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Mister Moo 12-15-2008 05:35 AM

New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart
 
:pi Attention new pipe smokers! :pi

:tu All pipe and tobacco questions answered.
:tu All pipe and tobacco problems solved.

Terms of Service: to ask you have to have a serious question; to reply you must have a minimum two years pipe smoking experience. (No snob zone.) There are no stupid questions. Nobody can beat someone with a "Use the search funtion" lead pipe. There will be no rude replies no matter how many times your question has been asked - nosir, not in THIS thread. Maybe a little tiny bit of sarcasm though, just to keep it interesting.

Bring it on.

Mister Moo 12-16-2008 08:40 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Somebody better ask a question pretty darn soon. :sleep:

Old farts don't live forever. :lv

schnell987 12-16-2008 07:04 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
OK, I'll go first....

1) Is it really necessary to rest the pipe for a day or two to let it "dry out" before using it again? If you don't do this, what will happen?

2) Do you need to have a separate pipe(s) for aromatic tobaccos or can you scrape the bowl to get the ash off and then smoke the Virginia or English tobaccos without the aromatic flavor bleeding over?

Thanks in advance for your input. :pi

Kevin

Mister Moo 12-16-2008 07:32 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by schnell987 (Post 122834)
OK, I'll go first....

1) Is it really necessary to rest the pipe for a day or two to let it "dry out" before using it again? If you don't do this, what will happen?

2) Do you need to have a separate pipe(s) for aromatic tobaccos or can you scrape the bowl to get the ash off and then smoke the Virginia or English tobaccos without the aromatic flavor bleeding over?

Thanks in advance for your input. :pi

Kevin

Great questions, Kevin - I have no idea.



Next.



jk.

Dry time. No real dry time for cobs or meers - just let them cool down between scraping/tapping and a refill. Excellent road pipes; one will do for a week. Briar holds moisture and, smoke after smoke, it'll maybe get swampy down there. The swamp gets soggier and soggier, bowl after bowl, and makes for a wet, (steam) hot smoke. Old guys say one pipe gets one smome per week; other old guys say smoke a pipe a couple of times in a day and put it up for a while; and everyones grandfather only had one beat-to-snot old Dr. Grabow they carried eveywhere and smoked 11-teen times/day. I'm an old guy and I don't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday but I do remember how many smokes a certain briar needed before it last got put up to dry out. You can't rely on a bunch of effin' old guys - smoke your briar a few times and look down into it with a flashlight - you can tell when it's wet by looking (or by smoking). I'll smoke dryish tobac 1-3 times/day in the same pipe and come back to it after a while. Mostly 1-2. Three in a day means I got desperate for some reason.

Ghosting. Bet your ass pipes ghost but when you're new to pipes it's hard to tell what's what. Tell you what - what do you care what anyone else thinks? Smoke what you like in whatever pipe you want. Sooner or later you'll figure out what ghosts in what pipes (and what doesn't). Or - basically consider a meer for anything, any time. A cob is good for aromatics, virginnies and burlies. A briar? Once you get latakia stink in most briars it'll dash a wonderful, piquant, nuanced virginia/perique all to pieces. Different folks have different ideas about what is good and bad for briar - I start a (new to me) briar on virginia or virginia burley. After 20-30 1/2 bowl smokes, if it drools or gets too hot I'll decide, ok, "Now you're an english or burley blended pipe."

If you take a favored virginia pipe to aromatics and then back to virginia, you'll figure out the ghost soon enough. WTH? Ghost can be banished with salt and Everclear in 24 hours. In the end, no bad ghosts - only learning experiences.

schnell987 12-16-2008 09:07 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Terrific responses, thank you! :tu

petewho 12-18-2008 11:37 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Mister Moo (Post 122894)
A briar? Once you get latakia stink in most briars it'll dash a wonderful, piquant, nuanced virginia/perique all to pieces.

Ghost can be banished with salt and Everclear in 24 hours. In the end, no bad ghosts - only learning experiences.

So I am wondering about lat ghosts in my briars. I had smoked English blends (some up to 50% lat) in all my pipes, but I've only been smoking pipes about two months. Somewhere around month-one I realized what I was doing and dedicated two pipes to lat-heavy blends and sequestered the other two - one for VA's and one for VA/Pers. Since I'm still new to pipes, they could have lat-stink in them and I simply don't realize it yet because I don't know any better.

I guess my question is how fast does a lat ghost take hold? Will four bowls of English baccy do it? Will it go away after a few bowls of VA, or is it time to bust out the alcohol?

tedrodgerscpa 12-18-2008 12:24 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
I have a question for an old fart...

