The weeks leading up to the first weekend of October were approached with bated breath. All seemed to be a-go for the much-anticipated Pipe Smokers Gathering, or the Richmond Pipe Show as it’s commonly referred to. But after both the West Coast and Chicago Pipe Shows cancelled for the second consecutive year, any presumption of certainty felt naïve. Now on the other side of the event, we have only the looming bitter-sweetness of a perfect weekend in the rearview to toil with.

Established in 1984, the Conclave of Richmond Pipe Smokers (CORPS) have put on the Annual Pipe Smokers Gathering almost every year since the club’s founding. On October 1^st and 2^nd, the 33^rd iteration of the hallowed event saw pipe smokers near and far convene at the Sutliff Tobacco building in the Manchester district of the historic tobacco city.

Near the James River’s southern edge, blocky mid-rises loom above crimson brick apartment complexes purposed from the bones of long defunct factories. Further southward, we step into the scattering of still vacant factories, waiting—eagerly I’m sure—to be reborn as the next trendy brewery or loft. The once bustling industrial district has plenty of factories, warehouses, and shipping yards still operating—but it surely isn’t the manufacturing center it was in the 1950s when Sutliff pulled its western roots, anchored in the California gold rush, and replanted in the notorious tobacco capital.

But the pipe tobacco factory has held strong through the changes around it. They found where the light shone through the canopy of cigarette and vape dominance, of production outsourcing, and remain steadfast in the threat of broad legislation which sees all forms of tobacco use as being of the same beast.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of commonality between the location and the event itself. What is the pipe smoker if not the hanger-on amid the shifts in culture and industry? Where many may see an anomaly, we see a tradition worth preserving. While pipe smoking may not have the numbers it once had, its foundation is made of those who are pulled not to a convenient nicotine fix, but of ritual and community. It was in this spirit that the CORPS Pipe Show was established, and this most recent show demonstrated how true that still is.

Friday, October 1

Sutliff Factory Tour

One of the greatest threats to the modern pipe show is the difficulty securing a venue where smoking is permitted. This was a significant obstacle to the CORPS team in years past, but sometimes obstacles can lead to something even better.

The CORPS Gathering was first held at Sutliff Tobacco in 2019. Given 2020's cancellation, this was only the second time Sutliff hosted the event. Beyond being a space that enables pipers to, well, pipe—there’s also something so fitting about a staple of the industry hosting such an event, it garners the energy of a home game. But possibly the best thing about the location—attendees had the opportunity to tour the factory that produces some of their favorite blends.

I went along on one of the first tours of the day. Sutliff President Jeremy McKenna took a group of roughly 17 around the factory to give us a behind the scenes look.

“Factory tours are my favorite part of the pipe show,” McKenna tells me. “This is where we get to show off the high-quality tobaccos we purchased, coupled with the intricate manufacturing process to deliver the highest quality pipe tobaccos to the smoker.”

We made our way through shipping and we're led into a large, chilly room stacked high with saratogas, the large bins you see above. This is cold storage. Each saratoga is filled with tobacco which has been processed and cased but not finished. Tobacco Beetles are especially attracted to the unfinished leaf and an outbreak of those would mean devastation for the product. Luckily, they don’t much like the cold, so this storage keeps the critters at bay.

Leaving cold storage, we followed McKenna past high shelves of stored tins, labels, palettes, and unconstructed wooden bales, until we stopped at the end of one of the shelves where barrels were stacked, labeled, and dated. Here is where popular blends such as Seattle Pipe Club’s Plum Pudding Bourbon Barrel Aged and Mississippi River Rum Barrel Aged are stored in casks for a month at a time. As they sit, the remnant aroma and flavor infuses the tobacco to offer a fantastic variety on the already popular blends.

From there we make our way into a room where big boxes of raw tobacco are arranged, each holding a different blend component: Burley, Dark Fried Kentucky, Red Virginia, Oriental Katerini, and at the center of it all, a barrel of Perique. The guests orbit the boxes, feeling the raw leaf as McKenna explains that after being compressed into these bales, the leaf has little to no moisture. The tobacco is brittle and can be crumbled like dry autumn leaves. This display set the stage for our next destination as we turn to two large chambers on the other side of the room.

Of course, quite a few are reluctant to pull themselves from the barrel of Perique, huddled near like a campfire on a cold night. Not hard to find your Perique lovers on this tour.

Once everyone has regrouped, our attention is directed to the conditioning chambers pictured above. This is where tobacco is rehydrated by steaming it in the vacuum chamber to the right, pulling the moisture all the way through the bale. In the left chamber, tobacco is blackened. Metal tubes lined with holes are inserted into hogsheads filled with tobacco where steam is pumped in for 24 hours, then the bale is flipped, and the process is repeated to ensure the tobacco is evenly blackened.

After this process, the tobacco is not easily broken apart like the raw leaf we just came by. It is now pliable and allows for safe handling, processing, and cutting to ensure the highest quality ribbon cut.

We are then escorted past a huge, rotating drum from which a conveyor belt carries dark brown latakia. This is a drier where the tobacco is cased and then tested to ensure an optimal moisture level. It’s crucial that it’s just right, they don’t want it too dry, but too wet and the threat of mold arises. One of the workers takes bowls of the tobacco to a machine resembling an instant coffee maker that measures the moisture. We turn the corner to see where the rehydrated tobacco is compressed and cut before being fed into the drier. McKenna catches a handful as it falls from the cutter and holds it out. In turn, spectators feel the tobacco.

Before heading into the next room, we pivot toward a few old machines. This is the original equipment that made the iconic Mixture no. 79 blend, the flagship brand that Sutliff has been producing since 1933. These machines were used in Sutliff’s earliest days in the Richmond factory, making the Mixture no. 79 which packed our fathers’ and grandfathers’ pipes McKenna assures us.

Then we’re brought to what I suspect was many of the guests’ favorite part of the tour, where the tobacco is pressed into dense, 9 pound bricks which will then be cut into crumble cake. The tobacco is loaded in molds and then pressed with 20 tons of force for a 48 hours. McKenna holds up a block of Sutliff’s 2021 Cringle Flake but you would have thought he was holding up a tablet fresh from the presses of Mount Sinai the way this group gazed on the slab. It’s then passed around the party—“uhh, I think it disappeared!” one tour-goer jests.

After seeing where the aromatic blends are flavored, we end our tour in packaging where McKenna takes questions from the group. At the end of our tour we’re about two hours into our first day and it’s already looking to be a great weekend.

Blending Seminar

Later in the afternoon I attended a blending seminar which was guided by Russ Ouellette and Mark Ryan. They began giving us an introduction to the blending process, offering advice as to how we should navigate our mixing before setting the eager pipers on their way.

Mark Ryan is an expert on Perique, and quite a gifted orator as well. His scholarly knowledge from years of experience transmits through captivating stories and anecdotes. The armchair linguist in me was especially enthused when he explained Perique’s etymology (a not so kind nickname for Pierre Chenet, the 19^th century farmer who developed Perique through pressure-fermentation).

Then the attendees were set loose on tables of component tobaccos to mix their own blends. They began to float from table to table, inhaling the aromas of the bins. I half expected someone to leave the ground like a Looney Tune downwind from a pie cooling in the windowsill.

After loading a pinch into their tin-liner, the blenders would jot down their most recent addition, documenting their recipes for later inspection. Finally, they sealed the tins in a vacuum chamber. Now, nothing to do but wait—Ouellette recommended at least a month to allow the flavors an opportunity to get properly acquainted.

Swap Meet

Friday ended with a swap meet, an opportunity for anyone to set up shop at the rows of tables to sell and trade their goods.

Artisan pipe maker S.E. Thile displayed his impeccable works arranged around a gorgeous painting—as it turned out, a still-life his wife had painted.

Old Hollywood Briar, the YouTube Pipe Community favorite, had a display of vintage blends, some of the tins signed by famous actors and musicians such as Chris Rock, Dusty Hill, and Steven Adler.

Everywhere you looked, pipes and aged tobacco jars sprawled over the black cloth.

This event was one of my favorite parts of the whole weekend as it truly showcased one of the things I find most endearing about this community—everyone has their niche. From one display to the next, you glean the tastes and preferences that curated the collection, an insight into the person behind the table. Next thing you know you’re hearing their story; how they got into pipes, what it is that draws them to these shapes or those blends, their other interests and where they’ve intersected with tobacco pipes. It’s a rare and gratifying pleasure to come into a community, cultivated around a mutual passion, that is as fertile for individuality as it is for kinship. I think that’s the happy result of an esprit de corps that places value on knowledge and perspective—that sees a difference in praxis as a point of interest, perhaps a learning opportunity, but certainly not an affront to one’s own preferences or ways of doing things.

I suppose “big tent” is the proper idiom, considering we were literally under one. The atmosphere is a welcoming one, advice and instruction are delivered in good faith and are the jumping off point for discussion, not lecture—if you ask me, far more conducive to learning, and certainly for connecting as people. And from the conversations I had over the weekend, I certainly feel I learned a lot.

Tobacco pipe smoking in and of itself is a niche hobby these days. A newcomer into such a niche may anticipate a disregarding shoo from old hands of the craft, but events like this confound whatever cynic may be wading in the back of one’s head. I’m thankful for that as someone relatively new to the scene myself. My grasp on the allure of pipe shows which I had gathered from forums, social media, and podcasts is no longer something I take on faith. I’m happy to say I know it first hand now.

Saturday, October 2—Exhibitor Day

Bright and early, the blacktop outside the Sutliff shipping area was abuzz. All the vendors were getting situated for the long day ahead. I of course was being of what use I could over at the TobaccoPipes station, but I can’t say I wasn’t more than a little distracted, my head on a swivel scanning all the pipes and tins being unloaded around me.

Between trips around the convention to talk with other vendors, I hovered about the TobaccoPipes table, talking with browsers who were delighted in perusing the selection of pipes, tobacco, and accessories. Up to this point, I hadn’t thought too much about how this would be my first experience really getting to gab with pipe enthusiasts outside of a virtual space, save for the handful of us here at TobaccoPipes. But the reality of what I had been missing out on quickly dawned.

One of the highlights of this day was the raffle our gracious hosts had put together. Many attendees purchased tickets at the Sutliff table. They had amassed a collection of great prizes to raffle off, and tickets were drawn throughout the day to choose lucky winners. Such prizes included tobaccos like McClelland 5100 Red Cake; Virginia Vaper and Heavy English Crumble Cake; Seattle Pipe Club’s Mississippi River, Plum Pudding, and their barrel aged variations. There were also many boxes of cigars and other accessories included in the raffle.

And for those looking for a guaranteed win, Sutliff offered a “five scoops for five dollars” deal. Sitting on the table were large jars and bags of popular Sutliff blends from which pipers gleefully took advantage of the bargain. Best of all, the proceeds from the raffle and the five-scoop deal were donated to the Fisher House Foundation, an organization which supplies comfortable housing close to medical facilities to military and veteran families so that they may stay close to hospitalized loved ones.

One stop I was especially excited for was the Missouri Meerschaum table. My second pipe was their Legend corncob and I’ve been sold on the hollowed maize pipe since. 

It was a great treat to talk with Shannon Hoch for a bit. First, I had to ask about the special edition Moonshine corn cob, a blacked-out poker cob done in collaboration with BriarWorks a few years back. That thing is a beaut, and I’ve been determined to get it in my rotation since I first came across one online. To my delight, it seems the future’s bright (or moonshining?) for more of those being sold down the line.

We went on to chat about some of the commerce headaches plaguing this last year. One might think, since they grow their bowls right out of the ground, a good harvest would be the only concern. If only life were so simple.

Apparently in a shortage of planting stakes, more gardeners turned to bamboo, which backed up orders of the reed stems for which Old Dominion cobs are notorious. (The very next week we here at TobaccoPipes received a new stock of Old Dominions, so I can only hope that order has been restored.)

Many other staples of pipes and pipe tobacco were present. The boutique favorite, Cornell &Diehl, had stacks of blends calling out to each passerby. One table down we had Peterson and Savinelli displaying an impeccable array of pipes. Going down the line brought us to 4th Generation tobacco and Nording Pipes. Suffice it to say, I spend a good bit of time ambling about this row.

However, I had resolved to leave with my first estate pipe. Well, I walked away with two; a leather-bound Longchamp and a Weber Meerschaum (also first) poker. Both have been joys since. Throw in that this was my initiations to pipe shows, I supposed it was a weekend of firsts for me.

As thankful as I am that we have the infrastructure for virtual meeting and online shopping, especially over the past year and a half, this event made unequivocally evident the sustenance that is genuine, face to face togetherness to any community. Every pipe smoker has their way of engaging with the craft, but to me, and I’m sure countless others, a passion shared is a robust one. It’s not meant to stagnate, it’s meant to be explored ever deeper, and the kinship between those that share a passion is one of the greatest fodders to keep it thriving. Before March 2020, it was easy to think that fodder was an unlimited resource. If there’s a silver-lining, it’s seeing how gratitude abounds in our renewed appraisal of how meaningful these opportunities are.

If you didn’t make it this year, be sure to keep up with CORPS and Sutliff so you don’t miss out on the 34^th gathering. 

The 33rd Annual CORPS Pipe Smokers Gathering occurred on October 1-2, 2021 at Sutliff Tobacco in Richmond, Virginia. Here is our full coverage from before and after the event. Click here to skip our pre-show blog. 

The 33rd Annual Pipe Smokers Gathering is Coming Back to Richmond

Posted Aug-24-2021

CORPS Show Specifics

When?

The 33rd Annual Pipe Smokers Gathering will be held on Friday October 1 - Saturday October 2, 2021. Friday’s festivities will be between 9:00 am to 7:00 pm and will include factory tours, seminars, and a swap meet. There will be a BBQ dinner and food trucks will be onsite.

Saturday’s events will be between 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. This will be the exhibitor day, no tours or seminars. Food Trucks will be onsite.

Where?

The event will be held at Sutliff Tobacco Co. in the Manchester neighborhood of Richmond. The official hotel for the event is The Omni located in downtown Richmond. You can get a group discount by reserving at 1-800-THEOMNI using the Group Discount Name: The Conclave of Richmond Pipe Smokers. But, there are limited rooms, so reserve yours as soon as possible.

There will be no parking available on site but a shuttle will run from The Omni to the Sutliff building.

What’s the Cost?

Friday will be free, Saturday will be $5.00 (cash only).

For information on Registering for a table or any other questions regarding the event, you can visit the CORPS Website for more information.

The CORPS Show is Quickly Approaching

The wait is nearly over. Come the weekend of October 1-2, 2021, the Conclave Of Richmond Pipe Smokers (CORPS) will be hosting their annual Pipe Smokers Gathering here at the Sutliff Tobacco building in Richmond, Virginia. The longest running pipe show in the world, since 1985 this tradition has been going strong, bringing pipe enthusiasts together from all around the world to share in their tobacco pipe passion. With last year’s cancellation in the wake of the pandemic, we couldn’t be more ready to indulge in this fantastic community in the best way possible—at the CORPS Annual Pipe Smokers Gathering.

