Ageing without hoarding

[oc_in_fw]

Well, I actually enjoyed VaPers more in the Zulu (which was the Virginia pipe) than I did in the bent bully, which they were originally smoked in. So if the Perique has tainted the bowl, I might need a rethink about how I smoke plain Virginia. Maybe just get a new cob for them. Hopefully any Perique ghosting will "fit" with any straight Virginias I smoke for the time being.

I was 7 years in to this, and didn’t understand VAs. They always seemed bland. Then, the 2018 LE pipe with a narrow conical bowl came out. Decent VA suddenly became outstanding. Once you find a pipe that makes VAs shine, you don’t want to mess that up. I went from having a little VA to having 5 pounds of MacBaren HH Pure Virginia and SG Full Virginia Flake.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I was 7 years in to this, and didn’t understand VAs. They always seemed bland. Then, the 2018 LE pipe with a narrow conical bowl came out. Decent VA suddenly became outstanding. Once you find a pipe that makes VAs shine, you don’t want to mess that up. I went from having a little VA to having 5 pounds of MacBaren HH Pure Virginia and SG Full Virginia Flake.

I know what you mean, but I don't want to go on a protracted pipe buying exploration, just to make one type of tobacco blend work. I also don't buy premium pipes. My cut off point is £25, and I already have a briar surplus (of one - but it's still a surplus). I'll probably stick with the Zulu I smoke VaPers in, plus a cob. I can't justify anything else, particularly when I don't know if it will work for me till I've tried it.

I only have one conical bored briar, which is a basket bent billiard that I smoke anything and everything in. I could try using that, but it'll probably take a tin or two to smoke out any ghosts.

 

[oc_in_fw]

I know what you mean, but I don't want to go on a protracted pipe buying exploration, just to make one type of tobacco blend work. I also don't buy premium pipes. My cut off point is £25, and I already have a briar surplus (of one - but it's still a surplus). I'll probably stick with the Zulu I smoke VaPers in, plus a cob. I can't justify anything else, particularly when I don't know if it will work for me till I've tried it.

I only have one conical bored briar, which is a basket bent billiard that I smoke anything and everything in. I could try using that, but it'll probably take a tin or two to smoke out any ghosts.

Try it. Pipes with several components, like VaLats, VaPers, English blended, benefit from a wide bowl. Keep the VAs in a narrow bowl. I thought it was a bunch of bunk, until I did it

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Try it. Pipes with several components, like VaLats, VaPers, English blended, benefit from a wide bowl. Keep the VAs in a narrow bowl. I thought it was a bunch of bunk, until I did it

That's why I was thinking cobs. A Mizzou especially. The Zulu was ideal, and I think that's why the VaPers work so well in it. It made the Virginia work better, so the Perique was set on a better base.

 

[RookieGuy]

A Zulu is a conical bowl, like a Dublin, correct? If so, that would make sense what you're talking about. The conical aspect would concentrate a blend with fewer components down past the halfway point. I've heard that for a while now. I'm not going to say I thought it was bunk, but I have wondered how much it really did that. I think I might need a few different pipes from a single maker to experiment with.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

A Zulu is a conical bowl, like a Dublin, correct? If so, that would make sense what you're talking about. The conical aspect would concentrate a blend with fewer components down past the halfway point. I've heard that for a while now. I'm not going to say I thought it was bunk, but I have wondered how much it really did that. I think I might need a few different pipes from a single maker to experiment with.

Yeah, a Zulu is basically a bent/curved Dublin, and the bowl is canted forward a little. I don't know how conical the bowl is on mine, it's still got tobacco in from yesterday, but I'm pretty sure the basket bent billiard I have has a more pronounced taper. I could be talking out of the wrong orifice though.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

With the TPD (tobacco products directive), blenders have to register their products and pay annual fees in every country they want their product sold in. The UK obviously wasn't a big enough market to sign up to and pay fees in. The US being a bigger market, will be a more cost effective area for them to meet any necessary compliance/registration requirements.

