New to Pipes - Help Please!

[birddawg]

Hi all. I have never smoked a pipe yet but I would like to get one to try it. I checked out the link at the top of the page. What kinds of stuff should I get, as far as a pipe and tobacco and stuff? Is there anything else I would need to get? Also, do you have any tobacco recommendations? I think I would probably like to go for an aromatic tobacco, because it always smells good when other people are smoking it. Oh yeah, is there a place where you would recommend getting this stuff? Thanks for your help!

[TheSaint]

My advice is to go pick up a corn cob pipe, there cheap(just in case you don't care for pipe smoking, then you're not out big bucks)and they actually smoke pretty well. If you go with an aromatic, go with a lighter style, not overly dressed with cherry or vanilla or what have you. Start out with something like a bulk blend aromatic, they are normally better in quality than drugstore brands. My suggestion would be 1Q from Lane., if you're local has their "own" brand, chances are they get it from Lane, just tell them you want the 1Q, they'll know what to do. If you want to buy on- line(I would tell you to buy local, they can show you how to load and light and clean your pipe..nothing beats good service!) JR cigars has pretty good price and a decent selection. Also, a piece of advice, teach yourself to smoke slow, otherwise you'll burn your tongue, also know as tongue bite..you don't want it..trust me Hope that helps a little!

[eastwood44mag]

First rule: no filtered pipes. Filters mean it's made of crappy materials. I would recommend a Dr. Grabow or a similar pipe, to see if you like it or not. I spent almost $50 on my first, but I really like pipe tobacco, so it works out well. Ebay is a great place to look, but be careful, and don't bid against me (I go after Peterson Systems and an occasional churchwarden). As far as tobacco, I would suggest Captain Black to start. It's cheap, readily available, and mild. If you find you like the pipe, consider trying samplers. I've got some different blends if you're interested. Your basic tobaccos are Virginia, burley, latakia, perique, and cavendish. These are basically sweet, nutty, smokey, spicy, and mellow, respectively. I tend to smoke almost exclusively latakia, perique, and Virginias, since they seem to have a great flavor without overpowering the blend. A pipe tool that can last you a lifetime should run about a buck. Don't spend big money on a tool--all it does is scrape your bowl, tamp tobacco, and maybe stir it some.

As far as where to go, definitely try a local shop at some point. A GOOD tobacconist can halp you pick a blend, a pipe, and the best combination for both. Cigarette shops are not tobacconists.

PM me if you want some start-up materials.

Best of luck.

[samiam2]

Dawg, the earlier two post just about cover the aspects of pipe smoking. If you can find a Tinderbox or some such store, that would be great. I also like the idea of starting with a Corn Cob pipe. They smoke true and add nothing to the blend. They allow you the opportunity to learn pipe smoking. Which, takes patience and then some more patience. Get a lot of matches and smoke slow, let it go out and relite it. Tounge burn is B A D, so slow is the way. Also, as stated earlier, get some different sample blends and keep a log of what you like about them. Pipe smoking will expose you to many types of tobacco and pipes which may take you many, many years to try. So, enjoy each bowl and have that enjoyment in your life. samiam

p.s. take the BOTL up on their offer to help get started. Sharing is even better than smoking...sometimes..

[LabRatGDI]

Originally Posted by eastwood44mag

First rule: no filtered pipes. Filters mean it's made of crappy materials. I would recommend a Dr. Grabow or a similar pipe, to see if you like it or not. I spent almost $50 on my first, but I really like pipe tobacco, so it works out well. Ebay is a great place to look, but be careful, and don't bid against me (I go after Peterson Systems and an occasional churchwarden). As far as tobacco, I would suggest Captain Black to start. It's cheap, readily available, and mild. If you find you like the pipe, consider trying samplers. I've got some different blends if you're interested. Your basic tobaccos are Virginia, burley, latakia, perique, and cavendish. These are basically sweet, nutty, smokey, spicy, and mellow, respectively. I tend to smoke almost exclusively latakia, perique, and Virginias, since they seem to have a great flavor without overpowering the blend. A pipe tool that can last you a lifetime should run about a buck. Don't spend big money on a tool--all it does is scrape your bowl, tamp tobacco, and maybe stir it some.

