Newb

I have been considering trying a pipe and I have been eyeing the Stanwell pipe kit. Is this a good start up for a beginner? It looks to have everything I would need, is it alright to smoke these blends out of the same pipe? I would appreciate any advice before I pull the trigger.

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christian1971

From my experience, which isnt that long, I would start with a corn cob pipe. Get several of them. One for different types of tobacco. They are cheap and work good imo. Once you get the hang of puffing etc. and are still enjoying the hobby, then I would move towards a "better" pipe. I have enjoyed my corn cobs very much! Im sure someone with more experience will chime in. Have fun!!!

J.S.

The Stanwell kit looks like a very good deal. Many like to start with cobs, I did not and I don't use them either. Not that they are bad. They are cheap but they must be replaced often. I have several cheap briars @ the 50-60 range and they work great. I also have a meer. That aside, the 965 and Ashton blend can be smoked in the pipe. I would not mix English and aromatic tobacco in the same pipe. So here just adding a cob to the kit would work great. Problem solved and you have a very good quality pipe to start with.

J.S.

Almost forgot, you might want to pick up some extra cleaners, you will go through a lot of them.

jsnake

Corncobs are a great start but a nice budget pipe can be great too. Be sure to have filters if needed or wanted, pipe cleaners, and a pipe tool. All the supplies are cheap. Most B&M's will let you smoke a bowl of what they have open or in bulk so you can see what you like before you commit. Try some different things out. I always thought pipes were an old man thing and once I tried one I was in love. If you like it and decide to stick with it then you can start looking at investing in some nice pipes.

Marker

Before you get a briar pipe have someone with good experience picking out a pipe help you. A major mistake in pipes is getting a briar pipe because you think it is better than a cob and should smoke better. Cobs are much more consistent smokers than briars. The simple design makes it easy to enjoy tobacco in it. Drilling a briar is much harder to get correct and isn't always right. Without knowing what to look for you may get a briar with bad drilling and think YOU are the one doing it wrong.

Start with cobs and buy a good quality inspected briar when you find a blend you know you will smoke a lot of. For me that is Veermaster, McC 5100, Nightcap, Frog Morton Cellar, London Mix. All of those have dedicated briar pipes. You can change what you smoke in a briar but make sure it gets a good cleaning first. Otherwise the previous blend can linger for a long, long time.

onestrangeone

So I decided to go cheap, ordered some cobs and Sutliff variety tins to see if I can get the hang of it.

mgk2020

Cobs are a good way to start for all the reasons previously mentioned and Sutliff tobacco is what I started with also and can be okay, but my suggestion is to spend the extra couple of dollars on some higher priced tobaccos. In my estimation, it's worth it. I recommend McClelland, especially the Frogmortons. My only other piece of advice is to get a variety. Don't shy away from anything. Get aros, non-aros, flakes, ribbon cut, different types of tobacco (burley, latakia, drama, etc.). I say this because they can be very different and I originally stuck to "good intro/beginner" blends when I started and didn't really enjoy it until I tried the others. It's true some tobaccos are difficult without proper technique, and so on, but you can come back to them. You really won't get a good sense of all that's available without trying a lot.

onestrangeone

Smoked three bowls over the weekend, Sutliff R-Blend good flavor and aroma some bite tho I may have been puffing to hard/much I'm not sure, first time ever.

dr_frankenstein56

onestrangeone:
Smoked three bowls over the weekend, Sutliff R-Blend good flavor and aroma some bite tho I may have been puffing to hard/much I'm not sure, first time ever.

Your first couple of time you will get bite regardless.... your toungue needs to get the hang of what literally it chemical burn. you might be puffing to hard and fast, but usually the pipe itself will tell you. If its getting warm suddenly in your hand... your stoking her too hard. How thick and cool did your smoke feel?

Aj

onestrangeone

dr_frankenstein56:
onestrangeone:
Smoked three bowls over the weekend, Sutliff R-Blend good flavor and aroma some bite tho I may have been puffing to hard/much I'm not sure, first time ever.
Your first couple of time you will get bite regardless.... your toungue needs to get the hang of what literally it chemical burn. you might be puffing to hard and fast, but usually the pipe itself will tell you. If its getting warm suddenly in your hand... your stoking her too hard. How thick and cool did your smoke feel?

