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Herbal alternative for a pipe

This is for my dad. He's had a rough time the past few years with a few seizures, strokes and Alzheimer's. His main interest is smoking but he has burned his way through his Briarwood pipes, can't roll his own smokes anymore and smokes the cigarettes we ration him like a speedrunner who can't wait to smoke the filter.

The past few weeks his entire being has been focused on getting a pipe. The possibility of fobbing him off has reached zero so I have ordered a few cheap corncobs.

Before I buy him some pipe tobacco I was wondering if there is something herbal I can give him which might bear some resemblance to tobacco - the plan being he can have a pipe of herbal stuff in the living room with my mum whilst watching a movie instead of having to sit outside himself chaining on a pipe until it is burned out.

First thought is marshmallow leaf which I can get locally but it's bright green.....we may well get away with this but I'm curious about options.

Is there such a thing as pipe tobacco substitute?
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
There are substitutes I have seen, but what was the reason for not smoking tobacco in the house?
 

simon1

Self Ignored by Vista
First off, my thoughts and prayers are with your father...sounds like he is a crusty old codger. :biggrin1:

I'm interested in the replies to your thread as the only thing herbal I know of is...well, you know. It's legal in some states here now.

As for sitting in the living room with your mom, as far as room note goes my SWMBO doesn't mind Carter Hall, if it's available over there. I guess you may have to try some different mild blends and see what's acceptable.

I hope that when I get older, which is not too far off, people let me enjoy my twilight years instead of trying to make me do what they think I should do.
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
Amazon has a plethora of herbal tobaccos. Spearmint leaf, mugwort, etc. There was a Gent recently who posted that he had acquired a pipe and herbal tobacco.
 
There was a gent who introduced themselves in the newbie thread recently, that received a pipe for xmas, and was smoking some herbal blend with no tobacco in it. So I know they exist, at least.
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
There was a gent who introduced themselves in the newbie thread recently, that received a pipe for xmas, and was smoking some herbal blend with no tobacco in it. So I know they exist, at least.

Were you looking over my shoulder copying my post?! :lol:
 
There are substitutes I have seen, but what was the reason for not smoking tobacco in the house?
Motivation for not smoking the pipe in the house is in part the smell but also the health implications of enthusiastically inhaling pipe tobacco. They have another flat where he can hangout, watch movies & smoke cigarettes most days whilst my mum goes out and about but with the pipe he really needs someone to be there to give him a shout when the bowl is done or he starts burning into the pipe.
First off, my thoughts and prayers are with your father...sounds like he is a crusty old codger. :biggrin1:

I'm interested in the replies to your thread as the only thing herbal I know of is...well, you know. It's legal in some states here now.

As for sitting in the living room with your mom, as far as room note goes my SWMBO doesn't mind Carter Hall, if it's available over there. I guess you may have to try some different mild blends and see what's acceptable.

I hope that when I get older, which is not too far off, people let me enjoy my twilight years instead of trying to make me do what they think I should do.
Thanks for the kind words. There is a balance to be struck between respecting free will and a duty of care. His enthusiasm for smoking, or vaping, and the need to control it in some fashion is rather plain to anyone with 20ft of him when he is having a smoke or a vape. We've had a few specialists in brain damage say they have never seen anything like it either.

I have ordered some marshmallow leaf as a test run. I tried it years ago and it was fairly clean tasting, reading a little more it is a common base for mixing with other stronger herbs and seems reasonably safe. Only thing is, it's bright green.......maybe I can pass it off as that other herb simon mentioned :)
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
Motivation for not smoking the pipe in the house is in part the smell but also the health implications of enthusiastically inhaling pipe tobacco. They have another flat where he can hangout, watch movies & smoke cigarettes most days whilst my mum goes out and about but with the pipe he really needs someone to be there to give him a shout when the bowl is done or he starts burning into the pipe.

Thanks for the kind words. There is a balance to be struck between respecting free will and a duty of care. His enthusiasm for smoking, or vaping, and the need to control it in some fashion is rather plain to anyone with 20ft of him when he is having a smoke or a vape. We've had a few specialists in brain damage say they have never seen anything like it either.

I have ordered some marshmallow leaf as a test run. I tried it years ago and it was fairly clean tasting, reading a little more it is a common base for mixing with other stronger herbs and seems reasonably safe. Only thing is, it's bright green.......maybe I can pass it off as that other herb simon mentioned :)

Well good luck with your quest! I would Be curious to hear how well the non tobacco went over with your Father.
 
Thanks.

Been a while since smoked a MM corncob. Is there anything I should be doing to prep it aside from having a few bowls, starting small and building up?
 

simon1

Self Ignored by Vista
Thanks.

Been a while since smoked a MM corncob. Is there anything I should be doing to prep it aside from having a few bowls, starting small and building up?

Cobs need nothing...just pack 'em and burn 'em. You are good to go.

Please let us know how things turn out.
 
Thanks.

Been a while since smoked a MM corncob. Is there anything I should be doing to prep it aside from having a few bowls, starting small and building up?


While not necessary, I like to do two things with a new MM cob.
  1. I take a rotary tool (like a Dremel) and a shaping bit and remove some of the excess shank from the bottom of the bowl.
  2. Smoke a bowl of good tobacco in another pipe, take the ash and make a pipe mud with some water. Mud any remaining crevices in the bottom of the bowl around the shank entry and thin coat the walls with any remains. Let the mud cure for a day or two then take it for the maiden voyage.
 

Hirsute

Used to have fun with Commander Yellow Pantyhose
While not necessary, I like to do two things with a new MM cob.
  1. I take a rotary tool (like a Dremel) and a shaping bit and remove some of the excess shank from the bottom of the bowl.
  2. Smoke a bowl of good tobacco in another pipe, take the ash and make a pipe mud with some water. Mud any remaining crevices in the bottom of the bowl around the shank entry and thin coat the walls with any remains. Let the mud cure for a day or two then take it for the maiden voyage.

I do number one, except I just use a pen knife to cut back the top and sides of the shank where it protrudes into the bowl. It’s not necessary, but these will burn away as you smoke it so I like to remove as much of the extra wood as possible.

Mudding the bottom to bring it up to the draft hole and bottom of the shank sounds like a good idea.


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Hirsute

Used to have fun with Commander Yellow Pantyhose
If your dad has an issue with smoking a pipe so hard that he burns through it, you might want to consider a different pipe material. Specifically, look for a “Venturi” or “The Pipe”—these are made of pyrolitic graphite and are completely unburnable. There are many of these available in the estate or used market. They often come in bright colors.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Corncob and marshamallow leaf seems to have hit the spot.

Not sure how long the cob will last but I've bought three of them, if he's still enjoying it through them then I'll pick up another briar or keep an eye out for a Venturi type.
 
I've tried coltsfoot in the past. Also smoking a mixture that contained California poppy, supplied by a local herbalist.

Coltsfoot is traditional in some places. I think in some parts its called rabbit tobacco.
 
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