Are American Spirit cigarettes as safe as we think?

[dant]

The irony, at least to me is, what is wrong with a pipe?

There is no paper, no rolling involved... just stuff the pipe
with no-additives tobacco and off you go?

Unless I am mistaken, isn't most paper made with chemicals anyway,
and in the case of cigarette paper, additives added on top of chemically(?)
made paper?

FWIW,
Dan

 

[anart]

Isn't most pipe tobacco cured with really nasty stuff? I tried a pipe tobacco that was labeled organic and had a major inflammatory reaction. Organic American Spirit roll your own cigarette tobacco does not give me that inflammatory reaction when I (very occasionally) puff on it in a pipe. I keep trying to be a smoker, but it just doesn't take!

Anyway, what information do you have on how pipe tobacco is cured?

 

[SolarMother]

I am an American Spirit organic guy, I do believe they are a bit different than the commercial brands, I didn't know they were owned by RJ. Although I think the arguments in that article aren't strong, I am willing to hear other options since I have to travel to the border to get them. My experience is that the organic roll your own seems to be the best of their line of products, I tried once the organic manufactured (that is, already crafted into a proper cig with the filter incorporated) and oh surprise when they tasted a lot different, also, they acted like the commercial ones, they didn't light out until the fire consumed the whole thing. Unlike the roll your own variety which have to be re-lighted from time to time.

Here is a relatively new AS, 'perique blend' in a black box--are supposed to be available in major metros all over the world. Has anyone tried these? Can't tell if it is organic...nothing like this in my small town/area but I can look in the nearest city.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cigaretteslist.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/perique.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cigaretteslist.com/category/brands/american-spirit/&usg=__GOnBjuAWVEuHdwuRNR8M3b7pZ00=&h=316&w=260&sz=14&hl=en&start=10&tbnid=gXuyjliP9H6eBM:&tbnh=117&tbnw=96&prev=/images%3Fq%3Damerican%2Bspirit%2Bcigarettes%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1

Also Navigator,
So, are you saying that the pouch and/or organic is not available in place you live, and you go to Mexico (?) to get these? Is there a rolling machine out there that doesn not include the filters? I am bad at rolling anything by hand.

 

[Beau]

I believe most pipe tobacco is dry cured by hanging. Usually curing occurs by either air, fire, flue, or sun curing. Also, many U.S. blends are made of American Burley with sweeteners and flavorings added. So I'm not sure it's the curing per se that caused a reaction, but the stuff that is added to it for flavor. You should ask for more natural tobaccos that don't have any of that nasty stuff added to it which is what most likely caused the inflammation.

 

[anart]

I believe most pipe tobacco is dry cured by hanging. Usually curing occurs by either air, fire, flue, or sun curing. Also, many U.S. blends are made of American Burley with sweeteners and flavorings added. So I'm not sure it's the curing per se that caused a reaction, but the stuff that is added to it for flavor. You should ask for more natural tobaccos that don't have any of that nasty stuff added to it which is what most likely caused the inflammation.

Yes, it was organic, without any added flavor, which is why I'm wondering about the curing. It seems someone posted here on the forum that pipe tobacco is cured with a specific chemical, but I can't find the post now!

 

[dantem]

I thought to have learned from others experienced smokers, that when you find dry tobacco into your own roll-your-own tobacco package, this isn't good to smoke anymore.

Tobacco, in first instance, has to keep a minimum of humidity to be labeled 'well preserved' and good to be smoked. Some tobacco's brand even tell clients to notify them back whenever any tobacco is found 'dried to the bone' into any of their packages. That's also why you have to keep your expensive Cuban cigars in special refrigerators, or smoke them quickly and always stored in wooden boxes.

At least, that's what I was told. Some friends used to put apple' skins on a tobacco jar to moist it back to life.

Just the other half of the story, perhaps

 

[dant]

I was gone for several hours, but back now, but anyhow I was going
to say what Heimdallr said. My Tobacco supplier said that nothing was
added - just dry hanging and "naturally grown". But do we trust what
he says? Well... I cannot verify this definitively, have no idea where
exactly the tobacco is grown, what soil type it was grown in, nor if the
tobacco seed itself is not tampered (GMA) with or not. I guess in this
case, one puts his or her life in the hands of one's supplier? Hmm...

