Thinking about this "starter kit." What say ye?

Brothers of Briar

Help Support Brothers of Briar:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Behike54

Behike54

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2011
Messages
346
Reaction score
17
Location
SoCal
Greetings,

This is my first post, so please be gentle, but don't be afraid to steer me away or other places. I WANT FEEDBACK

I am looking at the "Collegiate Starter Kit" from smokingpipes(dot)com. I am new and can't post link, sorry.

Can you choose tobacco and color pipe? Is separates the way to go?

I was non-aromatic tobacco or maybe a natural or non-infused or aromatic. I love complexity and aroma from cigars.


Thanks in advance for your feedback.

J
 
Personally I would shop on ebay for a good quality pipe instead of going the starter kit route. I recently picked up a Peter Jeppeson Neerup "easycut" off ebay for around $50, and it is a very nice quality lightweight piece of aged briar for the money.

There are several estate pipes that can be had for around $20 on ebay. Kaywoodie is a good brand to do a search for.

You will need a $2 pipe tool and a pack of $2 pipe cleaners,

You will always want to keep your first pipe, and it's better to invest in one that you will still enjoy smoking from time to time.

Btw, welcome to the forums! :santa:
 
If cost is an issue, or you're just experimenting, I would suggest getting a good corncob or one the less expensive Savinellis, like one of their Duca Carlo line. You want a shape you can live with; with the kit, you don't know what you're getting for a pipe. You will need pipe cleaners, a lot of them. For tobacco, you're on your own. The TobaccoReviews website might be useful. Glad to see you're already past the aromatic stage. Good luck.
 
Both good suggestions from the Brothers.

Cobs are awesome, they're new, forgiving, and cheap. A great route to go.

Estates are nice, but can be tricky to buy if you don't know what you're doing, there's a lot of great stuff and a lot of crap, then there's dealing with possibly unscrupulous sellers, lack of pictures... etc.

This is an example of a cheap but likely an excellent pipe. I've had two La Strada pipes, they're Italian, well-made and usually fly under the radar of the snobs...they don't come up very often, but are worth it...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/260920408219?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Tobaccoreviews.com is a great site, but take the reviews with a grain of salt. It's just as risky to take the opinion of another as it is just forging ahead yourself. At least you can get some footing, though.

Got a local tobacco store nearby? One that isn't a "head shop?" :lol: That's a great way to peruse pipes, talk shop, try tobaccos, etc.

Another option is to get sample packs from better-known Internet pipe tobacco retailers. Pipeworks & Wilke, Boswell's, pipesandcigars.com and 4noggins.com are all great retailers that have sample pack options.

It's a wide open world, this pipe thing, but you ain't gonna conquer it in a day. 8) We'll help ya out if we can.
 
I have a better idea...

Just PM me your address and I'll send you a 'starter kit'.. hows that sound?
 
Gentlemen,


I cannot say enough about the warm welcome and what is no doubt sage advice.

Puros, I cannot thank you enough. Timing is a weird thing. I was really disappointed by someone yesterday, and to make matters worse, it was a family member. Your generosity in deed and spirit is humbling and welcomed. I am eager but know very little. I am an "all in or nothing" kind of guy. Been smoking cigars for a while as most can tell from my nic. I can tell that my tastes will run the non-aromatic route. I smoke mostly CCs and am all about the richness, balance, and complexity of good tobacco. I might be open to a non-infused or natural aromatic if there is such a thing, I don't know. I had one flavored cigar, ONCE. YEESH! :affraid:

Anyway, one night I just didn't feel like a cigar and all the sometimes pipe guys were smoking from their pipes and a gentleman who has become a quick friend wasn't feeling well and not smoking and he insisted I smoke his pipe. He could tell I was chomping at the bit and felt like I was missing out on something. I couldn't tell you what kind of pipe it was aside from what I have come to understand is a billiard style pipe with a slightly bent stem. He filled it with the house "english oriental" and WoW! I mean, wow. The aroma was just incredible and after I stopped thinking too hard about doing it right or how I looked, my enjoyment had just soared by the end of the night, so here I am. I don't wear a life preserver and I like the deep-end of the pool, so don't be surprised if you see me asking questions.

It's interesting that my time smoking cigars has helped in not over-puffing and my pipe NEVER got even close to hot that night and it was just great.

Ok, just trying to fill you guys in on me and how I got here.

Thanks a bunch!

Jack

 
Brothers of Briar is safe harbor bro. Welcome. English blends are fantastic. Frog Morton might be up your alley.

I have a confession to make: I like grape cigars
 
Ok, note to self, scroll down the page and you will find more places to read and post about, including a more appropriate place for this original post!
 
Welcome to the Brotherhood. I smoke an occasional cigar myself - mostly Maduros, as I like the rich and earthy flavors. Nothing wrong with going for English Blends, I do that myself on occasion. Though I personally prefer aromatics, there are times that nothing but a good English blend will suffice. Frog Morton, as suggested above, would be right up your alley, as well as Nightcap or maybe even Early Morning Pipe (both by Dunhill).

You couldn't have come to a better group than this. Feel free to ask all the questions you want to, it is not a problem here. Plus - you WILL NOT get the common/rude 'Use the SEARCH before you ask' reply here. This is a great group that is always more than willing to help a Brother out.
 
Though admittedly, searching through posts and "falling down the rabbit hole" can yield excellent posts about tobacco and types of pipes. There's pictures, reviews and discussions that a little poking around can uncover probably 90% of what you ask. Is it required you do this? Well, of course not.

I find, in Google, typing in the search box:

site:www.brothersofbriar.com

...and then search parameters such as this:

site:www.brothersofbriar.com tobacco virginia (or whatever you want to search for)

...works much better than even the in-house search functions! (If you click on those links, it won't work...just type in the blue stuff... :lol: )


Besides all of that, conduct is king, and if you ask over and over and over the same questions --well, that's just rude and irritating, of course. Imagine being at a party and having some guy asking, "What is that?" "Is that beer good?" "Is THAT beer good?" "Is that h'orderve good?" Takes all kinds. 8) Sometimes you just gotta ignore them and move on. Hangin' 'em at noon is just too much effort, and ultimately, kills the poor fellow.

This place manages itself in ways other forums can't and/or don't. It is working, as you can see!

Except now Puros has to give everyone a "starter package" or we'll all whine. :p :p :p
 
Kyle Weiss":djsq7x0j said:
Except now Puros has to give everyone a "starter package" or we'll all whine. :p :p :p
Click to expand...

Wait, there's WHINING when it comes to cigars?! :shock:
 
If someone asked me the same question over and over again and I gave him the same answer over and over again, are we both being rude?
 
jlong":ru30u3fd said:
If someone asked me the same question over and over again and I gave him the same answer over and over again, are we both being rude?
Click to expand...
Only if you're not being sarcastic. :lol:
 
Top