Whats your favorite Tobacco?

[Ames]

Well, I quit a menthol 2 pack a day habit cold turkey in 1989. Having got past that....I can control myself and enjoy a nice hand rolled cigar with a maduro wrapper, about 6 or 8 times a year.
With rum. Lots of rum. About 6 or 8 shots sipped per cigar.
World looks a little better now. :grin:
Even those groups on the target look a little better now.

 

[dyemaker]

If you want tobacco with no additives, why not grow your own? I ordered seeds online and planted two rows in my vegetable garden.

One should be aware of tobacco mosaic virus because it can spread to tomatos and other vegetables. I learned the hard way using scrap tobacco as compost. It is easily transfered just by touching tomatos after handling tobacco.

 

[Gene L]

When smoking a pipe, I like Balkan Flake. It's mild enough. Flake tobacco in general is probably what our ancestors enjoyed, although I don't know that. Certainly they didn't enjoy English flake tobacco, although I suspect they smoked flakes instead of shreds.

I smoke a corncob. Once you get the part of the stem inside the bowl burned down, it smokes OK. Never smoked a clay pipe, but I think they would be hot. I've got a Kirsten pipe which smokes cool and it's also sweet enough.

Pipe smoking is a bit more interactive than I like. So I smoke cigars, which are kinda expensive but what the hell, I'm an old guy and feel I can enjoy my vices.

Curing tobacco is complicated and involved. Not something I want to invest in. Used to live in NC where it's cured, which I understand involves farm drying and then curing at a place where they know what they're doing. Balkan Flake is well-cured and the sugar shows.

When I get the cigars, they are in plastic wrappers. I take them out and put them back into the box to humidor a bit and dry out. Leaving them in the wrappers (which I did for a while) doesn't allow them to mellow. Live and learn.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Flake is one of the oldest forms of pipe tobacco. Unfortunately, tobacco history is sort of like beer history..., there are gaps prior to 1800.

But flake, the pressing of the leaves into bales, and the treating of the leaves with preservatives like some sort of liquor, is very much an 18th century thing. A "rum flake" or something done with whiskey or brandy, is probably the right idea, but alas today the makers add tobaccos that are not from the American continent to most of these. So while the tobacco is very tasty, the taste is probably not that close to what they smoked then..., of course..., we might not really like smoking what they had to smoke back then.

Cigars are mentioned in period documents of the 18th century, however, we don't know if they were "cheroots" (which is a very early form of cigar) or perhaps panatela style. I write "panatela" simply because in the odd illustrations that appear to be of 18th century men enjoying cigars, they look long and thin. I don't really know what they looked like.

LD

 

[Twisted_1in66]

***SNIP***
I smoke a corncob. Once you get the part of the stem inside the bowl burned down, it smokes OK. Never smoked a clay pipe, but I think they would be hot.
***SNIP***

Try it Gene and you'll find out a clay pipe is not hot at all. I have both the full molded clay pipe as well as some that are the molded bowls with a separate reed stem. I've used a piece of river cane cleaned out with a hot wire as the stem.

Clay pipes are much cooler than briar pipes until you get the briar well broken in. You do NOT want to build up a cake on a clay pipe or a meerschaum pipe like you do on a briar pipe.

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Dan

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Well..., it depends on the size of the clay pipe.

Stubby stemmed, full bowl, souvenir, "Irish" clay pipes will burn a bit hot, and if your tobacco is a bit dry, might as well lick a cayenne pepper with the tip of your tongue.

A proper reproduction of a clay pipe, (which is what Twisted_1in66 is writing about) sort of a half church warden stem, will smoke pretty cool, depending on your tobacco, and how often you cure it of tar and such.

LD

 

[Tom Compton]

RedMan. Green pouch, please.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I ALWAYS preferred Mail Pouch, myself, when chewing. Great for use in a foxhole where lighting up a pipe or cigar or cigarette would get your face shot off by a sniper. I wanted as little sugar in the leaf as possible due to tooth decay. And snuff was out of the question..., never could keep it in place between my cheek and gum..., and it would shortly return after "disappearing" :barf: . Now taking snuff via the nose..., that's a bit different. :grin:

"Take a pinch of snuff, and do your duty."
Wellington to a young subaltern at Vitoria 1813 when the young man became visibly shaken when he saw another officer decapitated by a cannon ball.



LD

 

[Free Plunder]

Like posted I was tobacco addict for 30+ years. Off the weed for 15+ now. Never smoked. Used plug tobacco, apple cure or Browns Mule etc... Or "scotch snuff" Honey Bee was my favorite, dip or snorted. A far behind 3rd choice was the twist tobaccos like Mammoth Cave or Smokey Mountain. Yes I loved my tobacco. Even today and every day there are things that "trigger" the desire but without any at hand the urge eventually passes. Getting off wasn't easy and staying off is a never ending battle. FP

 

[LongrifleDoc]

Any suggestions on how to carry a clay pipe while treking. Yes, a reed stem can be broken down but what about a regular clay pipe.

