All about Pipes and Tobacco

The pipe and the tobacco

Some pipe smokers have only one pipe and always smoke the same kind of tobacco. These pipe smokers are deceiving themselves for the many exciting experiences that pipe smoking can provide. On the one hand, there is a big difference in how a certain tobacco tastes in different pipes, and on the other hand, pipe tobacco is probably one of the pleasures that offers the greatest taste variations. So why cheat yourself for new experiences in everyday life?

The pipe

Piper are many things. Just try to look inside a well-stocked tobacco shop. Here you will probably find a wide selection, ranging from the humble maize pipe for a twenty, to exclusive handmade pipes for several thousand kroner. And a large selection between these two extremes. Most are probably made from the type of wood that is used all over the world for making pipes, namely Bruyere. Bruyere is the term for the root tuber of a heather bush – Erica Arborea – which grows all around the Mediterranean. It has been used for centuries to make pipes, due to its resistance to heat and its (sometimes) beautiful veining. But even though the pipes are basically made of the same material, they offer great variations. For example there can easily be a difference in how two identical pipes taste with the same tobacco, even if the pipes are of the same model and come from the same factory. This is because wood is a natural material, so there can be a big difference in the hardness of the wood, the content of aromatic substances etc., depending on where it has grown, under what conditions and how long the bush has been allowed to grow before it has to die to become a number of pipes. The processing for the finished pipe also has some significance for the taste. The wood can be treated in different ways (boiling, drying, oil treatment, etc.), but the mechanical processing is also important. The size of the tobacco chamber, the thickness of the wood, the diameter and design of the smoke channel, the design of the tip, etc. are all things that affect the taste of the pipe. Here, a skilled pipe maker can really perfect the function of the pipe to the extreme. So it's not just the appearance that you pay extra for when pipes are handmade, as opposed to machine-made. Pipes are also made from other materials than Bruyere. Most people are probably familiar with corn pipes. It is traditionally a cheap pipe that is not meant to last long. However, it has a certain charm, and adds a rounder and sweeter flavor to the tobacco, which many appreciate. Mersom is another popular material for pipe making. They are, most often, completely white pipes with colored mouthpieces. The best of the kind are also delivered in a specially adapted case, where they can be stored safely. It is a very good idea, as meerschaum is a fragile material which is easily scratched, dirty or can even split with a little rough handling. On the other hand, you get a very special smoking experience with such a pipe. It gives off virtually no distinctive taste, so here you get the completely pure tobacco taste. In addition, if the pipe is smoked regularly and over a long period of time, it will take color from the tobacco, so that over time it will change color from white to brown/black. It has a very special charm to see your meerschaum pipe slowly change its appearance over the years.

The tobacco

Tobacco is probably just some dried leaves in nice packaging, many will probably say. I guess that is true to some extent, but just like with grapes, there are many different species of the tobacco plant and they can be processed in many different ways before they become the final product. The variety of flavors is even greater in the world of tobacco than in the world of wine. This is due, to a certain extent, to the fact that different flavors are added to tobacco to create a very specific result. After all, it is only allowed to a small extent with wine, to finish it now. This ultimately means that the variation in the tobacco selection is enormous. This is where it gets really exciting. Connoisseurs of whiskey claim that there is a whiskey for every taste. This statement applies in particular to pipe tobacco. Pibetobakker spans a very broad flavor spectrum. There are completely (almost) pure tobaccos, which are made from only a few types of tobacco, within the same flavor range, and are hardly flavor-adjusted with foreign flavorings. They can, on the other hand, be heat-treated or pressed to a greater or lesser extent, in order to enhance different flavor elements. This group of tobaccos is typically blended from either virginia or burley tobacco. This group of tobaccos all have a rum scent that most people can accept, or even really appreciate. Then there is the group called mixtures. They are traditionally also made from pure tobacco, but here tobaccos from different flavor areas have been mixed together, so that the "pure goods" have spiced up the mixture. The traditional spice tobaccos are latakia, orient and perique, as well as a few others. Mixtures often produce a smoke that many frown upon. Probably mostly because it is unfamiliar. For example can the smell of a latakia mixture remind you of the smell of tarred rope. The last group of tobaccos I want to mention are those we call the aromatics. What these have in common is that, to a greater or lesser extent, various foreign flavorings have been added. Often, however, these have an extremely natural origin, e.g. vanilla, cocoa, licorice, fruit extracts, etc.. This addition means that both the taste and the smoke in the room are clearly marked by these substances. They will typically both taste and smell rather sweet, whereas the actual tobacco taste and smell is completely or partially gone. Some greatly appreciate this, while others, in extreme cases, are downright disgusted by it. These tobaccos are particularly popular in Germany and the USA, less so in Denmark.

The tobacco in the pipe

As you can understand from the above, there are many possibilities for different taste experiences. Many different pipes and tobaccos to choose from, and many options for smoking different tobaccos in different pipes. It may seem overwhelming. Therefore, a good tobacconist, with competent service, is very valuable to the pipe smoker. The tobacconist will be able to point you in the right direction. Do you have e.g. tried a certain tobacco, but are looking for something a little sweeter or a little fuller in taste, he will know what you should try. However, there are a few rules of thumb to follow when it comes to choosing a pipe model for a particular type of tobacco. For example tastes like pure tobacco, e.g. is virginia flake, usually best in a pipe with strong walls and a not too wide tobacco chamber. A latakia mixture often brings out the most nuances of flavor in a pipe with a low and wide chamber, preferably with slightly thin walls, while the aromatic tobaccos usually do best in pipes with a wide and high chamber, and with a large wall thickness. However, these guidelines are only indicative. I usually try a new pipe with different types of tobacco at first, to find the optimal combination. Sometimes it ends up with a completely different combination than I had imagined when the pipe was purchased.

Pipe smoking for beginners

Another aspect of pipe smoking is probably what deters most people, namely that it is a little difficult. The pipe must be kept straight to perform at its best. And to keep is to clean. Sour pipes are worse than no pipes! This means, among other things, that you must have several pipes to change with. They must be allowed to rest between stops. Next, it requires pipe cleaners. The tip and flue must be kept as clean as possible. This means that after each stop the tobacco chamber is completely emptied of ash and tobacco residue. When the pipe has become cold, the tip and smoke channel must be thoroughly cleaned with one or more pipe cleaners. A little alcohol or special cleaning liquid can be helpful, especially if you smoke a tobacco that is very greasy in the pipe. Finally, the cooking stroke in the tobacco chamber must be held down. However, this should only be done at intervals. Depending on which tobacco you smoke, it is probably after 10-50 stops of tobacco. An old rule says that when the coke layer has reached a thickness of 1-2 mm, it is time to mill it out. Pipe cutters come in many different designs and at many different prices, but they don't have to cost a fortune to work well.

With these simple tips, there is a basis for many good times in the company of the pipe, and you decide the amount of different experiences yourself.

Good smoke!

Reproduced with permission from Ib Fagerlund, Nordic Tobacco College - who also has a formidable website for pipe smokers here http://www.n-t.dk/

We've only made a few edits to make reading easier!