Cigars

[cynthialee]

My plan for next summer is to hopefully grow a few dozen plants and do further experiments with curing and rolling techniques.

 

[TJK]

I just can't read through all the reply's you've gotten but during the past year Jim Hansen had a great little article about cigars in the Museum of the Fur Trade Journal.

To answer in short yes they were present out west during the fur trade and most likely more common that what we may think. Look up the article and get the Journal, it's a good one.

Rio

 

[tenngun]

I think you should all remember that U.S. Grant practically chain smoked cigars and was often accused of overcooking it with whiskey and died relatively young, age 64. Robert E. Lee, who never smoked, drank or chased women, kept his shoes shined and his hair combed, lived to the ripe old age of 64. There's a lesson in there somewhere. If anyone figures it out, let me know. graybeard

Its only been in the past few years that people started to give up being alive in order to live longer. In Japan they eat blow fish and it kills about 1000 a year. Most die from in prepped at home, but a few die from restaurant prepared blow fish. They say to eat the blowfish is to die, to not eat it is to have never lived. Be careful always eat healty ect ect die anyway.

 

[Rick Boylan]

When you give up all the fun vices in life you don't really live longer, it just feels like you do because you're so bored.

No fun makes Jack a dull boy. :haha:

 

[LongrifleDoc]

An anther pipe? NO! I've smoked a pipe for 40 years. The reason that many people don't like to smoke a pipe is because they didn't invest in a proper pipe and start with highly flavored tobacco.

A 100% briar pipe and a mild, natural Cavendish tobacco are best for a beginner. Avoid metal inserts and filters. Remaining choices are Meerschaum, corn cob and clay, but these are more delicate and harder to keep clean. Cheap wood pipes are bitter and I suspect that an antler pipe would be downright nasty.

 

[graybeard]

Right. A new pipe smoker needs to go to a real tobacco store and buy a good tobacco after talking with a pipe-smoking salesman. Pipes should absorb moisture from the smoke. Has anyone ever smoked the pipe side of a pipe-tomahawk? Doubt that it tasted good and must have been awfully hot. :shocked2: graybeard

 

[cynthialee]

I don't think it is tobacco that gets smoked in those pipe tomahawks.
Stoners buy the majority of those tomahawk pipes.

 

[Alden]

My plan for next summer is to hopefully grow a few dozen plants and do further experiments with curing and rolling techniques.

We're still talkin' tobacco, right?

 

[Alden]

I just can't read through all the reply's you've gotten but during the past year Jim Hansen had a great little article about cigars in the [Fur of the Museum Trade] Journal.

Rio

Let me guess, they just happened to be selling authentical samples, Backwoods Smokes, in the Gift Shop for only $9.99/pack...

:shake:

 

[tenngun]

I don't think it is tobacco that gets smoked in those pipe tomahawks.
Stoners buy the majority of those tomahawk pipes.

Oh dude this is so cool...but hot :haha: I was gifted with a brass smoking hawk with a steel insert cutting edge. Its got a whole handle and bone mouth piece, its long enough to cool the smoke although the whole of the head gets hot. All in all I would rather look at it then smoke it

 

[cynthialee]

My plan for next summer is to hopefully grow a few dozen plants and do further experiments with curing and rolling techniques.

We're still talkin' tobacco, right?

Yes.
Only people with a growers license and medical permits can grow the other stuff.

 

[Rick Boylan]

I'm lucky enough to have two good cigar/pipe shops near where I live. I'll get over to them this weekend and see what I can find to use. I guess I really don't have to stay too PC/HC since I'm not into living history or reenactments or anything like that.

My brother used to smoke a brand of tobacco named "bogumreif". Not sure of the spelling but it had a pleasant odor and he said it had a good flavor too. That is what I enjoy about my few cigars is that they have a good vanilla flavor to them and I enjoy watching the smoke drift away after a nice puff on them.

 

[Brokennock]

Borkum Rift is what your remembering. They have three different blends, I like the one in the white package. But, I have many other blends I enjoy also, depends on the day, and depends on the pipe. The various tobacco blends will taste different depending on the pipe. And not just pipe material. Bowl size and shape, stem length and shape, how used/broken in the pipe is, all play a roll. There are tobacco blends I love in one pipe and hate in another. The nice thing about pipes and pipe tobacco is that once you have a few of each you can tailor your smoke to your mood and tastes at the time, cheaper than doing so with good cigars.

 

[Rick Boylan]

Thank you, yes that's the stuff.

Looks like I'm going to have to think a while on this pipe thing. So much to absorb.

 

[LongrifleDoc]

It's really not so difficult. You should start with a briar from a smoke shop. Briar tends to have imperfections so a "perfect" briar pipe can be quite expensive. However, they all smoke the same. Paying a lot doesn't afford a better smoke. After you learn to smoke the briar (a proper break-in is needed) then you can experiment with an H/C clay pipe. I've found the clay pipes with reed stems from Jas. Towsand to be quite satisfactory. But, there's a reason that briar pipes became the most popular after their introduction in the early 19th. century. They simply give a superior all around smoking experience.

Tobaccos that smell good do not necessarily taste good. That's why I suggest you start with a mild, natural, unflavored Cavendish. Enjoy.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

But, there's a reason that briar pipes became the most popular after their introduction in the early 19th. century. They simply give a superior all around smoking experience.

Really? :hmm: Huh....

See I thought that briars came about as they were durable, and not nearly so hot to the touch, for I have both and have been smoking pipes for about 30 years, and I found my clay pipes give a purer flavor than my briars.

LD

 

[Rick Boylan]

What are your thoughts on corncob pipes?

I'll check the available brier pipes and maybe see if they have a decently priced one that suits me.

I see some interesting corncob pipes made by a company called Missouri Meercham (sp?). They sound like quality pipes.

They are quite affordable.

 

[robert reed]

I have a traditional clay, meerschaum, and corn cob. They all smoke differently but I prefer the clay for flavor.

 

[LongrifleDoc]

Yes, a clay pipe does not impart a flavor to the smoke. Briar pipes must be broken in so as to develop a carbon lining in the bowl but when properly done are quite clean smoking and can last a lifetime. The others are far more fragile.

You can try each as it all comes down to personal preference but briar pipes are most the popular today.

 

[tenngun]

corn cobs need to be broke in also or end up tasting of grass. Reed stem clays are a good stating pipe as they are cheap an last a life time. Briers are great smokers but expensive to start with. You need at least 3 bries since you need to rest them a couplof days between smokes or they will get wet and bitter. Crazy crow sells soapstone and pipestone pipes. Pipestone...catlinight smokes as well as mersham. All need to be cleaned well. Corncob burns through in a short time. Mark Twain had a man hired to break in his corncobs as he smoked through them so fast.
Good pipes are kin to ML. You never have enough. I think I have close to 30 and Im a smallfish.