Personally, I have not gotten sick from the tobacco mix of 1/4th black
cavendish with 3/4th mild burley approx., aromatic, mild overall. The cost
is $2.98 per oz or $76.00 per 2lb discounted, and bought locally. Depending
on the pipe used, the tobacco can last me .85/1 lb / month so it is about $38/lb/mo.

I have found that if the pipe is not kept clear of tar or cleaned often enough,
then you can get build up of tar/krap, which is nasty tasting and can cause
quite a buzz sensation for several hours. I keep a cooled pipe clean with hot
water to get the tar out, then let it cool and to completely dry out. That is why
one has more than one pipe so while one is being cleaned and dried out, use
the other.

{added} I forgot to mention, that I had to try different types of pipe tobacco
before I settled on my current one. Some PT were just too strong, over powering,
or had awful taste, or gave too much of a buzz (tar concentration?), or made me
somewhat sick. I guess your mileage may differ... perhaps try different ones from
different suppliers, different locations, different continents, and so on? I wonder
where "black cavendish" actually comes from despite the innocuous name used...

 

[truth seeker]

Maybe Truth seeker would be interested in this ?
Maybe I found one.
I bought it in a tobacco shop in Brussels, it's brand new here, it's called FreeJack tobacco, they are without additive.
Apart from that I don't have any more info for the moment.

Thanks much everyone! I'll see if I can find FreeJack out here Tigersoap.

 

[Mountain Crown]

Valuable information about tobacco and roll your own brands is available here and here

 

[ocean59]

Here is a relatively new AS, 'perique blend' in a black box--are supposed to be available in major metros all over the world. Has anyone tried these? Can't tell if it is organic...nothing like this in my small town/area but I can look in the nearest city.

I tried the perique blend a few times over the years. While it is nice to try out, just for something different, I found it too strong for my tastes.

Valuable information about tobacco and roll your own brands is available here and here

Thanks for those links!

 

[seek10]

Here is a relatively new AS, 'perique blend' in a black box--are supposed to be available in major metros all over the world. Has anyone tried these? Can't tell if it is organic...nothing like this in my small town/area but I can look in the nearest city.

I tried the perique blend a few times over the years. While it is nice to try out, just for something different, I found it too strong for my tastes.

Thanks for those links!

I tried preique once a while, I too find it too raw and too strong. Now days, even organic AS sounds little bit odd after realising the chemicals in the paper. probably my mental makeup. I used to roll my own using AS organic , but I find the tobacco too dry. I only smoke 1 or 2 a day, so single pack of loose tobaco bag comes for 6 months.

 

[Joe]

Thanks everyone for the other brand names.
Maybe I can find some El Pueblo though but I am not sure it's widely available.
I haven't found an organic brand recognized as such here in Belgium (I probably haven't found it yet) and to get tobacco from the Us is a big no no.

You can get pueblo from this site in Germany

http://www.tabak-brucker.de/

 

[Tigersoap]

You can get pueblo from this site in Germany
http://www.tabak-brucker.de/

Thanks Perceval !

I tried the Freejack tobacco and it's harsher to the taste than the tobacco pipe I used until now.
I'll try the Pueblo to see if it's milder or not :)

 

[Z...]

Hi Solarmother. Although I really dislike the idea that the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company is owned by RJ Reynolds, there really doesn't seem to be much substance in regard to health in the linked article. Just more anti-smoking propaganda perhaps.

FWIW I had the same concerns after I found this
http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=6933.msg69217#msg69217

 

[cholas]

Santa Fe operates as a wholly owned, independent subsidiary of RJR.

Hi Corto, all. Maybe just wishful thinking, but if the above is true we shouldn't have any problems.

Just a guess(or wishful thinking?), but The Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company was likely making good profits when they were bought out by RJ Reynolds. Why not just keep the 'natural' train rolling and reap the monetary benefits? They seem to have added quite a few new varieties after the buyout as, from what I remember, in the earlier days it used to be just Blue, Red and Yellow packages.

Hopefully they are and will continue practicing this hands-off approach.