^^^^ +1

In addition to Todds comment, I would also suggest getting together with your "Pastor" for a session or two to show you. Who knows, it may develop into a regular session of pipe tobacco learning for you...:-)
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Thanks Rev. I hope to see you in January at symposia. It will be great to get together and smoke.

Mark I would do that but it is so cold here now that it would hardly be bearable.
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keep smoking it gets easier
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Thanks guys for the help dried out some tobacco and smoked it today. It made a huge difference. Easily the most pleasant pipe smoking experience I have had yet.
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another newbie question here..... Just started with pipe smoking and a bunch of great guys bombed me with some tobacco, and I bought a few tins/pouches myself. Right now I have about a dozen zip-lock bags, a few pouches and a couple tins. I have them in a 50 count desktop with no humidification. Is this OK, Should I add humidification?
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It's fine without humidification. I tend to prefer most baccy's drier than the package anyway.
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Nice!
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This may seem somewhat random, but is there a quick rule-of-thumb as to what kind of tobacco in what kind of bowl. Ferinstance: I've heard that straight VA's are best in a wide bowl like a pot because the wide surface area burns more tobacco concurrently, imparting more flavor.
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Can't say I've seen a quick easy to remember method but if you check tobaccoreviews, you will see many post the effects of different pipes with your choice leaf. Seems to me, and I'm no expert, that there are too many variables and personal preferences to make a concrete rule of thumb.
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That's kinda where I got the notion, but that's pretty much what I figured. Thanks!
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And if there is something that I have heard for years is that VAs like small narrow bowls.

Here's the rule of thumb, try your tobaccos in different size bowls and see which ones smoke best of you, for ultimately, you need to satisfy your palate. Personally, I have found that I like my VAs in many sizes of bowls, and more often than not, the choice is made by asking, "what pipe do I want to smoke today?"

Peace of the Lord be with you.
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I must have had it backwards, thanks. I got thinking about this because I smoked some Barbary Coast in my new Viking pot and it was flat and boring.
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Hey Rev, thanks for the advice; I smoked some Peacehaven in a small Ropp Strawberry and it was excellent!

On another note: I was wondering...is acrylic heavier than ebonite? I like to clench and have been conscious of weight recently but I like the durability of acrylic.
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Today my pastor friend who started me down this slope as I have mentioned elsewhere has surprised me with a gift. A brand new Peterson System pipe. He noticed that I appreciated the Grabow and Cob he had given me to start off with and he said it was time for me to step my game up.
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Any advice on breaking this in or maintaining it would be appreciated. My friend hasn't had time to smoke with me much and recommended that I just check on the internet for breaking in and what not. I know the recommendation is usually start with a half a bowl but I was curious if this one calls for anything different.
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nice!
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The reason for starting with 1/2 a bowl is so that you smoke the bowl all the way to the bottom so that you get a good cake on the bottom half of the bowl. What a bunch of hoooey! Fill the bowl and smoke it - just make sure you smoke it to the bottom

How do you break in a pipe? Smoke it!

So, smoke it!

Peace of the Lord be with you.
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Thanks Rev that's what I was thinking. Any special maintenance for a system pipe as opposed to a regular pipe?
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The great thing about your pipe is you can clean it immediately after smoking. A military bit allows you to remove the stem while the pipe is still warm.

When I smoke my system pipe I take a paper towel, twist up one end, and clean out the sump. A pipe cleaner will help you clean the stem and the draft hole into the bowl.

A soft cloth to wipe the outside and you are good.
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While a military bit "allows" you to remove the stem, it is still a good practice not to - just for the sake of repetition breeds practice that carries over sometimes to how you treat other pipes.

Peace of the Lord be with you.
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So typically I shouldn't remove the stem immediately after smoking?
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