Question for occasional smokers

[Rusty Blade]

Many years ago I was an avid pipe and cigar smoker. When I got married and kids came along I decided to give it up. That was 35 years ago. The closest I have been to smoking is this emoji -- though I still have my pipe.

Kids are all grown and flown from the nest so I am thinking I would like to take up pipe and cigar smoking again. Not so much as a daily smoker but rather on an occasional basis, e.g. when I am at the cottage, fishing, working in the woods, select summer evenings on the patio with friends. It has been a long time since I purchased tobacco products (yes, I know in Canada the price has skyrocketed), so I don't even know where to begin, so I have a few of questions:
1. Best grocery store smoke shop pipe tobacco?
2. Best grocery store smoke shop cigars?
2. How do you keep pipe tobacco from drying out in between longer periods of not smoking?

 

[Benzadmiral]

Rusty,

I left the pipe behind myself for about 15 years and only recently took it up again, last January. During the Christmas break I've smoking 1x a day, but during the work week I usually smoke once, then once each on Sat. and Sun. When I came back I was in sort of the same place as you.

Best grocery store/smoke shop tobacco (if you can find it there!): Sir Walter Raleigh Regular, closely followed by Prince Albert and (possibly an acquired taste) Half & Half. All 3 are reasonably priced compared to fancier tinned blends, and give a fantastic smoke. They will teach you to sip the pipe instead of puffing like a freight train. See also Sir Walter Aromatic. They are available online, along with "match" blends, blends which approximate or equal vanished brands like Field & Stream and Edgeworth.

As for the drying out thing, people here recommend storing the leaf in Mason jars, the glass things you can screw down the metal lids on. One thing I learned here as compared to the '80s, when everything was supposed to be "moist," is that for some blends some drying is a good thing. It helps keep the pipe from gurgling and helps prevent tongue bite. (Heated moisture = steam = scorched tongue.) Plastic bags also help store the stuff -- mylar, people here recommend.

Others will have more to say. Enjoy your journey!

 

[RookieGuy]

Any jar with a lid should work for what you're looking to do. SWR (with and without the A) and Half and Half are still available in pouch form. The tubs wouldn't do you much good, you won't be smoking enough for that. I'm not sure what you'll be able to find locally besides Captain Black. But online ordering has never been easier, even in the Great Frozen North.

If you decide to do an ounce or two of different things, any of jar with a lid should keep it fresh enough. If you're looking at longer than a couple months, you might want to use the ones with a 2 piece lid.

 

[rockthrower]

I'm sort of in the same situation as you. I smoked cigarettes, cigars, and pipes and stopped 35 years ago. As an exception, I would have a cigar two or three times a year on a special occasion. This year I acquired three decent pipes and probably had 6 to 8 smokes this summer. Also had 2 very cold ones over the Christmas holidays. I don't intend to smoke much more than that, but found it enjoyable.

Tobacco prices in Canada are outrageous, and vendors are scarce. What I did is bought tobacco online from Smokingpipes.com. In Canada we are allowed to order 8 ounces I believe. Although tobacco is subject to import duties, your package will rarely be taxed. I have a friend in Ottawa who is a heavy pipe smoker and orders from them frequently; he has had to pay duties once or twice. If you stay under the quantity limit it will usually get through. I assume from what you said that you are in Canada; another nice thing about Smokingpipes is that if you are willing to wait for your order to slowly and painfully travel without tracking, they will ship to Canada for about $7 (not sure that is the exact amount, but cheap anyway).

As for storage, I have about 5 different blends, 2 oz. each, in Mason jars, and it seems to keep them in good condition.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Oh and Rusty, there is also Carter Hall. I always forget that one in the list of standard "codger" burley blends.

 

[JCinPA]

For cigars, you're not going to find any at the grocery worth smoking, and I state that as a categorical. If you have a cigar shop near you you can do B&M, but the online cigar trade is incredibly competitive and efficient. And if you are getting back into cigars, your best bet, IMO, is to buy 5-10 cigar samplers in a style you think you would like, rather than a box of one cigar.

