Brown Leaf Newbie Check-In & General Chat

[Boro62]

Seems lately we have been getting a lot of new guys and lurkers over here in our little brown leaf corner here on B&B. So I thought I'd put up a thread for the new guys to introduce themselves. Are you new to the tobacco hobby? New to this sub forum of B&B or relatively new to all things B&B? What are your likes and dislikes when it comes to all things tobacco related? Would be nice to get some of the regulars in here also to introduce themselves and help welcome some of the newbies. I guess I 'll start it off.



I've been a B&B member for a little over 6 months. I've been a cigarette smoker for more than 15 years, and have recently decided to cut back as much as I can on it. Sadly for some reason it seems to have also slowed down my cigar smoking also. For awhile, I was smoking 1 to 2 cigars a day, but now its been cut down to maybe 1 a week. I have always been more of a cigar guy, and after finding this little corner of B&B,I have also been dragged down into the pipe smoking rabbit hole.

My favorite pipe right now is probably my Nording freehand signature pipe. I love the way the oils in your hand and also the heat from the smoke change the color of the pipe. You'll never find 2 identical ones of them. Its a great cool smoker and I love the way it fits in my hand.

My favorite pipe tobacco would be Frog Morton Cellar right now. If you dig around, you will see a lots of love of all things frog morton, lead by our head propagandist oc_in_fw (owen).

My favorite cigar? This has got to be a toughy, but I love all cigars made by Padron and the liga privada line by drew estates. I like cigars of a stronger bolder flavor profile and smoke. But I am known to enjoy any and all cigars, even the infused ones every once in awhile.

 

[njpaddy]

Been a B&B member for a few years. Soap AD was out of hand, so I started reading BL to take a break. I was a cig smoker back in the 60's & 70's and quit when the kids came. I also remember trying a cheap pipe and Cherry Blend back in the 60's and not liking it. Late last year I was visiting a brother-in-law who smokes a pipe. Smelled good and thought I might give it a try. About 3 weeks ago I walked into a pipe/tobacco shop to look for a cheap pipe and walked out with a Peterson Killarney #69. No going back now. Can't spend that much on a pipe and not smoke it. This week I got a MM Washington as a backup. Haven't experimented with tobacco too much yet. I've been mostly smoking a dark/light cavendish blend and picked up an all black cavendish today that I also liked. A tin of Frog Morton should be here tomorrow. Looking forward to that one after seeing all the posts here.

 

[oc_in_fw]

I came to B&B on Christmas eve, 2010. I was the only one at work, and for some reason started thinking about how I missed getting shaved at the barbers (my last barber shave was in 1992 when I left Cleveland for Fort Worth). I did a google search, and stumbled into here. From wetshaving I moved to the Nib (come join us if you haven't yet) and eventually to here. Not sure how long I have been doing the BL thing, but it has been a while.

My favorite smokers are my two meerschaum pipes. One is a full size I leave at home, and one is a mini I leave at work. I included the acquisition pic of what I received in my order. (Note- the ear rings were complimentary, and my granddaughter loved them.) It is great for a five minute smoke break. Since moving to meerschaums, I am unsure whether I will buy more briar pipes. Nothing wrong with briar, but I find the smoke in a meerschaum to be cooler and drier. You don't have to worry about cake, in fact cake will crack them. I just bend a cleaner in half and swab the bowl. About once a week I wipe them out with a paper towel.

My favorite tobacco is Frog Morton Cellar, followed closely by Frog Morton regular. Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader is another love of mine, and since it is what I have the most of, that is usually what I smoke at work. I also enjoy SG Navy Flake. You may find a common thread here- Virginia leaf and Latakia. I have never been much of a sweet tooth, and I find that the smokiness of Latakia helps balance the sweetness of the Virginia flake. I used to hate perique, but that may be changing, as FM On the Bayou seems to have the right proportion to me, and I am beginning to enjoy what perique brings to the table.