What's the best way to prep flake tobacco for smoking?

Not sure that 'flake' is the best way to describe it, but I'm talking about something that looks like this...

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...rscpa/2150.jpg

disclaimer: picture ruthlessly stolen from the internet

I do O.K. with the "Cake" style, but these big ol' flakes confuse me a bit!

Mister Moo 12-18-2008 12:57 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Note: terms of thread to be an old fart with a reply are:

"you must have a minimum two years pipe smoking experience."


This is not complicated. You know who you are, Scott. :D

ps - nothing says your old-fart answers have to be right, either. This thread is strictly "caveat emptor".

dunng 12-18-2008 12:59 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
What's the best way to get started? Cheap starter pipes? Basic tobacco? Necessary tools? Thanks!

Greg (A.K.A Reformed Poddie) :ss

Neuromancer 12-18-2008 01:02 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by schnell987 (Post 122834)
OK, I'll go first....

1) Is it really necessary to rest the pipe for a day or two to let it "dry out" before using it again? If you don't do this, what will happen?

2) Do you need to have a separate pipe(s) for aromatic tobaccos or can you scrape the bowl to get the ash off and then smoke the Virginia or English tobaccos without the aromatic flavor bleeding over?

Thanks in advance for your input. :pi

Kevin

Number one was well answered...just a quick thought on your second question...you DO NOT want to scrape off the carbon that your bowl will begin filling with...that's cake and that's good as long as it's not too thick...if it gets to be about the thickness of a nickel use a reamer to take it back down to the thickness of a dime...that cake will help cool the smoke and will greatly reduce tongue bite (as will smoking slowly)...your pipe should always be almost on the verge of going out more or less...and if you have to relight a few times it's no biggie..btw, I have my pipes separated into three categories...one for English/Balkan mixtures, one for aromatics and one for Virginia's and Va/Pers...

Quote:

Originally Posted by tedrodgerscpa (Post 125745)
I have a question for an old fart...

What's the best way to prep flake tobacco for smoking?

Not sure that 'flake' is the best way to describe it, but I'm talking about something that looks like this...

I do O.K. with the "Cake" style, but these big ol' flakes confuse me a bit!

Flake...fold it length-wise first then width-wise and stuff it in..that's basically it...I find flake smokes better in pipes with narrower chambers that take about one flake...and you need to leave a little room in the bowl as flake will expand...or you can take a flake and ball it up in between your palms and rub it out so it's more ribbon like and then use any filling method you normally use...

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunng (Post 125806)
What's the best way to get started? Cheap starter pipes? Basic tobacco? Necessary tools? Thanks!

Greg (A.K.A Reformed Poddie) :ss

Corncob pipe, Czech pipe tool, pipe cleaners and maybe a simple burley that won't bite too much...stay away from gloppy drugstore aromatics like Cherry Blend as they're loaded with PG solution to keep them moist and bite like hell...other drugstore stuff like Prince Albert may be a good starting point...

Slow Triathlete 12-18-2008 01:25 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by petewho (Post 125656)
So I am wondering about lat ghosts in my briars. I had smoked English blends (some up to 50% lat) in all my pipes, but I've only been smoking pipes about two months. Somewhere around month-one I realized what I was doing and dedicated two pipes to lat-heavy blends and sequestered the other two - one for VA's and one for VA/Pers. Since I'm still new to pipes, they could have lat-stink in them and I simply don't realize it yet because I don't know any better.

I guess my question is how fast does a lat ghost take hold? Will four bowls of English baccy do it? Will it go away after a few bowls of VA, or is it time to bust out the alcohol?

Lat stink takes hold pretty fast if you ask me. It will eventually go away but it also depends on how long and how much you smoked in that pipe. It's always nice to start off a new blend genre with a clean pipe (salt & alcohol treatment) but it's not 100% necessary. Your Virginia blends might just taste and smell a little funky for the first several bowls.

Mister Moo 12-18-2008 02:58 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Slow Triathlete (Post 125863)
Lat stink takes hold pretty fast if you ask me. It will eventually go away but it also depends on how long and how much you smoked in that pipe. It's always nice to start off a new blend genre with a clean pipe (salt & alcohol treatment) but it's not 100% necessary. Your Virginia blends might just taste and smell a little funky for the first several bowls.