What’s the Deal with Pipe Shows Anyway?

For many readers, this is like asking why the World Series is special for Baseball fans, but bear with me. For our truly green pipe friends, let’s start with what’s so special about pipe shows in general, and what they really mean to this community of ours. Then we’ll narrow our scope to what this show is all about.

It can be hard to imagine, especially for us younger pipe smokers, but there was a time when pipe smoking was ubiquitous—”well I always saw my grandpa with a pipe” is the cliché origin story for many enjoying the hobby today. There just aren’t so many of us anymore, at least, not everywhere you turn like cigarette smokers, and even they’ve dwindled over the years. On the bright side, what we lack in numbers, we make up for in passion—in a strong core. Sometimes it’s not about quantity, and pipe smokers the world over are notorious for enjoying their pipecraft with care—with preserving the patient, ritualistic heritage of smoking a pipe.

It is this very ethos that makes us so drawn to the social aspect of pipe smoking, and despite the fact that we aren’t the biggest clan, we’ve found ways to carve out community where we can. This gets to the point of why institutions like pipe conventions are especially crucial for the 21st century piper. They are staples of our pastime. Here, that core is brought together to revel in our shared passion.

And setting aside the sentimental stuff, it’s very simply exciting to be around so much pipe stuff. As pipe smokers, we’re used to the smoke shop being curated around other smoking mediums, nodding at us here and there, but ultimately relegating pipe smoking to a niche hobby. And hey, I get it, demand is demand, stock what’s selling. But with this in mind, walking into a room to see tables stacked with tins, spread with pipes, even binfuls nearly overflowing—well it’s just Wonka’s pipe factor isn’t it? I mean, this picture of an attendee scouring bins of pipes is almost hard to look at on the pain of pure envy.

Looking Back - The Club and Convention

Every pipe show is special, for the reasons mentioned above, and because no two are exactly alike—they each have their own charms. So let’s look back on the history of the Richmond Gathering of Pipe Smokers and of the pipers who have brought it to us all these years.

So What Is CORPS?

CORPS stands for the Conclave of Richmond Pipe Smokers. They are a pipe smoking club based in Richmond, Virginia, going strong since their founding in 1984. They were founded with the simple purpose of bringing local pipe smokers with a mutual appreciation for the craft together. After all, there’s nothing like sharing this hobby with others. How many of our own favorite tobaccos, pipes, and neat tips or tricks that we now swear by are the result of gabbing with a fellow enthusiast about their pipecraft? This is the magic of CORPS and pipe clubs in general.

And it’s this spirit that gives life to the pipe show in all its glory. You could say the pipe club meeting is the microcosm of the pipe show. This group and their tenets as pipe smokers being the soul of this tradition no doubt has much to do with the gathering’s lasting popularity with pipe smokers from around the world.

As per their own statement, CORPS “encourages the enjoyment, education and continuance of the ancient and honorable art and sport of pipe smoking and all positive aspects thereof.”

Now, roughly 37 years after the club’s first meeting, they still congregate once a month at a local Richmond establishment to chew the fat and smoke the pipe. And of course, continue to host the annual CORPS Pipe Smokers Gathering.

Pipe Smokers Gathering History

In 1985, one year into the club’s existence, they hosted the first gathering. In only its second year, the gathering garnered a good deal of attention, really solidifying its place on the calendars of pipe lovers around the world. It was this year that CORPS secured the preeminent pipe writer Richard Carleton Hacker as an MC and keynote speaker for the event. In also having local newscasting legend Gene Cox attend as a judge for the pipe smoking competition, the gathering received significant coverage from local television and print media.

Ever since, the CORPS Pipe Smokers Gathering has been one of the most beloved events in the pipe world. Enthusiasts and vendors alike have come from across the country and across the sea to take part.

The 33rd Gathering - What's to Come

If ever there was a time to attend the Richmond Pipe Show, this may be it. We have slogged through a year and then some, seeing treasured traditions and milestone events placed on the backburner or cancelled altogether. The camaraderie with our extended pipe smoking family has gone unsatiated for a long time.

Given last year’s cancelation, this will only be the second time the gathering is located at Sutliff Tobacco, and as many will remember from 2019, having the show at such a venue only elevated the already enshrined event. So what can we expect from this time around?

Take a Tour of the Sutliff Factory

More than offering a space for the event, the gracious hosts at Sutliff Tobacco will be giving tours of their factory. Come along and see the fascinating process of how your favorite tobaccos journey from long raw harvested stalks to the treasure packing your pipe.

Blending Seminar

Per Jensen has been Mac Baren’s product specialist since 2001. Per has been making pipes since he was 15. You can get a taste of the tobacco guru through the excellent educational videos on His YouTube Channel, but of course, nothing beats having the teacher right in front of you! As Per says himself, “...if you're going to learn something, you have to do it yourself by being involved." The convention will also offer the chance to attend a blending seminar with one of the best in the business—Per Jensen.

To register for the factory tour and/or seminar, Follow This Link.

Swap Meet

Of course it wouldn't be a pipe show without the chance to shop around, and maybe even sell/trade your own pipes. A few hours on Friday afternoon will be allocated for this, but all of Saturday is exhibitor day. Schmooze with other pipers and vendors, share a bowl, and of course, seek out that perfect pipe (or several) to add to the collection.

Pipecraft is a multifaceted business, which is probably why its devotees are as well—many of us appreciate pipes as works of art just as one might admire the fine craftsmanship of artisan furniture or some other, as we say, functional art. We are fascinated by old pipes and their history like any collector of antiques. We are particular about our preferred tobaccos, developing story-telling palates which invite us to postulate on the particulars of its journey from the field to our pipe chambers, much like a sommelier deciphering the properties of fine wine. Sometimes the appreciation is less as a connoisseur, and simply that pipe smoking is a pleasant, welcomed ritual we delight in, especially with some company. Whatever your niche is (and let’s be honest, most of us can say all of these factors weigh in to some degree), and whether you're a New Pipe Smoker, or an experienced one, the Richmond Pipe Smokers Gathering will gratify the pipe smoker in you.

Our Look Back on the 33rd Annual Pipe Smokers Gathering

The weeks leading up to the first weekend of October were approached with bated breath. All seemed to be a-go for the much-anticipated Pipe Smokers Gathering, or the Richmond Pipe Show as it’s commonly referred to. But after both the West Coast and Chicago Pipe Shows cancelled for the second consecutive year, any presumption of certainty felt naïve. Now on the other side of the event, we have only the looming bitter-sweetness of a perfect weekend in the rearview to toil with.

Established in 1984, the Conclave of Richmond Pipe Smokers ( CORPS) have put on the Annual Pipe Smokers Gathering almost every year since the club’s founding. On October 1 ^st and 2^nd, the 33^rd iteration of the hallowed event saw pipe smokers near and far convene at the Sutliff Tobacco building in the historic tobacco city's Manchester district.

Near the James River’s southern edge, blocky mid-rises loom above crimson brick apartment complexes purposed from the bones of long defunct factories. Further southward, we step into the scattering of still vacant factories, waiting—eagerly I’m sure—to be reborn as the next trendy brewery or loft. The once bustling industrial district has plenty of factories, warehouses, and shipping yards still operating—but it surely isn’t the manufacturing center it was in the 1950s when Sutliff pulled its western roots, anchored in the California gold rush, and replanted in the notorious tobacco capital.

But the pipe tobacco factory has held strong through the changes around it. They found where the light shone through the canopy of cigarette and vape dominance, of production outsourcing, and remain steadfast in the threat of broad legislation which sees all forms of nicotine use as being of the same beast.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of commonality between the location and the event itself. What is the pipe smoker if not the hanger-on amid the shifts in culture and industry? Where many may see an anomaly, we see a tradition worth preserving. While pipe smoking may not have the numbers it once had, its foundation is made of those who are pulled not to a convenient nicotine fix, but of ritual, community, and infinite exploration. It was in this spirit that the CORPS Pipe Show was established, and this most recent show demonstrated how true that still is.

Friday, October 1

Sutliff Factory Tour

One of the greatest threats to the modern pipe show is the difficulty securing a venue where smoking is permitted. This was a significant obstacle to the CORPS team in years past, but sometimes obstacles can lead to something even better.

The CORPS Gathering was first held at Sutliff Tobacco in 2019. Given 2020's cancellation, this was only the second time Sutliff hosted the event. Beyond being a space that enables pipers to, well, pipe—there’s also something so fitting about a staple of the industry hosting such an event, it garners the energy of a home game. But possibly the best thing about the location—attendees had the opportunity to tour the factory that produces some of their favorite blends.

I went along on one of the first tours of the day. Sutliff President Jeremy McKenna took a group of roughly 17 around the factory to give us a behind the scenes look.

“Factory tours are my favorite part of the pipe show,” McKenna tells me. “This is where we get to show off the high-quality tobaccos we purchased, coupled with the intricate manufacturing process to deliver the highest quality pipe tobaccos to the smoker.”

We made our way through shipping and we're led into a large, chilly room stacked high with saratogas, the large bins you see above. This is cold storage. Each saratoga is filled with tobacco which has been processed and cased but not finished. Tobacco Beetles are especially attracted to the unfinished leaf and an outbreak of those would mean devastation for the product. Luckily, they don’t much like the cold, so this storage keeps the critters at bay.

Leaving cold storage, we followed McKenna past high shelves of stored tins, labels, palettes, and unconstructed wooden bales, until we stopped at the end of one of the shelves where barrels were stacked, labeled, and dated. Here is where popular blends such as Seattle Pipe Club’s Plum Pudding Bourbon Barrel Aged and Mississippi River Rum Barrel Aged are stored in casks for a month at a time. As they sit, the remnant aroma and flavor infuses the tobacco to offer a fantastic variation on the already popular blends.

From there we make our way into a room where big boxes of raw tobacco are arranged, each holding a different blending component: burley, dark fried Kentucky, red Virginia, oriental katerini, and at the center of it all, a barrel of perique. The guests orbit the boxes, feeling the raw leaf as McKenna explains that after being compressed into these bales, the leaf has little to no moisture. The tobacco is brittle and can be crumbled like dry autumn leaves. This display set the stage for our next destination as we turn to two large chambers on the other side of the room.

Of course, quite a few are reluctant to pull themselves from the barrel of perique, huddled near like a campfire on a cold night. Not hard to find your perique lovers on this tour.

Once everyone has regrouped, our attention is directed to the conditioning chambers pictured above. This is where tobacco is rehydrated by steaming it in the vacuum chamber to the right, pulling the moisture all the way through the bale. In the left chamber, tobacco is blackened. Metal tubes lined with holes are inserted into hogsheads filled with tobacco where steam is pumped in for 24 hours, then the tobacco is flipped, and the process is repeated to ensure it is evenly blackened.

After this process, the tobacco is not easily broken apart like the raw leaf we just came by. It is now pliable and allows for safe handling, processing, and cutting to ensure the highest quality ribbon cut.

We are then escorted past a huge, rotating drum from which a conveyor belt carries dark brown latakia. This is a drier where the tobacco is cased and then tested to ensure an optimal moisture level. It’s crucial that it’s just right, they don’t want it too dry, or too wet and the threat of mold arises. One of the workers takes bowls of the tobacco to a machine resembling an instant coffee maker that measures the moisture. We turn the corner to see where the rehydrated tobacco is compressed and cut before being fed into the drier. McKenna catches a handful as it falls from the cutter and holds it out. In turn, spectators feel the tobacco.

Before heading into the next room, we pivot toward a few old machines. This is the original equipment that made the iconic Mixture no. 79 blend, the flagship brand that Sutliff has been producing since 1933. These machines were used in Sutliff’s earliest days in the Richmond factory, making the Mixture no. 79 which packed our fathers’ and grandfathers’ pipes McKenna assures us.

Then we’re brought to what I suspect was many of the guests’ favorite part of the tour, where the tobacco is pressed into dense, 9 pound bricks which will then be cut into crumble cake. The tobacco is loaded in molds and then pressed with 20 tons of force for a 48 hours. McKenna holds up a block of  Sutliff’s 2021 Cringle Flake but you would have thought he was holding up a tablet fresh from the presses of Mount Sinai the way this group gazed on the slab. It’s then passed around the party—“uhh, I think it disappeared!” one tour-goer jests.

After seeing where the aromatic blends are flavored, we end our tour in packaging where McKenna takes questions from the group. At the end of our tour we’re about two hours into our first day and it’s already looking to be a great weekend.

Blending Seminar

Later in the afternoon I attended a blending seminar which was guided by Russ Ouellette and Mark Ryan. Ouellette is the master blender behind  Hearth & Home and the RO Firestorm blends. Ryan of Daughters & Ryan Tobacco is known as the savior of perique, as he bought and revitalized one of the last production facilities in 2005 when the component seemed it may become unobtainable.

Beyond being an expert on perique, Ryan is quite a gifted orator as well. His scholarly knowledge from years of experience transmits through captivating stories and anecdotes. The armchair linguist in me was especially enthused when he explained perique’s etymology (a not so kind nickname for Pierre Chenet, the 19th century farmer who developed perique through pressure-fermentation).

The seminar was centered around perique as a blending condiment. They began by giving us an introduction to the blending process and perique's role in the mix, so their advice on how and how not to use it was crucial. If the knowledge weren't enough, we were further spoiled as Sutliff gave each participant a quarter ounce of the highly coveted 2003 St. James Parish perique to use in our blending. This one of a kind and perfectly aged perique is a star component in Sutliff's 2021 Cringle Flake. 

The attendees were set loose on tables of component tobaccos to mix their own blends. They began to float from table to table, inhaling the aromas of the bins. I half expected someone to leave the ground like a Looney Tune downwind from a pie cooling in the windowsill.

After loading a pinch into their tin-liner, the blenders would jot down their most recent addition, documenting their recipes for later inspection. Finally, they sealed the tins in a vacuum chamber. Now, nothing to do but wait—Ouellette recommended at least a month to allow the flavors an opportunity to get properly acquainted.

Swap Meet

Friday ended with a swap meet, an opportunity for anyone to set up shop at the rows of tables to sell and trade their goods.

Artisan pipe maker S.E. Thile displayed his impeccable works arranged around a gorgeous painting—as it turned out, a still-life his wife had painted.

Old Hollywood Briar, the YouTube Pipe Community favorite, had a display of vintage blends, some of the tins signed by famous actors and musicians such as Chris Rock, Dusty Hill, and Steven Adler.

Everywhere you looked, pipes and aged tobacco jars sprawled over the black cloth.

This event was one of my favorite parts of the whole weekend as it truly showcased one of the things I find most endearing about this community—everyone has their niche. From one display to the next, you glean the tastes and preferences that curated the collection, an insight into the person behind the table. Next thing you know you’re hearing their story; how they got into pipes, what it is that draws them to these shapes or those blends, their other interests and where they’ve intersected with tobacco pipes. It’s a rare and gratifying pleasure to come into a community, cultivated around a mutual passion, that is as fertile for individuality as it is for kinship. I think that’s the happy result of an esprit de corps that places value on knowledge and perspective—that sees a difference in praxis as a point of interest, perhaps a learning opportunity, but certainly not an affront to one’s own preferences or ways of doing things.

