Pipe Abbreviations, Descriptions, and Definitions WIKI

[Tobias Lutz]

I did not compile this initial list...it was cut and pasted from our previous home back when I first joined. The original posting date was 2008. I think it forms a good base for us to expand and make our own Pipe Wiki. If you desire to add any definitions, please PM me the material and I will edit this post- that way we don't get strung out over multiple pages. I think this can turn into a VERY useful post for all our new pipers.

Here are some abbreviations that are commonly used on pipe forums.

965 - Dunhill My Mixture 965
1792 - SG 1792 Flake
5100 - McClelland's 5100
ARO - An aromatic pipe blend
BBF - SG Best Brown Flake
BC - Butz-Choquin Pipes
BCF - GH Bob's Choc Flake
BFP – C&D Baileys Front Porch
B&M - Brick and Mortar, i.e. an actual tobacco store, rather than an online shop.
CAO – A Brand of Meerschaum Pipes
C&D - Cornell & Diehl Tobacco Co.
CH - Carter Hall Tobacco (An OTC)
DBE - GH Dark Bird's Eye
DGT - Delayed Gratification Technique
DH - Dunhill
DLF - Dunhill Light Flake
DLNR - Dunhill Deluxe Navy Rolls
EGR - Edward G. Robinson's Pipe Blend
EMP - Dunhill Early Morning Pipe
ERR - Edgeworth Ready Rubbed- sometimes ERRd
FM - McClelland Frog Morton
FMC - Frog Morton's Cellar
FMOTB - McClelland Frog Morton On The Bayou.
FMOTT - McClelland Frog Morton On The Town.
FVF - SG Full Virginia Flake
GH or G&H - Gawith & Hoggarth Tobacco Co.
GLP - G.L. Pease Tobacco
HB – C&D Haunted Bookshop
HCA - Hans Christian Anderson, a line of pipes made by Stanwell Pipes
H&H- Hearth & Home (Pipesandcigars.com House Blend)
HOTW - Rattray's Hal o' the Wind
HOW - House of Windsor
KW – Kaywoodie Pipes
LBF or PSLBF - Peter Stokkebye Luxury Bulls Eye Flake
LNF or PSLNF - Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake
LTF or PSLTF - Peter Stokkebye Luxury Twist Flake
McB – Mac Baren Tobacco Co.
McC - McClelland Tobacco Co.
MM - Missouri Meerschaum Corncob Pipe
NAC - North American Carvers (Pipe Makers from North America)
OG - Rattray's Old Gowrie
OGS – Orliks Golden Sliced
OJK – C&D Old Joe Krantz
OTC - Over the Counter (i.e. Drugstore Tobacco Blends)
PA - Prince Albert Tobacco (An OTC)
PAD - Pipe Acquisition Disorder
PG - Propylene Glycol, a humectant to retain moisture.
PS - Peter Stokkebye
P&W or PW - Pipeworks & Wilke
SG - Samuel Gawith Tobacco Co.
SL – SG Squadron Leader
SMS – A Brand of Meerschaum Pipes
SMM - Dunhill Standard Mixture Medium
SWR - Sir Walter Raleigh (An OTC)
TAD - Tobacco Acquisition Disorder
VA - Virginia tobacco
YMMV - Your mileage may vary.

Here are some descriptions and definitions.

PIPE TYPES

BRIAR: This is the closely-grained burl joint between the stem and roots of the White Heath, a tree found on the hillsides of mainly Mediterranean countries. Underground, this burl protects the briar wood, which is tough, close grained, porous, and nearly impervious to heat. Good briar is hard to find. The larger shrubs take a long time to mature...and the older the shrub the better the briar and thus your pipe. The most suitable root may be 80 to 100 years old, and the finest pipe briar may be from a shrub over 200 years old... aged and mellowed by time.

MEERSCHAUM: A German word meaning literally, "sea-foam," alluding to the belief that it was the compressed whitecaps of waves. Meerschaum is a mineral - hydrous silicate of magnesium - one of the most porous substances found in nature. Composed of the fossilized shells of tiny sea creatures that fell to the ocean floor millions of years ago, meerschaum is found in red clay deposits. Meerschaum deposits of the highest quality are found only in one place in the world - Eskishehir, in central Turkey.

AFRICAN BLOCK MEERSCHAUM: comes from Tanzania, Africa and is usually stained in varying shades of brown, black and yellow.

MISSOURI MEERSCHAUM: The All-American Corncob pipe. It is a length of hollowed-out corncob, usually from a special hybrid variety of corn, with a straight wooden stem and, sometimes, a inexpensive plastic mouthpiece. Some veteran pipe smokers buy corncobs by the dozens, smoke one until it burns out or goes sour, then throw it away and light up another. (If a youngster uses yours to blow soap bubbles, buy another.)

CALABASH: A South African gourd similar to a squash grown specifically for use in pipes. The shape is determined as the gourd grows by placing small blocks under the stem, forcing it into a gentle curve. The mature gourd is cut and dried, then fitted with a cork gasket to receive a meerschaum bowl. The finished pipe offers one of the coolest, driest smokes available.

