Afraid of Ghosts

[jefe1037]

As a brand new Brother, I only have one pipe. It is a Peterson. I am fortunate enough to work in the great city of Chicago, home of Iwan Ries on Wabash, but I am having a conundrum. They have an amazing selection of tins and house blends, but everything I read says i should have one pipe for each type of tobacco to prevent flavors from tainting each other. I would love to build a nice collection and rotation, but as of now, I can't see myself plopping down a ton of money for several different pipes before I really even know what I like. Am I up a creek? Should I throw caution to the wind? Until I find that shoebox full of pipes at someones garage sale, I await your advice Brothers.

Jeff, K.O.T.I.

 

[Hermit]

The kinda advice you'll get here is, "Buy more pipes!" :lol:
Welcome to BoB.

 

[jefe1037]

The kinda advice you'll get here is, "Buy more pipes!" :lol:
Welcome to BoB.

I want to do this right, but at this juncture, I am "ballin' on a budget." Pipes tend to be an investment that I can't afford right now; thus I am hoping for a solution that wont break the bank.

 

[Hermit]

The kinda advice you'll get here is, "Buy more pipes!" :lol:
Welcome to BoB.

I want to do this right, but at this juncture, I am "ballin' on a budget." Pipes tend to be an investment that I can't afford right now; thus I am hoping for a solution that wont break the bank.

Until you are able to build your collection,
get a few cobs at about six bucks a piece.

 

[jefe1037]

I guess what i am really asking is if i have been smoking an english blend and i start smoking an aromatic, is my pipe ruined? can i ever switch back? i just want to know the ramifications before i shell out more money for more toys

 

[Hermit]

I guess what i am really asking is if i have been smoking an english blend and i start smoking an aromatic, is my pipe ruined? can i ever switch back? i just want to know the ramifications before i shell out more money for more toys

Ruined? Not at all.
Almost any ghost can be exorcised.
Most of us routinely buy used ("estate")
pipes. Some of em come haunted.
A badly haunted pipe can be freshened
up with cotton balls and Everclear.
A mild ghost can usually be smoked
away after a few bowls.

 

[jefe1037]

thank you for the reassurance. if you are ever in Chicago, maybe i will run into you at IRC...I have made the decision to only buy from brick and mortar shops, so I think i might want to go in pretty often -- and apparently they have a badass BYOB lounge

 

[Hermit]

thank you for the reassurance. if you are ever in Chicago, maybe i will run into you at IRC...I have made the decision to only buy from brick and mortar shops, so I think i might want to go in pretty often -- and apparently they have a badass BYOB lounge

That's admirable, but it'll cost you.

 

[EC Outlaw]

You might note that Iwan Ries also has an on-line presence, as do several other B&M's. Examples would be Low Country Pipes and Cigars in South Carolina (smokingpipes.com) and Pipes & Cigars in New York (pipesandcigars.com). There are others scattered around the country, so shopping on-line is not necessarily abandoning the B&M establishments.

 

[s.ireland]

Until you are able to build your collection,
get a few cobs at about six bucks a piece.

This is sound advice. Probably the easiest way to try a bunch of blends without "ghosting" your briar.

Personally, I don't worry about ghosts. If you smoke something in your briar that you don't care for just smoke a bunch of bowls of something you do like and the ghost will be no more. YMMV

 

[monbla256]

Relax! Many folks who smoke a pipe today are borderline OCD When I started smoking a pipe 43 years ago, I also started on aromatics and smoked one pipe only. Because of the nature of how aro's smoked (wet, hot) I soon moved to English/Balkan and straight Va's and added a couple of pipes and went on my way "happy". Little did I realize how "deprived" I was in the pipe smoking experience, especially compared to today We were
stuck" with the blends we found at the few B&M available to us and maybe a mail-order catalog or two from other firms. So we found a blend that "worked" for us on a regular basis and stuck with it! Occasionaly a friend would give you a bowl full of a "new" blend and you would put it in the pipe you had that was empty and give it a smoke, "ghosts" and all ! I will say that based on the charachteristics of Aro's I would probably keep a seperate pipe for them today, but I don't really find many of them attractive enough to do that!
Your'e just beginning so take your time, get to know ONE tobacco well, add a pipe or two as you feel comfortable and can afford it and ENJOY the smoke ! Youv'e not smoked that much tobacco of onetype in your one pipe to where you need to worry about the "ghost" thing yet. ( I really don't now all these years later for tha matter) RELAX, ENJOY your pipe and as Jerry said: "....keep on truckin' "

 

[Richard Burley]

Relax! Many folks who smoke a pipe today are borderline OCD

Do ya' think? :lol!:

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Relax! Many folks who smoke a pipe today are borderline OCD

Do ya' think? :lol!:

Heheheh -- we're OCD, Monbla's just OCD about our OCD... :lol:

 

[Kyle Weiss]

El Jefe:

Many of us just "smoke out the ghosts," if we want to regale a pipe for different duty. It's a little harder to go from an aromatic-only/Latakia-only pipe to say, a Virginia flake, but not impossible. I figure the "Lakeland soap" is probably the most insidious of the "ghosts" I've come across, especially my estates. Even they tame down after a dozen or so bowls, though.

Otherwise, Hermit's alcohol-and-cotton trick really helps--otherwise, cobs are an awesome way to rotate out your pipes and "keep 'em separated" for other tobaccos, especially on a budget.

 

[MisterE]

El Jefe:

Many of us just "smoke out the ghosts," if we want to regale a pipe for different duty.

Unless you wish to be regaled with ghost stories of Captain Black past, best relegate a single pipe to said mélange!

 

[jefe1037]

This thread has been incredibly helpful. I can tell that I am in good company. I think I am going to let fate play a role in all of this...
I'm sure I will be keeping everybody updated as I continue my journey. Until then, back to lurking.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Well, we're an interesting crowd, for sure; glad we could help. You can't lurk anymore, it's too late now. We know where you are. 8)

 

[jefe1037]

Just an update, Had a good day at work (i wait tables at a restaurant in river north, about 4 blocks north of Iwan Ries) so I stopped by and picked up two more pipes from the basket on the counter (not the REALLY cheap ones, but the 1/2 step up)

The guys at the store are great, and they have all their house blends available, so i tried their Three Star Blue in my new dublin and i packed the Ko-Ko in my new apple for Tomorrow.... I have already learned DGT from you crazies

Now i have a 3 pipe rotation, and away we go!

 

[Rob_In_MO]

I ain't afraid of no ghost!

 

[dshpipes]

Iwan Ries & Co. is a great place to buy pipes and tobacco and to just hang out and have a smoke. I live in Lakeview so it's a quick and easy El ride downtown to get there. Let me know if you ever want to meet up for some baccy and conversation.