Pipe Smokers!

[rymw]

I just wanted to put my two bits in here.

I've been smoking (again) for just over a year, but just a pipe this time. I've avoided cigarettes thus far.

I've probably tried about twenty different tobaccos of different varieties, some big name, some small boutique brands, and I can say that without a doubt my favourite is Mac Baren Original Choice. (There's a "Mr. B's Mark Twain" blend that has a similar aroma, but it's a terribly mild smoke with a nasty soap aftertaste!)

It's smoothly aromatic, cool on the tongue, with just enough "kick" to let you know you're smoking tobacco (for those pipe smokers who inhale...I certainly do!).

Mac Baren smokers have had a rough road in Canada...their distributor here dropped them (or was it the other way around?) so getting it has been tough; I've been ordering it from the US now, but when I run out I'm reduced to smoking Amphora or Sail, which are not anywhere near as nice.

I just went two weeks without (thank you, Canada Customs), and when the tins of OC arrived, it was like seeing an old friend, and the aroma upon opening the tin was heavenly.

I'm glad you revived this thread, Lost Spirit. I was unaware of this topic and I've been pipe smoking for almost 3 years now. ;)

I too agree that Original Choice is one of the best econo-baccies and is relatively straight in terms of additives. Having said that my favourite is Ilsted 99. It is mildly Macchiato flavoured plus there is no bitter aftertaste even after a few relights, which is something you might experience with the Macbaren when trying trying to relight thru the ash and dottie. As for virginia and latakia blends, Rattray produces some very high quality stuff you might be keen to try...again, these don't produce that bitter taste when relighting below a half-finished bowl. But my partner, who smokes cigarillos complain they smell nasty, lol.

 

[ianvr]

Hello everyone,

I have always been curious to try pipe smoking. One of my friends owns a tobacco shop in a mall and I asked him how business is like, thinking with all the anti-smoking drives that he will respond with; terrible. His response was, couldn't be better. His shop is mostly high end stuff like cigars, pipes and imported tobacco.

He says, high end tobacco from Europe is popular and of course Cuban cigars. I smoke the occasional cigar (3 to 4 times a year) and enjoy the experience. Not smoking much, I am still finding my "brand" because the Monte Cristo Cigars leaves quite an aftertaste. Especially when you have a late night, you can still "taste" it in your mouth the next day.

I will be following this thread for info around smoking pipes, type of pipes (I see they vary quite a bit) and of course the technique to smoke the pipe correctly. I read here many saying puff, others saying inhale...bit contradictory.

Ian

 

[Psalehesost]

I will be following this thread for info around smoking pipes, type of pipes (I see they vary quite a bit) and of course the technique to smoke the pipe correctly. I read here many saying puff, others saying inhale...bit contradictory.

In short: Inhale if you want the full nicotine and it doesn't bother you, puff if you just want the taste and a smaller amount of nicotine.

 

[rymw]

He says, high end tobacco from Europe is popular and of course Cuban cigars. I smoke the occasional cigar (3 to 4 times a year) and enjoy the experience. Not smoking much, I am still finding my "brand" because the Monte Cristo Cigars leaves quite an aftertaste. Especially when you have a late night, you can still "taste" it in your mouth the next day.

I will be following this thread for info around smoking pipes, type of pipes (I see they vary quite a bit) and of course the technique to smoke the pipe correctly. I read here many saying puff, others saying inhale...bit contradictory.

Ian

You might like to try the Meharis range of cigarillos by Agio. They have Java and Equador variants in addition to Sweet Orient, and we find them to be milder and quite suitable for daily smoking.

I use Falcon pipes when outdoors or travelling because of their durable metal stems and easy to clean detachable briar bowls. At home, I prefer full briar pipes such as Amphora and Butz Choquin but like the Falcon, they are usually pipes with smallish bowls...I prefer to light up a fresh batch after every hour or so rather than try to finish a large bowl within an hour. Any pipe that takes over 25mins to finish is an overkill in my mind, lol.

 

[Psalehesost]

I will be following this thread for info around smoking pipes, type of pipes (I see they vary quite a bit) and of course the technique to smoke the pipe correctly. I read here many saying puff, others saying inhale...bit contradictory.

In short: Inhale if you want the full nicotine and it doesn't bother you, puff if you just want the taste and a smaller amount of nicotine.

Forgot to add: It also depends on another aspect of how you want to smoke. If you inhale, you can have a quick smoke - as quick as smoking a cigarette. Puffing is more suitable for dragging on your pipe for a longer time.

