Tobacco Smoking Thread

On April 21 2011 03:13 Omnipresent wrote:


Starting out with cigars can be pretty intimidating. There are some guides out there, but you never really know how good they are. Here are some basics.

Things you need:
A cutter – You really need a simple guillotine cutter. One with two blades is better than one with a single blade. You can get a cheap one for around $4, but prices go p dramatically from there ($20 is the most you’d ever need to spend, anything higher is purely for aesthetics).

A second cutter – If you decide you like cigars, you’ll eventually want to buy a smaller cutter, wither a plug (or punch) cutter or cross cutter (also called V-cut). Punch cutters are more popular than cross cutters, but it’s all about personal preference. Some cigars simply smoke better with small cuts, and you’ll learn that over time.

Fire – You need matches or a butane lighter. Wick lighters like Zippos are not ideal for cigars. The fluid these lighters never completely combusts, and can settle in the cigar. This will damage the flavor.

A Humidor – If you buy cigars at your local shop and smoke them within a couple days, you don’t need one of these. If you intend to store your cigars for any extended period of time (letting you buy in bulk), you absolutely need a humidor and humidification system. Some humidors are pretty affordable, or may come with an order of cigars you get online. Small humidors are very easy to maintain, and the humidification system if fairly inexpensive. Research before buying.


What to smoke:
Before I recommend cigars for you to try, you should know what I’m talking about. A cigar has 3 main components: filler, binder, and wrap. The filler is the bulk of the cigar. In quality cigars, it’s made of whole leaf tobacco (long filler). The binder is a leaf that is wrapped around the filler to hold it together tightly. The wrap is the final leaf that finishes off the cigar. I recommend you unwrap the next cigar you smoke, or rather, what’s left of it when you finish.

The key to starting out on cigars is to try as many different ones as you can. Your local tobacco shop owner will probably have specific recommendations for you, but here’s a rough idea on what to look for:

Hand Rolling – You’ll want to smoke hand rolled cigars pretty much exclusively. There are some decent machine made ones, but 99% are crap (made from sub-par tobacco or leftover scraps).

Variety – When starting out, buy a lot of different cigars. Try everything, from the lightest Connecticut to the blackest maduro. Find what you like. Do you like smooth or spicy cigars? Oily or dryer? Large or small gauge? Try everything. When you find a cigar that you really like, try others from that company, others from that country, and others of that style. There’s a lot of trial and error in starting out. Embrace it.

Cost – Don’t spend less than $3 or more than $6 until you have a feel for what you like. The extra cost will be wasted until you understand what you’re smoking.


Brands to try:
Here are some reasonably priced brands that still give you quality cigars.

Rocky Patel’s Edge – Most Rocky Patels are pretty expensive. They make some of the best cigars in the world. The Edge is their most affordable cigar, and happens to be the best cigar per cost available, imo.

Oliva – Oliva consistently makes some of the best cigars on the market for reasonably prices. Every Oliva I’ve ever smoked has been great. They produced the cigar of the year a few years ago, the Serie V, and it’s only about $6.50 (Don’t try this until you’re experienced. It will knock you on your ass.).

Hoyo De Monterrey – This is one of the oldest companies out there. They continue to produce great cigars at reasonable prices. They also have a huge variety to choose from. Every tobacco shop carries at least something from this company.

5 Vegas – These guys have put out a lot of really respectable, really cheap cigars in the past couple years. The 5 Vegas gold is just as good as similar cigars 3 times it’s price (if you’re into Connecticuts). Try anything they make.

Punch – Punch is a Honduran company that produces a relatively small variety of cigars. Everything they make, though, is very good. I know a lot of people who smoke these as their standby cigars, even after years of smoking.

CAO – Frankly, CAO makes cigars that are built for beginners. They’re a little more expensive, but are very accessible to any smoker (in terms of flavors). I especially recommend the COA Brazilia and COA Italia. CAO also makes a lot of flavored cigars, which you should avoid.

House Blends – A lot of companies and websites have their own special blends that they sell. Some are total crap. Some are pretty good. All are affordable. The cigar.com blends are respectable, and very cheap.


That’s about it. If you are looking for more-specific recommendations, want advice on cutting/lighting/smoking, or need to know more about different types of cigars, let me know. You’ll find that cigar smokers are among the nicest people around (next to SC people, of course). If you join a cigar forum and ask for help, you’ll receive it by the bucket.

On April 22 2011 05:45 Omnipresent wrote:
A beginner’s guide to pipe smoking

Buying your Pipe
Obviously the first thing you need to do is to buy a pipe. This is where the bulk of your initial investment will go. After you get everything you need, maintaining your pipe and buying tobacco is extremely affordable.

Cost - You should buy your pipe at a tobacco shop, not a grocery or convenience store. You can spend up to several hundred dollars for a pipe, but a good starter pipe will run you somewhere between $30 and $45.

