The League of Pipe smokers!

[Samon]

Why not?

Fellow puffers of the pipe, show yourselves!

Post pic's of your pipes, your tobacco and all the other fun collectables that come with it.

What are you smoking today? What are you smoking it in?

Your best and worst?

I'll start.

Here are some of my pipes..



And I generally smoke English blends, Virginias, strong twists and Condor long cut. Not an aromatic fan, yuck! Although Erinmore is not bad, but it's not a goopy sticky old mess like the other loose aro's.

Some twist for those who aren't familiar.



I also shovel snuff in my snout from time to time and am still searching for tins that don't smell like mint or perfume! And I'm partial to the occasional slice of twist tucked away against my gums. *spits - ting!*

Be good to check out your preferences!

Cheers

 

[Man of Tanith]

Usually i start the day with either mac barens navy flake or players navy flake in my moonshine pipes bootleg series wanderer.
Then i switch to Dunhill My Mixture BB1938 in my UK pipe and tobacco club Blakemar pipe.
May mix it up with some Ennerdale Flake in a Butz Choquin Artois.
Then theres the blend i was involved in developing-Nessmuk Navy Plug which is made by Gawaith Hoggarth. Usually smoked in a no name clabash at any time of the day

When i'm in the woods its usually ennerdale flake in a Mr Brog Old Army or NNP.
Ennerdale and other lakelands tend to ghost worse than building on an old sacred site in horror movies so i have specific pipes for those.

Over the counter tobaccos i tend towards condor long cut or st bruno ready rubbed

 

[Man of Tanith]

Missed the bit about best and worse tobaccos-
Best-mac barens navy flake, NNP (biased i admit), players navy flake, dunhill BB

Worse. Semois......

 

[andibs]

Just started buying some of the sampler packs from Carey as I'm getting a bit fed up of Condor all the time. Got one of the ten minute pipes from Carey a few months back which is great for a quick puff at work.

Andy

 

[Robbi]

no longer smoke but here are some of my clay pipes......

 

[andibs]

Nice Robbi. What sort of age are they?

 

[SoldierPalmer]

I'm a fellow smoker I mainly smoke St Bruno or Clan as it's easy to access.

 

[Samon]

I'm a fellow smoker I mainly smoke St Bruno or Clan as it's easy to access.

If you like to ease of over the counter blends that are sold in supermarkets like tesco, asda etc. Try Mellow Virginia! Absolutely lovely and completely suprised by how nice it was considering it's available in the shops! Really nice taste and cracking room note.

My father in law smokes clan in his rollies and his pipe! lol I've tried to pull him over to the 'sophisticated' side of specialist blends but he is based in his opinion that he likes it, it works and he doesn't give a shoot what anyone else thinks!


For anyone who wants to try the fancy stuff but doesn;t have a nearby tobacconist. I use this shop here for online purchases> https://www.thebackyshop.co.uk/ (no affiliation just happy repeat customer)

 

[sasquatch]

Mainly Dunhill 965 or Nightcap and Rattray's Red Rapparee for me.

 

[zornt]

I prefer a Rhodesian or a church warden for shapes. Depending on my mood or location. I am a wet smoker so I prefer a bent stem.
For tobacco I buy bulk natural Cavendish blends.
I had a friend give Mr some pistachio blend that was wonderful.

 

[SoldierPalmer]

If you like to ease of over the counter blends that are sold in supermarkets like tesco, asda etc. Try Mellow Virginia! Absolutely lovely and completely suprised by how nice it was considering it's available in the shops! Really nice taste and cracking room note.

My father in law smokes clan in his rollies and his pipe! lol I've tried to pull him over to the 'sophisticated' side of specialist blends but he is based in his opinion that he likes it, it works and he doesn't give a shoot what anyone else thinks!


For anyone who wants to try the fancy stuff but doesn;t have a nearby tobacconist. I use this shop here for online purchases> https://www.thebackyshop.co.uk/ (no affiliation just happy repeat customer)

Thanks for the link, I don't mind mellow v infact I use to mix it with clan to a surprisingly nice effect

 

[Samon]

Some Mick Mquaid I got yesterday.



Any plug lovers out there? I'm usually smoking flakes and twists and fancied this classic one as I haven't tried it. first bowl went nicely. Good, simple taste and kind of nutty, like many others have described it.

 

[Man of Tanith]

If you like the mick mcquaid youd best stockpile it. Theyre discontinuing it in UK.
Nessmuk navy plug,cannon plug,ennerdale plug. All good smokes

 

[andybysea]

Pardon the ignorance as im not a smoker, that last pic Samon put up looks like a block of wood or something used for a knife handle, what do you do with it? Cut it up and put pieces into pipe, or does it, for want of a better word fluff/ break up and be put in that way.