I suppose “big tent” is the proper idiom, considering we were literally under one. The atmosphere is a welcoming one, advice and instruction are delivered in good faith and are the jumping off point for discussion, not lecture—if you ask me, far more conducive to learning, and certainly for connecting as people. And from the conversations I had over the weekend, I certainly feel I learned a lot.

Tobacco pipe smoking in and of itself is a niche hobby these days. A newcomer into such a niche may anticipate a disregarding shoo from old hands of the craft, but events like this confound whatever cynic may be wading in the back of one’s head. I’m thankful for that as someone relatively new to the scene myself. My grasp on the allure of pipe shows which I had gathered from forums, social media, and podcasts is no longer something I take on faith. I’m happy to say I know it first hand now.

Saturday, October 2—Exhibitor Day

Bright and early, the blacktop outside the Sutliff shipping area was abuzz. All the vendors were getting situated for the long day ahead. I of course was being of what use I could over at the TobaccoPipes station, but I can’t say I wasn’t more than a little distracted, my head on a swivel scanning all the pipes and tins being unloaded around me.

Between trips around the convention to talk with other vendors, I hovered about the TobaccoPipes table, talking with browsers who were delighted in perusing the selection of pipes, tobacco, and accessories. Up to this point, I hadn’t thought too much about how this would be my first experience really getting to gab with pipe enthusiasts outside of a virtual space, save for the handful of us here at TobaccoPipes. But the reality of what I had been missing out on quickly dawned.

One of the highlights of this day was the raffle our gracious hosts had put together. Many attendees purchased tickets at the Sutliff table. They had amassed a collection of great prizes to raffle off, and tickets were drawn throughout the day to choose lucky winners. Such prizes included tobaccos like McClelland 5100 Red Cake; Virginia Vaper and Heavy English Crumble Cake;  Seattle Pipe Club’s Mississippi River, Plum Pudding, and their barrel-aged variations. Many boxes of cigars and other accessories were also included in the raffle, and as a surprise last minute donation, master pipe carver  Yiannos Kokkinos, who travelled all the way from Cyprus, offered one of his amazing, artisan pipes. 

And for those looking for a guaranteed win, Sutliff offered a “five scoops for five dollars” deal. Sitting on the table were large jars and bags of popular Sutliff blends from which pipers gleefully took advantage of the bargain. Best of all, the proceeds from the raffle and the five-scoop deal were donated to the Fisher House Foundation, an organization which supplies comfortable housing close to medical facilities to military and veteran families so that they may stay close to hospitalized loved ones. By the end of the day, over $3,000 had been raised. 

One stop I was especially excited for was the Missouri Meerschaum table. My second pipe was their Legend corncob and I’ve been sold on the hollowed maize pipe since. 

It was a great treat to talk with Shannon Hoch for a bit. First, I had to ask about the special edition Moonshine corn cob, a blacked-out poker cob done in collaboration with BriarWorks a few years back. That thing is a beaut, and I’ve been determined to get it in my rotation since I first came across one online. To my delight, it seems the future’s bright (or moonshining?) for more of those being sold down the line.

We went on to chat about some of the commerce headaches plaguing this last year. One might think, since they grow their bowls right out of the ground, a good harvest would be the only concern. If only life were so simple.

Apparently in a shortage of planting stakes, more gardeners turned to bamboo, which backed up orders of the reed stems for which Old Dominion cobs are notorious. (The very next week we here at TobaccoPipes received a new stock of Old Dominions, so I can only hope that order has been restored.)

Many other staples of pipes and pipe tobacco were present. The boutique favorite, Cornell & Diehl, had stacks of blends calling out to each passerby. One table down we had Peterson and Savinelli displaying an impeccable array of pipes. Going down the line brought us to 4th Generation tobacco and Nording Pipes. Suffice it to say, I spend a good bit of time ambling about this row.

However, I had resolved to leave with my first estate pipe. Well, I walked away with two; a leather-bound Longchamp and a Weber Meerschaum (also first) poker. Both have been joys since. Throw in that this was my initiation to pipe shows, I supposed it was a weekend of firsts for me.

As thankful as I am that we have the infrastructure for virtual meeting and online shopping, especially over the past year and a half, this event made unequivocally evident the sustenance that is genuine, face to face togetherness to any community. Every pipe smoker has their way of engaging with the craft, but to me, and I’m sure countless others, a passion shared is a robust one. It’s not meant to stagnate, it’s meant to be explored ever deeper, and the kinship between those that share a passion is one of the greatest fodders to keep it thriving. Before March 2020, it was easy to think that fodder was an unlimited resource. If there’s a silver-lining, it’s seeing how gratitude abounds in our renewed appraisal of how meaningful these opportunities are.

If you didn’t make it this year, be sure to keep up with CORPS and Sutliff so you don’t miss out on the 34 ^th gathering. 

1. Mac Baren - Plumcake Navy Blend
2. Cornell & Diehl - Black Frigate
3. Cobblestone - High Spirits Spiced Rum
4. G. L. Pease - Barbary Coast
5. Sutliff - Crumble Kake Barrel Aged Series no. 2
6. Peter Stokkebye - PS 38 Highland Whiskey
7. Seattle Pipe Club - Plum Pudding Bourbon Barrel Aged
8. Sutliff - Private Stock Great Outdoors
9. Sillem's - Copenhagen

Considering liquors can be some of the most complimentary libations to a good tobacco blend, it’s no wonder that liquor flavored tobaccos are so popular with aromatic lovers and can even be the exception for those picky about their flavored blends. The addition of different liquor flavorings can bring remarkable textures and nuances to the profile of a blend one might not expect.

Often, it’s these aromatics that depart from the saccharin acuteness which turns many smokers with a taste for darker, bolder blends off from aromatics. To be fair, most tobacco blends are cased, subtly altering the flavor of the tobacco. But this is more to attenuate some of the heavier qualities of raw tobacco and balance a blend. Aromatics have a top flavoring (sometimes more than one) which usually centers or plays a much more forward role in the mix. With most aromatics, the flavor is applied as a spray on the cased tobacco, but we also get a number of fantastic barrel-aged liquor blends—those that are sealed in a cask that liquor was once aged in. Those spirits haunt the old vessel, their character pervasive through the wooden staves, which will impart the inherited flavors onto the tobacco for a natural aromatic essence.

Of course, there are a lot of options to consider for the pipe smoker curious to try a few liquor blends. From brands, to flavors, and the tobaccos which abut them, it’s hard to know exactly where to begin. That’s why we’ve put together this list of 9 of the best liquor blends and why we think they’re sure to delight any spirited aromatic smoker. Hopefully you can apply your own preferences and find a few blends that are just what you’re looking for.

Rum

1. Mac Baren - Plumcake Navy Blend

Plum and rum—they aren’t merely a complementary duo for the bard’s rhyme scheme. Plumcake from Mac Baren shows how well these flavors play off each other in practice.

When Plumcake was first introduced in 1957, Mac Baren was merely a line of blends from the Danish company Harald Halberg Tobacco. The name Mac Baren was the company’s attempt to approximate an English sounding name, as German names weren’t doing businesses any favors in the post-WWII era, and Danish names were easily mistaken for German.

However, this line would go on to become so familiar that the company changed their name altogether in 1995 to the Mac Baren Tobacco Company.

This aromatic English blend from their Classics line is a widely praised pipe tobacco. As the name would suggest, the Classic blends are those that have been mainstays for the illustrious company. The Jamaican rum topping offers a slight spice to the mix that adds to the nuance and harmony between the bright Virginias, burley, original Mac Baren cavendish, and Cyprian latakia.

Plumcake is a great blend for English lovers who are picky about their aromatics. It offers all the delight of aromatic fragrance with flavor that works with the tobacco, not too big a personality to get along with the forward condimental tobaccos. This blend is renowned for its dynamic, complex flavors and heavenly room note, but it is one that asks to be sipped to be enjoyed. If you’re more of a puffer, consider using a charcoal active filter to beat the heat while delighting in the flavorful bouquet.

2. Cornell & Diehl - Black Frigate

Black Frigate from Cornell & Diehl is one of those great blends that is especially difficult to place into a category. From the tobacco manufacturer’s Navy Blends Series, Black Frigate is truly one of a kind. The Virginia cavendish, soaked and aged in rum, forms a dynamic base. The flavoring is present but discreet and brings a wonderful aroma and sweet spice to the mix, but it certainly isn’t the lone, defining flavor of the blend. The earthy Cyprian latakia and the woody Turkish components bring much of their own to the fray.

This is one of the first blends that saw me branching out from aromatics where the added flavoring is the dominant force, into more woody, spicy, darker blends. Black Frigate was incredibly inviting and remains a favorite. It has the slight rum presence but not in such a coating that it’s depended on for more than an interesting nuance in the mix.

3. Cobblestone – High Spirits Spiced Rum

I think I hit my quota for “spirit” puns in the introduction, but we’re not quite through with them yet.

Spiced Rum is one of several great blends from Cobblestone’s High Spirits line of liquor blends. This is a delicious, straight-forward aromatic for those who want a less busy profile and are looking for an aromatic that is true to its title—a blend that kindly introduces itself in the tin note.

Black cavendish, burley, and Virginias set a discreet, earthy foundation for the rich, distinct spiced rum top note. With a mild to medium strength, Spiced Rum is an all-day smoke that fills the room with a pleasant sweetness, sure to be enjoyed by company.

If you’re a fan of liquor aromatics, you really can’t go wrong with any of the outstanding blends that comprise the High Spirits line which also includes Whiskey, Sangria, Kahlua, and Amaretto.

Brandy

4. G. L. Pease - Barbary Coast

Pease’s foray into professional blending was in 1998 when he started a small operation creating tobacco pipe mixtures with a friend. Despite that brief venture ending in 1999, Pease had already found some success with these blends, so he opted to keep that passion alive and debuted G. L. Pease Tobacco in 2000.

Barbary Coast is one of the earlier blends for G. L. Pease, introduced in 2001. In this blend, the brandy topping mixes perfectly with fine cube-cut burley for a nutty depth on which the sweetness of red Virginias and spice of perique can blossom. This is one of those aromatics that clearly isn’t the outcome of throwing in flavor willy-nilly, but of strategic consideration as to the interplay between the natural flavors of the tobaccos and the top flavor. As Pease says himself , “flavorings, when used, are added with restraint to enhance the natural character of choice tobaccos, not to obscure inferior ones.”

5. Sutliff - Crumble Kake Barrel Aged Series No. 2

The second of Sutliff’s Barrel Aged Series, Crumble Kake no. 2 sees the pipe tobacco stewards replacing the aged apple brandy barrels of the first iteration for an oak cognac barrel. Pressed into a cake after one month of aging, the citrusy bright Virginias and spicy dark-fired Kentucky boldly intertwine with the sweet and smoky cognac flavoring for a fantastic medium blend.

This is a blend especially worth cellaring, it will surely age wonderfully and with 4,000 tins made, you’ll probably be thankful for your stock once it’s off the shelves.

Whiskey

6. Peter Stokkebye - PS 38 Highland Whiskey

Peter Stokkebye Tobacco exemplifies fine tobacco with four generations of tradition behind it. Peter started his business in the 1970s, but the family’s tobacco legacy goes back further with Peter’s grandfather, Erik-Peter Stokkebye, who opened his tobacconist shop in 1882. Now it is Peter’s son Erik Stokkebye keeping the tradition alive.

This flavorful blend features Carolinian and Zimbabwean flue-cured Virginias, white burley, and black cavendish. To pull it all together, fine aged whiskey from the Scottish Highlands is added for a lavishly fragrant smoke. The whiskey is truly the front player in this blend but not without its support from the nutty burley and citrusy Virginias. The slow, cool burn on this mild aromatic makes it a great option for greeting the day. I recommend packing a pipe with PS 38 and sitting outside with that morning coffee.

7. Seattle Pipe Club - Plum Pudding Bourbon Barrel Aged

Following Mississippi River, Plum Pudding was master blender Joe Lankford’s second blend. Upon sharing it with his comrades at the Seattle Pipe Club, it was also his second instant classic. This modification on the original is truly the blend you never knew you needed. I mean, it’s not as though the stalwart Balkan blend was at all lacking. But I’m always more than happy to embrace another excellent blend.

Bourbon Barrel Aged is, well, the name pretty much says it. For one-month the blend is stored in a charred oak Kentucky barrel, taking in the aromas and flavors of the bourbon-imbued wood. In fact, the Plum Pudding variation is neighbors with Crumble Kake no. 2, stored on the Sutliff factory shelves, waiting to be de-barreled, pressed, and cut into crumble cake. It is even tinned with a piece of one of the barrel staves before making its way to your pipe’s chamber (or to your cellar, as this is another great aging blend).

Plum Pudding Bourbon Barrel Aged is a refined smoke for those who like a little guest star flavor that doesn’t mellow boldness. This is a full-bodied smoke in which spice comes through in great harmony with the embedded bourbon flavor. All in all, it’s a dynamic blend meant to be enjoyed slowly—although it has a cool burn, its complexity deserves a patient cadence.

And I should also say, Lankford has developed his first success, the beloved English blend Mississippi River, into an impeccable liquor blend with Seattle Pipe Club’s Mississippi River Rum Barrel Aged. These are two boutique blends you really have to try.

Liqueur

8. Sutliff Private Stock Great Outdoors

Great Outdoors is an impressive blend from Sutliff’s Private Stock brand. Geared toward the spirit of the American outdoorsman, their aim is true in each draw of this coarse-cut aromatic.

It seems Carl McAllister, the master blender behind so many of the beloved mixtures from Sutliff Tobacco, was aptly guided by a maxim essential to an adventuresome trekker: pack light and only what you need. In this blend, black cavendish and burley modestly set the foundation for the anisette and vanilla top flavors. The liquor addition in this blend is not so forward, its role is a humble one that brings a delightful accent to the notes of grass, brown sugar, and honey. This blend is discreetly sweet and has a wonderful room note.

9. Sillem’s Copenhagen

The name Sillem’s stretches back centuries in pipe tobacco history. Appropriately, there is something old-world wholesome about the Copenhagen blend. It carries the tastes and flavors that one associates with a haimish, peaceful atmosphere. You want to light a fire, pour a drink, and grab a book with this aromatic.

Black cavendish, burley, and Virginias form the base of Sillem’s Copenhagen, on which flavorings of amaretto, nuts, and beans mingle in a dynamic array. The Virginias most prominently feature in the tobacco taste, but the burley gives a wonderful body to the profile on which the sweet, lightly fruity lilt of the amaretto carries a gentle melody throughout.

Like the tin says “…a taste you’ll never forget!” It certainly is one of those that just stays with you and can be a conduit, summoning the peace of the evenings that it’s attended in the past.

We all have our individual tastes and preferences; the best liquor blend is the one you’re loving. But hopefully a few of the blends on this list stuck out and lead you to some new favorites in your pipe smoking.