Style – Pick a pipe you like. Hold it in your hand. Make sure it’s comfortable. This will be the pipe you use for a while. Pipes are made from all sorts of materials, but the most common are wood (usually Briar) and Meerschaum. You’ll want a Briar pipe to start, as Meerschaum pipes are usually more expensive and more difficult to maintain.

The Bowl – Choosing a bowl that fits well in your hand is always the most important thing, but there are other points to consider. For your starter pipe, you should pick something with a medium size bowl. You should be able to easily fit your thumb in it (to the first knuckle) with extra room to move around. Anything much larger can be tough to manage. Anything much smaller can clog easily

Stem – Again, comfort is the most important thing here. My only advice is to pick a pipe with a slightly curved stem for your starting pipe. Straight stem pipes are fine, but you might find yourself sucking in resin and moisture through the pipe if you’re not experienced. This taste’s awful.


Things you need
A Multitool – Not surprisingly, your multitool has multiple uses. You need one with at least two ends: a tamper and a scoop. Some tools also have a poker, which is helpful, but not required. These are the most common types:
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Pipe Cleaners – Yup, that’s why they’re called pipe cleaners. They aren’t just for arts and crafts.

Fire– Any fire will do. Wood matches work best, since you can really get them close to the tobacco.


What to Smoke
There are hundreds of different types of pipe tobacco. Here are some things to look for when starting out.

Cost – You should be spending between $5-$15 for your first bag of tobacco (1oz or 0.5oz). Prices vary between shops. Your best bet is to ask the owner of your local tobacco shop for recommendations on starting tobacco.

Aromatic or Natural – There are many varieties of tobacco, but most fall in either the aromatic or natural category. Aromatics, as the name suggests, have very fragrant smoke. They tend to be slightly flavored like fruit, wine, vanilla, coco, etc. The scent is usually quite nice. You can smoke Aromatics just about anywhere, and no one will bother you. Natural tobaccos taste like tobacco. There’s obviously a good deal of variation. If you like Cigars, you’ll probably like natural tobaccos.

Cut – If you’re starting out, the cut is irrelevant. I’m just mentioning it in case your local tobacco shop is full of serious pipe people. You can figure out which cuts feel best for you, though you’ll probably decide it doesn’t matter.

Variety – Try lots of different tobaccos. Some shops will even let you sample a blend before you buy (just ask). Figure out what you like and stick with it.


How to Smoke
This is the tricky part. A lot of pipe smokers have pretty involved rituals, but there are some basic things you need to know.

Packing – Loosely fill your bowl with tobacco. You can use less, but start with full bowls at first. Once it’s full, press down on the tobacco slightly with your thumb. Once you start to feel resistance let go. It’s important not to pack too tightly or too loosely. When you’re starting out, err on the side of loose packing. A tightly packed bowl can be unsmokable.

Lighting – Put the pipe in your mouth and hold the flame over the tobacco. Do not touch the flame to the tobacco itself. Pull slightly on the pipe so the flame is pulled down to the tobacco. The goal is to get the top layer to smolder. If you see fire, you’ve made a mistake.

Tamping – Once lit, take a series of small puffs to keep it going. While puffing, you should use the flat end of your multi tool (the tamper) to press down slightly on the tobacco. Carefully press around the edges. If you press too hard, the pipe may get clogged or simply go out. If done properly, you should be able to look into the bowl and see a glowing ember in the center. This heats the tobacco below it, creating smoke.

Smoking – Don’t inhale. If you have powerful lungs, it wont hurt, but pipe tobacco isn’t meant to be inhaled. Keep the stem angled towards your mouth, with the bowl below. this will help prevent moisture from dripping up the stem and into your mouth. While smoking, you may realize you’re getting less and less smoke. Tamp the tobacco slightly when this happens, and it should revitalize the pipe. You may need to relight until you get the hang of it. The draw should always be smooth, much smoother than you’re used to with cigarettes or cigars. If the draw gets too tight and you have a multitool with a poker, don’t be afraid to push the tobacco around a little. Just loosen it up. Don’t mix the embers/ash with unburned tobacco.

Practice – Really, just practice. Pipe smoking takes effort to master, but it’s a great experience once you can comfortable pack the amount you want, light it, and keep it going easily.


Cleaning
Maintaining your pipe is absolutely vital, and takes very little effort. A well maintained pipe is a joy. A poorly maintained pipe is a nightmare. Every time you finish smoking, run a pipe cleaner through the stem of the pipe. You should also bend one in half and gently sweep out the inside of the bowl (being careful not to scratch the carbon buildup on the side). If you notice a lot of moisture in the pipe when you start smoking, or after you finish, you can simply leave a pipe cleaner in the pipe between smokes. This will absorb some.

You want to be sure not to clean the bowl too much. Over time, you should build a layer of black carbon around the inside of your bowl. This is desirable. It seasons the bowl and makes it easier to smoke.

If your pipe comes apart, you should periodically (every month or so) take it apart and clean whatever you can (with pipe cleaners, no water). Make sure it’s intended to come apart. Don’t force it. Many pipes are not meant to be disassembled. If yours is one of these pipes, don’t bother with the extra cleaning.