New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart

[GreekGodX]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

* top post refresher:

"Attention new pipe smokers! All pipe and tobacco questions answered. 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."

I don't know if this was directed at me or just a general refresh but I didn't see anything wrong with giving spectrr a recommendation. I've only smoked pipes for a little over a year but I just recently went through this same dilemma myself. Thought I'd give my never tried posing as a "pipe old fart".

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by GreekGodX

I don't know if this was directed at me...

Nope. Just a refresher - we don't ask for resumes or personal references in this thread.


Made you feel guilty though, didn't it?

[GreekGodX]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Nope. Just a refresher - we don't ask for resumes or personal references in this thread.


Made you feel guilty though, didn't it?

Yes it did Just trying to help out where I can, even if I'm not the most experienced.

[BigFrank]

Originally Posted by spectrrr

ok, next question:

Good and cheap soft flame lighter?
I've been using a couple cheapo refillable Ronson soft flames, but really they HATE being refilled and one is already broken.

I've also gotten quite accurate and adept with using a Ronson Torch... but they don't like being inverted and I have gas flow problems....


soooooo whats a good (but inexpensive) soft flame, or torch that doesn't mind being inverted?

http://www.smokingpipes.com/accessor...roduct_id=5909

I have 2 of them.

I used a candle lighter for about a year, and matches. Most guys I speak too just something cheap...

[GreekGodX]

Francis, I don't know of any torches that like to be inverted. They aren't made to do that, but my blazer doesn't seem to mind if I light it right side up first. I mostly use a torch as I think using a soft flame imparts some chemicals on the baccy.

When I did use a soft flame I went with a zippo with a pipe insert. Always worked and if you have an old zippo laying around it only costs about 3 bucks for the insert. You can also buy a soft flame that comes out laterally. Those can be had for around 20 bucks or so.

[JaKaacH]

I have a lighter like this one...Paid twice the price listed here. Works good and is butane refillable.
http://www.lilbrown.com/product/tabi...1/default.aspx

[spectrrr]

Thanks guys! lots of GREAT info there, much appreciated.

Aww Dan, how did you know I got the idea from that Frank method youtube video

Although I do have to say I've gotten great consistency from loading the pipe that way. It may not be the "best" way to load it, but it does get me something consistent and smoke-able.

But I will officially banish the idea of a torch

I'm sure that Old Boy works quite nice, somewhat akin to the soft flame equivalent of my dupont torch. I'll make that a "one day" goal to work too

[BigFrank]

Unless it involves the AARP!!!

Well I went looking for pipes this weekend with a friend... I'm not too familiar with the town, I just go down to Missouri to see my girlfriend on the weekends. Anyways, I asked said friend about places that sell pipes, so we go to this shop that turns out to be more of a headshop. The only wooden bowled 'tobacco pipes' they had, the owner said were made out of cherry wood, and the bowls were quite rough. I've never used a tobacco pipe before, and was wondering... A. would a cherry wood pipe be alright, as I see most pipes are made from briar, and B. are the pipes supposed to have rough bowls like that?... It almost looked like it should be sanded down or something... But then again I've never used/owned a tobacco pipe.

I appreciate any help.

-Jimmy PP

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Jimmy PP

Well I went looking for pipes this weekend with a friend... I'm not too familiar with the town, I just go down to Missouri to see my girlfriend on the weekends. Anyways, I asked said friend about places that sell pipes, so we go to this shop that turns out to be more of a headshop. The only wooden bowled 'tobacco pipes' they had, the owner said were made out of cherry wood, and the bowls were quite rough. I've never used a tobacco pipe before, and was wondering... A. would a cherry wood pipe be alright, as I see most pipes are made from briar, and B. are the pipes supposed to have rough bowls like that?... It almost looked like it should be sanded down or something... But then again I've never used/owned a tobacco pipe.

I appreciate any help.

-Jimmy PP

Yo JimmyPP! A. I think you will do much much better getting a Missouri Meerschaum corncob pipe from an actual tobacconist and, B. all kinds of pipes have all kinds of finishes from smooth to rough to deeply sandblasted and, C. you really want to get a cob and D. a pouch of Carter Hall or Prince Albert.

Thanks for the quick reply, but I think I made myself unclear. It was the inside of the bowl I was referring to. It almost looked like it was just drilled out, and left all rough on the inside. The outside was a very nice red finish. But I'll check out a few smoke shops and see what they have. However, this 'headshop' had a small selection of pipe tobacco, including a Black Cavendish which I was eyeballing... at $4 an ounce. Which from what I've seen online is quite a steep price?

