Tobaccos that Won't Bite your Tongue...At All!

[Professor Moriarty]

Yes Daughters & Ryan, remarkably 3 Sails doesn’t bite me. I use it frequently and generally I’ll add a very small amount of C&D White Burley or GH&Co Kendal Mixed. I will add, that it’s not for everyone, some find it too dry. It’s also a shag cut.

Your reference to shag cut brings fond memories of Schippers Tabak. Can't find it anymore, alas.

 

[MattRVA]

Your reference to shag cut brings fond memories of Schippers Tabak. Can't find it anymore, alas.

It’s my favorite cut by far.

 

[rsshreck32]

Ah, now we enter another excellent discussion. How to smoke our unfiltered pipes without tongue bite.
I have heard that denicool silica granules are better than either meerschaum chips or nording keystones. I am currently testing denicool. I am also testing my own idea, charcoal granules, which are used to amend soil in houseplants and which are about the same size as denicool granules.

There are some guys who are prone to tongue bite who swear by 9mm filters, especially the charcoal filter. They won't smoke unfiltered pipes.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

So many excellent suggestions, thanks everyone!

 

[Professor Moriarty]

It’s my favorite cut by far.

Shag cut is the best imo

 

[didimauw]

"Burley without Bite", by Lane? I shall try it. Thank you.

That one actually bit me harder than most! I was going to mention it.

I stopped getting tongue bite when I started drying my tobacco. Dry dry dry dry.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

There ain’t a man that can’t be throwed, there ain’t a horse …..

 

[kcghost]

It really sounds to me like you ought to give up smoking a pipe.

 

[Bassman65]

Yup. Either 6mm or 9mm charcoal here. Don’t smoke my unfiltered pipes anymore.

I also inadvertently dry my tobacco in pipe when disturbed by kids and life.

There are some guys who are prone to tongue bite who swear by 9mm filters, especially the charcoal filter. They won't smoke unfiltered pipes.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

That one actually bit me harder than most! I was going to mention it.

I stopped getting tongue bite when I started drying my tobacco. Dry dry dry dry.

You raise an excellent point which I learned only recently, from reading pipe forums -- I now dry my tobacco (somewhat), and pack it firmer. This gives a better smoke.
However, I still get tongue bite from most, unless I filter.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

Yup. Either 6mm or 9mm charcoal here. Don’t smoke my unfiltered pipes anymore.

I also inadvertently dry my tobacco in pipe when disturbed by kids and life.

Yep. "Don't smoke my unfiltered pipes anymore." - that's just about where I'm at rn.
As a young smoker, everyone told me, "Filters are awful", and some of them are. But I kept hearing about how most Germans (especially) love their charcoal filters. So, I bought myself a Vauen pipe and now I'm a believer.

I was already leaning in this direction, and this video changed the trajectory of my life:

 

[Gimlet]

You raise an excellent point which I learned only recently, from reading pipe forums -- I now dry my tobacco (somewhat), and pack it firmer. This gives a better smoke.
However, I still get tongue bite from most, unless I filter.

If filters work for you, just stick with them. I do. I have unfiltered pipes but I've given up on them. I only smoke 9 mm charcoal or meerschaum now. Zero bite, zero gurgling, pipes dry quicker after smoking and the flavour is better as it's less masked by tars. Reduced nicotine hit of course but I came to pipes as a non-smoker so I've never missed that.
It's taste, mouth-feel and bowl scent that I like and I find filters enhance that. Just do what works for you.

Having said that, one tobacco I smoke a lot which never bites whatever I smoke it in is GH coffee and caramel. It's cased black cavendish that tastes exactly like its name. Smokes fine without filters but the flavours are cleaner and clearer with them.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

If filters work for you, just stick with them. I do. I have unfiltered pipes but I've given up on them. I only smoke 9 mm charcoal or meerschaum now. Zero bite, zero gurgling, pipes dry quicker after smoking and the flavour is better as it's less masked by tars. Reduced nicotine hit of course but I came to pipes as a non-smoker so I've never missed that.
It's taste, mouth-feel and bowl scent that I like and I find filters enhance that. Just do what works for you.

Having said that, one tobacco I smoke a lot which never bites whatever I smoke it in is GH coffee and caramel. It's cased black cavendish that tastes exactly like its name. Smokes fine without filters but the flavours are cleaner and clearer with them.

