How many of you have dedicated pipes to one tobacco?

PappyJoe

How many of you have dedicated pipes to a single type or blend of tobacco? I have over 50 pipes and of those I have 3 which I only smoke flakes in. Doesn't matter if they are aromatic, English or whatever, those are my flake pipes. The rest of my pipes are not dedicated to anything. I will grab a pipe, pack it with tobacco and then smoke it. (I ain't afraid of no ghosts!) 

Seriously though, I have been giving consideration to separating my pipes into aromatic and non-aro categories. I may even add a third category of OTC or codger blends. 

xDutchx

Pappy, when I first started pipe smoking, I was taught by a long time pipe smoker down at my local B&M. He instructed me to decide when I bought a new pipe, whether it would be a Virginia or Latakia pipe. He gave no other detailed instructions, and left it at that.

Over time, I have adapted that advice. Now in some cases I will dedicate a particular pipe to a particular blend, but only after smoking a variety of blends, and finding one that seems to provide the elusive transcendental experience that we are all chasing.

I have found that when I dedicate a particular pipe to a particular blend, the blend and the pipe seem to just keep smoking better and better.

PappyJoe

@xDutchx My grandfather was a typical blue-collar pipe smoker back in the day. He had 4 or 5 pipes but he smoked the same tobacco all the time. George Washington until they stopped making it and then it was either Prince Albert or Carter Hall.

It was a simpler time...

xDutchx

Pappy, sometimes I yearn for the simpler times. Back before planes, trains, and automobiles, we never needed to worry about crashes All we had to worry about was falling from our horse, or stepping in a hole, or maybe a boat sinking if we could afford a ticket.

APCook

Early on I tried dedicating pipes to micro-categories, i.e.: a pipe or two for pure Virginia, a pipe or two for blends with Latakia, VaPer, blends with Dark Fired Kentucky, Aromatics, Burly based, etc. I found pretty quickly that my curiosity got the better of me, as I wanted to see how something smoked in a different pipe. Now I have it separated into just 3 broad categories. 
-Blends with Latakia
-the occasional Aromatic
-Everything else gets the majority of my pipe collection. 
-When I'm not yet sure about where a tobacco should fit, I put it in a cob or clay. 

The drawback: It takes me a few extra minutes to pick out which pipe I will use once I choose my tobacco. 

Corey562

I do have pipe that I only smoke English blends in.

judandhispipe

I have a latakia rotation, a virginia/burley rotation, and one pipe dedicated to my occasional aros.
I have a couple of pipes dedicated to a specific blend,but only because, on first smoking that blend in that pipe, it was so perfect that I didn't want to smoke anything else in it.

motie2

Now that I think of it, for the past slightly-less-than-a-month, all my pipes are dedicated to smoking one blend, because all I'm smoking is Barbados Plantation. I'm really curious to see if I'll tire of it eventually. The last time this happened, in my first pipe life, I never did try another tobacco once I settled on Cousin's Aromatic Mixture, after a decade of English and VaPers. Instead, I stopped pipe smoking in the mid-1980's.

And yes, if the special occasion arises, I will smoke a bowl of Mrs. Hudson's blend.

ghostsofpompeii

@motie2 It sure will make it easier to stock your cellar when you only have one blend to fill it with. My little experiment of only smoking one blend through the entire week taught me one thing about myself ... I won't do that again. Hard to believe I'm perfectly satisfied with the same woman for 50 years but I can't stay with one pipe tobacco for longer than 5 days without cheating.

jfreedy

@PappyJoe -- I'm just now starting this as well. The only pipe I've dedicated to one blend is my ball & claw meerschaum. I only smoke straight red Virginia in it to see if it will turn rose colored like I was told it would by my local tobacconist. 

thebadgerpiper

Once I assembled a nice collection, I decided to devote pipes to specific blends. I had heard that it was a good idea to help lessen the possibility of ghosting. As a personal rule, I'll give a pipe one, possibly two blends at the most if its a blend that I know wont ghost. I do have two pipes devoted to Lakeland blends, since they're notorious for ghosting, and two devoted to English blends.

PhilosoPiper

I haven't dedicated anything to one specific tobacco, however I have dedicated pipes to certain types of tobaccos. The majority of my pipes are for Virginias/Virginia Perique blends, 2 pipes specifically for Englishes, and some that I will smoke the occasional aromatic (typically around the holidays).

