Brand new, looking for first pipe

Welcome to both this site and to the world of pipe smoking.

Both Peterson and Stanwell are great pipes to get you started. They are relatively inexpensive but will be great smokers and last forever if properly taken care of. I have pipes of both brands and prefer Stanwell. However, there are others on here that like Petes. You cannot go wrong either way. Savinelli is another brand that is comparable to Stanwell and Peterson. I cannot vouch for them personally, but I have rarely heard any disparaging words about the brand.

Concerning shape, pick whatever appeals to you. Shape is a matter of preference. I believe there are some different schools of thought about whether bent or straight are best for beginners. Maybe someone else will chime in on that subject.

Concerning tobaccos . . . I do not know. Can you give us anything to go on concerning your tastes in general? Even if those tastes do not refer specifically to tobaccos?

Cheers!

appreciate the simplicity of a straight billiard. While simple they can still be quite striking and a reliable performer. Then again maybe the boldness of a bulldog yet inside it is the same as a billiard. Really the choice is totally up to individual tastes but these two classic designs have pleased smokers for hundreds of years and will likely do so for hundreds more.

A Stanwell or a Peterson, I am sure several here will recommend either one. My recommendation would be to buy both then you will have something to think about when smoking them. This is just the beginning to an end where each take their own path.

Good tobacco blends The list is so long and you are an empty vessel. Specific recommendations are without basis.

A good straight VA: Orlik Golden Slice
A good burley blend: C&D Haunted Bookshop
An English maybe: Penzance by Esoterica Tobacciana

The following link should give some direction as to the different types as well as some specific blends. Some may not be available any longer but that is not the case with most of the listed names.

http://agingfaq.noct...

Why are you taking up the pipe?

thanks guys :)

concerning tobacco, as far as tastes go i love smooth rich tastes and love a little spice also. I dont want something too heavy for my first time though. I remember the smell of my grandpas tobacco that had a cherry/vanilla type scent i think yet was told not to get into goopy aromatics right away.

The guys have already lead you down a good path. With pipes, Stanwell, Peterson and Savinelli are great pipes for a great price. You can't go wrong there. Whatever shape you want is the right one.

About tobaccos, well that's a tough one. A few pipe smokers start out on some mild aromatics. Mac Baren Vanilla Cream comes to mind. It's not goopy and will give you a gentle start.

If you want to head for some straight up good non-aromatic smokes from day one, you have all the choice in the world. I would look up blends like:

Orlik Golden Sliced
Mac Baren Virginia Flake

Those are both mellow and moderate in nicotine. Good for starters.

Welcome to MPC. We're all hoping you'll share your experiences with us.

well...welcome to the sight and also welcome to the world of pipe smoking. I think you have had some good guidance already if people have steered you away from aromatics to start as well as suggesting petersons and stanwells...I strongly believe that the stanwell Zebrano line (usually about $60 US...andthey are available at www.smokingpipes.com) has one of the best value to cost ratios available...That is not to say that someone who really knows pipes might not be able to find a better deal on a pipe that they know once in a blue moon...but the constant relatively high quality of workmanship along good engineering really does set stanwell above most others in its price range. Another good place to look for low cost savinellis and Petersons Stanwells and others is www.cupojoes.com

as far as tobaccos go...Chris already listed three well thought of tobaccos...but another to think about might be Cornell & Deihl (C&D) Old Joe Krantz...or Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake (FVF)

there are a lot of choices out there...and a lot of these guys here are still searching for their holy grail of tobaccos after 30 or 40 years...so don't be afraid to try a few different things...

I might also suggest that you get a couple of these corn cobs...

http://www.frenchysp...

They taste a little funky for the first two or three smokes...but you will thank yourself for not burning the heck out of a nice pipe's rim...and they are also good for sampling tobaccos as the flavour of some tobaccos will drift into subsequent smokes (ghosting)...which can not only mislead your ideas of a tobacco...but also result in some pretty nasty tasting mixes...

anyway...good luck and ask away!...the worst thing you can do is wish you would have asked a question...and people here are more than willing to weigh in...and as in most things...there are a million right answers...the goal is to find which one is right for you...

Hope you enjoy, and again good luck!

Cheers,

Josh

my advice for a new pipe smoker is:

1. get yourself some cobs

2. get yourself some prince albert or carter hall tobacco (available at most drug/grocery stores)

these 2 tobaccos are the best for new smokers because:
1. they pack easy
2. they light easy **
3. build cake easy, they won't gunk up your bowl.
4. smoke cool with very little bite. (puff SLOWLY)
5. won't leave a ghost in your bowl when you move to other blends.

**if the tobacco out of the pouch seems too moist, let it air dry a bit before packing.

it's going to take some practice before you get the packing/lighting/smoking technique down, but these two tobaccos are the most forgiving when mistakes are made.

go wrong with a Peterson. I would suggest the System 303 personally. It is a classic that you will (should) never tire of. Stanwells & Savinellis are great pipes. The Savinelli Roma range may be good place to start.

Tobacco with a smooth, rich taste? Why not get a sampler pack from www.pipesandcigars.c... - their Hearth & Home series of bulk tobaccos. I suggest you include Louisiana Red & a few other VaPers (Virginia/ Perique blends). The Perique adds spiciness. Or a sampler pack of C&D's Va blends from www.smokingpipes.com. Samplers are a great, fun way to go.

