Anybody smoke a tobacco pipe?

[nightrunner]

Im interested in this and wondered if anybody here did smoke from a pipe?

I dont smoke cigarettes. I smoke a cigar from time to time. This is something just for leisure with friends.

I was wondering what the good quality brands/types of pipes are and where to get them. Im in the Murfreesboro/Smyrna area and dont know of a good local smoke shop. Also, what is some good tobacco to use.

Thanks

[Chris]

I do. I much prefer it to cigars. Buy a good quality briar pipe (expect to drop $100 or so)... it'll smoke much better. I usually just smoke the aromatic blends from the local smoke shop. It's not as smooth of a smoke, but no one seems to mind when I light up. In fact I've discovered that a maple flavored blend usually causes pretty girls to come up to me and tell me stories about their grandfathers. If you don't like the aromatics then try McClelland. It is pretty good... I like their arcadia blend: http://www.uptowns.com/product_info.php?cPath=25_44&products_id=216 . Really the best thing to do is go to a good smoke shop (Uptowns in Green Hills is my favorite), buy a pipe and try a few different tobaccos to see what you like.

[Chris]

For a starter pipe I recommend Neerup or Eriksen. I'm fond of both.

Neerup (great pipe for the money): http://www.cupojoes.com/cgi-bin/dept?dpt=W&srch=DW&tier2=302

Eriksen (it's a little short, but the price is great): http://www.cupojoes.com/cgi-bin/spgm?dpt=H&srch=KW&item=noresw09

Uptowns in Green hills usually has a couple of Neerups.. the Eriksen can be a little harder to find.

[nightrunner]

I bought a cheap briar pipe only cost about $20 but i fully expect to replace it later.

I dont mind the smell but i dont want my tobacco to taste like those flavors.

I see online you can spend up into the thousands on a pipe, any benefit to those aside from aesthetics?

Anything elsr I will need aside from the pipe, tobacco, matches and pipe cleaners? I read something about a tamper, necessary?

[Chris]

The problem with the $20 pipes is that they tend to be varnished instead of waxed.

The price of the pipe makes a difference to a point. The Eriksen is the cheapest pipe I've found that I consider smokable. Less than that and I feel like I'm smoking the varnish off the bowl.

The Neerups are great... they have nice thick walls on the pipe and draw easily. I've got a couple that are more expensive (a nice estate pipe for example) and they do smoke better, but not enough to be worth the cost. 

A cheap little tamper/cleaning tool is helpful for loading and cleaning the bowl... they are like a dollar each.

The tobacco is very much up to personal taste, the variety is staggering.. fortunately it's not expensive so buy several different types and see what works for you.

[tartanphantom]

There was a recent in-depth discussion of pipes a few months back. Here's the link:

 

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/74575-pipes-cigars/

 

I've been a pipe smoker for many, many years, and I've got pipes ranging in price from $5.00 corncobs to $500 straight-grain Algerian briars. 

 

nightrunner-- I live in Murfreesboro, and would be glad to discuss pipes & tobacco any time. Choice of briar and tobacco is very much a personal thing-- what one person likes, another may abhor. I'm a big fan of non-aromatic English and Balkan blends, as well as Virginia blends. However, I've never been big on aromatic (flavored) blends, even though I will smoke one on rare occasion.

 

probably the most helpful low-cost accessory you can buy is what is known as a "Czech pipe tool". They are super cheap, and combine a tamper, pick, and bowl spoon/scraper in one convenient little package. The tamper is a must-have tool, the pick is useful for clearing the airway, and the spoon/scraper is useful for removing ash and unsmoked tobacco from the bowl without damaging the bowl. You can usually pick one up for under $5.00.

 

In Rutherford County, we haven't had a "great" pipe shop since Three-Ten Pipes in Murfreesboro closed several years ago... however, we do have The Humidor, a newer shop on the square in Murfreesboro. Although they are more focused on cigars, Mike (the proprietor) does keep a very nice selection of inexpensive ($25-75) pipes and he also maintains a pretty darn good tobacco selection.

 

Oh, and Chris is correct-- Neerups and Eriksens are very reasonably priced and hard to beat for the money.

Edited May 14, 2014 by tartanphantom

[Matt8090]

You could also check out YouTube for more information. There are several good channels with basic information on pipe smoking. There's a guy on there with the channel name 1968Eric that has a series of very informative videos for the beginning pipe smoker.

[Mike A]

Disclaimer:  I am a cigar smoker who occasionally smokes a pipe.

Despite the fact that I can't improve upon what's already been said, my first reaction would be to post a verbose response.  I'm trying to edit myself.

