Questions You Thought Were Too Dumb to Ask (Pipes Edition)

[LivingDeadGuy]

I find the easiest and most satisfying way to slow down is to smoke stronger tobacco. If I smoke a low nicotine smoke, I puff like a freight train trying to get more from the smoke. That is why I smoke mostly Royal Yacht and fill in with other high octane tobaccos like Irish Flake, sliced Brown Twist and University Flake.

Ive noticed that too, i got some flake and just got some black cherry twist, you smoke that stuff too fast you risk blowing chunks lol

[LivingDeadGuy]

This first thing is to quit looking at the clock. Forget about time. True pipe smoking is leaving the material world for a bit, to unplug and reset. The world was here for a long time before you arrived, and it will be here a long time after we leave it. Enjoy your smoke. The world will be there when you get back. Businesses, governments, and other institutions functioned fine before you got involved. I assure you, they will not collapse during the 30 mins to 1 hour you spend enjoying a pipe.

Next, quit thinking about how you are smoking your pipe. Instead, ponder the Human Condition, solve the worlds problems, explore the limits of your mind, and expand them. Read, play chess, or best of all, engage in deep conversation with another pipe smoker. This is what pipe smoking is all about.

Do that, and you find yourself smoking slower automatically, and you will also be more relaxed, and your IQ, may not increase, but you will learn to use what you have much better.

Wish I could just slow down, but I only smoke while busy, woking on a car, plowing snow, mowing the lawn ect, but ill give that "thinking" stuff a try, though it sound like it might hurt haha

[commonsenseman]

Wish I could just slow down, but I only smoke while busy, woking on a car, plowing snow, mowing the lawn ect, but ill give that "thinking" stuff a try, though it sound like it might hurt haha

I actually find I smoke more slowly when I'm doing NOTHING else, just concentrating on the pipe. YMMV

A good exercise to try every now and then: starting out with properly dry tobacco, try just barely keeping the pipe going. Don't puff hard, just take very gentle "sips". Almost always, tobacco tastes much better when it's burning cool & slow. Make sure you're not filling the pipe too tightly, this will make you puff harder to keep it going.

[tmoran]

I actually find I smoke more slowly when I'm doing NOTHING else, just concentrating on the pipe. YMMV

A good exercise to try every now and then: starting out with properly dry tobacco, try just barely keeping the pipe going. Don't puff hard, just take very gentle "sips". Almost always, tobacco tastes much better when it's burning cool & slow. Make sure you're not filling the pipe too tightly, this will make you puff harder to keep it going.

I think it was @mooster who once posted on the old site a good exercise. Get your tobacco properly dried, packed and lit, and instead of puffing, just breathe through your nose with the pipe clenched in your mouth. You will be surprised how well a pipe stays lit with just a slow, steady flow of air. You don't necessarily have to smoke this way all the time, but it at least gives you a good idea how little you need to puff to keep it lit.

[gigmaster]

OK, I was inaccurate when I said I never smoked a Brog. I was going through my pipes, and my one and only Churchwarden is a Brog. I got it at some little local tobacco store that sold inexpensive pipes that I thought were Chinese-made. I guess I'll have to remember where it was, and go check out their stock again. I think I paid $11.00 or so for it. Like you said, it has a smallish bowl, but I think all Churchwardens have smaller bowls, maybe because of the length of the stem (balance?). It's actually a good smoker, but I have to be careful turning my head. I have banged it into the wall several times, the dogs, one of the cats, and my wife. It's sort of like the old Benson and Hedges Cigarette commercials (remember when they could advertise on TV?). Oops, I guess I let my age show. Oh well.

I realize you weren't specifically asking me but I can tell you I have a #67 briar and it smokes wonderfully. The bowl is a little thin but it handles all my English blends (that's the only ting I smoke in it) like a champ. It doesn't gurgle. The stem is a little plasticky feeling but it's solid enough that I don't feel like it'll shatter if I drop it or something.

I dropped a whopping $25 on it and it's probably one of my better smokers. I'd grab one.

I also have the churchwarden #14. It's pearwood and it's kind of cheap feeling. Smallish bowl with a really plasticky feeling stem. I hardly smoke the churchwarden. It cost about the same ~$25.

[mooster]

I think it was @mooster who once posted on the old site a good exercise. Get your tobacco properly dried, packed and lit, and instead of puffing, just breathe through your nose with the pipe clenched in your mouth. You will be surprised how well a pipe stays lit with just a slow, steady flow of air. You don't necessarily have to smoke this way all the time, but it at least gives you a good idea how little you need to puff to keep it lit.

I don't think it was me, but I wholeheartedly endorse this. It's an eye-opening exercise.

[Haebar]

A good exercise is to mimic the pipe smoking contests where you try to keep your pipe going as long as you can. You only puff enough to keep it going.

[Bruck]

Behold:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxPgdpIupz8

I'm not sure if this is a speed-smoking contest or a large ears competition

[LivingDeadGuy]

Behold:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxPgdpIupz8

I'm not sure if this is a speed-smoking contest or a large ears competition

I would be so good at that! Not the big ears part though

[JollyRogers]

Is there any prep I need to do on a new corn cob? I noticed it's got a bit of a chemically smell too it brand new, should I just smoke anyway or clean it somehow?