Greeting fellow Pipe smokers!

Started by The Mad Professor, 09/30/2011 12:26 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

The Mad Professor

Pleasantly surprised to find a pipe side over here!  Greetings all!

Just came over to this forum today to check it out and meet new people.  I'm a pipe smoker and occasional cigar smoker.  Been enjoying some GH&Co samples lately (Happy Bogie, Ennerdale, LPF, and KK), with Kendal Kentucky being my fav of the bunch.  My daily smoke would have to be LNF, although I'm aging my current supply to experiment.  I have a decent collection of pipes, for the moment:  3 clay goudas, MMs, about 10 estate briars, 2 Falcon estates, and a few calabash estates too.  I really enjoy restoring old pipes when I have time.

I look forward to meeting all of you and talking about pie smoking together!

Joe, aka The Mad Professor

Hot Stuff x

quite a collection you have there.   I have enough pipes for a 7 day rotation, but don't smoke them that often.   I don't dedicate my pipes to any particular blends, but if I started smoking a lot a probaby would.  Although I do tend to stick to certain pipes for aromatics and others for non-aros.
LES
Guru of Morning Calm and Oriental Wisdom


_________________
"So I feel like I've cheated on a wife or long time lover... this is your damn fault Les, you sent me that first Tatuaje!!!!!!  You introduced us!!"  - Bob Cordell

"You got me started on both the Liberty and the Christian's Blend, Les. Now my kids won't be able to go to college." - Brlesq

The Mad Professor

Hi Les,
It looks like a lot of pipes on paper, but I can never find one I want when I feel like smoking, or so it seems.  Constantly cleaning a couple also keeps the rotation down.  I don't dedicate pipes either, but I won't smoke tobaccos that ghost (like Ennerdale) from my daily briars.  For that it's either cobs, clays, or the briars I don't care about!  :-)
Smoking any good blends lately?

Ken Kelley

Tobaccos that "ghost"? What means this "ghost"? I am cigar smoker and know not pipe terms. Please to excuse ignorance.
Guru of Benign Curmudgeonliness, Imperfect Patience, and Reluctant Toleration.



gitfiddl

QuoteAlphairon - 10/2/2011  5:11 PM

Tobaccos that "ghost"? What means this "ghost"? I am cigar smoker and know not pipe terms. Please to excuse ignorance.

Me, too.  I'm a casual pipe smoker (or was; it's been about a six months), but my Dad used to smoke 'em all the time and I spent many a Saturday afternoon as a kid playing chess or checkers in the local Edward's franchise.  I've never heard that term used.
Self-appointed Guru of Pass Container Sizing,  All Things Midgetly Stripperish, and general "Stirrer of the Puddin'".

The Mad Professor

#5
Some tobaccos are very pungent and the flavor/aroma will linger in your pipe, effecting subsequent bowls.  This is known as a ghost flavor/aroma.  Most often accused of ghosting pipes are Lakeland blends, Latakia blends, and some aromatics.  

Some pipe smokers chose to dedicate pipes for specific blends to avoid ghosting.  Many pipe smokers don't care that much, but might still attempt to avoid crossing strong flavors in one pipe.  Another solution is to smoke strong flavors from a clay or cob, which won't ghost like briar.  

All the more reason to have a large rotation with plenty of cobs, so you don't ghost your favorite pipe with some new blend you are trying out.

87North

And that ladies and gentlemen is why he's a professor.   :shades:   I've been slowly sampling some of the GH & Co. flakes myself.  So far just the Brown flake and the Kendall, which is pretty good by itself, but the brown flake on it's own is a little bland for me... I did find however that when blended with a healthy pinch of McClelland Bombay Extra, it becomes darned tasty.   :confused:
Guru of "Sarcastic Wit and Folksy Wisdom"

Ken Kelley

#7
QuoteThe Mad Professor - 10/2/2011  5:39 PM

Some tobaccos are very pungent and the flavor/aroma will linger in your pipe, effecting subsequent bowls.  This is known as a ghost flavor/aroma.  Most often accused of ghosting pipes are Lakeland blends, Latakia blends, and some aromatics.  

