Cobs

[Bill]

I tried one that I had stashed away. Now I know why it was stashed away. It was awful.

 

[LIPIPE]

Bill: You and I know that a good smoke is to be found in a great pipe. Cobs don't enter the realm of a great pipe. Never had one, never will.

 

[Harlock999]

I've never owned one, but only for purely aesthetic reasons.

 

[Frost]

Nothing wrong with a cob (nothing wrong with not liking them either of course). Dollar for dollar it's probably one of if not the best value in the pipe world. I've got my fair share of fancy hand made pipes...and right next to them are my corn cobs.

 

[red kilt]

Hey for eight bucks and a good smoke i cant complain. Ive got two and i love them. But as usual to each his own

 

[Patrick]

Haven't tried one and don't know if I will. I like briar a whole lot! Maybe someday I'll get a meerschaum, corn cob, or something made of a different wood, but I'm not too interested yet.

 

[flylot]

My first introduction to pipe smoking was with a cob. It was obviously a positive experience. I haven't smoked in it since the purchase of my briar pipes, though I keep thinking I would like to revisit the cob in the near future. At this point I don't have enough experience to give a honest appraisal of them.

 

[Kapnismologist]

Nothing wrong with a cob (nothing wrong with not liking them either of course). Dollar for dollar it's probably one of if not the best value in the pipe world. I've got my fair share of fancy hand made pipes...and right next to them are my corn cobs.

Hear, hear! Sometimes only a well broken-in cob will do. Mr. Twain had fine taste indeed.

 

[Carlos]

Broken in cobs make for a good smoke. They are the finest pipe for use when condensation is a real problem. Usually if I am outdoors in the winter and it's humid. I like cobs with larger bowls. Not a common item. You can slowly make smaller bowls bigger with careful reaming after you have a decent char in one.

 

[Rob_In_MO]

Broken in cobs make for a good smoke.

I second that. It takes a little while to break one in - and remove the stem extention into the bowl - but when you do, they smoke well, breathe well, and are great for outside. Plus, if I drop/loose/break one, i'm only out 8-bux - I usually get the MM with wooden-plug in the bottom. A little more expensive, but walls are thicker and seem to hold up better.

I still prefer a good Briar, but for a pocket-pipe - I often go this route.

 

[cigarsarge]

I smoke cobs at work...I'm not gonna risk a nice pipe doing what I do for a living.

 

[greasemunki85]

I smoke cobs at work...I'm not gonna risk a nice pipe doing what I do for a living.

same here, Im a diesel Mechanic at a dealership here in Memphis.
They wont let us smoke "inside" the shop tho'
I deffinitly know the feeling, by the way what do you do in Jackson? My old band played alot of shows there (the old vfw, fusebox, tequila Joes, and a few more that I cant remember), and my wife grew up in Jackson.
I like a good corn cob, and I gave up on them a while back, but I think im gonna try one of those nicer MM's with the hardwood plug in the bottem.

 

[cigarsarge]

I smoke cobs at work...I'm not gonna risk a nice pipe doing what I do for a living.

same here, Im a diesel Mechanic at a dealership here in Memphis.
They wont let us smoke "inside" the shop tho'
I deffinitly know the feeling, by the way what do you do in Jackson? My old band played alot of shows there (the old vfw, fusebox, tequila Joes, and a few more that I cant remember), and my wife grew up in Jackson.
I like a good corn cob, and I gave up on them a while back, but I think im gonna try one of those nicer MM's with the hardwood plug in the bottem.

Be at the local SO for 18 years...What band did you play with? May have seen you play.

 

[Greenleaf]

Those with the wood bottoms are definitely nicer, but I've got an MM Gentleman I've been smoking since '07 and it shows no sign of burning through any time soon. Recently bought two Diplomats, which are great cobs when I want something smaller than my usual big-ass cobs.

Used to hate cobs myself, aesthetic reasons for one, until I quit buying those little junky ones at drugstores and started ordering by mail. Guess I've come to find they have a charm of their own and I appreciate the flavor they impart to burleys, aside from being very practical. As I've said before, there's still no substitute for briar.

