So, i went ahead and pulled the trigger on a new humidor for pipe tobacco and a new starter pipe with tool. I'm excited and will post pics tomorrow when they arrive. I'm excited but nervous that this is another rabbit hole. Do i need help or will i bo okay? Anyways, i'm excited! God bless you all!
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I got my first pipes and pipe tobacco from Rock Star (Freddy) many years ago.

It didn't take. :-)
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I Agree With The Admiral. Pipes Are Too Much Trouble For Me. I Don't Mind Smoking Them, But Cigars Are So Much Easier!:-):-)
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I'm still gonna give it a go. mostly this is to entice my father to smoke pipes since he seems genuinely interested and if i can get him on pipes then i can get him on cigars. I have an evil plan in place.

Dr Grabow Omega bent

it's just a simple starter pipe so i'm excited :-)
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Looks Nice! I Know Virtually Nothing About Pipe Smoking, But I Remember Having Some Pipes Smoke Harshly And Some Had Difficulty Keeping The Tobacco Lit & Poor Draws. Let Us Know How You Like It & Your Journey!:-):-)
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Fun! I’ve smoked pipes longer than cigars. If you need any advice, fee free to ask!

One thing to note: it’s advisable to not store your pipe tobacco with your cigars. Also, pipe tobacco doesn’t need a humidor. It will keep in a baggy for sometime. Unopened tins will keep indefinitely, but will require some checking if you are aging them.
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Sorry for the hijack, Jason

I have a pipe that Benedic left me and have been curious to try it. Not looking to buy a lot but any recommendations for a little pipe tobacco to try and how to use the thing?

I went to one of the local b&m’s and they don’t sell pipe tobacco anymore as it falls under flavored tabocco ban or something.
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I take a pipe and some tobacco along on vacation. If I'm relaxing outside the hotel room, that's the best time for it. Carrying the pipe, tobacco, lighter, tamper, pipe cleaner etc. around with me requires three hands and several pockets, seems like.
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I started smoking a Dr. Grabow 'way back when I was a pretentious young a-hole in high school.

I no longer bother with pipes, nor am I young or pretentious. An a-hole? Ehhh . . . .
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Oh my goodness you guys! I love it!

I have been smoking a pipe since I began smoking cigars - the kind of ran concurrently for me. Sometimes more one than the other. I do smoke my pipe more in the winter as I have a vent fan in the parsonage study, and people get a bit less upset with minor residual pipe smoke than they do cigar smoke. I usually get in one pipe at the end of the day on most days in the winter.

So, I am only to happy to help beginners.

If I can start with a way of thinking, this seems to work for me. A pipe is for contemplative moments, it is cerebral... A cigar is more social, it is interactive. Yes, both can go the other way, but this is a general approach/rule.

Here are a couple tips because pipe smokers can segue into cigars much more easily than cigar smoker can segue into the pipe. It is because a cigar produces a copious volume of smoke and usually has very bold flavors.

With that in mind, cigar smokers need to remember a couple things.

1a. Don't expect to get the same volume of smoke from a pipe as you do a cigar.
2b. Don't expect the same boldness of flavor from a pipe as you do a cigar.

2a. If you try to get the same volume of smoke from a pipe as you do a cigar, you will know in a hurry - and it is a very painful lesson.
2b. If you try to get the same boldness of flavor, you will be sorely disappointed and want to give up.

There are a couple key factors in smoking a pipe.
1) filling it
2) getting an even burn going (char, tamp, char, tamp, char, tamp...till it is lit)
3) "sip" the pipe, don't hurf on it
4) Look for subtleness of flavors.


Considering this.
Aromatics seem to have the boldest flavors, and everyone knows the scent of an aromatic... Some never get beyond that. That's cool!

Next come those blends strong in Latakia, again there is a bolder flavor that satisfies the desires of the palate.

Not everybody will agree with this, but if you can get to enjoy straight Virginias or Virginias with Perique, there are subtle flavors that when sipped, play a virtual symphony upon the palate.

If you want to ask more questions, I am only to glad to help.
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That’s rough. The most popular aromatic today is Lane 1Q. Many B&M’s rebrand it as a house blend. There are online sources I can point out to you if you would like. Alternately, I could send you a sample of a few of you give me your address. I don’t have a ton of aromatics as I only dabble in them, but what I have I’m willing to share.
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Thanks Geoff, appreciate the offer. But the way the good reverend explained it, it seems like a whole lot of work :-) I’ll look out the Lane 1Q and appreciate the advice.

When you guys say aromatics, does that mean when someone is smoking a pipe and it smells like sweet Cherry does the actual smoke taste like that too?
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I agree with most of RevSmoke's post, certainly cigars are more "social", and since I am mostly an antisocial asshat I rid myself of cigars and smoke pipes. I have the palate of a billy goat, but I find the subtle differences in blends much more enjoyable, and he is spot on about Va/Pers.
I will add you should get a couple of pipes, but I highly recommend spending about 15 bucks for a MM cob. They smoke wonderfully, and it allows you to rest them, and not mix tobaccos to eliminate ghosting. That is not a problem for me, since I think aromatics are like gas station cigars, and avoid them like the plague, although they are the most popular blends. I just dedicate pipes to Virginia's and English (or simpler, if it has Latakia or not). I have multiple briars, but also multiple cobs, and smoke both.
Some blends will give you quite a bit of smoke, but as a rule he is correct, they ain't cigars.
The hobby/passion does have some up front costs, but there is a huge selection of excellent briars available for less than 100 bucks, some much less, that are high quality and smoke very well. Tobacco is cheap in terms of cost per bowl, and there are some excellent bulk blends available.
Heck, Downunder is back in Perth, and a tin down there is 10x the cost here.

damn, been a long time since I have been here.....
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I am not a pipe guy either but I was told when you are first starting, keep sipping a soda so you know if your smoking to fast as you will get tongue bite.
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Fair enough statement. Many people say you should sip a pipe, not hoover it down.
If the bowl is too hot to comfortably hold, you are smoking too fast.
In general, Virginia's burn hotter.
A filter, whether charcoal or balsa wood (my favorite) can also help against bite.
Don't worry if you have to relight it multiple times, it's not an issue.
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You know when cigar guys say, “notes of leather and raw sugar” they mean that it reminds them of those things. It’s all very subjective. There are times an aromatic will “taste” like its smell (Cult Blood Moon does this for me). Other times it doesn’t taste like it’s smell. Worse, sometimes it’s just a goopy mess. If you smoke anything too fast and too hot it will taste like hot nothing and later you will experience tongue bite.

Don’t fear the relights.
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I love the pipe, guys. It is a great smoke, just be careful of expectations. Also, I concur that cobs a great smoke...and cheap.

Peace of the Lord be with you.
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