For storing cigars, you don't need anything fancy and you don't need a hygrometer. Get one of these little acrylic containers ...

https://www.amazon.com/Prestige-Group-AJ25-Acrylic-Humidifier/dp/B00J21X9IS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EORGI02DMIOJ&keywords=acrylic+cigar+humidor&qid=1641229229&s=hpc&sprefix=acrylic%2Chpc%2C234&sr=1-1

And some Boveda bags, either 65% or 69% humidity. Keep the Boveda in there, takes all the brain damage out of hydration process. When it's crunchy, replace. I think 69% is consensus, but I like 65%, and it's not much different.

https://www.amazon.com/Boveda-2-Way-Humidity-Control-Humidification/dp/B077KVC1VY/ref=sr_1_5?crid=11308F06UDYDZ&keywords=65%25+boveda+packs&qid=1641229751&sprefix=65%25+bo%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-5

With regard to pipe tobacco, small mason jars are the trick. Cut the baggie label off and stick it inside the jar against the outside so you can read it, thusly.

To rehydrate pipe tobacco, I put a small aluminum foil bowl on top of the tobacco, crunch up a coffee filter into a ball, wet it thoroughly with distilled water, and drop it on the foil bowl. Leave it in the jar for 48 hours undisturbed, it should be fine then.

 

[JCinPA]

Here's a good example of a sampler I'm talking about. You can get a sampler from a particular maker, like a Drew Estates sampler or a Romeo & Juliet sampler, but I'd go with a multiple-brand sampler like this. There is nothing special about this company or this sampler, it's just to give you an idea. Get this, stick it in that acrylic container, toss in a Boveda pack, and you're done, like dinner!

Best Of 90 Plus Rated Sampler | Famous Smoke

Our best of 90+ rated cigars, all in one package and on sale NOW at Famous. It's an uber-flavorful cigar sampler with 15 of the leading brands; order now!

www.famous-smoke.com

 

[gewoon ik]

I only buy fancy tabacco and they come in a tin. ( with the prices here, the differance between cheap and good is marginal).

But i use a piece of unused coffeefilter and demi water to moisten it from time to time.
Also i enjoy the tabacco a bit drier because i'm to lazy to check on regular basis.
And don't open to much.
Also the drieing depends on the drieness of your house

Happy smokes

 

[Rusty Blade]

Great advice everyone...many thanks.

As I contemplate getting back into smoking I am gobsmacked by the different accessories one can purchase for pipes and cigars. The range of gear is staggering. Back in the day when I was puffing I had a Zippo lighter (I still have it), kitchen matches, my Swiss Army knife and when my tobacco went dry I would put a small piece of apple in the pouch to rehydrate. Nothing fancy.

As I reflect on years gone by, my cigars were usually Old Port Tipped and Colts. Once in a while I would go to the fancy smoke shop downtown to buy a tin of Panthers. Cigars were great for keeping flies away while fishing.

I also smoked cigarettes. I started with Sportsman cigarettes (loved the packaging...mostly because I spent a lot of time in the woods fishing) and I often rolled my own with Old Chum tobacco and my papers were Zig Zag or Vogue.

My pipe is a standard briar pipe, likely cheap at the time when I bought it 45 years ago, but it accompanied me on many hikes and fishing trips when I was young. My tobacco was Sail (yellow and green)...that's what my father smoked and when I was a kid I loved the smell of his pipe smoke. Great memories.

 

[Kentos]

Pipes are hard as it takes a certain number of bowls to become proficient at, so if you smoke infrequently it might take a long time to get a good smoke. Cigars are great from the get go. Either way social smoking is great fun.

 

[DrStrange]

Flor De Copan Cigars

Has anyone else discovered these low price, high quality stogies. I tried them first from a discount at JR cigars, then picked up a bundle from cigarbid.com. To me, they are the best cigar for the money. Very consistent flavor, even burn, firm ash (who doesn't like a nice firm ash:wink2:), and...

www.badgerandblade.com

Let’s talk cigar cutters

Colibri v-cut on sale at CI

www.badgerandblade.com

Flor De Copan Cigars

Has anyone else discovered these low price, high quality stogies. I tried them first from a discount at JR cigars, then picked up a bundle from cigarbid.com. To me, they are the best cigar for the money. Very consistent flavor, even burn, firm ash (who doesn't like a nice firm ash:wink2:), and...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[Columbo]

Great advice everyone...many thanks.

