| Author | Message | ||
     Wayne Smith Member Username: Pipe_bomb Post Number: 7 Registered: 05-2009 |
I was just wondering, for the man that doesn't own a bunch of pipes that he can commit to one tobaccy or another, how much does the ghost of another tobaccy really matter when sampling various baccys? I'm not a rich man and I own only three pipes, a Savenelli Roma, a Gepetto pail pipe and a $6 corncob pipe. I'm just getting back into the pipe "thing" and want to sample many baccys. My question is: how can I get a good measure of how a baccy tastes with only three pipes. I intend to buy more pipes later, but for now what should I do? Happy smoking! | ||
| rob van loon Member Username: Smokingrob Post Number: 412 Registered: 10-2004 |
Wayne, apart from getting the "Ghostbusters" over, you'll have to beg, steal or borrow more pipes  I'll send you a very nice one (cleaned and sanitized), that is surplus to my requirements, to prove I am not just trolling. | ||
| Robert J. Saul II Member Username: Tuxin_piper Post Number: 14 Registered: 04-2009 |
If you can, get a corn cob for sampling, they are very inexpensive. Or, you can just smoke several bowls (4-5) of the 'test' tobacco and get an average on how they taste. I made the terrible mistake of trying out several Lat and Per blends in my 'everyday pipes' but fortunately they colored my other tobaccos for only a bowl or two. YMMV. | ||
| Todd Bannard Member Username: Sasquatch Post Number: 665 Registered: 05-2006 |
I think there's a limit to the amount of crossover between seriously different types of tobacco, but within certain ranges it matters much less. So if you are sampling a delicately fragranced aromatic in a pipe you just smoked a pound of greasy latakia in, the result will be poor. But if you are using one pipe for virginias, say, one for aromatics, and one for English type blends, you'll probably be reasonably happy. | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4312 Registered: 02-2002 |
Greasy Latakia? What are you doing, frying the Latakia? | ||
| Paul Tummers Member Username: Paul_tummers Post Number: 139 Registered: 12-2007 |
If you want the pure taste of your tobacco, you need a pipe or two for every brand you smoke to start with. If you desire to settle on a certain brand of tobacco you can take some of the pipes, used previous for tobacco's you do not prefer anymore at this moment and learn them in on the tobacco you smoke- takes some bowls, depending on the pipe, the tobacco smoked before in it and the tobacco you are going to smoke in it. If finances permit, buy as much pipes you can smoke on a regular base without having to use one pipe for different tobaccos. | ||
| Tom Mueller Member Username: Tommueller Post Number: 174 Registered: 04-2008 |
Paul, in theory I agree with you; this would be the goal to aim for. In practice, I'll choose either the bacy I want to smoke, or sometimes the pipe first. The only conscious part for me is making sure I choose a well rested pipe. That said, I automatically go for a larger bowl for certain blends, and almost always a bigger & thicker bowl for rope or flakes. Frankly, because I have so many blends on hand, I couldn't remember which pipe goes with which blend unless I labelled my pipes. I guess most of the blends I prefer are non-aromatic VA-Pers. If I smoked aromatics, I imagine it would be a different story altogether. | ||
| Wayne Smith Member Username: Pipe_bomb Post Number: 10 Registered: 05-2009 |
Thanks for the input guys. Looks like I gotta start squirreling away some coin for some more pipes huh? Hey Rob, if you're serious about the pipe let's make it happen. Happy smoking! | ||
| William Roy MacIntosh Member Username: Mac Post Number: 2 Registered: 05-2009 |
I have recently started smoking after yrs. I went out and bought three new brigham pipes. unfortunately I have smoked aromatic blends in them. after searching this forum I am now worried about ghosts so I have bought two corncobs from ebay.Is there anyway to get rid of the chosts and from now I will use corncob for testing Thanks | ||
| rob van loon Member Username: Smokingrob Post Number: 414 Registered: 10-2004 |
Hi Wayne, the pipe is yours! It's a Butz Chocquin Pot with very nice grain and it is undergoing its second S/A treatment right now. Perhaps drop me a PM at robvanloon5@gmail.com | ||
| Dan Bryant Member Username: Bryantm3 Post Number: 59 Registered: 03-2009 |
William, I wouldn't freak out unless you try an unflavored virginia and it tastes flavored. Usually, the ghosts go away after 3-5 smokes of an unflavored tobacco. If the taste is still there, you can either do a salt-and-alcohol treatment, or you can ream back the cake and bake the pipe with aquarium charcoal, or my preferred method, which is buy some everclear from your local liquor store, take your pipe apart, and run an everclear-soaked pipe cleaner through the stem, and then a dry one, and so on until the dry ones come out clean. then, bend over a pipe cleaner and do this with the mortise. then, do this with the airhole in the shank of the pipe, and finally, dip a pipe cleaner in everclear, bend it over slightly and rub out the inside of the bowl, followed by a dry pipe cleaner. this should clean it up well enough without having to fill your pipe with salt or charcoal, which can do funny things with the briar like cracking it or causing the varnish to heat up and melt. | ||
| William Roy MacIntosh Member Username: Mac Post Number: 3 Registered: 05-2009 |
Dan Thank you for the informative input. I am thinking of switching to prince albert and/or Carter Hall I have tried CB,amphora and a couple of Brigham blends. Unfortunately PA and CH are hard to get here where I live in Canada. I was thinking of going to 4noggins.com for some and get away from aromatic blends. | ||
| Dan Bryant Member Username: Bryantm3 Post Number: 60 Registered: 03-2009 |
if you're going to mail order, i'd get something better than prince albert. Although Prince Albert is a good drug store blend, it's just that: a convenient blend. If I had better access to a tobacconist all the time, I would probably rarely buy Prince Albert. You should try McClelland bulk # 5100 (Red Cake). It's fairly inexpensive and it's always good. | ||
| W. A. Lanman Member Username: Blenheimbard Post Number: 119 Registered: 01-2009 |
Mac, If you can get Brigham blends ask your tobacconist for one of the non-aromatiques try Cambridge Blend or Balkan. I don't remember a burley blend from them, but the Brigham distributer also handles some other brands, and they do have some VA. blends. This means your shop can get these other brands too. Reiners and Davidoff come from them in Canada I think. But you will pay for these. Burley is pretty plain stuff, slight nutty taste, basic tobacco of American cigarettes. Lots of vitamin N, not so much taste unless you move into some of the tinned versions or unless they are flavoured, in which case you are back where you started. | ||
| Wayne Smith Member Username: Pipe_bomb Post Number: 14 Registered: 05-2009 |
All good info here folks! And just FYI since I've smoked only Penzance in my little Gepetto the 1Q ghost has diminished greatly. As the wonderful cake builds in this little Billiard (and Penzance builds a cake rather quickly) the better the Penzance tastes in it. Rob, thank you very much, I'll be sending you an E-mail in moments. Happy smoking! | ||
| Dan Bryant Member Username: Bryantm3 Post Number: 62 Registered: 03-2009 |
Sometimes smoking a different type of tobacco tastes funny in a pipe that's been worn in with strong flavorings or latakia, yet it usually disappears after the first few smokes. Glad to hear it worked out well for you. |