5 days into pipe smoking...and I need a pipe rack! lol

[Paulmac]

Originally Posted by kgoings

Question, I see a lot of mention about cobs being good starters cause you don't want to ruin the briar. How would you ruin a briar?

Briar pipes get ghosts of blends smoked in them. For example, if you smoked a cherry blend in a pipe for several sessions, then tried to smoke an english blend in the same pipe...you would taste an english blend with cherry flavor...but worse.
For that reason many of us will devote pipes to a certain style of tobacco (one for vapers, one for english, one for burleys etc.) and some folks even devote pipes to a specific tobacco.

[kgoings]

Originally Posted by Paulmac

Briar pipes get ghosts of blends smoked in them. For example, if you smoked a cherry blend in a pipe for several sessions, then tried to smoke an english blend in the same pipe...you would taste an english blend with cherry flavor...but worse.
For that reason many of us will devote pipes to a certain style of tobacco (one for vapers, one for english, one for burleys etc.) and some folks even devote pipes to a specific tobacco.

I understand the ghosting, but how does that 'ruin' a briar some salt and everyclear will fix that right up??? no?

[Paulmac]

Actually I don't use the salt method, I just use the booze lol
heard of rare cases of the salt expanding and going so far as to crack the briar. Yes is most cases a good cleaning will fix the pipe, but we a superstitious and wary folk :P I have pipes I wouldn't even risk a ghosted flavor jumping in and grabbing hold lol

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Paulmac

...a good cleaning will fix the pipe, but we a superstitious and wary folk :P I have pipes I wouldn't even risk a ghosted flavor jumping in and grabbing hold lol

The 11-post superstitious PaulMac rookie speaks the trooth; why take the time and effort (and smallish risk) to soak and scour a pipe if you don't have to? Great post, newguy.

Further to risks that cobs can avoid - it is amazing how many ways a new pipe smoker can find to burn a pipe, char a rim, chomp a pristine vulcanite hand-cut bit, dent briar or gore a smooth meerschaum chamber. Cobs are good ground to learn, experiment and make cheap mistakes.