Thank you for the tobacco tip! Where can I buy it?
And yes, filtered smoking is so much more enjoyable for me. I can now smoke every day instead of waiting 2 or 3 days between until my tongue "heals".
It's a darn shame that I have 39 pipes -- mostly high-grades --- which I now rarely smoke.
I have six 9mm filtered pipes which I rotate -- 3 German Vauens, an English Barling, a French Chacom, and a Danish handmade Charles Fairmorn (estate purchase).
If I may ask, what is your experience with meerschaum filters vs. charcoal?
White Elephant brand also sells a half&half meerschaum/charcoal filter.

 

[badbriar]

English & Scottish blends work for me. For some reason, many VA's and VAPers bite me like 'skeeters !

 

[Gimlet]

If I may ask, what is your experience with meerschaum filters vs. charcoal?
White Elephant brand also sells a half&half meerschaum/charcoal filter.

I don't find a great deal of difference in taste between meerschaum and charcoal filters. The meerschaum are more effective at absorbing moisture, but since I only smoke bent pipes as they're more comfortable for clenching, I don't really get moisture problems.

My preferred filters are Vauen Dr Pearl charcoal. The White Elephant are good but they're fractionally larger than the Dr Pearl. No problem 99% of the time but I've got a couple of pipes in which they're a bit snug and if they do swell with moisture they can become restrictive.
Also, with WE charcoal I sometimes find a granule of charcoal gets through and ends up in my mouth. I've found this to be much worse with Savinelli filters, to the point it gets annoying and I'm splitting them out. Less of a problem with WE. Never happens with Dr Pearl.

 

[Gimlet]

English & Scottish blends work for me. For some reason, many VA's and VAPers bite me like 'skeeters !

I find the dark-fired strong Lakeland flakes and plugs don't bite at all. They might sock you on the back of the head with nicotine but they do smoke very cool.
It's bright virginias I find the bitiest.
I don't get bite form perique blends. There's always a bit of peppery prickle in the sinuses, but I quite like that. It carries the spicy perique flavour with it and the pepperiness lets me know I've had a proper smoke without going as far as the mustard burn I get from Irish twists (though I quite like them from too time to time, but not every day).

 

[WerewolfOfLondon]

I find the dark-fired strong Lakeland flakes and plugs don't bite at all. They might sock you on the back of the head with nicotine but they do smoke very cool.
It's bright virginias I find the bitiest.
I don't get bite form perique blends. There's always a bit of peppery prickle in the sinuses, but I quite like that. It carries the spicy perique flavour with it and the pepperiness lets me know I've had a proper smoke without going as far as the mustard burn I get from Irish twists (though I quite like them from too time to time, but not every day).

I find the bright Virginia's to be right little piranhas too. Best Brown Flake, and Sam's Flake are unsmokeable to me. I think they have bright in them at least.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

I don't find a great deal of difference in taste between meerschaum and charcoal filters. The meerschaum are more effective at absorbing moisture, but since I only smoke bent pipes as they're more comfortable for clenching, I don't really get moisture problems.

My preferred filters are Vauen Dr Pearl charcoal. The White Elephant are good but they're fractionally larger than the Dr Pearl. No problem 99% of the time but I've got a couple of pipes in which they're a bit snug and if they do swell with moisture they can become restrictive.
Also, with WE charcoal I sometimes find a granule of charcoal gets through and ends up in my mouth. I've found this to be much worse with Savinelli filters, to the point it gets annoying and I'm splitting them out. Less of a problem with WE. Never happens with Dr Pearl.

Thank you for your reply and for the tip regarding troublesome charcoal granules -- different brands of filters do feature different number/size/shape air holes at each end.

Variation in 9mm filter width is an interesting topic. I have identified three variations, from wide to narrow:
white elephant, everybody else, and Dr. Pearl.
Dr. Pearl, being narrowest, will fit any 9mm filter pipe, but I don't like how the filter moves back&forth in pipes other than Vauen, so I wrap some scotch tape around the filter, so that it fits snug, and prevents smoke from slipping around the filter.
On the other extreme, white elephant filters are too wide for my Vauens, and my Chacom!

 

[Professor Moriarty]

English & Scottish blends work for me. For some reason, many VA's and VAPers bite me like 'skeeters !

btw, what is the difference between English and Scottish blends? There is some ambiguity in opinion.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

RLP-6 and HGL do not seem to bite no matter how hard your push them.