As far as where to go, definitely try a local shop at some point. A GOOD tobacconist can halp you pick a blend, a pipe, and the best combination for both. Cigarette shops are not tobacconists.

PM me if you want some start-up materials.

Best of luck.

Um, east? Grabow's are filtered pipes.

[Deriffe]

Approach pipes just like cigars. Sample everything until you figure out what you like. Start with the corncob and work your way up from there. Decent tobacco shops will have small sampler of tobacco you can pick up cheap just to try it out.

I have scored some great deals at ebay on estate pipes, just be careful. I only buy re-conditioned pipes that have been cleaned.

A blend of Lane's BCA and 1Q are my everyday smoke.

[eastwood44mag]

Originally Posted by LabRatGDI

Um, east? Grabow's are filtered pipes.

My buddy smokes one that isn't. So apparently they make at least one w/o a filter.

[ZachS]

Originally Posted by eastwood44mag

First rule: no filtered pipes. Filters mean it's made of crappy materials. I would recommend a Dr. Grabow or a similar pipe, to see if you like it or not. I spent almost $50 on my first, but I really like pipe tobacco, so it works out well. Ebay is a great place to look, but be careful, and don't bid against me (I go after Peterson Systems and an occasional churchwarden). As far as tobacco, I would suggest Captain Black to start. It's cheap, readily available, and mild. If you find you like the pipe, consider trying samplers. I've got some different blends if you're interested. Your basic tobaccos are Virginia, burley, latakia, perique, and cavendish. These are basically sweet, nutty, smokey, spicy, and mellow, respectively. I tend to smoke almost exclusively latakia, perique, and Virginias, since they seem to have a great flavor without overpowering the blend. A pipe tool that can last you a lifetime should run about a buck. Don't spend big money on a tool--all it does is scrape your bowl, tamp tobacco, and maybe stir it some.

As far as where to go, definitely try a local shop at some point. A GOOD tobacconist can halp you pick a blend, a pipe, and the best combination for both. Cigarette shops are not tobacconists.

PM me if you want some start-up materials.

Best of luck.

Don't forget about oriental or "turkish" tobacco - provides a great earthy flavor that rounds out all english blends. And also note that VA 'baccy can run the gamut from sweet and rich to powerfully astringent and everything in between - although the climate, soil, and curing process lead to very different results, it's more similar to cigar leaf than any of the others: which is to say, it's very versatile and wide-ranging.

[LabRatGDI]

Originally Posted by eastwood44mag

My buddy smokes one that isn't. So apparently they make at least one w/o a filter.

I'm betting he just took the filter out?

[tedski]

Not all Grabow pipes have filters. I also disagree with the statement that all filtered pipes are made from crappy materials. There are good ones and bad ones - just like non filtered pipes. If you go to Europe, you will see a MUCH higher percentage of filtered pipes than here in the US ... and most of them are very high quality.

While corncob pipes (these have paper filters BTW - and are made of the cheapest materials possible) are an OK place to start, they will not provide the same experience as a decent briar pipe.

My advice would be to find a local tobacco shop that has a good selection of both cigars and pipes (don't go to the ones in the shopping mall). Find a pipe that appeals to you - hopefully priced around $20. Make sure that when you put a pipe cleaner in the mouthpiece (stem) it can slide down all the way into the hole at the bottom of the bowl. If it can't ... put it back and find another.

Then ask to purchase a couple of one ounce samples of bulk tobacco. Get an aromatic (I'd suggest Lane's 1-Q / Captain Black ) ... a Virginia (like McClelland 5100) ... and an English (something with a good percentage of Oriental / Latakia leaf ... it will smell very smokey). Also get a pkg of pipe cleaners, a pipe tool and a refillable pipe lighter. All of these items should be around $15.

Hopefully someone there can physically show you how to load and light you pipe. I think you will find the experience is quite different than cigars. Pipe smoking requires more effort and patience but IMO, the end result is worth it.