Pipe tips for Cigar People, what we've learned...

I got to thinking about pipe smoking. It can be an intricate hobby, both frustrating and rewarding depending on if one is "doing it right". There are a lot of little things that go into it. I'd like to share a couple things I've learned, and encourage the rest of y'all to do so as well.

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert, just a guy who likes to smoke, and I'd like this to be each individual telling what they've learned.

I'll start us off with 2 things I've learned:

Firstly, for the folks with military experience. Push the pipe cleaner in from the mouthpiece, and never pull it back in that direction. That may sound like a no-brainer, but for someone who's spent a few thousand hours sitting in the hall outside the arms room cleaning weapons until the armorer decides you've spent enough time and he'll start accepting weapons, well, it may be a habit to scrub that pipe cleaner back and forth. Doing so will bring foul tasting oils out to the mouthpiece. Bleah.

Second. Pipes will affect your taste for quite awhile. If you're planning to smoke a cigar in the evening, give at least a few hours since your last pipe. How long depends on your pipe tobacco. Doing it the other way around, cigar first & pipe later seems to work fine.

So, what has anyone else learned that we might want to know?
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Comments

Amos_Umwhat

Thanks, @silvermouse ,that's pretty much the conventional wisdom I'd heard. The article was about how most people get turned off for those very reasons, and what different habits the Peterson required learning to enjoy its peculiarities.

And yes, @Yakster, a cob was a good starter for me, too. In 1971

ForMud

Nice thread....Learned a couple things I'll put into practice on the next bowl.
Only been smoking a pipe part time for a couple months now. Definitely a longer learning curve than cigars.

silvermouse

I've got well over 100 briars and still smoke a cob often, there's just something about them....

Captain_Call

silvermouse said:

I've got well over 100 briars and still smoke a cob often, there's just something about them....

Especially with burley forward blends

TNBigfoot68

Great thread, use my pipe sparingly but have at time enjoyed it, but really love a great cigar however.....

Amos_Umwhat

After the demise of McClelland Tobacco, I went searching for a suitable replacement for the now lost Dark English 5110 that I smoked almost daily. I tried many different blends that came close in description, if not necessarily in the pipe. Many were OK, but not what the Dark English was by any means. One blend that I went ahead and bought in bulk was Comoy's Cask #11, which is comprised of Orientals, Bright Virginias, and Latakia.

The other day I had a bowlful of G. L. Pease's Caravan, also Orientals and Latakia with Lemon and Red Virginias and a little air cured leaf. I liked it well enough, also, but got to thinking about it. The GLP is a little sharp and harsh at times, the Comoys is a little dank and heavy at times, and either will give a little tongue bite if smoked too quickly. But then, what doesn't?

So, in a sudden but rare flash of brilliance I felt a new mixture coming on. I mixed about 4 ounces of the Comoy's with about 2 ounces of the Caravan. Hmm, not bad, but something still missing. Into this I stirred about an ounce of McClellands Special Dark cavendish. This, of course, is no longer available, but Lane BCA "Black Cathy" is pretty much the same smoke.

Voila! This is absolutely the closest I've come to replicating the Dark English. I still have a tiny quantity of McClellands Stoved Virginia that I'm considering mixing in, but I'm enjoying this blend so much that I'm afraid to mess with it.

Although, I'm rarely capable of leaving well enough alone.

Amos_Umwhat

silvermouse said:

I've got a bunch of Petersons, including a system pipe or two, never smoke them. By design, they won't pass a pipe cleaner through to the bowl. The saliva/tar/juice is funky to clean. Yes, you can break it down while hot without worrying about making the stem loose or cracking the shank, but if you do you've got to clean the pipe.

I thought about this again before I bought my System pipe recently, and realized "Heck, that's what I do anyway!" I have to say that it smokes wonderfully.

Diver43

OK, my google fu seems to be weak today. I now understand what it is, but how do you clean a Perterson System pipe properly?

Yakster

I found this

https://youtu.be/qSJBmvKMNW4

Diver43

Now that makes sense. Thanks for posting

Yakster

@Eulogy posted a link to a great article on Nicotine and Pipe Tobacco Blending over on the PipeSmokersDen forum, so I thought I'd repost it here for youins.

https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/nicotine-and-pipe-tobacco-blending

ShawnOL

Long and interesting read. Will have to look into a lot of this stuff.

GaryThompson

Wow... So much info. I thought that just like any other pipe I used in my youth, just stuff some “tobacco” in the bowl and fire up! Instead, I’ve been reading and clicking on articles/YouTube videos for 2 hours. Now, I’m reluctant to pack and light this pipe. Thank you guys for putting up all this info, it’s greatly appreciated.

silvermouse

I suggest you just stuff some tobacco in the bowl and fire up.