Aj

The smoke itself did not seem to be hot and IMO was not that thick, the bowl got plenty warm but ot uncomfortable. I did not have a very good burn with the first bowl, packed too tight I think and I didn't tamp it after lighting. Packed the 2nd one too light,I think I got the 3rd one about right though, I only had to relight twice toward the end.

costadelrica

like cristian said i think that starting with a corn cob pipe is the best way to know world of pipes because it's more esthetic and aromatic tooo

onestrangeone

So, I've been at this about three months now I have a few briars (mostly cheap) and several cobs, I am starting to get a feel for how to load and smoke as well as what I tend to like for flavor and strength. How can I tell if a new pipe is going to smoke well? One of my briars smokes well no matter how I pack it, as long as it's not to tight it will burn all the way to ash with maybe one relight, this is the Stanwell. one of the cheap briars does almost as well as long as I pack it carefully, then I have one that requires constant attention and relights I have tried several different methods of packing and it doesn't seem to make much difference, I'm guessing that different pipes require different styles of packing? what is it in the chamber that I am looking for?

dr_frankenstein56

onestrangeone:
So, I've been at this about three months now I have a few briars (mostly cheap) and several cobs, I am starting to get a feel for how to load and smoke as well as what I tend to like for flavor and strength. How can I tell if a new pipe is going to smoke well? One of my briars smokes well no matter how I pack it, as long as it's not to tight it will burn all the way to ash with maybe one relight, this is the Stanwell. one of the cheap briars does almost as well as long as I pack it carefully, then I have one that requires constant attention and relights I have tried several different methods of packing and it doesn't seem to make much difference, I'm guessing that different pipes require different styles of packing? what is it in the chamber that I am looking for?

good question, I would like to know the same.

Aj

Amos Umwhat

dr_frankenstein56:
onestrangeone:
So, I've been at this about three months now I have a few briars (mostly cheap) and several cobs, I am starting to get a feel for how to load and smoke as well as what I tend to like for flavor and strength. How can I tell if a new pipe is going to smoke well? One of my briars smokes well no matter how I pack it, as long as it's not to tight it will burn all the way to ash with maybe one relight, this is the Stanwell. one of the cheap briars does almost as well as long as I pack it carefully, then I have one that requires constant attention and relights I have tried several different methods of packing and it doesn't seem to make much difference, I'm guessing that different pipes require different styles of packing? what is it in the chamber that I am looking for?
good question, I would like to know the same.

Aj

Rats! I was hoping you knew! It is a mystery to me. Why does my $19.95 pipe smoke as well or better than a $50.00 pipe? Alignment? Depth? Width? Shape? Location of hole in shank? (or, is that alignment?)

So far, for me, trial and error has been the only definitive way to answer the question.

J.S.

So many factors. The fact is most machine made pipes will be fine smokers because they are well made and machine made can take out a lot of handmade mistakes. IMHO any pipe over $100. Should either be based on aesthetics or on the fact that the briar is old or both. Most pipes at and below this range use briar that is no older than 25 yrs. There is something to be said about older briar and it is getting harder and harder to find, so the cost should increase.

Really I don't think of pipes in terms of price, I think of them as good or bad smokers. Here are some things that help me pick my pipes.

1. A perfectly aligned and smooth airway from the draft hole in the bowl to the end of the mouthpiece. 2. The draft hole should be as close as possible to the center of the bowl and should align exactly with the airhole in the stem. You should be able to push a pipe cleaner from the mouthpiece all the way through into the bowl without difficulty.The draft hole must be drilled at the very bottom of the bowl if it is not flush with the bottom and drilled partway up the side do not buy the pipe. 3.Thicker chamber walls will result in a cooler smoke. However, the pipe should feel lighter then you think it should. Good briar is very lightweight and if it is a great piece of briar there will be no added fills, etc. in the wood keeping the feel lighter than expected. Fills would cover small cracks and while this really does not impact the smoke in a major way could to some extent as well as result in cracks after long use.

