I'm cheap and easy. I smoke a bargain bin pipe packed with Captain Black Gold. Only smoke maybe twice a month. I have some older nicer ipes but I don't enjoy smoking them as much. they are both too long and heavy on the bowl to be comfortable in my mouth.
Nothing wrong with that! Just like with wet shaving, everyone's tase is different, and the ymmv saying holds true! Enjoy the smoke, man!
Its a truly cheap pipe. It doesn't smoke to the bottom because the stem hole was drilled to high. I could fix it with honey and ash but I don't smoke enough to get enough ash. I think I paid $5 for it at pipe shop.
Glad you found us. If you only smoke like 25 times a year, you should definitely smoke your fave every time!
Nothing wrong with that. My best lil smoker is a Chinese knock off of a Big Ben. While I dislike counterfitting of any sort (I didn't know it was when I picked it up off ebay), I have to say it's been well worth the few bucks I spent on it.
I took on pipe smoking as a hobby two weeks ago Only smoked 2 bowls for now, Captain Black in the white pouch, in a meerschaum estate pipe and Dunhill Early Morning in a Peterson P-lip type. I had trouble with both keeping them going. The Dunhill gave me a nicotine hit since I was puffing like a locomotive trying to keep it lit . Any advice will be welcome
Since both Captain Black and Early Morning Pipe can be tongue scorchers if care is not taken, as aros and latakias have that tendency, you should be "sipping" your smoke instead of "puffing". Don't worry about the amount of re-lights, we all have re-lights. Pay attention to how you are loading and tamping, the tobacco should be packed just a bit, but the draw should be a bit loose. Keep lightly tamping as you go, and again, always just sip. If you really want to know more, there are some great beginner articles on Pipes Magazine and on various forums. Best advice, enjoy!
Captain Black can be a bit warm. small sips of smoke and the occasional puff into the pipe keeps mine lit and cool.
It's good stuff if you can deal with the moisture. I'll send you some Sam Gawith Medium Virginia Flake if you want to try it. It is a broken flake, and comes in bulk. It's considerably drier, almost too much so. I got 5 oz in my last P&C order, and I'd be glad to send you enough for a couple bowls. P.M. Me your address and I'll mail some your way.
Smoke it down as far as you can and forget about it! My son tried fixing a pipe with the draft hole drilled too high, and it never worked out too good. He tried 2 or 3 methods, and finally gave up. If you watch, sometimes you can pick up a basket pipe with a well drilled draft hole. But there's usually a reason why they're a basket pipe. Nonetheless, they serve a purpose. I've got a couple that are my grass cutting pipes. If I drop them, I'm not out much!
It may take a while, but getting down your packing method will help a lot. I use (as I'm sure most others do) the 3 stage method. You can find a ton of videos on youtube that will show you step by step how to do it. From there, it's all just practice. Hope that helps, and Happy Smoking!
I have always loved the smell of pipe tobacco, and wish I could take it up, unfortunately my insurance premiums nearly double if I use tobacco products.
I had another bowl today and I had better luck with keeping it lit. While smoking that pipe I had a thought : cigarettes I can compare to cartridges blades. Cigars are like safety razors with double-edge blades. And pipes are like a straight razor I just figured it out
The Dunhill EMP is a classic, but it does have a bit of a nicotene punch. My advice is to sip any pipe tobacco. You'll get better flavor from the tobacco, avoid "leather tongue," which a lot of people confuse with tongue bite, and it makes for a much more enjoyable overall experience. The 3 step packing method mentioned by Lo'Gosh is very important. The idea is to load your bowl in 3 stages although 2 will also work. A wise old man described it to me this way: with the first pinch of tobacco loaded, press it into your bowl with the strength of a child. With the second pinch loaded, press it into the bowl with the strength of a woman. With the third pinch, press it into the bowl with the strength of a man. But don't overdo that manly press into the bowl. You have to maintain a good draw to get an even burn, and not have to over puff. If it's too loose, it can burn too hot. Too tight, and you won't get a good draw. Tamping is critical to a good burn. I've heard the secret to tamping is to tamp just before you think you need it. Personally, I let the weight of the tamp do the work. If you press too much with the tamp, you can compact the tobacco too much and wind up over puffing. Someone has already said it, but don't worry about relights, especially at the first, and really any time. Smoking a pipe is half art and half science! Personally, I enjoy the ritual of pipe cleaning (something else you don't need to neglect), initial packing, proper lighting and tamping. There is a learning curve, and you are almost guaranteed not to get it right the first time. But keep working at it, and you will be rewarded in the end.
This evening it's Sam Gawith Medium Virginia Flake in my Peterson Christmas pipe, accompanied by some apple juice, my beverage of choice with a pipe or cigar. I like the sweet, but I think the acidity also pairs well with most tobaccos.
WOW! I hope I don't get in trouble for saying this, but that sucks! Is there any way to find a different provider? Or deny being a pipe smoker? lol
For some reason my iPad wouldn't let me upload 2 pictures in the same post. From this angle, you can see the blisters I mentioned earlier in my Peterson, leading me to believe the finish was either painted or was an inferior stain. It is a beautiful pipe except for the blisters.