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In the mid-19th century, Saint-Claude, the small French commune nestled in the Jura mountains, changed pipe making forever with the popularization of briar as the wood of choice for the smoking instruments. And since nearly the earliest days of briar’s dominance, the prominence of the Barling name has been central. Although manufacturing of these pipes became gradually sparser in the decades following the 1960s when Barling was acquired by Finlay & Co., a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco, Barling pipes continue to be discussed, studied, collected, and appreciated.

For a century-and-a-half, Barling thrived as a family business with a history in tobacco pipe smoking that reached back far into the annals of the industry. The debates and scholarship devoted to understanding Barling’s history epitomize the intersection of the schmaltzy nostalgic and the studious wonk. It's at this improbable convergence that many of us with this passion of pipe smoking seem to meet.

Generation after generation of Barlings weaved and bobbed their company through an ever-changing industry and culture. The family’s craftsman tradition can be traced back to the 1700s—and well before they were turning pipes from briarwood, the Barling business clearly had a niche as artisans with a focus in tobacco products.

The company was eventually purchased in the 1960s. The following decades saw the brand take many iterations. Most recently, the Barling name has been seen on Peterson-made pipes, complete with P-Lip stems. However, the brand’s presence has not been significantly felt outside of the estate market for some time, at least not until now.

The history is fascinating, but it isn’t over. We’re seeing a new era for the famed brand, with a new line of Barling pipes. In celebration, let’s take a look back at some of the history, before delving into what these new pipes are all about. 

History of Barling Pipes

Origins - From Silver to Briar

Benjamin Barling, born in 1788, was the first Barling to lead the eponymous company which he likely launched in 1812 as a jeweler. At the very least, the Barling business was operating by 1815 when Ben first registered a silver hallmark. However, the line of Barling craftsmen stretches back two generations still; Benjamin’s grandfather, Aaron Barling, had worked as a goldsmith, while his father, John Barling, was a silversmith.

Ben would be married in 1811 and go on to have seven children—four sons and three daughters.

Benjamin Barling Starts a Dynasty

Of the sons, Edwin and William would go on to join Ben in the business, taking up their father’s trade, just as their father and grandfather before them had.

We can glean the breadth of craftsmanship calcified in the amber of generational knowledge through hallmarks which list Ben as a jeweler, copper worker, silversmith, goldsmith, and engraver throughout his life. Additionally, a hallmark from 1882 tells us that Edwin and William were also listed with an array of skills within the craftsman profession. This foundational artisanship passed through the family may offer some insight into the Barlings’ forthcoming adaptability as we see their capacity for taking on new specialties and bringing certain creative processes in-house (all of which we will soon delve into).

The evolution into Barling, the briar pipe company, was soon to come. But we can observe that, as early as 1840, within their jack-of-all-trades craftsmanship was a niche for tobacco products such as cigar cutters and match strikers. One of the earliest instances of Barling (at this time B. Barling & Sons) engaging with pipecraft is in 1851 at the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations. Here, the team was awarded a medal as manufacturers of “silver-mounted meerschaum smoking pipes.”

We can see that by the time Ben passed away in 1870 and his sons took over the operation, the gears were already in motion for Barling’s prestige in the world of tobacco pipes.

Barling & Sons - Briar Pipe Makers

The third generation of Barlings to join the business would see the full integration of briar pipe making. The Barlings were still considered jewelers and silversmiths in census reports up into the late 19th century, but in 1901, the listing changed to pipe makers, and in 1911, to briar pipe manufacturers.

Barling Needs Sons

Although Edwin had three sons, two of whom spent some time in the trade, they ultimately would go in other professional directions and, despite being the younger brother, it would be William’s three sons (William Henry, Alfred Montague, and Walter Frederick) who would inevitably take the helm.

With the death of Williams in 1882, his sons were made partners and helped their uncle run the company until Edwin’s death in 1905 when they fully took the reins.

Taking Bowl-Turning in House 

To discuss the prevalence of Barling as briar pipe makers and their role as such in the earliest period of the material's mandate on quality wooden pipe making, let’s first turn to the origins of this shift in the industry.

Briarwood’s Origins in Tobacco Pipe Making

Tucked in the Jura Mountains of western France sits the small commune of Saint-Claude, the unlikely pipe capital of the world.

Woodwork had been central to this region since the 7th century when monks would craft religious tokens such as crucifixes and rosaries. The appreciation for the craft came to spill-over into secular enterprise, seeing woodturning workshops sprout up, manufacturing toys and other nonreligious items. Naturally, the introduction of tobacco in France led to the manufacturing of pipes (mostly made of boxwood at the time), and with Saint-Claude's existing infrastructure of workshops and expertise, a reputation for the excellence of Saint-Claude pipes developed.

This reputation only found a stronger foothold as the pipe making community was one of the first to switch to briar in the 19th century. As you can imagine, there are complications when working with a wooden instrument meant to take a flame. However, it was discovered that briar was exceptionally heat resistant, making it the ideal wood for smoking pipes. 

In the 19th and into the 20th century, most British pipes were made with bowls imported from Saint-Claude. Although these pipes were still stamped with a mark identifying them to be English made, almost no bowls were actually turned in England. Barling began importing these pre-turned bowls in 1870 when briar pipe making was likely a budding focus in their business. But as we know, Barling would still be listed in census reports for decades to come as craftsmen of various other niches. However, it was in 1906 that Barling started to turn their own bowls, right between the census listing them as pipe makers (1901) and then specifically as briar pipe manufacturers (1911).

The Saint-Claude Strike and Barling’s Adaptation

But why exactly did Barling make the change to in-house? Perhaps a desire for greater agency over quality, the marketing value of having a major facet of their operation that set them apart from competitors, or an economic move uniquely accessible to Barling given their expertise? All of these exclamations could very well factor in, but the direct impetus is almost certainly the Saint-Claude strike in the second half of 1906.

This period saw the pipe making communities of Saint-Claude and nearby localities go on strike for three months, adversely impacting tobacco pipe companies. Even after the strike, the price of pre-turned bowls shot up. One could imagine that even if this move to in-house was conceived as temporary, it only made sense to continue—Barling could avoid the increase in cost, and also have some assurance that their business wouldn’t be impacted by conflicts in other parts of the world (though they would face such a problem in the 1950s when the Algerian Civil War obstructed their access to the allegedly superior briar that grows in the region).

The Last Generations of Barlings

So, as a proverbial “You Are Here” marker: It is now the early 20th century. Their uncle having died, William’s three sons are now running the show, and the Barlings are now committed, bowl-turning, briar pipe makers.

Now we come to the fourth generation of Barling leadership. Between William Henry and Alfred Montague, the two eldest of William’s sons, we have no suitable heir (Alfred had a daughter). Not to fear, Walter Frederick bounces two baby boys into the world—Walter William, and Montague “Monty” Henry. In 1914, Walter William and Monty became partners, and in 1918, William Henry and Alfred Montague bowed out and left their youngest brother, Walter Frederick, and his two sons to run the company.

Another Heir-y Situation

We find the Barlings approaching the mid-20th century in crisis

Walter William and Monty each had two daughters, offering no heir to the Barling business. To work around this, a son-in-law would have to do. Monty’s eldest daughter, Beryl, married William Alan Williamson in 1944.

Adding the Barling name to his own (or double Barling it, one might say), William Alan Williamson-Barling joined the company. I imagine it was supposed that at least William Alan and Beryl’s offspring, or even a son from one of the other daughters, would inevitably continue the Barling Pipes bloodline in due time, but this never came to fruition. As we’ll see, Monty and William Alan would be the last Barlings to run the company.

End of a Dynasty

Although the transition occurred in the 1960s, the last chapter in the family era of Barling Pipes was really set in motion in 1927, when Imperial Tobacco bought a large portion of the British tobacconist chain, Finlay & Co. At the time, Imperial held just shy of half of Finlay’s common equity and most of their preferred shares. Then in 1960, Finlay purchased B. Barling & Sons Ltd., bringing an end to the Barling family’s absolute control. However, this didn’t immediately translate to the family having no role in the company.

In 1963, Imperial acquired the remaining Finlay stock. A year and a half before this however, right between Barling’s acquisition and Imperial's control over Finlay, there was an overhaul of management at Barling. This included William Alan resigning in 1962, his role as managing director being filled by an employee from Finlay. It is in the 1962 catalogue following the departure of the Barling family that we see Barling pipes with revised grades and nomenclature. This is the first change to the pre-Finlay pipes—even after they bought Barling, there was no observable change until this point.

Whether Finlay was unsatisfied with the performance of their recent acquisition or were privy to the impending takeover by Imperial and were making changes in anticipation, this marks the end of the Barling family's role in the company since Benjamin Barling started it in 1812. 

Imperial and Beyond

In 1970, Imperial officially closed the Barling factories and moved production of the pipes to independent pipe makers. More lines were added, and Imperial rebranded the company Barling of England. Eventually, manufacturing moved to Denmark where Erik Nording took the reins of production. By this time, Barlings were available in three ranges of varied price and quality, each with a few options for different finishes. Folks may gripe in a supposed quality difference in the Imperial era, but like any large operation, the stratification of standards must be considered, and few would attest that the Barling Presentation Pipe range, Barling’s high-grade handmade selection of the late 1970s, offers anything short of a great pipe.

However, attempts at rekindling the Barling allure were nonetheless futile, and Imperial discontinued Barling operations in 1980. But Barling general manager Ronald Harden held that the company could be revived to its former glory with an acute embrace of family era methods. Acquiring the naming rights and rebranding as Barling Pipes Ltd., a new line was released within the year.

The brand would keep a presence in the market through the 1990s, and though some Peterson-made Barlings have popped up in the years since, the Barling pipes of old live on in the fascinations of pipe collectors and (armchair) historians.

However, we are about to see a new chapter in this history, as a new line of Barling pipes have arrived. 

New Beginnings

The new line of Barling pipes features two styles—Marylebone and Trafalgar—each available in an array of twelve classic shapes and three finishes—Fossil, Ye Olde Wood, and The Very Finest. In many ways, this new collection pays homage to the historic brand.

New Barling Styles

Each of the new styles sees the Barling revival nodding to its vintage London roots.

Consistent between each style is the Barling stamp. Barling pipes always varied a good deal in their nomenclature—many of their pipes from the early to mid-20th century featured a block-font “Barling’s Make” logo, with “Barling’s” arching over “Make.” However, they also used a cursive script for media, packaging, and occasionally, special pipes were stamped with it. 

The new lines feature a stamp reminiscent of the cursive font. The main difference being the spelling. Marylebone and Trafalgar’s stamp reads “Barling” as opposed to “Barling’s” as most lines of old pipes were labeled, save for The Pipelet filtered-pipe line which similarly omitted the “‘s”.

Additionally, these new Barling pipes don a small, elegant inlay centered at the bottom of the stem where it meets the shank. Look a little closer and you’ll see the visage of a lion head perforating out from a silver mane. No doubt this is a stoic salute to Barling’s roots as world class silversmiths.

Trafalgar

Assuming that this name isn’t paying respect to the Bee Gees album, it is likely named for Central London’s Trafalgar Square. Perhaps more specifically, this name alludes to the Barling roots in central London. An 1820 census lists Ben Barling as a jeweler at 23 Broad St, Golden Square—but half a mile from Trafalgar.

The Trafalgar style gives a further nod to the silverwork at Barling’s origins with a rustic sterling silver band. An elegant addition that wonderfully compliments the ornamental lion inlay.  

Marylebone

Similar to Trafalgar, Marylebone is named for the district where Ben Barling opened up shop. 

Aside from the silver band around the Trafalgar, these styles are distinct in the colors accompanying each respective finish. 

New Barling Finishes

Fossil - Sandblasted

The Fossil gives us an exquisite sandblast for a natural, rustic look. The dark burnt brown of the Marylebone is accented with the peaking light orange to further enhance the classic texture, while the Trafalgar is stoic and craggy in its black coating. “Fossil” pays homage to an earlier Barling style of the same name which can be seen in a 1941 George Yale catalogue. 

Ye Olde Wood - (Dark) Brown

The Ye Olde Wood finish also nods to a Barling style of yore. Pipes marked YE OLDE WOOD can be found in the same 1941 catalogue—although, the YE OLDE WOOD stamp can be seen as early as 1913. On the Marylebone style, the Ye Olde Wood finish is a deep, polished dark-brown, with lighter browns imparting a marble like texturing. The Trafalgar substitutes the dark brown for a lighter maple-brown. Poised and dignified, this finish wonderfully evokes the roots of fine English pipecraft. 

The Very Finest - Natural

The Very Finest finish is similar to the Ye Olde Wood in its polished and textured look, however the color is instead a milky burnt orange, like a glowing, dense amber.

Barling has all the staples of a storied brand that fuels our fascination. Craftmanship to be admired, tradition to be honored, a legacy to be learned. Such brands breathe life into the hobby, their charm permeates from our smoking rituals to our conversations with those who share our passion. This new line resumes that legacy, saluting the craftsmanship and tradition that keeps the pastime alive.

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Maybe you’re considering taking up cigar smoking, or maybe you just want a grip on the basics for that infrequent celebratory smoke. There’s certainly a good deal of technique to follow when smoking a cigar, it’s not quite as simple as the light, puff, stub cigarette routine. But it really isn’t so difficult, and once you have the basics down, you can start finding your rhythm and developing your own preferred methods.

If you want to learn how to smoke a cigar, what’s most important is setting yourself up for a proper smoke.

Sounds obvious, but what I mean is, you’re not going to start off a seasoned expert, orating on the eloquent notes and nuances of the blend. But you don’t have to be that developed to have an enjoyable, relaxing smoking experience, you just need to know enough to avoid the errors that undercut the real joys of the craft. Beginner mistakes can often lead to disinterest based on an inaccurate representation. It’s like messing up a recipe and saying, “this dish isn’t for me” without truly having experienced it.

So, let’s explore how to smoke a cigar and you’ll have no problem dodging the pitfalls to a good smoking experience.

How to Choose a Cigar

As was said above, someone curious about cigars can often be discouraged by a poor experience that could have been avoided. The culprit can often be a poor choice in cigar. You definitely want something quality (which doesn’t have to mean expensive), but even a quality cigar can deliver a regrettable experience if its strength is beyond what you can handle. Most often, cigars with high strength, or “full" cigars, must be worked up to.

Let’s make sense of what exactly I mean by “strength” so that you can find a suitable cigar for your level of experience.

Strength and Body

The strength of the cigar refers to the nicotine content, or “nic hit” as we often call it. This is what can cause the buzz or light-headedness to new smokers.

The body refers to the weight, or presence of flavor on one’s palate.

We often see “strength” used in a broader sense to describe a cigar’s boldness with all of these factors of flavor and nic-hit taken into consideration. This is what is meant when you hear cigars designated as mild, medium, or full.

It’s important to remember that being a fan of “full-bodied” flavor outside of cigars (merlots or dark lagers, for example) doesn’t necessarily mean you should jump right into a full-strength cigar. Taking a strong nic hit with little tolerance for nicotine can be an unpleasant experience to say the least, even with a taste for dark, robust flavor.

