I'm partial to English and Balkan tinned tobaccos......very rarely I'll have an aromatic(found a good one called Top Black Cherry from Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. that isn't the least bit cloying).

Here's a few I enjoy:

G.L. Pease Westminster
McClelland British Woods and Bombay Court
Dunhill Nightcap

Savoring a bowlful in my Peterson's with a Harpoon Munich Dark as I type......anyone else partake?

Troost Aromatic

Rich

My father liked Mixture #79, white can black lettering. One of my grand fathers liked Price Albert for pipe smoking, cigerette rolling and chewing when he ran out of his plug.
I likes the PA cans for making bombs with M-80s.

Jim

I favor a custom blend from a small pipe shop where my alma mater is located. Been smoking it nigh on 28 years now. But I do (or DID) enjoy Dunhill 965 in the beige tin, and anything with Latakia in it.

Balkans and English, Latikia and Carolina. I have four block meerschaum gourd calabash. Two are antiques. Some block meerschaums and a passel of briars. No Dunhill, but I have some Dunhill seconds that someone bought and put stems on.

I stopped smoking. Stopped drinking. I still shoot and ride Harleys.

I'm an occasional pipe smoker but like to smoke 'wild cherry', nineteen o four' or 'clan' when I do fire the pipe up.

Here's what I smoke it in:







The pipe was bought by my better half as a Christmas present a few years as a wooden block fitted with the back end and the carving was done by a local African here.

and hey, at least it's different!

I started to post this thread a few weeks ago. I used to smoke a pipe years ago and would like to get back into it. I am wondering if it would be ok to ask if there is a pipe preferance also? Or should I post another thread, not trying to hijack this thread. Thanks
31 bertram

Orlick

Pipes -- imported Algerian Briar. Head to a real pipe shop / tobacconist and do some shopping, research.

There are several brand names, and then you can get into the "custom carvers" and drop a USD grand on a pipe. But generally, heavier briar (smokes cooler), bore hole needs to come out in the bottom of the bowl.

You can get into variations in grain. Variations in grain quality. Personally, I'm not too particular about small pits and imperfections. I just as soon leave them as have them "filled."

I like Nording, Peterson, and I spend a lot of time looking through the "basket pipes" at the shop. These are typically "seconds" and decent, serviceable pipes, generally w/ small pits or maybe a less than perfect fit in the stem.

I shop a lot for "estate pipes." These are used, and cleaned up. Lots of estate stuff on the market.

Well I don't smoke anymore,but remember my Gramps used to smoke something that had Brandy in it.Sure smelled good.

quote:

Originally posted by 31 bertram:
I started to post this thread a few weeks ago. I used to smoke a pipe years ago and would like to get back into it. I am wondering if it would be ok to ask if there is a pipe preferance also? Or should I post another thread, not trying to hijack this thread. Thanks
31 bertram

I don't really think it matters which you do..... whatever you prefer.

I have not smoked in nearly 40 years, but for a few years while I was in college, I worked in a real pipe shop. We made custom pipes and also made a few thousand a week for Weber, a big pipe company at that time. We also mixed our own tobacco blends.
I personally preferred Balkan Sobraney (spelling might be off a bit) for a commercial blend. Kind of reminded me of Lapsang Souchon tea.
For the best pipes, we used amber for the bits, bone for the connector and either good Algerian burl or meerschaum for the bowls. Hard rubber was the second best bit. We got a lot of money for lucite. It was too hard for a good bit, but looked nice. Amber is the perfect blend of softness and strength. Our theory was that the bowl of the pipe should be fairly thick with tight grain, hence all the figure. But on complicated figure and very straight grain, you ran the risk of cracking. Stem and bowl needed to be balanced. Neither overpowering the other. I recall at the time we paid $7 and inch for amber and I made $1 an hour. I learned to use a metal lathe to cut the amber and bone. As I recall they are both quite fragile to machine.
For work a day pipes we recommended black rubber bites and briar bowls.
Bfly

You can get a nice pipe for under $100......but you can get a fantastic pipe for a few hundred......then again many are partial to corn cob pipes which work fine for a short smoke. As mentioned, go to a pipe store and they'll have all you need.

Try smokingpipes.com just to look at the styles you like.

Only pic I have at the moment of my pipes...far right is a Peterson's.

I stopped smoking a pipe recently but smoked for many years and bought my tobacco from Craig Tarler at Cornell and Diehl. I have always had a preference for Virginia blends and Craig blends some dandies.