Pipes Pipes and more Pipes...
Pipefreak2383
Apprentice
Good afternoon here is a question that I am sure everyone still stumbles across and that would be Pipes.....what kind of pipe shape size etc....
My wife for Christmas bought me a Joyoldelf which is the company that sold it she got it on amazon. as you some of you may know I am very new to pipe smoking. I've never even smoked one before. I used to smoke cigarettes. It's a very nice looking pipe I must say, upon looking at it I can see it's a Chinese pipe. Has anyone heard of this pipe? Is it a good pipe? it looks as though it is made from brier which is a good thing. I assume for a starter this would be a Great starter pipe. which is why I thought I would post about it. I'm sure there have been many of you been around for years.
I would like to know what your thought are on different kind of pipes. Does the pipe it self matter? I am thinking about getting a Hungarian pipe and a Bent apple pipe I like the way they looks. Is buying a pipe all about the look of the pipe or do different pipes effect the smoke in different ways?
a hear a lot of talk saying I should get a corn cob pipe but I don't really like the look of one are they a necessity?
Thank you very much :-)
My wife for Christmas bought me a Joyoldelf which is the company that sold it she got it on amazon. as you some of you may know I am very new to pipe smoking. I've never even smoked one before. I used to smoke cigarettes. It's a very nice looking pipe I must say, upon looking at it I can see it's a Chinese pipe. Has anyone heard of this pipe? Is it a good pipe? it looks as though it is made from brier which is a good thing. I assume for a starter this would be a Great starter pipe. which is why I thought I would post about it. I'm sure there have been many of you been around for years.
I would like to know what your thought are on different kind of pipes. Does the pipe it self matter? I am thinking about getting a Hungarian pipe and a Bent apple pipe I like the way they looks. Is buying a pipe all about the look of the pipe or do different pipes effect the smoke in different ways?
a hear a lot of talk saying I should get a corn cob pipe but I don't really like the look of one are they a necessity?
Thank you very much :-)
Comments
First off, I have never seen a "good" Chinese pipe and I would question whether it's made of briar or not. It may be pear wood or one of the other hardwoods that can be carved into serviceable pipes.
I would suggest visiting pipesandcigars.com and looking at some of the inexpensive briar pipes they sell. You can find them for as low as $29 and I would trust them more than anything I found on Amazon. Their website is: https://www.pipesandcigars.com/shop/discount-pipes/1800312/
Other inexpensive pipes that are good are Mr. Brog's pear wood pipes. They are from Europe and while not as durable as briar, they are good smokers. The do tend to get a little warmer to touch than briar but they are decent for the money. I have four of them in my collection.
And of course, I would be remiss if I didn't steer you towards Missouri Meerschaum. They are the premier corn cob pipe manufacturer and grow their own corn specifically for making the pipes. They have all different shapes and sizes. The biggest knock I hear about corn cobs is about the look. Those that don't like them are stuck with the misconception that they aren't "classy." I have 6 corn cobs and never worry about how I look when smoking them. The website is https://corncobpipe.com/?SID=u7b1r7aabcil3rqh9ngvq94a31.
In my opinion, different pipes smoke differently. Most of my pipes are bent to some degree or another. I like the looks of bent pipes and think the tend to smoke a little cooler. By the same token, I have just as many straight pipes and enjoy smoking them just as much. In my mind, it's not so much the shape of the bowl that makes a difference as much as the size of the bowl. As you progress you will learn that some tobacco seem to smoke better in a wider, deeper bowl than others. I like to smoke some flake tobaccos and find they perform better in taller, narrow bowls.
Outside of that, how the pipe looks and feels in your hand is also a factor in choosing a pipe and only you can answer that question.
Have I confused you enough?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y5S5TJK/ref=s9_dcacsd_dcoop_bw_c_x_8_w
smoking a corncob reminds me of popeye :-)
What is the difference between filter cobs and non-filter ones?
I looked at the picture you posted. Those little wire screens are so people can smoke something other than tobacco products. Pipes like that with a screen in them used to be seized as drug pipes.
General Douglas MacArthur smoked a corn cob pipe. The difference between filtered cobs and non-filter is the same as between briar pipes with filters and non-filter ones. The filter is designed to reduce the moisture in the smoke and slightly reduce the air passage to make a slightly cooler smoke.
One of the biggest names in the pipe world is Peterson. They used to be completely made in Ireland. Now they are "mostly" made in Ireland but are really roughly shaped in other countries and then the workers in the Peterson factory finish the pipes. The are usually high quality pipes but in recent years some have reported problems with the drilling. Peterson does stand behind the pipes it sells and they have some pretty good pipe tobacco with their names on the tins.