As I contemplate getting back into smoking I am gobsmacked by the different accessories one can purchase for pipes and cigars. The range of gear is staggering. Back in the day when I was puffing I had a Zippo lighter (I still have it), kitchen matches, my Swiss Army knife and when my tobacco went dry I would put a small piece of apple in the pouch to rehydrate. Nothing fancy.

As I reflect on years gone by, my cigars were usually Old Port Tipped and Colts. Once in a while I would go to the fancy smoke shop downtown to buy a tin of Panthers. Cigars were great for keeping flies away while fishing.

I also smoked cigarettes. I started with Sportsman cigarettes (loved the packaging...mostly because I spent a lot of time in the woods fishing) and I often rolled my own with Old Chum tobacco and my papers were Zig Zag or Vogue.

My pipe is a standard briar pipe, likely cheap at the time when I bought it 45 years ago, but it accompanied me on many hikes and fishing trips when I was young. My tobacco was Sail (yellow and green)...that's what my father smoked and when I was a kid I loved the smell of his pipe smoke. Great memories.

All the major chain store pipe OTCs are still fine everyday smokes. PA, SWR, CH and H&H. All will treat you with gentle rewards and punish you little for miscues.

I'd start with pouches, being mindful that some may not fully represent the blend as tubs can. Grocery and drug stores will give you a better chance with pouches than a mini-mart or gas station. Once you settle down to a favorite or two, whether to splurge on a tub is up to you. Many old hands still live exclusively on pouches. You can't stuff a tub in your pocket. There are no right or wrong choices.

A tub can go a long time once opened, and comes in its own canister of sorts. I wouldn't worry about a tub drying out on you. In fact, I wouldn't worry about much at all. Once you start worrying, you're defeating the purpose.

A Zippo (or pack of matches), a handful of pipe cleaners, and a Czech tool are all you really need. Your old briar is probably as good and faithful as anything you might buy. My favorite pipe remains my first one, for similar reasons.

Take your time at it, but put away the stopwatch. A five minute smoke can still be a glorious five minutes ... that lingers with you the rest of the day. So many get caught up in the procedure, prestige and status of things. Sucks the simplicity and joy out of it as far as I'm concerned.

Most of all, go easy on yourself as you re-hone your skills. It is an avocation of relaxation. If you are enjoying it, that's all that matters.

I'll leave the present OTC cigar choices for others. Back in the day, it was Dutch Masters and White Owls for the counter smokers. I see kids (to me anyone under 30) walking out of the dairy stores with the Swisher sweets nowadays, and wonder at times.

Happy puffs to you!

 

[Rusty Blade]

All the major chain store pipe OTCs are still fine everyday smokes. PA, SWR, CH and H&H. All will treat you with gentle rewards and punish you little for miscues.

I'd start with pouches, being mindful that some may not fully represent the blend as tubs can. Grocery and drug stores will give you a better chance with pouches than a mini-mart or gas station. Once you settle down to a favorite or two, whether to splurge on a tub is up to you. Many old hands still live exclusively on pouches. You can't stuff a tub in your pocket. There are no right or wrong choices.

A tub can go a long time once opened, and comes in its own canister of sorts. I wouldn't worry about a tub drying out on you. In fact, I wouldn't worry about much at all. Once you start worrying, you're defeating the purpose.

A Zippo (or pack of matches), a handful of pipe cleaners, and a Czech tool are all you really need. Your old briar is probably as good and faithful as anything you might buy. My favorite pipe remains my first one, for similar reasons.

Take your time at it, but put away the stopwatch. A five minute smoke can still be a glorious five minutes ... that lingers with you the rest of the day. So many get caught up in the procedure, prestige and status of things. Sucks the simplicity and joy out of it as far as I'm concerned.

Most of all, go easy on yourself as you re-hone your skills. It is an avocation of relaxation. If you are enjoying it, that's all that matters.

I'll leave the present OTC cigar choices for others. Back in the day, it was Dutch Masters and White Owls for the counter smokers. I see kids (to me anyone under 30) walking out of the dairy stores with the Swisher sweets nowadays, and wonder at times.

Happy puffs to you!

