Thread: Pipes?

I have seen a few threads about pipes here and there... I was wondering how many of you here smoke pipes? What kind of tobacco?
Is there an SRP-type site for pipe smokers?
Does anyone have a pipe w/instructions for care and maintaining that they may have for sale?
I know there is a drug store that sells pipes for a couple dollars, but when I look, I see some for hundreds. Whats the difference?
If I look for one on ebay, what should I be looking for?

Ah, this should be an interesting discussion.

I have smoked a pipe since 1970, when I got my first three at a yard sale. It was the summer between my sophomore and junior years of college, and I still have those pipes (though one is hiding somewhere these days) and the tobacco jar/pipe rack combo I got with them--along with a number of others.

But I'm no great expert or connoisseur--have never made that kind of money or had that kind of time. So I'll leave most of the questions you raised to others here.

As for tobaccos, that's very much a matter of individual taste. For many years McBaren's Scottish Blend was my favorite, and I still like to smoke it now and then. Rattray's makes most of my current favorites--Brown Clunee (lots of Virginia leaf, which has a full and sweetish flavor and tends to burn rather hot; Scottish Blend is even more that way), Hal o' the Wynd, and the more "English-style" blends (with latakia tobacco and a sharper flavor and aroma) Red Rapparee and Black Mallory.I've also had fun experimenting with the many Cornell & Diehl blends (including Bow-Legged Bear, the only tobacco that was ever too intense for me--I don't know who can smoke that stuff). Alas, the legendary Balkan Sobranie slipped away before I got around to sampling it.

I don't know how close you are to Coumbus or Cleveland, or whether you travel to other cities from time to time; if you can find a tobacco shop of the old school, with at least one person on staff who knows pipes and tobacco, it would be well worth your while, as well as a great pleasure, to spend a couple of hours there. Meanwhile I'll see if I can find citations to a couple of books I found helpful.

Actually, a pipe smoking thread here is what finally pushed my curipsity enough to try it, and I haven't picked up a cigar since.

I'm fairly new, so I don't have a great repository of knowledge. But I do recommend smokersforums.org for anyone who wants to know more about any tobacco experience from pipes to cigars, cigarettes, hookahs, and even smokeless varieties. It's also a very good community, much like here.

edit: It especially cracked me up one day when a similar thread to this one was started there, only about wet shaving.

I know there is a drug store that sells pipes for a couple dollars, but when I look, I see some for hundreds. Whats the difference?

OK... the price differences in razors are determined by the quality of the briar and bit...it also reflects how much of the labor was hands on. The cheap ones are called "basket pipes" They are made of rather unimpressive blocks of briar and are loaded with "fills" (pookie to fill in sandpits in the wood) Cheap pipes can smoke just fine.... but no one is inspecting them closely for quality control....or even really caring how they smoke.

Good pipes are made from selected briar. When I carved pipes (check some of my carves out HERE ) I bought blocks of briar in the $20-$40 range for the most part. These blocks have less sandpits and had a very pretty grain to them. Pipe makers pay more for these blocks... so the price is higher in that respect. Good pipes have a great amount of actual handcrafting... hours of labor.

Several hundred for a good pipe is not uncommon. Award winning pipes (yes theres a world championship in France every year) go for around $2500...

So what do you get? Its up to you and your budget. I will say that one pipemaker that impresses me and sells pipes at a value price is http://www.boswellpipes.com/index.htm If I carved that stuff for what he sells em... I reckon I'd starve... dunno how they do it.

There is a forum for pipe smokers. it is at http://smokersforums.org/

I smoke an occasional pipe and get most of my tobacco from Uhles in Milwaukee.

I have a few non aromatic blends that I smoke, but mostly smoke aromatics. I think Uhles does a particularly good job keeping their blends so the aromatic component gives center stage to the fine tobacco they use. I particularly enjoy the blend they call "Old Shoe". My favorite non aromatic is blend 232.

I have picked up a few collectable pipes. And have learned that better quality pipes do smoke better, up to a certain point (for me anyhow).


Here is one of my most recent favorites:

All through college I smoked cigars, but I got tired of feeling like I sucked on the tail pipe of a 18-wheeler everytime I smoked one. Thus, I made the switch to pipes and haven't looked back either.

I got some very good advice from my local tobaccoconist that I will pass on to you. Much like wet shaving, it pays to invest in a good quality pipe when you're first starting out. You don't need anything real expensive, but at the same time, I wouldn't suggest something from the drug store either. My first good quality pipe was a Bjarne that was handmade in Sweden. It is a briar pipe, and I would suggest you look for something made from the same material. The great thing is I actually got to meet Bjarne himself who told me that all his pipes are one of a kind-you will never find one exactly like mine. Sadly, he died recently.

To give you an idea, you should be able to get a good starter pipe for no more than $100, much like buying your first good str8. Go online and try to find a tobaccoconist nearest to you. The wealth of knowledge they offer is astonishing. But beware because some of them will try to "sell" you on something you don't really need. To be totally honest, I would never spend more than $100-$150 on any pipe. Once you get started it can be addictive, and you will need several in your rotation which will add up in price. My Bjarne cost $100 and it is very high quality.

By all means, PM me if you want to discuss further. I've been smoking a pipe for several years now and can honestly say it ranks up there with a good shave as far as relaxing rituals is concerned.

I'm a pipe smoker myself, smoking mainly heavy English blends. It is now cigar season for me, so the pipes are neatly tucked away until the fall. As for a site for pipes, try http://pipes.org Lots of good stuff there.

John

Originally Posted by Lakemonster

OK... the price differences in razors are determined by the quality of the briar and bit...

Well ... I guess we know what's on *your* mind! xD

I have four pipes in my usual rotation, and two cheap-o pipes from a couple other purchases. Two of my pipes came from smokingpipes.com and two were purchased on the B/S/T of smokersforums.org.

Another recommended place to look is frenchyspipes.com

Thank you everyone!!

I absolutely love the smell of tobacco bein smoked from a pipe... When I was in highschool I totally bought a corncob pipe from a drug store, and some tobacco. I then went to a tabacco/cigar shop at the mall near my house and bought some more. Unfortunately, I didnt and still dont know how to smoke a pipe.

I've smoked many many things, and did them very well. Now I smoke nothing. I'm interested in smokin a pipe.. Time to google "how to smoke a pipe"

Thank god for google... You get curious? Google it! I got curious about if thats really the skin/hair/fur of a dead animal on somethin stuffed, so earlier I googled it. Appparently it is! hah.