Thinking of Transitioning to Pipe

[Tobaccofieldsforever]

So, as the thread title says, I am thinking of transitioning from cigarette to pipe smoking. It seems more appealing to me in the sense that I could really taste the various nuances in different tobaccos. Also from a health point of view it seems better to not be smoking paper smoke all the time and inhaling less smoke seems like a benefit. I have a few concerns though. I smoke at least a pack a day of pretty strong tobacco blends, will pipe smoking satisfy my current nicotine cravings? Also curious about the portability of it all vs. cigarettes. I really have NO IDEA about smoking pipes so I posted this in an attempt to maybe gather opinions, suggestions, information on what people like about pipe smoking, the act of pipe smoking itself, etc... Also, nearly all my cellared tobacco is currently .8 mm cut so that concerns me, it may not be a financially efficient decision. Well, any information would be much appreciated...Thank you!

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

The 0.8mm cut is not unheard of in the pipe tobacco world. It may be a little difficult packing, but it's totally doable so you won't be wasting any of your old tobacco.

The tobacco you currently have will probably pack a little more punch in a pipe vs as a cigarette. At least that's my experience. If you need a little more kick, adding dark air, burley or Maryland should help with that. The only adjustment would be not inhaling. My recommendation is to consider it the way the early Spanish did, as "drinking smoke". Think of it like a beverage that you are just drawing into your mouth.

Portability. I have pipes everywhere and just need to remember to take tobacco with me.

 

[Ginsinjones]

As chinavoodoo said the .8mm is definatly fine and you will learn with trial and error on how to pack your bowl with that cut.
By your previous posts it sounds like you have plenty of tobacco that will work great for pipe smoking.
Once your body adjusts to not inhaling and absorbing the nicotine through your mouth you will find it completely satisfying.
I suggest not trying to transition to a pipe immediately but rater introducing it throughout your day. Less cigarettes more pipe gradually that way you won't be as tempted to inhale your pipe to compensate for the lower nicotine.
I transitioned from cigarettes back to pipe and cigars about 3 years ago. It took a few weeks before my body adjusted. Now I'm sort of a nicotine lightweight even though I don't inhale haha
Cigarettes are a very convenient and quick nicotine delivery system. Once you are used to pipes you will find them just as convenient and satisfying.
That's my 2 cents anyhow
Cheers

 

[Bot]

I smoked strong cigs for decades and dipped, then switched to snus. I transitioned to pipe about a year ago. I found it tricky at first to smoke a pipe. There's packing and smoking pace to get a handle on.

I found strong enough tobacco to satisfy my nicotine needs. Pipe smoking totally works for me now, and I dip only when I'm on a job where I can't smoke.

Good luck with pipe smoking. I recommend getting ahold of half a dozen or more pipes, used or new, also cobs are cheap. My own smoking enjoyment increased when I accumulated six briar pipes. Some folks smoke one single pipe all day every day. I tried that and it didn't work for me.

 

[Tobaccofieldsforever]

I smoked strong cigs for decades and dipped, then switched to snus. I transitioned to pipe about a year ago. I found it tricky at first to smoke a pipe. There's packing and smoking pace to get a handle on.

I found strong enough tobacco to satisfy my nicotine needs. Pipe smoking totally works for me now, and I dip only when I'm on a job where I can't smoke.

Good luck with pipe smoking. I recommend getting ahold of half a dozen or more pipes, used or new, also cobs are cheap. My own smoking enjoyment increased when I accumulated six briar pipes. Some folks smoke one single pipe all day every day. I tried that and it didn't work for me.

What are the different pipes for? Like I said, I know very little about pipe smoking. Why did you enjoy it more when you got more pipes?

 

[Bot]

Having several pipes, allows you to 'rest' your pipes after smoking a bowl or two, so they can dry out some and be able to absorb moisture from smoking a bowl of tobacco.

Smoke the same pipe over and over, and your pipe gets wet, and you might have an issue with gurgle

 

[Knucklehead]

Try a Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipe to start with. If pipe smoking is not your forte you are out very little. I started out buying all these gadgets to start with cause I didn’t know what I needed but wanted to make sure I had it just in case. That junk is on a shelf and I carry my tobacco in a sandwich bag.

 

[Bot]

I find it easier to get an even burn with a pipe that's dry. I'm much better at packing my pipe now too, which also helps.
There's a learning curve. I found pipe smoking fussy at first, now it's great.

I find many pipe smokes to be as satisfying as those few magical cigarette smoking experiences. Really!

 

[deluxestogie]

The diameter of burning tobacco in a typical pipe is at least three times the diameter of burning tobacco in a cigarette. After a little bit of computation of cross-sectional area, we find that a typical cross-section of a burning bowl of pipe tobacco approaches 5 times the burning cross-section of a cigarette. So a pipe always provides a denser hit of nicotine (per puff) than a cigarette.

Bob

 

[Ginsinjones]

Having several pipes, allows you to 'rest' your pipes after smoking a bowl or two, so they can dry out some and be able to absorb moisture from smoking a bowl of tobacco.