Some pipe smokers chose to dedicate pipes for specific blends to avoid ghosting.  Many pipe smokers don't care that much, but might still attempt to avoid crossing strong flavors in one pipe.  Another solution is to smoke strong flavors from a clay or cob, which won't ghost like briar.  

All the more reason to have a large rotation with plenty of cobs, so you don't ghost your favorite pipe with some new blend you are trying out.

Thanks for the info. I was kinda thinking that might be the case but now I know.

By the way, pipe smokers, do we have a glossary of pipe terms readily available?
Guru of Benign Curmudgeonliness, Imperfect Patience, and Reluctant Toleration.



gitfiddl

QuoteThe Mad Professor - 10/2/2011  5:39 PM

Some tobaccos are very pungent and the flavor/aroma will linger in your pipe, effecting subsequent bowls.  This is known as a ghost flavor/aroma.  Most often accused of ghosting pipes are Lakeland blends, Latakia blends, and some aromatics.  

Some pipe smokers chose to dedicate pipes for specific blends to avoid ghosting.  Many pipe smokers don't care that much, but might still attempt to avoid crossing strong flavors in one pipe.  Another solution is to smoke strong flavors from a clay or cob, which won't ghost like briar.  

All the more reason to have a large rotation with plenty of cobs, so you don't ghost your favorite pipe with some new blend you are trying out.

Thanks for the explanation.  I remember Dad always having a little yellow bottle of something that he'd swab the bowls of his pipes with every now and then.  All his pipes were briar, with the exception of a couple of Meerschaums.

Self-appointed Guru of Pass Container Sizing,  All Things Midgetly Stripperish, and general "Stirrer of the Puddin'".

Ken Kelley

Quotegitfiddl - 10/2/2011  6:45 PM

QuoteThe Mad Professor - 10/2/2011  5:39 PM

Some tobaccos are very pungent and the flavor/aroma will linger in your pipe, effecting subsequent bowls.  This is known as a ghost flavor/aroma.  Most often accused of ghosting pipes are Lakeland blends, Latakia blends, and some aromatics.  

Some pipe smokers chose to dedicate pipes for specific blends to avoid ghosting.  Many pipe smokers don't care that much, but might still attempt to avoid crossing strong flavors in one pipe.  Another solution is to smoke strong flavors from a clay or cob, which won't ghost like briar.  

All the more reason to have a large rotation with plenty of cobs, so you don't ghost your favorite pipe with some new blend you are trying out.

Thanks for the explanation.  I remember Dad always having a little yellow bottle of something that he'd swab the bowls of his pipes with every now and then.  All his pipes were briar, with the exception of a couple of Meerschaums.


Yeah, I remember my dad had a bottle with yellow stuff in it too, and pipe cleaners, little paper cylinders that smelled bad, and the like. Pipes sound like they might take as much maintenance as a good gun.
Guru of Benign Curmudgeonliness, Imperfect Patience, and Reluctant Toleration.



cocon

:welcome:  - I don't smoke a pipe yet, but I am willing to learn......
WOOOOO - Ric Flair

Train, say your prayers, and eat your vitamins - Hulk Hogan

The Mad Professor

Quote87North - 10/2/2011  3:12 PM

And that ladies and gentlemen is why he's a professor.   :shades:  

@87 North - Shucks, I guess it just permeates my nature.  :rolleyes:

Is that the Kendal Flake your smoking there or Kendal Kentucky?  I want to try the flake after enjoying the KK so much.  There are a lot of blends that I have acquired some of only to realizes I didn't like it, and I keep strong aromatics on hand stuff to cut them.  My fav for that is CAO Cherry Bomb -- I could pack dog s$%t in my pipe with a little of that on top and probably not tell.  What I'm trying to say is mixing blends is a fun parts about smoking pipes, and a great way to keep from throwing  so-so blends out!

