We all know real pipe smokers don’t relight ever, smoke the tobacco all the way to ash on every bowl, and never use anything but matches cause the gas ruins the flavor.
New to pipe smoking, seeking recommendations
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I don't think I have a single pipe with cake on the bottom of the bowl. It is always too wet by then and the few times I try to smoke a bowl just to ash, I end up getting hot ash in my mouth. Yuck!
I think I have smoked down to the bottom of the bowl without trying maybe 5 times in 5 years. Sure you can stir the ash or push the tobacco around, but a legitimate “perfect “ bowl where you pour out nothing but ash, hardly ever.
I think 90% of the “master” pipers are full of bull hockey.
When you find them, let me know. I’ve never met one.
I think they hang out with all those cigar masters, with the six inch long ash stick hanging on for dear life. I don’t get that one, either.
I hate the taste of ash. Might as well lick the ashtray at that point. Some dottle is a very good thing.
I also constantly flick my cigars, because a giant lump of ash on my shirt is no fun either.
- Thread starter
- #105
Thank you gentlemen for your help. I feel much better about where I'm at now. My biggest hurdle with this hobby is that I don't personally have any physical interaction with any pipe smokers. I kind of have to put together what I gather from here and YouTube into information I can put to good use. I'm doing the best I can...I feel like I'm making good progress. I'm enjoying myself anyway.
I actually had a big time break through tonight. Something really clicked with the breathe method this evening. Several really awesome consequences were the result. First, a whole lot fewer relights. I was able to effortlessly maintain my ember without really even concentrating on it. Secondly, my bowl temperature and thus the temp of my smoke was low. This allowed me to retro hale and enjoy the taste of my tobacco more than ever before. I don't know what it was that changed...I just packed the bowl and lit up. I hope it continues.
I also came across some nice finds today at. B&M near my house. 2 tins of Peterson My Mixture 965 and a tin of Escudo. I think I'll pack them away awhile. I think I'll really like them as I've been really enjoying English / Virginia blends.
I actually had a big time break through tonight. Something really clicked with the breathe method this evening. Several really awesome consequences were the result. First, a whole lot fewer relights. I was able to effortlessly maintain my ember without really even concentrating on it. Secondly, my bowl temperature and thus the temp of my smoke was low. This allowed me to retro hale and enjoy the taste of my tobacco more than ever before. I don't know what it was that changed...I just packed the bowl and lit up. I hope it continues.
I also came across some nice finds today at. B&M near my house. 2 tins of Peterson My Mixture 965 and a tin of Escudo. I think I'll pack them away awhile. I think I'll really like them as I've been really enjoying English / Virginia blends.
Another vote for MM Corncob pipes! Inexpensive, but not cheap. Great to learn on, but also enjoyed by long term smokers. And if you ruin it due to inexperience, no biggie, they're easy to replace. Lots of different styles available too.
Sounds like you’ve crossed the Rubicon. Very nicely done.
Just keep on enjoying yourself. That’s what this is all about.
Happy puffs!
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- #109
I'm very pleased to report that my success from the previous evening has continued into two bowls I enjoyed today. I think I may have found my rhythm. There is still plenty of room for improvement and growth but at least now I don't feel like I'm fighting the pipe. Everything is much more enjoyable now as things are sort of occurring organically and I don't feel like I'm concentrating on my pipe so much. I'm just smoking now. I can more easily divide my attention and do other things while enjoying a smoke. Before reading while smoking would have been out of the question. Sure, I could have done it. The problem would arise about two sentences in when I would be pulling on an unlit pipe and have to reach for a match. That isn't nearly as much of an issue. I'm very pleased with my progress and look forward to many more milestones in the near future.
On a side note, I'm very pleased with the number of people this thread appears to have impacted. It seems as though we have encouraged a few people to pick up their pipes again and enjoy a bowl. Additionally we may have provided some others with the information they were looking for to start the hobby as I have. One very positive side effect from my perspective is that I stopped dipping tobacco. I had quit enjoying the habit and was continuing to do it because I was addicted. Pipe smoking provided me enough nicotine to quit, but not so much that I feel like I've got to have a bowl. I enjoy pipe smoking...I don't need it like I did dip. So I've traded one tobacco habit for another, but one I feel is more than arguably safer. No part of me touches the actual tobacco, there are no additives to the tobacco aside from flavor in the form of casing or topping (no chemicals or additional addictive substances beyond naturally existing nicotine) and I'm not inhaling. If you're going to indulge in tobacco then I feel pipe smoking has got to be one of the least unhealthy ways to enjoy it. Not to mention the mental benefits of the ritual which can't really be measured or accurately described to someone outside the hobby in my opinion. All of that amounts to what I believe to be a happier, healthier me. I'd like to personally thank you gentlemen for contributing to that. I'll continue to post my milestones as they come along...but those are my biggest ones to date. I expect many more to come as I progress.
On a side note, I'm very pleased with the number of people this thread appears to have impacted. It seems as though we have encouraged a few people to pick up their pipes again and enjoy a bowl. Additionally we may have provided some others with the information they were looking for to start the hobby as I have. One very positive side effect from my perspective is that I stopped dipping tobacco. I had quit enjoying the habit and was continuing to do it because I was addicted. Pipe smoking provided me enough nicotine to quit, but not so much that I feel like I've got to have a bowl. I enjoy pipe smoking...I don't need it like I did dip. So I've traded one tobacco habit for another, but one I feel is more than arguably safer. No part of me touches the actual tobacco, there are no additives to the tobacco aside from flavor in the form of casing or topping (no chemicals or additional addictive substances beyond naturally existing nicotine) and I'm not inhaling. If you're going to indulge in tobacco then I feel pipe smoking has got to be one of the least unhealthy ways to enjoy it. Not to mention the mental benefits of the ritual which can't really be measured or accurately described to someone outside the hobby in my opinion. All of that amounts to what I believe to be a happier, healthier me. I'd like to personally thank you gentlemen for contributing to that. I'll continue to post my milestones as they come along...but those are my biggest ones to date. I expect many more to come as I progress.
- Thread starter
- #110
It's been nearly four months since starting this thread and I believe an update is in order. PAD and TAD have taken their toll and I am pipe and tobacco rich and money poor! I am definitely enjoying this new hobby and doing my best to resist the urge to buy every tobacco and pipe I want to try.
About a month in I found that aside from Carter Hall that English blends were my favorite. I now have several Latakia rich blends opened and in my regular rotation. Following the passing of Matches860 I began seeing his name in this and other forums and quickly became a fan which inevitably drew me to try Haunted Bookshop and I loved it. Since then Old Joe Krantz has also become a regular favorite. In addition to them I had a significant "Ah-Ha" moment while smoking Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky which sent me down a Dark Fired Kentucky rabbit hole. Being a Kentuckian I have to say I'm drawn to our namesake tobacco and have enjoyed it in multiple excellent blends. I haven't left aromatics out of my rotation either. I found that my truck was beginning to smell like an ungodly amalgamation of English/Non-Aromatic tobaccos so I vowed to only smoke aromatic tobaccos while driving which has improved the oder of my truck significantly. I can't say aromatics are my favorite, but they do have a place in my rotation and I enjoy them when my wife is around or when driving. Perhaps one day I'll be one of those pipe smokers who pretty much sticks to a blend type, but for now I'm happy smoking a variety of tobaccos.
As for pipes, well I have a respectable collection now. A few were purchased new but most are estate pipes I acquired cheaply and restored myself thanks to YouTube and some careful study in techniques available online. I also have several MM corn cobs in my rotation which never seem to disappoint. Savinelli pipes are shining as my early favorites and are always reliable for an excellent smoke.
I keep an excell spreadsheet for logging my smokes which includes the date, the pipe I use, a description of the tobacco as well as a few thoughts on that particular bowl. It has been invaluable in ensuring proper resting periods for my pipes as well as finding which pipes cooperate best with each blend in my rotation. I also use an inventory app for organizing my cellar and keeping track of how much and what types of tobacco I have on hand. It's currently at just over 18 pounds...as I said, TAD has kicked in.
My technique has improved dramatically. When I first began I struggled mightily with maintaining an ember. Once I leaped that hurdle I found that I was puffing way to hard and ended up with some painful lessons in tongue bite. I began experimenting with the breath method and although I didn't really get it down pat, I did understand and experience mild successes with it. Finally, within the past month I've found my cadence. Most bowls I only require four or five relights if any at all once past a solid charring light. I've at last grasped the importance and a reliable method for properly packing a pipe which has greatly impacted my ability to have an enjoyable cool and dry smoke on a consistent basis. I still have a bad bowl once in a while, but it's much more rare then it once was.
This hobby has greatly enhanced my quality of life and my ability to just slow down and enjoy life. I try to find times when it is quiet and when I can get outdoors to smoke. I just concentrate on whatever comes to mind and settle everything down. This quiet contemplation time is something that was almost totally absent from my life prior to entering into this hobby. I have grown personally as well as professionally due to these times of reflection. I'm not trying to get deep here, but pipe smoking has legitimately helped me destress and enhanced my quality of life.
I'd like to thank each of you for your hand in helping along this path. Pipe smoking is a rather difficult hobby to take on without a mentor to physically help you along. In addition to all of you, YouTube has been a great help. I'm learning more all the time and enjoying the ride immensely. Thanks again.
About a month in I found that aside from Carter Hall that English blends were my favorite. I now have several Latakia rich blends opened and in my regular rotation. Following the passing of Matches860 I began seeing his name in this and other forums and quickly became a fan which inevitably drew me to try Haunted Bookshop and I loved it. Since then Old Joe Krantz has also become a regular favorite. In addition to them I had a significant "Ah-Ha" moment while smoking Orlik Dark Strong Kentucky which sent me down a Dark Fired Kentucky rabbit hole. Being a Kentuckian I have to say I'm drawn to our namesake tobacco and have enjoyed it in multiple excellent blends. I haven't left aromatics out of my rotation either. I found that my truck was beginning to smell like an ungodly amalgamation of English/Non-Aromatic tobaccos so I vowed to only smoke aromatic tobaccos while driving which has improved the oder of my truck significantly. I can't say aromatics are my favorite, but they do have a place in my rotation and I enjoy them when my wife is around or when driving. Perhaps one day I'll be one of those pipe smokers who pretty much sticks to a blend type, but for now I'm happy smoking a variety of tobaccos.
As for pipes, well I have a respectable collection now. A few were purchased new but most are estate pipes I acquired cheaply and restored myself thanks to YouTube and some careful study in techniques available online. I also have several MM corn cobs in my rotation which never seem to disappoint. Savinelli pipes are shining as my early favorites and are always reliable for an excellent smoke.
I keep an excell spreadsheet for logging my smokes which includes the date, the pipe I use, a description of the tobacco as well as a few thoughts on that particular bowl. It has been invaluable in ensuring proper resting periods for my pipes as well as finding which pipes cooperate best with each blend in my rotation. I also use an inventory app for organizing my cellar and keeping track of how much and what types of tobacco I have on hand. It's currently at just over 18 pounds...as I said, TAD has kicked in.
My technique has improved dramatically. When I first began I struggled mightily with maintaining an ember. Once I leaped that hurdle I found that I was puffing way to hard and ended up with some painful lessons in tongue bite. I began experimenting with the breath method and although I didn't really get it down pat, I did understand and experience mild successes with it. Finally, within the past month I've found my cadence. Most bowls I only require four or five relights if any at all once past a solid charring light. I've at last grasped the importance and a reliable method for properly packing a pipe which has greatly impacted my ability to have an enjoyable cool and dry smoke on a consistent basis. I still have a bad bowl once in a while, but it's much more rare then it once was.
This hobby has greatly enhanced my quality of life and my ability to just slow down and enjoy life. I try to find times when it is quiet and when I can get outdoors to smoke. I just concentrate on whatever comes to mind and settle everything down. This quiet contemplation time is something that was almost totally absent from my life prior to entering into this hobby. I have grown personally as well as professionally due to these times of reflection. I'm not trying to get deep here, but pipe smoking has legitimately helped me destress and enhanced my quality of life.
I'd like to thank each of you for your hand in helping along this path. Pipe smoking is a rather difficult hobby to take on without a mentor to physically help you along. In addition to all of you, YouTube has been a great help. I'm learning more all the time and enjoying the ride immensely. Thanks again.
Being a Kentuckian myself (Lexington) I'm curious as to whether you've discovered any local tobacconists.
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- #112
Sadly not many. My favorite near me is in downtown Louisville. I buy a tin everytime I go in even though it's no where near cost effective when compared to online prices. It is small and with a pretty unimpressive selection but I want to support them.
I took my daughter to a hockey tournament in Lexington and wanted to go to a tobacconist there that I saw reviewed by Mutton chop on YouTube only to find they were closed that day. Still hoping to get back to that shop...can't remember the name off hand.
Hullo, Gokav,
Looking at the Rossi models on Smokingpipes, the 8614 certainly has a nice deep bend. The 8620 has that and a taller bowl as well. I've never had either one, being more of a straight pipe guy now, but in the '80s my first "good" pipe was a Lorenzo Oom-Paul that looks much like those.
I've a few pipes with giant bowls that I purchased with the same idea that I'd have a longer smoking session with them.
I am sorely disappointed with them.
With a large bowl, (wide) the draw is terrible as there is so much surface area that an even burn is very difficult to obtain.
If you're set on a large bowl, I'd suggest tall rather than wide, with the understanding that a large tall bowl will have its own drawbacks in regards to the latter part of the smoke being more "gooped up" due to the amount of tobacco.
I've personally decided that about 3/4" wide and 1" deep is about as big as I am happy with as far as smoking duration vs smoking quality.
I am sorely disappointed with them.
With a large bowl, (wide) the draw is terrible as there is so much surface area that an even burn is very difficult to obtain.
If you're set on a large bowl, I'd suggest tall rather than wide, with the understanding that a large tall bowl will have its own drawbacks in regards to the latter part of the smoke being more "gooped up" due to the amount of tobacco.
I've personally decided that about 3/4" wide and 1" deep is about as big as I am happy with as far as smoking duration vs smoking quality.
Hello, gokav.
It sounds like Sherlock Holmes meets Vo-Tech! But as far as working pipes go, I wouldn't go for a Calabash.
If this is something that is going to get banged around, then you're right to get something not too expensive. If it must be a sharp bent, the MM cobs don't drop much more than the Mac you mentioned. Corn just doesn't grow that way.
The other considerations you mentioned - long-duration clenching and or long smokes - can actually push up the price point. The weight of the pipe can become a factor. Better grade briars tend to be lighter. Also, big-bowled bents like that Rossi might be on the heavier side compared to their straighter siblings.
So when you shop for a long clencher, pay particular attention to the pipe weight.
If you plan on clenching a big heavy pipe for long periods, one tip to save your teeth and the stem is to try a rubber bite. It will make it much more comfortable.
The other consideration for a working pipe, even if primarily clenched, is setting it down. As much as you try, there will still be times when you just have to take it out of your mouth. Sometimes in a hurry. And there, a deep bent can become a problem without a suitable pipe rest. Not just for the bowl, but for the bit side. Picking it up later to find the latter covered with dirt is no fun. Something like a flat bottom poker or a standard cob can be quickly set down just about anywhere.
With all that said, among new pipes, the Rossi seems like a decent choice if you want a heavy bent. It looks a lot like a Savinelli 614, which is probably going to be a few dollars more unless you can find one in an estate ... such as this one, or a couple others SP is now selling:
https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/italy/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=572989
If you're willing to tolerate a little less bend and save some money, a Grabow is always a solid work pipe, and even with the crazy inflation is still nearly half the price of some others.
Dr. Grabow Full Bent Tobacco Pipe - Smooth
The Dr Grabow Full Bent Smooth Tobacco Pipe Dr Grabow Full Bent Smooth Tobacco Pipe is an elegant model from the first ever all bent Dr Grabow line.
...
As far as how long you want your smokes to go, and how many hours a day you want to puff on one pipe, that depends as much on the tobacco and your technique as it does the pipe. Some blends are going to flood out a pipe in as little as one bowl. Some might go on for well over an hour on a bowl. That will also depend on your smoking technique. I can usually get a bowl of MB Mixture Scottish to go for about two hours on a Sunday night in not too big a chamber. And yet it is not uncommon for many to blow through a bowl of PA or Captain Black in 15-20 minutes if not relaxed and over-puffing it. Sometimes, one bowl of the latter is enough for one pipe for that day.
Generally speaking, if you are planning on 4-6 bowls over a 2-4 hour period, the blend should be on the drier side. That means dry to begin with, or you'll need to dry it out in advance. So keep that in mind.
