Forums
Firstly, let me say hello to all the forum members.
Newbie to pipes but not smoking. I've been smoking hand rolled cigars both Cuban and New World for many years.
Having done a little research on pipe tobaccos I thought it time to step into the world of pipe smoking. I've been reading some wonderful reviews of pipe tobaccos as an outsider. Time to stop being a ghost and join the forum.
From my initial wander into pipe tobaccos it seems that in the US you have a glorious choice of pipe tobaccos. A bit like the cigar world. Quality cigars at sensible prices.
I've gone ahead and purchased a pipe after a lot of deliberations. I've gone with a Peterson Donegal Rocky Rustic Diamond Shanked Bent Pipe b13.
I read that aromatic tobacco is the best way to start? I was hoping to research for maybe a Cuban, Honduras, Dominican, or Nicaraguan pipe tobacco? I have to say I'm keen to try as many of the pipe tobaccos as possible.
I look forward to chatting to people on the forum.
Thank you
PaulT
Welcome from Colorado, USA. You will enjoy your pipe journey I am sure. There are a lot of extremely knowledgeable pipers here that will guide you. Great first pipe! I like the Donegal Rocky line. You will get a lot more learned advise than what I give, but my starting advice is to order small amounts of a variety of tobaccos that sound good- both aromatic and non. As a seasoned cigar smoking you may really enjoy some of the non aromatics, English, Balkan or VaPer blends right away. Be sure to peruse the threads discussing what we are smoking for a few ideas and ask away.
Nick, thank you for your warm welcome.
Sound advice about small amounts of tobacco to start my adventure.
I'll be making an order within the next few days.
Hey Paul, how are ya? Wondering what part of the UK. I have a good bit of ancestry over there.
I'm not really very far ahead of you on the pipe tobacco journey. One thing I will say is that I too am from a cigar background and thought I was going to be all about the aromatics but I'm finding a lot of my interest lies with English and Balkan blends.
I agree with Nick. Try to find smaller batches and try lots of examples.
Hi,
I'm very well thank you. A pleasure to speak to you.
I hail from the East Midlands (Leicestershire) but live in the South East (Dover).
I've taken the advice given and ordered a small selection of tobaccos. Peterson Morning pipe, Old Dublin. Ashton Guilty pleasure. Charatan 1863 mixture.
I'm looking forward to receiving them in a few days.
My family is from more central. Halifax mainly but Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield. Now they're spread out all over the UK but that's where it started.
So I guess the next few days will feel like xmas for you.
Hello from Michigan!
Hello from Brazil mate. You are in the best place to learn from more experienced guys. Every day that i come here i learn a new thing. Hope you feel welcome and keep in touch.
Hello, thank you for your welcome.
Yes, I'm slowly starting to read threads, there's so much.
Very cool, I spent time in Dover in 1991, I can’t help but wonder how it’s changed. I lived in Tunbridge Wells for nearly a year that year and traveled about a bit. This forum really does make the world seem a bit smaller at times 🙂
The military have withdrawn from Dover, pretty much. Other tha that the ferries are still running.
I used to commute through Tunbridge Wells. Quite an affluent area, plenty of people commute into Town (London).
The world has gotten smaller with all informed communications networks.
Tunbridge Wells was rather snooty, I made a couple of really good friends there rather quickly, but there were plenty of people who looked down their nose at everyone they considered “beneath them”, which seemed like everyone at times 😉 it was the only thing about being there that would grate on my nerves honestly.
By the way, considering where you are, Gawith Hoggarth No. 25 might be worth a look since it can be bought in smaller quantities to check it out and I’ve known a couple of UK pipe smokers who also smoke cigars and it’s a common favorite for them. Actually the GH range of blends has a lot of great options, some are among my all time favorites.
Hello from Idaho,
Welcome to pipe smoking! I'm a former cigar smoker (maybe will have one every once in a great while now) and then moved into pipes. I've tried probably over 200 different tobaccos (can confirm at least 150+) and find the hobby of trying new blends quite enjoyable and intriguing. You've already gotten some good advice from other smokers already and I wanted to welcome you as well. If you have questions this forum and the reviews are a great resource. I typically find a reviewer, with lots of experience, that align with my tastes, as far as their reviews go, and then try some of their other 'favorites' or highly rated.
