new to a pipe, what was i missing

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gurkhafanatic

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I've been lurking on this forum for a while and finally joined up. My name is Justin and I discovered when I was 18 that I liked tobacco. It wasn't a pipe of course, it was the usual around here. Marlboro reds. That turned into camels and finally into Newport's (I know..... shame..... but look its Atlanta and around here its normal). When I met the woman who is now my wife she had a problem with smoking so against my better judgement I stopped smoking. I had smoked cigars from time to time as I could afford them and tried a pipe. I failed miserably due to trying to smoke the pipe like s cigarette. After i met my wife and discovered she only had a problem with cigarettes, but not with cigars or pipes, I started smoking cigars again. Unfortunately I am addicted to gurkhas, and the ones I like tend to be in the 15 bucks. I'm 25 and I don't make a ton of money so this was problematic. I bought a basket pipe from a local tobacco shop to try and learn pipe smoking because its alot cheaper. Eventually learned well enough to be satisfied with it and purchased a Dr grabow (it smokes better than the basket pipe) and I have to say I'm hooked. I've tried many aromatics and a few Virginia ribbon cut blends and so far haven't had a single tobacco I didn't like. We bought our first house in august and after alot of sweat equity I've managed to put together a smoking lounge that I'm happy with for the moment (pictures attached). I typically smoke a pipe on the drive to work and another in the lounge at night. Occasionally I throw in a cigar (once or twice a week). The lounge is equipped with a 65 inch TV with surround sound (I've been an audiophile since I got into car audio in high school so the surround sound will bring down the ceiling tiles), and a marble top bar (this is where the sweat equity came in to play. A friend of mine and I built it just before Christmas). Based on ratings by cigar afficianado I got a a rabbit air purifier for the lounge to knock the smell down. I don't mind the smell, but I entertain from time to time and the rabbit knocks the smell back enough so that you can tell its a smoking room but its not obnoxious, so I'm happy with it.

I still struggle with smoking the pipe a bit hot. Not sure if its my packing method or just smoking too fast, but I'm hoping it can only improve with time like a good scotch. Anyways I'm looking forward to diving deep into this hobby and in happy to say I can't get enough of this forum.


Please excuse the box fans. The recent storms we got here in GA informed me my french drain was flooded by soaking my carpet so I've been steam cleaning and drying.
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Hello Justin and welcome to BoB, by heavens, that is one heck of a smoking room you got there, you need to be careful posting pictures of cool smoking rooms kitted out with a cool telly set up, you'll find a steady stream of hairy blokes turning up with pipes in hand and squatting in your smoking room asking where the baccy tins is. ;)
 
Welcome, and great smoking room. In regards to smoking too hot, a lot of folks have the same problem for many different reasons.

For me, I was packing too tight which required a lot more work to keep it lit, which made it hotter. Now I pack less tight and tamp "lightly" more often. You could definitely be smoking too fast as well. It takes a while to get into a good rhythm. There are a lot of variables.

I try to think of it like lighting a campfire. You need enough space between the wood for oxygen to get in, but you need the wood stacked closely enough that one piece catches the other on fire.

Lighting it correctly from the beginning is also very helpful. Get a nice char going covering the entire top. Then tamp a bit and light again being sure to get the entire top going, not just the middle.

There is TONS of great information here about "how to". You'll get it. It just takes time and practice.
 
Growley":ngjtbt9f said:
Welcome, and great smoking room. In regards to smoking too hot, a lot of folks have the same problem for many different reasons.

For me, I was packing too tight which required a lot more work to keep it lit, which made it hotter. Now I pack less tight and tamp "lightly" more often. You could definitely be smoking too fast as well. It takes a while to get into a good rhythm. There are a lot of variables.

I try to think of it like lighting a campfire. You need enough space between the wood for oxygen to get in, but you need the wood stacked closely enough that one piece catches the other on fire.

Lighting it correctly from the beginning is also very helpful. Get a nice char going covering the entire top. Then tamp a bit and light again being sure to get the entire top going, not just the middle.

There is TONS of great information here about "how to". You'll get it. It just takes time and practice.
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That's a great analogy. I had never thought of packing that way. I gave it a shot with my basket pipe on the way to lunch and I'll be damned if it didn't smoke cool and draw a lot easier. Maybe that pipe isn't such a turd after all! Thanks for the tips.
 
Nice place you've got there, Gurk. Welcome to the forum. I've never really met a Gurkha I didn't like. Do you have a favorite?
 
George Kaplan":kcidveag said:
Nice place you've got there, Gurk. Welcome to the forum. I've never really met a Gurkha I didn't like. Do you have a favorite?
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To date my favorite is the black dragon. Not too picky about size but I do prefer a larger ring gauge.
 
Cool smoking room! I like the way you have displayed the cigar boxes on the wall, and used them as shelves for items. 8)
 
Dutch":quuuhk3h said:
Cool smoking room! I like the way you have displayed the cigar boxes on the wall, and used them as shelves for items. 8)
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Believe it or not the cigar boxes came about because of my wife. She likes them so it became a reason to go to tobacco shops. Then when we bought the house hanging them on the wall down there was her idea and it gives her something to add to the room so that she can enjoy it as well. So now if we go on a trip or are just out cruising around on a Sunday we stop at cigar shops along the way, I pick up a cigar or a new pipe tobacco, and she sifts through all their boxes looking for a good one to add to the wall.
 
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