| Author | Message | ||
     James Caius A. Member Username: Jacky_a Post Number: 1 Registered: 08-2009 |
Hello there gentlemen! (And possibly a few ladies?) How are we this fine evening? Hope we're all prepared, pretty long post coming up! Oh I'm Jacky by the way. And both my grandfather's smoked pipes, hence my interest. I'm just starting out with pipes, or rather planning to start out as soon as I get my hands on some pipes. It's not so easy in New Zealand, for example my city as far as I can tell has no dedicated pipe store. There is a tobacconist/barber who sells pipe tobacco and pipes, and a custom lighter shop where the guy sells a decent range of tobaccos and a few pipes, as well as cigars. There's one possible shop left to investigate, but my hopes aren't high. So I guess my first question would be, if anyone on this site is from Aotearoa, where do you shop? Also, I've been trying to pick up some corn cobs, due to reading in many places they were good for beginners, and the shops informed me they couldn't get any at the moment. I bought some off ebay, but I'm suddenly wondering if they may be under some sort of customs restriction. Ok, my first question is, what exactly is a screen, and how/why do you use one? Do I need one? Sometime's people talk about drying the tobacco, if it's smoking too wet. I've learnt how to damp a tobacco, but how do you go about drying one? I know Aromatics often taste nothing like how they smell, but do the English blends have a correlation between smell and taste? When you're building up a cake on your pipe, do you fill the bowl all the way, or just half way? Some people have said to half fill, but others haven't mentioned it. What do you recommend? If you're just smoking, do you have to fill the bowl up all the way? I just ask because if I'm at school for example, I wouldn't be able to smoke a whole bowl between classes, and I wouldn't be able to just leave the rest for later. Unless there is a way to pack the pipe away with tobacco still in it? And last but certainly not least, could anyone recommend me some tobaccos? I'd like something that smells nice, so I can smoke it when around friends or at school, and so that I don't smell in a way the ladies dislike. Personally I love the way pipe smokers smell, but I know not everyone does. As far as flavours go, I used to smoke cigarettes and liked the deeper smoother tasting ones. I recently started smoking vanilla flavoured cigarillos, which are probably the best tasting thing I have ever had, and smell almost as good as my Grandad's pipe smoke. I guess I like sweet flavoured smoke. I often see people talking about about alcohol in relation to tobaccos, so I'm definitely a malt whiskey man, I'm ok with rum, and I don't really like bourbon. Not sure if that's helpful or not! Well, that's it. Thanks for your patience if you read all this! Cheers gents, and hopefully I shall soon be among the illustrious ranks of pipe smokers. | ||
| Harvey Click Member Username: Fafhrd Post Number: 1496 Registered: 03-2006 |
Hello and welcome. --"Ok, my first question is, what exactly is a screen, and how/why do you use one? Do I need one?" You don't need a screen for a corncob or for any other tobacco pipe. --"I've learnt how to damp a tobacco, but how do you go about drying one?" Just put some out on a napkin or leave the tin open for a while, until the tobacco feels right. --"When you're building up a cake on your pipe, do you fill the bowl all the way, or just half way?" I fill all the way up and smoke all the way down. The most important thing is to not allow the pipe to get very hot while breaking it in. --"If you're just smoking, do you have to fill the bowl up all the way?" No. No harm in smoking partial bowls. | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4344 Registered: 02-2002 |
"You don't need a screen for a corncob or for any other tobacco pipe." Well, Harvey, I have to disagree with you on that. The "screen" can be useful when smoking in a windy environment, which is what the "screens" were made for, aside from the possible use to prevent ash from spilling out. While I personally do not use "screens" except in windows, I do acknowledge their usefulness. I never heard of "screens" being used for corncob pipes, but they are used for briar pipes. "No. No harm in smoking partial bowls." Well, Harvey, perhaps that is debatable. Smoking partial bowls will result in an uneven cake formation from top to bottom, and I am not talking about an occasional partial fill-her-up.  | ||
| Brian Silverman Member Username: Laufenstoc Post Number: 12 Registered: 06-2009 |
I suspect that Harvey meant a screen in the bowl before loading tobacco to keep particles from being drawn into the shank/stem; and Melvin is describing a wind screen or wind cap to cover the bowl. The former is not needed and the latter can help in breezy outdoor smoking, although I find smoking under such conditions to be generally be more trouble than it's worth. Many (most?) pipe tobaccos are tinned with more moisture than make for good smoking. As mentioned earlier, just leaving tobacco open to air will sooner or later dry it out and yield a better smoke. If the tobacco crumbles when you rub it in your fingers, it's too dry, beyond this, it is a matter of taste, but tobacco that is too moist will taste bitter, make the pipe gurgle and create a lot of "juice" that is undesirable. "Aromatic" tobaccos often produce the pleasing flavorful room note that is enjoyed by those around the smoker. Often the taste is not