@ Gitfiddl and Alphairon - I'm sure it was a brand name pipe sweetener in those yellow bottles, but I have always used alcohol to clean and sweeten mine.  When they start tasting sour I'll wipe the bowl with some Everclear.  Can't remember all the reasoning behind it -- tars and oils seep into the wood and go rancid, and the alcohol draws them out and sanitizes, or something like that.

Fortunately it's a little easier to maintain a briar pipe than a gun, but very akin.  I run a pipe cleaner through after every smoke.   Sweeten as needed, ream the cake in the bowl back as needed.  If they go too long without being smoked, or for an estate pipe, I do a full cleaning.  Also if the stem is vulcanite, that will oxidize and also needs to be cleaned regularly.  Also, to have my pipes look nice I wipe and buff them too with carnuba wax (both bowl and stem).

Meerschaums and calabashes require beeswax on the meerschaum to keep it from being stained by oils in your skin I think?  :confused:

All this I why I smoke my cobs so much, and why I recommend for people to start with cobs.  So much less maintenance, and for $7 when it does taste awful or has a burnout, I chuck it and buy a new one.  Still run a pipe cleaner thru after every bowl though.

Err, sorry for the long post!

Robert LG

Wow it looks like we have an edumacated new geek.  Excellent information and I have never even smoked a pipe.  They seem to be a bit tedious to me but all of this great info is tempting me.  Good work Professor!
Rob

RoscozRevenge

All this pipe talk is definitely piquing my interest... Me thinks I'm gonna have to score myself a cob and some baccy for the winter  :-)
"If anyone gets nosy, just...you know... shoot 'em. "
-Malcolm Reynolds

Olejay

QuoteRoscozRevenge - 10/2/2011  8:11 PMAll this pipe talk is definitely piquing my interest... Me thinks I'm gonna have to score myself a cob and some baccy for the winter  :-)

I've been thinking this for a while now too Dan!
Jay  

Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics - Fletcher Knebel






87North

QuoteThe Mad Professor - 10/2/2011  7:54 PM

Quote87North - 10/2/2011  3:12 PM

And that ladies and gentlemen is why he's a professor.   :shades:  

@87 North - Shucks, I guess it just permeates my nature.  :rolleyes:

Is that the Kendal Flake your smoking there or Kendal Kentucky?  I want to try the flake after enjoying the KK so much.  There are a lot of blends that I have acquired some of only to realizes I didn't like it, and I keep strong aromatics on hand stuff to cut them.  My fav for that is CAO Cherry Bomb -- I could pack dog s$%t in my pipe with a little of that on top and probably not tell.  What I'm trying to say is mixing blends is a fun parts about smoking pipes, and a great way to keep from throwing  so-so blends out!

@ Gitfiddl and Alphairon - I'm sure it was a brand name pipe sweetener in those yellow bottles, but I have always used alcohol to clean and sweeten mine.  When they start tasting sour I'll wipe the bowl with some Everclear.  Can't remember all the reasoning behind it -- tars and oils seep into the wood and go rancid, and the alcohol draws them out and sanitizes, or something like that.

Fortunately it's a little easier to maintain a briar pipe than a gun, but very akin.  I run a pipe cleaner through after every smoke.   Sweeten as needed, ream the cake in the bowl back as needed.  If they go too long without being smoked, or for an estate pipe, I do a full cleaning.  Also if the stem is vulcanite, that will oxidize and also needs to be cleaned regularly.  Also, to have my pipes look nice I wipe and buff them too with carnuba wax (both bowl and stem).

Meerschaums and calabashes require beeswax on the meerschaum to keep it from being stained by oils in your skin I think?  :confused:

All this I why I smoke my cobs so much, and why I recommend for people to start with cobs.  So much less maintenance, and for $7 when it does taste awful or has a burnout, I chuck it and buy a new one.  Still run a pipe cleaner thru after every bowl though.

Err, sorry for the long post!