Pretty much the kind of advice I'd expect from an old fart. Bravo.

dunng 12-18-2008 03:18 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Neuromancer (Post 125810)

Corncob pipe, Czech pipe tool, pipe cleaners and maybe a simple burley that won't bite too much...stay away from gloppy drugstore aromatics like Cherry Blend as they're loaded with PG solution to keep them moist and bite like hell...other drugstore stuff like Prince Albert may be a good starting point...

:tu Thanks!

schnell987 12-18-2008 08:49 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
The wise old farts have stated that: "Ghost can be banished with salt and Everclear in 24 hours."

Could you explain how to do this process?

Thanks in advance.

Mister Moo 12-19-2008 05:08 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by schnell987 (Post 126474)
The wise old farts have stated that: "Ghost can be banished with salt and Everclear in 24 hours."

Could you explain how to do this process?

Thanks in advance.

Precise methods vary. Mine:
1. remove and clean stem with bristle and booze
2. put a fluffy pipecleaner down the shank and into the bowl; bend the protruding end upward with an eye to preventing wicking booze from touching the shanks finish
3. secure the briar, tipped, to level out the end of the shank and and bowl lip
4. fill bowl with coarse deiodized (kosher) salt (alternatively, a cotton ball or two)
5. add Everclear to bowl, slowly and carefully to prevent a finish-stripping overflow or popped bubble, with an eyedropper; some folks like to use rum, bourbon, scotch, 91% rubbing alcohol etc.
6. STOP adding Everclear before the bowl (or shank) overfills
7. watch salt turn brown and watch alky and grunge wick up the pipecleaner over hours
8. when dried out, maybe add some more Everclear or remove/replace dirty pipe cleaner and salt; repeat until all is clean/sweet - once or twice usually does it.

All this jazz and more is discussed in the ASP FAQ, too. Excellent resource. You can now cross-check the ASP experts against the CA Old Farts for total pipe security. In fact, without being an Old Fart yourself you can now deodorize your briar, read the ASP FAQ and consider yourself fully qualified to refer other people to the FAQ for very good information. Congratulations.

Now go do a photo essay, clean your pipe and stop bothering me.

Sr Mike 12-19-2008 07:20 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by tedrodgerscpa (Post 125745)
I have a question for an old fart...

What's the best way to prep flake tobacco for smoking?

Not sure that 'flake' is the best way to describe it, but I'm talking about something that looks like this...

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...rscpa/2150.jpg

disclaimer: picture ruthlessly stolen from the internet

I do O.K. with the "Cake" style, but these big ol' flakes confuse me a bit!

There are a few different ways to work with flake tobacco. From my experience, folding flake over on itself and then filling the bowl is easy to start out with, but it can be a bit difficult to light or keep lit. So to aid the start, I will take a bit of extra flake and rub it between my palm and first two fingers until the flake is broken up and shag looking. Setting this shag on the top of the bowl, it lights up easily and gets the flake burning nicely. I have found that smoking flake folded over on itself will burn for a much longer duration than a bowl of loose tobacco. Tamping will be a bit different as the flake really does not tamp like loose tobacco and pack, gentle tamping at first so not to put out the ember, practice is the best way to learn with flake.

Another method it to rub the flake in the palm so it is more ribbon like, or if you really want to get a lot into the bowl, the flake can be rubbed into all shag and packed into the bowl like loose tobacco. Rubbed out flake used by a lot of new smokers, this will give the new flake smoker an idea of how flake tobacco feels when tamped without getting over zealous and put out the ember. The first time I smoked flake I remember thinking the tobacco was not packing down and just crunching.

IMHO, I personally like flake to be folded on itself for smoking rather than rubbed out. I have found that just taking the time to learn to smoke flake in this manner makes the flake far more enjoyable. I tend too think that companies nowadays layer tobacco to be smoked folded over, this gives the smoker the taste of all the layered tobacco at the same time. I could be wrong as flake was originally used as a way to store tobacco.

I have read that one can cut up the flake into smaller pieces, with a knife or scissors, and fill the bowl with what was cut. I have not tried this method so I cannot accurately give any advice with this method.

Try both methods, you may notice a difference between the two methods with one tin of flake. Also, remember that flake tobacco can have more moisture than loose tobacco, so a flake from a new tin will most likely need to be allowed to dry before smoking.

Mister Moo 12-19-2008 08:27 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Sr Mike (Post 126902)
...I have found that just taking the time to learn to smoke flake in this manner makes the flake far more enjoyable. ... remember that flake tobacco can have more moisture than loose tobacco, so a flake from a new tin will most likely need to be allowed to dry before smoking.

