Not to get technical, but ... tell us what YOU think about G.L. Pease's take on tobacco pipes and smoking.
The Pipe Doesn't Matter
The Pipe Doesn't Matter
The Pipe Doesn't Matter ...
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I'm glad that I read this, instead of just relying on the title, because I was about to throw my hands up and say, "well, what do we even talk about now, if the pipes don't matter?"
Great read. And, I hope others don't take the title literally.
Great read. And, I hope others don't take the title literally.
That's an authoritative consideration of the variable smoking qualities of pipes. I have several up-market pipes that I enjoy greatly, but most of my pipes are bought on a budget. I've ended up with a number of MM cobs and U.S. and other factory pipes, but mostly bought with considerable attention and research. I am always pleased to discover what a fine smoke can be had from a $24 or $40 pipe. I do miss some of the personal connection I get with an artisan pipe, but I do feel respect for the artisans who happen to work on pipe factory lines.
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Great article! I can't claim anything like the ability to pinpoint a pipe's common smoking characteristic like the case of the sweet and spicy twin pipes. I've just noticed that certain blends seem to do better in certain pipes and I use those pipes for those blends. Perhaps the closest I have come, is with noting a nutty sweetness to the Lee Von Ercks when they were new.
For the most part, all pipes smoke pretty much the same to me, some better than others, with certain indefinable (for me) variations that still fall within the range of "good". The few really "dead" pipes I've encountered, pipes with an ability to muzzle flavors, have gone elsewhere.
This is also a reminder that a really good smoking pipe may be found just about anywhere, not just at the stratospheric high end. It's still a crapshoot. You won't know what you're really getting in advance.
For the most part, all pipes smoke pretty much the same to me, some better than others, with certain indefinable (for me) variations that still fall within the range of "good". The few really "dead" pipes I've encountered, pipes with an ability to muzzle flavors, have gone elsewhere.
This is also a reminder that a really good smoking pipe may be found just about anywhere, not just at the stratospheric high end. It's still a crapshoot. You won't know what you're really getting in advance.
Greg just writes so well you would never believe that he is an awkward public speaker. The one thing Greg does have is the palate of a god. I mean he can taste everything that Jiminks does and more. Everything he said in his article is true and the sad fact of the matter is those of us who have the palate of clods will never experience it.
But that photograph of the GBD's was amazing. Wow, they are gorgeous!!
But that photograph of the GBD's was amazing. Wow, they are gorgeous!!
Well the title sure got my attention.
Interesting article, and echoes what I've been thinking recently.
The author gives no explanation as to why two seemingly identical pipes should taste so different, and I'm glad he didn't.
If manufacturers found a way to produce exactly consistent results, I'm sure they'd be putting those pipes on the market.
Then where would we be.
Interesting article, and echoes what I've been thinking recently.
The author gives no explanation as to why two seemingly identical pipes should taste so different, and I'm glad he didn't.
If manufacturers found a way to produce exactly consistent results, I'm sure they'd be putting those pipes on the market.
Then where would we be.
Reminds me of a saying regarding watches. I am man with a watch knows what time it is. A man with two is never quite sure…Segal’s Law.
I’m new and don’t claim to know much, but my most expensive pipe is a Peterson that I bought new. It performs like I enjoy.
I’m new and don’t claim to know much, but my most expensive pipe is a Peterson that I bought new. It performs like I enjoy.
Every pipe of mine smokes a little different and it's not just mechanics of the drilling or such. My Rattray smokes the most different, everything and I mean everything tastes a lot sweeter in it. Like blends that aren't sweet normally in any other pipe are sweet in it. Some sweeter blends taste more like tobacco candy in it. Certain flavors seem muted in certain pipes. They're all unique. All of them.
LOVE those Heeschen pipes. What a pair of lookers!
This article reminds me a bit of Fred Hanna's The Perfect Smoke. Fred talks about what makes a particular block of briar great, theorizing that maybe it's the soil and climate (like grapes in winemaking), or any number of yet-unascertained factors. Obviously we know some of the requirements, like proper aging of the briar, but there are likely many other factors that we don't quite understand. Maybe it's my lack of knowledge, but it seems there is a general lack of understanding as to why one pipe delivers such a better smoking experience than another, all other things being equal.
I will say that I'm lucky enough to have a couple pipes that just seem to deliver a better smoke than I would have any right to expect. The one that comes to mind the most is an old Comoy's seconds "Sunrise" Canadian shape that I picked up on ebay for maybe $20 a few years ago. It's a bit on the ugly side, and the stem is a little too oxidized, but Virginia blends just sing in that thing.
This article reminds me a bit of Fred Hanna's The Perfect Smoke. Fred talks about what makes a particular block of briar great, theorizing that maybe it's the soil and climate (like grapes in winemaking), or any number of yet-unascertained factors. Obviously we know some of the requirements, like proper aging of the briar, but there are likely many other factors that we don't quite understand. Maybe it's my lack of knowledge, but it seems there is a general lack of understanding as to why one pipe delivers such a better smoking experience than another, all other things being equal.
I will say that I'm lucky enough to have a couple pipes that just seem to deliver a better smoke than I would have any right to expect. The one that comes to mind the most is an old Comoy's seconds "Sunrise" Canadian shape that I picked up on ebay for maybe $20 a few years ago. It's a bit on the ugly side, and the stem is a little too oxidized, but Virginia blends just sing in that thing.
In the same way I review tobacco based on tin art alone, I'm going to judge this article by the headline.
1. It's written by Greg Pease.
2. I'm not going to argue with Greg Pease.
3. When I get home I'm throwing all my pipes away, and will freebase my tobacco off a piece of aluminum foil going forward.
4. Then I'll read the article.
1. It's written by Greg Pease.
2. I'm not going to argue with Greg Pease.
3. When I get home I'm throwing all my pipes away, and will freebase my tobacco off a piece of aluminum foil going forward.
4. Then I'll read the article.
All joking aside, great read. Ditto to @lawdawg on the Heeschens!
I've had some high points and lows with public speaking myself, so I found it kind of reassuring to learn that GLP is not a smooth talker. Broadcast and online media are rife with people wth well-polished pitches, many of them with ulterior motives. People out pitching books or music albums or movies or stage productions can go on endlessly about the minutia of their lives, and I'd rather they didn't.
Other than aesthetics, I've never noticed a difference.?
Let's review our reading comprehension...
Paraphrasing... Because the two pipes used different types of briar, they tasted different. One was far from being appealing.
In my experience, I have had a pipe that tasted like the briar was very green, so the pipe added a bitter taste to everything I smoked in it. When I have brought this up in threads in the past, everyone just accuses me of being a Peterson hater. But, obviously, I'm not crazy... well... not on this one issue anyways.
Excellent article, thanks. And I agree, there's definitely a difference in Briar and there are pipes that smoke bad. I've had a couple of pipes that just seemed to suck all the flavor out of the tobacco.
I should get out more. Then I wouldn't sit around contemplating fine details.Other than aesthetics, I've never noticed a difference.?
Let's review our reading comprehension.
I was referring to the pair of Heeschens made from the same block.
I was referring to the pair of Heeschens made from the same block.