They may have chosen to register in other EU countries, but tobacco can't be registered in one, and bought from another. This is an arrangement we're stuck in permanently, as all existing EU law is being grandfathered in and committed to UK law, unless specifically overwritten in the new UK-EU trade agreements... which this directive won't be.

Just a little follow up to this post. It did possibly leave the impression that we are limited for choice, due to all the brands that won't pay registration and annual fees to access the limited UK market.

Despite the vast range of US market tobaccos that we can't get, and tobaccos from across Europe and the rest of the world, we still have quite a selection. I counted up the number of available options at one UK tobacconist, and including twists, plug, flake, ribbon, gloopy aromatics, and fine cut shag tobaccos (not counting hand rolling though), they offer a total of 382 different pipe tobaccos. Maybe a third of those are ones I'd consider smoking.

 

[steveclarkus]

It looks like UK tobacconists used to sell it, but it was another casualty of the EU TPD fiasco. With the TPD (tobacco products directive), blenders have to register their products and pay annual fees in every country they want their product sold in. The UK obviously wasn't a big enough market to sign up to and pay fees in. The US being a bigger market, will be a more cost effective area for them to meet any necessary compliance/registration requirements.

They may have chosen to register in other EU countries, but tobacco can't be registered in one, and bought from another. This is an arrangement we're stuck in permanently, as all existing EU law is being grandfathered in and committed to UK law, unless specifically overwritten in the new UK-EU trade agreements... which this directive won't be.

And I thought we were a complicated country! I guess you will just have to run up to Amsterdam and pick up a pouch or two .

 

[RookieGuy]

And I thought we were a complicated country! I guess you will just have to run up to Amsterdam and pick up a pouch or two .

When I was stationed in Germany, that was a sure fire way to get to pee in a cup within 8 hours of your return .

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

A Zulu is a conical bowl, like a Dublin, correct? If so, that would make sense what you're talking about. The conical aspect would concentrate a blend with fewer components down past the halfway point. I've heard that for a while now. I'm not going to say I thought it was bunk, but I have wondered how much it really did that. I think I might need a few different pipes from a single maker to experiment with.

The shape of the pipe doesn't necessarily dictate if the chamber is U shaped, V shaped, or slightly conical. My Dunhill Zulu has a U shaped chamber. The '16 B&B LE (rhodesian) has a straight up V shaped chamber. The '18 B&B LE has a slightly conical shape for the chamber. The '18 chamber shape was done solely for the purpose that Paul didn't want for the walls of the pipe to be too thin near the bottom of the bowl. It ended up being a great choice for the pipe. I've had quite a few members mention that the '18 pipe is exquisite for smoking VA blends.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I need to go and pay a lot more attention to the bowl shape of my pipes.... I've now lost all confidence in my earlier calls on which are tapered, and which aren't.

 

[steveclarkus]

When I was stationed in Germany, that was a sure fire way to get to pee in a cup within 8 hours of your return .

Ah yes, I seem to remember smoking some unusual something rolled into cigarettes in Amsterdam.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I was concerned that having all that tobacco in the drawer, that my tobacco consumption might go back up to "smoker" territory.

It seems I needn't have worried.

Initially, with all the samples, my smoking frequency increased significantly. It has since settled back down. This afternoon, I finally finished a medium sized bowl of Jamaican Flake that I packed and initially lit two days ago. I'm still enjoying the pipe, and don't regret the advanced purchases I've got stewing in the drawer, but it has stabilised back down to where I started - maybe 25g to 30g per month.

This may in part be due to me upgrading my vape kit, and partially due to having less wonderful sunny days to sit out in. It might also be due to the novelty of all thos samples having worn off.

My interest in the individual blends has tamed and simplified too. I'm enjoying "a pipe" rather than "a bowl of Blend X". Maybe in time, the advances purchases will become higher quantities of fewer blends, but for now I am enjoying having several smokes of one (sample) blend, then moving to the next. My mindset in that respect, still seems to be rooted in the three categories of fireside smokes, daytime smokes, and the intermittent busy man's smokes for dipping in and out of, rather than smoking in one sitting.

