Cigar/Pipe Smoking 101

Discussion in 'The Good Life' started by Lyrt, Sep 26, 2007.

  1. Lyrt

    Lyrt Flash

    I start this thread to discuss anything related to the art of smoking pipe tobaccos and cigars. Newbies will be offered the possibility of harassing our resident experts (yeah, both of you, Rich and Rick). I had the idea following an exchange of PM with Rene, who’s quite curious to try his cigars.

    Don’t forget that classic Internet piece of wisdom: we have all been newbies at some point.

    (recycling two old photos, I’m too lazy now to take new ones)

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  2. Lyrt

    Lyrt Flash

    So I guess my first question is: how am I supposed to smoke flakes?
     

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  3. rick

    rick I'll make ya SCream!

    Man ! Thats a good one.......

    been smoking for over 20 years and I still have trouble with flakes.
    Ive had the best luck by breaking / cutting the flakes into little cubes and then letting them dry to a crisp.
    Dribble the cubes into the pipe and puff gently.
    Sometimes it works well....others :rolleyes:
     
  4. msandoval858

    msandoval858 Active Member

    Flakes...

    I was a tobacconist many moons ago so I know a thing or two about pipes and cigars. Like Rick said, flakes give everyone hell :rofl

    The interesting thing about a good flake is you can be versitile with them and find what works best for you. A sharp pair of scissors is great for cutting them into small cubes and works nicely, especially for pipes that have a tendency to smoke a bit hot.

    I usually crumble them up by hand majority of the time, kind of a half rubbed out consistency. This seems to give a good smoke, steady burning rate, and doesn't modify the flavor.

    Another method is a fully rubbed out flake, almost to shag consistency. This is really easy to pack properly and will burn very smooth however I think it modifies the taste of the tobacco and can easily bring out the "grassy" flavor in some of the lesser matured tobaccos. The one I always smoke this way is McClelland Dark Star, mostly because the flakes are already very well stoved to an almost black color which eliminates almost any hint of "grassy" flavor you get from some. And of course it's the only way I can keep that stuff lit :rofl

    As for drying them out, that works well for many guys. Some will rub them to the desired consistency and nuke them in the microwave for a few seconds. I tried that a few times and it did work pretty well if you like a dryer tobacco. Personally I like all my tobaccos right out of the can and just tought myself to smoke them that way over the years. With some of the wetter flakes such as McClelland's, I'll pack my bowl the way I want it and let the pipe rest for an hour or two before lighting. Perfect every time.
     
  5. Lyrt

    Lyrt Flash

    Great, a third expert ! :D That’s perfect, I have a pipe smoking session with friends this evening. Right now: Hal O’ The Wynd in my Peterson Churchwarden. Very nice and balanced. I think I’m a sucker for Virginia.
     
  6. qhsdoitall

    qhsdoitall Wilbur

    Yes, flakes are a pain in the you know what at times. I rub them out between thumb and forefinger and then let it sit out for about an 1 - 1 1/2 hours before smoking. This is one where I might dedicate a pipe to Virgina Flakes. McClelland's 2015 comes to mind as an example.

    Not sure how much an expert I'm going to be on recent stuff though. I smoked 3-4 pipes a day for 18 years but that was a number of years ago. I only smoke 1-2 times a month now and a lot of my stuff is gone. I'll try though. :D
     
  7. William

    William New Member

    I have never smoked a pipe in my life but have secretly wanted too! I went into London the other week and couldn't resist going into a top shop in Mayfair that specialized in Pipes, Tobacco and Cigars. I love this type of shop and as an ex/none none smoker, I can really appreciate the ambiance of the place and of course the sensational aromas that are so alluring:drool. What amazed me was that this shop had a hermetically sealed room for the cigars and tobacco. I found it fascinating and marveled at some of the designs of the pipes and materials used in their construction. I thought some were simply breath taking. So were the prices mind you:eek:.

    I wander if during the posts to follow our experts could answer a few questions that I have been wandering about for some time?

    • What is the difference between the shapes of the pipes and is there any advantage with one over the other?
    • Which brand and shape of pipe do you recommend and why?
    • What Tobacco would you recommend for a beginner?
    • What other paraphernalia do you need to get going?
    How do you prepare the tobacco and pipe for smoking?
    • Should you inhale? It seems this changes with who you ask?

