Dedicating pipes to blends

[PanHandler]

Collection now up to 24 pipes. Mostly briars and half a dozen MM cobs.

Up until now, I’ve separated my aro pipes from my English pipes, generally about 1/3 to aros and the rest to English. About 90% of the English blends I smoke contain Latakia, some of them fairly heavy lat bombs.

Well, as my palate evolves I find myself finally enjoying Virginias and Burleys. Just discovered FVF and after figuring out how to prepare it, I’m in love. Also really like Crooner but already have a pipe dedicated solely to that. Definitely going to start exploring as the Latakia everyday is getting boring.

Should I have pipes just for the Va/VaPers? Will the Latakia ghosted pipes change the taste of Va’s and/or Burleys? Can Va’s and Burleys share the same pipes? I do currently have a couple of new, unsmoked pipes I can dedicate to Va’s and/or Burleys.

I’m not a purist by any means as I’m still a novice but would definitely like to experience these tobaccos without interference from a pipe heavily ghosted from another blend etc. Please advise. Thanks.

 

[Zanaspus]

To my mind, the only things that leave serious ghosts are latakia and aromatics(including those of the lakeland variety). I have a couple latakia pipes as I don't smoke latakia that often. I have a lakeland pipe and an aromatic cob. Everything else gets smoked in everything else. I'm sure there'll be other opinions on this, but that's just how I do it.

 

[BriarBeagle]

To my mind, the only things that leave serious ghosts are latakia and aromatics(including those of the lakeland variety). I have a couple latakia pipes as I don't smoke latakia that often. I have a lakeland pipe and an aromatic cob. Everything else gets smoked in everything else. I'm sure there'll be other opinions on this, but that's just how I do it.

Samesies. ☝

 

[D.L.Ruth]

I just smoke whatever out of whatever. Never noticed any flavor ghosting but my palette may not be as developed.

 

[PanHandler]

OK. Thanks for the replies.

Most of my non-aro pipes have had a significant amount of Latakia smoked in them. I’ll just continue to rotate like normal and see what happens. Not trying to get too technical and like to keep it simple if I can.

 

[Zanaspus]

OK. Thanks for the replies.

Most of my non-aro pipes have had a significant amount of Latakia smoked in them. I’ll just continue to rotate like normal and see what happens. Not trying to get too technical and like to keep it simple if I can.

Two thoughts on that approach;

1) Lots of folks do it that way. Heck I've done it that way. As long as you don't have the sense of tastes on JimInks, that works fine. :lol!:

2) Ghosts are not forever. Should you decide in the future that you'd like to dedicate, five or so bowls of a strong dark burley generally kill all ghosts. (All bets are off for lakelands as I find they can pop up months down the road).

Enjoy your pipesmoking! Don't be a slave to it. :cheers:

 

[Zeno Marx]

Dig around the forum with the search function. I remember there being a few threads on this topic. Personally, I take the Alton Brown approach: a tool that can't be used for more than one thing is clutter and of little use to me. Sometimes, it can't be avoided. It is what it is. By the same token, there's the sale pile. It has to be a mind-blowing smoker if I'm even going to consider considering keeping it around for specific use. Pipes like that eventually get sold.

 

[Corncobcon]

I have two pipes I dedicate to Lakeland tobaccos, one briar and one corncob.
I also have two pipes I dedicate to cherry blends, also one briar and one corncob.
Everything else I smoke in whatever I want.

 

[KevinM]

I think it’s easier to dedicate pipes (if you’re going in that direction) to types of tobacco rather than particular blends. So you’d have pipes for English, others for Va’s and others for Aro’s. Then a bunch of “take all comers” pipes. Lakeland’s are interesting. Personally, I like a Lakeland ghost in a pipe that has had a lot of English puffed in it. It’s all personal pref.