I think in time, the fireside smoke category will dwindle, and the daytime tobaccos and tobaccos for smoking in installments will become the bulk of the armoury. Which tobacco is filling that role at any given time, seems to be of lesser importance.

 

[steveclarkus]

I was concerned that having all that tobacco in the drawer, that my tobacco consumption might go back up to "smoker" territory.

It seems I needn't have worried.

Initially, with all the samples, my smoking frequency increased significantly. It has since settled back down. This afternoon, I finally finished a medium sized bowl of Jamaican Flake that I packed and initially lit two days ago. I'm still enjoying the pipe, and don't regret the advanced purchases I've got stewing in the drawer, but it has stabilised back down to where I started - maybe 25g to 30g per month.

This may in part be due to me upgrading my vape kit, and partially due to having less wonderful sunny days to sit out in. It might also be due to the novelty of all thos samples having worn off.

My interest in the individual blends has tamed and simplified too. I'm enjoying "a pipe" rather than "a bowl of Blend X". Maybe in time, the advances purchases will become higher quantities of fewer blends, but for now I am enjoying having several smokes of one (sample) blend, then moving to the next. My mindset in that respect, still seems to be rooted in the three categories of fireside smokes, daytime smokes, and the intermittent busy man's smokes for dipping in and out of, rather than smoking in one sitting.

I think in time, the fireside smoke category will dwindle, and the daytime tobaccos and tobaccos for smoking in installments will become the bulk of the armoury. Which tobacco is filling that role at any given time, seems to be of lesser importance.

Wow. You are coming around to my way of thinking. I can tell you, you are heading to a pleasant place. I don’t care for bold tobaccos. Reminds me of politicians telling all the wonderful things they are going to do for you “just give me a buck or two and I’ll make your life just lovely” and in the end they go after all you got. I enjoy most the simple blends that make no promises but deliver a good honest smoke for little out of pocket. Like the young ladies of long ago that just whispered in your ear and gave you the comfort you yearned for and asked for little or nothing in return. A simple sweet smoke to unwind my troubles is my desire.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Wow. You are coming around to my way of thinking. I can tell you, you are heading to a pleasant place. I don’t care for bold tobaccos. Reminds me of politicians telling all the wonderful things they are going to do for you “just give me a buck or two and I’ll make your life just lovely” and in the end they go after all you got. I enjoy most the simple blends that make no promises but deliver a good honest smoke for little out of pocket. Like the young ladies of long ago that just whispered in your ear and gave you the comfort you yearned for and asked for little or nothing in return. A simple sweet smoke to unwind my troubles is my desire.

Yup, pretty much. I think I was largely of that mindset already though.

The interesting thing over here though, is that the supermarket "codger" blends (Condor, St bruno et al), tend to cost a little more than Peterson’s, Samuel Gawith, Rattray's etc. As such, those blends, and the diversity they offer, are quite welcome in the drawer.

Cellar wide and deep? Not me. I've gone for (with the exception of one blend) a maximum of one tin of any blend. The role (time of day, full bowl or part) is more important. Smoking so little, the equivalent of 6 or 7 tins a year, it might be several years before I repeat a blend... and when I do, it may be entirely different to the time before. However, so long as have the right type (role) tobacco to suit my current urge, I'll be quite happy.

My drawer limit/goal is currently exceeded, as I have more than 20 tins in there (I'm still under 30 though). As such, all shopping has stopped. That's comfortably enough "aged" tobacco for the next five years though, and I'll just need to pick up and aromatic or other non-ageing tobbaco along the way. (I already have next year's, but don't want to keep them longer).

I think there's maybe 7 English blends in there, and the rest are Va, VaPers, VaBur, plus next year's aro's. When I get to the end of the first tin of "all-day smoke", or "busy man's smoke", there'll be an assortment of others to pick the next one from. All I need to do, is to be pulling the right "role" tobacco out at any time.

 

[steveclarkus]

Yup, pretty much. I think I was largely of that mindset already though.

The interesting thing over here though, is that the supermarket "codger" blends (Condor, St bruno et al), tend to cost a little more than Peterson’s, Samuel Gawith, Rattray's etc. As such, those blends, and the diversity they offer, are quite welcome in the drawer.

