I fear this may be a stupid question.

[tperoda85]

Hey guys, I fear this may be a dumb question. How do you go about deciding which pipes pair with different blends.

Right now im trying to divide my rotation into four categories:

Latakia Blends

Virginias

Flakes

Aromatics

Im doing this because I've read that its most effective to do so, how do you go about assessing which pipe goes best??

 

[Ocelot55]

Part of the joy of pipesmoking is trial, error, and experimentation. Your results may be much different than mine, but I have four basic types of pipes:

1. Aromatics
2. Englishes (with Latakia in varying proportion)
3. Virginias (this includes flakes ribbon and shag)
4. Lakeland or other unique tobaccos with the potential to ghost

In addition, there are certain pipes that I only smoke one blend out of exclusively. I have several pipes devoted completely to Mac Baren Vanilla Cream Flake and others to Escudo.

The debate about bowl geometry and blend is also not straight forward. I believe monbla would tell you flakes are best out of a pot shaped pipe with a wider, shallower bowl. I personally prefer Englishes out of this style instead.

 

[monbla256]

Ocelot brings up some good points which I've procceded to ignore over my 40+ years of smoking !! :twisted: :twisted: As long as one "ping-pongs" from blend to blend it really doesn't matter as no ppipe will have time to develop a sort of "preference" for a certain type of 'baccy. I will say that Aro's and all of the Brit Old lady's Soap blends will to a degree "take over" a pipe more than a good st. Va or VaPer or English/Balkan I've found. This hsbit of ours has NO definative WAY of doing, much of it you will have to expeience for yourself by trying different combo's of pipe/'baccy and deciding for yourself!! Remember, you've got the rest of your life to "figure it out" :twisted: :twisted:

 

[tperoda85]

Thanks guys!

Ive been journaling the smokes Ive been having to try and establish what goes well with which type of blend. Its given a bit of input so far.

Im sure at this point my pallet isn't overly discerning either.

 

[Dutch]

Jesse and Michael make some great points!

Also, keep in mind that one piece of briar may taste much better or just different than another. This aspect is one that is pretty much decided before a pipe carver ever cuts an ebauchon. This is one aspect of pipe selection that will be purely trial and error.

Regardless the shape of the pipe, I tend to like to start a pipe out with a Virginia blend. If for some reason I am not satisfied with the way it smokes, I may switch to an Oriental blend, and then eventually a Latakia based tobacco.

Keep in mind that Latakia blends usually trump everything else with their ghost, so it's best not to start a new pipe out with a Lat blend, unless you know for certain that you plan to exclusively smoke Lat blends in that particular pipe. A very large bowled pipe usually fits that description in my rotation, and some pipes are just destined for Latakia from the get go.

 

[KevinM]

I take the cue from the size of the bowl and the cut of the tobacco. Pipes with small bowls don't like rough cut tobacco, but will get along with fine ribbon cuts and well rubbed out flake. Large bowled pipes can smoke about anything, but in practice I reach for them when I'm in a fold and stuff mood, or smoking outside in a gentle breeze. You'll find exceptions to these notions. A review of the combustion triangle will reveal why certain pipes prefer certain cuts of tobak. A nice, even, slightly loose pack will help allow the pipe to reveal its preferences, which should be your aim on this matter.

 

[DireWolf]

I asked something similar, there was good info:

https://www.brothersofbriar.com/t29429-maybe-an-odd-silly-question-bowl-shapes-and-tobacco

 

[Fr_Tom]

It is easy to overthink things when you are supposed to be enjoying yourself.

Some of my pipes smoke one specific blend like they were made for each other. These I more or less dedicate just to that one blend. Then I step out of my box. I am smoking PS Amsterdam now in a pipe that usually just sees Three Friars and LNF. Maybe it is just this pipe that delivers, but this combo is rocking.

I am a guy who really likes flakes in pots. It was a long time before I tried this, and it really works for me.

The executive summary is that you have to it figure out for yourself. That process is one of the pleasures in all this.

 

[MisterE]

Yeah, pipes tend to choose what they like, not the other way around, lol. Every once in a while you'll come across a pipe and blend that sing together, and you'll know it right away. A blend you know and like all of a sudden becomes amazing. Magnified. That's a fairly rare event, so consider dedicating that pipe to that particular blend when it occurs.

The only trouble with dedicating pipes is you can paint yourself into a corner variety-wise, especially if your collection isn't that big. I keep a few "everything pipes" around to try things out as they come along. Once I get an feeling for a blend, I can direct it towards pipes that work well with that genre.

FWIW

 

[Puffer Mark]

I have very strict rules about this:

I ONLY smoke tobacco and absolutely ONLY in bowls which have a big hole at the top to put the tobacco in and a smaller hole at the bottom to let the smoke out :lol!:

 

[Jevverrett]

There are no stupid questions here friend. I'm sure you've senn it already, but pipes do tend to choose what they like. I tried to pick what they would be for, and it didn't work out most of the time. Example: I bought a Rattray pipe, and thought it would be great with softer Scottish blends. Not so much. It does however seem to sing with fuller English blends. I bought a nording I thought would be great for Danish aromatics, and it seems to reall like ribbon cut va/pers. i guess it's kinda like having kids, you can only steer them in the direction you want.

 

[Stick]

I have very strict rules about this:

I ONLY smoke tobacco and absolutely ONLY in bowls which have a big hole at the top to put the tobacco in and a smaller hole at the bottom to let the smoke out :lol!:

Well said that man.