My first English and Virginia experiences...

[morefifemusicanyone]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

If you get some Christmas Cheer (a slightly difficult starter blend) and wonder why you can't get the hard unbroken flake to burn, we'll say, "Yeah. It can be that way. Let it dry a little more then beat the chunks with a hammer then file some to dust with a rasp then put it that on top of the pipe and set fire to it. Then do that again three more times, two Hail Mary's, one Our Father and then it'll burn, mostly."

@Moo - Can you sticky this for those of us that are having trouble getting Christmas Cheer to burn? I was totally missing the Hail Mary's and Our Father. I should have guessed though, based on the holy nature of the name.

@LB - I echo the sentiment given by the other BOTLs, to go with an established brand of pipe tobac. It is easier when speaking of the same baccy.

If you are looking for a place to start, first and foremost, I recommend the NST for pipes. It is stickied on the Pipe WTS/WTB part of the forum, which you should have access to now or very soon.

As far as baccys to try, tastes differ, but look for very high quality baccys. You can check out tobaccoreviews.com and look up blends by 4 star ratings. You are pretty safe betting on blends with more than 10 reviews and 4 stars average.

Based on my personal tastes, see below.

For VA, look for: Rattray's Hal O The Wynd or Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake

For English, look for: GL Pease Westminster or Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader

For Va/Per, go with: AC Peterson Escudo or pipesandcigars.com Anniversary Kake

If you want a cheap, rather sweet, but still good Burley blend more akin to an aromatic, go for: pipesandcigars.com Butternut Burley.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by morefifemusicanyone

For VA, look for: Rattray's Hal O The Wynd or Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake

For English, look for: GL Pease Westminster or Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader

For Va/Per, go with: AC Peterson Escudo or pipesandcigars.com Anniversary Kake

If you want a cheap, rather sweet, but still good Burley blend more akin to an aromatic, go for: pipesandcigars.com Butternut Burley.

Very nice to-the-point list of the good stuff. Jeepers - FVF has 183 reviews and a 4/4 Star rating at Tobacco Reviews.

(I'm a big fan of Squadron Leader but don't really know what the hell it is. I think it's oriental but a lot of folks call it english. I think it is Lakeland-style soapy smelling and others say, "Nyuh uh! That's just the natural perfect aroma of a stoved African leaf." Whatever - it is somewhat atypical of english tobak. I might suggest Stokkebyes "Proper English" as alternative which is funny since it's made in Denmark.

[morefifemusicanyone]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Very nice to-the-point list of the good stuff. Jeepers - FVF has 183 reviews and a 4/4 Star rating at Tobacco Reviews.

(I'm a big fan of Squadron Leader but don't really know what the hell it is. I think it's oriental but a lot of folks call it english. I think it is Lakeland-style soapy smelling and others say, "Nyuh uh! That's just the natural perfect aroma of a stoved African leaf." Whatever - it is somewhat atypical of english tobak. I might suggest Stokkebyes "Proper English" as alternative which is funny since it's made in Denmark.

Yeah,

I am actually not huge on SL, I really like Westminster and I have been getting in to GLP Maltese Falcon a lot lately. I am also a fan of Penzance, but I would not recommend that for an English Newbie, because it is more a love it/hate it baccy.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by morefifemusicanyone

...I would not recommend [Penzance] for an English Newbie, because it is more a love it/hate it baccy.

Yeah. And if you buy a tin and hate it, send it to Mee, Mister Lovit.

[morefifemusicanyone]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Yeah. And if you buy a tin and hate it, send it to Mee, Mister Lovit.

Fat chance, I am a Penzance whore.

I'd sell my soul...for one more bowl...

[laney1566]

IMO...
Virginias tend to be hotter due to the higher sugar content. Burleys tend to be cooler due to a lower sugar content. The higher the sugar content then the greater chance of tongue bite. Mclellend 5100 red cake seems to be an exception though. It is a great smoke and I have used it for blending where a virginia is called for. Also..Their dark navy flake it cool to me.

[longburn]

Originally Posted by morefifemusicanyone

@Moo - Can you sticky this for those of us that are having trouble getting Christmas Cheer to burn? I was totally missing the Hail Mary's and Our Father. I should have guessed though, based on the holy nature of the name.

@LB - I echo the sentiment given by the other BOTLs, to go with an established brand of pipe tobac. It is easier when speaking of the same baccy.

If you are looking for a place to start, first and foremost, I recommend the NST for pipes. It is stickied on the Pipe WTS/WTB part of the forum, which you should have access to now or very soon.

As far as baccys to try, tastes differ, but look for very high quality baccys. You can check out tobaccoreviews.com and look up blends by 4 star ratings. You are pretty safe betting on blends with more than 10 reviews and 4 stars average.

Based on my personal tastes, see below.

For VA, look for: Rattray's Hal O The Wynd or Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake

For English, look for: GL Pease Westminster or Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader

For Va/Per, go with: AC Peterson Escudo or pipesandcigars.com Anniversary Kake

If you want a cheap, rather sweet, but still good Burley blend more akin to an aromatic, go for: pipesandcigars.com Butternut Burley.

I sent an Email to Wiggly about it. It didn't occur to me to tell him about the paticular qualities of Christmas Cheer.

But I have been smoking it for years and what I do is first let it air dry on a napkin or paper towel for a couple of hours prior to packing my pipe.

I then hand rub it to seperate the flakes and I use the Frank Method to pack my pipe. To a lot of people all of that prep wouldn't be worth it but I enjoy the unique flavor it has.