You are going to have to explain what you mean by "Hungarian" because there are different interpretations. Some people call a Oom Paul shaped a Hungarian. (Mom Paul have a deep bend in them. And, yes, I have one.) Hungarian could also refer to a pipe carved in Hungary which would probably be a pear wood pipe. And i've seen Hunter shaped pipes and Bavarian/Tyrolean pipes that were called Hungarian.
This is my Oom Paul or Hungarian. It's a Savinelli:
This is my Tyrolean pipe. Some people call it a Hungarian.
These are what I call Hunter pipes.They have also been called Hungarian.
Thank you for the great detail. Yes I meant to also say a oom paul. the site I found it on only calls it a Hungarian that's why I put it.
the pipe I have on me should I not smoke from it? should I rather get a different little better pipe like a corncob? or is it ok to smoke out of the pipe I have? This pipe also has a stinger at the end of the stem.
you have very nice pipes there :-)
@Pipefreak2383 Once again welcome to the hobby. I've seen the pipe your wife purchased for you - and though her heart was in the right place it's unfortunately not a very good pipe. Although I'm no expert on pipes I have watched a variety of YouTube videos and that particular pipe is one that was mentioned. I did go back and read the reviews on Amazon and for the most part those who purchased the pipe seem to be satisfied. And if you're happy with it - that's really all that matters. And you're lucky you have a wife who bought you a pipe.
I'm not sure where you live or how close you might be to a dedicated tobacco shop that sells pipes as well as cigarettes - but you can always buy a pipe stamped 'second' which is a pipe with some imperfection or blemish yet still smokes great. When I was working in the Steel Mill I always bought several pipes stamped 'Irish Seconds' from The Tinder Box (which I've since learned are actually made by Peterson), and they served me well and really took a beating. Another good pipe for beginners as well as any budget conscious individual who wants a well made American pipe but doesn't want to have to get a co-signer is anything from Dr. Grabow. These American made pipes are inexpensive and the company has been around for about 100 years. And you can usually pick one up at Walgreens if you don't have a tobacco shop near you. And it's advisable to have more than one pipe to smoke. Pipes need time to dry out between smokes so you don't end up with a sour pipe. Some people suggest 24 hours rest after smoking the pipe. Which means it's good to have anywhere from two to four pipes around. There have been many debates on that subject - but for the most part we tend to agree. Although our Grandfathers probably only had one pipe which they smokes several bowls a day for years on end until the pipe gave up the ghost and they had to buy another. So it's not a bad idea to get more than one pipe ... so buying something inexpensive like a Dr. Grabow is the way to go.
Hope I was a little help without coming across like a know-it-all. Which I'm far from.
is it ok to smoke out of the one the wife gave me? that's why I posted about it because I wasn't sure and once I really got into researching about pipes I realized hmmm something might be wrong because of how much the pipe was lol....so now I am a little up in the air about smoking out of it. so I was looking for input in to what others thought about smoking out of it.
Thank you very much @ghostsofpompeii
@Pipefreak2383 I really like your unbridled enthusiasm. You're really going about the pipe smoking hobby in the right way. Researching, asking questions, and experimenting on your own. And that last part might be the most important. This will determine whether or not you find true satisfaction from a pipe or revert back to cigarettes. You need to insure the experience is pleasurable, so by avoiding the pitfalls that cause some newcomers to abandon the hobby as too much work - you can learn from the mistakes of others and make a smooth transition from cigarettes to a pipe.
I agree with @mfresa about smoking the pipe your wife bought you. People have expressed concern - but I don't think anyone has died smoking the pipe. Probably the worst thing that can happen is a burn-out in the pipe. And depending upon how you smoke, you can burn-out an expensive brand name pipe if you're hard on the pipe and puff like a locomotive. Most important thing is to learn the correct way of smoking a pipe. And there are a lot of YouTube Presenters that can give you that info and demonstrate it at the same time.
I think the greatest concern about the pipe is what wood it's made from, as I don't see it listed on the description. And as @PappyJoe and others suggested not all pipes are made of briar. I too have pipes made of pear wood that smoke just fine. But for me a red flag went up when I saw the way it's described ... as a 'cigarette tobacco smoking pipe' . This seems a bit odd. Does that suggest it's not made for hotter burning pipe tobacco?