It is the kendall flake that I've been enjoying.  As for the unscented brown flake that I've been mixing w/ the Bombay Extra, It isn't bad, you can tell that it's a quality stoved Virginia, but it just doesn't offer up a lot of flavor.  Seems that the orientals and perique in the McClelland balance it just right and really round out the flavor.  :confused:
Guru of "Sarcastic Wit and Folksy Wisdom"

hardeveningsuburb

#16
Yay, we have a dedicated pipe guy on the board, and an extremely knowledgeable one at that!  I like to smoke a pipe from time to time, but I don't know nearly enough about the intricacies of the art; after nearly 5 years of dabbling in pipe smoking, I still consider myself a relative novice.  It'll be great getting to soak up all the valuable info!  Keep it coming, Professor!  

My pipe credentials: I've got a Peterson Aran bent apple, a Savinelli Roma poker (rusticated), a Brad Pohlmann Dublin (a gift; I could never afford to buy one of his pipes myself, no matter how basic), a CAO Calabash (got it as an estate pipe, cleaned it up and eventually upgraded it with a new bowl), and upwards of 15 MM cobs (my favorite being the natural Missouri Pride).  

My favorite blends are Westminster by G.L. Pease, Grand Orientals: Classic Samsun and Smyrna no. 1 by McClelland, Escudo Navy Flake, Blakeney's Best Bayou Slices and Frog Morton by McClelland, and the Stokkebye Navy, Twist and Bullseye flakes (my absolute favorite of these being the Twist).  I'm not the biggest fan of aromatics, but my favorite B&M has a blend called Bourbon Nut Cake that I really enjoy every now and again.  

Anyway, glad to have you here.  I look forward to more discussions!   :-)
"After people get to know me, they all say I drink a lot of beer. I don't deny it either. Why should I? I'm not ashamed of beer." - Richard Brautigan

The Mad Professor

Thanks for all the responses guys!  Makes me feel real welcome! :-)

In hopes of pushing you guys on the fence over into pipe smoking, a wrote a (huge haha) post about why you should smoke pipes, and a bit on how to get started.  Hope it helps you guys!

@87 North - Excellent, I'll have to try the flake next time!  I know what you mean about a quality tobacco that just doesn't have much flavor.  That's the best to blend with other stuff.  You just can't really save crappy (quality, not taste) tobacco, it's beyond help.  ;-)

@Hardeveningsuburb - You have quite a collection of pipes there!  Real quality!  Mine are all on the cheap since I've also been learning to restore them.  I love me some calabashes tho!  Three isn't enough, I need a Kaywoodie!

Good choices on the blends.  Pease is next on my list to try, had to do some GH&Co first.  I'm not too fond of latakia, but he had some blends without that looked good.  I love the Stokkebye Luxury blends too, LNF is my fav.  I'd normally say I'm a VA/Per man, but this GH&Co stuff has me reflecting on burleys as well.  Gotta love that nic hit!

As far as aromatics, my favorites are McClellend's Premium Aromatic line.  Town Topic is my fav blend of these, but they are all great.  Super high quality aros!  I've been really enjoying some "not-so-aro" aros too, like Dunhill Royal Yacht and Ennerdale (Lakeland).  You ever try them?

hardeveningsuburb

#18
QuoteThe Mad Professor - 10/3/2011  11:03 PM

Good choices on the blends.  Pease is next on my list to try, had to do some GH&Co first.  I'm not too fond of latakia, but he had some blends without that looked good.  I love the Stokkebye Luxury blends too, LNF is my fav.  I'd normally say I'm a VA/Per man, but this GH&Co stuff has me reflecting on burleys as well.  Gotta love that nic hit!

As far as aromatics, my favorites are McClellend's Premium Aromatic line.  Town Topic is my fav blend of these, but they are all great.  Super high quality aros!  I've been really enjoying some "not-so-aro" aros too, like Dunhill Royal Yacht and Ennerdale (Lakeland).  You ever try them?