As far as chamber volume vs. smoke duration, there is only a rough connection between the two once you factor in those other matters. I guess if you get a chamber that you can stuff half a tub of SWR into, you might get an extra 10 minutes out of it, but at what cost? Conversely, with some other blend, and how you smoke it, it might make little difference at all whether the chamber is normal or cavernous.
So your chosen blend, and your practice, will be at least as important as the chamber configuration & capacity for a good long smoke.
In larger volume chambers, I tend to lean towards big wide pots. But that's just me, based on what I smoke and how I smoke it ... and the fact that my eyesight for lighting up is pretty bad now. Predominantly English smokers tend to lean in the other direction towards traditional billiards (generally speaking, and there are always exceptions). I find more problems with chambers that are too deep compared to those that are too wide. But both can be difficult with the wrong blend or if haphazardly smoked.
For instance, for a work pipe (or the occasionally distracted smoker such as me), another factor is relights and tamp downs. If you tend to let your pipe go out a lot during a smoke, a deeper chamber may take a little more attention to maintain and relight than one not so deep. In a work setting, you may or may not want to play with the pipe so much when that happens.
And once you get down much deeper than 1.5" in any chamber, less experienced smokers tend to suffer from excessive dottle losses, as the wrong blends become un-smokable past a point. Someone here a while back showed off a homemade pipe that I think went down well over 2", to the point where miners would be needed for late bowl relights (or so the one-liner went).
...
So for someone still unsettled on all those things, I would lean toward a more symmetrical balance (roughly 5/3 to 2/1) between bore depth and width on any pipe. That will give you the most flexibility and options. A good general chamber shape is 1.25 to 1.5" max depth/.75" max width in a larger capacity.
In a pipe that you intend to put a lot of bowls through during the day, another thing to consider is perhaps a filtered model. There, the filter might help squeeze you through on those occasions where the pipe is running just a little too wet by the third or fourth bowl.
And if this is a work area where you are normally wearing eye protection from flying debris, a big fat wide mouthed pipe might not be the best choice if that stuff might be flying into it, particularly if you don't want to smoke it (such as sparks and flying metal bits). There, you might even want to consider a wind cap, to try and keep the debris out.
Throughout all of this, never lose sight of the most important factor of all. That pipe smoking is an avocation of relaxation. So at the end of the process there are really no wrong choices. And don't overthink anything to the point that the essential objective is lost. Whether it takes you one bowl or seven bowls to enjoy your work afternoon is not the goal. That you enjoy the afternoon is.
That's about all I can type for today, so I hope you find it helpful.
Happy puffs!
I’d go with one of these. The ultimate knock around who cares if you drop it and step on it pipes. They may run a little heavier and the acrylic stem will need a rubber bite, they’re sound smokers just have some cosmetic flaws.
morganpipes.com
Bones
Bones Pipes are pipes - Thats it - No fancy stuff...If you want a pipe to start with or just build your collection, Bones are the pipes for you. Toss it in a tackle box or a backpack and go. These pipes are, simply put, the absolute least expensive honest briar pipe on the market.A simple...
What I was thinking as well.I’d go with one of these. The ultimate knock around who cares if you drop it and step on it pipes. They may run a little heavier and the acrylic stem will need a rubber bite, they’re sound smokers just have some cosmetic flaws.
Bones
Bones Pipes are pipes - Thats it - No fancy stuff...If you want a pipe to start with or just build your collection, Bones are the pipes for you. Toss it in a tackle box or a backpack and go. These pipes are, simply put, the absolute least expensive honest briar pipe on the market.A simple...
Bones makes a decent pipe at the price, and they have a nice mini Calabash with enough bend for the OP that is normally somewhat practical. I see they also have a nice sitter model.
I'm reluctant to suggest an unfinished briar pipe in what appears to be a metalworking shop. There are usually machine lubricants and other chemicals flying all over the place. Those chemicals can instantly ruin an unfinished pipe. At a minimum, wipe one down beforehand with mineral oil to try to keep those chemicals at bay.
I'm reluctant to suggest an unfinished briar pipe in what appears to be a metalworking shop. There are usually machine lubricants and other chemicals flying all over the place. Those chemicals can instantly ruin an unfinished pipe. At a minimum, wipe one down beforehand with mineral oil to try to keep those chemicals at bay.
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