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Advice from the pipe smokers

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
I would say that it will probably smoke ok, but I would suggest you spend a little more and get a Morgan Bones Pipe, or if you want to keep the costs down, a Missouri Meerschaum cob pipe. Reason being is the above two implements are proven in their performance, the Amazon one, not so much.
 
This is a filtered pipe. As far as I understood these are not that common in the US and one more thing that you have to worry about.

I’m not sure on the benefits of a pipe screen, the rest of the accessories cost peanuts wherever you buy them. So the overall value of the set is not so compelling.

Starting out with a cob (Missouri Meerschaum or Old Dominion) is totally fine. I would also add Falcon pipes and Al @AimlessWanderer is a fan of Mr. Brog.

The SP.com starter kit is priced at 39.95 and looks fine to me if you want to start with briar instead of a cob.

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luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
If it were me, Amazon would be the last place I looked for a set up. You have no idea what the pipe is made of and you want a pipe that will stand up to the heat of burning tobacco. It says "Ebony" but it is doubtful that they used Ebony in a mass produced pipe. The ad says that the pipe is "Sunny Yellow". So you're apparently not getting what is shown in the picture.
The negative reviews on this one you have linked to talk about it not even being made of wood at all but some unknown material with a veneer that burns off leaving bubbles on the stummel.

Get a set up from a reputable pipe seller for 10 or 20 bucks more, or a Cob for the same or less.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
Starting out with a cob (Missouri Meerschaum or Old Dominion) is totally fine. I would also add Falcon pipes and Al @AimlessWanderer is a fan of Mr. Brog.

I have had some great pipes from Mr Brog, but as pearwood can smoke hot, and new pipe smokers can really get the fire roaring, pearwood wouldn't be my recommended start point.

That said, Mr Brog do make pipes in other materials too, but with that brand, specific attention does need to be given to what pipe is made out of which wood. A cob would be a good, and very cheap start point. A Falcon would be a fair choice too, but I'd personally recommend getting a more traditional construction pipe as a first briar. I do own one "conventional" Mr Brog briar, and it is a very good pipe. My other Brogs, I probably wouldn't recommend to a newbie, due to materials used.

Morgan Bones pipes seem to be regarded highly in the US. They're pricey here in the UK though, and the one I tried was utterly abysmal and got returned. I have had great success however, with Parker of London seconds. They can be had from thepipeshop.co.uk under their own Parker branding, from GQTobaccos with a GQ logo on (marketed as GQ Tobaccos pipes), or from smoke.co.uk as Barber B-line pipes. They can be had elsewhere too, but those choices should be enough to get you started.

Every single one of the Parkers I've had has been an excellent smoker, although I didn't actually keep them all. I chose to sell some because they didn't sit. I personally won't smoke pipes that fall over when you put them down, or need some kind of stand/pipe rest. Just a quirk of mine. They all smoked perfectly.
 

Columbo

Mr. Codgers Neighborhood
Many untraditional hardwood pipes can sometimes be rough smokers. Not the best choice for a first pipe, IMO.

Like others have said, go with a cob to start again. It's a bulletproof pipe and smokes most blends easily and well.

And if you find pipe smoking is not for you, or you have an early mishap, you're only out $5-7.

A Czech tool is only a buck or two ... and a clean roofing nail and pack of matches if you don't want to spend that much are virtually free.

If you are starting from scratch, a pouch of SWR is around $5. Give that a whirl in your cob with your morning coffee. And that's a great way to get back into it.

Happy puffs!
 
Go corn cob. I was a non-filter cig smoker in the 60s and 70s, I gave it up, but thanks to this forum, I started smoking a pipe (off & on) about 8 years ago. The first pipe I bought was a $125+ Peterson, but once I tried cobs, I gave my Peterson to a brother-in-law who smoked pipes. I quit for a few years, until recently, but got back into it with a Missouri Meerschaum Carolina Gent. Cobs are inexpensive, take abuse, and are great smokers.
 
Many untraditional hardwood pipes can sometimes be rough smokers. Not the best choice for a first pipe, IMO.

Like others have said, go with a cob to start again. It's a bulletproof pipe and smokes most blends easily and well.

And if you find pipe smoking is not for you, or you have an early mishap, you're only out $5-7.

A Czech tool is only a buck or two ... and a clean roofing nail and pack of matches if you don't want to spend that much are virtually free.