Good advice. Thanks.

 

[JCinPA]

Ugh. Have to disagree on the grocery stogies. I totally agree with the Carter Hall, Sir Walter Raleigh, Prince Albert pipe tobaccos, no argument there. But you can get some house brands, those linked above, or factory second cigars at not much money. Or the combos, which admittedly are more expensive. But there are good house brand cigars and seconds at around $2 a stick, maybe $3.

There are no grocery stogies, no equivalent to the codger blends for cigars, IMNSHO.

Shop around in here, and skip the cigars when you get your codger blend, I'd suggest. YMMV, of course, but I'd quit smoking cigars if I had to have grocery stogies, lol.

Search - Thompson Cigar

Shop premium cigars, humidors, samplers, pipes, pipe tobacco, and accessories at Thompson Cigar. Huge cigar selection at great prices everyday.

www.thompsoncigar.com

 

[RookieGuy]

All the major chain store pipe OTCs are still fine everyday smokes. PA, SWR, CH and H&H. All will treat you with gentle rewards and punish you little for miscues.

I'd start with pouches, being mindful that some may not fully represent the blend as tubs can.

[/snip]

Happy puffs to you!

Carter Hall and Prince Albert are no longer available in pouches I think. I believe they're tubs only now. Which is too bad because they are great for newer/ returning pipe smokers. I why to say it's West Virginia Smoke Shop that offers them bulk by the ounce though. But Half and Half, SWR, and SWRA, are the only ones left who are available in pouches.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Carter Hall and Prince Albert are no longer available in pouches I think. I believe they're tubs only now. Which is too bad because they are great for newer/ returning pipe smokers. I why to say it's West Virginia Smoke Shop that offers them bulk by the ounce though. But Half and Half, SWR, and SWRA, are the only ones left who are available in pouches.

Which was why I took so long to try PA; I didn't want to invest in a tub. And I think I seized the last Carter Hall pouch-in-a-box in America sometime last year.

WVSmokeShop and PipesandCigars have the Match PA (from Sutliff?) available in bulk, but not PA itself. Same with CH.

ETA: Rusty, I also forgot to mention Granger. It is mild and effective, much like PA, and can be had in a 7 oz. can from PipesandCigars and from WVSmokeShop. No bulk or pouches.

 

[luvmysuper]

Carter Hall and Prince Albert are no longer available in pouches I think. I believe they're tubs only now. Which is too bad because they are great for newer/ returning pipe smokers. I why to say it's West Virginia Smoke Shop that offers them bulk by the ounce though. But Half and Half, SWR, and SWRA, are the only ones left who are available in pouches.

and Captain Black, Amphora and Borkum Riff.
You can also get Paladin, and Missouri Meerschaum in the pouch, I don't think they qualify as codger blends though.

 

[Columbo]

Carter Hall and Prince Albert are no longer available in pouches I think. I believe they're tubs only now. Which is too bad because they are great for newer/ returning pipe smokers. I why to say it's West Virginia Smoke Shop that offers them bulk by the ounce though. But Half and Half, SWR, and SWRA, are the only ones left who are available in pouches.

I am guilty of a senior moment. You are right about that. My preference for tubs in later years doesn’t take me to the pouch rack too much anymore.

 

[Columbo]

Which was why I took so long to try PA; I didn't want to invest in a tub. And I think I seized the last Carter Hall pouch-in-a-box in America sometime last year.

WVSmokeShop and PipesandCigars have the Match PA (from Sutliff?) available in bulk, but not PA itself. Same with CH.

ETA: Rusty, I also forgot to mention Granger. It is mild and effective, much like PA, and can be had in a 7 oz. can from PipesandCigars and from WVSmokeShop. No bulk or pouches.

Granger is often overlooked in these discussions, and it shouldn’t be. It’s an honest, basic Burley that punches above its price point.

The loss of the Middleton pouch sizes is a real shame.

 

[Toothpick]

Not sure about pipe tobacco. But I’ll echo what @JCinPA says about grocery store cigars. Do yourself a favor and just buy some online. If you have a legit cigar shop in town go there instead.

If you are just looking for a quick cigar fix and the grocery store or gas station is your only option pick up some Backwoods.