 

[Cruzatte]

Any suggestions on how to carry a clay pipe while treking. Yes, a reed stem can be broken down but what about a regular clay pipe.

I guess you could make some sort of buckskin, or other soft leather sack or case for it. Best thing I can think of is accept the fact that a clay pipe may break. So buy three or four.

 

[LongrifleDoc]

Any suggestions on how to carry a clay pipe while treking. Yes, a reed stem can be broken down but what about a regular clay pipe.

I guess you could make some sort of buckskin, or other soft leather sack or case for it. Best thing I can think of is accept the fact that a clay pipe may break. So buy three or four.

Thanks Cruzatte;
I've heard of carrying a pipe in a hat band but I guess you're right in suggesting a backup pipe or two. Since 18th century garments have few pockets, the options for safe transport seem limited. I just wondered if someone had a "magic" solution.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

First, a full length church warden isn't for use except in an inn...or it won't be a full length church warden for long. :shocked2:

Something like a Dutch Gouda Pipe may be carried by opening one of the buttons on your waistcoat between the lower tip of your sternum and the top button on the waistcoat, and you insert the stem through the button hole, so the bowl rides outside the waistcoat against your chest, and the stem inside the waistcoat..... Doesn't work if you don't wear a waistcoat.

Another way is to wrap it in a couple of pair of socks and put that in your pack..., though this makes it tough to get to during a break on a trek, and you still might break the pipe.

Stuck in the ties that hold the back of your cocked or tricorn had pulled up was a favorite of the soldiers ...., just don't let the Serjeant Major catch you with that if you are a soldier and "on parade".

You can also go to the supermarket, to the pet section, and get a very large, unflavored, rawhide "bone". Take that home and soak it for about four hours so it gets soft. Then unwrap/untie it and you will have a sheet or two of wet rawhide. You will need a leather punch tool, and you want to sew a pouch that the pipe will rest inside, about an inch or two longer than the pipe. It should not be a tight fit. A simple tube with a side seam, and one end sewn closed will do. You leave one end open to insert or remove the pipe, of course. Then when done sewing, stuff it with a dry wash cloth or rags or something to keep it's shape, and let it dry. It will shrink a bit, so make sure you left enough room for the pipe. When dry, it's almost like have you have a hard, plastic case protecting the pipe when it's inside a pocket or pack or soldier's haversack.

OH..., almost forgot...., rawhide stinks when wet...be ready for that.

LD

 

[SgtErv]

I got a reed stem for the purpose of better chances of durability myself haha

I have a dumb question. Of one doesn't have a fire lit and wants to smoke, what's the preferred method? Light some tinder, candle stub with a fire kit? Carry an ember?

 

[SgtErv]

Also, re carrying/ durability:

I think I'm going to make a sort of wallet for the pipe and tobacco out of 10 oz veg tan leather. It dries really hard after wet forming so would protect it I think. I'm not sure if this was ever done historically and may not even include it in my kit, but it'd be a good practice piece for me.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I have used a piece of slow match inserted through a tight brass tube, and flint and steel. I usually use a tiny bit of char and flint and steel, OR I use a tiny pair of tongs to grab an ember from the fire..., trouble with method three is that them hardwood fires when down to coals will give off a pretty good amount of heat. :shocked2:

LD

 

[Cruzatte]

I have a dumb question. If one doesn't have a fire lit and wants to smoke, what's the preferred method? Light some tinder, candle stub with a fire kit? Carry an ember?

Better than that is to carry a
magnifying glass

 

[SgtErv]

:hmm: I see. One of my characters is a dedicated pipe smoker and has had a rough morning, so after he's barked a tree to avoid a downpour, he's hankerin' for a smoke :grin:

I guess the part I was not thinking of is that you don't have to inhale whatever it is you light it with, just puff it until lit.

No need to do that with a burnin' glass!

As you can tell I'm not a regular smoker. The only time I use tobacco is in period dress and gear or at the range. Ive been afraid to use the pipe, because it might carry over. I have some gross, strong tobacco and Copenhagen to prevent that :haha:

Thanks

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Better than that is to carry a
magnifying glass

True, but the time taken to light the pipe increases exponentially on cloudy days and at night. :shocked2:




:haha:


LD

 

[Cruzatte]

Better than that is to carry a
magnifying glass

True, but the time taken to light the pipe increases exponentially on cloudy days and at night. :shocked2:




:haha:


LD

Eh......ya can't win 'em all. :surrender: