Warning: Totally Off Topic

[WRIDR]

After offering an occasional 'Tut Tut' about 'Off Topic' posts, we're committing the same bloody Offence.

 

Any Pipe Smokers among our Midst? Given our assumption about the Average Age of The Membership, we assume there must be a few Olde Pharts who still suck the stem of a Tobacco Burning Artifact?

 

If we're right, they've undoubtedly experienced frustration about finding a good pouch of Pipe Tobacco that doesn't turn your tongue into a Charcoal Briquet. We currently have a short list of one; Captain Black 'Gold'.

 

However... most recent pouch purchases are far from perfectly processed, containing far too many long, unmanageable strings almost impossible to stuff into a pipe bowl. Fortunately, at the semi-youthful age of 76, we've happened upon a remarkably simple way to alleviate The Problem.

 

Note Scissors in below photo. Dump a pinch on Desktop, then ruthlessly attack with said Scissors until all the overlong culprits are reduced to a manageable pile of short stuff that easily slides into Pipe Bowl.

 

No thanks necessary; and apologies to Don for our errant ways. It will never (almost) happen again. Be thankful we didn't include a Rant on the cost of said Pouch in Canada!~

 

Gad, hope we're right, AND haven't wasted everyone's time! Rgds, WRIDR

 

[Marcarl]

You mean they don't make Sail and OldChum anymore? I used to like Sail.

[CaseyJ955]

I am but a lad at 50, but old enough to remember when pipes were still seen. Besides not being a cigarette smoker I'm no longer drinker but I damn sure have a weakness for premium tobacco products. Wife and I share cigars now and again, not too often as decent cigars can easily cost more than a tank of premium.

 

I lean towards aromatics but I also enjoy some of the English blends. Aromatics do offer me more of a relaxing effect then the others, but just as foods I sometimes like to shake it up. I keep a couple Savinellis and a Peterson in main rotation and use them from a time a day to a time or two. I found a Stanwell estate that makes a perfect driving pipe, I'll let that go when I'm dead and not a day before.

 

We have a local Tinderbox, which does carry some decent pipe tobaccos but selection is a bit short compared to some other places I had been when I lived in the city. Now I exclusively use Pipes and Cigars and have been for a few years. https://www.pipesandcigars.com/ you can do it all online, but I'm not an expert as such so I get on the horn and call. When I get someone on the blower I'm treated to top drawer customer service. Never hurried, all their folks are experts and will take all the time you need to talk about preferences, characteristics and attributes of different blends and brands, as well as their own blends which I find stellar. I'm not belting out specific recomendations because there are so many high quality variants that some folks like and others dont. I found what I like with their guidance. Besides they quite often throw in samples of things I ask about and that helps me narrow down what I like. I like some of the Hearth and Home blends, Russ' blends as well as some of the Peter Stokkebye offerings. This of course is only a sliver of the good stuff they have. Their website is loaded with customer reviews too, which I find helpful when I'm ordering online without guidance from a real pro.

 

I know exactly what your saying about tongue bite and there are a couple ways to address that. One is to avoid the crappy bails of tobacco found in smoke shops (ask me how I know) that taste like ass and fry your tongue. Pouches you buy off the shelf anywhere other than a dedicated retailer of premium tobacco products is hit/miss at best in my experience. Also the quality of the pipe can make a world of difference in tongue bite and just overall smoke quality. I almost quite messing with pipes until I got my first Savinelli, it's amazing how much impact the pipe can have on the smoking experience, I would say just as much of an effect as the tobacco itself. One of my Savinellis has a mouth piece specially designed to direct smoke away from your tongue and towards the roof of your mouth.

 

YMMV but this is what I do and I'm delighted, my $170 Savinelli was on sale for $110 and some of the best money I have spent. I got a decent Peterson for under $100. Also I found that pacing myself helps greatly to keep it cool. I hope this helps. Enjoy! It occurs to me that you may be a bit more experience than I, but as a source for tobacco and fixins' they are as good as I have ever experienced and their guidance has been priceless in making my smoking experience as great as it is.

Edited April 11, 2019 by CaseyJ955

[Condor]

Waaaay back, before I quit smoking and occasionally smoked a pipe, Zuiderzee was my pipe tobacco of choice.. Don't think they make it anymore?? As far as chopping the stuff up with a scissors try putting it in one of those electric coffee bean grinders. Burp it a couple of times and there ya go... Never done it, but from experience on rendering teak sawdust down to a powder to mix with resin it works great!!

Edited April 11, 2019 by Condor

[Backinthesaddle]

My dad was a pipe smoker for years. I remember getting him pipes for Xmas. if I remember correctly, Borkum Riff was one of his favorites. I remember his old pipe box that held his pipes.

[WRIDR]

Geeze Louise, there ARE some Pipe Smoking Varmints lurking in The Venture Woods!

 

(Hopefully that gets us off The Hook with Don.)

 

And... the Post already paid Personal Dividends - the Bean Grinder Idea is Priceless, thanks so much Condor. Getting 'er done in One Swell Foop will save us Tons of Time!

 

Also HUGE thanks to CaseyJ for a Big Bunch of Great Suggestions!

 

Keep 'em coming Folks, we're luvving it!~

 

Relieved AND Grateful Thanks, WRIDR

Edited April 12, 2019 by WRIDR