    I think that covers it!:)

    Cheers
     
  8. msandoval858

    msandoval858 Active Member

    I personally think that if you are a big fan of Virginias, be it ribbon cut, flake, whatever, that dedicating a pipe to them is a very good idea. Good virginias tend to use very little (if any) dressings in the blends and have the pure natural taste of tobaccos that can easily be tainted by any residue in the pipe from orientals or aromatics.

    For flakes I really like the smaller Italian made briars with a nice thick wall. Mastro de Paja, Ser Jacopo, etc. The smaller bowl makes them much more enjoyable as flakes tend to burn slower and often hotter depending on how you choose to rub them out.
     
  9. Zeni

    Zeni New Member

    Newbieish Pipe smoker here. ATM smoking Abingdon in a Bjarne Elsinore. I'm forcing myself to smoke a tin of each of Mr. Pease's blends. Current favorites are Caravan, Cairo, Charring Cross.
     
  10. Zeni

    Zeni New Member

    1. Personal preference.
    2. Get a pipe that is pleasing to you and affordable.
    3. Just jump right in and start smoking- take a gander at Tobaccoreviews.com and smokersforums.org
    4. Pipe cleaners and tamper lighter or matches.
    5. Only if you want to cough up a lung.
     
  11. William

    William New Member

    :rofl

    Thanks
     
  12. Zeni

    Zeni New Member

    Seems like I missed this one; This takes abit of practice and patience. What finally worked for me is the Frank method. [ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=kJP0JaNRw6Q[/ame]
    [ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=9U5QbtyNxhA[/ame]
    [ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=OMtHOAiO8CI[/ame]
    watch all three. I usually don't put a huge plug of Tobak on top, depending on how long I want to smoke.
     
  13. Lyrt

    Lyrt Flash

    How do I store tobacco once I open a tin?
     
  14. msandoval858

    msandoval858 Active Member

    I personally like Mason jars for tobacco storage. It really depends how long you're going to have the tin around and what type of tobacco it is. Some, like McClellands, tend to be a bit on the wetter side so an open tin can easily be kept for a few weeks with no problems at all. Tobaccos like Cornell & Dehl, GL Pease, and others are a bit dryer and will benefit much more from being transferred to an air tight container.
     
  15. qhsdoitall

    qhsdoitall Wilbur

    Agree. Once you open a tin and your not going to use it up within a short time, you need to keep it from drying out. You can use the same techniques used for cigars. Rick might chime in with an igloo humidifier suggestion. Since I only have 1-2 tobaccos on hand at once it's not a big deal.

    Here is an link for some bulk mason jars as an example.
     
  16. Lyrt

    Lyrt Flash

    Mike, Rich, thank you. I kind of suspected pouches and plastic lids sucked to no end. However, what about round, metallic tins like this one?
     

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  17. msandoval858

    msandoval858 Active Member

    Depends on the tin. Most of those metal ones never screw back on very tight once you pop the seal. I never had good luck keeping the tobacco from drying out in a short time. It just depends how much you smoke. If you are going to burn up the tin in a week or two, you can probably get by fine. Any longer than that, a transplant is in order.

    I always tend to have multiple tins open when I'm enjoying my pipes (currently haven't picked one up awhile) since I'm a variety kind of guy. Once I open a tin it's going to be a month or two before it's gone.
     
  18. MCsommerreid

    MCsommerreid New Member

    Lyrt, have you ever thought of doing perhaps a photography/photoshop tutorial? Some of your images are truly amazing, and I'd love to see how you do it.
     
  19. Lyrt

    Lyrt Flash

    Mike, your knowledge is appreciated. Now I’m scratching my head as I’m about to place a big order. I probably should open only two or three tins and leave the rest in their airtight environment.

    Matt => no problem. I’ll keep my psd files and I’ll post a comprehensive tutorial when you see an image you like.
     
  20. rick

    rick I'll make ya SCream!

    Once a tin is open you gotta smoke the baccy or put it in another container.
    Rich is right: Once I open a tin I put it into my 128 qt Igloodor for storage in there.
    If I buy in bulk, the mason jars are THE way to go.
    When I need some baccy I take it out of the Igloodor and plop it into a Ziploc baggie. I roll up the baggie like a cigar and the tobacco stays pretty good for a week or 2.
     

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