I really botched my first few rounds with various flakes (and pressed cakes like Krumble Kake and Penzance in particular) and it scared me off for a while. I had no sense for the expansion that occurs with many flakes and ended up with very uneven burns and plugged bowls; as air blockage developed I would suck harder, try using the needle-tool to open up airflow and keep trying to relight - worn out tongue and overall bad experience. Very frustrating.

What Sr Mike says - take the time to figure it out. Great stuff out there in Flakeville. Fold it, break it, rub it out, whatever - just don't PACK it into a bowl - let it breath easy and then tamp (gently) if you must, to keep it burning evenly. What Sr Mike says about a sprinkle of crumbs atop is a key to getting an easy, even burn going with many flakes.

(And, speaking as a highly qualified Old Fart, I think from the foto that ted'pa is trying to smoke dried corned beef, but WTH. Whatever. Kids? Who can understand 'em?)

Mister Moo 12-19-2008 04:11 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Next.

BigFrank 12-19-2008 06:01 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Is it necessary to clean a pipe in between every smoke?
Could you smoke a few times before cleaning it?
Should the pipe be cleaned before being put away?

Mister Moo 12-19-2008 09:47 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by BigFrank (Post 127785)
Is it necessary to clean a pipe in between every smoke?
Could you smoke a few times before cleaning it?
Should the pipe be cleaned before being put away?

Different strokes, B'ank. Some are more antiseptic than others.

Personally, I like to put a pipe back up clean. I'll always spit-clean the pipe rim with a paper napkin from the heap of boosted fast-food restaurant collection napkins; a swipe or two with a bristle and/or a fluffy pipe cleaner and a bent pipecleaner swipe of the bowl to remove and remaining tobacco chunks, unburned leaf (if any) and loose ash. The, last but not least, a hard puff to blow out remaining ashy powder. I rarely put a pipe away without a modest cleaning.

Others say... ?

darb85 12-22-2008 04:45 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
whats the best way to pack a pipe? How tight should it be? My first shot was way too tight.

I have the following tools Pipe Cleaners, pipe lighter and a Czech pipe tool. Do I need anything else?

what is the best way to keep pipe tobbaco? Also, Some general care for my pipe? its a Savinelli Pisa.

Thanks FOGs!

Mister Moo 12-22-2008 07:21 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by darb85 (Post 131460)
whats the best way to p...

O M ... somebody else, please, save him from the "P" word!

darb85 12-22-2008 07:56 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Mister Moo (Post 131700)
O M ... somebody else, please, save him from the "P" word!

Shall I use Load? Ive figured out by mistake that you dont load it in there and mash down, but I havent figured out what exactly im supposed to do I suppose.

schnell987 12-22-2008 10:56 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Mister Moo (Post 131700)
O M ... somebody else, please, save him from the "P" word!

:r:r:r This is definately going to be added to my subscribed threads. :r:r:r

Mister Moo 12-23-2008 05:42 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by darb85 (Post 131745)
Shall I use Load? Ive figured out by mistake that you dont load it in there and mash down, but I havent figured out what exactly im supposed to do I suppose.

Anything but "pack".

Three stage, or child/woman/man method works for most people. There are other filling methods that smokers employ but the 3-stage is pretty much foolproof

1. let loose tobak fall in under gravity until full - push down halfway;
2. evenly/gently wad up some tobak, enough to half-fill the bowl, and push it atop the gravity fill;
3. firmly wad a smaller clod of tobak and push it atop the previous fill.

Pipe should end up not quite full to the brim and draw should be easy - lightly restricted at most. New briar should be only half-filled for a couple of dozen smokes. Light evenly, puff and char the top. Tamp smooth and relight if needed. Burn should be even and nothing is supposed to end up in your mouth except smoke.

Benwoo 12-23-2008 08:22 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Hello gents. I just picked up a newbie Briar on a vacation trip to Monterey last week. I fumbled through a few bowls over the weekend and found that I like the pipe but I need to buy stock in matches. I've read one of the major FAQ's and it mentioned tamping the bowl while smoking. So I have a couple questions about the mid smoking tamp.

1. Is this only done if/when the bowl goes out? Or should it be done carefully even if the bowl is still burning?

2. How does one know when to perform this mid smoke tamping? I did notice an ash lattice work develop in my bowl so I'm assuming sometime around then =)

3. What's the purpose? It would seem the light ash would plug up the works if tamped but maybe it would help to keep the bowl lit more often.