CLAY PIPE: Clay or pottery pipes were very popular in England and in Europe before the discovery of briar. In London coffee houses and clubs, long-stemmed "Church wardens" and "London Straws" were universally accepted. The finest clay for pipes is said to be found in Devon, England.

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PIPE PARTS

BOWL: The part of the pipe that holds the tobacco.

HEEL: The base of the inside of the pipe bowl.

SHANK: The part of the pipe that joins the bowl and the stem.

STEM: The part that connects the shank with the bit. Examine it carefully. Its quality, finish and fit will reveal the maker's carelessness or attention to detail.

STINGER: Metal insert in pipe to promote condensation and prevent the inhaling of "juice"

BIT: The part of the pipe stem that fits in the mouth.

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PIPE TERMS

CAKE: A small layer of protective carbon allowed to form and remain in the bowl of a briar pipe. The cake protects the briar from burning but too much cake can split the pipe by causing uneven heating of the bowl.

CASING: In the preparation of pipe tobaccos, the blend is cased, which generally involves adding moisture such as water or flavored liquids, and in many instances a humectant. McClelland tobaccos are distinguished for their use of vinegar as a casing.

DOTTLE: Unburned tobacco left in the heel of a pipe.

ESTATE: A pre-owned pipe.

GOOPY: The category of cavendish-based aromatics drenched in Propylene Glycol are the usual offenders. These might be found in drugstores, bulk jars at a B&M, or even pricey tinned tobaccos. "Goopers" are hard to dry out, may be difficult to light, and may contribute to tongue bite. A pipe that is frequently used to smoke goopy blends may itself become goopy, ie. it won't dry out even with a few days resting.


HUMECTANT: Commonly found in aromatic blends and OTC tobaccos, a humectant inhibits evaporation of moisture from tobacco (thus they are also called hydrophilic), and if too dry will draw moisture from the air, given sufficient humidity. Propylene Glycol, Sorbitol, and Xylitol are humectants, with PG the most common. They are generally considered to be odorless and nontoxic, but some smokers claim it adds a chemical taste to the smoke.

TONGUE BITE: Irritation of the tongue, can be caused by a variety of reasons.

TOPPING: Aromatic additives, generally introduced at the last stage of blending. Sometimes aromatics are added with the casing for specific effects. Toppings add a "room note" to the smoke but do not always affect the flavor. The variety of possible toppings is unlimited, but the most common are liquor, fruit, vanilla and cocoa flavors.

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TOBACCO CUTS

FLAKE CUT: Tobacco packaged as large, flat flakes. Flake tobacco can be rubbed out to separate the flakes or folded and stuffed..

RIBBON CUT: Tobacco cut into long, thin ribbons, though not as long or as fine as SHAG.

CUBE CUT: Tobacco chopped into small square pieces.

SHAG: Tobacco which has been shredded very finely. Renowned as the type of preference for Sherlock Holmes; at that time, shag was considered an inferior grade.

RUBBING OUT: Separating tobacco pieces prior to smoking, by rubbing in the palm of the hand. Rubbing out is done to Flake or Plug cut tobaccos.

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POPULAR BLEND TYPES

AMERICAN: A somewhat vague term that mostly means "not English" and typically is a non-aromatic blend that does not contain Latakia or Oriental tobacco, but typically some combination of Burley, Virginia, Latakia, Kentucky, Maryland or similar tobaccos. An "American English" is a Latakia blend that contains higher amounts of Burley or Perique.

AROMATIC (AKA ARO): Virginia, Burley, Cavendish or any combination of them are good bases for aromatic toppings, which are non-tobacco components applied to give a pleasant room note and sometimes flavor to the smoke.

BALKAN: Typically understood as an English blend where Latakia takes a back seat to the Oriental/Turkish tobacco. The definition of this type is based on the original blend of Balkan Sobranie.

CROSSOVER: Usually denotes an English blend with an aromatic topping or infusion. Conversely, adding Latakia to an aromatic makes it a crossover.

ENGLISH: The contemporary understanding of an English is a non-aromatic blend containing Virginia and Latakia, with optional inclusion of Perique, Oriental/Turkish, and to a lesser extent Burley and others. Traditionally, English meant "from England" which due to tobacco purity laws forbade aromatics and limited casing, so any blend of tobaccos as long as they were untopped and minimally cased.

STRAIGHT BLENDS: Non-aromatics that uses all Burley or all Virginia, but could use multiple varieties of any given type. Straight Burleys may have a sweetener in the casing to compensate for the lack of natural sweetness which in some instances could qualify it as a "light aromatic" and straight Virginia is most popular in flake form.

VIRGINIA/PERIQUE (VAPER): Virginia and Perique have a special synergy when blended, and especially when pressed in flake form. The natural sweetness of the VA married to the raisiny/peppery notes of the Perique results in something rich and balanced. Variants include Burley/Perique, Virginia/Perique/Oriental

LAT BOMB: Latakia is typically used as a condimental tobacco, bringing a nuance of smokiness to an English blend. When the amount of Latakia in a blend goes beyond being a condiment and is a dominant flavor, it's affectionately called a Lat Bomb. This type of blend has 40-75% Latakia, and is the bane of many a smoker's spouse.