really like the aroma, however. Also, aromatic blends are often quite moist, and prone to the moisture problems I mentioned. For me, the aromatic flavoring of tobacco is like adding orange juice to champagne. It makes bad champagne palatable and ruins a decent bottle. I'm not a fan of either, but to each his own. I don't really believe in "breaking in" pipes. I'm just more conscious of avoiding smoking too hot or quickly, but that's the best way to enjoy a pipe whether it's new or old, so it doesn't make much difference to me. Neither does smoking full or partial bowls. I suppose that if a pipe was smoked in partial bowls most of the time and cake built up in grossly uneven layers, it would be a problem, but most folks don't smoke that way and even if they did, it is easily managed by scraping out the build up before it becomes grossly uneven. I'm not a big believer in cake either ;-) Cobs are fine for smoking and inexpensively experimenting with blends that you might not want to befoul a more expensive pipe. As for recommending blends....that's tough, really. The development and experience of taste is very personal and doesn't always transfer very well from one person to another. Your best bet is to read www.tobaccoreviews.com and then to buy limited samples of a variety of blends to test them out. Many tobacconists will give you tastes to sample at no charge...if you have any luck finding a pipe shop! Have fun. | ||
| Dave Neeb Member Username: Mkelaw Post Number: 208 Registered: 04-2005 |
Melvin et al: I think, perhaps, the screen that was asked about was not a wind screen but the mesh screens frequently seen on ebay which are intended for the bottom of pipe bowls used to smoke subsances other than tobaccos. Dave | ||
| Harvey Click Member Username: Fafhrd Post Number: 1497 Registered: 03-2006 |
--"Well, Harvey, perhaps that is debatable. Smoking partial bowls will result in an uneven cake formation from top to bottom, and I am not talking about an occasional partial fill-her-up. :-)" I'm sure you're right about that. I smoke partial bowls so rarely that it doesn't matter, but a daily habit of partial bowls probably isn't a good idea. | ||
| W. A. Lanman Member Username: Blenheimbard Post Number: 144 Registered: 01-2009 |
Re: do you need a screen? Are you talking the little round screens that are made out of the same material that is used to keep insects out of your home? Those are used to fit in the bottom of the bowl and reduce the overall size of the bowl. they can be useful if you end up with a pipe which is bored high, that is the air hole comes in at the side of the bowl instead of at the bottom. There is another type of "screen" that is usually a clip on which is the type that Melvin was referring to(I think), and is used to restrict air when in a situation that is windy and the pipe tends to overheat, and it also keeps the tobacco from blowing out and setting fire to yourself or the surrounding neighborhood. 2nd: drying- depending upon the ambient humidity tobacco will dry when exposed to the air. Too wet and the tobacco won't stay lit and probably will scorch your tongue from the steam being cooked off; too dry and you may get bit by too fast of combustion. Somewhere in between, there is a spot where it will stay lit and burn without burning you. Re:"I know Aromatics often taste nothing like how they smell, but do the English blends have a correlation between smell and taste? " Just like in cigars, the smell and taste is entirely different from the non-smokers just smelling it. No one would smoke cigars if they tasted like they smell. There is some correlation between what English blends smell like and how they taste, but it does not appear to linear. Melvin has aptly answered your question about partial filling and cake developement, so keep it in mind. As to your last question about the ladies and the aroma of the tobacco, well now that is a poser. Are you looking for a rental, short term lease, or an outright long term contractual agreement? If the former, there are plenty of good smelling tobaccos,that even those who don't have the good taste to smoke a pipe can like. Here in North America there are the ubiquitous Captain Black tobaccos, and they are even sold in cigarillo versions. But if you are looking for a more permanent relationship you have to consider whether you are flying under a false flag. Are you going to be willing to go outside every time you wish to smoke your favourite tobacco, no matter what the weather conditions, because she says your tobacco smoke reminds her of burning woolen sweat socks soaked in skunk spray? This can over time be a deal breaker. good luck, Al (in Canada) | ||
| James Caius A. Member Username: Jacky_a Post Number: 2 Registered: 08-2009 |
Thanks a bunch chaps! That's very helpful. Probably will get a screen just to take to school with me. And sounds like partial fills are ok as long as I control the cake level? Anyway thanks for a great welcome to the site, very informative. | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4345 Registered: 02-2002 |
Brian & Dave, In the future, please let the person whose mind you are trying to read via mental telepathy reply as necessary. You both should know Harvey comes here on a regular basis and is quite capable of addressing the issue you were guessing about. As you can see from Harvey's reply above, there is no reply to my "screen" statement but he did address the "partial bowl" issue. I honestly don't know why you guys felt it necessary to try and answer for SOMEONE ELSE! | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4346 Registered: 02-2002 |