As a rule of thumb, it’s probably best that you start with a mild cigar, maybe mild to medium.

Tips for Dealing with Nic Hit

Plenty of factors go into how we experience nicotine, it doesn’t affect everyone the same. These factors aren’t dissimilar to how susceptible one may or may not be to intoxication—body type, tolerance, whether or not you’re consuming on an empty stomach—all of these can make a world of difference. Of course, as a new cigar smoker, you may still have a tolerance from other nicotine products, but it’s best to take these precautions either way (some of them are good form whether you’ve a tolerance for nicotine or not). Especially be mindful of them if you’re coming with no tolerance, even if you have the mildest cigar.

1. Don’t smoke on an empty stomach.

2. Drink water.

3. Keep a few sugar packets handy. Sugar can help neutralize the nicotine dizzies, just pour the packet on your tongue, and wash it down with that water.

4. Go slow. This is sound advice for simply enjoying your smoking experience and keeping a nice cool burn. But it’s all the more important for beginners to pace themselves so that they can ease in. Also, even if you don’t have the palate for picking out the nuance of flavors yet, a slow, smoldering smoke is most conducive to getting flavor, and the right time to start learning good habits is day one.

Cigar Shapes and Sizes

Along with picking a cigar that’s the right strength, choosing a manageable size is also important.

Cigars come in an array of vitolas. The vitola is the size and shape of the cigar. The dimensions for each vitola aren’t standardized across the industry, so you may have a brand that defines the size a bit differently, or they may use their own names in lieu of the commonly accepted ones.

Cigars are an investment in time, and that—among other things—is the point. We get to relax, reflect, converse—whatever it may be. But for those learning how to smoke a cigar, a good average smoking time is best—around 45 minutes to an hour. For a good average size, Coronas are great, or maybe a Petite Corona if you’re looking for a little less.

The Café Duke of Devon and the Café Hampton Court are two great cigars from Macanudo that could be a solid place to start. I would also recommend the Reserva Real from Romeo y Julieta. Any of these mild, moderately sized cigars make for a fine smoke.

For a deeper dive into choosing a cigar complete with suggestions, check out our 8 best cigars for beginners list.

How to Cut a Cigar

Cutting a cigar isn’t difficult, but it’s not as simple as pick a spot and chop.

What to Cut a Cigar With

The first step to cutting your cigar is getting the right equipment. To get the precise cut you need, it’s best to use a cigar cutter. There are a few different kinds of cigar cutters that make different cuts such as the guillotine, v-cut, and punch cutter. There are different reasons to use one cutter or another, be it the cigar's shape or one’s preference, but getting into all this is unnecessarily complicated for our purposes here. A guillotine cutter is the standard and most common and will do fine.

The guillotine cutter is a simple straight blade that gets a good clean sever. Guillotines that use two blades coming from each side are preferable, but a single blade will work too.

However, maybe you don’t want to make the investment in a tool quite yet. If you don’t have a cigar cutter, a knife will get the job done—but be careful of course. Cigar cutters offer more control.

Getting the Right Cut

First you want to find where you’re going to cut. The ideal cut will be severing the top part of the cap. The cap keeps the wrapper leaf secure; you can locate this by finding the longitudinal seam(s) rounding the dome. You may see one or more depending on the kind of cap.

What’s crucial is that you don’t cut too far down the shoulder, the point where the cap straightens out and the head begins. Since the cap holds the cigar together, severing it too close to the head can cause the cigar to unravel.

Much like your summer jorts, you can always take a little more length off, but if you cut too much, you’re going to have to live with the consequences.

Remember, as long as you’re not too far down the shoulder, there isn’t really a definitive place to cut. The picture on the left is my suggestion, but ultimately, as you get better acquainted with the way cut affects how a cigar draws, preference will guide you. The further from the top of the cap you cut, the more draw you’ll get.

Once you’ve located where to cut, slice away. If you’re using a cutter, cut the cigar in one swift move, no hesitation. Too slow and you can get drag and tear instead of a neat sever. For this same reason, be sure that your cutter is good and sharp.

If you’re using a knife, find the place where you’ll cut, then with the knife lightly pressed to the spot, rotate the cigar until the top of the cap comes off or it’s perforated enough to pull off. Remember to rotate so that the knife is going in the same direction as the wrapper so as not to pull it.

How to Light a Cigar

Flame Source - Lighters and Matches

As a flame source, the best option is either a torch cigar lighter or cigar matches. I would suggest the torch lighter for those new to cigar smoking. There’s a bit less sleight of hand involved, so the lighter may be more beginner friendly, but either one will work fine.

What’s most important is not to use a source that will impart taste to the cigar. That means for lighters, you want the fuel to be butane.

To be clear, butane quality can differ. Experts suggest using butane that has been refined at least 5 times, as unrefined butane can impart a taste too. As a beginner, will your unrefined palate notice unrefined butane? Probably not. You’re not setting yourself up for failure by not getting “the good stuff.” Although if you do invest in a nice lighter, more refined butane will likely be better for the lighter’s longevity. However, you may not be looking to add any expenses until you know cigars are for you. In which case, you can get the job done just fine with a cheaper butane lighter—a simple Bic will do.

As for matches, it’s easiest if they’re long. Wooden cigar matches are made with odorless wood and are very long and robust. Trying to light your cigar using something much smaller, you would likely have a pile of burnt matches by the time you got things going smooth, and it’s easier to get an even burn with a consistent flame.

Lighting Your Cigar

To light your cigar, you’ll start with what is called “toasting." Hold the cigar just above the flame at a downward angle. Let it heat up while rotating the barrel to make sure the whole end of the foot is getting equal heat.

(Note: if you are using matches, wait for the head of the match to burn before bringing the flame up to the cigar.)

Now you can start to light the cigar by taking puffs as you continue to hold the flame near the foot, though still shy of contact. And remember not to inhale as you begin puffing.

Once you think you have it lit well, hold the foot of the cigar toward you and gently blow on the ember to check that it’s even. The orange glow should give a good indication of where you might still need to apply heat.

This gentle approach to lighting will achieve an even burn. Incinerating the foot end directly can ruin the taste of an otherwise fine cigar. It’s easy to think “lit is lit, right?” but not quite. If you have experience with pipe smoking, you know that what you really want is the smoldering of the leaf— that’s what delivers the taste. In much the same way, you don’t want to scorch the cigar, this is what is meant by the seemingly oxymoronic “cool burn” of which you’ll often hear.

How to Smoke a Cigar

Pacing

First off don’t inhale. That can’t be said enough.

You’ll want to take a few consecutive drags of the cigar to start, being careful to just fill your mouth before exhaling. You don’t have to (and really shouldn’t) puff this consistently throughout, it just helps get your cigar well-lit so that you can slowly enjoy it without the cherry going out. When the smoke is consistent, then you’re good to ease up.

When still learning, a good rule of thumb is to draw the cigar for 4 to 5 seconds and every thirty seconds to a minute or so. This becomes a pretty natural rhythm you don’t have to think about, but it’s easy for beginners, especially if they’ve smoked cigarettes, to smoke too quickly. Drawing too hard and frequently can heat up the cherry too much and your otherwise perfectly good cigar starts tasting like char.

This gets back to what was said at the beginning of this piece about how some beginner mistakes can leave newcomers with inaccurate representations of cigar smoking. This is one of the instances where the unseasoned smoker may be alluded by the representation of smoking a cigar in movies and shows. You don’t want to be puffing out dense plumes. This is a sign of smoking too hot.

Ashing

You might see some folks letting their ash get as long as possible, sometimes nearly the length of the cigar. This does indicate a well-constructed cigar, but it isn’t necessary. However, it is good to keep a decent half inch to one inch of ash built up as it can help keep the temperature of the ember down.

When you are going to remove the ash, don’t tap it off. It’s best to roll it out. Hold the cigar angled downward so that the rim is lightly against the side of a surface, ideally an ashtray, and roll it along the rim of the foot with ease, the excess should drop right off.

Touching up - Correcting an Uneven Burn

Sometimes your cigar will start to burn unevenly, this can be due to not having an even initial light, a section being packed too lightly, a dry cigar that hasn’t been fully re-humidified, among other causes. Depending on the cause, one effective way to prevent these problems is to rotate your cigar between draws. But it’s still something you’ll run into from time to time, so it’s good to know a few methods of “touching up”—that is, evening out the burn.

Slight Slant

If your cigar is burning at a very slight slant, this probably won’t have much of an effect on how it smokes at first, but it may continue to burn faster on one side until it’s very uneven—what’s called “canoeing.” Luckily, if you catch it in this early stage, it’s usually easy to correct. Try setting the cigar down on the side of the ashtray. The ember should be over the bowl of the tray with the side with more wrapper still intact—the side burning less fast—facing downward. Leaving the cigar here briefly allows the slow burning area to get more oxygen, heating it up and evening it with the other side.

Touching Up Canoeing and Tunneling

Canoeing refers to when the aforementioned slant becomes a more dramatic slope.

Tunneling is when the filler tobacco is burning much quicker than the binder and wrapper. When this happens, you can usually look straight on at the foot and see a hole in the ash.

You can even out canoeing by lighting the area that is burning slower so that it catches up with the rest. It might take a few draws to notice it’s evened out, but this usually does the trick. You can try this with tunneling as well, with the flame underneath the hollowing area at the end, rotating so that the wrapper and binder are evenly heated and can catch up with the filler. However, tunneling can be a bit more daunting and if this doesn’t work you can try severing the cigar right above the uneven burn and relighting. Although, you may just want to call it quits or start from square one with another cigar. The culprits causing tunneling tend to be more finnicky, but there’s no harm in trying to salvage it.

In general, “touching up” is something you will develop a feel for, there are different little nit-picks that can get in the way of an absolute perfect smoke but that just makes cigar smoking join the ranks of all other things in life.

Relighting

If you’re keeping a moderate pace to your smoking, it’s reasonable that your cigar may go out, especially as you’re still finding that happy medium in your pace. That’s perfectly fine, you would much rather have a cigar that needs a relight than one burning too hot.

To relight a cigar that was already being smoked, start by ashing it, rolling off the excess just as you would normally ash it. Then you want to find something (a key or the wooden end of a match work well) to gently remove whatever ash didn’t fall off. Push the ash away, mindful to not damage the wrapper, until you reach the tobacco.

Then you’ll light it all the same. Toast the end above your flame, rolling the cigar so that it’s getting a nice even ember, and then start puffing, being sure to check that you’re getting an even burn and adjusting if needed.

To be clear, this advice is geared toward relighting your cigar right when it goes out or soon after. Once a cigar that has been smoked goes out, it probably won’t take more than a few hours at best for it to go stale. So, while you can absolutely relight, putting it out to save for later is not likely to lead to a quality smoke. This is another reason for beginners to be strategic when considering what vitolas to try. By no means do you need to get cigarillos to start, but you do want something reasonable that you can get the most out of.

(Although I will say, cigarillos are a great way to try new blends without the commitment, or if you want a cigar experience for a brief smoke.)

But that’s really why we see such a variety in sizes and shapes. No doubt there are seasoned smokers out there who are married to their favorite vitola, but most adjust for situations, changing it up depending on what is right for the occasion, or even guided by inclinations that are pure whim.

How to Put Out a Cigar

Of course, first you'll have to know that you're done. 

Again, this is something you’ll just feel out, the answer will be different from person to person and cigar to cigar. You’ll be able to tell when the cigar has “turned,” getting harsher somewhere into the last third. But the best way to know is very simple. If it’s not enjoyable anymore, you’re done. Sounds simple enough, but often times those learning to smoke a cigar worry that there may be some “code” they don’t want to break, taking the ember down to the nub. There’s no shame in stopping here opposed to there. Sometimes that last third has more of a spiciness or kick to it even before the turn. If it’s not your taste, maybe it will be as your palate develops—if not, that’s fine too.

If there is one piece of etiquette to keep in mind when finishing your cigar, do not stub it out like one might a cigarette. Smothering the end like this can create an acrid smell. Cigarettes contain certain chemicals that keep them burning even without regular draw. Cigars do not, once you stop smoking it won’t take long for it to go out on its own. Simply place your cigar in the ashtray and let it burn out.

Best Way to Enjoy

Ultimately the best way to enjoy cigar smoking is to treat it as an exploration. Then it can develop into the personalized respite it ought to be. But here are some ideas for spurring that exploration:

• Take your time. Find the right pace and take in the moment.
• Pair your cigar with a beverage. Experiment with different drinks and blends and try to take notice of how they complement each other.
• Smoke a cigar with company. If you have a friend that smokes cigars, that would be great. We certainly hope this guide helps you along, but having someone right there with you is a wonderful way to learn. 
• Take notes as you go. Have a dedicated notebook for journaling the different cigars or pairings you try and the impressions they leave. This is a great way to navigate what you want to try next, and to see how your palate develops as you return to a blend you've tried before.  

1. Krg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
2. Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons / “Streichholz -- 2021 -- 6258” / CC BY-SA 4.0
   
3. Elvert Barnes from Washington DC, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons / Cropped from original
   

There’s nothing fun about a dizzy spell or nausea, especially when spurred by what was supposed to be a leisurely activity. Unfortunately, this can often be the disruptor to the tranquil delight of  enjoying a cigar. Luckily, there are ways to avoid the nic-hit dizzies and to counteract the sickly feeling when it occurs.

Many variables factor in to how each of us experiences nicotine. It’s not unlike how one may be more susceptible to intoxication than another based on their body type or tolerance. With nicotine, studies even suggest that some are more genetically predisposed to the dizzying effect, finding that those who report dizziness are more likely to have a particular genetic variation. However, just as with alcohol intake, much is in our control, and we can set ourselves up for a positive, ail-free experience if we approach cigar smoking responsibly.

Here’s a list of 6 things you can do to ward off cigar sickness and set yourself up for the best smoking experience.

1. Choose More Mild Cigars

When a cigar is full bodied, that means it has a higher nicotine content, or “nic-hit.” Naturally, for those with less of a tolerance to nicotine, this can lead to an adverse reaction. If you’re new to smoking, or only partake on occasion, it’s difficult to know where your tolerance is at. Start with mild-bodied cigars, from there you can work your way up to stronger blends as you navigate/develop your tolerance.

2. Start Hydrated and Keep Hydrating

It’s always a good idea to be mindful that we’re drinking enough water—smoking or not. But it’s especially important that we’re coming to smoking well hydrated. Also, it’s never a bad idea to have some water with you as you smoke.

In addition to fostering a sick-free smoking experience, many find water to be a useful palate cleanser so that they can best sift through the nuance of flavors.

3. Don’t Smoke on an Empty Stomach

So, you have a couple drinks, well under the amount it usually takes to get the ol’ tie loose, but you realize you’re already two buttons down. Then your error dawns…” wait, when was my last meal?”

It’s happened to the best of us. Well, nicotine isn’t much different. Smoking a cigar on an empty stomach is going to make the nic hit that much more potent, and you’ll be far more vulnerable to cigar sickness. Make sure you’ve had a recent meal when you smoke. It’s also a good idea to keep a snack on you, especially something sugary, as sugar can have a counter effect on the nicotine buzz.