+1 On Neerup.  First non-corn cob pipe I ever purchased and haven't regretted it a bit.  The bowls are usually coated (maybe not the correct term) and as such are sort of already broke in.  They all seem to be great smokers and good value for the money.  That said don't let price get in your way and start with whatever you can afford.  Nothing wrong with the corn cobs.  I personally struggled a bit with the corn cobs at first (pipe smoking being a bit more of an art than cigars) and was really glad when I got  my Neerup.

+1 On Uptown's.  Tell people in the pipe community (Youtube, etc.) that you live in easy driving distance of Uptown's and they WILL be envious.  I haven't been in since ~Dec. '13 but at that time they had quite a few Neerups.

 

Wonder if there might be interest in a TGO herf at some point? 

[nightrunner]

Ok, im getting pretty irritated right now. Ive never smoked a pipe before and honestly decided to start because my buddy just started and my dad smoked one when I was little.

I have a Dr. Grabow briar pipe and Sir Walter Raleigh tobacco. It either gets clogged up completely or will not stay lit beyond 4-5sec.

Is there something I am doing wrong or should be doing differently?

[Mike A]

Does take a lot of patience.  Do you know about the "false light?"  You first sort of toast the top layer.  It will go out.  You then tamp if needed and then light again.  MY more experienced buddys false light and then fire it up and smoke a bowl full with out relighting.  I'm not that good.  Relight as you need to and don't sweat it.  If you get a "clog" or a bit of girgle, run a pipe cleaner through the stem and have at again.  As Matt said, there really are a lot of good You Tube videos out there.  Think chess and not checkers.  Takes a while to learn how often to puff.  Enough to keep it going but not so much that you get the bowl too hot.     

[tartanphantom]

Ok, im getting pretty irritated right now. Ive never smoked a pipe before and honestly decided to start because my buddy just started and my dad smoked one when I was little.

I have a Dr. Grabow briar pipe and Sir Walter Raleigh tobacco. It either gets clogged up completely or will not stay lit beyond 4-5sec.

Is there something I am doing wrong or should be doing differently?

 

The most critical element in successful pipesmoking is learning how to properly pack the bowl, followed closely by learning how to puff. If you are a cigarette smoker, you will have to completely re-learn your method of puffing-- with a pipe it's a marathon, not a sprint.

 

If it will not stay lit more than 5 seconds, you definitely have issues with packing the bowl correctly. As I stated above, a good pipe tool will help, as the pick can be used to clear a clogged airway, and can also be used to create a "flue" in the tobacco if the bowl is packed too tight.

[analog_kidd]

There is definitely an art to packing the bowl and keeping it lit. The "false light" Mike A mentioned above is a critical step. The tamping tool is a must. I usually pack the bowl a little at a time. Put a pinch in and pack it down with my pinky, and repeat. Once I get the bowl full, I light it once, adn the tobacco puffs up a bit, and it will go out. use the tamper adn pack it all back down again. It should stay lit longer now. You do have to kind of puff it several times a minute to keep it going. After a while, there will be some ash build-up. use the tamper tool to scrape off the top layer of ash, and keep smoking.

 

It always amazes me how stubborn they are to keep lit sometimes. I'll be puffing along, get a really good draw of smoke, and the very next draw its completely out.

 

For a really cheap, but good pipe, look at a Missouri Meershaum corncob pipe. I bought one as kind of a joke, but turned out that I really enjoy smoking it. Once you get it broken in, it smokes really well. Although, the pipe is a bit larger than I prefer. I tend to hold the pipe more with my teeth than in my hand, keeping my hands free. 

 

My favorite pipe is my actual Meershaum pipe. You want to talk about stylish, and a conversation piece, these guys are it. You can get them in a million styles. You will instantly recognize them as the white stone pipes carved into faces. Get one that is carved from an actual stone, and not one that is resined together from stone powder. As you smoke it, some of the tobacco resin will seep through and give the outside of the stone a really nice patina. 

[maroonandwhite]

I've always wanted to try this but don't know how the wife would like it. I used to smoke but now can't stand the smell of cigarettes or the smell of the smoke on my clothes. I realize you don't normally inhale the smoke from a pipe so that is a definite plus for me as I have no interest in the nicotine side of it. I know smoke is smoke and it sticks to your clothes but is the smell from this type of tobacco pleasing?

[hipower]

I don't smoke, and I'm not putting down anyone who does. Or sermonizing against any type of tobacco use. That is a personal choice for everyone.

 

But do like the smell of a good, stress good here, cigar or pipe. It can be wonderful for the smoker and those around him. Or it can cause agony for others. Just depends on all involved.

 

And the mystique of the pipe.  Ah...that is something else.

 

A gentleman in his drawing room, sitting in his comfortable overstuffed , high wingback chair. In front of a fireplasce. And surrounded by a nice library of good books.

 

Doesn't that sound good? Kind of evokes an old English charm.

 

Someday might have to take it up.