"Melvin et al: I think, perhaps, the screen that was asked about was not a wind screen but the mesh screens frequently seen on ebay which are intended for the bottom of pipe bowls used to smoke subsances other than tobaccos." Dave, Why make such an insinuation? You think? We prefer facts over thinking when making such insinuations. Rather than saying what you did, you could have ASKED James what he meant. | ||
| Dave Neeb Member Username: Mkelaw Post Number: 209 Registered: 04-2005 |
Melvin: There was no insinuation intended or made. The question from James was unclear in that it could have referred to one type of screen or the other. Your answer assumed James was referring to one kind of screen. My response differentiated between the two possibilities. I could have said "IMHO." Instead, I said "I think, perhaps..." | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4347 Registered: 02-2002 |
"I think, perhaps, the screen that was asked about was not a wind screen but the mesh screens frequently seen on ebay which are intended for the bottom of pipe bowls used to smoke subsances other than tobaccos." Dave, the above is what you said, and the above "insinuates" the screen could be used for smoking something other than tobacco. Why even try to make such a comment when all YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK THE MAN WHAT KIND OF SCREEN HE IS TALKING ABOUT. Simple. | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4348 Registered: 02-2002 |
For those who seem to have forgotten what James asked regarding the "screen": "Ok, my first question is, what exactly is a screen, and how/why do you use one? Do I need one?" The only type of screen for pipes, and this is a pipe smoking forum, is the type of screen I described above. If James has a different type of screen in mind, he could ANSWER me with "No, I mean..." Furthermore, I am not going to approve posts that "speak" for someone else. We are adults and can speak for ourselves. Also, if you have any comments on how this forum is moderated, there is a little blue button on top of this page that says Moderators along with Please address general questions and concerns to Melvin S. Schwartz." You can either click on my name there or click on my name here and send me an email with whatever is troubling you. | ||
| Ken Jones Member Username: Krjones Post Number: 15 Registered: 09-2008 |
Dear Jacky, Welcome to the world of pipe smoking! In answer to your question about stowing your pipe during classtime. I, too, face this problem. I teach at a university and smoke during my walk to and from class. I have found that using a wind cap (I avoid using the term "screen" lest I provoke another debate!) to cover the bowl prevents ashes and tobacco from falling out in my pocket. As I invariably wear a sportcoat, I slip the pipe into one of the side pockets so that it can rest horizontally. I have, however, also stored them vertically without any ill effect. The important this is to tamp the loosened tobacco down again before relighting. If you smoke a bent pipe (I only smoke straight ones) you could perhaps fit the pipe into a shirt pocket without upending it. Ken | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4349 Registered: 02-2002 |
Ken, Well, first of all his name is not Jacky, his name is James. See, now you have started a debate. "The important this is to tamp the loosened tobacco down again before relighting. Did you mean thing instead of "this"? See, now you probably started two debates! | ||
| Ken Jones Member Username: Krjones Post Number: 16 Registered: 09-2008 |
Ha! Melvin, I've got you on one and you've got me on one. I'll grant you that I did mean "thing" instead of "this". But, if you'll look at the first paragraph of the first post, you'll notice that he writes: "Oh I'm Jacky by the way". So it's a tie! Not bad for my first time crossing swords with you! | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4351 Registered: 02-2002 |
Ken, Well, sort of a tie but his name is still James. Jacky sounds fine for someone named Jack or Jacqueline, but Jacky for James just does not sound right. Actually, his user name is Jacky_a Oh, yes, and he did say I am Jacky--kind of confusing. :-)) Crossing swords? Not at my age, just crossing fingers is hard enough. ;-) | ||
| Harvey Click Member Username: Fafhrd Post Number: 1499 Registered: 03-2006 |
I started smoking pipes in 1970 and have never used a windcap. Now I'm thinking I need one. I did burn a hole in the pocket of a tweed sportcoat once doing what Ken described. Are they adjustable to fit different size bowl diameters? Windcaps, I mean, not sportcoats. | ||
| James Caius A. Member Username: Jacky_a Post Number: 3 Registered: 08-2009 |
Ha ha oh my, I never thought the term screen could be so loaded! I actually didn't have either form in mind, as I had no idea what they were. But from now on I too shall refer to the top kind as a "wind cap." It seems like a fairly useful thing, and as I'm never without a sportcoat or waistcoat, I shall take your wind cap and pocket advice to heart. And thanks for the tobaccoreviews link, I had heard about it but hadn't checked it out yet. I'm doing so now, and it's very helpful. W.A. Lanman, I loved the part about "burning woolen sweat socks soaked in skunk spray." Very nice! And yes I can see how this would be a problem over time. It's definitely something to bear in mind, but at my age it's not so much something to worry about I think. Oh and please, it's Jacky, not James. James is my real name, but... No-one calls me that. I didn't realise that part would be what showed up in the forums. Can I change it? | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4352 Registered: 02-2002 |
