Ask a Pipe Guy

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by StufnPuf

...I wish I were back in NY I could sneak into the pastures at night and collect me some moosnout oil

You will go far.

[bfox]

I am new to pipe smoking .
Smoked cigarettes for 10 years or so till I quit .
Got to smoking pipe cigars with the guys at work .
They about doubled in price and the quality seemed to go down also .

My question is .
What is the difference in the smoking quality of Briar pipes .
Some are $20 some are in the $1000's !
I know some are handmade .
But does it make the smoking different ?
Is it taste wise , Cool wise or what ?

Thanks Bill

[Hermit]

Originally Posted by bfox

I am new to pipe smoking .
Smoked cigarettes for 10 years or so till I quit .
Got to smoking pipe cigars with the guys at work .
They about doubled in price and the quality seemed to go down also .

My question is .
What is the difference in the smoking quality of Briar pipes .
Some are $20 some are in the $1000's !
I know some are handmade .
But does it make the smoking different ?
Is it taste wise , Cool wise or what ?

Thanks Bill

A cob is a great smoker for around five bucks.
You might get a great deal on a great pipe,
but generally you can get a good factory made
pipe like a Stanwell, Savinelli, Peterson, etc.
for 50 to 100. A handcarved artisan pipe will probably smoke
better because of the skill of the carver and better briar.

Anything over a couple hundred, you're paying for a work of art.
(not sayin' that's a bad thing; I like pretty pipes.)

[Vrbas]

*coughchristmascheerquestioncough*

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Vrbas

*coughchristmascheerquestioncough*

ChCh: It's all VA tobak, Verbs. Some of the bite or sharpness falls off and the flavors soften and meld as a rule. Those who like ChCh (include me in) generally agree some/many of the blends improve over time. One thing about aged ChCh is, each can comes with a date on the front so you KNOW how old it is when you crack it.

[cherrymax]

Ok I'm asking a Pipe Guy...HELP!!!!!!!!! We've had lots of rain here lately and some of bakky won't burn longer than a couple of minutes and then goes out and I have to relight. I don't get a long period to relax and smoke so I gotta go in 45 min. I pack the pipe in the "3rds" method. When I first started, I surprised myself and went about 20 min before a relight. Today ticked me off big time. Couldn't get a good hot cherry red glow in the bowl for anything.

What is wrong? Is it me or the humidity affecting the bakky? And does that mean I can't smoke when it rains? Oh hale no!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by cherrymax

Ok ... I pack the pipe...

Don't do that. Fillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllll the pipe. Evenly, but loosely - easy free draw before lighting. You can tamp it later, gently, after it lights. If keeping an open draw doesn't work, leave a bowls worth of tobak sitting out for an hour before filling the pipe.

Carry on. Stout heart.

[Mad Hatter]

Originally Posted by cherrymax

Ok I'm asking a Pipe Guy...HELP!!!!!!!!! We've had lots of rain here lately and some of bakky won't burn longer than a couple of minutes and then goes out and I have to relight. I don't get a long period to relax and smoke so I gotta go in 45 min. I pack the pipe in the "3rds" method. When I first started, I surprised myself and went about 20 min before a relight. Today ticked me off big time. Couldn't get a good hot cherry red glow in the bowl for anything.

What is wrong? Is it me or the humidity affecting the bakky? And does that mean I can't smoke when it rains? Oh hale no!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks.

You've been getting all that rain (like us) and the humidity in the air has probably overhydrated your tabak, especially if you've been sitting it out to dry. Try drying it under a lamp or nuke it for 10 - 20 seconds in the mcrowave on a papertowel

[Jack Straw]

I discovered my tobacco dries out quite fast if I leave it next to the exhaust fan on my laptop for a few minutes.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Jack Straw

I discovered my tobacco dries out quite fast if I leave it next to the exhaust fan on my laptop for a few minutes.

Brilliant!

[Pugsley]

This is a total newb question and has probably been asked before but please forgive me and answer again. Does pipe tobacco age as well in an unopened tin as it does after being placed in mason jars or does that brief exposure to the atmosphere during the transfer have a positive effect on the aging process?

[MarkC]

If it's a sealed tin, from what I understand, it's aging already. Switching it to mason jars would just interrupt the process.

[cherrymax]

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

You've been getting all that rain (like us) and the humidity in the air has probably overhydrated your tabak, especially if you've been sitting it out to dry. Try drying it under a lamp or nuke it for 10 - 20 seconds in the mcrowave on a papertowel

Thanks, Mad Hatter,
Nuked some today and 100% better.

[Commander Quan]

Good tip on nuking the backy. I'll give that a try tonight.

How often / How do you know when you should tamp the ash? I usually tamp each time before relighting. And just let the weight of the nail or Chech tool tamp the ash. After the second or third relight the draw starts to get firmer and the pipe smokes hot and then goes out.

Should I tamp less often or stir and dump the ash at that point?

[madurolover]

Originally Posted by Commander Quan

Good tip on nuking the backy. I'll give that a try tonight.

How often / How do you know when you should tamp the ash? I usually tamp each time before relighting. And just let the weight of the nail or Chech tool tamp the ash. After the second or third relight the draw starts to get firmer and the pipe smokes hot and then goes out.

Should I tamp less often or stir and dump the ash at that point?

Ever since I watched Dub's video on "Maintaining the bowl" I have had to relight at the most twice unless I sit it down for a while and let it go out. Dub says that tamping is the equivalent of lighting.

When the smoke starts getting thin and you feel like it is close to going out you give it a light tamp (just the weight of the tamper) and it is just about the same as sticking the lighter to it. I have been doing this the last several bowls and it actually works. What it is doing is pushing the hot ash into the unlit tobacco.

This is the only tamping I do except after the charring light.

He also recommends dumping the ash about halfway into the bowl.