Why Do Guys Buy Expensive Pipes?

Good question. Will a $500 pipe smoke 10 times better than a $50 pipe? Probably not. Does this mean the $500 pipe is a "poor value"? Not necessarily.

Like most things in life, you generally get what you pay for when you buy a pipe. A number of factors contribute to the price of a pipe, not the least of which is the amount of time and energy expended in its production.

A machine can crank out a pipe in less than a minute, but a craftsman may spend a day or more carving a single pipe, and such a pipe is as much a work of art as it is a smoking instrument. Smoking these sculptures in briar can provide tremendous pleasure, and many people are willing to pay for the privilege.

On the other hand, many people are perfectly content to smoke so-called "cheap" pipes. These people think that spending a large sum of money on a hunk of wood that serves only to hold burning tobacco is irresponsible, foolish, or both. These people do have a point, as it is certainly possible to buy an inexpensive, machine-made pipe that smokes perfectly well.

Like so many other aspects in this hobby, it all boils down to personal preference. The important thing is to smoke what you like, and don't get your nose out of joint if someone else's tastes differ from yours.

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What Can I Do When My Pipe "Turns Sour"?

A pipe, properly cared for, will probably outlast its owner. Occasionally, however, a pipe may begin to taste bitter or "sour." Sometimes this is caused by not allowing the pipe sufficient time to "rest" between smokes; other times, no cause can be determined with certainty.

In any event, such a pipe can usually be rejuvenated by applying the "Professor's Pipe-Sweetening Treatment," publicized by Dennis Congos.

First, find some salt (non-iodized is preferred, but not essential), some alcohol (preferably "Everclear," or some other form of near-pure, non-denatured ethanol), and a place to rest your pipe in a semi-upright position.

Insert a pipe cleaner into the stem of the pipe so that it extends into the shank. Fill the bowl to the rim with salt and drip or carefully pour alcohol into the bowl until the salt is just saturated. Try not to get any alcohol on the pipe's exterior, as this may damage the finish; any spills should be wiped up immediately.

Leave the pipe alone for a day or two. After this time the salt will have turned brown from the absorption of "tars" from the bowl. Thoroughly clean all salt from the bowl and set the pipe aside overnight to dry completely. Your pipe will now be revitalized, and all traces of bitterness should be gone.

WARNING: Many people swear by this process, but the procedure is not risk-free. Some people have had pipes crack after this treatment, particularly when they allowed the salt and alcohol mixture to enter the pipe's shank and/or when they left the mixture in the pipe for several days. Any pipe with significant monetary or sentimental value should be sent to a professional pipe repairperson.

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How Many Pipes Should Be In Your Rotation?

This is a question that is presented to us on a regular basis. The answer has to be based on several variables such as the following:

1. How often do you smoke?
2. What type of tobacco do you smoke?
3. Does your smoking style lend itself more towards ending up with a somewhat dry or wet pipe?
4. Do you smoke the same tobacco all day?

As a general rule you should allow at least 1 to 2 hours for your pipe to rest after you finish smoking. This allows enough time for your pipe to properly cool down and dry out ... for the most part. The time of tobacco you smoke plays a role too. Aromatic tobacco burns slightly wetter and tends to cause a pipe to retain moisture longer.

Virginias tend to burn cleaner and drier and sometimes the pipe can be put back in action in as little as 30 - 45 minutes. If you are accustomed to smoking your pipe enough to conflict with these suggested times then you should be using 2 or more pipes in your daily rotation. If you are a "wet" smoker or have a few cherished pipes that matter to smoker a tad on the wet side than you should also be using 2 or more pipes in your daily rotation.

As discussed in a previous newsletter, it is best to dedicate a pipe for each type of tobacco that you smoke. So, if you smoke more than one type of tobacco during the coarse of the day than you'll need to add more pipes into your daily rotation. Each pipe in your rotation should have the minimum of 2 days off after being used for the day and cleaned every 5 - 10 bowls depending on the tobacco smoked and your smoking habits.