Smoke the same pipe over and over, and your pipe gets wet, and you might have an issue with gurgle

This is true for briar pipes and a lesser extent cobs. And like knucklehead said start with a few MM cobs. You may find you need not go farther. I have half dozen or so briar pipes that never get used.

 

[Tobaccofieldsforever]

The diameter of burning tobacco in a typical pipe is at least three times the diameter of burning tobacco in a cigarette. After a little bit of computation of cross-sectional area, we find that a typical cross-section of a burning bowl of pipe tobacco approaches 5 times the burning cross-section of a cigarette. So a pipe always provides a denser hit of nicotine (per puff) than a cigarette.

Bob

Makes sense, it was the not inhaling of the smoke that concerned me the most. I know about PH and absorption of nicotine through the mouth though, so maybe I will start off with some more alkaline blends until I get used to everything.

 

[Knucklehead]

What are the different pipes for?

Aromatic blends can leave “ghosted” flavors behind. If you follow that with a non aromatic blend you can still taste the traces of the aromatic blend. Some folks have a separate pipe for the aromatics. Also as Bot points out, if you smoke frequently you will want a backup pipe to smoke if yours is caked up or wet. Then you have pocket pipes, evening pipes, weekend pipes, if you’re into it you can never have enough pipes. They’re like guitars. Your favorite is always the next one.
Plus, math is math.
F=The optimal number of pipes.
X=Your current number of pipes.
Therefore F=X+1

 

[stdly]

Pipes are great and with WLT you can create almost any blend you like and save a ton of money.
Been smoking pipes for around 15 or so years, I use a 7 day rotation a clean pipe every day they get wet and can smell, I have a lot of pipes so I switch the rotation up here and there and sometimes use more than one pipe a day, smoking too much.
Some of my pipes are heavier and need to be held more than the lighter ones that are great when your hands are full.
Some of my pipes smoke wetter than others maybe the hardness of the briar used?
You also have to realize that the pipes need to be cleaned and cake removed all the time, a labour of love.
I use the small 1.5mm hand grinder from WLT for a courser grind, tobacco like Latakia I cube cut.
Good luck if you try.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Try a Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipe to start with. If pipe smoking is not your forte you are out very little. I started out buying all these gadgets to start with cause I didn’t know what I needed but wanted to make sure I had it just in case. That junk is on a shelf and I carry my tobacco in a sandwich bag.

I see this recommendation enough to not completely dismiss it, but I'll gently argue a couple points. While a cob is easy on the pocketbook, they aren't exactly the same as briar or meerschaum. Often you taste the cob burning, itself, the bowls are smaller, don't last as long and are harder to pack for the novice. Also, there's something to be said about being cool smoking something you think is classy or well made, or artistic : whatever you value. Same as cars for many people.

That said, a $20 cob is miles better than a $20 briar. What's a minimum decent briar go for in USD? $60? In Canada, ninety is about the least.

 

[deluxestogie]

Easy-build Corn Cob Kit from Aristocob.

Bob

 

[GWLee]

So, as the thread title says, I am thinking of transitioning from cigarette to pipe smoking. It seems more appealing to me in the sense that I could really taste the various nuances in different tobaccos. Also from a health point of view it seems better to not be smoking paper smoke all the time and inhaling less smoke seems like a benefit. I have a few concerns though. I smoke at least a pack a day of pretty strong tobacco blends, will pipe smoking satisfy my current nicotine cravings? Also curious about the portability of it all vs. cigarettes. I really have NO IDEA about smoking pipes so I posted this in an attempt to maybe gather opinions, suggestions, information on what people like about pipe smoking, the act of pipe smoking itself, etc... Also, nearly all my cellared tobacco is currently .8 mm cut so that concerns me, it may not be a financially efficient decision. Well, any information would be much appreciated...Thank you!

I, like you, have both pipes and cigarettes that I light up. I tried to shift over to pipes to get off of the cigs, but have drifted back due to the nicotine delivery is not as good with the pipe as the cigarette, in my opinion. IRT the size of the cut, I jump between .8 and 1.1 and 1.5 due to trying to be multifunctional with the tobacco. For the larger 1.5 cut, I just cut it up a little finer when loading cig tubes. That way I can use the tobacco across both mediums, just altering the blends as required.

I have probably a little better than two dozen pipes that I have mostly down in the basement, but have a couple in my truck, couple up stairs to use on the deck, and even one in each of my jackets. That way they are spread out and any one is not used constantly. I have a several cobs that I've gotten from Missouri Meerschaum, and they are great. A few are smaller bowled so that I can have a quick smoke of 5-10 minutes just before dinner.

I really should try and be more disciplined and shift back to the pipes like I had intended, just got lazy and wasn't getting the nicotine hit like I was with cigarettes, but it may be more mental than physical.

Anyway, best of luck with the transition.

Cheers

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Decades(?) ago I remember reading that the difference in nicotine for a pipe smoker or cigar smoker vs cigarette is that cigarette creates spikes in blood nicotine level which rise and fall rapidly. But pipe and cigar is more like a sine wave.

