Our very first pipe.

[JerDerv]

Ah, today has been a wonderful day. A great friend of mine and i decided to invest in a decent pipe today. Normally we are the kind to fully educate ourselves before a commitment, but we just simply could not resist the smells of the sweet pipe tobacco at one of our local shops. To further my education i have made an account here. But anyways.

I'm 19 years old, my friend Daniel is 20. I have had a bit of experience here and there, i started smoking cigarettes and drinking black coffee around the age of 15, i met a friend who got me appreciating good beer at around the age of 17 around that same time i started buying cigars and quit smoking cigarettes, over time i came to despise cigarettes, the taste, the smell. It just makes me want to gag. But i love the relaxation of a good smoke. I searched for a cigar that i could fully appreciate rarely finding one every now and then it still left me unsatisfied. Finally today Daniel and i walked into that tobacco and brew store and picked out a pipe that both caught our eye. I have no idea what its made out of.. im thinking the usual briar. We spent several minutes surveying the wide array of 2oz baggies of local leafs. Considering i didn't start drinking my coffee black, it begun with flavored coffee, i figured that we should probably pick out something mild and flavored. We settled upon a mild to medium blend that had a hint of cherry. The pipe was $47 and the tobacco was $5. We then drove to a cool shady area where we could sit and enjoy it. Not really knowing the proper way to pack a decent bowl i pinched in some of the tobacco and patted it down gently continuing on until about half the bowl was full. Shortly after a harsh ignition i decided that it needed to be packed tighter. After doing so the flavors of the rich pipe tobacco exploded with an aroma i never thought i would ever find. Sweet light cool smoke filed my mouth with the most satisfying draw of anything i have ever smoked. I grinned as i handed the pipe to my friend. He ask me if it was good and all i could do was nod. From that point on... I have decided i will recreationaly smoke a pipe for the rest of my life.

I feel like i have learned a lot from reading, and youtube videos so far, but i know there is much more to learn.

(Ill try and get some pictures of the pipe we bought.)

[Muddler]

What a gracious introduction to pipe smoking. And very well written. A wonderful journey (& a thinner wallet) awaits you.

[morleysson]

Yes, a great pasttime and time well spent. But, beware the pipe's siren call. Eternal vigilance and a stout heart is needed. Otherwise, you'll find yourself succumbing to the twin demons PAD and TAD (pipe and tobacco acquisition disorder), and, like Alice, tumble down into Smokerland. Not caterpillars and hookahs, but briars and meerschaums and cobs... The list lengthens with pipes of all sizes and shapes, and materials. Then, the tobaccos....the VAs, the perique and latakia, the cavendishes, and finally, one is enthralled by the Beast of Burley...soul-bound to that most seductive weed, nurturing and warm and golden and nut-like, drawn into a smoker's reverie forever. A slippery slope, certainly.

[acaciavet]

Both of my friends summed it up well.I just dropped $95.00 yesterday to the Tobacco Gods.Oh well it was ash Wendsday.

[RompinDonkey]

Great intro - welcome to T&P. I look forward to hearing how you get on with your new pipe in the future. You have taken the first step on a very pleasurable journey.

[highstump]

Sounds like you are off to a great start. Prepare to be amazed at the variety of pipes, tobaccos, and pipe gadgets that will screaming for your attention.

[JerDerv]

Right. Haha, seems as if today is the beginning of my shopping list. I have $30-50 for a pipe, make recommendations?? And i have set aside $10 for a bag of some fine tobacco and one of these.


I guess i still need a cleaning kit, and a decent lighter.

What kinds of lighters are best?

[acaciavet]

Cleaning = Pipe cleaners,Smooth and rough.Some sort of Alchol some Chap stick and Bar Keepers Friend. Oh and a Reamer.

[BillConnelly]

Ah the first pipe... I still largely remember mine. Amphora Red Label from a Peterson's Standard. I had that pipe blowing a gallon of smoke and gurgling like a son of a bitch.

The "harshness" of the light goes away with practice (as does most the Tounge bite if you got it). I suspect it is unlikely that you didn't pack your pipe tight enough the first time. But in my mind, that is the hard part of pipe smoking. Learning how each pipe and each tobacco likes to be packed.

[JerDerv]

Yes i cant wait to have a better grasp on the concept. Practice makes perfect i suppose.

So anyways after looking around on ebay for a bit. I think i am going to start out cheap and work my way up. I dont want to ruin a good pipe with malpractice.

Also in an attempt to get something different from our first pipe im going in a completely opposite direction of style.

This is $30 on ebay Similar to a churchwarden style but a bit shorter... i like it (edit although i change my mind all the time.. hahaha)


Its a no name this is the only information.
"Dear Customer,

You are bidding on a Bent Handmade Tobacco Smoking Pipe BRAND NEW NEVER USED.