I was even contemplating taking my cigar cutter and whacking one of my cigars into "plugs" to drop into the pipe. :ss Any thoughts? I know it sounds kind of silly when you have a perfectly fine cigar but I think I like smoking from a pipe better.

Thanks for the help!
Chris

Mister Moo 12-23-2008 08:27 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Yet another word on the "P" word. New pipe smokers think they should "pack" a pipe. I eschew the use of the word pack relative to pipes. It's the wrong message. Pack is not what you should do with a pipe. Everything about "packing" a pipe ends up with a pipe that is improperly filled and won't smoke properly. Fill a pipe. Load a pipe. Prime a pipe. Prepare a pipe. Caress a bowl with tobacco if you must, but never PACK a pipe. A packed pipe by implication is a carelessly prepared and, ultimately, PLUGGED UP pipe.

And while we're on the subject. A befouled packed pipe will not suddenly get made right by using that pointy poker-thingie on the multi-tool, either. That pointy poker thingie has a couple of uses but it isn't much good for correcting a pipe that is overstuffed and rapidly expanding into a rock-solid blockage of the airhole. Fergettabowdit. It is VERY good for getting the squirter thingie on the Zippo fluid can lifted open, though.

Pack a bag.
Pack a punch.
Pack a bearing.
Pack a lunch.

Don't pack a pipe.

This post is my Christmas present to all the new pipe smokers who are wandering these halls. Happy day. :)

Mister Moo 12-23-2008 09:38 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Benwoo (Post 132198)
Hello gents. I just picked up a newbie Briar on a vacation trip to Monterey last week. I fumbled through a few bowls over the weekend and found that I like the pipe but I need to buy stock in matches. I've read one of the major FAQ's and it mentioned tamping the bowl while smoking. So I have a couple questions about the mid smoking tamp.

1. Is this only done if/when the bowl goes out? Or should it be done carefully even if the bowl is still burning?

2. How does one know when to perform this mid smoke tamping? I did notice an ash lattice work develop in my bowl so I'm assuming sometime around then =)

3. What's the purpose? It would seem the light ash would plug up the works if tamped but maybe it would help to keep the bowl lit more often.

I was even contemplating taking my cigar cutter and whacking one of my cigars into "plugs" to drop into the pipe. :ss Any thoughts? I know it sounds kind of silly when you have a perfectly fine cigar but I think I like smoking from a pipe better.

Thanks for the help!
Chris

The nature of the tamp was best described (for me) by BOTL EvanS. He said use a tamper to "collapse" the ash column. In fact, if you only ever need to tamp/collapse the ash column in your pipe (as opposed to "compressing" the ash column) then you have probably filled your pipe near to perfectly.

Planning for expansion prevents a plugged up pipe minutes after the first light. A proper fill and sensitive tamping accounts, as much as possible, for tobacco expansion during the smoke. As the tobak burns it may expand outward and upward and make it difficult for the burning pieces of tobak to stay in contact with one another. The draw may become completely unrestricted and the light may extinguish. If you feel this process getting a foothold, a gentle tamp atop the ash column may reconnect the embers and commence a continued good burn. When I feel a pipe drawing very loosely and notice that smoke isn't very rich I'll press gently with a tamper and puff - usually the pipe fires right back up. Pressing too lightly is no problem - just press again a tad harder; but pressing too hard may overly compact the remaining tobacco which, when reheated, will expand and plug he bowl. Just go easy with the tamping. A gentle tamp on a properly filled bowl is a light touch.

Tampers come in different diameters. Take care not to use one that is too large for your pipe or you'll scrape off the cake you've been working on. The tamper on the Czech multi-tool covers the bases for most pipes and most people. A large nail is good - and cheap. Many people are satisfied finger-tampers.

I like cigars and I like pipes but am not fond of cigar leaf (or cigar chunks) in a pipe, though. Many are - it might be perfect for you. Somebody here smokes Lipton Tea in their pipe. Whatever. We are open minded and this is a no-snob zone. So, if you want to take cigar chunks and screw up a perfectly good pipe and make me want to barf just thinking about it, WTH? Have at it. Merry Christmas, you sick, twisted degenerate.

drevim 12-28-2008 01:04 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Here's a couple:

A question I've never heard a clear answer for....

How does one know if the pipe they have is a good "smoker"?

To elaborate, how do I know if my process is poor, or if the pipe is just not a good one. I've always heard price isn't always a tell tale sign of a good smoking pipe, as proven by ebay purchases from a number of people.

