Any pipe smokers here?

stevoman

I have been a cigarette smoker for the last 15 years but last week I quit, partly because I'm sick of them and partly because I want to save for something and I'm using the money I'm saving from cigarettes to buy it.

One problem is though I live a smoke, and not just lighting up a cigarette type, but a sit down on my own while out hunting and fishing and enjoying a nice smoke in my own company, so I have decided in a few weeks I'm going to try a pipe. As a Saturday night winter treat, or a smoke to enjoy after a few hard miles walking with the dogs. My grand uncle smokes a pipe and I just love the smell of it and also the way he just falls into a big couch and relaxes whilst having it.

I'm just looking for a few pointers though. Do pipe smokers inhale or treat it like say for instance a cigar smoker does?

Also what would be a good pipe and tobacco to start on?

BeerNut

stevoman wrote: »

Do pipe smokers inhale or treat it like say for instance a cigar smoker does?

It varies. I do, though not as deeply as on a cigarette.

stevoman wrote: »

Also what would be a good pipe and tobacco to start on?

Peterson's De Luxe blend is a nice, mild, aromatic one.

P. Breathnach

stevoman wrote: »

... Do pipe smokers inhale or treat it like say for instance a cigar smoker does?

In general, we don't inhale. I had many years' experience of inhaling tobacco smoke from cigarettes and cheroots before dedicating myself to the pipe. I inhale pipe smoke only by accident, and am strongly reminded of why I prefer not to.

Also what would be a good pipe and tobacco to start on?

Tobacco is a matter of personal preference. Experiment with what is conveniently available. If you know other pipe smokers, you could ask them for a fill of what they smoke.

Choice of pipe matters more, I think. Don't settle for cheap and nasty, because you might find yourself smoking the pipe itself rather than what is in it. I buy Peterson pipes. Their seconds are value for money, and might be a good option to get you started.

Persist. It can take a while to get yourself trained in. In my opinion, it is worth it.

stevoman

P. Breathnach wrote: »

stevoman wrote: »

... Do pipe smokers inhale or treat it like say for instance a cigar smoker does?

In general, we don't inhale. I had many years' experience of inhaling tobacco smoke from cigarettes and cheroots before dedicating myself to the pipe. I inhale pipe smoke only by accident, and am strongly reminded of why I prefer not to.

Also what would be a good pipe and tobacco to start on?

Tobacco is a matter of personal preference. Experiment with what is conveniently available. If you know other pipe smokers, you could ask them for a fill of what they smoke.

Choice of pipe matters more, I think. Don't settle for cheap and nasty, because you might find yourself smoking the pipe itself rather than what is in it. I buy Peterson pipes. Their seconds are value for money, and might be a good option to get you started.

Persist. It can take a while to get yourself trained in. In my opinion, it is worth it.

Great post and thanks for the info. I'm actually delighted to hear Pipe smokers don't inhale. I'm literally interested for the love of a good smoke.

Where would I puck up a Peterson second and roughly what price range am I looking at. I seen some Peterson pipes online for as much as €180. that seemed fairly expensive.

P. Breathnach

I usually buy my pipes in Peterson's or in Fox's. I like the Standard System, and I think the current price is about €90. I don't know if they sell seconds in those outlets: I have never noticed them there, and I no longer buy seconds.

Some newsagent/tobacconists sell Peterson seconds: you can see them displayed on boards that hold 10-12 pipes when full. I'd hazard a guess that the current price is about €50.

stevoman

Wow. It's not a cheap hobby so. I just checked ebay, I seen a few coming in at about €25. They could be fakes though?!

P. Breathnach

I doubt if anybody would bother faking a Peterson pipe.

Most of the cheaper ones on ebay are used, and some of them look a bit the worse for wear (but others look to be in good nick).

It's still cheaper to smoke a pipe than to smoke cigarettes. Yes, there is a start-up cost, but the running costs are a great deal lower: when I made the switch, I think I spent about one-third as much on pipe tobacco as I had been spending on cigarettes.

MiskyBoyy

Hey, any of you guys know where to buy Pipe Tobacco in Waterford City?

stevoman

Have you tried online? You can order just about any type of tobacco on it. I got some cherry pipe tobacco in the post today. Cant wait to try it. Problem is my pipe hasnt arrived! Lol

chickenbutt

Hiya, I have a question for all the pipe smokers out there... I am looking to find a good pipe for my dad as a Christmas gift. I'm not a smoker myself so wouldn't know a thing about it which is why I am asking you all. He smokes on occasion when the mood strikes him and has quite a collection of pipes that I admire but I'd like to treat him to something new and special as he's had a rough year with his father passing away recently. So, basically I'm asking if anyone can point me in the direction of a pipe shop in Dublin that would sell quality pipes.. And types/brand? I literally have no clue! I'm researching a bit online so I don't pick a dud.. Any help at all is very much appreciated!

