After one bowl, I found the P lip to be a strange sensation, but not off putting; and you're right, soft bits won't really work. I am glad I finally lit it, the smoke was quite pleasant, and I'm considering a future purchase of a Peterson System for comparison, also 6mm balsa.
I have been fine tuning my P&C cart for M upcoming order. Right now I have 17 tobaccos equaling over 1.5lb and 5 new pipes along with softy bits, pipecleaners and a few other odds and ends. I've kept it below $150. It will likely be my only order this year. I am getting one each of the pipa kits to go fishing with. Cheap corncob and cheap tobacco. It cant be as bad as the suicide blend I bought. I'm also trying out a clay pipe and a Bariccini pocket pipe. I have a small pipe that lives in a pocket when I'm running around outside walking the town. This is to replace that one with something with a full size bowl. I'm also trying a handful of bulks at 1oz for $3 each. Some Orlik varieties and a tin sampler of the Captain Black premium blends.
All but the pocket pipe have been on there for months. I had a different pocket pipe from a different site saved but I noticed this one and really love the look of it. I've got my eye on the #2. I have had to change around the style of clay pipe I was going to get because they seem to have been hit hard but IPSD and are out of stock so I switched from White to Black clay in the same style and size.
Hey Friends, yesterday i smoked my first bowl Dunhill Nightcap. As i opened the tin, a very strong, but very nice scent came up. As a beginner for pipes this "strong" scent was new and kind of strange for me. But nevertheless i liked it from the start. It´s like drinking Whiskey or shaving...if you are new to something, you can´t desribe the scent or the taste that good, as if you do it for years. So, forgive me if i don´t write anything about the scent or taste of the Dunhill Nightcap. All i can say is, that i loved the scent and enjoyed smiking my pipe yesterday evening. I think it will take a while to get more and more into describing scents and anything else. I keep going on and try to give my very best. This is in my Tobacco Den right now: The Bentley has been a sample of my local Tobacco shop. I should try it. Very good stuff. Sweeeeeet Vanilla. Greetings Thorsten
While smoking some H&H VaPer I refined my P&C order some more. Cut out 2 of the Pipa kits added a tin of Orlik Golden Mixture and 2 cob pipes a dwarf and Morgan both from Missouri Meerschaum. I'm good now. I still kept one cheap Pipa Kit for a knock about fishing/yardwork smoke but I upgraded the rest. So the order as it sits now is: 10 softie bits 250 pipe cleaners Horseshoe nail pipe tamp big tin of OGS Orlik Dark Orlik Golden Mix Captain Black premium tin sample pouch Captain Black Copper 1oz each Captain black bulk flavors except Gold 2oz each of Luxury Navy Flake, Bullseye Flake, and Newminster Superior Round slices Pipa Whiskey pipe Kit Old German Black Clay pipe Baraccini Pocket pipe #2 MO Cobbit Dwarf MO Morgan its too bad I missed the 15% off for IPSD. My order is just under $165. It should last me all year excepting pipe cleaners and whatever I use to light with. The VaPer is best with a long stem. Even puffed slow and easy it tends to bite.
Hi Thorsten! That is a very nice selection! The Dunhill contains a heavy amount of Latakia tobacco, and that is the "strength" you are noticing. The other blends you have are all Virginia/Burley aromatic blends, and contain no Latakia. Best wishes and good luck as you learn those tobaccos!
That's a good looking start in my opinion. I'm not personally big on Aromatics, but the Rum and Maple sounds like a good one!
Received my meerschaum falcon bowl today, along with the additional stem and the Big Ben Bora pipe. The seller even threw in a MM General. The Bora uses 9 mm filters, he put a new Big Ben filter in it and I guess I'll give it a try after I run an alcohol soaked cleaner thru the stem later this week. Since I lack @Bama Samurai patience and willpower, I pulled out another Falcon stem to try the bowl with Peterson Irish Oak. The pipe smoked very well, but I still don't particularly care for Irish Oak and trashcanned the remainder of the tin. The meerschaum bowl has what I believe is a nylon thread adapter pinned to the bowl in four quadrants and an o-ring. It will be interesting to see how it lasts.
I've always kind of wanted a MM General, just never pulled the trigger. I'll have to get my MM Corn Cob Snob pipe out before long. I'm not sure they still make the Snob; it's just a natural finish free hand with vulcanite bit and Corn Cob Snob imprinted on the stem.
That Big Ben is really nice! I like that the clear lucite stem has a blackened draft hole rough it. That will prevent it from developing a stained look.
W.O. Larsen has some nice blends. I'm like @Lo'Gosh, I'm not really into aromatics but that Rum and Maple looks interesting! I'd say that's a nice start!
My order shipped today. Considering Bethlehem, PA is only about 3 and a half hours away, I should get it by Wednesday or Thursday. I'm excited and have no idea where to start.
Yes indeed, Neerup has some very nice pipes from around $80 up to $500 or $600, with most of them around $100 to $150. Nording also makes very nice pipes for the money, and I now have to add Eric Stokkebye 4th Generation to the list of pipes I would highly recommend in the $90 to $180 range. All three of those brands make pipes costing much more, but if you're looking for a high quality pipe at a relatively affordable price, these will fit the bill. Now you can certainly get good pipes for less, but the odds go up in that price range. In lesser expensive pipes, chances of a good smoker go up if you have the opportunity to examine the pipe prior to purchase. For example, I won the Briary pipe smoking contest with a $49 "Briary" brand counter pipe, that I got to check out before purchasing.
Luxury Navy Flake - fully rubbed out. Allow 20 min to dry before packing loosely, leaving 1/8inch head space. Air flow is key. Smoke slow. Virginia is high sugar and burns easily. If the pipe gets hot to your cheek, slow down. If it gurgles, use a cleaner mid bowl, and allow more drying time next bowl. Navy Flake is easy to keep lit, and will be good for learning the mechanics of pipe. Have fun!
Tony makes a great point. Mid range pipes are all about the ability to judge the drill and the density. This can only be done in person, and makes online mid pipes a true crap shoot, especially if straying from big labels.
I am loosening up. Call me nuts, but I saved my nice things for middle age. Here I am! I am 41 now, so Kaywoodie and such are great for work and outside places, but @Keithmax has inspired me to smoke brand names at night. I have a Stanwell Army Mount and a Bjarne Viking on the way for immediate break in and inclusion. I like fine tobacco, so at night, why not quality pipes? I've waited twenty years to start buying better pipes. I'm glad I went the low end route though for so long. The differences in finish and smoke experience are apparently to me as a result. Call me nuts again, but it's taught me how and why to appreciate briar pipes.
Very true Chris. Most people, especially earlier in life when you're trying to make ends meet, have to go the counter/less expensive pipes route. I was very fortunate to have an outstanding local shop, where I could inspect the pipes, and get advice from a trusted proprietor while building a basic rotation with lesser expensive pipes, before beginning to add higher quality pipes over time.