Second:

Using cigars as a reference, a particular brand (at least with cubans) have a similar taste through out the marcas. This is clearly not the case with pipe tobacco, short of saying Pease is the Lat king. Do you find it possible to favor a brand, or is it just a "try as much as possible" thing? Seek out VAs, across the board, because I enjoy VAs?

Mister Moo 12-28-2008 06:28 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by drevim (Post 138573)
Here's a couple:

A question I've never heard a clear answer for....

How does one know if the pipe they have is a good "smoker"?

To elaborate, how do I know if my process is poor, or if the pipe is just not a good one. I've always heard price isn't always a tell tale sign of a good smoking pipe, as proven by ebay purchases from a number of people.

I'll have a go at your very interesting question #1, Drev's.

You know because you know, after sufficient experience. Elaboration: once you have enough experience under your belt to properly fill and burn through a bowl evenly, time after time, you will begin to notice that some pipes do parts of the process better than other.

Early on the smoker is necessarily concerned with "am I tamping too much" or "is the tobacco too wet" or "did I fill the bowl too tightly" to really grasp what the pipe is doing. Absent some reasonable amount of experience comfortably smoking tobacco "a" in a couple of pipes, it's hard to judge what one pipe does differently than another.

Once you get a handle on the fill, the even burn, the tamp and how to judge tobacco for wet/dry or rubbing of (flake) folding, etc., you will probably have a few pipes with some developing cake. Now you begin to cipher out what one pipe does differently than another with a given tobacco. In other words, and to answer part of your question: you can know your pipes AFTER you develop your process. In my view. As an old Fart.

I have a $7.00 ebay bulldog that, after cleaning and reaming etc. has only ever smoked cool, dry and gurgle-less. I have other pipes at 10x or 20x the cost that overheat quickly or were chronic gurglers without some modifications. A pipe from a highly regarded craftsman or factory will probably smoke well but there's no guarantee; a crap piece of no-name briar may smoke better than your Uncle Bob's Dunhill. Go figure.

You can bend the odds of getting a good smoking pipe by studying certain parts of pipe geometry* before you buy; and good cake makes for a generally cooler and drier piece of briar as tie passes. You can understand your pipes better after you are totally comfortable with the process.

*Always carry a little LED flashlight. Inspect the airhole position entering the bottom of the bowl looking for center-low. Blow thru the pipe and hope not to hear a whistle, some say. Measure, with a pipe cleaner, the depth of the mortise in the shank relative to the length of the tenon - it is good when they are very close to the same length/depth, thus avoiding a water/gurgle trap. Stuff like that.

This may be my clearest answer ever, btw. Happy holidays, mate.

drevim 12-28-2008 10:29 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
A straight forward answer from Dan, the 4th sign of the apocalypse. :r

Thanks, I was afraid it came down to experience. Hence the reason I tend to stay away from the higher end briars until I get a better feel. I have seen recently that even a highly respected custom carver can't bat .1000, and that scares the .... out of me.

Guess all I can do is smoke more....;)

Thanks again, and have a great holiday yourself, sir.

DrDubzz 12-28-2008 11:51 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
ok, I have a question I can't seem to find the answer to

I've read descriptions of tobak say, it's almost a honeydew... what does honeydew mean in reference to pipe baccy? (unless it just means it's the flavor)

Mister Moo 12-29-2008 07:40 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by drevim (Post 139191)
A straight forward answer from Dan, the 4th sign of the apocalypse. :r

Thanks, I was afraid it came down to experience. Hence the reason I tend to stay away from the higher end briars until I get a better feel....

Funny boy... :salute:

There are good reasons why Old Farts often suggest to newblings that they commence with a cob. The cob is inexpensive, smokes brilliantly and lacks most of the performance difficulties or nuances that characterize many briars. A cob lets you learn the mechanics of filling, lighting, tamping and tasting without trying to figure out how your briar is performing. Having grown comfortable with what you call the "process" it becomes easier to sort out the character of the operating briar. Learning curve.

Slow Triathlete 12-29-2008 09:34 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by RX2010 (Post 139243)
ok, I have a question I can't seem to find the answer to

I've read descriptions of tobak say, it's almost a honeydew... what does honeydew mean in reference to pipe baccy? (unless it just means it's the flavor)


I've always assumed that it has to do with the flavor and/or the aroma. Unless other people out there are doing other things to Honeydews that I don't know about.

BigFrank 12-29-2008 08:10 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Storage of bulk baccy?

Which are exceptable?

Mason Jars?
Tupperware?
Ziploc Bags?
Glass Jars with seal lid?

Sr Mike 12-30-2008 05:40 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by BigFrank (Post 140688)
Storage of bulk baccy?

