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Frustrated attempt at B&M - noob journey into pipes

So I lost out on the starter kit in the auction. I was MIA during the last portion. And I decided to give pipes a try.

I got good advice in getting a MM corn cob. I browsed online but wanted to see if I could find something locally.

On my way home, I stopped by two tobacco shops in Jersey City, NJ. The first was primarily a cigar shop. They had a display of pipes but only had briar pipes. The cheapest one going for $37+tax. I should have checked their pipe tobacco selection but forgot to do so. I left a little bummed. So I walked a few more blocks and visited the other shop. This shop specialized in a little bit of everything but it was more focused on the younger crowd since I saw tons of wrapper paper, glass pipes, hookah, vaps. Their pipe selection was very small where the cheapest briar is $30 and an unbranded corn cob was $12. I asked the guy if he had any pipe tobacco. He points me to the loose tobacco for hand rolled cigarettes. I smacked my head. Later he finds the pipe tobacco but the smallest bag he had was 6 oz of a brand I haven't seen in the forums for $12. I quietly left and lit a cigarette instead and felt a little bummed. Was hoping to smoke a pipe on the walk home on a chilly fall night.

So since I work in NYC, I should have looked up places. I am sure there is a Pasteur's Pharmacy equivalent somewhere. LOL so where is this mecca guys?

I work at Brookfield Place in downtown. They recently opened a Davidoff Cigar shop. I should stop by to see if they carry any of their pipe tobacco in the B&M.

So now after all of this, I think an order from PC is gonna happen.

I am thinking MM corn cob - model suggestions are welcome. I would prefer a smoke that lasts 10-30 min. Don't need a long session.

Beginner tobacco - Carter Hall???

Cleaning pipes.

I got my trusty BIC for now before I invest in something nicer.

If you want to downsize your collection and get rid of stuff, I would more than happy to take it off your hands. I only have shave items for trade though LOL
 

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
My favorite MM Cob is the Mark Twain. It's a Dublin shaped cob that I dedicated to only smoke Lane Limited 1-Q from it. 1-Q is to beginning pipe smokers, like Israeli Red Personna blades is to beginning wet shavers.

Everyone gets along with that blade and everyone gets along with that tobacco. 1-Q is probably the most sold pipe tobacco in like history or something like that. Most B&M's sell under some other name, but you can just ask them if they have any Lane 1-Q?

Most will point you to it. I originally had 3 ounces that I purchased online a long while back when I first started a pipe. My supply had gotten kind of low, so the wife picked me up 3 more ounces from a local B&M for my birthday along with a few other tins.

To me, it's somewhere in the middle of a nice smelling aromatic, and the smooth taste and burn of a burly. It's alot like Carter Hall imo, but Mo' better. And if you need a better pipe lighter than that Bic, but for the same cheap price as that BIC, check out this disposable "Linse" lighter.

$lighters.jpeg
I bought 2 for only $1.89 a piece.
 

Commander Quan

Commander Yellow Pantyhose
You can also check out grocery stores and stores like Walgreens for a pipe. They usually have MM Legends shrink wrapped to a cardboard backer somewhere around where the cigarettes are.
 
Tom,

You're in NJ, so regular mail is almost overnight. PM your address and I will send you a little starter kit. I have an un-used MM and couple of goodies that I wish I had started with. I wasted a lot of time and almost quit trying to smoke OTC stuff.
 
Tom,

You're in NJ, so regular mail is almost overnight. PM your address and I will send you a little starter kit. I have an un-used MM and couple of goodies that I wish I had started with. I wasted a lot of time and almost quit trying to smoke OTC stuff.

This is awesome!!! This is why I love this community.
 

TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
Tom,

You're in NJ, so regular mail is almost overnight. PM your address and I will send you a little starter kit. I have an un-used MM and couple of goodies that I wish I had started with. I wasted a lot of time and almost quit trying to smoke OTC stuff.

:thumbup:

I also posted something in the Check-In thread (I think) about looking into the "grab bag" of "seconds" at the MM website, if you want to get a little variety in your cob collection.

Back to your story, though, it is a shame that cigar and hookah/vape stores abound but good pipe stores are as few and far between as ever. Don't let it get you down, though. When you find one (and you will), it'll be worth the search. I cannot even imagine that there is not something worth checking out in downtown Manhattan.

It's not a surprise, though, as it's all a matter of margin and sales volume. Business owners would rather sell a single cigar for $12 than a tin of pipe tobacco for the same price. They'd rather sell a $150-200 box of cigars than a $200 pipe.
 
I'll definitely look into the grab bag of seconds. Thanks for the suggestion!

I know I can always go to the high end stores in the city. Wish there was a moderately priced store around. Oh well. Search continues. :)
 
So since I work in NYC, I should have looked up places. I am sure there is a Pasteur's Pharmacy equivalent somewhere. LOL so where is this mecca guys?
As far as I know, that place is the Nat Sherman Townhouse.

But someone who's local would know better than I.
 
Weekend adventure update:

So I had to run a few errands on Saturday since the lady was getting her hair done. I stopped by a Walgreens since it was in the direction. I had to buy a pack of cigarettes anyways. Lo and behold a MM Legend staring st me for $7 so I had to pick it up right? Left with a pack of camels, a legend, and some pipe cleaners. I didn't see any pipe tobacco so I left.

i went to the B&M near the Grove St PATH station. It is called Sky Tobacco. I went in and the lady at the counter and no idea about pipes. So they had a selection of tobacco in large plastic bins with labels. They also stocked a tin of Nat Sherman (forgot the blend). When I asked how much the tobacco in the plastic bin costs, she informed me $5/oz. At this point, the owner comes in. Unfortunately he is more of a cigar guy than a pipe guy. The lounge had a gentleman willing to lend a hand. I ended up with two tobaccos: 1M and Black Cordial. After some research, it looks like this is made by Sutliff and I paid a 100% premium since I bought it in store compared to PC.

So I asked the owner if he can pack my first bowl. Unfortunately this was a bit disappointing since he just dipped the pipe in the tobacco and filled it up. No tapering or tapping the tobacco down. Nonetheless it ended up okay. I do like the scent of the Black Cordial more than the 1M.

I did did have to go thru multiple relights. One thing I need to remind myself is that this isn't like smoking a glass pipe with the other kind of stuff. So it was different.

Since Saturday, I have gone thru 3 bowls and hoping I can create a nice broken in layer in the corn cob. I do have to work on packing and how I smoke. I want to smoke as often as I do with cigarettes but that seems like a bad idea. Fortunately, I didn't burn my tongue. I felt like I almost did and then held back.

The pioe tobacco high is definitely different than a cigarette high. Let's see if this helps lower the amount of cigarettes I smoke now. What an interesting hobby. Now to convince the SWMBO to let me smoke inside the apartment.
 
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