James, In the future, questions related to forum activity should be sent to me via e-mail. Yes, I believe you can change the full name in your Profile. | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4353 Registered: 02-2002 |
For those of you who want to address members by their user name, you can begin by using Fafhrd instead of Harvey and Admin instead of Melvin. :-)) | ||
| Ken Jones Member Username: Krjones Post Number: 17 Registered: 09-2008 |
Harvey, wind caps are adjustable for different sized pipe bowls. They have a little spring ring inside them. I do, however, find that smaller and larger than average bowls are unable to accommodate them. Melvin, you’re right about the unusual use of Jacky as a nickname for James. In English Jack is usually given as a nickname to men named John (e.g. John "Black Jack" Pershing and Jack Kennedy). It is interesting that our fellow pipe-smoker has adopted Jacky for James. There is a possible argument in support of this. The English name James is derived ultimately from the Hebrew name Ya’aqov via Greek Iakobos and Latin Jacobus. English also uses Jacob for this, of course, so James, Jacob, and (incidentally) Seamus and Hamish are all versions of the same name. While the preferred nickname for Jacob in English is Jake, one could perhaps make a case for Jack. Certainly something to ponder over a bowl. | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4354 Registered: 02-2002 |
Ken, Since we do not know the sex of James, you cannot always go by names, I included Jacqueline as well. Quite a long history you gave on James being derived... But, it doesn't change a "thing." ;-) | ||
| Harvey Click Member Username: Fafhrd Post Number: 1502 Registered: 03-2006 |
--"For those of you who want to address members by their user name, you can begin by using Fafhrd instead of Harvey and Admin instead of Melvin. :-))" In fact I'm rather disappointed that no one ever calls me Fafhrd.  In case you're wondering, Fafhrd was the Gray Mouser's sidekick in those great old fantasy-adventures written by Fritz Leiber. Unfortunately I don't believe he smoked a pipe. | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4355 Registered: 02-2002 |
Harvey, if you call me Admin, I will call you Fafhrd. | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4356 Registered: 02-2002 |
By the way, Ken, I have never heard anyone use Jacky for James, but I have heard Jim used for James and I believe Jimmy as well. | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4357 Registered: 02-2002 |
James, I cannot help but wonder how it is you asked about a screen. Can you tell us what brought that question here? I mean, if you didn't know what it is for, how did you come to know about a "screen"? | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4361 Registered: 02-2002 |
Oh, and James, you must have known the "screen" is somehow used for pipes or you wouldn't have asked that question here. So, why ask the question about a "screen"? You claim no knowledge of its use but ask the question on a pipe smoking forum. Now that I must say is very interesting. | ||
| James Caius A. Member Username: Jacky_a Post Number: 4 Registered: 08-2009 |
Sorry about the asking about account thing, I'll avoid that in future. And yes, I knew a screen was used for a pipe, but that was the extent of it. I had seen it mentioned in passing in a few things I had read, without any explanation. So I thought I would ask. And yes, I know Jacky or Jack is not a usual nickname for James, but when I was seven one of my father's friends would call me Jimmy, which I didn't like, so I asked him to call me Jacky instead, and it stuck. Just the way things go I guess. Also, yes I am male. Well, I got my first pipe in the mail yesterday, and picked up some tobacco today! It was very exciting. I smoked my first bowl under a tree in the botanic gardens, very nice. At the shop owners recommendation, I went with Borkum Riff Cavendish Cherry, which is quite nice, sweet and good smelling, but I think a little too mild for my taste. Must get something a little stronger when I have more cash. | ||
| Melvin S. Schwartz Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 4365 Registered: 02-2002 |
"Ha ha oh my, I never thought the term screen could be so loaded! I actually didn't have either form in mind, as I had no idea what they were." "And yes, I knew a screen was used for a pipe, but that was the extent of it." Interesting... | ||
| Harvey Click Member Username: Fafhrd Post Number: 1504 Registered: 03-2006 |
--"At the shop owners recommendation, I went with Borkum Riff Cavendish Cherry, which is quite nice, sweet and good smelling, but I think a little too mild for my taste. Must get something a little stronger when I have more cash." In my experience, Borkum Riff is rather hard on the tongue. If you want something cheap that is pleasant and won't burn your tongue, try some Sir Walter Raleigh or Prince Albert. | ||
| James Caius A. Member Username: Jacky_a Post Number: 5 Registered: 08-2009 |
Thanks for that. I have been noticing a little bite, but not too bad if I smoke slowly. Then again, I haven't smoked any other pipe tobacco so nothing to compare it to. I'll give those a try next time. |