4. Take Your Time

Keep a slow pace. The influx of nicotine from puffing too fast doesn’t give your body the chance to process and adjust quickly enough.

Additionally, this is how you’ll get to really experience the flavor, keep a good even burn, and simply relax. A good smoke is all about the respite, slowing down and taking things in. Sickness aside, this should be your goal for the sake of getting the most out of your cigar, but the effectiveness of a moderate pace in warding off the dizzies is one more testament to the importance of taking your time.

5. Don’t Inhale

There’s not a whole lot to say about this, it’s the golden rule of cigar and pipe smoking. You should just be allowing the smoke to enter your mouth, sit on the palate for a moment, and releasing. Luckily, most of us will know right away if we’ve gone wrong in this regard. Be mindful of your draw so you can avoid the sickness and the coughing fit.

6. Have Some Sugar

Just like sugar can be useful for keeping nausea at bay, it can be a good antidote if you’re unfortunate enough to get the dizzies. As was said, a sweet nourishment can be good for this, but for something more direct, sugar packets are perfect. If you start to feel ill, knock back a sugar packet and wash it down with water. Often, this will counter the light headedness coming on.

W.J.Pilsak, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wolfgang Claussen, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mos.ru, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CostaPPPR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

I will preface the list with information that I feel may be beneficial to beginner pipe smoker looking for blends to try. However, you can skip right to the blends with the table of contents below. 

Here are the best pipe tobaccos for beginners:

1. Cobblestone Maple Walnut
2. Peter Stokkebye PS 23 B&B
3. Hearth & Home Classic Burley Kake
4. Sutliff 504C Aromatic English
5. Cornell & Diehl Good Morning
6. Newminster No.17 English Luxus
7. Arango Balkan Supreme
8. Capstan Gold Navy Flake
9. Astley’s No. 2 Mixture
10. G. L. Pease Cairo

With so many options and opinions, choosing the best pipe tobacco for a beginner pipe smoker can be a difficult process. Myriad factors determine one’s reaction to a blend—from personal taste right down to the chemistry of their tongue. What bites one tongue may not another, what makes a “strong” nic-hit is a personal perception. One experienced smoker’s advice might sound like a sadistic joke to another. “You recommended what?!”

No doubt, this is a symptom of what makes pipe smoking the enigmatic delight that it is—an indulgence that is boundless in exploration and personalization—one that you can bask in with others while knowing your experience is all your own. But before that enchantment touches ground, the beginner pipe smoker has some searching to do, and some technique to learn.

Every facet of pipe smoking—be it the blend, cut, or pipe shape and material—carries pros and cons in terms of new-smoker-friendliness. The most palatable blend to the new smoker might also be the one that teaches them the pain of tongue bite; the cut that’s more difficult to pack might have a more seamless burn. It’s hard to say precisely what will and won't be best for someone learning about pipe smoking. But what we can do is explore the common wisdom and try to find some context for choosing the best tobacco blends to start with.

Given that no advice is sure to apply universally, this guide will make suggestions for a wide range of blends. Even though some may be a bit easier than others to work with at first, I think trying a bit of everything is important to both exploring your taste, as well as developing an adaptability to the many variables involved in pipe smoking. But we’ll definitely orient those suggestions toward those which are inviting to beginners, making recommendations that navigate the hurdles inexperience.

Basically, I hope for this list of the best pipe tobaccos for beginners to not only help new smokers find blends that agree with them, but that can help along in the exploration of pipe smoking as well. 

Types of Tobacco Cuts

Before we get into blends, let’s have a brief overview of the different types of tobacco cuts. The cut of a blend factors in to how hospitable it may be to an inexperienced pipe smoker. The suggestions in this guide will have a few different cuts so I want to make sure you have context for each.

Remember that, while you may develop a preference for certain cuts, all of these are conducive to a great smoke, some just take a little more trial and error to get right. Packing is a balancing act.

Ribbon Cut

Although I do think trying a few different cuts early on is a good idea for a beginner to get the sense of the impact each variable has on the smoking experience, Ribbon-cut should probably comprise a good deal of your early blends.

Ribbon is the most common pipe tobacco cut. It often refers to a handful of other more specific cuts such as shag or broad. Much like pipe shapes, blend types, and all matter of things pipes and tobacco, there’s not really an industry standard to go by. 

Due to the loose, fine cut of Ribbons, they don’t inherently require any steps before packing ( although you may want to let dry for a bit depending on the blend). The narrower cut varieties such as Shag can be easy to pack too tight, but in general these cuts making the packing process easy and have little temperament in taking a light.

Most of the suggestions in this list will be Ribbon-cut.

Flake

Flakes come in jerky-like slabs of tobacco that have been pressed under heat. This process leads to a mixing of flavors between the tobacco varieties.

Flake will most often be “rubbed out,” or rolled in the fingers or palm to break up the Flake into strands to be packed, but sometimes they can simply be folded into the chamber. Because Flake is generally tougher, it can be finnicky getting the pack just right, but it’s a rewarding cut once you get it down. Having to rub out the Flake gives the smoker a lot of control over just how fine they want it. Many seasoned smokers may even strategically stratify the consistency of tobacco in their chamber. And once you do have a better gauge for packing Flake, it can offer a more controllable burn rate.

You may also see Ready-Rubbed as a cut. Ready-Rubbed looks to be between a Ribbon-cut and a Flake—it’s strand-like but less fine than Ribbon. This is simply Flake tobacco that has been somewhat rubbed out before packaging.

If you’re coming from cigars, you might want to consider trying some Flakes, as they tend to have a dense smoke similar to that of cigars. 

Cake

Often referred to as Plug or Bars, Cake looks similar to Flake but a bit thicker usually. Cake is made under steam compression, pressing the tobacco into large bricks before being sliced. The resulting slices are easily rubbed out like Flake, and sometimes they are diced smaller still into cubes. This Cube-cut can be packed as is.

There is also Crumble Cake (often spelt Krumble Kake), where a fine Ribbon-cut is compressed and sliced into blocks. As the name suggests, this block is very easy to pull a piece off of and crumble into the Ribbon. Cake however holds moisture better than Ribbon-cut.

Additionally, there is Rope cut, but I wouldn’t concern you with that as a beginner. 

Blends

We’ll focus in on three blend families: Aromatic, English, and Virginia. However, this is just a very broad divvying up of infinite possibilities. With all the tobaccos that can be blended in different ways, these distinctions can categorize blends based on their components and star players, but there are many sub-genres within them and none of it’s standardized. They’re convenient categories for grouping blends and discussing them, but many blends challenge an easy classification. Even between these broad categories there can be plenty of overlap. Take an English, give it a top flavoring, and you would best describe it as an Aromatic English, no more one than the other.

I only belabor this point because I remember as a beginner, I was dizzyingly confused thinking I didn’t understand how it all worked, but I was really just over thinking it. I’d hear a blend categorized one way, then another, and think “which is it?” I was expecting to find some objectivity.

These are convenient ways of categorizing while we go through some different blends to try to understand why they may be right for you, but there are always exceptions.

I often think of it like music genres. Some English blends might be quintessentially English, like Chucky Berry to Rock. Sometimes the label is more of a “close enough,” like Bohemian Rhapsody—a piano ballad, wall-of-sound bridge, and operatic anthem idiosyncratically harmonizing in one composition most would not hesitate to call a Rock song.

Remember, all of the pros and cons ahead are not sure to apply to all beginners but are sourced from common experiences. Another reason to give all things a fair shake. 

Aromatics

We’ll start with Aromatics as they’re often recommended pipe tobacco blends for beginners and seem to be where many start out.

Pros

Since Aromatics feature one or more added flavorings (aside from casing which most blends have), they are often regarded as more palatable pipe tobaccos for beginners. With flavors of fruit, chocolate, liquors, etc.—they offer a more civilian introduction.

Other blends may impart their forward flavor through condiment tobaccos such as Perique and Latakia, which may be an acquired taste. Other blends may use tobaccos that aren’t exceptionally potent, the nuances being what tells the story. These may not pique the interest of a pipe smoker who has yet to pick up on the subtleties of flavor .

One other positive to Aromatics for beginner pipe smokers is that while they can be forward in flavor, they are often Cavendish heavy blends, and thus aren’t especially bold in terms of body. Cavendish is a mild tobacco (really a Virginia or Burley that has undergone a particular process). Their own flavor isn’t especially bold, and they take on other flavors well, making them especially useful in Aromatic blends.

Keep in mind that really all kinds of blends that fit into other categories can be flavored and may be classified in a number of ways. This however is a benefit too. While the wealth of Cavendish Aromatic blends poses an opportunity to find pleasant-tasting, light-bodied blends, heavier blends that use flavoring with condiment tobacco are great for exploring these more robust varieties.

Cons

Aromatics are certainly inviting in their flavor and scent, but because of their heavy casing, some can be difficult for inexperienced pipe smokers to puff without getting tongue bite.

There are a lot of factors that go into what causes tongue bite. Some tobaccos are more prone to it, certain people are more susceptible. Tobaccos that smoke more wet often smoke hotter. The top-flavor on Aromatics often makes them smoke more wet, thus they can be notorious deliverers of tongue bite.

As you gain more experience, you get a handle on all the little nit-picks that can keep you burning cool. More than cadence, how you dry, pack, and light your tobacco are all relevant to controlling how hot you’re smoking.

Finally, I think the supposition that non-Aromatics will prove less palatable may be over-assumed. It will often be the case, but far from a rule. It’s avoiding harsh nic-hit that I find to be most important in these early searches (provided you aren’t coming to pipe smoking with tolerance from other mediums of nicotine use). To be fair, this point isn’t exactly a con toward Aromatics as beginner pipe blends; it makes them no less inviting that they aren’t alone in their approachability.

Aromatic Recommendations

Cobblestone Indulge Walnut Maple Pie

• Tobacco: Burley, Virginia, Black Cavendish
• Flavoring: Maple, Nut
• Cut: Ribbon
• Strength: Mild
• Tin

Cobblestone’s Walnut Maple Pie, part of the Indulge series, is a great place to start for those not looking for bold tobacco flavor out of the gate and want that mild Aromatic with little nic-hit. Black Cavendish and Burley wonderfully embrace the top flavoring, the Burley offering a mild body. Maple and nut make for a great mix that isn’t syrupy-artificial tasting. Behind the top flavors, a slight grassy sweetness from the Virginias pokes through.

Walnut Maple Pie is only one blend in the Indulge series which also includes Crème Brulee, Cherry Delight, and Vanilla Custard. If the properties of this blend seem right to you but any of these other flavors seem more up your alley, they are all excellent choices.

Hint: might smoke a little wet right out of the tin, try giving a little drying time. 

Peter Stokkebye PS 23 B&B

• Tobacco: Black Cavendish, Burley
• Flavoring: Vanilla
• Cut: Ribbon
• Strength: Mild
• Bulk

A good vanilla is crucial in the arsenal of any Aromatic smoker, and you can’t go wrong with PS 23 B&B from Peter Stokkebye.

Another great mild Aromatic with a light nic-hit; perfect for beginners looking to get their feet wet with an easy pack and cooler burn than some other Aromatics. This one will especially get some attention for its fantastic room note. 

Hearth & Home Classic Burley Kake

• Tobacco: Burley, Kentucky, Virginia
• Flavoring: Cocoa, Rum, Anise
• Cut: Crumble Cake
• Strength: Mild – Medium
• Bulk

For a little variety, here’s a great, mellow Aromatic that departs from the light Cavendish blends. The Classic Burley Kake from Hearth & Home gives us a wonderfully flavored Burley blend. Four Burley varieties, Red Virginias, and natural cocoa, rum, and anise top flavors coalesce in this easy to prep Crumble Cake.

I thought this would be a great inclusion because, unlike most mild Cavendish Aromatics common to beginners, Classic Burley Kake gives us a mild, yet dynamic Aromatic. The Burley varieties with several top flavors gives this blend a unique complexity—it’s easy for blends with a lot going on to taste more busy than harmonious, but blender Russ Ouellette certainly pulls it off.

That isn’t at all to knock the Cavendish Aromatics, many of which I love for a right-over-the-plate tasty smoke. But the guiding principle of this list is broadly exploring all kinds of options through a beginner friendly lens. 

Sutliff 504C Aromatic English

• Tobacco: Black Cavendish, Burley, Cavendish, Latakia
• Flavoring: Liquor
• Cut: Ribbon
• Strength: Mild – Medium
• Bulk

Sutliff’s 504C is actually the third blend I ever had. I tried two mild Cavendish Aromatics and wanted to step into some bolder tobacco flavor and figured that an English/Aromatic would be a good bridge. I certainly think it was, and I still enjoy this blend very much. The Latakia gives it the woodsy flavor of an English, the Burley adds body, but it still sits in that mild range, maybe a bit shy of medium.

As well as being a great introduction to Latakia, I see 504C working well for a cigar smoker looking to discover pipe blends. 

English Blends

An English blend in the broadest terms is one that uses Latakia as the dominant flavor—often joined by Turkish/Orientals and Virginias. When the Turkish/Oriental varieties play a larger role, we’ll often hear the blend referred to as a Balkan. Remember, blends in these categories might be parsed differently depending on who is smoking them, don’t get too frustrated on the smaller details.

Pros

English blends are great for some beginners because they offer a non-Aromatic that is still rich in flavor. However, instead of the topping imparting a forward flavor, it’s the assertive Latakia—a condiment leaf that has been through a smoke curing process which gives it that smoky campfire essence.

Anyone will pull out that distinct flavor from the jump. No doubt, there’s more complexity to find as you develop your taste—how the different tobaccos complement each other, how the ratios of the tobaccos used bring out different properties—but in the meantime, it gives the inexperienced palate something interesting and overt to grab onto while getting acquainted with all the nuances.

English blends are also generally easier to keep a moderate burn temperature on. This can depend on the Virginia to Latakia ratio, but Latakia is a useful tamer of hot-burning Virginia varieties.

Cons

Although English blends also offer a pronounced flavor to the beginner pipe smoker, Aromatics are often recommended for the variety and familiarity of the flavors. Aromatic flavors come in many of the same varieties as juices, candies, and liquors. It isn’t as though all Latakia tastes the same, especially when abutted by different tobaccos in a blend, but to the budding pipe smoker, much of the difference in flavor may not be so readily noticed, and the flavor that is pronounced might be an acquired taste.

However, if you have a taste for cigars, English blends may be a great place to start. 

English Recommendations

Cornell & Diehl Good Morning

• Tobacco: Latakia, Orientals, Virginia
• Cut: Ribbon
• Strength: Mild
• Tin

After the discontinuation of infamous Dunhill blends, blenders throughout the pipe tobacco world went to work trying to fill the gap that was left on the palates of pipe smokers everywhere. Good Morning was Cornell & Diehl’s crack at Early Morning Pipe, the infamous Dunhill English. I cannot speak to the accuracy of this pursuit, but that shouldn’t mean much to a beginner anyway. All I know is I thoroughly enjoy this blend on its own merits as a flavorful, yet tame English.

