What do I get for my money?

[serkazong]

I just started smoking 2 weeks ago. I've bought 4 pipes now that are all pretty cheap (under $50) and I figure that will do me just fine until, over time, I collect nice pipes that I love. I only have 2 of them now and the others are shipping to me.
Both the pipes I have now are La Rocca pipes I got from a local Edward's store here in Colorado. On both of them, its hard to run a pipe cleaner through because I can see that the holes on the bowls is pretty far off center. I dont have trouble smoking them though, they draw just fine.
I have some trouble with toungue bite (I think . . . that'll be another thread), and I do get some gurgling from time to time. From what I've gathered so far, those issues can be from a variety of sources.
So my question is, what would I expect to get better out of a more expensive and/or higher quality pipe? I'm really loving smoking so far, so these cheap pipes arent necessarily a problem. But what am I missing out on, or what should get better with a better pipe?

 

[mrenglish]

Typically, the more expensive the pipe, the better the quality of construction, the briar is better, is etc. However, that is not a hard and fast rule but a general one. I have had basket pipes that smoked wonderfully and have dropped a ton of money for a pipe that smoked wet.
I would recommend Peterson as a good entry pipe. At around $100, odds are you will get an excellent smoking pipe. They have some minor quality issues but you will find that in a pipe in that range.
The tongue bite and gurgling can/will still happen in higher end pieces depending on what the cause is. If its due to the tobacco being to moist or your body chemistry, then you will get bit and have gurgle regardless if its a basket pipe or one that costs a thousand bucks. Gurgling can be caused by engineering issues, moist tobacco, smoking to fast, how well the briar was cured to begin with, etc. A pipe cleaner or a quick flick of the pipe (with the mouthpiece away from you) will take care of that.
One thing to look for when purchasing a new pipe is weight. I have found that typically the lighter the pipe is, the better it will smoke. This is not to say heavy pipes do not smoke well, but I tend to get better results from a lighter pipe of the same shape/maker than a heavier piece.
Hope this helps and definitely let us know if you have more questions. Pipe smoking is a wonderful hobby, there is nothing else out there quite like it.
Mike

 

[spartan]

If you've only been smoking a pipe for a few weeks I'd try to learn better smoking technique with the pipes you have. They're not the best but they will do you just fine until you've perfected your cadence and learn to sip rather than puff, find the correct dryness of your tobacco, etc.
If you're having trouble running a pipe cleaner through the whole pipe that's obviously due to an imperfectly drilled hole, or if your pipe is a bent pipe sometimes the cleaner will get bent while passing it through. Either way you can try twisting the cleaner while you push it into the pipe. I have a half bent pipe and this twisting method works everytime.
If you're smoking a tobacco too fast you may burn your tongue. You won't feel like you burnt your tongue while your smoking your pipe, but you WILL feel it the next day. This is tongue burn.
Tongue bite is a more immediate effect that hurts your tongue and mouth WHILE you're smoking the blend. You can try different pipes and different moisture levels before tossing it out, but in my experience once you find a blend that bites you there's just no way to make it work between the two of you.
The degree of the bite may vary as well. Some blends will bite if puffed on too hard, but otherwise are a delight to smoke. You'll experience this all in due time. Hang on for the ride.
Welcome to the forums.

 

[mrenglish]

One other thing for tongue bite, get some Biotine mouthwash. It works wonders.

 

[cigrmaster]

Welcome to the site. In my opinion you will get a better smoking experience with a better pipe. Well cured briar and correct drilling are what makes a pipe a good smoker. I would recommend Savinelli over Peterson( sorry Mr English) because of their quality control. I never hear about quality control issues with Savinelli, but always hear about problems with Peterson. If you want to spend a little more say around 110.00 I would look at the Crown Viking series from Winslow. They are a great pipe for the money. There is also the estate market but you would need to do a lot of research before you jump into that.
Keep reading everything you can, and have fun.

 

[cortezattic]

+1 for Savinelli over Peterson.
The smoking experience improves with higher-end pipes, but the differences vary, and can be subtle.

It's kind of like the differences among cars in various price ranges, and the reasons we all make different choices.
Many good pipes can't smoothly pass a pipe cleaner. If there's a hang-up, try putting a short bend on the forward end of the pipe cleaner.

 

[baronsamedi]

If they are bent pipes, it is sometimes hard to pass a cleaner through. You can do like Cortez said and bend the tip up a little. Sometimes you have to take the stem off to get it through, but I'd be hesitant to do that with a hot bowl as it could damage the pipe.
I have a meerschaum that is drilled off center and it tends to gurgle. A gurgle won't hurt you, but it is a sign that you could be smoking too fast and puffing instead of sipping. If you can get the cleaner through, that will soak up the gurgle-causing moisture, but like others said, smoking/drying/packing technique is your biggest help.

 

[ghost]

Maybe pick up a few cobs to add to your rotation to practice on. They're cheap, and great if you want to experiment with a new blend...

 

[sjpipesmoker]

my first REAL pipe was a peterson killarny Rhodesian and it's my 2nd best smoker (just under my Jake Hackert) and it was 90 bucks.
I have to total agree with cigrmaster--Well cured briar and correct drilling are what makes a pipe a good smoke
If I had to choose my first pipe again, I would go with a SAV, my pete is great, but i do love my sav 320's

 

[dsturg369]

+1 on the Cobs. They smoke great and are a very affordable way to increase your rotation until your Briar collection grows a little bigger. You might just start liking the Cobs better.

