro. smokers, do you typically dedicate a pipe to Cherry blends, vanilla blends, Maple etc? Or do you smoke a variety of aro’s all out of the same pipe?

I smoke mainly cobs, and I’ve been keeping my aro’s apart from my straight virginias, but wondering if you guys would use the same cob for a CBRM, 1Q, and Autumn Evening for example?

 

[Chasing Embers]

I know many of you dedicate specific pipes to aro’s due to ghosting. For you aro. smokers, do you typically dedicate a pipe to Cherry blends, vanilla blends, Maple etc? Or do you smoke a variety of aro’s all out of the same pipe?

I smoke mainly cobs, and I’ve been keeping my aro’s apart from my straight virginias, but wondering if you guys would use the same cob for a CBRM, 1Q, and Autumn Evening for example?

I don't smoke Missouri Meerschaums but do keep individual pipes for types of aromatics just as I keep pipes for types of non aromatics. I do however have some pipes dedicated to single blends though both non and aromatic.

 

[TheDesertPiper]

I have 4 different groups of dedicated pipes. One group is only for latakia based blends. The second is for my occasional dabble into aromatics, and the the third is for Virginias/burleys. The last group is made up of some cheaper, smaller cobs and I smoke anything out of those.

 

[AJL67]

If it's a dilemma i would say you're over thinking it. Certain pipes for aros and flowery smelling stuff, and that's about it. I smoke to enjoy not fret.

 

[UB 40]

Got about 30 pipes around here. I simply forget about what I’ve been smoking in each of them, but usually I stick to three or four blends rotating in periods of time. No aromatics, often burley and Virginias, english blends in rare cases, so I don’t care for dedicating pipes. Most of all I decide upon the filling capacity to choose one of them.

 

[Bassman65]

Got about 30 pipes around here. I simply forget about what I’ve been smoking in each of them, but usually I stick to three or four blends rotating in periods of time. No aromatics, often burley and Virginias, english blends in rare cases, so I don’t care for dedicating pipes. Most of all I decide upon the filling capacity to choose one of them.

Yeah. I’ve just heard hosting cobs is common. So I keep my aro’s separate. Just wanted to know from the aro smokers if they keep a separate pipe for each blend.

 

[Sir Yak]

It's ultimately your decision, If you ask 100 pipe smokers that question you'll get 100 different answers.

I personally don't dedicate pipes to specific blends, but everything I smoke tends to play well together and none of it tends to ghost. I also keep my pipes pretty clean which helps a lot.

This..all of this

 

[RookieGuy80]

I have my pipes dedicated to genres or families. I have a few for aros, some for English, a couple for balkans, some for virginias and vapers, and a dedicated Lakeland burner. Plus my cobs, a couple meers,and a very small handful of anything but Lakeland.

I do have a couple of pipes that have over time become dedicated to specific blends. But to be perfectly honest, those have been victims of circumstances. For example I have one of Morgan's Bones Sitters, one of the oom Pauls, that is my favorite driving pipe. Oriental Silk is my absolute favorite blend with that first cup of coffee. So it ended up my Bones became my OS pipe. Or I have a MM Country Gentleman that absolutely loves Carter Hall, so that's been getting my CH the past few years.

That's what works well for me, but it took a little bit to get there. More pipes, more tobaccos, more time learning them both (that means smoking). In the end, you'll develop your own rotation over time and experience and discovering your preferences.

 

[Honkytonk Man]

It's ultimately your decision, If you ask 100 pipe smokers that question you'll get 100 different answers.

I personally don't dedicate pipes to specific blends, but everything I smoke tends to play well together and none of it tends to ghost. I also keep my pipes pretty clean which helps a lot.

^^^^^ This.

I only dedicate pipes to aromatics.

 

[Doctor Chopper]

IMO it is more important if you smoke Virginia tobaccos. The taste is more fickle than with other tobaccos.

 

[Lucashly]

I am unrefined with a bad pallet and choose whatever pipe and whichever tobacco I arbitrarily choose. I still seem to kind of taste the difference of the different tobaccos. I clean my pipes after each smoke. I do hold separate pipes for the aromatics.

 

[OverMountain]

Find out what works best for you.

 

[crashthegrey]

Meh. I dedicate pipes and then forget and switch all the time. Sure, smoking a month's worth of deertongue through a pipe will ghost but even that goes away after a few strong English bowls. And hey, a little lingering Lakeland in a straight Virginia isn't the end of the world. Just have fun and enjoy what you want to do.