100% Noob to the brown leaf

[KodiakAttack]

I've dabbled in pipe smoking, DABBLED... but I know absolutely nothing. I've only ever smoked Captain Black out of a $3 corncob pipe.
I've always been a fan of Lord of the Rings type pipes, specifically the one Aragorn uses in the films. Does anyone know what that style is called, and where I can get a decent one at a decent price? Im sure they make branded ones for the film but im not necessarily looking for that.

I'm also looking for a great introductory type of tobacco, very aromatic and pleasant taste. Something decent for a beginner like myself to get me hooked, and something that SWMBO won't think stinks.

 

[Hunter]

The pipes used in LOTR is known as Churchwarden, as for price it depends if you want to buy online or from your local B&M. As for type of tobacco I smoke house blends from my local tobacconist so I can't help there. Check out estate pipes online and at ebay, you may find a good used one there. Just a warning, because of the long thin stem they are fairly easy to break. Good luck in your quest.

 

[conroygc]

I've dabbled in pipe smoking, DABBLED... but I know absolutely nothing. I've only ever smoked Captain Black out of a $3 corncob pipe.

Oh hey, I did that last night.

 

[bbauer09]

Hey!
Welcome to the world of pipe smoking. Its great!
As for a pipe, Hunter is right, you are probably looking for a churchwarden. They can be very expensive but I know about a few good brands.
1) Mr. Brog. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aag/main?i...D=ATVPDKIKX0DER&orderID=&seller=ALK9TZQVPJXAA
These are relatively cheap and I have heard good things about them. I have never smoked one myself.
2) MacQueen Pipes http://macqueenpipes.com/classicchurchwardens.aspx
These are most like the pipes actually smoked in lord of the rings. They are a bit over priced in my opinion, but the most similar to what they smoke in the movie.
3) Anything on this website! http://pipesandcigars.com/chpi1.html
Pipes and cigars has been super helpful to me and they have a great selection of churchwarden pipes. Check them out.

Also, http://justforhim.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_298_62
Captain black is fine, but check out this website for some new tobaccos. These are great....and.... they are based directly off of what is smoked in the movie. I recommend Shortcut to Mushrooms! It is one of my favorite tobaccos ever.

Hope that helps!

 

[Hunter]

There we go, I was at work when I made my post so I couldn't really link to much with the web blocker on. Great information!

 

[Schmitz Bitz]

If you really want a MacQueen Ranger (the Aragon pipe), I would suggest you order it from P&C rather than direct from MacQueen...they have a very poor reputation for customer service and the length of time it takes to complete the order; P&C will ship same day.

I would also recommend checking out some of the Hearth and Home and P&C aromatic blends; Scotty's Butternut Burley is a long-standing favourite of many folks, but they also have a great selection of samplers available, I would pick up one (or two) of those to start with.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Welcome. Check your inbox

 

[KodiakAttack]

Hey!
Welcome to the world of pipe smoking. Its great!
As for a pipe, Hunter is right, you are probably looking for a churchwarden. They can be very expensive but I know about a few good brands.
1) Mr. Brog. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aag/main?i...D=ATVPDKIKX0DER&orderID=&seller=ALK9TZQVPJXAA
These are relatively cheap and I have heard good things about them. I have never smoked one myself.
2) MacQueen Pipes http://macqueenpipes.com/classicchurchwardens.aspx
These are most like the pipes actually smoked in lord of the rings. They are a bit over priced in my opinion, but the most similar to what they smoke in the movie.
3) Anything on this website! http://pipesandcigars.com/chpi1.html
Pipes and cigars has been super helpful to me and they have a great selection of churchwarden pipes. Check them out.

Also, http://justforhim.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_298_62
Captain black is fine, but check out this website for some new tobaccos. These are great....and.... they are based directly off of what is smoked in the movie. I recommend Shortcut to Mushrooms! It is one of my favorite tobaccos ever.

Hope that helps!

Thank you so much for the links. I would have searched all week long for this!

 

[conroygc]

Welcome. Check your inbox

Ahh. Gotta love reading those words. Good ol' B&B.

 

[KarlMaldensNose]

Ahh. Gotta love reading those words. Good ol' B&B.

Yup, good bunch of guys around these parts. Welcome to your new _AD!

 

[oc_in_fw]

Ahh. Gotta love reading those words. Good ol' B&B.