Cellar wide and deep? Not me. I've gone for (with the exception of one blend) a maximum of one tin of any blend. The role (time of day, full bowl or part) is more important. Smoking so little, the equivalent of 6 or 7 tins a year, it might be several years before I repeat a blend... and when I do, it may be entirely different to the time before. However, so long as have the right type (role) tobacco to suit my current urge, I'll be quite happy.

My drawer limit/goal is currently exceeded, as I have more than 20 tins in there (I'm still under 30 though). As such, all shopping has stopped. That's comfortably enough "aged" tobacco for the next five years though, and I'll just need to pick up and aromatic or other non-ageing tobbaco along the way. (I already have next year's, but don't want to keep them longer).

I think there's maybe 7 English blends in there, and the rest are Va, VaPers, VaBur, plus next year's aro's. When I get to the end of the first tin of "all-day smoke", or "busy man's smoke", there'll be an assortment of others to pick the next one from. All I need to do, is to be pulling the right "role" tobacco out at any time.

I smoked mostly English blends most of my smoking years and eventually found them and the unicorn quest boring to the point I gave up the pipe entirely. When I picked it up again recently, I tried some of the old standards for the first time and have enjoyed pipe smoking with this new perspective more than ever. I still have tins of various blends but I rarely smoke them because I would miss out on a simple smoke opportunity. Perhaps it has to do with my age or waning curiosity but, in any case, it pleases me much.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I still have tins of various blends but I rarely smoke them because I would miss out on a simple smoke opportunity.

To me, the tins are the simple smoke that you're getting, not some rare as hens teeth grail quest blend. It's just that when I finish a tin of Victorian Mixture, instead of opening another, it'll be Palace Gate, Stormy Skye, Sherlock Holmes, or some other all day smoke. The "simple smoke" mindset will still be in play when consuming it.

I did the same before buying in advance. I might finish a tin of Squadron Leader, and move onto Blueberry Gold, or Cherry and Vanilla, or Condor Long Cut, before finally ending up back at Squadron Leader again a year or two later. The only difference now, is that the next tin/pouch will have been stewing in the drawer for a while.

 

[RookieGuy]

AimlessWanderer, I'm really starting to come around to your way of thinking. Times for different blends/ brands. Different mindsets, different times of the day, different activities, different temperatures, all effect what I want in a particular moment.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I now understand the notion of a sour pipe. I do clean the pipes after use, but the Mizzou had developed a bad taste, even though pipe cleaners were coming out clean.

Last night, I left an ethanol soaked cleaner in the stem, and it came out black today. I've left a second (dry) pipe cleaner in it tonight. Hopefully it will be much improved tomorrow.

I got the pipe clean and got rid of the sourness, but the alcohol also did a number on the stem joint. The tenon was so loose, the stem fell out just by tipping the pipe up. I smoked a bowl of Glen Piper in it earlier, and had to hold it at the join throughout, to keep the pipe in one piece. I'm hoping that a few more bowls smoked in it, will restore the wood to "normal" hydration, and restore a secure fit.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I need to go and pay a lot more attention to the bowl shape of my pipes.... I've now lost all confidence in my earlier calls on which are tapered, and which aren't.

Well it seems that the Parker Zulu and basket Bent Billiard both taper the same amount. Not much! Over the 15mm length of my caliper jars, they only taper just under 1mm. The Parker Bent Bulldog tapers more, nearer 2mm. However the bowl is shallower, only 20mm to the start of the bowl radius, which is probably what it holding Virginias and therefore Vapers back from their full potential.

I'm going to switch roles, and let the Bent Bully be the "out and about" pipe, for quick smokes away from home, and try to drive out the ghosts of the Bent Billiard for smoking Virginias in. It's by no means a Chimney at only 34mm total depth, but that extra depth should help let Virginias come alive... hopefully. It's narrow enough at only 18mm at the mouth, and probably drops down to 15mm so at the transition to radius (heel?).

Am I as well just smoking the ghosts out with successive Virginia bowls? It was being used as an "anything and everything" pipe.