Beginner question: how many tins?

[jgmitchell]

How many tins should a person start with?

Coming from cigar smoking I'm used to buying a new cigar and an old favorite to smoke that night along with one I know I like to put in my humidor for later. If I don't like the new one I tried, I don't get it again.

Pipe tobacco is obviously different. I'm not going to smoke an entire tin in one night but I also don't have room for 20 open tins.

 

[Josjor]

I'm a fairly recent convert, like you. What I've started to do is buy small tins of different varieties. Try them. If I like them I'll then make a purchase of either several small tins or a larger tin or two of that tobacco. If I don't like it then I'll offer it up for trade on the board here or amongst local friends.

Having some small tins/bags of tobacco I ended up not caring for hasn't been an issue and has actually turned out for the good. I've been able to trade around for a wider variety of blends and discovered some real keepers this way.

 

[Gumball]

If I had by time over again I would head down to my local B&M and purchase a sample of 1 x English blend, 1 x Balkan, 1 x Oriental, 1 x Aromatic, and 3 cob pipes.

Total outlay...not very much.

Try each and see where your taste buds take you.

 

[Hermit]

Get some small jars to keep your open stuff fresh.
You're undoubtedly gonna wanna try a lot of different blends.
You'll likely end up with a lot of open tins.

 

[Frost]

Hermit's got it, Jars are your friend! They allow you to:

a) keep the stuff you are currently smoking fresh

b) store stuff you didn't like at first to try again later or to keep it fresh for trading purposes.

c) store tobacco you buy in bulk or trade for someone else's jarred goods.

d) try some now, store/age it to try again later.

e) Probably other things I'm not thinking of.

The grocery stores and kmarts/walmarts near me sell 8 oz ball jars in packs of 16 or something like that for somewhere around $10-15 depending on the season. One pack of those means 16 different tins you can open and try without worrying about letting anything go to waste! :cheers:

 

[smokey422]

I also agree with Hermit. Mason or Ball jars are the way to go. You'll end up opening a lot of tins as your tastes develop.

Smokey

 

[Muddler]

Once you've figured out what you really like, buy one to smoke & one to cellar. Va's & English blends improve tremendously with age.

 

[Gumball]

Once you've figured out what you really like, buy one to smoke & one to cellar. Va's & English blends improve tremendously with age.

*nods*

 

[s.ireland]

Once you've figured out what you really like, buy one to smoke & one to cellar. Va's & English blends improve tremendously with age.

This. Except I've begun buying one to smoke and 2-3 to cellar :cheers:

Stuff that I already know I'm into I buy as much as I can.

You'll end up making room for all your tins and jars by the time BoB is done with ya :lol!:

 

[jgmitchell]

You'll end up making room for all your tins and jars by the time BoB is done with ya :lol!:

LOL, thank you all for the input. I guess it will end up being like my cigars, buy two and smoke one.

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

Although now I regret it, I sold ~$2,000 of my pipe tobacco cellar last year to finance the start up cost of the cigar habit as well as cigars. I had a great time and have learned how to really enjoy cigars, and thus with my pipe habit, now have double the avenues to smoking satisfaction.

I accumulated that cellar over the course of 9 years of avid tobacco acquisition, quite usually buying pounds instead of tins.

This is not the course that I'd advocate anyone to take but rather an extreme example of cellar building. I'm sure I still have at least a $1,000 cellar. I bought my first pound for the second go-round a month ago.