B&B in general has helped me become a better person. I have learned to relax and not be such a jerk (although I am still a wise *** ). Whether you need advice on shaving, food and recipes, or apparel, some one here will have an answer for you. This place is as close to a "one-stop shop" as I have found on the internet, and is populated with fine gentlemen. I tell every one who will listen about this place- it has to be seen to be believed.

 

[oc_in_fw]

A tin of Frog Morton should be here tomorrow. Looking forward to that one after seeing all the posts here.

Welcome aboard, Brian. I cannot wait to hear what you think of the Frog.

 

[michiganlover]

I am a four month old newbie myself. I got stated pipe smoking on January 1st of this year with a MM Legend Corn Cob Pipe, and some Prince Albert pipe tobacco.

My collection of pipes now numbers 12: 4 briar, 6 corn cobs, 1 MM Hardwood, and 1 Falcon.

As for tobaccos, at this point I am enjoying the OTC Burley Blends the most. I like Carter Hall, Prince Albert, Half and Half, and Middleton's Cherry Blend the most. H and H Classic Burley Kake, and Lane's Burley Light without the Bite are also stellar.

I have dabbled a little bit with aromatics such as Captain Black White, Lane 1Q, Lane BCA and a few other blends I have purchased locally. I have also had small samples of many other aromatics, many of which were totally unimpressive. I do quite like cherry, and vanilla blends though.

I am just starting to get into English blends. My first introduction to them was Penzance, which I initially found to be so foul I couldn't finish 1/2 a bowl!! I have since developed a liking for English, and quite enjoy Duhill Early Morning Pipe. Just added some Dunhill My Mixture 965 to my arsenal.

I probably have enough tobacco build up to last about two years at this point.

By far the worst tobacco I have tried is Paladin Black Cherry. Yes, folks, it's truly as bad as the reviews say it is. I picked up a pouch of it recently just to see. It has no redeeming values: it has the same cough drop cherry flavor of Smoker's Pride Cherry Cavedish (which I also have a bag of), but unlike the Smoker's Pride it also provides tongue bite no matter how it's smoked. Since Smoker's Pride is the superior product, the Paladin ended up in the trash can.

My favorite pipes are corn cobs, and I still tend to favor my MM Legend the most (now fitted with a MM Freehand bit, making it non-filtered).

I have also ventured into cigars as well. At first just the cheap gas station cigars. But once you try a premium cigar you will never want to smoke such dreck ever again.

I have smoked 1 Punch cigar, and 1 Don Tomas, a $5 stick being the most I am willing to pay at this point. In the value cigar category, I enjoy Nat Cicco Cuban Legends, Antonio Y Cleopatra, Garcia Y Vega, and Backwoods. There is a cigar company local to me, where you can actually see the cigars they sell being rolled (http://www.frankenmuthcigar.com) and they sell a $3 cigar called a Cheap German Bastard that is simply stellar.

Here is my most recent pipes order, featuring a Chacom (a brand of Comoy) rusticated Poker:

 

[shavious]

Nice to hear some more background on you guys that I see posting around the BL.

I joined B&B right around a year ago I think. Stumbled over from AoM and stuck around. I did quite a bit of lurking for awhile, but lately I've been trying to explore and post more.

The Brown Leaf forum has intrigued me from the start of my membership at B&B. As odd as it sounds, I had my first "real" cigar with my wife almost 3 years ago, very shortly after we started dating. Her father had shared a bottle of scotch with her for her birthday, and she invited me over a couple days later to enjoy the remainder of the scotch and a nice cigar. Imagine our tobacconists surprise when my girlfriend is showing me around the humidor!

Since then, I've been enjoying sampling as many cigars as I could while only smoking 1 or 2 a month. I got my first humidor 2 Christmases ago and have been trying to keep it full since. Currently, it's mostly full of Oliva Serie G Maduro Churchills that are a favorite of mine. Nice, smooth and creamy smoke that just works for me. I also enjoy the occasional Montecristo with my father-in-law (they're his favorite).

