The Dedicated Pipe Dilemma

[yanoJL]

About a year ago, after reading a favorable review, I decided I wanted to try a particular aromatic called Piper's Pleasure from Boswell's.
I don't typically smoke aromatics, and to avoid ghosting a briar, I used this one particular cob for that blend exclusively.
Fast forward to earlier this year, I opened a tin of Pirate Kake, and began trying it in different pipes just to see how it tasted and performed. One of the pipes I tried was that old chocolate-ghosted cob.
It was delicious. The Latakia mixed with that old ghost quite favorably. Of course, the ghost smoked through pretty quickly, but there were a few bowl that were really, really good.
So, that's a lot of text just to say that, although I have a few pipes that I use for specific genres, sometimes mixing can bring about an unexpected, and delicious, surprise.

 

[ADKPiper]

I only dedicate a pipe to aromatics
Which I rarely smoke. A Cobb.

 

[ray47]

I dedicate 2 cobs for Mixture 79 and my Savinelli Bing's Favorite has only seen Crooner smoked in it since I got it. Other then that my pipes are not dedicated. I don't smoke English blends so no concern there. I only smoke Burley, Virginia and Aromatic blends. Generally I only smoke aromatic blends in my cobs because they taste better that way.

 

[dPero]

I have 2 denovic morta for latakia blends and that’s it

 

[sablebrush52]

It all depends on how important it is to you to smoke a specific blend and taste only that specific blend. Simple as that.
Blends leave behind traces that can require a lot of effort to remove. So if tasting some remnant of "celebrated whatsis" in your bowl of "celebrated whatsnot" bothers you, dedicate pipes.

Super tasters dedicate pipes to specific blends. I have pipes I use for English blends because Latakia ghosts a pipe like few other varietals and I don't want to taste Latakia when I'm smoking 2015.

However, I don't dedicate a pipe to only one blend. It's a great idea, and will result in pipe seasoned to support that blend, giving one a better smoke, but it's more trouble than I want to deal with.

Also, if a person's sense of taste and smell isn't particularly acute, there's little benefit to dedicating pipes anymore than asking a colorblind person to select between shades of red.

 

[bobpnm]

Maybe it matters. I’m too capital L Lazy to care. I just smoke them.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I have over a hundred pipes with another on the way today. For the most part they are genre specific. But, sometimes I want a little latakia ghost with my Virginias. I never want an aromatic (and I classify lakelands as aro) taste in my Virginias, but maybe with my Latakia blends. I keep my pipes categorized easily, because of chamber shapes. You CAN smoke any tobacco in any shaped or sized chambers, but I categorize and designate mine by chambers, because it helps me remember which is for which, even if I cross over occasionally. I am dogmatic about nothing.

 

[FLDRD]

I have a savinelli 673 and a MM Legend. The Savinelli has seen nothing but English blends since I got it last week. Do most of you find it necessary to dedicate a certain pipe to specific blends? Will the flavor of the old dark Birdseye I just got be diminished if smoked from the Sav? I guess there is only one way to find out, but I'm curious as to what most of your thoughts are in regards to this.

Thanks to those who have given me great suggestions on blends, I'm having in incredible time with my pipe and tobaccos I have so far.

I think the dark birdseye will play just fine in the English pipe.
For a while I began going down the path of dedication, but as I progressed it seemed to be less and less needed, for whatever reason, and now I'm almost "anything in any pipe".

 

[SBC]

Like some of these others, I dedicate pipes to genres, not blends. And my genres are broader than some:

I lump English and Balkan together.
I lump Aromatic and Lakeland together.
I lump Virginia and VaPer together.

Those are the only three categories I need, as I don't smoke burley, cigar leaf, etc.

I do have a few pipes that are no-holds-barred. Two meerschaums and Boswell freehand. I'll put anything in those (except for the very best VAs and VaPers that deserve to be tasted in a dedicated VA pipe).
There are occasions when it's convenient to have a few pipes that you can stuff anything in.

Also, proportion of pipes reflects proportion of smoking.
So, for me, I have 2 Aro/Lakeland pipes, 2 English/Balkan pipes, and 20-something VA/VaPer pipes ... so that tells you how often I smoke what.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I have two pipes that I dedicate to certain blends. One I use for Mississippi River as I found that I enjoy that blend out of that pipe more than any of my other pipes. The other is dedicated to aromatics.

Is it necessary to dedicate pipes to a blend... nope. It's just a preference. The chose is yours. Though if you are new to the hobby and only have a few pipes, it could become an expensive hobby if you want to dedicate different blends to different pipes. Still the choice is yours. Happy smokes!

 

[ThermionicScott]

I have a savinelli 673 and a MM Legend. The Savinelli has seen nothing but English blends since I got it last week. Do most of you find it necessary to dedicate a certain pipe to specific blends? Will the flavor of the old dark Birdseye I just got be diminished if smoked from the Sav? I guess there is only one way to find out, but I'm curious as to what most of your thoughts are in regards to this.

Thanks to those who have given me great suggestions on blends, I'm having in incredible time with my pipe and tobaccos I have so far.

