Pipes?

I've been smoking the occasional pipe for twenty years or so, but most of my smoking has been cigars. The stogies are getting harder to indulge in, given the rabid anti-smoking regulations that are proliferating. A pipe gives a good smoke in a shorter time window with less expensive tobacco. A couple of pipes from J.M. Boswell are on their way to join my small herd, along with a sampler of some of their blends.

Wayne

Peterson system pipe with Peterson Irish Flake or University Flake.

Beautiful!:tu

I have a passion for Castello and Cavichi pipes and I have been known to spend up to £1000 on a good briar. They do smoke well right off but so does my old Stanwells. I would suggest a good genuine meercham carved pipe for a starter pipe. They wont be bothered by excessive puffing or getting hot along with their ability to absorb the neewbs wet smoking tendency. Tobacco choice is so huge and varied that to recommend a particular baccy would be foolish. Just try some of the sample packs offered by some vendors or find a good tobacconist that carries loose baccy. Be aware that some baccies will taint a pipe so no amount of smoking other blends will remove it.

there are some very good US carvers out there and some of their work comes up for sale second hand. As pointed out earlier, estate pipes can prove a bargain and are worth considering.

I am not sure if #pipes is still going on Dalnet irc, if it is, that would be a very good channel to sit in for advice in real time. They are or were a great bunch of blokes and I am sure time spent there will prove a good investment of your time.

PuFF

someone else mentioned carving your own pipe. This is how I started, a drug store pipe is likely to not be solid briar and more likely some kind of synthetic. I bought a kit from Pipe Making Information and Supplies from PIMO Pipe Craft they have a starter kit and a pretty good how to book I think it cost me about $50 for both. All you need other then that is a hacksaw some files and a buffing wheel. I prefer it to cigar smoking and still enjoy spending the occational weekend adding to my collection

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Originally Posted by Nurumkin

someone else mentioned carving your own pipe. This is how I started, a drug store pipe is likely to not be solid briar and more likely some kind of synthetic. I bought a kit from Pipe Making Information and Supplies from PIMO Pipe Craft they have a starter kit and a pretty good how to book I think it cost me about $50 for both. All you need other then that is a hacksaw some files and a buffing wheel. I prefer it to cigar smoking and still enjoy spending the occational weekend adding to my collection

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Since we're linking cave you own's, it's worth noting that you can get a carve your own meerschaum pipe here The Tobacco Barn - Carve Your Own Meerschaum Kits

Since there seem to be quite a few experts here, I have a question: I have a few tobacco blends that were somewhat moist when I got them, but have gone rather dry. The tobacco is a lost less "springy" when I pack it in. Is this a bad thing? If so, how should I be storing tobacco so it stays good?

I store my pipe tobaccos in small mason jars (made by Bell); I got a set of 12 for something like $10 at Wegmans. As for the moistness/dryness, that is something you need to figure out on a blend by blend (and pipe by pipe) basis. Whatever gives you the best smoke is what matters. If tobacco gets too moist, you can lay in out to dry a bit; if it gets too dry, you can lay in on a slightly damp paper towel for a little bit.

After you decide how you like your tobacco, which, again, may vary depending on the blend and your choice of pipe, the trick becomes keeping it constant. That's where the airtight containers (in my case, mason jars) come in.

holli,

Mason jars - an inspiration!! Thank you, I'm off to the local DIY store what has everything one could hope to spent money on for some shelf standards and brackets and will get some "tobacco" jars. Alfred Dunhill thanks you.;)

:tu

Glad to be of assistance. I can't take the credit though; I got the idea from this site The Pipe Tobacco Aging, Storage and Cellaring FAQ. It's all about how to properly age pipe tobacco, and I got the idea from there.

BTW, I would definately suggest reading that site. I followed it's easy guide to preparing tobacco to age, and I have two ounces each of two blends that I quite like (a match to Dunhill 965 and a burley/Virginia flake/perique/latakia mixture called Gentleman's Blend) tucked away. I'm planning on letting them sit until after the winter.

I do not know a lot about pipes. Many years ago, Tom McCahil who was automotive editor for Mechanics Illistrated magazine suggested Dunill pipes in billiard shape and Dunhill Royal Yatch tobaccco.

Also the Comoy pipes and a blend called Three Nuns,

I have used the above for a long time and have been well satisfied.