Hi gents, wanting to know if this is a good deal as I haven't smoked a pipe in, oh, 20 years. What do you all think as a low-cost starter to see if I'm still interested?
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.
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!
Only 2 more to go and a very generous offer Phil@Odysseus
Once you have 10 posts here, send me a PM with your address and I will send you a decent Briar pipe and some sample tobaccos.
Unless you have an aversion to the idea of smoking a refurbished second hand pipe.
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.. . . 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 $.
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.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.
Wow - a generous offer. Thank you!@Odysseus
Once you have 10 posts here, send me a PM with your address and I will send you a decent Briar pipe and some sample tobaccos.
Unless you have an aversion to the idea of smoking a refurbished second hand pipe.
Can't go wrong with any MM.How about any of these?
Country Gentleman Corn Cob Pipe - CornCobPipe.com
The Country Gentleman Corn Cob Pipe from Missouri Meerschaum is the most popular design in our series of larger, filtered pipes.corncobpipe.com
A finer pipe for the price you'll never find. The Country Gent is in my top 10 pipes I own.How about any of these?
Country Gentleman Corn Cob Pipe - CornCobPipe.com
The Country Gentleman Corn Cob Pipe from Missouri Meerschaum is the most popular design in our series of larger, filtered pipes.corncobpipe.com