Smoking pipe: knowledge, favourite pipes, tobacco

Started by Henk, January 16, 2011, 05:19:16 AM

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Henk

Quote from: KevinP on January 16, 2011, 01:22:38 AM
As you smoke a briar pipe, a cake begins to form inside the bowl. You want this. First of all, it protects the pipe. Briar is one of the most (if not the most) fire-resistant woods, but it can still burn. The cake protects that from happening. Cakes can also add to the flavour  of each bowl of tobacco, making them smoother. When you first buy a pipe, there is generally no cake and in these circumstances, the pipe tends to burn hotter, resulting in a burning sensation on your tongue, so they need to be smoked several times first. (There are a few tricks, like coating the inside of the bowl with honey before the first smoke, which will carmalize and get the cake going.) However, you don't want a cake that is too thick or it might crack the pipe. That's what those pipe tools/reamers are for. It takes a lot of smokes before this happens though, and considerably longer if you have several (or more) pipes.

This is only true with briar. Meerschaum does not need any break-in, and, in fact, you want to make sure that a cake doesn't develop. Clay also needs no break in. Clay pipes give you the most neutral flavour (tobacco blenders use them to test new blends) but tend to smoke so hot that you can't touch them while smoking. They also break easily and aren't expected to last a lifetime. (Though the double-glazed ones circumvent these issues with a degree of success.)

My favourites? Well I really like the Jacono I bought (above), but as that was a bit over US$200 for their lowest grade pipe, I'm not going to steer you towards them. I prefer the so-called Italian renissance pipes such as Caminetto and Ascorti. (Do a Google image search on either name plus the word pipe).

To a large extent, the price difference in pipes is a matter of the craftsmanship and the quality of the briar and not a reflection on the smokabiliy of the pipe. By quality of the briar I mean the pattern of the grain. A perfect straight grain, and especially one by a name pipemaker, will be costly because such pipes are rare and aesthetically pleasing. I held one in my hand the other day, a Dunhill, that had a four-digit price tag. It was beautiful, but it would smoke as well as most any other pipe. The pattern of grain doesn't matter one bit in terms of how well it smokes; what does matter, however, is that the entire wooden part of the pipe has some grain. Any blank spots will, soner or later, burn right through. You needn't worry about this with a Savenlli. The other difference between a cheap pipe and a high- or mid-grade is that cheaper pipes might have pits (tiny holes, probably where the briar root hit a rock) or putty fills (some pipemakers leave the pits exposed, others fill with putty); neither is very appealing and either could also result in burn-out.

Any other questions, just ask. You also might find a bit of help in youtube: lots of people have posted how-to videos for newbies there, and I sincerely wish I had had this resource when I started. Pipes don't come with instruction manuals.

What kind of tobacco have you tried? (And perhaps we should start a new thread?)

Henk

Quote from: KevinP on January 16, 2011, 01:22:38 AM
What kind of tobacco have you tried?

I tried some MacBaren and Larsen. I really like the Larsen. Some sweet flavors (they are called "Sweet aromatic" and "Mellow & Tasty).

Henk

Scarpia

Quote from: Henk on January 16, 2011, 05:24:59 AM
I tried some MacBaren and Larsen. I really like the Larsen. Some sweet flavors (they are called "Sweet aromatic" and "Mellow & Tasty).

I see.  What form of cancer are you going for?  Pharynx, salivary gland, larynx, or maybe just the classic lung cancer?


John Copeland

Edifying Thoughts of a Tobacco Smoker

                                         Whene'er I take my pipe and stuff it
                                         And smoke to pass the time away
                                         My thoughts, as I sit there and puff it,
                                         Dwell on a picture sad and grey:
                                         It teaches me that very like
                                         Am I myself unto my pipe.

                                         Like me this pipe, so fragrant burning,
                                         Is made of naught but earthen clay;
                                         To earth I too shall be returning,
                                         And cannot halt my slow decay.
                                         My well used pipe, now cracked and
                                         broken,
                                         Of mortal life is but a token.

                                         No stain, the pipe's hue yet doth darken;
                                         It remains white. Thus do I know
                                         That when to death's call I must harken
                                         My body, too, all pale will grow.
                                         To black beneath the sod 'twill turn,
                                         Likewise the pipe, if oft it burn.

                                         Or when the pipe is fairly glowing,
                                         Behold then instantaneously,
                                         The smoke off into thin air going,
                                         'Til naught but ash is left to see.
                                         Man's fame likewise away will burn
                                         And unto dust his body turn.

                                         How oft it happens when one's smoking,
                                         The tamper's missing from it's shelf,
                                         And one goes with one's finger poking
                                         Into the bowl and burns oneself.
                                         If in the pipe such pain doth dwell
                                         How hot must be the pains of Hell!

                                         Thus o'er my pipe in contemplation
                                         Of such things - I can constantly
                                         Indulge in fruitful meditation,
                                         And so, puffing contentedly,
                                         On land, at sea, at home, abroad,
                                         I smoke my pipe and worship God.

