I’m just going to take a moment to share what I’ve learned so far.
I’ve been a member of many online communities for many various interests, since Al Gore invented the internet. Pipe smoking, like all the rest, has evolved into a metric sh*t ton of people regurgitating info without experience so they can be instant experts. But have faith, there are still many that have been there, done that, and are still willing to share real experiential knowledge. This forum has plenty.
So, that being said-here’s my nuggets so far:
Patience: like any “acquired” taste, this is going to take time. Tongue bite, not knowing Latakia from Orientals, Balkans from English, etc is part of the journey. Find what you like and enjoy, because within a couple months if you smoke regularly, guess what? That’ll probably change. Keep what you buy and don’t like and try it later, and don’t prejudice yourself by forcing “what you want to like” to deter you from finding what you like. Preference changes with weather, mood, moon cycles, your old lady’s cycles, mouth ph, overall health, etc.
Preparation: try different ways to prep your tobacco. Slicing chunks off a plug, folding & stuffing, rubbing out, chopping up, drying out, hydrating, aging, stoving, scooping from a pouch, loading pipes days in advance, etc…they all have their place and you won’t know until you try.
Packing: try the three step packing all the YouTube pros espouse ad nauseam (soft like shaking a child’s hand, medium like a lady’s, then firm like a man). You may learn, like me, that it’s a great way to frustrate yourself (or that these dudes never shook a man’s hand) and fry your mouth and never enjoy a bowl from char to dottle in one smooth smoke. Like everything else, try a bunch of different ways, because each blend and pipe will have its own preference too-there is no “one right way”. I’ve found it’s easier to tamp tighter, than to loosen-YMMV
Pace: it’s gonna take a minute to figure out how to pace your smoking. I “sip” through a straw way differently than the internet coaches I guess. Let your enjoyment, and the feel of the pipe tell you what you need to do. Briar should not feel in your hand like you picked up a chunk of steel another guy just welded.
Persistence: This hobby ain’t for everyone, but if your honest with yourself you’ll know.
It’s like this: I’m a hunter. I hunt coyotes in the desert, and I know how to find them and how not to. Recent years, predator hunting around here has become popular to the point that people say “Steve, I really wanna do that”. If I like them (and trust them not to shoot me) I’ll take them out. I take them in the desert where most likely there’s cholla thorns everywhere, but not a bunch of coyotes. If they go all day, sitting still in I cactus, hike through rocks, sand, snakes and plants that were the source for the crown of thorns, maybe hear a coyote in the distance (maybe not), and after all this they get in the truck at the end of the day and say “that was awesome, wanna go out again?”, then I know they’ll appreciate it and share next time how it’s really done.
So if you fry your tongue to where the thought of hot sauce or a bite of a crispy baguette makes you cringe, but all the while your mouth is healing you’re impatiently waiting to try a new blend that you got-this is probably gonna be for you.
If that makes sense and sounds good: relax, research, ponder, and enjoy the ride. Always remember that folks have been burning tobacco and enjoying it for centuries, don’t make it harder than it has to be.
Prost!
I’ve been a member of many online communities for many various interests, since Al Gore invented the internet. Pipe smoking, like all the rest, has evolved into a metric sh*t ton of people regurgitating info without experience so they can be instant experts. But have faith, there are still many that have been there, done that, and are still willing to share real experiential knowledge. This forum has plenty.
So, that being said-here’s my nuggets so far:
Patience: like any “acquired” taste, this is going to take time. Tongue bite, not knowing Latakia from Orientals, Balkans from English, etc is part of the journey. Find what you like and enjoy, because within a couple months if you smoke regularly, guess what? That’ll probably change. Keep what you buy and don’t like and try it later, and don’t prejudice yourself by forcing “what you want to like” to deter you from finding what you like. Preference changes with weather, mood, moon cycles, your old lady’s cycles, mouth ph, overall health, etc.
Preparation: try different ways to prep your tobacco. Slicing chunks off a plug, folding & stuffing, rubbing out, chopping up, drying out, hydrating, aging, stoving, scooping from a pouch, loading pipes days in advance, etc…they all have their place and you won’t know until you try.
Packing: try the three step packing all the YouTube pros espouse ad nauseam (soft like shaking a child’s hand, medium like a lady’s, then firm like a man). You may learn, like me, that it’s a great way to frustrate yourself (or that these dudes never shook a man’s hand) and fry your mouth and never enjoy a bowl from char to dottle in one smooth smoke. Like everything else, try a bunch of different ways, because each blend and pipe will have its own preference too-there is no “one right way”. I’ve found it’s easier to tamp tighter, than to loosen-YMMV
Pace: it’s gonna take a minute to figure out how to pace your smoking. I “sip” through a straw way differently than the internet coaches I guess. Let your enjoyment, and the feel of the pipe tell you what you need to do. Briar should not feel in your hand like you picked up a chunk of steel another guy just welded.
Persistence: This hobby ain’t for everyone, but if your honest with yourself you’ll know.
It’s like this: I’m a hunter. I hunt coyotes in the desert, and I know how to find them and how not to. Recent years, predator hunting around here has become popular to the point that people say “Steve, I really wanna do that”. If I like them (and trust them not to shoot me) I’ll take them out. I take them in the desert where most likely there’s cholla thorns everywhere, but not a bunch of coyotes. If they go all day, sitting still in I cactus, hike through rocks, sand, snakes and plants that were the source for the crown of thorns, maybe hear a coyote in the distance (maybe not), and after all this they get in the truck at the end of the day and say “that was awesome, wanna go out again?”, then I know they’ll appreciate it and share next time how it’s really done.
So if you fry your tongue to where the thought of hot sauce or a bite of a crispy baguette makes you cringe, but all the while your mouth is healing you’re impatiently waiting to try a new blend that you got-this is probably gonna be for you.
If that makes sense and sounds good: relax, research, ponder, and enjoy the ride. Always remember that folks have been burning tobacco and enjoying it for centuries, don’t make it harder than it has to be.
Prost!
