An almost perfect bowl

[MartinH]

Today, I had my best bowl to date. I usually smoke so rarely that I always use the same pipe, a bent Carolina Briar which my wife bought for me last year. My father purchased a 3.5oz tin of Mac Baren's "Black Ambrosia." The tobacco was a little dry in the tin when I received it and I've put some humidification tablets in it, but despite it's dryness, it was a nice smoke.

Despite the 33 degree chill, I sat outside with a nice bottle of beer, and packed my bowl. I tried the Frank method again and today it worked really well. It was an almost perfect smoke, and the 'baccy only got better as it burned. What elated me more than anything was that this time, I had virtually no tongue bite, which I usually always do.

I just thought I'd share my wonderful thirty minutes of bliss this afternoon.

So, with that, I hope you all have the chance to smoke a great bowl this weekend as well.

 

[Harlock999]

Always a great feeling when you have a really nice smoke! :cheers:

 

[MartinH]

Pics of my two pipes. The light brown briar is new, the dark briar is a Ben Wade 100 from what I can tell. The Ben Wade is one of my grandfather's pipes that I think is okay to smoke for right now, but probably needs to be refurbed.

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[MartinH]

One pic didn't work. Here is the Ben Wade

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[hobie1dog]

thanks for the pics....cool stuff

 

[talrmn35]

Thats a great feeling! Glad you had a good pipe experience! Now keep it up! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

 

[morleysson]

A perfect smoke is s rare comodity, and a moment in time to be savored. You are most fortunate. I wish you many more attempts at finding this same sense of satisfaction whihc you have had.

 

[RealtorFrank]

Very cool, I experience my first perfect smoke this past weekend, it was amazing!

 

[Natch]

A perfect smoke is s rare comodity, and a moment in time to be savored. You are most fortunate. I wish you many more attempts at finding this same sense of satisfaction whihc you have had.

So true. I've been puffing for around four decades and I've had many good and great bowls, (and a few mediocre and occasionally a god-awful one or two!), but I can count on my fingers how many times I've been in the perfect "zone" with my pipe. This reminds me of a thread from another pipe board a while back where the questions was what/when/where was your best smoke to date. While most respondents described in detail the pipe and tobacco from their experience, the first thing that came to mind to me was where I was and what I was doing while smoking the pipe.

Perhaps the "perfect" smoke is a combination of a great pipe, fantastic tobacco, and that right moment in life where with or without a pipe, you would have a contented, happy person?

Natch

 

[sand18f]

A perfect smoke is s rare comodity, and a moment in time to be savored. You are most fortunate. I wish you many more attempts at finding this same sense of satisfaction whihc you have had.

So true. I've been puffing for around four decades and I've had many good and great bowls, (and a few mediocre and occasionally a god-awful one or two!), but I can count on my fingers how many times I've been in the perfect "zone" with my pipe. This reminds me of a thread from another pipe board a while back where the questions was what/when/where was your best smoke to date. While most respondents described in detail the pipe and tobacco from their experience, the first thing that came to mind to me was where I was and what I was doing while smoking the pipe.

Perhaps the "perfect" smoke is a combination of a great pipe, fantastic tobacco, and that right moment in life where with or without a pipe, you would have a contented, happy person?

Natch

What Natch said.

 

[MartinH]

As I smoke more, I think a lot about where I want to smoke, and what I want to do when I smoke. I get to smoke very infrequently, although I really love it. My wife just doesn't want me to smoke too much. But for me the perfect time and place to smoke is outside, with my own thoughts, and surrounded by the woods behind my house. Of course, if also discovered that non-aromatics are much more enjoyable to me now than when I first started smoking only aromatics. I love the nutty, hay-like flavors and notes of the tobacco I have. I think a big part of a having a good smoke, is allowing the aromas taking you back to a place you loved. For me, it's going back to my grandparents barn in Germany. It always smelled of hay and straw, and had an overall earthy smell to it. My favorite memories are of being out there while it was snowing, sanding down the runners on my sled and waxing them until my arms burned. Then I'd venture out in the snow, cross the fields and go to my favorite hill and sled until I was worn out.

If I can have those kind of memories while smoking, it's almost perfect.

Martin

 

[talrmn35]

Well put Martin. There is something very nostalgic about the pipe isn't there. Getting into the "zone" just you your pipe and peaceful thoughts. I had that experience just a couple weeks ago...it was like Nirvana (not the rock band). Truly wonderful.

 

[Jazzman]

I agree with all that's been said and would only add this.

Pipesmoking for me is about the search and occasional finding of this "zone". I consider my pipe, a friend, along for the journey. We all have experienced the low end of the spectrum, but when the blend and pipe hit you just right, then all is right with the world. The fact that your mind is filled with fond memories or of future endeavors is all the more to the credit to pipesmoking.

So congrats on hitting what I consider to be the pinnacle of pipe smoking. The world would be a better place if more people went off on this journey....(or at the very least, understood it).

Peace-Mike :cheers:

 

[MartinH]

Well said, jazzman.

Thanks,

Martin