Words of the Wise

[dirtybearpipes]

Hey, this post is for all your guys who have been smoking pipes for a "few" years now...
What is one thing that you have learned about pipe smoking that you wish you would have known since day 1? This is very open-ended...

 

[typical98]

the true meaning of, its better to ask for forgiveness then permission when dealing with the wife :P

 

[sasquatch]

Seek for less, find more.
More smoke = less flavor. It ain't a race!

 

[dirtybearpipes]

Woah! I never knew that, thank you sasquatch! I always try to get as thick a smoke i can. I can tell already that I'm gonna love this thread haha

 

[baronsamedi]

I wish I'd tried some VaPers sooner. Like Escudo and Louisiana Red. I went from Aros to Balkans and didn't stop to smell the Perique!

 

[papipeguy]

Yep, the advice here was not available when I started in 1970. I bought everything under the sun; no small task for a college student.Every blend was an experiment and, naturally, when I found "my blend" it was discontinued after a few years.

So, buy qualty as it costs so little to go first class. By that I mean once you've comitted to spending $5 going another $2 for higher quality really isn't very expensive. This is a hobby afterall.

 

[hobie1dog]

Smoke as slow as you possibly can, gently sipping to enjoy the flavors.
Try out every blend you can get your hands on.
Cellar away in Mason jars several pounds of your favorite blend, cause when you wake up 20 years from now, and they quit making it 10 years ago, you'll be very happy.

 

[igloo]

That expensive pipes look like cheap pipes after I get done thrashing on them for a few years so now I go for stem quality instead . But then I actually smoke my pipes instead of staring at them .

 

[puffy]

I'm not a pipe snob..With that said though I believe better quality pipes give a better smoke.When I was young and first getting into pipe smoking I bought a ton of cheap pipes.Over the years I've gotten rid of all of them.The good quality pipes that I bought I still have.Some of them I've had for more than 30 years.If I could do it over I would buy fewer but better quality pipes.

 

[nsfisher]

Nothing. The journey was worth the mistakes made.

 

[mrenglish]

Like Hobie1 said; cellar, cellar, cellar. Tobacco will never be cheaper than it is now.
Learn the basics of what makes a good pipe (engineering, stem fit & finish, etc) and pay attention to this when purchasing a new pipe.
You do not have to spend a fortune for a good smoking pipe.

 

[shawn622]

That hit home ! I bought like 8 5-20 dollar pipes. Had another 6 or so given to me about the same value. I have 3 really nice pipes. One i bought, the other 2 were given to me and will never leave my collection. The cheaper pipes i will give away as my collection grows. I'm in no hurry to obtain a vast collection of 100+ dollar pipes. I have plenty to get me by till then. I'll call them learning pipes :?

 

[brian64]

+1 hobie and . I'm finally learning to smoke more slowly more often. But for me, what helped most was acquiring a few higher quality pipes. I know this is not true for everyone, but for me better pipes definitely made it easier to smoke slower...and achieve a cooler and more flavorful smoking experience more often. If I had it to do over, I would purchase fewer but higher quality pipes. There was a time when I thought differently on this point, but my perspective has changed.

 

[pstlpkr]

I wish I had learned the different characteristics of the various tobacco types earlier on.

Understanding the differences has enabled me to better identify and taste the subtleties in a blend.

 

[juni]

Never throw away tobacco you don't like, store it in mason jars. I threw away a few pouches of tobaccos like Vanilla Creme and Half&Half. Now I like them both.

 

[judcole]

.If I could do it over I would buy fewer but better quality pipes.

+1

 

[cigrmaster]

Never sell off your collection even if you think you will never smoke a pipe again, especially if you don't need the money.
If Bells Three Nuns ever comes round again, buy a truckload.

 

[brewshooter]

Pack looser.

 

[ace57]

The one thing I learned is that a pipe without the stinger in it smokes better for me.

 

[slownumbers39]

Learned this lesson yesterday. Use less flake than you think you will need, and pack looser than you think you should.