This is the place to get expert opinions! A corn cob is a good idea no matter what you end up with later. They're good for yardwork, testing new tobaccos, and for a good cool smoke.
I second the idea of getting sampler packs (from wherever) as I think you get the most bang for your buck.
My personal choices for pipes would be a Savinelli or Butz-Choquin either of which can be had in some form for under a hundred dollars. I don't have a "bad pipe" from either maker.
Most importantly...have fun!

For a good smoking cheap pipe that will look better with age and smoking
Savinelli naturals

as they are smoked they become darger I have 4 of them and as they age the better looking they become

http://www.pipesandc...

As for tobacco Prince Albert ,Carter Hall are good burleys

In aromatice Lanes 1Q is a good starter

Virginia's SG's full virginia flake is great

Take your seat and enjoy the ride. Don't forget to add your two-cents worth.

Get yourself several pipes to rotate. Don't smoke one more than two or three times in a day. Give it a rest for a day or two. Keep them clean and smooth inside the bowl, removing ashy crust, unsmoked tobak and sludge. "Smooth" is the key. A "cake" not more than the width of a dime is fine. Buy pipe cleaners by the hundreds and run one through your pipe after every smoke. Then pick up a dry pipe and start all over. Experiment with many different tobaccos. A local tobacconist can be very helpful.

We're all glad to see newcomers to the hobby and you will never be short on advice from this crew.

Just got home from work and after reading all that everyone already wrote there is little I can add. But there if I may:

Pipes - you'll need more than one pipe and you don't need to break the bank! I'd wholeheartedly agree with everyone that said Savenelli. Great starter pipes. I've owned one for nearly 10 years and it smokes better now than it did in the beginning. Also don't be shy about grabbing a couple of corn cobs. Yeah, they look silly but they actually give a pretty good smoke (first few bowls taste like corn but then all is good).

Shape - go with a classic shape. Probably one like you remember your grandpa smoked would be best. The classic shapes have been around for a long time because they really work well.

Pipe Finish - how the outside looks - rough finishes feel cooler to the touch than the shiny smooth ones do ... but if you learn on a shiny one you'll learn quicker how to smoke at the right speed. Just go slow. No, slower. SLOWER! You'll learn.

Tobacco - agreed: avoid aromatics. They don't taste like they smell. Not even close. Suggestions for a beginner: (this will shock the crowd that I'd say this) Prince Albert! Its inexpensive. Its readily available (Walmart has it for under $3 per box). It tastes pretty darn good in a classic tobacco way. Its very forgiving.

Ok, 'nuff said.

Welcome!

This is turning out to be a pretty good day, first I worked from home today so I smoked almost constantly, then Lars pings PA in the official tobacco thread, then I come here and you're recommending the National Joy Smoke to a new guy! Well color me impressed all to pieces.

But I digress. First welcome aboard. First pipe recommendations cobs are a great and economical way to build up a decent rotation with minimal investment. All the other brands mentioned make very good pipes for under $100 of course I've got to add Kaywoodie to the list. If you're really on a tight budget take a look at the estate market if smoking restored pipes doesn't weird you out. I can teach you how to make an 80 year old pipe smoke and look like a champ with not much more than sweat equity invested. Refurbishing old pipes isn't hard to learn and can generally be done without special tools. Classic shapes are the poo, straight or bent is largely a matter of personal preference so get what appeals to you.

For tobaccos, sample packs are indeed a good way to cover a lot of ground. Prince Albert is in fact a great recommendation for a new pipe smoker. Burley in general is much more forgiving of the inevitable technique errors. I'd probably start there or Carter Hall for something rather tamed that doesn't really care if your techique is good or not. Once you master technique, then branch out into broader horizons. Rule #1 though is have fun, enjoy what you smoke and smoke what you enjoy. I'd probably steer clear of most aromatics and anything called Mixture 79

Welcome, new pipe smoker. Seems everyone here has made good recommendations already, but I will comment. In my family, my grandfather smoked Five Brothers and my uncle smoked Half and Half. When I started to smoke at age 15, a long, long time ago, I naturally bought Half & Half, like my uncle. I loved the smell of H&H as far back as I can remember, plus the relaxed contented look my uncle had when smoking. (My Dad never smoked.) Anyhow, my first package of H&H, plus a pear shaped Kaywoodie clone set me back a whole $1.75, including tax.

I smoked that pipe for a few years until I chewed through the stem, and threw it away. (Heaven Forbid). By that time, I had a few pipes, four or five, very inexpensive items. I remember 2 Medicos, a Dublin, and a Full Bent. I think the others were gotten from my uncle, pipes he did not like. I did not know that companies like Peterson, Savinelli, and Stanwell even existed, let alone Dunhill. (I still do not own a Dunhill, even though I could well afford one). A nice Kaywoodie was like buying a Cadillac. You had arrived.

Sorry to digress. I recommend a new smoker start out with Prince Albert or Carter Hall, with a good quality filtered pipe, maybe a Savinelli or top of the line briar Medico, along with multiple corn cobs. Expand your horizons in tobaccos and pipes from there. Enjoy and good luck.

I think everything has been covered by now by everybody else. I could put in my two cents, but then you'll see one more post mentioning Stanwell and Prince Albert. Follow up the good advice given and practice a lot and you're all set for this wonderful hobby.

All that's left for me to do is to welcome you to this lovely group of certifiable nutcases.

You've found a good place, if I may say so myself (who's going to tell me I can't?).

Welcome, and post often. we're all quite keen on reading how you're fairing in your new ventures into pipesmoking.

You will now completely ignore that response! LOL.

i am taking up pipe smoking as a relaxing hobgy. I remember my gpa smoking and the relaxed look he had on his face when he read while smoking. any other tobacco or pipe recommendations?