 

[Rob_In_MO]

Here's my most recent cob purchase, a MM Diplomat. Just starting to get it broke in, smokes pretty good though...

Hey, for 8 bux I can't complain. The stem seems a little better than some of their less-expensive ones too.

 

[Thomas Tkach]

In the summer sun, fishing, with a bowlful of burley, I can't imagine smoking anything but a cob! I usually stick to briar, though, so anything else.

 

[Greenleaf]

Rob, did you buy some replacement stems? I like to order five along with each new cob. I smoke Generals and Diplomats, which use the same Danish bit. I agree, those stems are superior.

I've read that the reason smokeshops sell the little junk cobs is to lure new pipe smokers with the small price tag. Once they're "hooked" on the pipe, they'll want something bigger and hopefully come back for an expensive, larger briar. I wonder if this only fuels the impression that cobs are woefully inferior. That is, among the ignorant beginners, and I point no fingers at any smoker here who just doesn't like cobs.

Cobs do have the advantage of luring prospective pipe smokers. This is important, as the percieved expense is such a deterrant to the curious. It's also unfortunate that smokers who simply dislike cobs are seen as contributing to some great fictitious snobbery among pipemen. That's what some people think, that we're elitists who flaunt our pipes as a status symbol. Not so with the ignoble cob, although they may then see us as brokedick vulgarians. I've at times been annoyed that smoking a pipe apparently projects some kind of "image," but whatever.

 

[Harlock999]

Rob, did you buy some replacement stems? I like to order five along with each new cob. I smoke Generals and Diplomats, which use the same Danish bit. I agree, those stems are superior.

I've read that the reason smokeshops sell the little junk cobs is to lure new pipe smokers with the small price tag. Once they're "hooked" on the pipe, they'll want something bigger and hopefully come back for an expensive, larger briar. I wonder if this only fuels the impression that cobs are woefully inferior. That is, among the ignorant beginners, and I point no fingers at any smoker here who just doesn't like cobs.

Cobs do have the advantage of luring prospective pipe smokers. This is important, as the percieved expense is such a deterrant to the curious. It's also unfortunate that smokers who simply dislike cobs are seen as contributing to some great fictitious snobbery among pipemen. That's what some people think, that we're elitists who flaunt our pipes as a status symbol. Not so with the ignoble cob, although they may then see us as brokedick vulgarians. I've at times been annoyed that smoking a pipe apparently projects some kind of "image," but whatever.

Good points.

 

[Hunter5117]

For all the reasons already listed. Plus, I find a cob does not ghost so it is great for testing out a new tobacco, same as its name-sake the meer.

Put a forever stem on your cob and you have a pipe worthy of the best tobacco.

 

[Rob_In_MO]

Greenleaf - I couldn't agree more on all points.

I have a couple of extra stems (Danish) for the Diplomat. While they are better than the cheaper ones, they still have their limits. Suprisingly, the shop I deal with doesn't carry the really cheap ones. In fact, every one of the cobs i've seen there have the wooden plugs in the bottom. The Manager believes in a quality pipe - even among cobs.

What lured me to the Diplomat was the thicker walls of the bowl, plus the wooden plug. I've had a few of the others in past years and was never impressed with the thinner stems or the Filler-bottom they have in them. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with them, I would just rather spend a couple of dollars more (literally a couple of dollars) and get a better-made and what I believe to be longer-lasting cob. Keep in mind, these aren't my regular daily smokers (cobs), but are great for walks, fishing, back porch, in the car, etc.

I kind of agree - about the unfortunate view of the 'Elitist' smokers who look down on cobs (and those who smoke them), but i've not seen that so much in the last few years - at least not in this area. Hopefully that view/belief will pass with time.

I'm not saying that cobs are superior either, wouldn't give up my briars for anything, but I believe that all pipes (Briar, Meerschaum, & Cobs) have their place. As long as i'm enjoying my favorite tobacco blend, or even trying a new blend, it shouldn't matter what kind of pipe I smoke it in - Briar, Meerschaum, Cob, etc.