Pipe Smoking

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So, my flatmate has decided to buy me a pipe for my birthday.

My granddad smoked one, and I always loved the smell from pipes, I've always told my friend this, and he got one for me.

Now, it hasn't arrived yet, and it's only a pipe.

What else will I need to get?

Pipe cleaners I suppose.

Also, any recommendations on what tobacco to get?

jonnybadd

It depends on what type of tabacco you're looking for really. For a first timer I would suggest heading into Petersons in town (if you're in Dublin) and getting a tin of the Deluxe mix. I think its about 13 Euro, but it'll last a good while. Its sweet, lots of vanilla flavor and just all around nice for a first pipe tabacco.

As regards bits and bobs I would suggest getting a set of Pipe tools and of course cleaners for general maintanance

BeerNut

How's this working out for you, Des?

+1 to everything jonnybadd said, and a pipe lighter is quite handy, I find.

CrowdedHouse

I got a pipe as a Christmas present,now I have...well...several !

I too started off with an aromatic blend but now prefer the more traditional blends.

My favourites atm would be Petersons' University Flake and Murrays Erinmore Flake.I also like blends with Latakia(Peterson Old Dublin would be an example)

I smoke the pipe in the evenings/weekends,I'm enjoying it and of course have drastically cut down ciggie consumption.

Definitely not as user friendly as cigs

Eric Cartman

how much does the average pipe cost ? i have to say ive always wanted to try pipe smoking but im not sure how to get started, fox's pipes are too rich for my blood

CrowdedHouse

The cheapest half decent pipe will probably cost you 40-50 euro e.g Peterson Aran or Donegal.

Briar pipes will need to 'broken in' so you won't get the best out of them for a couple of weeks at least. If you're going to be any way serious about it you will need several pipes,changing them every day or two so that they don't go sour from over smoking.

If you just want to try out of curiosity I'd say try to get a corn cob pipe(they're really made out of dried corn cobs)

You can blaze away immediately with them and they're quite cheap,but they're recognised as being good smokers.
They're only a couple of dollars in the States.
Don't know if anyone stocks them in Dublin.

I've bought a few items from this guy with no problems



http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Original-Missouri-Corn-Cob-Pipe-Straight-BRAND-NEW_W0QQitemZ330014382527QQihZ014QQcategoryZ69771QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713.m153.l1262

BeerNut

I bought a meerschaum in Turkey for about €30 and it's been brilliant from the word go. A pipe-smoking friend has recommended looking for seconds in Petersen's to start off with, but I'd say you're still not looking at much change out of €40 for a decent one.

And I'd recommend avoiding Fox's. I and most pipe and cigar people I know have gone through a phase of going to Fox's, being treated like shít and getting pissed off with them, before making Petersen's their regular supplier. I advise skipping this phase and just going straight to Petersen's. (Or going into Fox's and just standing there, sticking your nose into their big tobacco containers for about ten minutes, then walking out without buying anything.)

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BeerNut wrote: »

And I'd recommend avoiding Fox's. I and most pipe and cigar people I know have gone through a phase of going to Fox's, being treated like shít and getting pissed off with them, before making Petersen's their regular supplier. I advise skipping this phase and just going straight to Petersen's. (Or going into Fox's and just standing there, sticking your nose into their big tobacco containers for about ten minutes, then walking out without buying anything.)

Wow, my girlfriend went in to Peterson's to get me some tobacco for my birthday the other week, she hadn't a clue what she was looking for, and so asked for help.

She said they were extremely rude to her.

I kind of stopped smoking the pipe because I ran out of tobacco in may or june, but she ended up getting me some of that Peterson's Deluxe Mixture.

I'm loving it, very tasty and mellow.

Is this what is known as "Ready Rubbed"?

BeerNut

Des wrote: »

She said they were extremely rude to her.

Oh dear. I've not been in in a while, but that's not been my experience at all.

Des wrote: »

she ended up getting me some of that Peterson's Deluxe Mixture.

I'm loving it, very tasty and mellow.

Sure is: that's what I smoke most of the time.

Des wrote: »

Is this what is known as "Ready Rubbed"?

As a mixture, it has the long thin ready-rubbed strands in with the coarser bark-like flakes. There's a good explanation of the different sorts here.

Agonist

BeerNut wrote: »

And I'd recommend avoiding Fox's. I and most pipe and cigar people I know have gone through a phase of going to Fox's, being treated like shít and getting pissed off with them, before making Petersen's their regular supplier. I advise skipping this phase and just going straight to Petersen's. (Or going into Fox's and just standing there, sticking your nose into their big tobacco containers for about ten minutes, then walking out without buying anything.)

I totally agree. I went in to replace an expensive lighter that I'd lost and was looking at €100+ lighters. They treated me like ****. I felt it was because I was a woman and not some guy in a tweed coat.
I went back in there carrying a Brown Thomas bag just looking for some tobacco and was treated with the utmost respect. They are insufferably rude.

Des wrote: »

Wow, my girlfriend went in to Peterson's to get me some tobacco for my birthday the other week, she hadn't a clue what she was looking for, and so asked for help.

She said they were extremely rude to her.

I've never found that with Peterson's. They always been helpful and almost enthusiastic about their stock.

Is this what is known as "Ready Rubbed"?

Nearly all tobacco is ready rubbed. Non ready rubbed tobacco comes in a solid little lump which you have to tease out yourself.

biko

I used to smoke Borkum Riff. A poem to it:

What My Father Smoked
Borkum Riff, tamped into his pipe,
his finger spade-like,
tobacco moist as earth
to which the men he lost
in war returned,
the ones I doubt he ever buried
in his armchair in the dark.

A sudden flame -- I see him glow,
wreathed in smoke, palming ashes.