Thread: am i thinking in the right direction.

Wvloony,

Saying goodbye to cigarettes is difficult sometimes because your body is addicted to nicotin. Therefore i would suggest that you try some strong (lot of nicotin) pipe tobaccos. Aromatic pipe tobaccos are usually, but not always, very mild. Pipe isn't meant to be smoked as often as cigarettes so you need to get your N-shot from strong tobacco. At least for start.
Aromatic tobaccos smell good, but they taste not so well if you let them burn too hot.
There are several strong pipe tobacco blends: Peterson Irish Flake and SG Bracken Flake and many others.

Quitting cigarettes was maybe the best decision in my life. Last time i got a cigarette from my wife it tasted like paper so i put it away and never took another. Someone has said: In coffee and tea making and smoking there shouldn't be paper in any part of the process.
I do not inhale pipe smoke and smoke a pipe for about 3-5 times a day.
You do not need expensive pipes to get going. Missouri Meerschaum or well cleaned estate pipe will do, imho.

thanks for the information, i will keep that in mind

Actually that's pretty good advice about not inhaling. As was mentioned the aromatics smell nice, but that's about all. There are many out there that will pack a punch and should probably not be smoked on an empty stomach, such as 1792 Flake.

It's been a while since I've broken out the pipe with the winter and all. It's pretty nice out. I think I'll go have a puff.

John

another brand i will have to remember, and you enjoy your pipe, i hope to have one to smoke very soon.

PM sent, I can have you restoring old pipes and enjoying pipes so much you'll can those coffin nails in nothing flat.

As with straights, I think starting out buying estate pipes (used pipes) with the intention of restoring them for use is not such a good idea. You can buy estate pipes from shops that are good, clean, and ready to smoke - that is a much safer option. Or you can buy a new pipe from a good maker that has some cosmetic defects or some such for a great price and still get a great smoker.

Aromatics tend to smoke hot, so I wouldn't recommend them to a new smoker. Until you get your smoking cadence down, you will be likely to smoke too fast and that plus aromatics can be a recipe for bad things.

I would recommend something like a virginia/cavendish blend, a light english blend, and a mild burley blend to get started out. If you can get house blends from a local smoke shop, that's the way to go, but avoid the giant drug-store bags of cheap tobacco. They are the Zeepk's of pipe tobacco (IMO).

well i bit the bullet, and bought a royal soverign woodstock, i picked it up at a local antique shop for 14.00 which i thought was fair, it has been smoked but i may be wrong but it doesnt seem like it has been smoked alot, i will post a pic of it later on today, and you that smoke pipes can tell me if i am wrong. next i start the cleanup of it.

Wvloony,

Congrats for the pipe. There are maybe few things you have to consider. I'm not talking about cosmetic matters as they are up to our personal taste.

Sometimes old pipes have a bit weird smell. In most cases smell comes from tobaccos that were used in the pipe and not cleaned after smoking. There might as well be thick or uneven cake inside the bowl, or then the bowl just looks messy.
In these cases you have to give a salt and vodka treatment to your pipe. It'll make it work like new again.

If you have no these issues, then just throw your tobacco in the bowl and smoke.

im gonna freshen it up before i do anything, gonna work on it some today, after i run to the store for some pipe cleaners

Originally Posted by Sailor

Wvloony,

Congrats for the pipe. There are maybe few things you have to consider. I'm not talking about cosmetic matters as they are up to our personal taste.

Sometimes old pipes have a bit weird smell. In most cases smell comes from tobaccos that were used in the pipe and not cleaned after smoking. There might as well be thick or uneven cake inside the bowl, or then the bowl just looks messy.
In these cases you have to give a salt and vodka treatment to your pipe. It'll make it work like new again.

If you have no these issues, then just throw your tobacco in the bowl and smoke.

Sailor,
No worries, I've schooled him up on how to de-funk old pipes. He has the tutorial from hell and we're not even done yet. He knows enough to be dangerous for sure.