                                       
Quote  Johann Sebastian Bach - 1725 (1685-1750)
                                         From: The Second Little Clavier Book For Anna
                                         Magdalena Bach

Szykneij

Quote from: Scarpia on January 16, 2011, 06:37:48 AM
I see.  What form of cancer are you going for?  Pharynx, salivary gland, larynx, or maybe just the classic lung cancer?

And even if it rots your teeth completely away before it kills you, you can still continue on your quest!

Men profess to be lovers of music, but for the most part they give no evidence in their opinions and lives that they have heard it.  ~ Henry David Thoreau

Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines. ~ Satchel Paige


CD

Because it makes you appear thin, attractive and thoughtful, obviously.

Szykneij

Men profess to be lovers of music, but for the most part they give no evidence in their opinions and lives that they have heard it.  ~ Henry David Thoreau

Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines. ~ Satchel Paige

greg

Here's the Perl version of that poem, John:

Quote#!/usr/bin/perl

#Whene'er I take my pipe and stuff it
#and smoke to pass the time away
#my thoughts as I sit here and puff it,
#Dwell on a picture sad and grey
#It teaches me that very like
#Am I myself unto my pipe

if ($I{hold} = my $pipe){true}
&smoke; sub smoke {sleep 5;}
my $thoughts; while($I{puff} = my $pipe)
{@Thoughts = "A picture","Sad","Grey";}
$I = "learn that as"; $one=$one;
$I = my $pipe;

#Like me, this pipe so fragrant burning
#Is made of naught but earth and clay;
#To earth I too shall be returning.
#It falls and, ere I'd think to say,
#it breaks in two before my eyes;
#In store for me a like fate lies.

$pipe{smell} = "fragrant burning";
$pipe = 0+$earth.$clay;
$me = 0+$earth.$clay;
$soon; $earth = $me;
$pipe{acceleration} = (9.8)."m/s**";
$pipe = split //; my $eyes;
if ((@date=localtime(time))and($date[5]>200)){$me = $m.$e;}

#No stain the pipe's hue yet doth darken;
#It remains white. Thus do I know
#That when to death's call I must harken
#My body, too, all pale will grow.
#To black beneath the sod 'twill turn,
#Likewise the pipe, if oft it burn.
[download]
$stain=-0x111111;
$pipe{color}=0xFFFFFF;
if(($I eq "Dead")&&($I eq "Buried in sod"))
{for(0..9){$body{color}-=$stain;}
while($body{color}>0x000000){$body{color}+=$stain;}}
if (1){for (0..$pipe{times_smoked}/10) {$pipe{color}-=$stain;}}

#Or when the pipe is fairly glowing,
#Behold them instantaniously,
#The smoke off into thin air going,
#Till naught but ash is left to see.
#Man's frame likewise away will burn
#And unto dust his body turn.

while(($pipe{color} eq "orange")&&($pipe{luminosity} >= 1))
{$observe; sleep 0;
  $thin_air = "The smoke";
  $thin_air = (0)."ash"; 
  $body{man}=$thin_air=(0)."ash";
  $body{man} != "ash";
  $body{man} = "dust";
}

#How oft it hapens when one is smoking:
#The stopper's missing from the shelf,
#And one goes with one's finger poking
#Into the bowl and burns oneself.
#If in the pipe such pain doth dwell,
#How hot must be the pains of Hell.

if (($date[0]>0)&&($date[0]<50)&&($smoke))
{$stopper{location} = "!shelf";
push @bowl, $ones{finger};
print "Ouch!\n"}
if($pain{pipe}=2)
{for(1..256){$pain{Hell}=$pain{pipe}*=$pain{Hell};}}

#Thus o'er my pipe, in contemplation
#of such things, I can constantly
#indulge in fruitful meditation,
#And so, puffing contentedly,
#On land, on sea, at home, abroad,
#I smoke my pipe and worship God.

while($I){($smoke) and ($think);}
@thoughts = "Death","Hell","Pipes"; if (1)
{$meditation{fruitful}="indulge";}
$I{puff}="content";
if(((my $locale = "On land") || ($locale = "At sea"))
  ||((my $locale = "At home") || ($locale = "Abroad")))
{$I; &smoke; (my $pipe) and ($worship = 1*1*1);}


RJR

For those of you who like to roll your own, like I do, Old Holborn is one of the tastiest, most aromatic tobaccos that you can buy. I mix it with Drum. It's pipe tobacco for roll-your-own smokers. And all you anti-smoker Puritans out there can all go jump in a lake. 

Henk

Quote from: Greg on January 16, 2011, 05:49:48 PM
Why smoke?  ???

Because it´s the most relaxing thing to do. The pleasure can be very great, it works on your mind, sometimes the pipe fails however.