The bowl is the heart of a good pipe and its carefully handmade by Ukrainian masters. The stem is made from ebonite.

Measures 180mm long with a mouthpiece length 105mm.

Lightweight, due to the ebonite stem and a real pleasure to look at.

Great Buy for the Connosseur.

Thank You."

[bearded1]

Easy & inexpensive way into some great smoking experineces right from the start:

1. Go get a couple cobs...Missouri Meerschaum makes the best ones and they provide a terrific smoke! They can be had for under $10 each, most around $5. If you take care of them, they can last a lifetime.
2. Check out Walgreens or any drug store and look for Dr. Grabow pipes. Pick out one you like for around $20. While your there, grab a pouch or two of either Prince Albert, Half-n-Half, Carter Hall, Sir Walter Raleigh.
3. Pack lightly, light and puff gently. The learning curve never seems to end, but the ride is always enjoyable.
4. Have fun...don't stress over getting everything "just right".

[Legend]

Easy & inexpensive way into some great smoking experineces right from the start:

1. Go get a couple cobs...Missouri Meerschaum makes the best ones and they provide a terrific smoke! They can be had for under $10 each, most around $5. If you take care of them, they can last a lifetime.
2. Check out Walgreens or any drug store and look for Dr. Grabow pipes. Pick out one you like for around $20. While your there, grab a pouch or two of either Prince Albert, Half-n-Half, Carter Hall, Sir Walter Raleigh.
3. Pack lightly, light and puff gently. The learning curve never seems to end, but the ride is always enjoyable.
4. Have fun...don't stress over getting everything "just right".

This is the best advice. I wish I had someone to tell me that when I started. Have fun mate!

[JerDerv]

Easy & inexpensive way into some great smoking experineces right from the start:

1. Go get a couple cobs...Missouri Meerschaum makes the best ones and they provide a terrific smoke! They can be had for under $10 each, most around $5. If you take care of them, they can last a lifetime.
2. Check out Walgreens or any drug store and look for Dr. Grabow pipes. Pick out one you like for around $20. While your there, grab a pouch or two of either Prince Albert, Half-n-Half, Carter Hall, Sir Walter Raleigh.
3. Pack lightly, light and puff gently. The learning curve never seems to end, but the ride is always enjoyable.
4. Have fun...don't stress over getting everything "just right".

Oh awesome i knew i would get some good advice from this site!

Met up with Daniel again today and shared a few bowls. Boy do we have a lot to learn hahaha, the first one was great we loaded it with an air pocket and it was a really nice smoke until we had burned about 3/4 of the way through what tobacco we had put in. After attempting to fix it with a couple light tamps we decided to just dump it out and try again. Upon inspection of the chamber we saw what appears to be a sticky almost syrup looking substance at the bottom of the pipe. Which produced the classic bubbling or gurgling that an inexperienced person might get. Im still unclear of what is causing this.. The next bowl we packed was from the bottom up to about the halfway mark this one lit well and stayed lit but the taste was a bit sour. It was quite obvious that we needed to clean the pipe. We ignored the bitterness and continued to enjoy the new hobby we have started anyways.

So, im trying to figure out what all we need. A tamper obviously because my finger will take no more of this. A spoon to scrape out the ash when its done, some pipe cleaners to clean out the stem, and i guess where i get lost is, what is the right way to clean out the chamber? Do you scrape at it to remove left over gunk? I'm doubting that because i know that you are not supposed to remove the carbon build up. What kinds of liquids should we use? We are both under 21 so using rum or whiskey might be out of the question unless i can find a friend to help us out. Anyways i could ask lots of specific question but could someone just help me outline the basics of cleaning? Any links??? videos?? ect. It would be much appreciated.

I didnt even think about walgreens by the way, i'm eager to stop by there tomorrow and check out what they might have. After this post im going to read some reviews about Prince Albert, Half-n-Half, Carter Hall, Sir Walter Raleigh so that i might know what to expect or possibly have a preference of one over the others. All though I'm sure i will try them all eventually.

Sorry for the rather large posts. I sometimes dislike reading through the big ones, ill try to keep them minimal after this.

Thank you guys so much for your welcoming

[bearded1]

You need to get one of these: http://www.4noggins.com/czechpipetool.aspx

In fact, buy 2 or 3...you will never be without one after you see how handy these are. Plus they're dirt cheap.

I like to allow the bowl to get a nice protective coating (called "cake") in my bowls. Most say no thicker than a dime's width, but I like it thinner than that even. All you have to do to get this handy coating is smoke your pipe. Once it gets too thick, you can either ream it back with a reamer or a simple pipe knife (I use this last method) to the thickness desired.

Run a pipe cleaner through your pipe to soak up any extra moisture after each smoke (or at least after a few).