I would let your experiences tell you whether to dedicate your pipes. If the blends you smoke all play well together, then it’s one less thing to wring your hands about. And life will be much simpler.

I imagine that pretty much all of us who dedicate pipes to specific blends or genres, do so because we’ve had a bad experience we want to avoid going forward.

 

[JRW11b]

Like some of these others, I dedicate pipes to genres, not blends. And my genres are broader than some:

I lump English and Balkan together.
I lump Aromatic and Lakeland together.
I lump Virginia and VaPer together.

Those are the only three categories I need, as I don't smoke burley, cigar leaf, etc.

I do have a few pipes that are no-holds-barred. Two meerschaums and Boswell freehand. I'll put anything in those (except for the very best VAs and VaPers that deserve to be tasted in a dedicated VA pipe).
There are occasions when it's convenient to have a few pipes that you can stuff anything in.

Also, proportion of pipes reflects proportion of smoking.
So, for me, I have 2 Aro/Lakeland pipes, 2 English/Balkan pipes, and 20-something VA/VaPer pipes ... so that tells you how often I smoke what.

Thanks so much for the detailed reply. I realize looking back at my post, that's how I should've worded it, GENRES instead of BLENDS. Your method of lumping your pipes together sounds like what I'm wanting to do currently. Thanks again for all of your insight. This is such an incredible experience and community. Its making the begginings of my pipe smoking journey incredibly pleasurable.

 

[BarrelProof]

Thanks so much for the detailed reply. I realize looking back at my post, that's how I should've worded it, GENRES instead of BLENDS. Your method of lumping your pipes together sounds like what I'm wanting to do currently. Thanks again for all of your insight. This is such an incredible experience and community. Its making the begginings of my pipe smoking journey incredibly pleasurable.

I have a very similar setup as mentioned by SPC. I do smoke burleys, though, so I have a few for that.

However, I would say that when the time comes that you find your deserted island blend, there’s no harm in dedicating a pipe to it specifically. I can virtually assure you that if you stick with this, you’ll have way more pipes than there are styles of tobacco, so giving one pipe to one blend is certainly a good idea, too, should you decide to go that route.

I’ve done it with a few and it seems like they just keep getting better and better, but the best part is that you know exactly what to expect each time. It’s like clockwork.

 

[MikeDub]

Do you have a significant other? Because that changes the calculus dramatically. If you do, then the correct answer is that each tin requires a dedicated pipe, which has the dual benefit of justifying your current collection and all future pipe purchases

 

[Zamora]

How many blends do you smoke regularly? If you smoke five or fewer then it wouldn't cost too much to get dedicated pipes for them, but more than that and it could get pretty expensive. In any case it would be more affordable to have pipes dedicated to blend styles, so instead of one apiece for for say Plum Pudding, Squadron Leader, Escudo, and Orlik Golden you'd have one for Englishes and one for VaPers.

 

[Sgetz]

Mostly I don't dedicate pipes. But I do have one reserved for ennerdale flake (now that does ghost!). And one for 1792 flake . Both of which haunt with a vengeance .

 

[Epip Oc'Cabot]

For me, I do not bother…. although I have plenty of pipes and could EASILY devote a pipe to each blend. The way I tend to view all things pipe related is to keep things simple for myself…. I will smoke what interests me. “Ghosting” to me really means a residual flavor I DO NOT enjoy. On the rare occasions that happens to me, I work to thoroughly clean the pipe. But, when I have enjoyed the previous tobaccos….. I view the residual flavors inherent in the bowl as simply “tweaking” and modulating slightly the primary flavors I am experiencing in the bowl I currently am indulging in. To my manner of “keeping it simple” this makes each bowlful its own unique experience….. the primary and predominant flavors of the current blend…. gently nuanced by the minor residuals of the other pleasant blends that occurred before it.

It is sort of similar to the concept of “culinary fusion”, the mashing of cultural foods together. I guess I enjoy a bit of tobacco flavors “fusion”. Hell, like many here…. I will when in the mood, mix crumbles of several pleasing blends together to produce a pipe full of a new “mash-up” purposefully.

Again…. for ME… keeping it simple and easy is KEY to keeping the enjoyment elevated. YMMV.

 

[Sobrbiker]

Even now that I have gathered a good smattering of pipes, abouth the only reason any gravitate to different blends is bowl size/shape.

WarHorse Green is the only tobak I have that gets any ghosting consideration, and I just run it in a cob.

 

[elvishrunes]

I don’t dedicate, but do a good paper towel wipe after each bowl, and I do have a fairly sensitive pallet but ghosting doesn’t bother me…. I find I can smell the ghost in a ‘dry’ bowl, but after firing up a new bowl, the burning tobacco masks any ghost.

 

[Zamora]

Mostly I don't dedicate pipes. But I do have one reserved for ennerdale flake (now that does ghost!). And one for 1792 flake . Both of which haunt with a vengeance .

Those are Lakelands, right? I'm too scared to try one since so many people hate them and say they taste like soap and are so notorious for ghosting. Plus my state doesn't allow online pipe tobacco sales, has outrageous taxes for it, and I don't live near a pipe shop. When I get the rare opportunity to visit a pipe shop no way am I taking a gamble on Lakelands