I think if you are hoping for switching to be so easy as to not even notice withdrawal, you're hoping for too much. You'll have to have a plan, you'll need to avoid triggers, and you'll have to (hu)man up. But, it's worth it. It tastes better and it's easier than quitting altogether.

 

[Tobaccofieldsforever]

Decades(?) ago I remember reading that the difference in nicotine for a pipe smoker or cigar smoker vs cigarette is that cigarette creates spikes in blood nicotine level which rise and fall rapidly. But pipe and cigar is more like a sine wave.

I think if you are hoping for switching to be so easy as to not even notice withdrawal, you're hoping for too much. You'll have to have a plan, you'll need to avoid triggers, and you'll have to (hu)man up. But, it's worth it. It tastes better and it's easier than quitting altogether.

haha, it's ok, you can say MAN up (but I like how you put it...clever). We are two men speaking to each other! That's all I really wanted to know is if I will experience any kind of withdrawal or if it's just a different form of the same thing I was already doing so I can make a more informed decision and or be prepared for what's ahead. Lets just say I've had experience in the arena of kicking things that aren't good for me so if I decide to go that route I know exactly what to do when it comes to that! Thank you for the advice.

 

[Bot]

When I transitioned to pipe from snus, I enjoyed feeling the once familiar release of endorphins, that I had been missing since I quit cigarettes. Pushing a mouthful of smoke out the nose on the exhale (retrohale) one can savour the smoke, and trigger a release of calming endorphins. I retrohale at least a tiny bit from most puffs (I back off on this, and slow my pace, if the pipe starts burning hot) , and most of a puff when the pipe is burning cool.

I often go an hour or two after a pipe, before I feel like having another. And I don't feel quite the sense of urgency about the next smoke, like I did smoking cigarettes. Because I don't smoke pipe in the house, It's an hour to an hour and a half before my first smoke in the morning, and I'm used to it now. This was shocking to me at first. With cigarettes, I had one in my mouth when my feet hit the floor.

Adjusting to this new routine, for me, has been relatively painless.

Also, on the subject of nicotine: I was tickled pink when I discovered that I can indeed smoke pipe to the point of saying "phew, that's enough nicotine for this old cowboy". So, yes you can get the nicotine sweats from pipe, provided you are smoking the right tobacco.

I must admit to being excited about this thread and for having a chance to share my experience with my transition to pipe smoking. It started with me buying a cob and a so so pouch of English blend, on a lark.

 

[webmost]

Having several pipes, allows you to 'rest' your pipes after smoking a bowl or two, so they can dry out some and be able to absorb moisture from smoking a bowl of tobacco.

Smoke the same pipe over and over, and your pipe gets wet, and you might have an issue with gurgle

If you can locate a "The Pipe", score it. It has an inner lining made of graphite used for early rocket nose cones. So it does not absorb the baccy juice and all. Briar fanatics detested the things cause the bodies were made of plastic, which did not tickle their snooty buttons. Plus, they came in weird-azz ugly colors. Like so:


But they work great. You can still find one used. Try http://thepipe.info/collectn/chart_t.html

Soon as you are done with a bowl, you just wipe your The Pipe hole out inside with your handkerchief and pinky, and voila you are good to go. One blend does not ghost its flavor into the next. And the thing is, pipe smokers like to brag on how cheap the hobby is, but they only count the price of baccy. Meanwhile, they have to buy a whole fleet of $220 briar gems so that they can have one flotilla of pipes dedicated to periques, another flotilla dedicated to Virginias, etc. etc. That's where the cost is, is the pipes. Even if you settle for say $60 pipes, racks full of them rack up the bucks.

Pricewise, I can roll a corona from Whole Leaf's best for about seventy cents. Lasts me about an hour and a half. A bowl of baccy sets you back about the same. Lasts about a half hour. But it's the pipes that make the real diff. I took up pipes again last month after about a forty five year hiatus. Blew seventy on a used "estate" briar, about the same on a beautiful antique store meerschaum, I forget on another briar... then I thot "fuggit!", went on line and found me a "The Pipe" like I had back in my twenties. Took me all of half an hour to locate one Now that's all I use. Think it cost me $35. I used it just this morning. Works great.

If your pipe gurgles, shoot a pipe cleaner up the shank of it. Or develop the ability to sling the pipe round with a jerk so as to expel your juice out the bit. That works.

Corn cobs is an option, I spose. Loads of ppl like them. But I never found one I like. Any I tried burnt too hot & with a bite. And you still need a fleet of them so that one blend won't ghost into the next.

Even breaking in a pipe is a chore, come to think of it. You have to char the inside with one load of baccy after another until it mellows enough for use. Don't have that prob with The Pipe.

Meerschaums are kewl. Feel good in the hand. Hard to find one isn't overly carved up. I like 'em smooth & simple.

One kind I never tried is the Falcon or similar w/ a metal stem.

Enjoy.