Which are exceptable?

Mason Jars?
Tupperware?
Ziploc Bags?
Glass Jars with seal lid?

Each item listed will store tobacco, but only keep for a certain period of time. I keep tobacco in a bag from the local shop if I can smoke through it within a week or two. Any longer and the tobacco will dry out. Tupperware will last just a little longer than bags, so not ideal for long time storage.

Both glass jars will hold for a rather long time, a mason jar can be sealed air tight, the air left inside is good for the aging process of tobacco. But to seal a mason jar, heat is required which will alter the flavor and aging of the tobacco. A glass jar with a rubber seal is good, but after time the rubber seal can wear out. It will hold more air than a sealed mason jar, so it may age differently.

I will also add tins to your list of containers to use for storing bulk tobacco, they are rather cheap and easy to come by. Many have extra sitting around. I have read that these can be vacuum sealed at home without heat. These may be good for long term storage, but usually the tins are not large enough for bulk storage and a lot more tins will be required.

It all depends if you are going to smoke it now or later.

BigFrank 12-30-2008 01:34 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
What about tobacco that has been sitting in baggies for a period of time? Do they need to be re-hydrated or is it more of a case by case basis?

DubintheDam 12-30-2008 02:37 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
case by case, but moisture buttons are super handy...dub

Sr Mike 12-30-2008 04:13 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Dub's right, check each bag to determine if they are good or not. If the bags were stored in a humid environment, then the tobacco may not be dried out.

Benwoo 12-31-2008 07:14 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Ok... In my recent huntings to expand the pipe collection I started noticing some details. My new Savinelli pipe showed up and had a little wand stamped in gold on the stem. It seemed from searching around that each manf may do their own little brand, but then on Ebay I see an "Oscar" with the same stamp on the stem. So is it a telling brand mark? Would it seem that some mixing and matching of parts happened? It's not mission critical to me that everything is the same. My shank and stem align flawlessly. I'm just trying to get a grip on things.

Chris

BigFrank 01-04-2009 06:15 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Do Cob Pipes suffer from ghosting?

Dennis569 01-04-2009 09:33 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by schnell987 (Post 126474)
The wise old farts have stated that: "Ghost can be banished with salt and Everclear in 24 hours."

Could you explain how to do this process?

Thanks in advance.

Give me a bottle of Everclear and 24 hrs. and I'll banish damn near anything.

darb85 01-05-2009 01:19 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Im having trouble keeping my pipe lite. I puff every 10-15 seconds or so, but not constantly, but never more than 30 seconds between puffs. But I seem to be losing my light 8 or 9 times per bowl, and in my pipe a bowl only lasts about 20 minutes. Is this common? or is this indicitive of something else?

thanks!

Brad

Mister Moo 01-05-2009 05:41 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by darb85 (Post 150062)
Im having trouble keeping my pipe lite. I puff every 10-15 seconds or so, but not constantly, but never more than 30 seconds between puffs. But I seem to be losing my light 8 or 9 times per bowl, and in my pipe a bowl only lasts about 20 minutes. Is this common? or is this indicitive of something else?

thanks!

Brad

Probably a simple case of gooey aromatic tobacco or perhaps "frozen flame" that affects so many in Traverse City in December. Can you light a match and then break the flame in half with your fingers? If not...

Most of staying-lighted problems are resolved with practice, patience and half-filled bowls. Follow the tried and true advice about a bowl-filling method that always allows only the slightest airflow restriction, only tamp lightly to keep the burning embers in contact with one-anotherand avoid using an overly moist tobak. Since this is more qualitative than quantitative it means, "keep trying" and it'll all fall into place.

Pipes with crappy enough airflow do prevent a decent smoke do exist but they are far less of a problem than improper pipe-filling technique. Mostly, new-to-pipe people tend to fill the bowl too tightly and tamp too firmly. Also, relights happen. Maybe not a dozen per bowl - but relights may be part of the deal according to the pipe, the tobak and the experience level.

Want a develop a steady burn? Use a cob (or your preferred briar), a proper 1-2-3 fill and some Carter Hall or Prince Albert.

darb85 01-05-2009 02:31 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Mister Moo (Post 150135)
Probably a simple case of gooey aromatic tobacco or perhaps "frozen flame" that affects so many in Traverse City in December. Can you light a match and then break the flame in half with your fingers? If not...

