Totally Ignorant From NC

[manwe967]

Hello from just outside Asheville, NC. I'm tired of burning the crap out of my mouth, so I decided I should actually invest some time into learning. My wife bought me a couple of briar pipes and some tobacco last Christmas. I know virtually nothing about them, but I pull them out about once every other month and give it a try. It mostly just causes frustration trying to keep them lit and results in a hurt tongue. I actually do really enjoy the process of setting everything up so it's not a total loss, but I'm sure I could enjoy it a lot more.

Not really looking for answers here. I know there is tons of information waiting for me when I start digging through threads. I just wanted to say hi really. I'll post some questions when I've spent come time learning what to ask.

Rob

 

[smokiespipesmoker123]

Welcome from East Tennessee.

Dry the tobacco till its crispy dry., smoke it super slow, dont sweat keeping it lit.. you dont need to see voluminous smoke... smoke English blends or burley based codger blends. not aromatics until you get the hang of it

 

[manwe967]

Thanks. I'm digging through the beginner stuff looking for some simple step by step instructions on getting from buying the tobacco to actually smoking it. I assume that exists somewhere so I just need to find it so I know how to choose it, "dry" it, pack it, light it, and then smoke it. If you can point me toward the best place to start, that would be appreciated. Otherwise, I'll just keep digging through the beginners stuff.

Rob

 

[briarbuck]

What was the wife's choice of tobacco?

 

[manwe967]

Took a picture just a minute ago. Hopefully it attaches ok. She really doesn't know anything about it either so I think she probably just grabbed at random. The two pipes are pictured there as well. The one with the straight stem (sorry, don't know the shape names yet) had Cassillero 230 stamped on it. The other one has no markings that I can find yet. I know nothing about them at all.

 

[lawdawg]

Welcome! I know what you mean about the mouth burning stuff. I'm sure we all have had that experience.

My recommendation (which will surprise nobody here who has any familiarity with my posts) is to get some Carter Hall tobacco. It's a blend that's pretty widely available, and has been around for a very long time, and it burns easily and has overall forgiving smoking characteristics. It mostly just tastes like plain tobacco, though it's topped with a bit of bourbon and vanilla.

I also recommend trying a corn cob pipe because they are very absorbent, and that absorbency will help you deal with moisture issues while you get your technique figured out.

Good luck!

 

[manwe967]

Maybe I'm making a fatal beginner mistake, but I would really like to try to use what I have before buying anything else, especially since it was a gift. I don't mind buying more if it's really a bad idea, but I'd like to give it the old "college try" first.

Rob

 

[dcon]

Of the blends that you pictured, I would recommend the Erin go Braugh. Mso and I are the only 2 people that I have known to have smoked it, lol. It is not a bad aro (and I usually do not care for alcohol laced blends). Just go easy on the puffing (good advice for any new smoker, anyway) because it will get “hot” if you get speedy with It.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[lawdawg]

Maybe I'm making a fatal beginner mistake, but I would really like to try to use what I have before buying anything else, especially since it was a gift. I don't mind buying more if it's really a bad idea, but I'd like to give it the old "college try" first.

Rob

You can absolutely still use what you've got. I would just recommend adding a pouch of an easy-going burley like Carter Hall to your collection. Most of us have a bunch of pipes and a bunch more different varieties of tobacco. It will probably be hard to learn on what you've got because they are all aromatics, which means they are pretty heavily cased in a bunch of flavorings which makes them harder to smoke and keep lit. That style of tobacco is easier to smoke once you've got more experience with the pipe.

 

[manwe967]

You can absolutely still use what you've got. I would just recommend adding a pouch of an easy-going burley like Carter Hall to your collection. Most of us have a bunch of pipes and a bunch more different varieties of tobacco. It will probably be hard to learn on what you've got because they are all aromatics, which means they are pretty heavily cased in a bunch of flavorings which makes them harder to smoke and keep lit. That style of tobacco is easier to smoke once you've got more experience with the pipe.

Understood. That makes a lot of sense. The Irish Dew does say it's a "Virginia Burley Blend". Is that not the same kind of burley?