I'd recommend trying a few 'must tries', though most are not aromatic. As a cigar smoker you probably won't need to start with those. There are some good aromatics, don't get me wrong, but there is something wonderful and amazing about the flavors that can come from the leaf on it's own.
Rattray's Hal'O The Wynd - this is my desert island tobacco
G.L. Pease's Maltese Falcon - great English
Esoterica's Stonehaven - if you can find it, but you can also go with Germaine's Medium Flake. Both great flake tobaccos. Peterson's Irish flake may be good as well and easier to get ahold of, but a bit of a different beast than the other two, but one that a cigar smoker could appreciate.
Thank you for your very warm welcome to the forum.
I've still got a few cigars in the humidor. I'll not give up my cigars at this point but concentrate on pipe tobaccos there's plenty to try, though I'll say at this stage far more in the US.
The samples I've ordered will get me going and don't think any are real aromatics.
Thank you for the recommendations in your post and will endeavour to seek them out.
Hello from Valencia Spain, welcome on board, I started smoking a pipe 45 years ago and I am still discovering new flavors, the humble advice I can give you is to pay close atentión to how to load the tobacco in the pipe, it is essencial
Claudio,
Thank you for your welcome from Spain.
45 years you'll have smoked some varied tobaccos in that time?
Good advice I'll bear that in mind when loading my first pipe.
Hi Paul! Welcome, from Denmark! I’m a fellow Brit living across the North Sea (with a Danish wife).
I have some good news! You don’t have to give up cigars completely, or at all, when smoking a pipe! 😄😉 I smoke both, as well as enjoying snuff occasionally.
Some good advice has already been given, in terms of trying lots of small samples of tobacco. Many UK tobacconists sell these, so it shouldn’t be a problem to obtain them. That will allow you to begin exploring the vast world of pipe tobacco without ending up with lots of tobacco you don’t enjoy. I am quite sure that you will soon hit on a blend that takes you into the zone only us pipe smokers know 😄 When it happens, please let us know. It’s always nice to hear when others get so much pleasure.
Your tastes will also develop and change. That’s why many pipe smokers have a wide variety of blends in their collection - personally, I have around 70 blends, at the moment, from which I choose my daily smoke(s).
If you want more advice on blends to try while beginning your pipe smoking journey, I’d keep it simple and say you should look for 4 things:
1) A quality straight Virginia blend.
2) A Virginia, Kentucky/Burley blend.
3) A Virginia, Perique blend.
4) A Virginia, Oriental, Latakia blend.
These are the main categories, for me. If you get some blends in each, you’ll be well-equipped to continue your exploration into the world of pipe tobacco 😊
Lee, thank you for your advice and welcome to the forum.
Hand rolled, long, med leaf cigars will definitely stay.
In the UK we seem to be a little limited comparatively in pipe tobaccos to the US, is it the same in Denmark? However, I'm still researching at the moment
It’s a similar state of affairs in Denmark, unfortunately. But, I have the added irritation that Scandinavian Tobacco Group (a behemoth in the tobacco world) is based here and make lots of great tobacco blends that they have decided shouldn’t be available in Denmark! 🙄 Unbelievable, I know! One of many m, many examples: Peterson’s Irish Flake, a blend I enjoy immensely, but have to smuggle back into the country where it’s made!
Germany is the Mecca for pipe smokers in Europe. Though, the UK still has a few excellent blenders, such as Samuel Gawith/Gawith & Hogarth, and J.F. Germain’s.
When I visit my parents, I order some tobacco online to be sent to their place. I mainly use:
and
Lee, how very interesting, though not so surprised. I'm slowly getting my head around the vast array of tobaccos.
I've ordered 10g samplers from Smoke King they should arrive by the weekend.
It's about maximising our travel to collect our tobaccos LOL.
Welcome Paul
Wellcome and hello from Spain. You are in the right place!.
Welcome and hello from Sacramento, California. 👋🤠
Welcome to the forum from New Jersey. Don't be afraid to ask questions from some of these seasoned pipe smokers. They are all a great trove of information. I'm sure you will have a great New hobby. 👍
Welcome amongst us from a Coventry Kid but now living in Turkey since 2002
target="_blank"
