Lingering Smell of Pipe and Cigar Smoke

jacobramsey74 · August 2022

Like a lot of us, I started out as a cigar smoker. I still love cigars, but the pipe has recently won my heart for many reasons. The one I want to talk about today is the amount of time the smell of pipe tobacco smoke lingers compared to the smell of cigar smoke. I can smoke my pipe and my wife barely notices. However, when I smoke a cigar she likes for me to take a shower as soon as I come inside. I was just wondering why that is and if anyone can explain. Have a wonderful day!

PappyJoe · August 2022

I've often wondered why cigar and cigarette smokes clings more than pipe smoke.

I have no clue, especially considering that a pipe can last for over an hour.

PappyJoe · August 2022

@jacobramsey74

Welcome to the forum.
We have a discussion for introducing new members to the forum. Please don't forget to go and introduce yourself to all the members. Tell us where you're from, what type of pipe tobacco you like, etc.

jacobramsey74 · August 2022

Thank you @PappyJoe I will do so!

opipeman · August 2022

@jacobramsey74;
I smoke my pipe in my truck all the time and when my wife isn't watching I'll have a bowl in her car while running errands and it never lingers. I smoked a cigar in my truck once years ago after a round of golf and it stunk for days. Like Pappyjoe, I have no idea why. My bride has never told me to take a shower, but she has told me I stink on occasion. Sometimes, I hadn't even smoked a cigar.

jacobramsey74 · August 2022

@opipeman
I am a bit picky about the way my car smells, but I smoke in my old VW that was my grandfather's on occasion. Smoking a pipe in an older car just feels special. My daily is off limits no matter how much I'm tempted. I guess cigar smoke is more concentrated than a pipe's. The nerd inside me wants to find out the scientific reason behind it.

opipeman · August 2022

@jacobramsey74;
Some things just defy scientific reason; like the female mind, why a car breaks down right after the warranty runs out, why there is always a witness when you fall down, why those produce plastic bags are so hard to open.

vtgrad2003 · August 2022

@jacobramsey74

I smoke Griffin's on a regular basis (basically what Davidoff sweeps up off the floor and rolls up for sale) because I can't always afford Davidoffs.

Anyway, there are some pipe tobaccos that are simply nasty smelling blends that stick to your clothes just like cigars--Perique and Latakia comes to mind...crap tobacco that smells and tastes like crap in my opinion (don't worry, everyone in here knows my aversion to these two blends), but other blends aren't cured and/or grown in the same way as cigar tobacco. What you're really smelling in a cigar is not so much the wrapper or filler as much as you are the binders. A good quality binder is cured mostly to preserve it's oil content to stay malleable--hence the name 'binder'; these oils seep into the filler as well so the after-smell is very very pungent.

Most pipe tobacco, on the other hand, is grown/cured in a very basic way that doesn't allow the leaves to retain that much oil like the leaves used for cigar binder--like cigarette tobacco, so you get far less of the pungent aroma.

Anyway, I have no idea if I'm actually correct or not, but I stand by this analysis! LOL

RockyMountainBriar · August 2022

I think cigar leaf goes through another process (fermenting), that most pipe tobaccos do not, perique being the exception. Perique is still different than cigar leaf fermenting because it is stewing in it own juices and (I think) anaerobic (no air) because of the high pressure in the barrels. I think cigar leaf may ferment in a more aerobic environment.

Like @vtgrad2003, I have no idea if I’m actually correct or not.

You want to know stink? Try a candela wrapped cigar, the Baccarat’s I have, I smoked one in my insulated 28’x35’ shop with a 12’ ceiling once….once…..it stunk up the whole shop for several days even after opening the overheads while backing my vehicles out🫢

By the way Nub Cigars are brutal that way also, I’ll never buy another.

mfresa · August 2022

@vtgrad2003, your theory sounds very plausible. You must be an economist/scientist!!

vtgrad2003 · August 2022

@mfresa

Well, I am an economist as you know, but because our forecasts are worse than your local meteorologist's, I probably can't be called a "scientist"

Londy3 · August 2022

It's very true. It's one reason why my wife doesn't mind my pipes much. However, she is definitely not a fan of any smoking at all.

jacobramsey74 · August 2022

@RockyMountainBriar
Iforgot cigar leaves are fermented! All that extra juiciness is sticking to our clothes.

ghostsofpompeii · August 2022

I've always heard that pipe tobacco smoke dissipates, whereas cigarette smoke lingers longer in the air. And it has something to do with the paper in cigarettes. Go to a BINGO game one evening in a place that allows smoking and you'll see what I mean. Cigarette smoke seems to hang in the air forever. after an evening of BINGO my eyes are red and watering ... making it appear as though I just left the funeral of a close friend or family member.

But when I'm smoking my pipe the smoke dissipates so fast it practically disappears after leaving my mouth.

True, when lighting your pipe you'll find your head momentarily enshrouded in an cloud of smoke, but once you've gotten past the initial char light and final light, you'll find yourself once more in a relatively smoke free room.

I know a good cigar is supposedly wrapped in a tobacco leaf and not paper like a cigarette - but the two are smoked in a fashion, so it's possible both cigar and cigarette share that similar lingering smoke effect. And since cigar smoke tends to be more pungent than pipe tobacco it may add to lingering aroma.

Zouave · August 2022

From time to time I stop by my friends woodshop. While there he smokes cigars like a blast furnace. I usually have a pipe or two. When ever return home, I'm usually stoped at the door and told to "strip down in the garage and head straight to the shower!" And those aren't the fun instructions. Those are the you smell like a burnt up dead racoon, keep away.

Londy3 · August 2022

Women. Can't live with em, can't live without em.

motie2 · July 5

Cigar and cigarette smoke tends to linger more than pipe tobacco smoke for a few key reasons:

1. Volume of smoke: Cigars and cigarettes generally produce a larger volume of smoke compared to pipes, leading to more smoke particles lingering in the air

2. Chemical composition: Cigarette smoke contains more tar and other sticky compounds that adhere to surfaces more readily, causing the smell to persist longer

3. Tobacco preparation: Pipe tobacco is often looser and burns at a lower temperature than tightly rolled cigars or cigarettes, potentially producing less intense smoke

4. Smoking duration: Cigars are often smoked for longer periods than pipes, allowing more time for smoke to accumulate in the environment

5. Filtration: Pipes often have a stem device that can act as a filter, potentially reducing some of the more pungent compounds in the smoke

While pipe smoke does have an odor, it generally dissipates more quickly and is often considered less offensive than cigar or cigarette smoke. However, the perception of lingering smoke can vary depending on factors such as ventilation, room size, and individual sensitivity to odors.

ghostsofpompeii · August 17

Back when many restaurants ad 'smoking' and 'non-smoking' areas, they still didn't allow pipe of cigar smokers in the 'smoking' section. I can understand the cigar aspect, because many cigars have a pretty district off-putting aroma. But for the most part, pipe smoke is of a more pleasant nature. Especially many of the aromatic blends. I find cigarette smoke much more off-putting than pipe smoke. And not just because I'm a pipe smoker.

Londy3 · August 24

Speaking of cigars.....🤣😂🤣😂

https://youtu.be/NaSshTCb3cc?si=WzSkP1s8yizo10iZ

opipeman · August 24

@ghostsofpompeii;
I agree.

Lingering Smell of Pipe and Cigar Smoke

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