I think we've been programmed to automatically develop a knee-jerk reaction to the phrase 'Made In China'. And sometimes there is real merit to those concerns, like when it was discovered dog food from China contained something that was killing our pets. And those Dollar Store rawhide chewies made in China also contained products that could harm our dogs. And fish caught in polluted Chinese waters and process in plants that would never meet our standards and Government regulations are packaged up and sold at places like Walmart ... along with parasites which have been discovered in the fish. So there are reasons for concern. China makes things on the cheap which is why they could sell you a pipe, a pipe tool, 2 cork knockers, a pipe holder, 10 pipe cleaners, 3 pack of 5 pipe screens, and 2 metal screen percolator leach nets all for $16.99. Since there are different types of wood that are not recommended for pipe making my only concern is the type of wood they used. And I base my concern on the fact that they go out of their way 'not' to mention it. Only suggesting it is high quality wood. If it was wood commonly used in pipe making you would think they would mention it without hesitation. But using a blanket statement like 'WOOD' would be like buying canned meat product that doesn't specify what type of meat ... just meat. Could be horse meat, dog meat, cat meat, or the upper thigh from that missing hitchhiker that disappeared last month.
I will never go back to cigarette smoking back a few years ago they changed the way they made them I used to smoke Marlboro reds then went to lights. they never seemed the same after the switch they made. I believe it was due to the wrapper they coated it twice so this way it wouldn't keep burning and people wouldn't set there house on fire falling asleep smoking lol..
I saw a pipe that said made of "rosewood" is that a good wood? also if it's made of pear wood would it give off a pear like flavor?
I really would like to say thank you to all of you for your input and time. all your knowledge has been taking in and applied
@PappyJoe thank to you I took your advice and bought my self 2 corn cob pipes from Missouri Meerschaum I also went to the other site pipes and cigars and picked my self up Savinelli Unfinished Vulcanite 602.
I am going to use the corn cob for trying new types out and use the Savinelli Unfinished Vulcanite 602 for brands I enjoy to smoke :-) and as time goes on I will add a Peterson from Ireland in my collection as well :-)
@PappyJoe I love going to antique shops so does my wife. my I ask where about were you stationed in NJ?
where about are you know? do u still live in FL?
also I forgot to mentioned it but do you need humidors for pipe tobacco? I know you do for cigars.
They Don't have to be pricey, either. Here are some small-sized examples from the Dollar Tree chain:
https://www.dollartree.com/Glass-Jars-with-Metal-Clasp-Lids-20-oz-/p413979/index.pro
https://www.dollartree.com/Glass-Candy-Jars-with-Ribbed-Accents-and-Tight-Sealing-Lids-19-oz-/p322642/index.pro
https://www.dollartree.com/Large-Clear-Glass-Airtight-Storage-Jars-24-oz-/p413648/index.pro
Just make sure the jar's opening is large enough to let your hand out again once you have a pinch of tobacco held in your fingers.
I taking it from experience lol... I gues this is something I should pick up in person Thank you very much
it must have been awesome working for the coast guard :-) I have always though of working for coast guard seems a good nice job !
and I assume that's when u said oh HELL no right lmao
@pipefreak2383
As far as humidors for pipe tobacco go, just get half-pint or bigger (depending on the amount of tobacco you buy) mason jars for each type of tobacco you get and store them in a dark cool place. They can keep tobacco fresh at hand, and work very well for extended "cellaring" if required.
does a garage work for keeping them? my garage gets to be 40-30 in the winter (detached garage) and prob 80 or so in the summer...
thank you I will keep that in mind. Does the tobacco need to keep a little moisture to it? I know when I used to smoke cigs and rolled them there had a moisture pad in it to keep the tobacco just a tad moist or else it would try out and get stale.
also as long as you keep it in that condition pipe tobacco can last years? what happens to the Tobacco when it ages like that?
My rule of thumb is to move bulk blends immediately into glass Mason or Ball jars and put the lid on them. You don't have to do anything to the jar other than make sure they are clean and odor free before adding the tobacco. I have some tobacco that's been in jars for 4 or 5 years and it looks to still be moist. In December I opened a jar from 2014, and it still needed to be air dried for 10 or 15 minutes before lighting. (Air Drying to me is either loading the pipe or putting the tobacco on a paper plate and then letting it sit for 10 or 15 minutes.) I also use some of the bail type jars for some tobacco and again, they have maintained the tobacco pretty much at the moisture level it had before I put it in the jars.
Aging is another topic altogether. C&D sells their Cellar series and tells you on the label that it will reach its peak flavor in 10 or 15 years but you can smoke it now. As a general rule, aromatic are considered not to age because of the flavoring and toppings added during process. On the other hand, non-aromatics like Virginia Blends, Burleys, VaPers and English Blends do age well like fine wines. I've read in places that the aging will reach its peak from 3 to 5 years and I've read that it will continuing aging for 15 to 20 years. I've never experimented to find out.
One note on aromatics and this is just my opinion. Where aromatic tobacco may not age, I believe the flavors of the blend will meld together and it could change the flavor profile. I look at it the same as I do with cooking. When you make a pot of red beans or a gumbo, letting it sit and rest for a day actually makes the flavors richer. The same with seasoning or marinating meat. The longer it sits and rest, the more flavorful it can become.