I've only ever tried Westminster from Pease, but it's great if you don't mind a bit of Latakia.  It's a very smooth, leathery, creamy English.  I can't wait until the weather gets cooler so I can get some out!  (I tend to only smoke my pipes with regularity in the Fall/Winter months.)  I have various single, unopened tins of quite a few of the other Pease blends, but I'd like to give them some age before I open them.  I've learned that I like my Virginias to be aged at least two years if at all possible, and a lot of the Pease I have is Virginia-based.  I also have an unopened tin of Odyssey, which I hear is an insane Latakia bomb.  I'm going to wait a few years on that one as well.  Most people I've talked to have said it's a bit much if smoked fresh, but that a couple years smooths it out.  

Stokkebye LNF is indeed a wonderful flake, and reasonably priced, at least at my B&M.  Definitely one of my favorite Va/Pers; just the right amount of Perique for regular smoking.  It tends to fly out of the jar quicker than they can replace it though, so I began dabbling in the Twist Flake.  I wasn't the biggest fan of it at first, but it really grew on me.  You have to smoke it real, real slow, otherwise it can be kind of bland and bitey.  But when I smoke it slow, I get a wonderful sweetness with an almost fruity character, and a nice tanginess that makes my mouth water.  I have some that I jarred last year.  I can't wait to pop it this year and see how it's coming along.  

I really need to try some GH&Co.  For some reason, I haven't tried any of their blends yet.  They come very highly recommended to me though.  I'll have to hunt some down to sample this year.  

I totally forgot about the McClelland Premium Aromatics.  I really enjoyed Tastemaster for a while, but then I ran out and forgot to buy more because I became infatuated with their Grand Orientals, particularly the Classic Samsun.  I also tried the Captian Cool, which I didn't enjoy that much; a bit too mild for my tastes.  However, I gave the remainder of my tin to a friend and he loved it, so it was all for the best.  I have a tin of Mellow Mack in the cabinet, but I haven't tried it yet.  Have you?  If so, what'd you think?

I've never tried any of the Dunhill blends, but they're on my list.  Would you recommend Royal Yacht?  What's it like?

Long post, my apologies.   :-)

EDIT: grammar.
"After people get to know me, they all say I drink a lot of beer. I don't deny it either. Why should I? I'm not ashamed of beer." - Richard Brautigan

The Mad Professor

#19
Quotehardeveningsuburb - 10/3/2011  10:20 PM

Long post, my apologies.   :-)

EDIT: grammar.

No worries, I like long posts.  They make for good conversation.  Just takes me longer to formulate my response and get back to you! ;-)

You can get GH&Co blends in bulk by the single ounce from PipesandCigars.com.  I bought 1oz each of 5 different blends that I read reviews on and had to try.  They all ran around $5 per ounce.  The price drops if you buy more, but for the option to try just a one ounce to sample I was happy to pay the premium.  GH&Co are often strong and natural tobaccos (some say cigar-like), but some are Lakeland (like Ennerdale) which is known for it's "soapy" floral flavor.  I enjoy it but others don't, it certainly is strong and distinctive.  I read reviews and suggest the same.

In case your B&M runs out again, I buy my Stokkebye's from WVSmokeshop.com.  There shipping to CA is funky, check the shipping to your area before commiting.  It is cheaper for me to get 3 separate 8oz orders, with individual shipping, than it is for my to buy the 1.5 pound bag all at once.  But it is cheap!  Lil Brown Smoke Shack also had good prices if I remember.  It is afully cool that your B&M stocks it though.  Mine uses McC blending tobacco and also have a healthy tin selection of mostly McC, some Dunhill, and a few CAO tins.  I've been bombing the tobacconist with my other blends, including LNF, trying to convince them to broaden the selection! ;-)

My B&M has sample tins of all the Premium Aros, except Captain Cool, so got to try them before buying.  Mellow Mack is a little nutty and sweet, like pecan pie or Cherrios or something.  I enjoyed it, but didn't buy it since I liked the Town Topic more (Maple Syrup flavor).  Like the others, the casing is present but not too strong, and the quality is superb.  
I have a tin of Smyrna No 1 just sitting around... I should really open it!  :biggrin:

About Dunhill, they are English of course and are known for their English Blends, which I don't smoke because of the latakia.  Others RAVE about them though, especially EMP, Nightcap, and My Mix 965.  I have only enjoyed the Royal Yacht blend, but I need to try a couple more.  Royal Yacht (RY) is an aromatic with a slight plum or currant flavor, but very heavy in nicotine.  It's pleasant tasting, but very lightly cased. It is certainly quality tobacco.  I enjoy it all day long, and usually start my day off with it, and yes I highly recommend it.  I also recommend having a drink handy because the vitamin-N will dry out your mouth about halfway through.  And EAT beforehand too!  
Their Deluxe Navy Rolls (VA/Per) and their VA Flake are on my list to try soon too.

Damn, all this talk about tobacco and I haven't even had my first pipe of the day yet.  I better get to packing!

hardeveningsuburb

#20
Very good info, Professor!  I'll most definitely be ordering some of those tobaccos from the sites you mentioned, likely in the very near future.  I'll certainly give the GH&Co. a try.  I've never had a blend with the Lakeland taste you mention, but I'll give it a shot and see if it sticks/grows on me.  I really didn't like Latakia blends at first, but now I can't get enough of them.  Maybe I'll have a similar experience with those GH&Co. blends.  

Also, very good to know that I can get Stokkebye's LNF in bulk online.  I will certainly do so when next my B&M is out of it.  It will inevitably happen.  I was talking to the manager of the store yesterday and he said that LNF has become the most popular flake they sell by a pretty large margin, and that he'll be ordering greater quantities to address this popularity.  Good news for me!   :dancing:

Thanks also for your thoughts on Mellow Mack and Town Topic.  I'll try both very soon.  And I highly recommend cracking that tin of Smyrna no. 1, it's fantastic stuff if you're big on Orientals (I am).  If it doesn't quite float your boat, I'd suggest Classic Samsun or the Drama Reserve.  Those three tobaccos are some of my absolute favorites.
"After people get to know me, they all say I drink a lot of beer. I don't deny it either. Why should I? I'm not ashamed of beer." - Richard Brautigan

87North

I just got my last batches of Stokkebye's  LNF and some GH&Co. Kendall flake from smokingpipes.com.  So far the best prices I've found but I've not checked out the prices at the sites the Prof. mentioned.  As for the Dunhill's I really like the London mix which I sometimes pick up if I order cigars from JR.  I've got a tin of MyMixture 965 in the cellar that I plan on opening when I've smoked down some of the Cornell and Diehl blends that I've gotten but have been, thus far, underwhelming.  I've also become partial to John Aylesbury's Finest British.  A nice even handed english blend with some latakia but not overpowering in that department and a nice sweet virginia base with I think a slight casing.  Pretty good value too.   :confused:
Guru of "Sarcastic Wit and Folksy Wisdom"

The Mad Professor

Sorry guys, busy the last couple days.
It's my buddies b-day today so we're grabbing our pipes and hitting the town.  Certainly going to the B&M, probably to the British pub, and I'm sure their will be some game of pool in-between.  Gotta bring appropriate blends for each setting!

@Hardeveningsuburb - I'll certainly crack that tin soon. I didn't buy it to age, I got it to be a change of pace when I needed it, guess I haven't been bored lately.  I sampled the Drama Reserve and Smyrna No1 at my B&M awhile back.  I thought I remember liking the Smyrna, but I know I wasn't impressed by the Drama Reserve.  As 87North put it above, underwhelmed.  How is the Classic Samsun?  

@87North - Underwhelmed, except with nicotine, is how I would describe the two C&D samples I've had.  I'm aging the Old Joe Krantz I have to see if it improves.  Another site I like is 4noggings.com.  My problem is that all the sites only stock certain things and their prices are all different, some good some bad.  On a certain item one site might be better, but overall they all seem to be similar.  Inventory and their shipping prices are more of a determining factor for which site I use anymore.

Wow, all this talk about these great blends has me wondering what the heck am I gonna smoke today?!


   
Privacy Policy     Terms of Service
Copyright © 2007-2024 Cigar Geeks, Inc. All rights reserved.