While looking around the Brown Leaf to explore cigars, I noticed all these pretty pictures of pipes and discussion of all the great tobaccos out there. This tempted me. I borrowed a vintage Longchamp pipe from my brother-in-law to try out with some Lane 1Q from my B&M. I was hooked and went on to buy a MM Country Gentleman and some Frog Morton (well done on talking it up Owen!). I enjoy both of these tobaccos, but would of course love to try more. Sadly, it's difficult to convince SWMBO that more tobacco is a good idea when I have a full tin of FM and more 1Q lying around. Even harder when I have a half full humidor of cigars, as well!

 

[Boro62]

great to see and read a little about everyone!

 

[plpenn]

I know it won't be long before I pull the trigger and join your ranks. I will be smoking in the garage while tinkering on my truck or small projects maybe a few times a week. I smoked cigarettes foe about 15 years and cigars off and on.

Where should I start? Does anyone sell a tobacco sample pack? I have a lot to learn!!!

 

[sychodelix]

I've been puffing on pipes for a few months now, and the more I get into it, the more I enjoy it. I started out strictly with non-flavored virginias and strong english/oriental, and now I'm starting to sample certain burley and other blends. Frog Morton and Dunhill are my go to for now, but I've tried two Sutliff aromatic blends which I am really warming up to.

 

[shavious]

great to see and read a little about everyone!

Excellent thread Boris! Glad to see it stickied as well.

 

[WalkerJ]

Hey everyone...I joined b&b a couple months ago when I started researching wet shaving. I was obsessed with the b/s/t thread and just doing general lurking, checking out people's gear. After the initial excitement wore off, I started looking in the other sub forums, starting with the nib. Although I LOVE pens and writing instruments, especially hand turned items, I can't justify paying good money to keep producing my chicken scratch. That is when I found the BL, even though I'm a casual cigar smoker at best.

I do enjoy cigars, but have always been intrigued by pipes. I have a fascination with traditional and ceremonious things, popping the cork on a great wine or craft beer, and if anyone has a set of port tongs (with heater) let me know. Having said that, and browsing the BL, I'm interested in taking the plunge. The only drawback would be possible health risks and explaining the new hobby to the wife. Anyone have comments, suggestions?

Even if I don't take up pipe smoking I'll still be a lurker on the BL because there are some beautiful pieces of work out there. Also, for what it's worth...If i do start, i was thinking of starting with a MM washington and captain black white.

 

[zatopus]

I been smoking for a couple years and a part of the brown leaf for a year or so. Pretty much only smoke during baseball season so you won't see me around much in the winter months. #pipesandpitches

My first attempt at pipe smoking was with a cob and some captain black white. I was hoping to quit smoking cigs and just use a pipe. Went horribly so I gave up the idea for around 6 months. I decided to give it another try with some more cobs and some tobacco that was well reviewed at tobaccoreviews.com. If I remember right it was a lot of latakia blends and I didn't like the taste and it just wasn't enjoyable for me. I gave up the idea again for a year or two until the urge struck me again. This time I came back to the pipe with a falcon off ebay and some boswells tobacco. Falcon smoked cool and wonderfully and Boswells aromatics tasted fantastic and kept my interest enough that I was able to stick with the pipe even if I was still smoking cigs at the time.

Last year around June inspired by Blackbeard's Delight quitting cigs and going to the pipe full time, I made the switch myself. Worked great for 6 months till I fell off the wagon in the winter with lots of time on my hands and really nothing better to do than smoke. I'll quit cigs again once the hotel gets busy enough that I won't have time to smoke at work and no real energy to after work. Will probably have to keep with the pipe in the months without baseball to not fall off the wagon again.

I love metal pipes and have a good sized collection of Falcons and a good deal of bowls for my standing Kirsten pipe. Still working on a plan to fit Falcon bowls to the Kirsten for the most glorious smoking experience in the metal pipe world, but I haven't been able to drill a hole through a screw to do it.