Other than that it is just a matter of breaking the pipe itself. There are other factors that I will consider when buying a pipe but these are really what should be looked at to decide if it will be a good smoking pipe.

shape also can be a factor I will try to weigh in on that later today.

J.S.

Now, for the shape. Shape is a funny thing. It has a lot more to do with how well you can pick up the various nuances of blends more than anything else at lest for me. The width of the chamber is of primary consideration. The wider the chamber more flavor you will get because more surface area, etc. However, this is also a possible problem as the more surface area the more ember and hence more heat. So too wide will result in a hotter smoke and possibly tongue bite. More heat can also cause a sour smoke for lack of a better term right now so slow smoking is always the key. I tend to like wider chambers for Lat., some Burley's, and aromatic blends. Narrow and deep chambers will help cool the smoke seem to add to the flavor profile if the blends with high sugar components like VA's, VA/Per's, and some Burley really smoke well stacks and a calabash I have that is rather narrow.

So yes, the shape does play a part. If you are smoking VA out of a Pot or Dublin you might consider switch to a different pipe and devoting those to the Lat. and aros.

dr_frankenstein56

that explains alot for me and why some blends as of late have tasted very off. I broke my china bent pot a week or 2 ago and had been using a washington bent cob lately. That cob is fairly narrow and tall at about 5/8" round by 1 3/32" deep, and has a much different smoke profile then my brandy briar or the china pot. The brandy being typical size while the china pipe has a huge bowl. I have absolutly been loving some Ten Russians in my china pot when it broke. it doesnt have the same enjoyment for me in the cob.

I now know why.

I plan on re-visiting some neglected Deep Hallow in my narrow cob now... see how those VA's turn out now.

J.S.> your a life saver.

Aj

J.S.

Glad I could help! I hope you have a chance to enjoy DB soon. All this pipe talk will have me out later for a bowl or two.

dr_frankenstein56

Quite the difference in smoke profiles indeed. Deep hallow was tasty and not so light or whispy.. a solid smoke now. Orlik GS is amazing now! Im already on my 2nd bowl today. Just rich flavor, with creamy smoke but all in light notes. What a difference for that.. and that was a cheap ol'cob. im working on growing the balls to light a fire in my Diablo Billard, I think VA's will really be something there.

A dublin. never was a fan of the shape... though i have to honestly admit, I have been picking my pipes on how they look. never really considering how they smoke. I think i might need to explore shape options a little more. How fun this all is!

Aj

J.S.

dr_frankenstein56:
Quite the difference in smoke profiles indeed. Deep hallow was tasty and not so light or whispy.. a solid smoke now. Orlik GS is amazing now! Im already on my 2nd bowl today. Just rich flavor, with creamy smoke but all in light notes. What a difference for that.. and that was a cheap ol'cob. im working on growing the balls to light a fire in my Diablo Billard, I think VA's will really be something there.

A dublin. never was a fan of the shape... though i have to honestly admit, I have been picking my pipes on how they look. never really considering how they smoke. I think i might need to explore shape options a little more. How fun this all is!

Aj

How a pipe looks to you should be a major consideration. If you don't like a shape for whatever reason don't buy it. The dublin was just an example of what I (in my own limited experience) have found to have a wider diameter. You can find almost any shape with wider and narrower chambers. Find a shape you like and then seek out the size you want. It will make smoking all the more enjoyable to have a pipe you love in your hand.

onestrangeone

I've been looking at a lot of higher end pipes lately. I found a Tim West that I'm drawn to, I can't seem to stop looking at it, thinking about it, wanting it. Does anyone know anything about these? This would be a fairly extravagant purchase for me. I don't mind spending the money but at the same time I don't want to be disappointed.

J.S.