Most of staying-lighted problems are resolved with practice, patience and half-filled bowls. Follow the tried and true advice about a bowl-filling method that always allows only the slightest airflow restriction, only tamp lightly to keep the burning embers in contact with one-anotherand avoid using an overly moist tobak. Since this is more qualitative than quantitative it means, "keep trying" and it'll all fall into place.

Pipes with crappy enough airflow do prevent a decent smoke do exist but they are far less of a problem than improper pipe-filling technique. Mostly, new-to-pipe people tend to fill the bowl too tightly and tamp too firmly. Also, relights happen. Maybe not a dozen per bowl - but relights may be part of the deal according to the pipe, the tobak and the experience level.

Want a develop a steady burn? Use a cob (or your preferred briar), a proper 1-2-3 fill and some Carter Hall or Prince Albert.


Frozen flame. Love it. Thanks again! Probably a combination of the tobak and my packing technique, though I think im better at that now, now just to keep it lit! :D:pi

Mister Moo 01-05-2009 05:33 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by darb85 (Post 150985)
Probably a combination of the tobak and my packing technique...

Pack a snowball. Pack a lunch. Pack a bearing. Pack a punch. But, please, never pack a pipe.

Filling a pipe by a thoughtful and practiced process allows perfect burns and minimum relights. Packing (ugh!) a pipe insures maximum relights, plugged airways, cosmetically damaged tongues and that sort of newb dissatisfaction with pipes that leaves good pipes resigned to drawers.

FWIW, all this has already been covered in my sig line, below.

The first ex-Mrs. Moo's grandfather used to be the mayor up there back when electricity was new, by the way. I almost died from hypothermia while sailing a Hobiecat on the west bay once in mid-July.

darb85 01-05-2009 08:04 PM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Pack Snow, not pipes. got it. My technique went better today 4 relights only gotta get some lighter fluid for my pipe zippo or im going to own a match company. :D Im getting there. I love pipes now. good stuff

Oh and ya, sailing on the bay when the water doesnt get much above 65 all year can be cold, but o so fun! thats a pic of me in my avatar sailing on west bay in a race that I won:D

Now, I need to get some decent tobak. the stuff I have is really wet and sticky. Off to nolans!

Mister Moo 01-06-2009 06:14 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by darb85 (Post 151734)
Pack Snow, not pipes. got it. My technique went better today 4 relights...

Now, I need to get some decent tobak. the stuff I have is really wet and sticky. Off to nolans!

Ah - improved technique renders improved results. Excellent news. Woo hoo.

Look, Darbs - I can't knock what I don't happen to like (aromootics). I can knock the fact that bulk blends at pipe stores may be so loaded with PG humectant that the tobak never dries out, may cause increased relighting annoyance (fill-method notwithstanding) and will pack tight (and stay tight) under very gentle compression. I know many bulk store blends can be enjoyed but, for my tastes, I lean away from them (and, incidentally, towards tobaccos that will be overly dry - and might need water added - if left in a plastic bag or unsealed tin for a week or so). Try it all.

Watch out for thin ice and white outs. :)

Benwoo 01-06-2009 08:19 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
I ended up with an estate meerschaum pipe that was a bit more roughed up then I had expected. The bowl is dinged up pretty and there is yellow and grayish mottling on the bowl and shank. I've searched quite awhile last night for a more vigorous cleaning method but I couldn't find anything. I was wondering if anyone has run across and article from more of a restoration angle then maintenance. I almost want to try to strip or leech all the impurities out and start fresh. Then polish the bowl smooth and re-coat. I have a feeling if I go at this with things I think may work I might end up dissolving the pipe. I suppose it wouldn't be much of a lose and the knowledge maybe worth it but if anyone has any guidance it would be appreciated.

Mister Moo 01-06-2009 10:06 AM

Re: New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fa
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Benwoo (Post 152582)
I ended up with an estate meerschaum pipe that was a bit more roughed up then I had expected. The bowl is dinged up pretty and there is yellow and grayish mottling on the bowl and shank. I've searched quite awhile last night for a more vigorous cleaning method but I couldn't find anything. I was wondering if anyone has run across and article from more of a restoration angle then maintenance. I almost want to try to strip or leech all the impurities out and start fresh. Then polish the bowl smooth and re-coat. I have a feeling if I go at this with things I think may work I might end up dissolving the pipe. I suppose it wouldn't be much of a lose and the knowledge maybe worth it but if anyone has any guidance it would be appreciated.

I have read such an article while googling something else; it's all about heated beeswax and it sounded like a real fascinating pain. If you can't find anything about it then (screenname) IKMeerschaum is for sure the expert.


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