Pipe tobacco can be used both ways (unless it is personally found to be too harsh to inhale it), while for plain, raw tobacco, only inhaling is suitable.

 

[aaronfransen]

Oddly enough, I smoke both ways...if I'm just "getting my fix" then I inhale. If I have time to sit back, read the news or play a game on the iPad (while watching the cat laze in the sun) then I just sit there and puff.

As for pipes, I have five...four at home, one at the office, and I do find my favourite has a large bowl. Even with a large bowl, I can "half fill" it if I'm just going for a quick smoke. I think the most I've paid for a pipe is $90. I see my tobacco supplier sells pipes on "sale" for $400. Yikes. I think my wife would kill me for spending that kind of money on a pipe!

I see Falcon pipes are affordable though!

The reason I tried the Mac Baren OC in the first place was a local tobacconist told me it was the brand that the local natives typically use for their purposes (ie. peace pipe ceremonies), so I thought who knows more about tobacco than natives? It was good enough for me!

I'll have to try and find the Ilsted 99 somewhere...I see my US supplier (smokingpipes.com) doesn't carry it...

 

[ianvr]

Yes, I see you can really spend money on pipes like a fashion item. I see Dunhill pipes are crazy expensive ($500+ range)!!!

I found this interesting website with info and video clips: http://www.gentlemansgazette.com/tobacco-pipes-pipe-smoking-guide/

 

[Lumiere_du_Code]

a little off subject: this Einstein quote in Russian translation is nowhere, it just censored

 

[Il Matto]

Fellow pipe smokers (and those who are 'on the fence' and need a nudge in 'the right' direction! :D),

I'm still very much a newbie on this forum and so this thread has only just come to my attention. I wouldn't like to see any discussion of the noble art of pipe smoking lay fallow, however, so I thought I'd add my two pennies worth...

Since I first began smoking, I've always been a pipe smoker (no transitioning from cigarettes for me!). The time it takes to prepare and smoke a bowl appeals to me, it makes me slow down and 'take stock' of the moment and cultivates a reflective mood. Needless to say, I emphatically agree with the above quote from Einstein!

I've often found it most beneficial, if you have one within reasonable travelling distance, to buy my tobacco from a knowledgeable tobacconist. This being the case for me, I've rarely smoked a specific brand of tobacco, but always favoured the tobacconist's own blend.

On that note, I'm off for a bowl...

 

[patty2292]

From progressing from smoking organic tobacco, to now incorporating pipe smoking into my daily routine, i was wondering the health benefits of the pipe tobacco itself - compared to that of organic additive free hand roll tobacco.

Recently i went for a non aromatic tobacco, to get that old tobacco taste and smell, and it is really pleasant and VERY high in nicotine compared to the aromatics. But now i am looking for a nicer room note to my bowls, but am curious as to the health benefits and additives (if any) that are on the aroma tobaccos. As they arnt inhaled, im assuming that they arnt as much of a threat to that of normal cigarettes. But in all honesty, even when i asked at a local tobacconist, i cant clarify if the pipe tobaccos have flavorings on or not.
So does anyone know the process of how they get aromatic pipe tobacco so god damn aromatic?

Ive only ever found one organic pipe tobacco which is from the US called Kentucky Select Organic, but cannot get it in the UK unless in a very big order

 

[patty2292]

So from my previous questions, ive done some looking into the process and method of getting flavor onto pipe tobaccos.

http://www.talkingtobacco.com/2012/09/additives-in-pipe-tobacco/

Flavorings- There are two types of flavorings used in tobaccos. The first type is called a casing. Pretty much any blend that contains Virginia or Burley tobaccos have been cased. These flavorings aren’t used as much to add taste or aroma as to mitigate any negative properties of the raw leaf. Burley, for example, has a bit of a sour note, so sweeteners may be added, such as molasses or licorice, mixed with water and steamed into the tobacco. The sweetener won’t be noticed very much, but it keeps the tobacco from becoming unpalatable. Once the casing is applied, the tobacco then needs to be dried out a bit.
The other kind of flavoring is called a top dressing and is used for aroma and flavor purposes. These are flavors much like those used in making food, but when producing top dressings, the fluid that carries the flavor is usually alcohol. This is so the flavor can be applied without having to run the tobacco through the drying chamber again. The alcohol simply evaporates off.
Humectants- Humectants are agents that help keep moisture levels consistent in tobacco, but they’re also used in food products that can dry out and go stale. There are a number of substances that can do the job. Some sugar alcohols, primarily sorbitol and xylitol, do the job, but caution has to be used as these are quite sweet and can throw off the flavor. Others that don’t impact flavors include glycerin and the one that is most commonly used: propylene glycol. They work by absorbing moisture from the ambient atmosphere. These are all food-grade additives and are considered safe. Without them, it would be virtually impossible for the tobacco to remain moist in anything other than a vacuum sealed container for more than a week or two.
Antifungals- These additives exist to keep moist tobacco from becoming moldy. There are a number of safe products that are use to stem the growth, and this is important as there are mold spores virtually everywhere.
There are no additives being used to keep the tobacco burning or to raise the nicotine levels. In this regard, pipe tobacco and cigarette tobacco are very dissimilar.