 

[Man of Tanith]

Pardon the ignorance as im not a smoker, that last pic Samon put up looks like a block of wood or something used for a knife handle, what do you do with it? Cut it up and put pieces into pipe, or does it, for want of a better word fluff/ break up and be put in that way.

Pretty much.
Pipe baccy comes in 3 forms
Ready rubbed-looks like rolling tobacco (ish) just stuff into pipe and light
Flake-think long slices of tobacco. You can either rub it out or fold/stuff it into pipe and light
Plug-the one samon posted a pic of. You need a SHARP knife (dunno anyone who'd have one of them) you then cut slices of the plug and either rub or fold as you wish
Ready rubbed is easier but flake holds flavours (casings) and moisture more
Plug holds the casings and moisture even more.

I like a mix of all. Ready rubbed is good for when out and about walking (or lunting-to walk whilst smoking a pipe)
Flake is good when you have a little more time to prepare
Plug is good when you have nothing to do for a while or.if you want to keep the bacca fresher for longer.
On day trips to the woods i lean towards ready rubbed or flake.for longer excursions i lean towards plug.
Often you can get the tobaccos in all forms.
A lot of folk now smoke different blends like people drink different wines etc

 

[Klenchblaize]

Some Mick Mquaid I got yesterday.



Any plug lovers out there? I'm usually smoking flakes and twists and fancied this classic one as I haven't tried it. first bowl went nicely. Good, simple taste and kind of nutty, like many others have described it.

Am I alone in thinking you should have that stabilised and use as knife scales??

K

 

[andybysea]

Cheer's man of tanith. Klenchblaize see post two above, i was thinking same thing.

 

[Samon]

There are loads of ways to form tobacco to mature it, store it or package it.

The plug I posted above is extrememly dense, like wood. It is layers of fine tobacco leaf cut and then pressed under extreme pressure into large slabs. The factory then cuts out 'plugs' into the desired weight. As you can tell this plug is one of the those that are very very hard. Others can be softer and less dense but generally speaking, the closer layers allow for a more intense amalgamation of the flavours that can mature better. To prepare it you use a sharp knife or guilotine type purpose made plug cutter and shave off thin slices then rub into softer more packable strands/bits in your hands.

Cake tobacco is very similar to plug. But it is far less dense and usually made from pre cut and sliced strands of tobacco that are then pressed into blocks and cut to the desired weight. It can be cut with a knife or the softer ones can actually be picked apart and rubbed out by hand.

Twist tobacco is whole leaves that have already gone though ithe drying, cuing or fermenting process (usually) then tightly spun like rope into dense and very strong lengths. Theya re dense but can easily be unwound by hand and are usually known for being extremely potent and raw tasting, like a cigar. They come in different thicknesses and the thicker ones are generally for smoking while the skinny pig tail twists are used for chewing. Brown twist is the 'raw' form that has already gone though it's usually leaf preperation process. Blck twists are the same, but go through a further pressure cooking stage to draw out some nicotine and oils for a weaker smoke. However, black smokes harsher than brown. Both are for the people who want strong, raw flavours and a kick in the teeth from nicotine. Just cut a coin or two from one end and rub out by hand untill it's fluffed up enough to load.

Flake! My most smoked tobacco. Very moist usually, cut from pressed blocks of cake like tobacco. Not even remotely as dense as plug though and not formed from strands like cake. Dry out a little and rub out in the hand to the desired thickness of strands.

Broken flake. Flake tobacco that is pre crumbled up by the factory. Further rubbing is usually needed.

Ribbon cut. The easisest to prepare as you just take a few pinches and load your bowl. All the different leaves and types of tobacco are pre cut to into ribbons/strands and are individual, not pressed. Nice and fluffed up and ready to go!

Shag cut. Usually lesser quality but similar to ribbon cut, only thicker strands. Usually sold under pipe tobacco counters but I'm pretty sure most people use it in rollies as pipe tobacco is about 30% cheaper than cigarette baccy.

Navy rolls. Generally just pre cut twist tobacco sections but with added flavour. Rub by hand and toot away.

I think that's all the types that you'll find in a specialist tobacconist.

 

[andybysea]

Is pipe tobacco, less chemically prosessed than pack cigarettes? Eg are as you describe, the leaves just picked,dried rolled etc, or are additives put in as per ciggy's?

 

[Samon]

Is pipe tobacco, less chemically prosessed than pack cigarettes? Eg are as you describe, the leaves just picked,dried rolled etc, or are additives put in as per ciggy's?

Yep, pretty much!

Cig's are pump with additives nd chem's to make them burn faster and get you hooked. Real pipe baccy, the good stuff anyway is as good as it's gonna get considering tobaacco naturally is quite toxic. Good cigars are similar, just leaf and expertise to make them work.