I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing.

OldBlueEyes2012

As a fellow CCOM user and BORK, I've come to learn a great deal about smoking. But my knowledge is exclusively catered to cigars. I would like to start smoking pipe tobacco, but don't even know what I need, or how to light it. I know how amateur this must sound, but please bear with me. I also don't want to spend a lot of money, so I was thinking about picking up a few corn cob pipes. How many times can you smoke with one before you need to replace? What do I need to light it, and are there any other things I might need? If there is another thread that I find that can answer all of my questions, I'll find it and delete this. Thanks! -Rob

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Hayblet

don't EVER use a torch to light, as to what with, seen it all from soft flames, zippos, matches, or bics there's an instructional video in some section of the C.com videos about ho to pack n light a bowl, I have no experience with corn cobs so I can't help there

AugustWest

Cobs are very forgiving. You don't have to build up a cake in a cob to get a cool, smooth smoke. Call Cigar.com and ask for Andrew - he seems to be the go-to pipe guy. Get a couple cobs and a couple kinds of aromatic tobacco. A pack or two of pipe cleaners, a Czech tool or a pipe nail for a tamper, and you're all set. I recommend wooden matches. There's a guy on YouTube who also has a website called Aristocob.com and he makes videos about smoking cob pipes. The most important thing is that you relax and learn the hobby. It takes some time to figure out how you like to pack your pipes, what kind of draw you like, your cadence (how often and how deep you puff), etc. The fall is a great time to start. Sit outside (if you can) with a hoodie and a cup of coffee and start practicing.

Marker

Aristocob is a great place. The guy who runs it is fully invested into helping others learn the hobby. I will paste a message he sent to me when I started. I have two diplomats and they have been awesome. Note, this is for teaching purposes only. I am not endorsing this site or vendor over Ccom.

For a quick smoke I would suggest one of the following as they are all basically the same pipe with a different finish:

The Legend

This is Missouri Meerschaum's most popular pipe, and it's the one most people think of when they think of a corn cob pipe. The bit is amber in color and the bowl has a slight yellow color that's added to the finish on the cob. This cob is filled, but is still a little rough.
The Missouri Pride

This pipe is completely unfinished, or "Neked". Some folks like this, others don't. The cob is very rough but it smokes nicely. This is probably the one pipe that I would say is most likely to burn-through. The bit is black.

The Washington

This is a rather sophisticated cob. It is filled with plaster before being smoothed and finished with a clear finish. The bit is black.

The Ozark Mountain

Again, this is the same size as the pipes listed above, but rather than being made of cob it's made entirely of the hardwood birch.

As for the longer smoker, I'm a fan of several:

The Gentleman

I LOVE this pipe! This would be my all-around favorite if only it had the hardwood bottom like the others listed below. This has the same black bit as is found on the pipes listed above. I always swap these out. Read on...

The Diplomat

This has become my everyday pipe in my van and in my shop. Depending on what I smoke in it, it will last me from 30-45 minutes. Like the Washington the cob on the Diplomat is filled, finished with a clear finish and has a black bit; but the bit on this pipe is my favorite. It's called the Danish bit, and it's the bit that I use on all my pipes. The Diplomat is also available with a rare earth magnet sit into the bottom and is sold as the Magnacob. You can see it at Magnacob.com

The General

This is a very large bowl, but not ridiculously so. This pipe will smoke 40-60 minutes every time. It has the same smooth finish that's found on the Diplomat, and also features the Danish bit.

The Freehand

This pipe is just in a class by itself. It's hand turned on a lathe and is in the style of the classic freehand briar pipes. It has a very expensive vulcanized rubber bit, that's just like the aftermarket bits that are sold elsewhere for $20 and up for just the bit alone. This is the perfect pipe to put on your birthday wish list.

Final thoughts:

With the exception of the Freehand, all of these pipes can accommodate a filter. You don not have to smoke them with the filter installed, and many people actually cut the filters into two or three short sections to act as an ash catcher rather than a filter.

I am not a fan of the Patriot or the MacArthurs. The bits are very slim and delicate and are prone to breaking, and the Macs are very though to keep lit.