Hmmmm ... So let's do the math ... well let's not and say we did and sum up with the following general rules of thumb; If you smoke on a daily basis and have a good pipe cleaning and care schedule established the bare minimum amount of pipes in your rotation should be no less than 3. 7 would be the ideal minimum and would ensure well rested, fresh pipes and spread out your time spent cleaning. What's right for you?

Simply take these suggested minimum rotations and factor in the four questions above. Me? I'm a minimum 21 kinda guy. I smoke 3 types of tobacco each day and keep my pipes dedicated within reason. Aromatic in the morn, VA mid day and a smooth English blend in the evenings. I also like to let my pipes rest for a week and set aside one night a week for cleaning. Yup, 21 for me but I always find an excuse for more.

Dedicate Pipes For Each Type Of Tobacco

We hear this question often, should we dedicate a pipe for each type of tobacco?

There are basically three different categories of pipe tobacco; aromatic, Virginia and English. Each has it's own characteristics. As each is smoked they will impart it's unique flavor into the porous briar and cake of the pipe they are smoked in.

The more the given tobacco is smoked in the same pipe the more of it's flavor will linger behind. When a different type of tobacco is smoked it will be influenced by the tobacco previously smoked. This effect can last for the next 5 - 10 bowls and in extreme cases the pipe will have to be thoroughly cleaned to remove the previous flavors.

A pipe that is used to smoke many different types and blends of tobacco will eventually become very bland tasting. If you have the luxury of several pipes it would be a good idea to dedicate a pipe or two to each type of tobacco to avoid tainting your smoking experience. There are some pipe smokers that will go so far as to dedicate a pipe for each brand of tobacco.

While this may be extreme, it would be great to have at least 1 pipe dedicated to your absolute favorite tobacco blend. By doing so you'll experience the taste of the tobacco in it's purest form.

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Is it safer to smoke pipes and cigars than cigarettes?

Some people believe that smoking a pipe or cigars is better for your health than smoking cigarettes.

Part of the reason for this is that many pipe and cigar smokers do not inhale the smoke into their lungs, whereas almost all cigarette smokers do.

However, the idea that smoking a pipe or cigar is harmless is wrong. Smoking tobacco in any form can cause potentially fatal diseases.

Pipe down

Research has shown that while smoking a pipe is not as dangerous as smoking cigars or cigarettes, it can still seriously damage your health.

Smoking a pipe increases your risk of six cancers - cancer of the colon, pancreas, larynx, oesophagus, and lung.

It also increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and chronic lung disease.

Say goodbye to cigars

Cigar smoking has been linked to coronary heart disease.

Research has also suggested that cigar smokers are 5 times more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers. And, worse still, if you inhale the strong cigar smoke, you are 11 times more likely to get the disease.

Smoking of any kind is bad for your health. There is no such thing as a safe tobacco product.

Being completely smoke-free is the single best step you can take to reduce the risk of fatal diseases and increase your chances of a longer, healthier life.

Pending Tobacco Bans

This issue will be a departure from our usual pipe related tips. We'd like to take a moment to discuss the effort in the US and worldwide to ban the sale and eventually the use of tobacco.

Tobacco sales have been plagued by potential legislative bans for years. The brief cigar craze slowed the effort but now the movement has unprecedented momentum. Every day we hear of cities, both large and small, that have passed smoking bans. This is a trend that will not stop nor will it be reversed. Of the most concern to us here at VegasSmokes and to our customers is the recent talk of banning online tobacco sales.

This has been attempted for the past few years on many levels without much success until recently. In the past few weeks several states began to enforce the ban of online cigarette sales. Also, after much pressure the credit card companies by way of various gateway processing companies began to enforce a ban on the use of their credit cards for the purchase of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco online.

While this had an instantaneous effect on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco we as pipe smokers will also be effected. The rules and laws are so loosely written that only minor revision, if at all, is required to ban online tobacco sales. In much the same way online gaming was and is effectively controlled by credit card company enforcement so will be the fate of online tobacco sales.