 

[lawdawg]

Understood. That makes a lot of sense. The Irish Dew does say it's a "Virginia Burley Blend". Is that not the same kind of burley?

Burley is a variety of tobacco. It can be processed in any number of ways, including adding a bunch of goopy aromatic flavorings to it. What I would recommend is getting one of the well known burley blends, as they are all pretty easy to smoke. Some of them include: Carter Hall, Prince Albert, Sir Walter Raleigh, Half and Half, and Granger. By far, my recommendation out of that lot is Carter Hall, and it's probably the most popular, with Prince Albert in second.

 

[mso489]

You have some fairly easy smoking blends, Erin Go Bragh and BR Bourbon. I think you must be puffing pretty hard. If you can sip rather than puff, that will reduce the "tongue bite" or chemical burn. Relighting a few times is standard, certainly until you get a little experience. Leave a little springiness in the tobacco when you pack the bowl, so the air can move through.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Asheville, where the women like women, and the men are good looking. Ha! My wife is from Mars Hill. I had to teach her about wearing shoes and stuff before I could bring her down here to Alabama.

I think aromatics have done more to prevent people from smoking a pipe than the FDA. ATF, and every high school principal combined. First off, despite what Chasingembers is going to say, because he will if he hasn't already... you can't taste aromatics. You can smell them for a little bit, until you get used to it... like smelling your own cologne. You can't. So, guys who try aromatics, get a whiff, and start smoking faster to see if they can "chase" that taste, and they end up burning their mouths.

Get a non aromatic, and enjoy the flavors of the finest tobaccos grown. It's not a cigarette, so it will taste really good, and people will like it, or that has been my experience. Those who don't like it... it's ok to shoot them in the face. It's 2020, so it's ok... just shoot them right in the face.

Smoke slow, think "trickles of smoke" not big billowy clouds like cigars. Guys who try to get billowy clouds of smoke with their pipes have no taste buds, so they don't care, plus it makes you look like a beginner. And, no beginner ever wants to look like a beginner. So, trickles.... small wisps... smoke like your trying to hide the smoke, let it roll around your mouth, taste it... Blowing smoke does nothing but waste money, tobacco, time, and my patience. You want to savor the smoke, let it touch every tastebud in your mouth. Relish in it, slowly.

And, don't forget to shoot people in the face. And, put on some damn shoes!!!

 

[anotherbob]

Maybe I'm making a fatal beginner mistake, but I would really like to try to use what I have before buying anything else, especially since it was a gift. I don't mind buying more if it's really a bad idea, but I'd like to give it the old "college try" first.

Rob

it will hold. Just put it in some mason jars and get back to them when you've got more experience under your belt. Pretty much everything in that picture is going to be easier to burn your self with then the other things people have reccomended.

 

[anotherbob]

Asheville, where the women like women, and the men are good looking. Ha! My wife is from Mars Hill. I had to teach her about wearing shoes and stuff before I could bring her down here to Alabama.

I think aromatics have done more to prevent people from smoking a pipe than the FDA. ATF, and every high school principal combined. First off, despite what Chasingembers is going to say, because he will if he hasn't already... you can't taste aromatics. You can smell them for a little bit, until you get used to it... like smelling your own cologne. You can't. So, guys who try aromatics, get a whiff, and start smoking faster to see if they can "chase" that taste, and they end up burning their mouths.

I agree with both of you. Aromatics have burnt off too many new smokers, and you can taste the aromatics.

 

[Jacob74]

Well met and welcome! It's all about enjoying the experience, so move at your own pace. No hurries or pressures,

 

[indoeuro]

Welcome! This forum and these members are fantastic resources. No matter what frustration you run into, we have all had and probably had it worse. So ask away!

 

[cshubhra]

Welcome ... Start with an English Blend. They are the easiest to smoke and most flavorful. Peterson’s Early Morning Pipe is a great beginner choice.

 

[mikethompson]

Welcome Rob!

There is another good member (@bnichols23 ) down in your neck of the woods.

 

[manwe967]

Thanks for the welcome and all the suggestions. Hopefully this doesn't start a religious war, but any preferences as to where to guy tobacco. Not many shops around these days that are actually open. Do you buy online?