Here's a site you will enjoy while wading through the myriad of tobacco choices out there: http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/

Enjoy!

[bearded1]

Oh, and participate as much as you want here, I love the questions and entheusiasm. Plus we could use the activity here.

[Cptaz]

Chuck, your posts have been real helpful for me so I gotta ask: what's the chapstick for?

Good to see another new guy on board. That sounds a lot like when I got my first pipe, shared with some friends and all. Hopefully you stick with it and don't put it aside for most of ten years!

If you haven't already, definitely watch all of the "Pipe smoking 101" videos linked in the banner above. They were a huge help for this amateur. Eric's suggestions on cleaning have worked for me so far and seem to jive with a lot of other advice I've seen around. The big thing for me was running a cleaner through from time to time during the bowl to avoid gurgling. I think that should help with the goop, too, but someone with more experience can explain what's going on a little better there.

On the tobacco front, I would throw out the suggestion to try a tin or two of English/Balkan. To change your coffee analogy into a tea analogy, where you would be drinking a mild black tea flavored with cherry, an English would be like chai. Flavorful, but not flavored, if that makes sense.

[JerDerv]

Great! thanks for the links

I'm really liking the reviews i am reading about the Dr. Grabow pipes and how they are a decent mid-range pipe for beginners or for a beater pipe.

Is there a smoking difference between a straight pipe and a full bent?

Also i noticed that the Dr. Grabows are filtered. Its fine to use them without a filter right?


EDIT: that was Eric??? Like the guy of youtube? xD hahah i have watched like all of his videos. They are great, i really enjoy them. I have learned a lot from them. I actually just finished watching the one about the Dr. Grabow and Prince Albert. hahaha, i did not google it.

Chuck, your posts have been real helpful for me so I gotta ask: what's the chapstick for?

Good to see another new guy on board. That sounds a lot like when I got my first pipe, shared with some friends and all. Hopefully you stick with it and don't put it aside for most of ten years!

If you haven't already, definitely watch all of the "Pipe smoking 101" videos linked in the banner above. They were a huge help for this amateur. Eric's suggestions on cleaning have worked for me so far and seem to jive with a lot of other advice I've seen around. The big thing for me was running a cleaner through from time to time during the bowl to avoid gurgling. I think that should help with the goop, too, but someone with more experience can explain what's going on a little better there.

On the tobacco front, I would throw out the suggestion to try a tin or two of English/Balkan. To change your coffee analogy into a tea analogy, where you would be drinking a mild black tea flavored with cherry, an English would be like chai. Flavorful, but not flavored, if that makes sense.

Awesome! i am loving these suggestions, at first i felt like i had no direction. Im very happy i registered here. And i plan on sticking to this as a hobby with moderation. I really enjoy the simple times it brings me. Its a great break from my college work and the business im starting. I have a feeling it will stick around. hahah.

Perfect ill definitely give the english/Balkan a try. Thanks for the helpful post

Oh and, i just found the 101 videos. These will help a ton!

[BillConnelly]

I know there are some big aromatic fans out there, but I really hate it when people recommend them to new pipesters. I don't see them as training tobaccos, I see them as advanced tobaccos. They are VERY prone to being moist (even the most ardent aro fan will have to agree with that). And I think the encourage bad smoking habits because when you smoke an aro fast, you get more flavor. So new aro smokers often puff every couple of seconds, and then are amazed that their pipe starts gurgling within half a dozen puffs (or in this case, that the heel of the bowl was filled with liquid).

I think oriental tobaccos are the best beginner smokes for numerous reasons, they have a nice light flavor. They light well, the have lowest nicotine. A Mild english like presbyterian mixture would be good too... I think a balkan might be going a bit far, as would a strong Perique based blend, or McClelland virginia. But a stoved Virginia, like Best Brown Flake seems good (I would say FVF, but a lot of people find that hard to keep lit, and I'm one of them).

Yeah, you need a bunch of pipe cleaners. I wouldn't get too many pipes yet. 2 is fine. Each pipe smokes differently, so if you get too many, you wont learn how to smoke each one best.

Finally, forget about air pocket methods, and franks method and fold and stuff for the moment. Just do either a two step, or a three step pack. Let your tobacco air for a half our before you pack it, and don't pack it too tight. You want your pipe to be almost going out as you smoke it, not a roaring fire. As someone around here says in their signature

-Dry your tobacco more than you think
-Pack you tobacco lighter than you think
-Smoke your tobacco slower than you think

Of course, you can go to far, but these are words to consider.