If you are starting from scratch, a pouch of SWR is around $5. Give that a whirl in your cob with your morning coffee. And that's a great way to get back into it.

Happy puffs!

It´s hard to argue that a Cob is a great place to start. That´s where I started. I also agree that wood pipes that aren´t briar can be rough. I do want to try pear wood as I´ve heard they can be great smokers if you are easy with them. I started with a home made cob. I was amazed at how well it smoked for my first pipe. I´ve made others that smoke well too. That being said, a Dr. Grabow briar pipe can be purchased for about $35 bucks. I have one and it smokes great. Better than my homemade cob pipes.

I have tried MM´s Ozark hardwood pipes, and they are garbage. But at $6 a piece, small loss. I tried it. Wasn´t worth what I paid for it as it smoked harsh. I´m afraid this pipe you´ve linked would be similar. I´m just going to agree that you should go with a cob first. It´s hard to argue with that and they do smoke great from second smoke on for me.
 
. . . I have tried MM´s Ozark hardwood pipes, and they are garbage. But at $6 a piece, small loss. I tried it. Wasn´t worth what I paid for it as it smoked harsh. I´m afraid this pipe you´ve linked would be similar. I´m just going to agree that you should go with a cob first. It´s hard to argue with that and they do smoke great from second smoke on for me.
The MM hardwood I purchased last year smoked very hot to start with, possibly because the shank *came loose* from the bowl and had to be wood-glued back. And the draft is like a subway tunnel. It's not bad for a quick smoke now that I'm aware of its drawbacks. I find, though, that I smoke it far less than my briars. I haven't tried any cobs yet. But then, when I came back to the pipe last January, I already had a good supply of excellent briars I'd purchased in the '80s and '90s. I didn't have to spend a lot to get started again.

Odysseus, these guys know whereof they speak. From my view, an inexpensive good-quality estate briar that will smoke quite well can be had on eBay or Etsy for little $.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
The MM hardwood I purchased last year smoked very hot to start with, possibly because the shank *came loose* from the bowl and had to be wood-glued back. And the draft is like a subway tunnel. It's not bad for a quick smoke now that I'm aware of its drawbacks. I find, though, that I smoke it far less than my briars. I haven't tried any cobs yet. But then, when I came back to the pipe last January, I already had a good supply of excellent briars I'd purchased in the '80s and '90s. I didn't have to spend a lot to get started again.

Odysseus, these guys know whereof they speak. From my view, an inexpensive good-quality estate briar that will smoke quite well can be had on eBay or Etsy for little $.

I had an Ozark Cherrywood for quite some time, and once it was caked, it smoked like a charm. It was my No.1 go to pipe. After a few years though, it soured, and I had to do an alcohol treatment. Sadly, even though it retained the cake, the birch flavour came back with a vengeance, and after a few more smokes, I gave up on it. Still probably the best £5 I've spent in pipe smoking though, to get 6 or 7 years of solid use from it.
 
Cobs really are the way to go, but anyone here will tell you of my biased nature when it comes to using agricultural products to consume agricultural products. And they're not with their own foibles (mostly they look exactly like what they are no matter what). So instead I'll offer a different option that hasn't been mentioned yet.

If you have access to a brick and mortar tobacconist, take a moment and dig through their basket pipes. A good tobacconist won't sell junk. They're not going to look like Petersons or Savinelli or Stanwells. But all of mine have been decent too good pipes for around half the price of one of those. And they look better than a Dr. Grabow.
 
Cobs really are the way to go, but anyone here will tell you of my biased nature when it comes to using agricultural products to consume agricultural products. And they're not with their own foibles (mostly they look exactly like what they are no matter what). So instead I'll offer a different option that hasn't been mentioned yet.

If you have access to a brick and mortar tobacconist, take a moment and dig through their basket pipes. A good tobacconist won't sell junk. They're not going to look like Petersons or Savinelli or Stanwells. But all of mine have been decent too good pipes for around half the price of one of those. And they look better than a Dr. Grabow.
Yes! I have what is probably a basket pipe from my earlier smoking period. I can't recall when or where I bought it. It's simply labeled "London Briar," and is a pocket pipe. But it handles Half & Half especially well, gives me a medium-length smoke when I want a quick session, and still looks fantastic even though it's ca. 35 years old.
 
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