Thread: Pipe purchasing help

I have Peterson Donegal Rocky bent bulldog and it was about 50-60 € as new. It is a good smoker, but i had to drill the shank from 2mm to 4mm to make it work the way i like.

Originally Posted by MickR

Since we're on the subject of pipe questions, may I just highjack this thread a little and ask if anyone knows of any worthwhile small (interior) bowl pipes in briar (I have several in clay)? Outter dimensions don't matter so much, but smaller is fine, I'm just after something a little smaller to aid in conserving tobacco (Expensive here). Yes I know I could smoke a little less, or pack a little less in the bowl, but that's not the point. Any thoughts are welcome.


Mick

I have few Peterson pipes that have really small bowl. The one i mentioned above and pre-republic Canadian. The problem when looking for pipe of some specific size is that you would actually have to see it physically before purchasing. However there's always pocket pipes (Roley, BC, Chacom etc). I do not have one, but obviously they are very small.
Small pipes are handy for quicker smokes, but sometimes tobacco burns hotter so you have to smoke little slower.

First of all, I've always loved the look of te bulldog style pipes but I've gotta ask. Is there any benefits associated with this shape? And Secound Mick I've got a Missouri meerschaum cob pipe about as long as your little finger and only as big around as a pipe tool. PM me and I'll send it to you.

Thanks Devilpup, I wasn't really asking for anyone to give me anything, but hey, PM sent, and without holding you to it at all, thanks again.


Mick

Originally Posted by Sailor

I have Peterson Donegal Rocky bent bulldog and it was about 50-60 € as new. It is a good smoker, but i had to drill the shank from 2mm to 4mm to make it work the way i like.

How does someone know if the pipe is "smoking well?" Once I get it going I take smallish, slow sips at it, kindof like a cigar, but I have no idea if my experience could be better than it is now.

And along with Devilpup I'm also curious as to the smoking characteristics of a bulldog pipe? They look awesome, I only know that much.

Originally Posted by zappbrannigan

How does someone know if the pipe is "smoking well?" Once I get it going I take smallish, slow sips at it, kindof like a cigar, but I have no idea if my experience could be better than it is now.

And along with Devilpup I'm also curious as to the smoking characteristics of a bulldog pipe? They look awesome, I only know that much.

How to describe? I have about 10 pipes. I've had lot more but recently sold some of them. So the only term i can describe of 'smoking well' is to compare the one to others i have/i've had. This little Donagel Rocky might have been a monday piece from the factory but the draw wasn't like any other i've had. Drilling a shank little wider helped a lot. Of course it is up to our personal preferences but i do not like to smoke my pipe having my cheeks on dent.

Bulldog pipe s have relatively thick walls. That is why they produce cooler smokes, imho. The fact that they are bent produces smaller risks of gurgling, but of course it is up to tobacco moisture and various other things too.

Sounds like you've got the technique down. Many a good smoke has been ruined by fast puffing, taking your time does several things for you. It keeps the pipe and the smoke at a manageable temperature and keeps the smoke maintains the natural flavor of the tobacco.

My general criteria for a good smoking pipe is 1. Not soupy or slurping, a bit on the dry side. 2. Nice and cool with the walls of the bowl of adequate thickness to prevent excessive heat build up.

The "could it get better?" question, at least in my experience is a function of the tobacco and NOT the pipe. The problem with this is that it is so subjective, almost food-like. You might think that liver and onions is the best meal ever, but I'd rather eat just about anything else. And so it is with tobacco, you might think Captain Black is the best thing since sliced bread but to me, it tastes like my pipe is full of liquid dishwashing soap and vanilla abstract. Generally though, I'd recommend burley blends for noobs. They're far less particular about technique and far cooler and less bitey than their over cased, aromatic bretheren. You being a cigar guy, I think a good place to start would be a full flavored burley. Something like Old Joe Krantz (which I've heard described as "a fine substitute for a pre-embargo Cuban cigar) or Billy Budd (a bit darker and richer than OJK but a great blend nonetheless, contains both Latakia and Maduro cigar leaf). These are the two that I seem to leap frog pounds of, in fact I'm burning some OJK in an Edwards Burl Cut even as I type. Both Old Joe Krantz and Billy Budd are made by Cornell and Diehl, no I don't work for them (wish I did) but I know damn good pipe tobacco when I burn it and both of these qualify.

Good to know. Also good to know that the thick walls of a bulldog pipe serve a good purpose. So essentially if it's an enjoyable experience, I'm doing it right - good to know. I imagine a lot of it is similar to cigar smoking, since in the end you're just burning tobacco. On the last trip to the cigar shop I picked up two varieties of house tobacco. One was called "no bite burley" and the other was "black cavendish." Both were nice, but the cavendish was a little sweeter. Not bad, but not always what I'm looking for, and given your recommendation I think I'm going to stick to burleys for now.

Since we're on the topic of helping rookies out, here's a follow-up question: what are the best ways to store your tobacco? I know there are pipe tobacco humidors, but I'm not sure if they're much more than big jars. I've got a secondary cigar humidor that's empty, could I use that? The guy at the store said the tobacco I recently bought will keep well in the ziplock bag for 3-4 months in a cool dark place.

Thanks guys.

mick, something just came to mind, look into some missouri merscham pipes, you might find the size bowl your looking for there, i have a legend that is kinda small, its my go to pipe, when i smoke irish flake from, which is pretty much always, lol,

Originally Posted by zappbrannigan

Since we're on the topic of helping rookies out, here's a follow-up question: what are the best ways to store your tobacco? I know there are pipe tobacco humidors, but I'm not sure if they're much more than big jars. I've got a secondary cigar humidor that's empty, could I use that? The guy at the store said the tobacco I recently bought will keep well in the ziplock bag for 3-4 months in a cool dark place.

Thanks guys.

I've had the best luck with Ball Mason Jars (the kind used for home canning) you can buy a case of large jars with lids for about $10-$12 and tobacco sealed in these jars will keep for a long, long time. Some people boil them as you would for home canning but I've never bothered, I just load them up with tobacco and screw the lids on, works like a champ.

The "No-Bite burley" is likely a re-labeled Lane product. Lane made lots of "cased burlies" which explains the sweetness generally an uncased burley doesn't have near that sweetness. I recently bought some tobacco from a local shop with the Lane stuff mixed in and while the blend was OK, I found it a bit on the sweet side for my tastes.