-Jimmy PP

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Jimmy PP

Thanks for the quick reply, but I think I made myself unclear. It was the inside of the bowl I was referring to. It almost looked like it was just drilled out, and left all rough on the inside... ...Black Cavendish which I was eyeballing... at $4 an ounce.

$4.00/ounce isn't crazy-wild-high; tins are two-ounces and they usually sell for $7-$12/ea. Bulk is usually $2.50-ounce and up, depending.

Rough finish inside the bowl? Maybe it was coated with something a little raggedy to protect the wood from burning - that's not unusual. I never saw a new pipe with a drilled out chamber that was rough raw wood, though.

Black cavendish... it'd go well with a cob.

[skier171]

Noob Question Here...

I have smoked a estate brior for the last year and a half, and a friend gifted me a Missouri Meerschaum corncob...looking into the bowl, there is a wood tube shaved off going almost most completly across the base of the bowl. Should there be any type of screen or filter there? There is a paper filter in the stem.

And I know I read this before in this thread (great work reading..), but can I smoke a corncob daily? multiple bowls?

lastly, I have some tobacca thats been sitting in my cabinent for far too long (6 monthish) but its my favorite blend from a shop down in kc...is there any way to revive that so it can be smoked again?

Thanks for the help guys

matt

[Neuromancer]

Originally Posted by skier171

Noob Question Here...

I have smoked a estate brior for the last year and a half, and a friend gifted me a Missouri Meerschaum corncob...looking into the bowl, there is a wood tube shaved off going almost most completly across the base of the bowl. Should there be any type of screen or filter there? There is a paper filter in the stem.

And I know I read this before in this thread (great work reading..), but can I smoke a corncob daily? multiple bowls?

lastly, I have some tobacca thats been sitting in my cabinent for far too long (6 monthish) but its my favorite blend from a shop down in kc...is there any way to revive that so it can be smoked again?

Thanks for the help guys

matt

That's they way they're supposed to be...long tube no screen at bottom...not really into cobs (don't care for them for some reason) but I understand those that use them smoke them daily, and I'm gonna guess sometimes several times a day, and/or multiple bowls....

As for rehydrating the tobacco...get yourself one of those little spray bottles (misters) they usually have in the pharmacy/toiletries section at WalMart...use distilled water only...spread the tobacco on some paper towels and give it a light misting to get it to where you want it hydration-wise...if you over wet it pat it with a dry paper towel or let it sit a bit until it dries a bit more...you should be able to tell by feeling a pinch of it when you have it the way you want it...

[Commander Quan]

All the MM cobs are like that, no you don't need a screen, and you don't even need that paper filter in the stem. Use if if you like but most people just throw them away before they starts smoking the pipe.

Cobs are sorta the workhorses of pipe smoking, you can ride them hard and they don't mind. If you want to smoke multiple bowls go ahead just run a pipe cleaner down through the stem a couple times and then bend in in half and go around the inside of the bowl.

The 6 month old baccy may be perfectly fine to smoke right now, pinch some between your fingers, if it doesn't crumble into pieces I'd smoke it as is, if you think it's too dry put it in a bowl with a wrung out paper towel over top and check on it periodically till it is where you want it.

[skier171]

awesome. thank you very much for the quick response. looks like im stopping by walmart on my way home from work today.

[skier171]

What is the paper filter in there to do? I don's understand why cobs have those, while briar's dont?

[Neuromancer]

It's supposed to absorb tar and nicotine and to some degree it does...it also tapers down the whole draft hole business..som like it and some throw them away but if you do, realize you're going to have a very large draft hole running through most of the shank and stem...you can buy more of those if you want...Medico filters fit fine...

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Neuromancer

It's supposed to absorb tar and nicotine and to some degree it does...

Too bad it doesn't absorb the taste from the first five bowls! Hey! I love a cob - smoke one all the time - but that wood thingie sticking in the chamber needs to char out over several smokes. Don't be alarmed if the second half of your first several smokes tastes like your old Pinewood Derby car.

[Neuromancer]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Too bad it doesn't absorb the taste from the first five bowls! Hey! I love a cob - smoke one all the time - but that wood thingie sticking in the chamber needs to char out over several smokes. Don't be alarmed if the second half of your first several smokes tastes like your old Pinewood Derby car.

I'd love to know why you were smoking your old Pinewood Derby Car...then again, maybe I don't want to know...