Henk

Henk


milk

I got out of it a few years ago and sold some beautiful handmade pipes. I'll never have such nice pipes again now that I'm supporting a family and I really regret it. I'm getting back into the hobby and starting out with a cheap Tsuge and a nice 60s Kriswill I bought at an online auction. Those and a cob. I love Virginia flake tobacco. Anyone else here into the hobby? I never liked Danish pipes before but recently I've been starting to appreciate the amazing artistry of Lars Ivarsson and other pipe geniuses from bygone eras.

foxandpeng

#15
Quote from: milk on September 21, 2022, 10:21:09 PM
I got out of it a few years ago and sold some beautiful handmade pipes. I'll never have such nice pipes again now that I'm supporting a family and I really regret it. I'm getting back into the hobby and starting out with a cheap Tsuge and a nice 60s Kriswill I bought at an online auction. Those and a cob. I love Virginia flake tobacco. Anyone else here into the hobby? I never liked Danish pipes before but recently I've been starting to appreciate the amazing artistry of Lars Ivarsson and other pipe geniuses from bygone eras.

Yeah, I've been known to dabble. Hence my profile pic. I lean more toward Latakia or Balkans rather than Virginias, with Navy flakes as a second line. G L Pease features pretty heavily in my cellar, and lots of Cornell and Diehl. As for pipes, I have lots of Petersons in the collection (big fan of my Sherlock Holmes Milverton and Lestrade), along with Morgan Bones and Nording freehand.

I find a pipe, a single origin ground, black coffee, a book, and classical music to be decent bedfellows. Not in bed, however! My wife tends to poke me at this time of year to pull them out, as they do have a positive association with the whole hygge thing. This evening has been a mix of Bothy Flake and Solani Aged Burley Flake in a custom built bent apple from a British pipe maker, Northern Briars. Wife has been reading while I piddle on the internet reading various theology blogs and we both listen to Tribulation, a Swedish metal band that is a new discovery for us both. A bit of a cross between Helltrain and old school Gothenburg death metal similar to Dark Tranquility that falls under the category of Death and Roll.

Pleasant way to pass a Saturday night, tbh.
"A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people ... then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbour — such is my idea of happiness"

Tolstoy

milk

Quote from: foxandpeng on October 08, 2022, 12:47:45 PM
Yeah, I've been known to dabble. Hence my profile pic. I lean more toward Latakia or Balkans rather than Virginias, with Navy flakes as a second line. G L Pease features pretty heavily in my cellar, and lots of Cornell and Diehl. As for pipes, I have lots of Petersons in the collection (big fan of my Sherlock Holmes Milverton and Lestrade), along with Morgan Bones and Nording freehand.

I find a pipe, a single origin ground, black coffee, a book, and classical music to be decent bedfellows. Not in bed, however! My wife tends to poke me at this time of year to pull them out, as they do have a positive association with the whole hygge thing. This evening has been a mix of Bothy Flake and Solani Aged Burley Flake in a custom built bent apple from a British pipe maker, Northern Briars. Wife has been reading while I piddle on the internet reading various theology blogs and we both listen to Tribulation, a Swedish metal band that is a new discovery for us both. A bit of a cross between Helltrain and old school Gothenburg death metal similar to Dark Tranquility that falls under the category of Death and Roll.

Pleasant way to pass a Saturday night, tbh.
The only trouble is that I can't smoke in the house (my wife and small children wouldn't like it). I just bought a house a couple of years ago and recently started again. The last few weeks I've been puffing on my stoop well after dark. Today I thought i'd ask the neighbor (in my broken Japanese) if it bothered him and he had a bad reaction. He kept asking me if it were only tobacco and then said they he didn't like it either way. Now what? I've got to go somewhere or take a walk to do it. The whole interaction stressed me out.

vandermolen

I used to smoke a pipe. My brother asked for one for Christmas but didn't get on with at all. However, my 14-year-old-self loved it. Of course, I was not allowed one until I was 18. I smoked my pipe throughout my university time and beyond. Now I am banned (at least in the house).
I used to smoke 'Clan' a Dutch, baby-beginners tobacco which is very aromatic. Then I moved on the hard-core stull like the Balkan Sobranie Mixture;D
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

milk

Quote from: vandermolen on October 09, 2022, 01:22:45 AM
I used to smoke a pipe. My brother asked for one for Christmas but didn't get on with at all. However, my 14-year-old-self loved it. Of course, I was not allowed one until I was 18. I smoked my pipe throughout my university time and beyond. Now I am banned (at least in the house).
I used to smoke 'Clan' a Dutch, baby-beginners tobacco which is very aromatic. Then I moved on the hard-core stull like the Balkan Sobranie Mixture;D
I think I've convinced my wife to lift the ban in my office. I love pipes too much. I've been smoking Virginia-s. I can't yet get into Balkan and Latikias. But maybe I will.

pjme

#19
 :o :o :o :o

I really cannot understand that people still smoke...." I love pipes too much" = I'm addicted....