 

[taerin]

Buy some corn cob pipes, they smoke better than high end briars any day and I am not kidding! They have become my pipe of choice due to the huge airway and now they are going to make them in maplewood too until their supply issue clears up (due to the hottest growing season in 50 years). You should still pack them so that the airflow is barely restricted at all, I am talking about between 70-100% draw remaining! Most poeple starting out (myself included) tend to pack way too tightly and then pack cobs even tighter because of the better draw.
I feel the best part is about them, they are a clencher's dream, you can destroy stem after stem becuase they are only 50 cents each at Aristocob.com or you can ebay them for about $1.50 each with free shipping. A lot of the stems are interchangable as well, so you can play with using differint kinds. The danish ones are like 4x's stronger than any other kind, they don't dent in nearly as easy, they are my favorites.
Due to the drought supplies are limited, but I have been enjoying my legend a lot lately, even the small ones are a good smoke.

 

[mikros]

Eric I think I'm agreeing with you on the corncobs, I just used one of my missouri meerschaums for the first time in a long time and it is GREAT. It is the total baseline cheapy from Walgreens no less. I got a very noticably more distinct taste from my Dunhill 965 and also London Mix out of it just today. (I'll admit to not resting my briars like I should tho', and I am not intending to knock those here) I ordered a "forever stem" from walker briar works just today 'cause I'm excited to use the MMs more now. I have a few Diplomats a few Generals, and the one here I cant figure out the model name of. The forever stem should look cool with the diplomats especially I think.
Serkazong (the OP) is my bro', hopefully he will excuse my blurting in.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

I prefer Petes over Savs, but I'm of German-Irish descent, so there's a little bias there. I do have two Savs and five Petes. Both are great pipe makers. Can't really go wrong with either brand.

 

[igloo]

I think you have the pipes covered and just need to find some blends you like and how to smoke them .The hardest part for any new smoker is getting a proper cadence going . You might have to count then sip ,count then sip . Soon it will all become second nature . Your count number could be ten or twenty or any other number, find one that works for you and requires fewer relights . Once you have the method down you should begin to feel more relaxed as you smoke and be able to enjoy your choice of tobacco more . As for the new pipe wait until one calls your name before you pull the trigger and spend your money .

 

[serkazong]

Thanks everyone.
I've decided my tongue burn* was definitely from smoking too fast/too hot. And I'm leaning toward aromatics for tobacco so far.
igloo, I hear you about waiting on buying pipes. I'm happy with the pipes I have now really, but as time goes by and I see something I love I may pick up higher quality stuff. These are just to get me going. I was just wondering how much the more expensive pipes make a real "smoking" difference, or is it more of a collection/pride (which I would never look down on, I totally get that too) kind of thing.
* I read an article about the difference, though there seems to be a lot of opinions about what the two really are lol. I saw tongue burn described as "leathertongue" and yeah, that exactly what I felt like.

 

[philip]

I've decided my tongue burn* was definitely from smoking too fast/too hot. And I'm leaning toward aromatics for tobacco so far.

Welcome to the forum, serkazong.

Smoking too fast seems to be the biggest problem for most beginners and many experienced smokers as well.

Pack loosely and smoke slowly.
Aromatics are fine and many prefer them. There are also many different experiences out there if you are willing to try some different categories of tobacco. Don't limit yourself.

I was just wondering how much the more expensive pipes make a real "smoking" difference...

You'll get a lot of different opinions about this. There is only one way to find out.

 

[cigrmaster]

Eric, you said: " Buy some corn cob pipes, they smoke better than high end briars any day and I am not kidding!"
I will respectfully disagree with that statement. Now to you they may smoke better which is fine, but to many of us they do not compare to a well cured, properly drilled, hand made briar. Now I don't know what you consider a high end pipe, but high end pipes do not have to be expensive with Ebay. If you enjoy your cobs then that is great, but blanket statements like that are pretty misleading.

 

[foggymountain]

Tongue bite goes away if you cut back a little until your tongue gets used to it. Lots of pipes gurgle. It has nothing to do with the price, but with the moisture content of the tobacco. Aromatics usually gurgle more. To eliminate it, run a cleaner through during the smoke, and wait until the pipe is really dry before re-smoking it.

 

[cigrmaster]

foggy, gurgling has a lot to do with moisture of the tobacco,smoking cadence, if the smoker is a wet smoker and the drilling of the pipe. You are correct that price does not always coincide with proper drilling, but cheap basket pipes rarely are drilled properly and anything that is not drilled right will smoke wet no matter how much you dry out your tobacco. I once owned a very expensive hand made pipe that was improperly drilled and it was the wettest smoker I ever experienced. No matter what I did, this thing needed a pipe cleaner after every 3-4 puffs. I got rid of it but it taught me a lesson about proper drilling.

 

[bigvan]

"corn cob pipes, they smoke better than high end briars any day"
A cob is a great, inexpensive and temporary alternative to briar. But given a cob's in-bowl shank (which precludes even the possibility of a draft hole at the bottom of the bowl) and a draft chamber of uneven dimensions, this statement is just not true.