I also am a fan of nasal snuff and Swedish snus.

 

[the_edski]

Having said that, and browsing the BL, I'm interested in taking the plunge. The only drawback would be possible health risks and explaining the new hobby to the wife. Anyone have comments, suggestions?

Even if I don't take up pipe smoking I'll still be a lurker on the BL because there are some beautiful pieces of work out there. Also, for what it's worth...If i do start, i was thinking of starting with a MM washington and captain black white.

That is a good starter kit idea, can't go wrong with a good cob and some Captain Black. As to the health thing, well, all I can say is that you are an adult and can make your own decisions. Be well informed and decide what is best for you. I'm not gonna tell you the ups and downs of it, because health debate over smoking is as dangerous as political talk on B&B.

 

[chiefum]

My wife just purchased a Nording freehand as a gift for me last week. I have never smoked a pipe before, but I am enjoying it. After doing some research here and on youtube I have purchased some samples from my local tobacco shop. I have never been a big fan of cigars...or maybe I never had a "good" cigar. However I think I will enjoy the pipe very much. B&B is such a great place, with so much knowledge and information. I have never felt more at home on an online forum. I am open to any pointers or any suggestions of any kind. Thanks.

 

[WalkerJ]

Good call Edski, I'll retract that part of my post and just look for solid advice on the right equipment and tobacco!

 

[the_edski]

Good call Edski, I'll retract that part of my post and just look for solid advice on the right equipment and tobacco!

No need for retraction, sir. Just stating my case in case there was any trouble from the outside. Glad to have you here and hope we can help you in every way possible!

 

[Boro62]

My wife just purchased a Nording freehand as a gift for me last week. I have never smoked a pipe before, but I am enjoying it. After doing some research here and on youtube I have purchased some samples from my local tobacco shop. I have never been a big fan of cigars...or maybe I never had a "good" cigar. However I think I will enjoy the pipe very much. B&B is such a great place, with so much knowledge and information. I have never felt more at home on an online forum. I am open to any pointers or any suggestions of any kind. Thanks.

Glad to have you here in the brown leaf. Just curious what kind of cigars have you tried in the past? What was it that turned you off about cigars?

i love the nording freehands also, very beautiful pipes.

Glad to have you here in the brown leaf!

Even if I don't take up pipe smoking I'll still be a lurker on the BL because there are some beautiful pieces of work out there. Also, for what it's worth...If i do start, i was thinking of starting with a MM washington and captain black white.

Just so you know, I actually have a PIF for MM cob going right now, i'll be choosing 3 winners on 5/13. If you get the chance, you should enter, and if the random number generator is in your favor, you might land yourself a free MM cob. Here's a link to it for ya: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/344786-PIF-TIME!-MM-Cobs-for-the-noob-and-the-vet



btw Welcome to all the new guys! great having you guys here!

 

[chiefum]

Glad to have you here in the brown leaf. Just curious what kind of cigars have you tried in the past? What was it that turned you off about cigars?

i love the nording freehands also, very beautiful pipes.

Glad to have you here in the brown leaf!

I honestly don't remember any of the cigars that I have tried.....they were all gifts....so to be totally honest....I never bought a cigar either. Do you have any recommendations?

 

[johnmoss]

Cool a pipe forum. I came over for the shaving info (a current member mentioned this was the place for all the info I wanted on that), but happily surprised to find a smoking forum as well. I've been smoking cigars and pipes for over 15 years. I'm sure I'll be around regularly now.

John

 

[oc_in_fw]

Cool a pipe forum. I came over for the shaving info (a current member mentioned this was the place for all the info I wanted on that), but happily surprised to find a smoking forum as well. I've been smoking cigars and pipes for over 15 years. I'm sure I'll be around regularly now.

John

Welcome aboard. How are you set on fountain pens?