Well truthfully, I have settled on a few tobaccos, so the variety I can offer isn't much. However, I will gladly share it. When I came to the Brown Leaf, a certain member set me up with 12 different samples. Hopefully one day I will be able to match that.

 

[Hunter]

Share and share alike, I remember seeing an old painting somewhere of a guy holding out his tobacco pouch to another man to fill his pipe. If anything we are Brothers in Briar and need to watch out for each other!

 

[oc_in_fw]

Share and share alike, I remember seeing an old painting somewhere of a guy holding out his tobacco pouch to another man to fill his pipe. If anything we are Brothers in Briar and need to watch out for each other!

+1. To share what brings one pleasure is noble

On edit: that is what makes this place great.

 

[COHunter]

Welcome to a whole new world of PAD and TAD. I've smoked a pipe on and off for around 15 years or so, and for what it's worth I think you have a decent start with the cob and Captain Black. Cobs are some of the best smoking pipes, and Captain Black is a good aromatic over the counter tobacco. Now the tricky part is in combining those 2 things and coming out with an enjoyable experience and not setting your tongue on fire.

Fair warning, most of the time aromatic tobaccos smell way better than they taste, and some of them will bite your tongue like a rabid junkyard dog. Smoke very slowly, and take small draws or "sips" from the pipe, if you're bellowing smoke like a steam locomotive you'll destroy your tongue. In fairness that rule applies to almost any tobacco in a pipe, but aromatics tend to be full of sugars that are very prone to burning if not treated gently.

+1 on the Shortcut to Mushrooms recommendation. I buy it by the pound. Treebeard is nice too, less sweet though.
For more advice check out www.pipesmokersforum.com and there is an absolute wealth of info over there, I'm on it daily. It's to pipe smoking what B&B is to shaving.

 

[KodiakAttack]

Well, I now know a few items that will be on my xmas list this year.

What does everyone think of this? Good deal? Piece of junk? http://www.amazon.com/s-s-Long-Chur...8&qid=1354045255&sr=8-1&keywords=churchwarden

Shortcut to Mushrooms and Treebeard sound delicious too.

 

[Argonaut]

Favorable reviews, but seems pretty cheap for a churchwarden. At that price you could at least find out if the style is right for you, I find mine to be a pain to smoke. Then again, I'm notoriously lazy.

 

[JM]

Mr. Brog Churchwarden (Bent Albert) in action: http://feileadhmor.wordpress.com/2012/11/16/sweet-killarney/

I just love Mr. Brog pipes.

 

[KodiakAttack]

Favorable reviews, but seems pretty cheap for a churchwarden. At that price you could at least find out if the style is right for you, I find mine to be a pain to smoke. Then again, I'm notoriously lazy.

A pain to smoke? How so? I also need to learn to pack the bowl correctly. Whenever I smoke the cob it seems to go out every few minutes and i have to re-light it. That, and when i empty my bowl theres usually a good amount of un-scorched tobacco packed in there.

 

[COHunter]

A pain to smoke? How so? I also need to learn to pack the bowl correctly. Whenever I smoke the cob it seems to go out every few minutes and i have to re-light it. That, and when i empty my bowl theres usually a good amount of un-scorched tobacco packed in there.

Churchwarden pipes with the long stem require you to hold onto it the whole time, can't clench it and leave both of your hands free. Relights and pipe smoking are very familiar friends, and rather than try to avoid them, embrace them. Many times if you aren't relighting you're blazing that bowl and smoking way too hot. There is almost always tobacco or "dottle" left at the bottom, think of it as the devil's share, it's the stuff that's been filtering all the other tobacco above it, and gross as it is a fair bit of spit and condensation from your breath.

Keep in mind there are different packing methods/techniques and some lend themselves better depending on the type of tobacco being smoked. There's the Frank method, the 3 step, the cannonball/air gap method...stuff and puff, fold and stuff, the codger cram...etc. The pipe doesn't necessarily dictate the type of packing method, more so the tobacco dictates it.

 

[cxg231]

Whenever I smoke the cob it seems to go out every few minutes and i have to re-light it. That, and when i empty my bowl theres usually a good amount of un-scorched tobacco packed in there.

Sounds like your tobacco could use a gentle tamp now and then while smoking to keep it lit.