Woodsman

I have a couple for Flakes and a couple for Aros.

paulwansing

I have a large bowled pipe I believe is a cassilero? I got is somewhere along the line as an add on to a sale or pipe smoking day deal. It sat for a long time until I discovered Elizabethan mixture or capstan is best in that pipe. The dimensions of the bowl allow for a cooler, more flavorful smoke when the blend is mostly or all Virginia. I tried some navy flake in it and had the same result. Accidental dedication to one type of tobacco but it works!

motie2

As of nearly two months ago, all of my pipes are now dedicated to Barbados Plantation, with occasional dalliances with a certain Mrs. Hudson.

Londy3

I must tell you, the OCD in me screams this is the way to go and be organized. However, the mrs.is already freaked out that I have 8 pipes and can't understand why even though I made a strong case. To own 20+ pipes with having 15+ blends currently in my office, I will tell you, my time here could end quickly. 

motie2

I just won an auction over the weekend at eBay. Pipe scheduled to arrive on Friday. I'll have to sorta hide it. When I had eight pipes and a four pipe pipe rack, I convinced her that I needed an eight pipe rack. Got that on eBay, too.

But there was this beautiful Carey rusticated volcano, and after a week I won it for $12.50. I mean, it was a moral imperative, right?
But she better not find out there's gonna be a number nine.....
So, friend @Londy3, I deeply sympathize and empathize.

Londy3

@motie2, thank you my dear friend and fellow accomplice

motie2

KA9FFJ

I am afraid I am one of those people that gives a good cleaning to my pipes after 1 (but not more than 2) smokes. That may be why I smoke whatever tobacco blends I want in any pipe I want and I seem to get the expected flavor from each brand. However, I certainly don't claim to be an expert on pipe tobaccos...

motie2

@KA9FFJ -- That's a really good, but somewhat obsessive practice. It would be like me replacing the Carey papyrate sleeve after each smoke. It probably would be a good move, but I usually go five or six bowls without replacing, waiting until it turns brown. But we do what we do. And yes, your frequent cleaning'll keep your pipe largely unmarked (not the right word) by whatever you smoke. 

KA9FFJ

@motie2 I can't argue with the word "obsessive". That's why I prefaced my last post with: "I am afraid I'm one of those people...". I have often wondered what it would be like to dedicate certain pipes to certain blends. I certainly have enough pipes that, after reading this thread, I will probably dedicate 4 or 5 pipes to certain blends and give it a try. If that is the case, I will probably allow those pipes to go 4 or 5 smokes before a good cleaning. I think it will be a good experiment for me...

PappyJoe

Define good cleaning. I just run a pipe cleaner through my pipe and wipe the bowl out with a tissue after every smoke. 

KA9FFJ

Since I have already done an initial  thorough cleaning on all my pipes, I'm basically talking about the same as you @PappyJoe...

KA9FFJ

Since I have already done an initial  thorough cleaning on all my pipes, I'm basically talking about the same as you @PappyJoe...

jim102864

I've dedicated one of my Savinelli's for use as my aro pipe.  I only have two aros right now anyway, but I decided to do this after buying a tin of Sutliff Molto Dolce.  Talk about heavy casing and ghosting (not to mention drowned rat)! Pretty sure it was motie2 and ghost who suggested I do so when I bought the stuff.

motie2

@jim102864 -- If it's gloopy ( I got one tin that way, early on ) dry it out -- leave the lid open or take a couple of bowls worth out and let it air dry.  As to ghosting, I'd suggest that if you ghosted a pipe with MD, and then fired up a bowl of Lat Bomb or heavy perique, you'd never notice it. If anything, it could turn out to be a Casper, and play well with your English blends/VaPers.

BTW, good to hear from you. How ya doin'?

Woodsman

I agree with @motie2 about the Papytite Filter. there is no need to replace it till it's brown, it really is an air control device and doesn't normally get wet. Carey's are some of the driest pipes I've smoked. 

ghostsofpompeii

@PappyJoe I don't have any one particular pipe dedicated to a specific blend but on the odd occasions I smoke an English blend with Latakia I usually use one of my older Dr. Grabows or a no name basket pipe that was a favorite work pipe. Those are the pipe I tend to use when smoking Captain Black "Black Sea".  

jim102864

@motie2 Wise advice, as always.  I really love MD which I recall you and ghost posting about and recommending a while back.  Amazing tin note and flavor.  

Also, I'm doing just fine.  Loved my trip to Oktoberfest and the Netherlands a few weeks ago.  Didn't love the bronchitis I was dealing with when I returned.  

motie2

I'm glad to hear you're OK. Get rest; drink fluids.