[JerDerv]

I know there are some big aromatic fans out there, but I really hate it when people recommend them to new pipesters. I don't see them as training tobaccos, I see them as advanced tobaccos. They are VERY prone to being moist (even the most ardent aro fan will have to agree with that). And I think the encourage bad smoking habits because when you smoke an aro fast, you get more flavor. So new aro smokers often puff every couple of seconds, and then are amazed that their pipe starts gurgling within half a dozen puffs (or in this case, that the heel of the bowl was filled with liquid).

I think oriental tobaccos are the best beginner smokes for numerous reasons, they have a nice light flavor. They light well, the have lowest nicotine. A Mild english like presbyterian mixture would be good too... I think a balkan might be going a bit far, as would a strong Perique based blend, or McClelland virginia. But a stoved Virginia, like Best Brown Flake seems good (I would say FVF, but a lot of people find that hard to keep lit, and I'm one of them).

Yeah, you need a bunch of pipe cleaners. I wouldn't get too many pipes yet. 2 is fine. Each pipe smokes differently, so if you get too many, you wont learn how to smoke each one best.

Finally, forget about air pocket methods, and franks method and fold and stuff for the moment. Just do either a two step, or a three step pack. Let your tobacco air for a half our before you pack it, and don't pack it too tight. You want your pipe to be almost going out as you smoke it, not a roaring fire. As someone around here says in their signature

-Dry your tobacco more than you think
-Pack you tobacco lighter than you think
-Smoke your tobacco slower than you think

Of course, you can go to far, but these are words to consider.

More great advice. Thank you so much. As delicious as some of the fruity aromatics sound... Idk i honestly am more of a simplistic type. I can appreciate a good dark tobacco and i'm looking forward to finally exploring it with a preferred method. Tomorrow is my chance to re explore the local smoke shop with a higher level of education. I have a feeling i will be seeing a lot more this go around. For my friend though.. hes new to smoking all around do you think progressing to something too strong to fast could potential create a bad experience??

I am pretty much dead set on a Dr Grabow and will be picking one up tomorrow. I plan on making this our second briar pipe and our last briar pipe for quite a while. I think i might pick up a corn cob or two just for experimentation. I love exploring new hobbies!!

Ill be sure to keep you guys updated and ill take some pictures of our pipes/tobacco/tools tomorrow.

[JerDerv]

WOoooo update.

So i walked into the local shop again today and ask if i could speak to someone who knew their way around tobacco pipes and pipe tobacco. I was introduced to the store owner who was a middle aged lady with a kind look in her eye. I shook her hand and introduced myself and explained where im at in this hobby and what direction i would like to go. I told her i was very interested in a Dr Grabow as one of my first and she agreed, she also suggested a corn cob, but i turned the offer down because i am very short on cash at the moment (yes i know.. they are like 5 bucks, but 5 dollars can go a long way for me.) So she walked me over to a shelf that contained a very small solection of grabows i was disapointed to see that there wasnt one that really caught my eye. I looked at her and explained i was hoping for something along the lines of an apple shaped pipe. She just kind of smiled at me and then walked away i chuckled slightly out of confusion. She walked into the back of the store and came back with a Dr Grabow riviara, she told me that she had set it aside for another customer who wanted it hidden to be purchased at a later time. I told her that i did not want to take that oportunity away from the other person and she explained that it was months ago and she forgot that it was there. So i inspected the pipe and found it to be exactly what i was looking for. I told her i would take it! You snooze yah lose i guess??



On the way back up to the counter i stoped myself and looked at the tobacco they had. She turned around and ask me if i was interested in looking at a few i told her i would love to, and she handed me a few of her favorites and invited me to open the bag and give it a wiff. I found myself in heaven, once again, i was very impressed. Coming from cigarettes/cheap cigars i could not help but smile at the quality of the tobacco i held in my hands. There was one that i liked in particular and decided to get it. It was called trinity gold and was very rich and bold i want to describe the smell as almost, "deep", i felt like it entered my nose and sunk down through my body to the end of my toes. So i told her that that was the one and she handed it back to me with another bag that she said, "here, take this, i really enjoy it every now and then and i think you will too." So i got it for free

Free stuff


"trinity gold" Ill try and get the number of this so that you guys might recognize it as a different name.


So to avoid typing up another page of text, ill just say that when i got home i packed a 1/4 chamber of the trinity gold, i loved it it was a great smoke, i was very impressed with the pipe and i love it. I cant wait to spoil myself with something better. About 2 hours later i loaded a 1/4 bowl of the free stuff and enjoyed that down to the very last bit. Both smokes where simplistic and i could really appreciate the boldness of the tobacco.

Oh and one last thing, i made a tamper. This is only a temporary tamper (hehe) because i would like to find some nicer wood to actually spend time on making a good tamper. That or i might make one out of metal, i love metal work.

The dark and light contrast is from burning parts of it with a lighter.




That is all
-Jered


EDIT: i sanded up the tamper and re burnt it, then i applied some sunflower oil. Its alright...