GaryThompson

@silvermouse said:
I suggest you just stuff some tobacco in the bowl and fire up.

Agreed! The Dog and I will go sit in the carport and do just that while watching the rain.

Amos_Umwhat

Good article on Orientals up at Smokingpipes.com

Amos_Umwhat

Bump for @PuertoRicoShawn

Amos_Umwhat

Excellent article up on Smokingpipes.com today.

"Briar curing: from sawmill to smoke"

Lots of really good knowledge.

Yakster

I haven't had a chance to read it yet, been driving all day and smoking two bowls of 1792 Flake.

https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/briar-curing-from-sawmill-smoke

NewbfromNEO

Just got my first pipe today. This is extremely helpful!!

Yakster

Smoke really slowly, let it smolder on the verge of going out, that's where the best flavor is. Don't expect to be blown away with strong flavors like a cigar, it's much milder with a pipe. It may take a bit to appreciate.

NewbfromNEO

@Yakster much appreciated advice. I bought 2 Vikings. 1 for aromatic and 1 for non. Is that necessary or does mixing between those two not negatively impact flavor?

Yakster

Depends on the tobacco but probably wise to have two. Cobs smoke great and are an affordable way to be able to smoke tobacco, especially if you want to dedicate a pipe to a blend that really ghosts a pipe like the Wilke Peanut Butter blends do.

Hawks

@Yakster said:
Smoke really slowly, let it smolder on the verge of going out, that's where the best flavor is.

I have to relight all the time, but then, no one is going to say anything about slowing down. I feel like it's one of the bullet points. Same with cigars.

Amos_Umwhat

@Hawks said:

@Yakster said:
Smoke really slowly, let it smolder on the verge of going out, that's where the best flavor is.

I have to relight all the time, but then, no one is going to say anything about slowing down. I feel like it's one of the bullet points. Same with cigars.

Are you using your tamper enough? Most times, if you're still getting some smoke, the tamper during a draw will keep you going. Of course, some tobaccos are much wetter than others, and most require a little air time to reach a good smoking point. The good news is that pipe tobacco relights don't affect the taste the way that cigar relights do. What tobacco did you get?

Hawks

@Amos_Umwhat said:
Are you using your tamper enough? Most times, if you're still getting some smoke, the tamper during a draw will keep you going. Of course, some tobaccos are much wetter than others, and most require a little air time to reach a good smoking point. The good news is that pipe tobacco relights don't affect the taste the way that cigar relights do. What tobacco did you get?

😁 I wish it were a complicated issue but I simply let it go out. My mind wanders, I get too focused on whatever I may be doing at the time, I forget I am smoking, etc. I do smoke without drying most of the time so that aids in my relighting but I'm good with it. Usually happens when I get past halfway. Anyhow, I was trying to convey my agreeance with smoking slow by saying I smoke so damn slow my bowls go out, lol.

Amos_Umwhat

@Hawks said:

@Amos_Umwhat said:
Are you using your tamper enough? Most times, if you're still getting some smoke, the tamper during a draw will keep you going. Of course, some tobaccos are much wetter than others, and most require a little air time to reach a good smoking point. The good news is that pipe tobacco relights don't affect the taste the way that cigar relights do. What tobacco did you get?

😁 I wish it were a complicated issue but I simply let it go out. My mind wanders, I get too focused on whatever I may be doing at the time, I forget I am smoking, etc. I do smoke without drying most of the time so that aids in my relighting but I'm good with it. Usually happens when I get past halfway. Anyhow, I was trying to convey my agreeance with smoking slow by saying I smoke so damn slow my bowls go out, lol.

Ah, I'm much the same. Most of the time, I pack a bowl sometime before breakfast, light it sometime after breakfast by first giving about a one second puff, set it down. Somewhere between 15 seconds and 15 minutes later I'll repeat. A few puffs here, a few puffs there, if I find myself reading something for awhile, I may smoke on through the bowl, or it could last me another day and get finished as I'm packing the next mornings bowl. So it goes.

Yakster

@OutdoorsSmoke_21191

OutdoorsSmoke_21191

Chris et al… i’ve read this entire thread now. Tons and tons of information, all very good, the Rabbit Hole has begun. 🤔😜

OutdoorsSmoke_21191

For two years now I have ‘played’ with pipe smoking. For reasons of plain ignorance and impatience I try for a bit then put away for awhile and repeat the process. Now after reading this forum and getting educated I feel more positive and confident about my pipe smoking journey. Currently, I have two pipes (cheap ones). One for aromatics and one for non aromatics. Any suggestions for flavors to experiment with are welcome and appreciated. Thanks in advance.