Red Virginias and Latakia share centerstage. The Virginias tone down the drama of the Latakia smokiness, while the Latakia cools the Virginias’ hot burn.

To me, this is the best English blend for a beginner pipe smoker to get the essential profile of English blends with a forgiving strength. 

Newminster No. 17 English Luxus

• Tobacco: Black Cavendish, Burley, Latakia, Perique, Virginia
• Cut: Coarse
• Strength: Mild - Medium
• Bulk

Here’s one of the occasions where we really need to make peace with the flexibility of category in tobacco blends. Also, one of the times we need to celebrate it, because this blend, which you might call American/English, is complex. This dual citizen has a lot going on.

American blends are a vague descriptor even less standardized in the collective glossary of pipe smokers than other blend families. But the gist of it is American blends have a significant presence of American tobaccos such as Burley and Perique (despite the name, Virginias are grown in many places in the world).

Perique is expertly applied here as a subtle, not-too-busy addition. This would make a great introduction to the spicy condiment for anyone who has stayed more around Latakia blends.

I thought Newminster’s No. 17 English Luxus would be a good choice for our list because (in addition to being a great blend) it wonderfully showcases the fluidity of blends and demonstrates how categorizing gets us only so far. It is also a great example of a complex blend with forward players in harmony.

I should say, English Luxus may be a bit stronger, more to the medium range. Perhaps not for the day one beginner. 

Arango Balkan Supreme

• Tobacco: Black Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental/Turkish, Virginia
• Cut: Ribbon
• Strength: Medium
• Bulk

We had to feature at least one Balkan, and Arango’s Balkan Supreme is a favorite. It even took home Best English Blend at the 2014 Chicago Pipe Show.

My only caution here, I recommend coming to Supreme having developed some taste for English blends. The nic-hit is around the medium mark, but the body of flavor is closer to full. However, if you’re coming to it with a taste for English (which would assume you have built some nicotine tolerance) this could be a quick favorite. Though it might be a bit strong for a day one smoker, Balkan Supreme has all the accommodable features of a good beginner pipe tobacco blend. It’s easy to pack, takes a light with little to no fuss, and burns cool.

One thing that’s especially beginner friendly, I find this blend needs little to no drying time. Moisture level is a matter of preference like most anything else, but I can’t imagine it’s too far from anyone’s ready-to-smoke threshold out of the bag. Even though experimenting with drying is all part of the learning experience—progressing through trial and error to find that optimal smoke—sometimes we want a great smoke that’s accessible right then and there. 

Virginias

Virginias are one of the few pipe tobaccos often smoked without any other varieties. Virginia blends often feature Orientals, Burley, and/or Perique, but there are also some beloved straight Virginia blends.

Pros

A great thing about Virginias is the nuance and range of flavors you can get with them. The different varieties (Red, Stoved, Bright, etc.) are designated by how the leaf is processed. Generally, Virginias are noted for their grassy, sweet, lemony taste. Their high sugar content makes them a great candidate for aging and offers a more natural sweetness than we often get with Aromatics.

Virginias are an excellent base for bringing a blend together, so there’s a lot of different things you can get under the Virginia blend umbrella. It’s a good playground for trying the different condiments and exploring the palate.

Cons

Maybe “cons” isn’t the right word. Really, the biggest drawbacks of Virginia blends to beginner pipe smokers are sort of benefits too. You’ll see what I mean.

The first thing you’ll be told about Virginias as a beginner is to watch out for the tongue bite. Although the high sugar content of Virginia tobaccos has its benefits (aging, sweetness), it also can lead to a hot burn and some Virginias are notorious for tongue bite for the inexperienced, and even many experienced pipe smokers.

That being said, this shouldn’t necessarily be a disqualifier for a beginner. One of those straight Virginia blends notorious for tongue bite is Mac Baren Virginia no. 1, but I attribute that blend with really helping me find my cadence as its hot combustion made me all the more conscious of my pace, draw and how I was packing the Ready-Rub. So, I wouldn’t discount straight Virginias altogether as a beginner, they can be very helpful. But maybe come to them with a little experience with an English or a Virginia blend that is mixed with tobaccos that will tame the hot combustion.

Another issue a beginner might have with straight Virginias—they may not seem all that flavorful at the onset the way Aromatics and English blends are. There’s a lot of nuances to their flavor and what they bring to a mix, but most Virginia varieties aren’t going to sit on show like the cherry from a top flavoring or the smokiness from Latakia. This however makes them really interesting once you’ve developed your palate a bit, because once you notice their subtlety, it can really unlock that appreciation for the nuances in all kinds of blends that use Virginias.

So, similar to the hot burning of Virginias, this is a half con half pro really. In addition, with helping my cadence, that Mac Baren Virginia no. 1 offered an early instance of picking up on discreet tastes, and I distinctly recall trying blends I had already been smoking and finding the Virginias in them in a way I hadn’t before. So once again, sometimes obstacles are a good opportunity to learn. And more than appreciating Mac Baren Virginia no. 1 from a utilitarian standpoint, it’s a favorite straight Virginia even now.

Virginia Perique

I’ll also include as part of the Virginia blends the ever-popular Virginia Periques, usually referred to as VA/Pers. Perique is bold and isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. When it is, it often didn’t start that way. So, it may or may not be for you as a beginner, but Perique is a slow burning condiment tobacco that is great for taming the bite of Virginias. A VA/Per that is light in the Perique might be a great way to navigate cadence without too hot-burning of a blend while also giving a palatable introduction to Perique.

Virginia Recommendations

Capstan Gold Navy Cut

• Tobacco: Virginia
• Flavoring: Fruit, Citrus
• Cut: Flake / Ready-Rubbed
• Strength: Mild - Medium
• Tin

As I discussed, some of the drawbacks to Virginias—especially straight Virginias—for beginners, can be positives if used as a learning opportunity. So, a good straight Virginia seems appropriate here. That said, Mac Baren Virginia no. 1 just happened to be the one I picked up, and it’s notorious for bite, even among Virginias. If I had to recommend one that can help train your cadence and develop the palate, but which offers beginners more than a lesson, that would have to be Mac Baren’s Capstan Gold Navy Cut.

This blend is right down the middle in strength, has a good mix of Virginias, and gentle embellishments from the flavoring. While you still have to respect it on the draw, it’s not the same biter as some other straight Virginias.

I also appreciate this one for the options it presents. You can try the Ready-Rubbed or the Flake, and there’s even Capstan Original Navy Cut, which is a good option if you want something that kicks up in strength a bit.

Astley’s No. 2 Mixture

• Tobacco: Perique, Virginia
• Cut: Ribbon
• Strength: Mild – Medium
• Tin

Astley’s No. 2 Mixture is a great VA/Per introduction for tobacco pipe beginners. It offers a dynamic mix of Red and Gold Virginias that are complimented by just a bit of Perique. If you’re looking for a blend that delivers Perique in a less busy mix but still subtle enough to ease into, this blend is ideal.

Although, the limited Perique only slightly tames the enthusiastic burn of the Virginias, so make sure you’re keeping a slow pace. 

G. L. Pease Cairo

• Tobacco: Oriental, Perique, Virginia
•  Cut: Ribbon
•  Strength: Medium
• Tin

Here’s another instance where the categorical lines get a bit blurry. One niche blend we sometimes see is Oriental. As you can imagine, this category refers to a blend with a significant Oriental/Turkish presence. Although there are some straight Orientals, they are often Virginia based and can sit comfortably in either category.

Cairo is one of renowned blender G. L. Pease’s Original Mixtures which showcases the creative, artistic approach to blending for which Pease is revered. This blend will give you a wonderful awareness of Oriental and Turkish qualities. I recall it being one of the blends that helped shape my consciousness to this versatile tobacco family when I couldn’t seem to pick it out beyond faint hints in the English blends I was smoking. The small amount of Perique adds its own intricacy, more on the raisin-y side rather than spicy. The Virginias bring a nice citrus and grassy forward flavor to the ensemble.

When I get a new blend, I try to devote myself to it for a bit (how long that bit is varies blend to blend). I’ll try it in briar, meerschaum, corn cob—I’ll smoke it in the morning, at night—with coffee, with tea—I’ll smoke it in a box, with a fox, in a house, with a—okay you get it. I’ll try to refrain from packing another blend until it feels like I’m getting a more fleshed out, intimate sense of the new one. Admittedly, that’s sometimes difficult to do if my initial reaction to a blend is dull. I’m tempted to pack a bowl with a tried-and-true favorite. Often it works out and that blend that didn’t initially inspire comes into view in dazzling revelation. Sometimes not.

Cairo was one of those blends I had no trouble devoting my smoking to. I’m not even so sure that I was initially enamored with the blend so much as I was fiercely intrigued—the way that the Orientals and Virginias defined and played off one another just didn’t seem to belong to any formula I had precedence for. It was a square peg for which I had to drill a new hole. These sorts of fixations are part of what took my curiosity about pipe smoking and gave it life. It’s like, sometimes you want to read the book you’ve read one hundred times because you know it resonates so. Sometimes you pick up something new and maybe even difficult to wrestle with because, infuriating as it might be, it asks something of you. 

Things to Keep in Mind

Here are some tips and other information to consider so that you’re making as informed a decision as possible and getting the most out of your pipecraft.

Don’t Choose the Tobacco on Smell Alone

What we call the tin note or bag note is the aroma you get right when you open that container. It’s easy to think this scent translates to the taste of the tobacco, but that isn’t always the case. In fact, it may not even be very accurate to the room note.

This cuts both ways—a wonderful aroma may not be so pleasing of a smoke, but an offensive tin note may not mean a bad smoking experience.

Starting With a Few Small Quantities of Bulk

I know bulk makes it sound like you’re buying Cost-Co quantities, but not quite. Bulk tobaccos generally come in a range of sizes. But this usually includes a 2 oz. option, sometimes even 1 oz.

I made sure to include a number of bulk options here because (in addition to them being blends I genuinely love) they’re cheaper and perfect for exploration. You can start uncovering your taste without spending too much on something you end up disliking, then apply what you learn about your taste when you want to try some boutique blends.

Just remember, bulk usually comes in bags, which are fine as temporary storage. But you’re best off getting  some other means of storage, even if you’re not cellaring them and just using them for your current stock.

But speaking of cellaring…

Cellar What You Don’t Like

To the new pipe smoker, cellaring might sound like some real aficionado, obsessive behavior. It’s really not (I mean, it can be if you want). “Cellaring” makes the whole practice sound like a grand undertaking. It’s simply storing in airtight containers—usually unopened tins or mason jars—stowed away from sunlight in a consistent, not too humid environment. Not need to convert the basement or build a bunker. You can read our blog on the subject to learn more about cellaring tobacco.

If a blend really isn’t working for you, go ahead and start aging it. Tastes change in more ways than one, both the qualities of the tobacco will change as will the preferences of the smoker, especially if they’re new to pipe smoking and haven’t ventured much into more full-bodied blends or haven’t found the nuances in varieties like Virginias. You already bought the stuff, so what do you have to lose?

The exception however is that many Aromatic blends shouldn’t be aged long. However, if their flavor was imparted from an exposure such as barrel aging as opposed to spray casing, by all means.

Give a Little Bit of Everything a Chance

When it comes down to it, you like what you like and there is no shame in that. If you get into fruity Aromatics and that’s all you ever enjoy, well, the key word there is enjoy. You’re enjoying your Aromatics, ergo you’re enjoying a pipe. You’re doing it right in my book.

But I do encourage beginners to be curious about everything and try everything. Not only is it good for developing and navigating your preferences, but it’s good for your technique as well. One blend might work better in one pipe and then it’s a whole different experience in another. One cut might need to be packed a little bit differently than another to get it right. You like to dry out this blend for this long but when doing it with that one it’s too dry.

Learning about pipes and pipe tobacco and finding your rhythm is like stepping into another culture. It’s good to go in with some best practices, have some idea of how it all works and any self-sabotaging behaviors to avoid. But it’s engaging that truly begets clarity. It’s through osmosis that the intricacies of customs and practices start to be understood not in isolation, but in relation to a larger cooperation. 

Hopefully this guide has provided a good place to start your exploration. 

1. Daderot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
2. Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
3. National Archives at College Park, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
4. andrew welch andrewwelch3, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (thumbnail-text added to original)

Cigars make an excellent accompaniment to a good glass of whisky, brandy, and even rum. The smoky flavors complement each other well and the whole process of smoking one is like a ritual.

When it comes to cigars, however, it's important to maintain a little patience during the lighting process.

Lighting a cigar is not as simple as lighting a cigarette and it requires a certain delicate hand. That being said, the process is what makes smoking a cigar so enjoyable.

Keep reading to learn how to light a cigar (properly!) as well as how the right lighter can make the whole process painless.

Choosing the Right Lighter

So you've picked a cigar and are excited to light up. Where do you start? 

When you're lighting your cigar, it's important to use the right flame source to get it burning. Many people don't know that certain types of lighters and matches will leave a foul residue on your cigar.

For example, candles and oil-fueled lighters all leave a bad taste in the mouth when used to light a cigar. Additionally, standard sulfur matches can also impart an odd flavor to your smoke.

At the end of the day, using a butane fueled lighter made exclusively for cigars is the best method to get the right burn. 

The options are going to feel endless when choosing the right cigar lighter, and ultimately the best one for you is going to be based on personal preference.

Cigar matches are another effective option in getting the perfect light. Cigar matches are longer than regular ones and they are sulfur-free.

The Intricacies of How to Light a Cigar

When considering how to light a cigar properly, we need to take a few factors into account. We want to make sure that we get a nice, even burn on the foot of the cigar. That way, we're setting ourselves up for a consistent burn the whole way through.

After cutting your cigar, you're going to start with something that sounds a little unexpected. It is, however, particularly important, and is the best way to light a cigar.

We're going to toast the foot.

When you draw on a cigar, the combustion is hottest in the center of the cherry, where the filler is. Toasting before drawing gives the wrapper and binder a head start. It's a simple process that will make the whole ritual of lighting a cigar and keeping an even burn more manageable.

You're going to hold a match to the outside edge of the cigar's tip, otherwise known as the foot. Then you want to rotate it evenly along the edge, which will result in a fine, white, ashy color change. This means it's been properly toasted.

Once you have toasted the foot, it's time to light your cigar. Start by holding it at a 45-degree angle just over the flame. You want to make sure the visible flame isn't touching the cigar itself.

Slowly puff on the cigar, rotating the barrel every few draws to ensure equal heat is being applied to the foot's surface. Take a look to check that it is burning evenly. 

Once lit, let the cigar sit for a minute. This gives it time to stabilize, much like you would let a bottle of wine breathe before pouring the first glass.

What to Do After the Cigar is Lit

When the cigar has begun to smolder, place it gently in your mouth and puff away!

If you find that during your smoke, your cigar is starting to burn unevenly, you will need to give it a bit of attention.

The first thing you can do is simply rotate the cigar in your mouth so that the combustion isn't too concentrated on one side of the foot.