From what ive looked at, the 'additives' are not those like chemical additives found in the mass produced cigarettes so cant be compared, but simply additives that have flavor and natural. Such as sugar based sweetners - sugar, licorice, fruits. Alcohol flavours like rum, burly, whiskey. And others such as almond, vanilla.
So from this it would seem that there is extremely little harm in these additives. But still, if anyone still has anymore information on this, or can validate the above that would be great :)

 

[Ollie]

...

Ive only ever found one organic pipe tobacco which is from the US called Kentucky Select Organic, but cannot get it in the UK unless in a very big order

And, you may find that it is out of stock - most brands of Kentucky Organic are sold out almost as soon as they are announced as available!!!

 

[patty2292]

...

Ive only ever found one organic pipe tobacco which is from the US called Kentucky Select Organic, but cannot get it in the UK unless in a very big order

And, you may find that it is out of stock - most brands of Kentucky Organic are sold out almost as soon as they are announced as available!!!

Yes, all of the smaller packages are always sold out in all the Kentucky range . Is anyone aware of any other Organic pipe tobacco? Its the only one ive ever been able to find.

 

[SeekinTruth]

The reason I tried the Mac Baren OC in the first place was a local tobacconist told me it was the brand that the local natives typically use for their purposes (ie. peace pipe ceremonies), so I thought who knows more about tobacco than natives? It was good enough for me!

Wow, I didn't know that. I've been smoking Mac Baren Original Choice for several years and love it. Beautiful blend with excellent taste and aroma.

From what ive looked at, the 'additives' are not those like chemical additives found in the mass produced cigarettes so cant be compared, but simply additives that have flavor and natural. Such as sugar based sweetners - sugar, licorice, fruits. Alcohol flavours like rum, burly, whiskey. And others such as almond, vanilla.
So from this it would seem that there is extremely little harm in these additives. But still, if anyone still has anymore information on this, or can validate the above that would be great :)

That's correct. The commercial cigarettes that have hundreds of additives, the vast majority of those additives are because the "tobacco" is actually "sheet tobacco" not leaf tobacco. Basically they take the stems and other left overs of tobacco production from usually Asian countries real cheap with no tobacco taxes. They then make a pulp type concoction with all those chemicals added to spread into a sheet which they then cut up and roll into the cigarettes. Strictly speaking, it's not even tobacco people smoke in the commercial cigarettes, but tobacco waste products combined with hundreds of chemical additives.

 

[patty2292]

That's correct. The commercial cigarettes that have hundreds of additives, the vast majority of those additives are because the "tobacco" is actually "sheet tobacco" not leaf tobacco. Basically they take the stems and other left overs of tobacco production from usually Asian countries real cheap with no tobacco taxes. They then make a pulp type concoction with all those chemicals added to spread into a sheet which they then cut up and roll into the cigarettes. Strictly speaking, it's not even tobacco people smoke in the commercial cigarettes, but tobacco waste products combined with hundreds of chemical additives.

Well, that makes me feel alot better about aromatics in comparison to your lovely description given! :O


Also, ive found a nice and VERY high in nicotine pipe tobacco from Peterson ive been smoking for anyone who lacks the nicotine compared to smoking rollies. Irish Flake;
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend/2698/peterson-irish-flake

Its a rather standard plainer tobacco blend, and although the tin smell is delicious and sweet, it gives off that real burnt tobacco scent.
From the several tobaccos ive used for the pipe, this one really gets the stomach feeling that nicotine rush after 30 minuites of smoking... And it only intensifies the deeper you get into it (I also dont inhale, apart from partially catching the upsmoke in my nose)
Its a nice full smoke for a read or work, and its the longest ive ever kept my pipe alit cor using this!