Pipe smoking?

[Ex-MA Hole]

Anyone here a pipe smoker? *

Cigars are too damn expensive, so I'm sort-of switching to pipes.  I will still have the occasional Cigar.  I like them too much to just walk away.

When I was mowing my lawn the other week, I noticed all of the half smoked cigars I had, and roughly totalled it up to WELL over $100.00.  I bought a Savinelli Opera 626 (actually, my new "boss" bought it for me- long story).

He bought be a 1.5oz bag of Captain Black Cherry and a 2oz bag of Lane 1-Q.  How also bought me some pipe cleaners, balsa filters, a tamp, and told me to enjoy.  The cost saving appear to be HUGE.

I've read sites on how to fill (three steps, lightly tamping each time), how to light (twice, false light, real light), etc....any other comments/ ideas?





* shut up Fistful.  I mean pipe as in smoking tabacco in one.

[client32]

Here is an old thread discussing it.

http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=92.0

The only experience I have with pipes is starting that thread.

[Ex-MA Hole]

Thanks!

Did you ever get into it all all?

[client32]

No, I never did.

It might still happen, but not right now.

[The Rabbi]

I am an ex-pipe smoker and my father (who died from lung cancer) was a pipe smoker.
Generally you want to get a good-sized bowl.  Small ones need to be refilled often.  If you get a straight stem you will find it heavy.  A curved stem is easier to deal with.
Avoid flavored tobaccos as the burning oils increase carcinogens.  I always smoked Balkan Sobranie in the white can.

[Ex-MA Hole]

Thanks!

I got one that has a slight curve to it, and a nice big, rounded bowl.

[Paddy]

As a (probably tobacco caused) cancer survivor, I strongly recommend against any tobacco use whatsoever. You don't know about grief until you undergo treatment for oral/throat cancer.

[wmenorr67]

As a (probably tobacco caused) cancer survivor, I strongly recommend against any tobacco use whatsoever. You don't know about grief until you undergo treatment for oral/throat cancer.

And alcohol can and will have the same effects. 

Sure all those things can have an effect, but genetic make up goes a long way in some of those issues also.

[The Rabbi]

As a (probably tobacco caused) cancer survivor, I strongly recommend against any tobacco use whatsoever. You don't know about grief until you undergo treatment for oral/throat cancer.

And alcohol can and will have the same effects. 

Sure all those things can have an effect, but genetic make up goes a long way in some of those issues also.

Not exactly.  The risks to tobacco smokers are like 10 times that of non smokers while the risks to drinkers are like 3 times that of non-drinkers.  The risk to drinkers who smoke (or smokers who drink) is like 30 times normal.
But I assume that Ex-MA Hole is a mature adult who is asking for information and not a health lecture.

[onions!]

Smoking a pipe always turns my salivary glands into overdrive.

It's hard-for me anyways- to enjoy the pipe when I need to spit 3 or 4 times a minute.

[K Frame]

"Avoid flavored tobaccos as the burning oils increase carcinogens."

I'm sorry, I just got a laugh out of that...

[Manedwolf]

Smoking a pipe always turns my salivary glands into overdrive.

It's hard-for me anyways- to enjoy the pipe when I need to spit 3 or 4 times a minute.

 

[onions!]

All right all right!
I'll shut up.
 

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

"All things in moderation."

Pipe and cigar smoking (done right) is harmless.  The research indicates that if...

• you smoke pipes or cigars (not cigarettes)
• you smoke infrequently (less than one pipe/cigar per day)
• you don't inhale
• you don't drink heavily

...then your risk of illness isn't significantly worse than a nonsmoker. 

The majority of pipe and cigar smokers satisfy these criteria.  If you want to kill yourself with cigars or pipes, you have to smoke half a dozen a day or more.  That's $10,000 to $20,000 worth of cigars a year, and you'd have to keep up your habit for decades.  Even then your odds of illness are half that of a typical cigarette smoker.

http://www.cigargroup.com/faq/health/ncifaq.htm
http://www.cigargroup.com/faq/health/

[Ex-MA Hole]

I've heard that repeatedly, too.

From Doctors.

Also, I work in a print shop.  You can't tell me the crap I'm breathing in is any worse than the burnt leaves I'm smoking?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, do I need to "cure" this damn thing with a honey/ water mixture?

[mfree]

With my admittedly amateur knowledge of chemistry it's easy to see why cigarettes are worse than a good (low or no filler) cigar or pipe tobacco.

The paper. It's bleached and nitre-treated, meaning dioxins are present as well as some particularly nasty oxides of nitrogen and free potassium ions. The "glue" used to seal the tube is often plastic based and you're burning and breathing that too.

Smoking a pack a day of cigarettes and it's not too long before you've done the equivalent of smoke a cigarette made entirely of paper and milk jugs.

[Balog]

I love pipes, very relaxing. Forces you to slow down and enjoy it, rather than just puffing away.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

I'm with you there Balog.  I need to get myself a good pipe with a larger bowl, mine's too small.

[The Rabbi]

mine's too small.

Hm, trying to tell us something there, Dasmi??

[Devonai]

I've been smoking a pipe for 12 years now.  I started with aromatics, but moved to English-style tobaccos and never went back.  I love a blend with at least 25% Latakia, and occasionally a blend with Perique.

I also almost exclusively smoke a Canadian, which is a straight-stem.  My favorite pipe stays lit with one match and never fills with liquid.

If you get into mixing your own tobaccos, get yourself a jar that seals with an O-ring and wait.  I aged one blend for eight years and it was absolute heaven.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

mine's too small.

Hm, trying to tell us something there, Dasmi??

Curious that your thoughts go right to my pants...try to tell us something there, Rabbi? 

[Ex-MA Hole]

Ding!

Well played Dasmi, well played.

[wmenorr67]

And so far no rebuttal from Rabbi.

[The Rabbi]

And so far no rebuttal from Rabbi.

I'm not interested in discussing Dasmi's inferior pipe size.  He brought it up. Let him discuss it.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

Huh, I expected more from you, Rabbi.
I'd also point out that I said my BOWL was too small.  Again you're thinking about my pipe.