Thread: Pipe of the Day

It means that when you smoke a given tobacco in the pipe, you can taste different tobacco that was previously smoked in it, its "ghost." This is one reason why people smoke certain kinds of tobacco in certain pipes, to avoid too much mixing of flavors.

TheZ, You're absolutely right.
Because coc_ktail, from latakia and some aromatic flavours, is terrible.

Originally Posted by wvloony

nosewarmer, or anyone else for that matter, what do you mean when you say your tobacco ghosts, that is a new term for me

It will leave a bad flavor/aroma in the pipe... English Blends are strong and tend to leave flavors behind... Most people will hold one or two pipes for this type of blend ONLY!

I have a few pipes like that myself... Hope that helps....

Another nice thing about cobs is they work wonders for trying new types/blends of tobacco... For the most part a cob does not have any "taste" to it's self... No real break in period... Almost a true flavor for the tobacco...

And what everyone else said previous...

Good morning friends
First pipe today:
Les Wood with Chocolate Flake

+1 on everything that has been said about tobacco ghosts. I've put my pipes in three categories. I use some pipes with English/Latakia blends, some with aromatics and some with "pure" tobaccos. I've noticed that specially those i use with aromatics soon start to smell bad and they need salt/vodka treatment more often than others. That is why i've also given up on smoking aromatics. They have an excellent room not (says my wife) but the taste is more problematic sometimes. With few exceptions they are also too mild for me.
Missouri meerschaums and cheap estate pipes are great when trying new blends. I have about 10 pipes nowadays (+ few corn cobs) and i use only 2 with aromatics. Rest goes with latakia and pure blends. I have also two estate pipes i use at work with whatever tobacco i have. They smell like death.

thanks to all for the awnsers, still working to get more knowledge on pipe smoking, i am getting much better at bowl packing, i am finding what the old man said at the tobacco store many years ago true, packing a pipe is a very learned skill. now for my addition of the day. i call it the country boy special. am haveing trouble uploading pics, so i will tell you, its a cob and some half/half

GLPease Chelsea Morning in a Savinelli

Good afternoon gents,

Let me start with few words on my relationship with pipes and pipe smoking.
As long as i've smoked a pipe i've never cared about how it looks or what other people think about it. I once started it to get rid of cigarettes and it worked so well. For me it is not a hobby or way to look classy or old fashioned or something. Just a perfect way to enjoy tobacco. It is the same with pipes: most my pipes are cheap or mid priced or estate which i'm restored. I have few corn cobs. I believe that you can enjoy with the cheap estate as well as with pricey brands. That said i've never looked after Dunhills, Tsuges or damn expensive Winslows. They must be excellent smokers but i do not want to go bankrupt.

Now there's one exception. I've always wanted to have Charatan pipe. Why? I can't say. Probably for the same reason i wanted to have myself Volvo PV 544, 596 cc Ariel Square Four '54 and Naomi Watts.
Charatan of London produced hand made pipes from 1865 to 1979 when it got sold to Dunhill. Those pipes cost damn much in eBay and usually they are beyond restoration. I've heard that there are some reproductions available, but i've never seen. They are made in France so they are not 'real', imho. Not interested.

I was given up hope to get myself a Charatan (or Naomi Watts) until yesterday. I was at the local tobacco shop getting my weekly Erinmores when the old dude told me about local pipe collector who is selling some of his pipes. I got the phone number, called the gent and asked for a list of those that are for sale. There was about 300 pipes in the list. I got interested and called the gent again. We had a nice conversation and yesterday evening i drove to his house to make the deal. I got only two pipes, but with the price of one mid price Peterson i got these. Ta-da.
Charatan of London, hand made, unsmoked, made probably between 1955-1960 and old Pete Donegal in sterling silver, fully restored.

Unfortunately now i know that i've used all my good luck there is. I will never get myself Volvo, Ariel or Naomi Watts but i can live with it, smoking my Charatan.

Have a nice Friday!

Great looking pipes Sailor! I've always been a fan of buying estate pipes - same value as new (if they were taken care of) at a fraction of the cost. It's for that reason that I've been able to acquire the high end pipes that I have. They certainly do smoke well, but I've always been amazed at just how well my old Dr. G's, Kaywoodies, Wally Franks and others from the early to mid 1900s smoke - often out performing their newer cousins. There is just something about that older wood that was worked by hand with loving care that makes a huge difference in the final product. Enjoy that marvelous Charatan!

Thanks for your kind words, Eric

Restoring old pipes is a good way to get some better pipes if their previous owner haven't leave them without care at all. I've seen some cases where there was no hope to bring some old pipe back into life. At least with my skills and tools. I've restored several old pipes and all but one became ok. There was an old huge Lorenzo i never could fix back well. I could never clean away the bad smell it had. I wonder what previous owners had smoked with it.
Many vintage pipes have that something. Maybe it is the craftsmanship or maybe it is the quality of the briar or maybe it is just the feeling. Nothing wrong with new pipes either. They are maybe just different.

Maybe the most fascinating pipe i've ever seen was owned by the father of my friend. Old man was a WW2 vet and died few years ago. He had and still used a pipe that was ugly, smelled terrible and was obviously made by someone who didn't know much about pipe aestethics. I asked him once about the pipe of his. He told that while being on his eastern tour 39-44, he had taken it from a pocket of a dead enemy soldier. I had no words.

My mate still has this old pipe of his late fathers. Next time i'll visit there i'll ask if i can take a picture of it.