A question about cobs from a relatively new pipe smoker

paulwansing

Hello everybody,
I stumbled on this website a few days ago and have been interested in reading all the opinions about pipes and tobaccos, but I have a question of my own.  I recently returned to pipe smoking after about eight years away as a cigarette smoker (dumb move but what are you going to do?) I have always preferred missouri meerschaum pipes going back to my first few times of trying pipe tobacco.  I have owned briars and hardwood pipes but I always preferred my cobs.  Now I see there are churchwarden type pipes available from them, what is your opinion on them?  I am also curious as to what style of cob others like and why.  I am partial to the country gentleman but the one I have owned the most in my life is the legend, more out of availability than anything else.  I am looking to purchase several styles of cobs for my collection but the truth is I'm not sure which ones to get! 
Thanks

Woodsman

I am really enjoying my MM Cobbit Dwarf, it was great from  the 1st smoking and the slightly longer stem lets me relax more while smoking. I'll be heading out to my cold porch for my last smoke of the night with it.

SLCarrico

@paulwansing You simply can't go wrong with a MM pipe. Some have all but abandoned wood for cobs after years of smoking. For others it just happens to be their go-to pipe despite a great briar collection.
The Cobbit series is fantastic. I have one and its my favorite pipe to smoke. The churchwarden style keeps it cool, physically and aesthetically.
Aristicob.com is the place to buy your cobs. Scott does great quality control and his prices and monthly deals are top notch. There will probably be 1 or more good Christmas and New Year deals. In fact, his November deal is still posted, you may be able to take advantage of that, looks like a steal.

Bphasty

I don't own one yet, but I really want a MM Cobbit Shire & have heard nothing but good things about the whole series. The reviews are consistently very good for it. I liken it to something similar to a Bing's favorite from Savinelli (which happens to be my favorite pipe). 

Topaz75

I agree with Woodsman about the MM Cobbit Dwarf. It's an apple-shaped pipe that looks and smokes great. It's a light and well balanced semi-churchwarden, so you can even clench it if you're so inclined. I've also found it easy to clean.

judandhispipe

I've got several cobs - 2 Country Gents, 2 Mark Twains, a Patriot and a Washington. I think the Twains are my favorites. Doubt if I'd buy a Cobbit;I have one churchwarden I don't smoke much anyway.

tomatobodhi

The quality of the newer MM Cutty and Markus are amazing. These, along with the Dagner Poker, are all very high quality shorter pipes, and I don't think any cob collection is complete without at least one of these styles.

I've owned all the Cobbit series except the dwarf. Here are my thoughts on the Elf, Shire, and Wizard...

Wizard: Just too much pipe. I bought this online when they first became available at MM's website store. I thought it would be a standard size bowl. Nope! It is like smoking a MM General with a churchwarden stem. It is very heavy. The stem is nice and the entire pipe is well built, but... just too much pipe.

Shire (acorn): This is probably my favorite cobbit to smoke. The bowl is just the right size for me. I usually smoke flake in it. It isn't too wide, and has an average depth. The bowl has thick walls, so it smokes cool to the touch. It isn't super long, but just perfect for the pipe that it is. The only downside is that it won't sit at all because of the sharp acorn point, but I find it very attractive and a worthwhile trade-off.

Elf: This pipe is what I was actually looking for in the Wizard. It is a deeper, slightly wider bowl (of course, with cobs, no promises on consistency), and the same length as the Shire. This pipe would have been better with a longer stem, imho. I smoke flake virginias and vaburs in this one. The walls aren't as thick as the Shire, so it will heat up to the touch a little, but not any more than any other pipe. This pipe is easier to put down and pick up, having a flat bottom. The pipe isn't too heavy, but it is just a little too long to clench and a little too short to want to baby like a full length churchwarden; you can clench it briefly and without discomfort - long enough to use both hands for a minute and return to it.

paulwansing

I appreciate the feedback.  I am glad to see @judandhispipe mention the Mark Twain as a winner since I have one on the way in the mail!  SLCarrico, what is the difference between aristocob and other sellers?  I usually purchase my cobs at whatever tobacconist I happen to be buying my tobaccos from-is there a difference in quality from one seller to the next since they are all from MM?

xDutchx

Paul, if the cobs have been upgraded by a reseller, they may have higher quality shanks, stems, or both. Probably the weak point of a MM, is the factory shank, and some folks prefer a replacement stem with better internal engineering, made from vulcanite or acrylic. I prefer the shorter nosewarmer style cobs, and usually always have 1 or 2 in my regular rotation. They just really pair well with certain tobaccos for me, and I love the nostalgia of the cob.

SLCarrico

@paulwansing Why Aristocob? First, check out Aristocob's site and watch some of the product videos. It looks to me that Scott get good amount of pipes in from MM, and then does a second filter of quality control. In other words, MM lets some things go that Scott will not. Second, Aristocob has very good pricing, sometimes less then even MM, though a dollar or two may not make a difference on a larger order placed elsewhere. Third, Aristocob offers a variety of stem and finish options on most pipes. Lastly, Aristocob is a small business and you get the personal touch from a MM pipe lover. So far, I have had great experience dealing with them. I think it is at least worth your time to check out there website.
Hope that helps.

drac2485

@paulwansing To build on @SLCarrico from what I have read, Aristocob was the original  MM online seller before MM started selling directly to the customer.  He's a great guy and has always been a pleasure ordering from.  He is a wealth of information so don't be afraid to check out Aristocob and ask him questions.

I have the wizard and it is a MONSTER of a pipe.  I have not had the courage to light it up yet as I feel it will be well over a two hour smoke for me and haven't had the time to sit and enjoy yet.  I do like those MONSTER pipes and it will be smoked and loved.  I want the rest of the cobbit series and hopefully Santa will find that I have been good this year.  Otherwise I find myself regularly rotating through my cobs, briars, and meerschaums as my preference seems to change regularly.

paulwansing

I am interested in aristocob's "nekkid" pipes.  Has anybody smoked one of their un-treated pipes?  Does it effect the smoke at all?  The more I dig into the MM pipes the more interested I become....

Aristocob

Hey paulwansing, Scott from Aristocob here, but put that aside and let me speak as a cob lover. You really can't beat the smoking pleasure of a cob, and like you I think that the Country Gentleman is hard to beat. I put the Diplomat Apple (which is currently unavailable but ill be back) and the General, the Diplomat 5th Ave, that we call the "Kolonel". As for the Cobbit series, they smoke fine and I perceive that they give a slightly cooler smoke, but because of their size you can't do much more than read a book or search on a tablet while smoking them.  The natural, unfinished or "Neked" pipes also deliver what some perceive as a cooler smoke, but they do so by radiating more heat from the sides of the bowl. I fond them unpleasant to hold, so I avoid the larger ones. I do enjoy the Neked Morgan Nosewarmer, for example.

Hope that helps.  Scott

paulwansing

Thanks Scott! I have been exploring the aristocob website quite a bit lately.  I received my Mark Twain cob (I added it onto to a large tobacco order) in the mail today and sampled Cornell and Deihl plantation evening in it and was very impressed with how it smoked.  The pipe stayed cool, the draw was smooth and the cob added that cool sweetness to the tobacco that only a cob can do.  The bent Gentleman still remains my favorite, I have a straight gentleman on the way as well so I have one for aromatics and one for unflavored blends.  I may try the Diplomat next, but the neked still interests me, I may pick one up in the near future just to ease my curiosity!

Dixcreek1

I have smoked all kinds of pipes from cheap to expensive but IMO nothing smokes better than a cob. I guess that is why I own over 30 of them. I have a Cobbit and it smokes like a champ but nothing beats The Morgan, I like them so well I own and smoke 6 of them.

paulwansing

Thought I'd hop back on to shift my question a bit, being that I am building my cellar and am up to around 10 or 12 blends I am still looking for a few more blends to add to my rotation.  Since most of the people on this thread seem to be cob aficionados-what blend do you think is superior in a cob as opposed to briar or hardwood?  I find I like latakia and/or perique exclusively in my cobs.  Many years back when I had a well seasoned briar that I occasionally smoked I tried a va/per in it and hated it, swore I'd never smoke another va/per again it was so bad (don't remember the name but this was when brick and mortar tobacco shops were where I went for my tobacco blends so the quality was decent)  I now find I love va/per blends in a large cob, my personal opinion is that the flavor is smoothed out a bit which allows me to enjoy the flavor rather than be turned off by it.  Maybe that is just my palate but to me there is a huge difference depending on which pipe the blend is smoked in

xDutchx

paul, some pipe smokers believe that different blocks of briar can vary in quality. Until a pipe is set fire to, you never really know if you have a pipe carved from fantastic tasting briar, mediocre briar, or a pipe that seems sub par no matter what blend is smoked in it. Most pipe carvers will admit, that they have certain standards for aging and drying briar, but cannot identify a superior piece of briar prior to smoking the finished pipe.

Cobs like briar are a natural product, and I would think that some cobs taste better than others. Also, I believe that chamber width and depth will affect how a particular blend tastes. Personally, I believe it has something to do with the amount of space in the pipe below the burning ember, which is a constant variable.

This aspect of pipe smoking is, I believe, the best reason to accumulate a pipe collection, far beyond what most people would consider a reasonable number.

Personally, I smoke both Latakia blends as well as Virginia blends in a cob. For me, it has more to do with matching the cut of tobacco with a particular size tobacco chamber to start, then sizing up the blend in a particular pipe as it is smoked. Sometimes when I find a pipe that really sings with a particular blend, I will dedicate it to that blend exclusively.

IMO, the answer to your question is that the best blend in a particular pipe is what YOU prefer. The time you spend discovering what you prefer, is what makes pipe smoking so rewarding. Also, opinions and preferences can change over the years, as your palate develops.

One thing that pipe smoking is not, is a rushed endeavor. I suppose that is one aspect that makes it so relaxing, and also something that causes some new pipe smokers to lose interest quickly.

Dixcreek1

I smoke every type blend in cobs and I smoke briars and clays as well. Dutch is right on the money, you never really know till you fire it up. I have some medium to expensive pipes that smoke like crap and some el cheapie that smoke like a champ but I have never smoked a bad MM cob

Woodsman

The MM Eaton and Pony Express are two "Natural" non filter pipes that always deliver a good smoke to me. They're rough feeling to hold which I don't mind at all. They both deliver a good, smooth , short smoke for me and I take them fishing with me for when I'm near the water. You can order a bag of 10 "Seconds" from MM which gets you 10 good smokers with odd small blemishes that you have to look pretty hard at to find making them the ultimate replaceable pipe. Good smoking, cool to handle. They're great to hand out to friends who are curious about smoking a pipe. Winners all around. Oh, and alco easily Customized.

paulwansing

So I received my Missouri Meerschaum grab bag of seconds today, and I am very impressed!  I got 5 legends, all straight (which works for me because I like my burley in a legend, now I have one each for Prince Albert, Granger, Velvet, half and half, and Sir Walter) one huck finn which is tiny-I never realized how small that pipe is.  One Morgan which has rapidly become one of my favorites. Also I think one is a Marcus but it has no nickel plated band so I'm not sure. Then it rounded out with a Diplomat and a washington.  Not too shabby and I can't tell why they were seconds, they look fine to me and smoke fine as well!

tomatobodhi

I think straight burleys are best in cobs. YMMV.