Most all credit card processing companies no longer accept accounts that deal in online tobacco sales. The ones that do get a premium. Existing accounts such as ours have been put on notice as to how fine a line we are on. We also now have to use expensive and time costly age verification services for every order we process. So what does this all mean? Well, a few years or even months ago I would have suggested writing to our elected officials but it is our belief that that time has passed.

We've always known that once the credit card angle was invoked there would not be much we as pipe smokers could do. At the risk of sounding self serving I must say the following. The time is nearer than you think to asses how much you smoke on a monthly or yearly basis and times that by how many months or years you plan to continue to enjoy your pipes.

There are plenty of articles and how tos in the newsletter archive on aging and long terms storage so you can get prepared. I've been diligently putting away tobacco for the past few years and I personally will not be effected if and when tobacco becomes contraband. We carry only a few of the many lines of great pipe tobacco available at low prices so you can stock up.

Being our selection is relatively small compared to what can be had we also suggest looking for other tobaccos at your local brick and mortar tobacco shops. While it might cost a buck or two more than an online purchase you'll be helping and supporting those who are truly on the front lines of the anti-tobacco trend.

How Many Pipes Should Be In Your Rotation

This is a question that is presented to us on a regular basis. The answer has to be based on several variables such as the following;

1. How often do you smoke?
2. What type of tobacco do you smoke?
3. Does your smoking style lend itself more towards ending up with a somewhat dry or wet pipe?
4. Do you smoke the same tobacco all day?

As a general rule you should allow at least 1 to 2 hours for your pipe to rest after you finish smoking. This allows enough time for your pipe to properly cool down and dry out, for the most part. The time of tobacco you smoke plays a role too.

Aromatic tobacco burns slightly wetter and tends to cause a pipe to retain moisture longer. Virginias tend to burn cleaner and drier and sometimes the pipe can be put back in action in as little as 30 - 45 minutes. If you are accustomed to smoking your pipe enough to conflict with these suggested times then you should be using 2 or more pipes in your daily rotation. If you are a "wet" smoker or have a few cherished pipes that matter to smoker a tad on the wet side than you should also be using 2 or more pipes in your daily rotation.

As discussed in a previous newsletter, it is best to dedicate a pipe for each type of tobacco that you smoke. So, if you smoke more than one type of tobacco during the coarse of the day than you'll need to add more pipes into your daily rotation. Each pipe in your rotation should have the minimum of two days off after being used for the day and cleaned every five to ten bowls depending on the tobacco smoked and your smoking habits.

Well let's not and say we did and sum up with the following general rules of thumb; If you smoke on a daily basis and have a good pipe cleaning and care schedule established the bare minimum amount of pipes in your rotation should be no less than three.

Seven would be the ideal minimum and would ensure well rested, fresh pipes and spread out your time spent cleaning. What's right for you? Simply take these suggested minimum rotations and factor in the four questions above. Me? I'm a minimum 21 kinda guy.

I smoke 3 types of tobacco each day and keep my pipes dedicated within reason. Aromatic in the morn, VA mid day and a smooth English blend in the evenings. I also like to let my pipes rest for a week and set aside one night a week for cleaning. Yup, 21 for me but I always find an excuse for more.

Whether you should dedicate a pipe for each type of tobacco

We hear this question often. There are basically three different categories of pipe tobacco; aromatic, Virginia and English. Each has it's own characteristics. As each is smoked they will impart it's unique flavor into the porous briar and cake of the pipe they are smoked in.

The more the given tobacco is smoked in the same pipe the more of it's flavor will linger behind. When a different type of tobacco is smoked it will be influenced by the tobacco previously smoked. This effect can last for the next 5 - 10 bowls and in extreme cases the pipe will have to be thoroughly cleaned to remove the previous flavors.

A pipe that is used to smoke many different types and blends of tobacco will eventually become very bland tasting. If you have the luxury of several pipes it would be a good idea to dedicate a pipe or two to each type of tobacco to avoid tainting your smoking experience. There are some pipe smokers that will go so far as to dedicate a pipe for each brand of tobacco.

While this may be extreme, it would be great to have at least 1 pipe dedicated to your absolute favorite tobacco blend. By doing so you'll experience the taste of the tobacco in it's purest form.