Tim West's pipes are very well made. You would not be disappointed with the purchase. They are all handmade and he is a master maker. I don't know what your price range is but some of his work starts around $250 and goes up from there. All are good quality the higher price is often do to the time and work put into it but he makes some really great smoking and great looking pipes.

ejgorman

This thread has been extremely helpful. Personally, I only have one briar atm (Brigham Klondike saucer) and I got it cheap. I have yet to smoke out of it though. I've stuck to my corn cobs while I learn the ropes. Plus, I'm not entirely sure if I should reserve a briar until I've found a blend I like or just keep one for aromatics, one for Lat blends, etc. For whatever reason, I'm drawn to churchwardens. I can't help but think they're a pain in the behind to keep clean though.

J.S.

You are on a good path. To start with as you will get only a few good briars I would do as you are thinking one for each genre of tobacco. As you find specific blends that you are going to cellar and have explored them for some time you might reserve one (or more) for each of those blends exclusively. I have two churchwardens. They are just as easy to clean as a standard pipe. You just have to buy the pipe cleaners designed for them. I use the bristled for daily cleaning. When it comes time to do a fuller cleaning I use the extra think standard version as it seems to fill the draw hole better. I just let the alcohol cleaner sit in the stem for a while and absorb the tar, etc. and then take it out run a dry one through and repeat until the wet one comes out clean.

dr_frankenstein56

So

We have bought our fancy new pipe... super cool looking and lightweight to boot.

Now we spent a nice coin on buying this pipe. almost to the point of being serious coin.

the question is.... how do you know when you have smoked enough to finally try the good pipe? to put down the cob and pick up your prized pipe? im terrified at the thought of ruining my new pipe, but at the same time... want to use it sooooooo bad!

Aj

onestrangeone

dr_frankenstein56:
So

We have bought our fancy new pipe... super cool looking and lightweight to boot.

Now we spent a nice coin on buying this pipe. almost to the point of being serious coin.

the question is.... how do you know when you have smoked enough to finally try the good pipe? to put down the cob and pick up your prized pipe? im terrified at the thought of ruining my new pipe, but at the same time... want to use it sooooooo bad!

Aj

Yeah I know this feeling too, I think the worst damage I could do would be to scorch the rim, anything else I think could be corrected ? As for when it's a matter of finding the right tobacco. My biggest concern is the break in, I plan on doing some reading and asking questions.

J.S.

Break in should not be too much of an issue. You should be able to find several resources in a Google search to help there. Some come already seasoned and not break in is really needed. Either way just go slow keep the temp of the pipe low and you will be fine.

J.S.

Hmm. . . . How do you know when you have got it down enough to try a good pipe? Well, if you have not burned a hole (or made the briar soft in a place or two in the chamber) and you have been at it for a while than I would say you are good to go. If however, you are going through cobs or cheap briar I would wait. Cobs treated properly will last a very long time so burnouts there would also be a concern.

dr_frankenstein56

J.S.:
Hmm. . . . How do you know when you have got it down enough to try a good pipe? Well, if you have not burned a hole (or made the briar soft in a place or two in the chamber) and you have been at it for a while than I would say you are good to go. If however, you are going through cobs or cheap briar I would wait. Cobs treated properly will last a very long time so burnouts there would also be a concern.

Well I suppose im ready then! time to put flame to that Diablo ive been waiting to try!

ALSO

I need a big bowl pipe. My china pipe broke the stem off and now im dying for a new LAT piece. I want something with a 3/4" or bigger chamber. I cant seem to locate anything with a larger bowl for a resonable price (under 150) thats quality and not ching chang smoke shop.

I tried using the search function from many various sites, but .7 to .6 or smaller bowl diameter is all i see.

I am fed up with my 2 cobs, a country gent and a patriot. no flavor, all bite, goopy filters or just a crappy smoking experiance. Atleast..... for non aros.

With aros, they smoke just fine. So I will set them aside for just that purpose.

Anybody have any suggestions? im open minded for the time being

Aj

J.S.

There are tons of pipes out there that are .75 or bigger in your price range. Typically, Danish, Italian, German makers are more likely to make them than English and others although that is just a general rule. I know Peterson makes several lines that have pipes in this range and several American makers do too. When I think a large pipes names like JOHS, Nording (especially the free hand series) and Savineli (check out the Hercules line) all come to mind and all make lines that are well within your price range.