Help me find my first pipe and baccy

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gonefishing

gonefishing

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Well, I am new to pipes.... like so new I don't have one!! I need advice on which pipe to select, and the best quality baccy I can find. I smoke about two cigars a day in the $15-$20 range, if that helps. I would like a nice quality pipe, but not a very expensive one to start out. Now baccy is another story, I would like advice on the "best" quality tobacco to smoke. I guess if I am going to smoke, smoke the best :D I don't think I would be into aromatics, I smoke Opus X, Padron 64's, 26's, GOF's, etc... I like the apple and bulldog style bowls. Are these good? Thanks in advance! :D
 
Go to smokingpipes.com... Pick out a Stanwell or two that suits your eye...

Go to the tinned and the bulk tobacco sections and read the desciptors of the GL Pease tobaccos and/or Gawith Hoggarth & Co tobaccos... Any of them that sounds good to you will be.. Neither blender makes a bad blend.... Don't worry about the supposed nicotene or body bombs... If your used to opus no blend from either of them will bother you in that department..
I'm going to suggest you try GLP Blackpoint, Embarkadero (sp).. And GH&Co Dark Birdseye. That ought to get you started in the right direction at least
 
puros_bran":yrsjns1j said:
Go to smokingpipes.com... Pick out a Stanwell or two that suits your eye...

Go to the tinned and the bulk tobacco sections and read the desciptors of the GL Pease tobaccos and/or Gawith Hoggarth & Co tobaccos... Any of them that sounds good to you will be.. Neither blender makes a bad blend.... Don't worry about the supposed nicotene or body bombs... If your used to opus no blend from either of them will bother you in that department..
I'm going to suggest you try GLP Blackpoint, Embarkadero (sp).. And GH&Co Dark Birdseye. That ought to get you started in the right direction at least
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I second the Stanwells. I've had one for about 10 years and in retrospect, it smokes better than many of my more expensive pipes.

On tobacco. To ease the transition from stogies you might want to try some pipe tobacco blends that include cigar leaf. That way you have something you know you already like mixed with different commonly used pipe tobacco. Some possibilities include GL Pease Robusto and Key Largo, Cornell&Diehl Habana Daydream, and McClelland Dominican Glory and Dominican Glory Maduro. All tobacco from those blenders are top tier. Let us know what you choose.
 
Thanks for the info....Im looking at a Stanwell Colonial. Is this a good pipe for 80 bucks?
 
I like the Colonial finish, but it's mostly a matter of what you like looks-wise--the Stan midgrades are reliable smokers for the price in any finish/shape.

The prices at smokingpipes tend to be (I think) quite fair for the market. (If that's where you're looking, be aware SP update their site on Monday and Thursday nights, so you might want to wait a few hours and see if they've added something you like even better.)
 
You really can't go wrong with Stanwells. I only own one but I have a small rotation. It's a great smoker and I can't recall anyone talking bad about them in the few years I've been around pipe forums.

Tobacco is such an individual thing it's hard to recommend a good start. My first non aromatic tobacco I really started to enjoy was a Virginia/Perique flake. Escudo may be a good start?
 
Yes $80 bucks is reasonable...

You can find them a wee small bit cheaper, and a lot more expensive.


The benefit of shopping at one place (and its why I suggested sp.com) is the free shipping deals once you break the plane..
 
Doc Manhattan":x4m9rmwp said:
I like the Colonial finish, but it's mostly a matter of what you like looks-wise--the Stan midgrades are reliable smokers for the price in any finish/shape.

The prices at smokingpipes tend to be (I think) quite fair for the market. (If that's where you're looking, be aware SP update their site on Monday and Thursday nights, so you might want to wait a few hours and see if they've added something you like even better.)
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Nice! Thanks for the update :D
 
I would just like to add that it would take weeks to get these responses on the cigar forum. I really do appreciate everyone, who is helping me "find my way" It's like being lost and trying to find directions :lol:
 
Escudo is great but I don't reccomend it to newb..

Here's why:

There is a learning curve on a pipe. Tobacco humidity, packing , smoking technique, etc..

He already has a strike against him because he's a cigar smoker.... For the most part pipe tobacco presents more flavor but less body... The newb piper coming from cigars will try to puff harder to compensate and end up burning his tongue..

The tobaccos I suggested are 'big' and forgiving.. Escudo is a righteous joy when you get it right on ... It will destroy your mouth when its not..

Come to think of it, I think I'll add GL Pease Cumberland to the list too... Easy to smoke, huge body for a pipe, and a good whallop of nicotene.
 
Looks like a nice shape. Not too much bend so pipe cleaners shouldn't be too much trouble to get through as long as the drilling is where it should be. One thing to consider about smooth finishes as opposed to sandblast or rustic is that the smooth will show dings and such much more than the others. You can see how the pits show up pretty well on the side of that one. If it were a sandblast or a rustic finish those would be more difficult to detect. Not a problem at all though, if you are carefull with your pipes or you just don't care.

Pretty sure this one is the same shape in the Majestic finish which is just a matte reddish color. It is a bit lower in price: http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/stanwell/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=54776

The Majestic and the sandblasts are the finishes I like in the standard Stanwell lineup, but really all that matters is what you like.
 
Another plus for sandblasts and rusticated pipes is that they are waaaaaaaaay less likely to have fills... No sense going through the trouble, just rusticate or blast a little more...
 
OH YEAH!

One other thing that occured to me while on the on the toilet and in the shower (I know...TMI, but does anyone else think about pipes at times like these or is it just me?):

Your first pipe should probably actually be two pipes, one of which is a corn cob pipe.

Dollar for dollar there is no better value in the tobacco world. Your briar will need to rest, and you may want another bowl. Rather than invest in another briar before you have even tried a pipe, drop the extra ~$5 and pick up a Missouri Meerschaum corn cob. Hell, if you are really worried about dropping the coin on something you may not like, just get the cob. Briars are sexy, no doubt about it, but that goofy lookin' old corn cob deserves just as much respect. I abuse the crap out of my cobs and they just keep on smoking like nobody's business.
 
Frost, I already ordered a CC from Dave with the nice stem :D Now, to that cart at Smokingpipes.com..... :shock: :shock:
 
gonefishing":itju4977 said:
Frost, I already ordered a CC from Dave with the nice stem :D Now, to that cart at Smokingpipes.com..... :shock: :shock:
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That's some fine work! You'll have PAD in no time. :lol:
 
As a cigar smoker you would likely appreciate J.F.Germain's "Brown Flake" as it's flavor is very cigarlike to most palates. You may also try G.L.Pease's "Robusto" which has a good bit of cigar leaf. My old friend Sailorman Jack was famous for breaking up a cigar and mixing it with a quality english to make his own blend. I never had much luck with this but that shouldn't stop you from trying :lol:
 
Morning I have 4 stanwells some old and some newer and they all smoke well. On your tobacco I would pass on the dark star its a difficult blend to deal with. If you want a McClelland I would pick blackwoods flake or va27 dry them a bit and rub them out nice and easy to smoke just smoke slow and easy.
 
By the way, welcome to pipe smoking. You might as well just plan on giving a huge portion of your paycheck every payday to the hobby. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
 
raf66":f5uv60b3 said:
By the way, welcome to pipe smoking. You might as well just plan on giving a huge portion of your paycheck every payday to the hobby. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
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Good thing I have lots of it! 8) By the way, was stationed at WPAFB in Dayton. I used to come to OSU games at the shoe all the time, in the days of Galloway, George, Pace, Glenn, etc... Go BUCKS!!!
 
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