[morefifemusicanyone]

Originally Posted by longburn

I sent an Email to Wiggly about it. It didn't occur to me to tell him about the paticular qualities of Christmas Cheer.

But I have been smoking it for years and what I do is first let it air dry on a napkin or paper towel for a couple of hours prior to packing my pipe.

I then hand rub it to seperate the flakes and I use the Frank Method to pack my pipe. To a lot of people all of that prep wouldn't be worth it but I enjoy the unique flavor it has.

I do something similar, but I don't have a place to let it sit around and air dry for a long period of time.

I stick it in a plastic baggy to take with me. Usually after a day or so, the baccy in the baggy is smoke ready.

[sounds7]

Originally Posted by Lord Wigglybottom

@Hatter - I did not know they did that! Much appreciated intel - thanks!

@sounds - The density of the smoke in my mouth? So basically just flavor overload on the tongue, like eating chips that are too strongly flavored or something too acidic? I gotta be honest about where I'm at with picking up flavors - I can get one, maybe two. This could be why I'm getting the cold bite (frost bite? ), simply because I'm not picking up the overabundance of "seasoning" in each sip.

To give you an idea of my smoking pace, last night's smoke was in a Missouri Meerschaum Country Gentleman bent. That took me an hour and a half almost to the minute from first char to having only ash in the bowl. Slower still?

If your smoking that slow this couldnt be your problem. Must be the tobacco itself as others have suggested. Also to be specific about what I said, it has more to do with acidity than flavor. But again this doesnt sound like your problem as you have explained how slowly you smoke.
Tobacco acidity:
A handbook of chemical technology - Google Book Search
http://www.jbc.org/cgi/reprint/119/2/523.pdf

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by sounds7

If your smoking that slow this couldnt be your problem...

So I thought - unless the pipe if filled so tightly he is sucking his cheeks off. I find it hard to smoke any cob much more than 30 minutes.

LW - have you filled that cob so tightly there is considerable resistance to a light draw? Are you sucking your cheeks off old buddy? You can tell me.

[Mad Hatter]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

So I thought - unless the pipe if filled so tightly he is sucking his cheeks off. I find it hard to smoke any cob much more than 30 minutes.

LW - have you filled that cob so tightly there is considerable resistance to a light draw? Are you sucking your cheeks off old buddy? You can tell me.

[Lord Wigglybottom]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

So I thought - unless the pipe if filled so tightly he is sucking his cheeks off. I find it hard to smoke any cob much more than 30 minutes.

LW - have you filled that cob so tightly there is considerable resistance to a light draw? Are you sucking your cheeks off old buddy? You can tell me.

I wish - then it would be a simpler answer I'm sure. I've actually been using the Frank method since my fourth bowl (ever). The first time I tried it I noticed a big improvement in just the pipe staying lit and after some practice I only need one to two relights per bowl (sometimes around mid-bowl if the weather is damp, and almost always for that last 1/4). In truth, I feel no resistance at all during my draw - the pipe might as well be empty. I don't know if this is a good thing, or if I need to actually -pack- a little bit.

...Or perhaps the Frank method isn't quite so universal?

[morefifemusicanyone]

Originally Posted by Lord Wigglybottom

I wish - then it would be a simpler answer I'm sure. I've actually been using the Frank method since my fourth bowl (ever). The first time I tried it I noticed a big improvement in just the pipe staying lit and after some practice I only need one to two relights per bowl (sometimes around mid-bowl if the weather is damp, and almost always for that last 1/4). In truth, I feel no resistance at all during my draw - the pipe might as well be empty. I don't know if this is a good thing, or if I need to actually -pack- a little bit.

...Or perhaps the Frank method isn't quite so universal?

PACK IT UP. Moo won't mind!

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Lord Wigglybottom

I wish - then it would be a simpler answer I'm sure. ...perhaps the Frank method isn't quite so universal?

I guessed wrong! There go my Mayoral prospects down the drain in another WrongguessGate scandal.

German fill never worked for me and I doubt its universal appeal; the 3-stage fill does what I want without the OCD mess control. I know it works well - it's just too finicky for me.

VOTE MOO - 2009 - MAYOR

[Dedalus]

Sometimes a visual helps. Check out these videos in order, if you invest 20 minutes to watch these, you'll have a good idea of how delicate you should be while filling and smoking a pipe:

(Filling) YouTube - Request Video: How To Fill A Pipe
(Lighting) YouTube - Pipe Smoking101- Lighting your pipe - 6of7
(Smoking) YouTube - Pipe Smoking 101 - General tips on pipe smoking - Part 7 of 7

and remember...
YouTube - Pleasure Before Precision

I've been smoking for about six months now, and only this morning did I have what I would consider to be the perfect smoke. Robert McConnell's Scottish Cake in a Peterson Irish Harp B10 shape. Filled the pipe about 3/4 full and the smoke lasted about 45 minutes. Small sips, almost not puffing at all, just breathing enough to draw air into the bowl. Smoked cool the whole time. I had to relight five times (which isn't a big deal, in fact, if you manage to keep a bowl lit through the entire smoke, you might be smoking to fast/hot), and used two pipe cleaners (preemptively before any gurgling began). The smoke stayed peppery sweet the entire bowl and never tasted ashy or sour. Best tasting entire bowl of baccy I've managed yet.

Best of luck, and look forward to that perfect smoke. It will come, and it is wonderful when it does!