OldGoat

There really is only one choice - Petersons. You will find other brands available in various shops but the biggest choice and the best quality is going to be Petersons.
Take a photograph of your dads pipes so the staff will have an ides of what kind of pipes he favours and they will advise you on what pipe might suit.
http://www.peterson.ie/pipes/index.html

chickenbutt

OldGoat wrote: »

There really is only one choice - Petersons. You will find other brands available in various shops but the biggest choice and the best quality is going to be Petersons.
Take a photograph of your dads pipes so the staff will have an ides of what kind of pipes he favours and they will advise you on what pipe might suit.
http://www.peterson.ie/pipes/index.html

I was thinking that would be my choice, wasn't sure if there was anything else out there that I missed! Can I ask, about how much would a pipe typically be? I had a look around ebay and prices seem to be all over the place so I'm not sure what it would be in the shop. Thank you for the help!

emmet the rover

chickenbutt wrote: »

I was thinking that would be my choice, wasn't sure if there was anything else out there that I missed! Can I ask, about how much would a pipe typically be? I had a look around ebay and prices seem to be all over the place so I'm not sure what it would be in the shop. Thank you for the help!

jj fox has a website that gives a price guide to low and high end pipes anything from €40 to over €150 and up. petersons system is a good starter.

also there is a shop on the corner beside the stephens green shopping center not the grafton st end the one parrell to it that have a few on a board in the window under €30 that i dont know much about

Slav

chickenbutt wrote: »

how much would a pipe typically be?

A pipe can cost anything from, say, 20 Euro up to a grand or even more. As a very rough idea on prices:

In the price region of 20-50 you will find some basic cheap pipes (which does not mean they cannot be good smokers), or brand rejects or so called "seconds" (and they will usually smoke well).

For 50-150 you will get a mass production machine made pipe. They might have fillings in their bowls and won't be made out of the best briar blocks (which arguably does not affect the smoking qualities but purely an aesthetic issue) as well as have other minor imperfections but usually they are good smokers.

For 150-500 you can get a high grade or a limited edition pipe from the major brands, e.g Peterson's high grade, Savinelli's "Autograph" line, etc. Also in this category will be hand-made pipes from the masters making pipes in mid-price range (as an example, Northern Briar or Claudio Cavicchi pipes). With a rare exception you will get a very good pipe in this price range (especially at the top of it)

For 300-800 you will get a mass production pipe from one of the the top pipe manufactures. Not only you will get a very good pipe for this money but you'll get a Dunhill or a Castello - such pipe will always find its place in any pipe smoker collection.

For 800+ you will get a limited edition collection pipe from the top brands or a unique handmade pipe from the top masters. Pipes in this category are so good that many of them never get smoked!


The pipes you'll find in the shops are most likely be of "English", "Scandinavian" or "Italian" shapes. For an idea, look at Dunhill or Peterson pipes for how English pipes looks like, Stanwell or Vauen for examples of Scandinavian pipe shapes and Castello, Ser Jacopo or Savinelli for Italian ones. It's better to get a pipe from the same family that in your Dad's collection. Also check the general shape of his pipes (are they mostly bent or straight) and their bowl sizes (small, medium, large) - it's safer to get a pipe similar in shape and size to the others.

As for Peterson, the great thing about it is that you can get the best selection of their pipes in shops in Ireland. You can also find a very interesting pipe in the high grade range. Otherwise the quality and value for money is good but IMO not necessarily the best if you can visit pipe shops abroad or don't mind buying a pipe online.

Drop in a tin of pipe tobacco as well! If it's going to be a Christmas gift then a tin of Peterson's 2012 Christmas Special would fit in nicely!

Film company

The Decent Cigar Emporium on Grafton street have a very nice Cherry tobacco. It needs a slight drying but is very very nice. Petersons also do a Cherry but it is quite sharp and bitey. They also do a lovely Rum tobacco.

Rum tobacco from The Decent Cigar Emporium. Also a mix of Cherry (1/3) to Clan (1 pack) gives a nice smoke. The cherry can be a little wet so the Clan acts as a nice dryer. Also depends on which pipe you use.

They had a meeting a few months back but nothing has been organised. I did not go myself but would be interested in attending one.

Clan is available in Dublin in James Fox's and P & P Barry's opp' the College of Surgeons.

Also check on Gumtree and others for tobacco pipes and smoking pipes for sale. Sometimes you get someone selling off old ones that are quite cheap. If the previous owner was careful with his pipes you can get great bargains. Sometimes a smoked pipe can be better than brand new. The carbon build up can save you the issue of breaking in a new pipe. My advice is buy a cheap pipe. It gets you used to the whole practice at first. When you know how to clean and pack a pipe and care for it well you can then invest cash in getting something with a little more weight and cost. Visit Youtube and listen to some of the seasoned smokers there. They have lots of great advice for new pipers.

chickenbutt

Slav wrote: »

A pipe can cost anything from, say, 20 Euro up to a grand or even more. As a very rough idea on prices:

In the price region of 20-50 you will find some basic cheap pipes (which does not mean they cannot be good smokers), or brand rejects or so called "seconds" (and they will usually smoke well).