Hope this helps, and now that I've typed this it might just end up on my blog! Scott

AugustWest

I have the Washington - I love them. I like straight pipes and the bits are comfortable. I recommend getting a couple extra bits (less than $1 a piece) when you buy a pipe. Also didn't want to imply any endorsement of any site or vendor over CCom.

J.S.

The only thing that I can really add to this discussion is that cobs do ghost and pushing them too hard (i.e., changes blends and smoking multiple bowels in 1 sitting) will result in a very bad experience. I would pick up at least 2 or 3 and a couple of blends. I would also suggest that you get at least 1 of those blends as a non-aromatic blend. I myself don't care for the aromatics at all and when I first started I almost gave it up because I was told to start with an aromatic. You may love aromatics but I would at least get a nice English blend to try as well.

Russ622

OldBlueEyes2012:
As a fellow CCOM user and BORK, I've come to learn a great deal about smoking. But my knowledge is exclusively catered to cigars. I would like to start smoking pipe tobacco, but don't even know what I need, or how to light it. I know how amateur this must sound, but please bear with me. I also don't want to spend a lot of money, so I was thinking about picking up a few corn cob pipes. How many times can you smoke with one before you need to replace? What do I need to light it, and are there any other things I might need? If there is another thread that I find that can answer all of my questions, I'll find it and delete this. Thanks! -Rob

Shoot me a PM, I have 30 pounds of pipe tobacco in my cellar more than enough to send you some samples.

Rain

Russ622:
OldBlueEyes2012:
As a fellow CCOM user and BORK, I've come to learn a great deal about smoking. But my knowledge is exclusively catered to cigars. I would like to start smoking pipe tobacco, but don't even know what I need, or how to light it. I know how amateur this must sound, but please bear with me. I also don't want to spend a lot of money, so I was thinking about picking up a few corn cob pipes. How many times can you smoke with one before you need to replace? What do I need to light it, and are there any other things I might need? If there is another thread that I find that can answer all of my questions, I'll find it and delete this. Thanks! -Rob
Shoot me a PM, I have 30 pounds of pipe tobacco in my cellar more than enough to send you some samples.

This man is LEGIT! Stay away from him if you all bomb each other on this forum, he will bury your house.

Russ622

Rain:
Russ622:
OldBlueEyes2012:
As a fellow CCOM user and BORK, I've come to learn a great deal about smoking. But my knowledge is exclusively catered to cigars. I would like to start smoking pipe tobacco, but don't even know what I need, or how to light it. I know how amateur this must sound, but please bear with me. I also don't want to spend a lot of money, so I was thinking about picking up a few corn cob pipes. How many times can you smoke with one before you need to replace? What do I need to light it, and are there any other things I might need? If there is another thread that I find that can answer all of my questions, I'll find it and delete this. Thanks! -Rob
Shoot me a PM, I have 30 pounds of pipe tobacco in my cellar more than enough to send you some samples.
This man is LEGIT! Stay away from him if you all bomb each other on this forum, he will bury your house.

LMAO! Nah I have to keep some for myself. My pipe budget has slowly been taken over by my cigar budget.

OldBlueEyes2012

Russ622:
Rain:
Russ622:
OldBlueEyes2012:
As a fellow CCOM user and BORK, I've come to learn a great deal about smoking. But my knowledge is exclusively catered to cigars. I would like to start smoking pipe tobacco, but don't even know what I need, or how to light it. I know how amateur this must sound, but please bear with me. I also don't want to spend a lot of money, so I was thinking about picking up a few corn cob pipes. How many times can you smoke with one before you need to replace? What do I need to light it, and are there any other things I might need? If there is another thread that I find that can answer all of my questions, I'll find it and delete this. Thanks! -Rob
Shoot me a PM, I have 30 pounds of pipe tobacco in my cellar more than enough to send you some samples.
This man is LEGIT! Stay away from him if you all bomb each other on this forum, he will bury your house.
LMAO! Nah I have to keep some for myself. My pipe budget has slowly been taken over by my cigar budget.

haha that's very generous of you.