Newbie - some questions

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banjo playa

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Hi all,

Been reading this forum for the past week ever since I've taken up my new hobby - putting the kid to sleep and having a bowl of Carter Hall in a corncob.

I purchased a Missouri Meerschaum from CVS but I can't tell which one it is. A Country Gentleman came in the mail today. As I'm smoking, a few technical questions keep coming up.

1) Hand or mouth? Do you hold the pipe while you are smoking it or let it dangle from your mouth. I personally think it's quite uncomfortable letting it dangle because I can't breathe without inhaling smoke. Additionally, saliva starts going down the tube. Is this normal? How do people keep the pipe in their mouth the entire time its burning?

When you hold it in your mouth, where do you clench it? Front teeth? Back teeth on the side?

2) Filters? Both corncobs came with filters. I thought they were kind of gross so I took them out. Is that OK?

3) How long to let them dry? After a smoke, how long should I let the cob dry? Now that I have 2 I can alternate each night.

4) Carter Hall? After looking around, it seems that Carter Hall never lets anyone down so I went for that. Think that's a good first choice or should I try something a little more gourmet from a specialty shop? What else might I want to try after moving on from CH?

All in all, its been a good 1st week of piping. It lasts a little too long for me but in the summer I might be able to relax outside a little more with my banjo.

Thanks!
 
1) I clench it between my teeth (breath out of my nose). I had the same problem with saliva when I first started smoking, I would put a pipe in my mouth and within 20 seconds have a mouth full of spit but that seems to have gone away.
2) I also took the filters out of the pipes I have that had one.
3) I let my briars dry out 24 hours and smoke my cobs as often as I like.
4) Try out several types of tobaccos to see what you like. When I started smoking a pipe I got one blend of each type (Burley, English, Virginia, Aromatics) and went from there.
 
Hi there!

These are my own personal notes so of course each to their own and your mileage may vary :lol:

1) Whichever is comfortable. I generally only clench (hold the pipe between my teeth) for short periods when both hands are occupied such as typing or turning a page in a book.

2) I like the filters though they can restrict the draw. Again all about personal preference there. Savinelli pipes generally use a balsa wood filter but have an attachment to do without it.

3) More variations on this than I can easily name. Some folks use a 7 pipe rotation so they have one for each day. Others such as myself grab whatever pipe is handy at the time. I generally try to let mine rest at least 1-2 days after using it for the day. As you find more tobacco types you may also want to dedicate pipes to a particular blend style such as Latakia , Va/VaPer etc to avoid "ghosting".

4) Haven't tried Carter Hall as yet myself. I'm a big fan of both Rattray's Highland Targe and most of the Frogmorton Blends from McClleland Tobaccos. I like English blends though and don't have to worry about anyone complaining about the room note. The occasional bowl of Escudo never goes astray either as I'm sure others will attest to :D Definitely play around with some of the bulks if you have a shop in town that carries pipe tobbaco's though to get a feel for what blend families you like. No tobbacco is "wrong" as long as you enjoy it.
 
I don't like to "clench", the shape of my back teeth generally don't allow for comfortably holding a pipe. Clenching with your front teeth doesn't sound like fun. I've never used a filter in a pipe, and don't think I ever will.
 
1) Definitely hand. I can't clench for more than a few seconds. Besides I hate leaving bite marks on my stems.

2) I have a few pipes that came with filters. I generally remove them.

3) I let my briar pipes dry at least 1-2 days between smokes.

4) I haven't tried Carter Hall. You should probably try various types of tobaccos until you find what you like and what you don't. Personally, I found that I was no fan of burleys.
 
Obelus":xdnc9c32 said:
(I know there's somebody out there who tossed that nasty Balkan Sobranie after a single try);
Click to expand...
My wife suggested that. :shock: I disagreed. :)

Welcome to the board.

I remove the filters from my cobs. Just never saw the point of diluting the smoke that much.
I mostly hold my pipe in my hand, with brief periods of clenching.
I only smoke 2-3 bowls per day so I rotate pipes daily. Letting them rest at least 24 hours.
Carter Hall is my favorite OTC tobacco.
 
1) I do a little of both, depending on the size and weight of the pipe. Most of my pipes are bent, so I enjoy clinching. Some tobaccos taste so good that you can't help but salivate when smoking them. You will learn how to control that, even if subconsciously.

I typically clench it to the side. Once you get in to more expensive pipes you may want to consider using rubber pipe bits to protect the stem from teeth marks, wear, etc.

2) I don't use filters, and remove them from my cobs. (I mostly use cobs to sample new tobaccos or as a fishing pipe.)

3) 24-hours seems to be the norm. I have 7 of my 20+ pipes in my regular rotation, but that doesn't mean I won't smoke one of my favorite pipes more often and let 2-3 of them sit for a spell.

4) You should consider buying some of the sampler packs from various online pipe and tobacco shops. Part of the fun of my first 15 years of pipe smoking has been trying new and different blends. Part of the fun of the next 40-years of pipe smoking will be... trying new and different blends!
 
Thanks all for the informative replies. It makes my new hobby that much more enjoyable!

One more question.

Do you use a pouch or something to keep your kit in? If so, what do you use? I don't want anything too rigid or bulky as I hate carrying too much stuff on me and would most likely want to slip my kit into a pocket or something. Right now I carry it around in a ZipLock which feels pretty ghetto.
 
banjo playa":9zxq1ufv said:
Thanks all for the informative replies. It makes my new hobby that much more enjoyable!

One more question.

Do you use a pouch or something to keep your kit in? If so, what do you use? I don't want anything too rigid or bulky as I hate carrying too much stuff on me and would most likely want to slip my kit into a pocket or something. Right now I carry it around in a ZipLock which feels pretty ghetto.
Click to expand...
I bought a MacBaren pipe and tobacco case once, and didn't like it. It only fit very small pipes, and the rubber used for the tobacco pouch smelled strongly of...rubber. I sold that one, and later bought a much more expensive one from Germany, and was much more satisfied, but quite a bit poorer.
 
I figured i would add my 2 ceents.....

Smoking habits are personal, if you want to let it hang form your mouth then hang it. If you dont want to leave the filters in then take them out. As with cigars there is etiquete but as long as you enjoy it then do it.

I let my pipes sit for about a day before i smoke them again, although i have been known to smoke it if I feel like it regardless of how long they hhave been sitting and it doesnt affect anything.

Welcome to the hobby.
 
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