For 50-150 you will get a mass production machine made pipe. They might have fillings in their bowls and won't be made out of the best briar blocks (which arguably does not affect the smoking qualities but purely an aesthetic issue) as well as have other minor imperfections but usually they are good smokers.

For 150-500 you can get a high grade or a limited edition pipe from the major brands, e.g Peterson's high grade, Savinelli's "Autograph" line, etc. Also in this category will be hand-made pipes from the masters making pipes in mid-price range (as an example, Northern Briar or Claudio Cavicchi pipes). With a rare exception you will get a very good pipe in this price range (especially at the top of it)

For 300-800 you will get a mass production pipe from one of the the top pipe manufactures. Not only you will get a very good pipe for this money but you'll get a Dunhill or a Castello - such pipe will always find its place in any pipe smoker collection.

For 800+ you will get a limited edition collection pipe from the top brands or a unique handmade pipe from the top masters. Pipes in this category are so good that many of them never get smoked!


The pipes you'll find in the shops are most likely be of "English", "Scandinavian" or "Italian" shapes. For an idea, look at Dunhill or Peterson pipes for how English pipes looks like, Stanwell or Vauen for examples of Scandinavian pipe shapes and Castello, Ser Jacopo or Savinelli for Italian ones. It's better to get a pipe from the same family that in your Dad's collection. Also check the general shape of his pipes (are they mostly bent or straight) and their bowl sizes (small, medium, large) - it's safer to get a pipe similar in shape and size to the others.

As for Peterson, the great thing about it is that you can get the best selection of their pipes in shops in Ireland. You can also find a very interesting pipe in the high grade range. Otherwise the quality and value for money is good but IMO not necessarily the best if you can visit pipe shops abroad or don't mind buying a pipe online.

Drop in a tin of pipe tobacco as well! If it's going to be a Christmas gift then a tin of Peterson's 2012 Christmas Special would fit in nicely!

Thank you very much for that, really very informative. I think I have a good idea of what to expect now and I won't be so clueless when I walk in. I took some photos of the pipes and actually I was noticing a trend with them being similar in certain aspects so I think I'll probably use that as a guideline for picking one out.

And yeah, I was wondering about tabacco as well, I know he has his own but it doesn't hurt to try a new one! Thank you again.

Faith+1

I got a cracking pipe from Petersons a few years back for around €90. The thought of paying €800 to a grand for one seems a little excessive :eek:

Film company

I have seen one for €3000+. It is the craftsmanship that sells.

Faith+1

Film company wrote: »

I have seen one for €3000+. It is the craftsmanship that sells.

Craftsmanship is one thing but tbh it's the tobacco that I'm more interested in!

Churchwarden

Good recommendation Film company. Tried the Decent Cigar Emp'. Gorgeous Cherry. They have Irish Oak from Petersons but I have that already. I am going tomorrow to Peterson's to pick up this years Christmas blend. I hear it is tasty. Anyone ever think of setting up a pipe smokers group?

ThunderApple

Oh, you must be the first person I 'meet' who likes the Christmas mix. Besides my girlfriend. She's been smoking it all year long (I got a lot for Christmas last year).
A pipe smokers group is a good idea.

LordSutch

As a matter of interest does anyone knoew if there is such a thing as 'an Electronic Pipe' in the same way as there are electronic cigarettes . . .

Curious.

PS My Dad had a real pipe and always smoked Erinmore mixture, or Condor Plug!

Churchwarden

Yes there is. Here is a review http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPfN_u2nsY8

Your dad had good taste.

Churchwarden

Thunderapple I am afraid I did not get the chance to get this years Xmas blend just yet. Will give a review when I can afford to get some. The bills landed on the mat yesterday What did you think of last years blend. So you and your girlfriend are piper smokers? Always curious about a ladies choice in pipe. Small and delicate vs long and slender.

BeerNut

Churchwarden wrote: »

Small and delicate vs long and slender.

Or just a normal pipe? Why would a woman need a different sort of pipe to man?

emmet the rover

LordSutch wrote: »

As a matter of interest does anyone knoew if there is such a thing as 'an Electronic Pipe' in the same way as there are electronic cigarettes . . .

Curious.

PS My Dad had a real pipe and always smoked Erinmore mixture, or Condor Plug!

strong smokes for a novice knocks me on my ass everytime and will leave a residual flavour on your pipe (ghost)

LordSutch

That must be 'pipe speak' as I have no idea what it means )

Churchwarden

Yes indeed. But you know women . Some women like Savinellis long slender design or something with a stylish twist. But depending on the woman. But I get slagged for my churchwardens as my Missus thinks they are lady like.

Churchwarden

What has you so confused Lord Sutch?

Churchwarden

Ghost or ghosting is when the tobacco you previously smoked in your pipe affects the present tobacco smoke. You can taste the "ghost" of the previous tobacco.