If rotating doesn't even it out, you can apply a little bit of moisture to the wrapper where you want to slow down the burn. You can use a touch of saliva on your finger and dab it on the wrapper.

That being said, don't drench the cigar and don't touch the tip of it. It goes without saying that it's very hot.

While letting a cigar go out is absolutely fine in one sitting, you want to avoid relighting a cigar the next day as the taste will be bitter and unpleasant. 

Our guide on how to smoke a cigar offers more ways to troubleshoot the possible complications that may arise while enjoying your smoke. 

Enjoy the Process

Smoking a cigar is akin to performing a ritual. The act of smoking is itself only a part of the main event. Cutting, toasting, and lighting a cigar is almost meditative and the whole process can be incredibly relaxing.

The qualities that make a cigar such a dynamic pleasure, are also what make it a bit more demanding than the quick scorch and puff process of lighting a cigarette. A premium cigar is a hand-rolled work of fine craftsmanship, and it's only appropriate that we put the same care into smoking it as the artisans did in creating it. 

We hope that this guide has helped you learn how to light a cigar properly. You should have no problem if you follow these instructions, but remember, after a few trials, it will start to become second nature. 

There are many different cigar shapes and sizes out there, keep reading below and become a more informed cigar enthusiast.

Do Size and Shape Matter?

The strength and flavor of a cigar comes down to the type of tobacco used. For instance, you might have a thick, fat stogie, but if mild tobacco is used then it will be a mild smoke. However, shape can affect some qualities of the smoking experience. For instance, thicker barrels will generally have more filler tobacco. Since different leaf is used, this can make a difference in the taste. This is why we see cigars rolled in many different shapes—to satisfy a vast diversity of preferences. 

The size and shape also matter because they affect how long a cigar burns. Naturally, a thick long cigar will burn for an hour or more and a thin, small cigar will burn hotter and faster. You can pick an array of cigars that suit a particular time and place. A small, thin cigar would be better for a quick smoke break, whereas a long, thick cigar would be selected for an afternoon of relaxing and unhurried smoking. 

Before we get into shapes, it's important to be informed about the different sizes of each kind of cigar. Cigars are measured in two ways, by length and ring-size. Ring-size refers to the diameter of the cigar measured in increments of 1/64th of an inch. 

The list below will help you decide which size of cigar would be perfect for each occasion.

One thing to keep in mind—the vitolas (which are the labels corresponding to length and gauge) aren't standard through the industry. This means the dimensions associated with the vitolas below are a rough, general consensus. You may see brands using slightly different dimensions or even use their own names for their vitolas.

Rothschild

The shortest cigar on our list is the Rothschild. It measures four and a half inches long and has a ring gauge of 48.

Robusto

Similar in length to the Rothschild, the Robusto measures at a length of four and 7/8 of an inch. The Robusto has a slightly bigger ring gauge of 50.

Small Panatela

The small Panatela is slightly longer than the Robusto measuring in at five inches. However, it is a thin cigar with a ring gauge of 33.

Petit Corona

Not by any chance the thickest of cigars!

The Petit Corona, as the name would suggest, is the smallest Corona with a length of five and 1/8 of an inch and a ring gauge of 42.

Corona

The Corona is longer than the Petit Corona. It measures five and a half inches long with the same size ring gauge of 42.

Corona Gorda

As the name says the Corona Gorda is a medium-length cigar of five and 5/8 inches! It has a wider diameter ring gauge of 46 compared to the standard Corona.

Panatela

Compared to the Small Panatela, the original Panatela has a longer length of six inches. You'll find that it is wider too, with a ring gauge of 38.

Corona Grande

This is a fairly big cigar! The Corona Grande measures six and 1/8 inches and has a ring gauge of 42. Hence the name grande!

Lonsdale AKA Cervantes

A Lonsdale is generally thicker than a Panatela. It's also longer than a Corona, measuring at six and a half inches and a ring gauge of 42.

Churchill

A large cigar in the Corona format, the Churchill measures in at seven inches with a ring gauge of 50. Nothing quite completes the image of Churchill than one with a cigar in hand.

Lancero

A long, thin cigar, the Lancero has a ring gauge of 38 but an impressive length of seven and a half inches.

Lancero means you go for length as opposed to thickness.

Double Corona

Not quite double the size of a standard Corona, regardless of its name. The Double Corona measures seven and 5/8 inches long and has a ring gauge of 49.

Presidente

The Presidente is one of the largest cigars available on the market! This bad boy has a length of about nine inches and a ring gauge of 50.

Different Cigar Shapes

There are two different shapes of cigars, Parejos and Figurados. 

Parejos

Parejos have straight sides with a cylindrical shape and need to be cut before smoking them. The cigar sizes that have the Parejos shape are:

• Lonsdale
• Double Corona
• Panatela
• Corona Gorda
• Robusto
• Churchill
• Petit Corona
• Corona

Figurados

A Figurado is any cigar that doesn't have a straight-sided cylindrical shape. Although most cigars are Parejos, more and more cigarmakers are enhancing their portfolios with different Figurados. The basic Figurado shapes are:

Torpedo

Belicoso

Perfecto

Pyramid

Cigars Aren't That Complicated

Like most things, all the cigar shapes and sizes can be quite confusing at the start but by reading and educating yourself, you will become an expert on the matter in no time whatsoever.

Again, this is a convenient classification system, but not an industry standard. My suggestion, if you find a cigar with a size that you really like, make sure to look up the length and ring gauge. That way you can search for others, even with brands that might use their own vitola names.

Are you still unsure which cigar will suit you for each occasion or need to find out any more information? Contact our team today and let us take care of your every cigar need.

Alternatives to:

Before clutching the pearls or grinding the teeth (or axe) at the notion of a “match” or “replacement” for a legendary blend, let me kick off this collection of alternatives to classic pipe tobacco blends with the assurance that I am aware as you are, things can’t truly be recreated—not perfectly. Heck, even with a consistent manufacturer, in the same factory, using the same equipment, change is inevitable.

Sourcing of raw leaf is a variable game; the days of the auction system are no more—large cigarette manufacturers such as Philip Morris and J.R. Tobacco commission farmers by the millions of pounds while humble operations struggle to find high quality leaf and the agency to be selective. Old school methods of manufacturing disappear from farms. Some varieties may go away completely as Syrian Latakia has—Perique has certainly given us a few scares before.

Absolute consistency is difficult for anyone. So, we certainly can’t expect a perfect match from approximating a blend without the proprietary practices and equipment, mapping out a recipe from the discerning palate of a clever blender. 

But we need not get hung up on this idea of the perfect match. Because we may still find ourselves with a fantastic blend that can supplement the absence while bringing us something new to discover. In fact, you’ll see through this piece that a lot of the classics were conceived as matches themselves.

“Match” (when not referring to our little fire sticks) can sometimes feel like a buzz word in pipe tobacco discussions. For some, it lands on the ear like a gnat and provokes the reflex to swat it off. I like “alternative,” but whatever we want to call it, let’s establish our mission here. It is not to find the carbon copy of the bygone or evasive classic. It won’t be found, and such expectations only set us up to evaluate through an impossible rubric and can warp the impression of an otherwise great blend. This is about exploring, guided by the giants of pipe tobacco—touching on their histories, and paying homage while we’re at it.

It’s a great time to be an explorer in this hobby. We owe that to the craftsmen we have today—pipe maker and blender alike—who treat the craft like the art that it is. But we also owe our gratitude to the giants whose shoulders these modern masters stand on. 

Dunhill Blends

In 2018, unfortunate news befell the world of pipe smoking. British American Tobacco (BAT), who owned General Cigar Co. (the makers and distributers of Dunhill blends), decided to leave the pipe tobacco and cigar enterprise. At the time, these blends were being manufactured in Denmark at the Orlik /  Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) factory. Luckily, STG purchased the rights to the blend designs and trademarks. Also acquired by STG: Peterson’s pipe tobacco line. The Peterson pipe company had recently sold to an American company. STG opted to reintroduce some of the popular Dunhill blends as part of the Peterson line. Luckily, since these blends were already being made in the STG factory, the only change in the tobaccos was the Dunhill name on the tins being replaced with Peterson’s logo. However, in the interim, a few fantastic blends sprouted up by other esteemed pipe tobacco manufacturers looking to fill the void, giving us more options to explore.

Now let’s rewind to where Dunhill got started…

In 1907, Alfred Dunhill opened shop in London where he revolutionized pipe tobacco blends. Recognizing how personal of an experience taste is to the pipe smoker, Dunhill instituted a creative way for customers to achieve a fantastic smoke curated to their palate. He would interview shop-goers about their tobacco tastes and mix them a personalized blend then and there. The process could be repeated, the recipe gradually refined, until the right mixture for that patron had been realized. These personally cultivated mixes were the “My Mixture” blends.

Let's continue the history of Dunhill, told through their famous mixtures. Each will precede a few recommendations.

(Note: although the Peterson versions of some of Dunhill’s especially popular blends differ only in name, I’ll include those because they give us an opportunity to explore some of the great blends they influenced)

My Mixture 965

In the long run, Dunhill couldn’t rely solely on the My Mixture method. It doesn’t translate so well to a catalogue format, and of course some folks are more interested in walking into a store, getting what they need, and leaving—not invested enough for the song and dance of an interview. So, while keeping the practice, Dunhill also delegated ten of the My Mixture blends to a line of prepackaged, name mixes which would be featured in the 1910 catalogue. One of these blends was My Mixture 965, apparently mixed for E. A. Baxter, Esq. 965 remained popular throughout the Dunhill years and is still prominent in the Peterson Dunhill line.

Cornell & Diehl Tuggle Hall

Blend Type: American Tobacco Type: Cavendish, Latakia, Perique Cut: Ribbon Strength: Medium - Full Taste: Full

Sutliff 965 Match (Match 20)

Blend Type: English Tobacco Type: Black Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental Cut: Ribbon Strength: Medium  Taste: Medium

McConnell Marylebone

Originally My Mixture 999 Blend Type: English Tobacco Type: Black Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental, Virginia Cut: Ribbon  Strength: Medium Taste: Medium

Peterson My Mixture 965

Blend Type: English Tobacco Type: Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental Cut: Ribbon  Strength: Medium - Full Taste: Medium

The Royal Yacht

In 1910, Dunhill sought to offer more name blends which fulfilled what the My Mixture system could not. Blending is a meticulous art beyond the mixing of ingredients. Flavors are dramatically altered by the processes that blends undergo, especially giving time for the component tobaccos to sit together, allowing flavors to marry. This was another drawback to the on-the-spot production of My Mixture blends. Thus, in 1912, a new line was released of pre-packaged blends. Among this line, the still popular Royal Yacht—infamous for its fine, matured Virginias.

Mac Baren HH Bold Kentucky

Cornell & Diehl Dreams of Kadath

McConnell Paddington

Peterson The Royal Yacht 

Durbar (1066)

Another one of the pre-packaged blends launched in 1912 was the Oriental mixture Durbar.

Despite being a popular blend, Durbar was dropped in the late 60s but was promptly replaced with My Mixture 1066. This replacement was said to be nothing but a name change, but many speculate it was more of a pivot in the wake of complications in keeping the Durbar recipe consistent. 

It seems alterations to the Durbar blend may have been inevitable given the difficulty sourcing specific Oriental sub-varieties. It was necessary for Dunhill to purchase these tobaccos discretely to achieve the nuanced specificity of some of their blends. However, it became more and more common for these sub-varieties to be sold in a bulk mixture. Additionally, the Syrian government’s ban on Latakia production saw blenders switching to Cyprian Latakia. Most Latakia smoked today is Cyprian. These changes may have prompted Dunhill to introduce 1066 to take on the altered recipe without betraying the original profile, while hopefully still satiating the same smokers. Durbar would eventually be reintroduced with its original title, but ultimately would not be included in the Peterson line.

Cornell & Diehl Rajah’s Court

Rattray's Red Rapparee

McConnell Oriental Square

Ye Olde Signe

During WWI, more name blends hit the market. Among them was Ye Olde Signe, launched in 1915. The straight Virginia favorite saw a similar trajectory as Durbar, moving to Murray’s in 1981, Orlik/STG in 2004, and finally bowing out with the Dunhill brand. Of course, we can assume that it isn’t out of the realm of possibility for these blends that were not picked up by Peterson to eventually be reproduced. But until then, hopefully alternatives will suffice.

Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake

McConnell Shakespeare

Standard Mixture

In the economic recovery following the war, the price was raised on Dunhill’s existing blends. To sustain accessibility for a broad market, Dunhill released a number of affordable mixes. One of these, released in the early 1920s, was the Dunhill Standard Mixture, which was available in mild, medium, and full Latakia strengths. Although blended as an affordable option, Standard Mixture became a wildly popular blend and has stood the test of time, even being picked up in the transition to Peterson. 

Sutliff Standard Mixture Match

McConnell Notting Hill

Peterson Standard Mixture

London Mixture

In 1928, Dunhill released the Latakia/Cavendish blend London Mixture. By the time of its later iteration however, London Mixture could accurately be described as an Oriental blend—the variant taking a bit more of a starring role in contrast to the smoky Latakia and grassy Virginias. Unfortunately, London Mixture was not picked up by Peterson.

G. L. Pease Westminster

McConnell Piccadilly Circus

Nightcap

Though Dunhill had built up a substantial portfolio, by the end of WWII a reworking of the catalogue was underway. A number of blends were dropped. The catalogues of the 50s show Dunhill offering My Mixture blends, Royal Yacht, Durbar, Cuba, and three new blends released in 1951: Nightcap, Early Morning Pipe, and Aperitif. In his article, DUNHILL PIPE TOBACCO: 1907 – 1990, John C. Loring proposes that this change was a strategy to focus on the most successful pre-war blends while introducing new ones meant to find hold in the American Market, which proved to be much more consistent in tobacco pricing in the post-war period compared to the UK. 

Nightcap has long been a quintessential English blend, possibly the most mourned in those gap years between Dunhill and Peterson. 

Ashton Artisan’s Blend

Sutliff Nightcap Match (Late Evening)

McConnell Covent Garden

Peterson Nightcap

Early Morning Pipe

Fortunately, both Nightcap and Early Morning Pipe were picked up with the Peterson Dunhill line. With Nightcap as the robust, full-bodied, wind-down smoke, Early Morning Pipe is there to get the English lovers' days started with a flavorful, mild to medium pleasure. Such a staple for these English smokers, quite a few blenders were looking to fill the void between the Dunhill and Peterson productions. 

Cornell & Diehl Good Morning

Presbyterian

Sutliff Early Morning Pipe Match (Sunrise)

McConnell Boutique Blend

Peterson Early Morning Pipe

Aperitif

Unlike Nightcap and Early Morning Pipe, Aperitif was not picked up as part of the Peterson Dunhill line. But we hold onto hope that this Scottish mixture perfect for that pre-dinner smoke might pack our pipes once again. In the meantime, we certainly aren’t starved of options.

Samuel Gawith: Squadron Leader

Rattray’s Black Mallory

McConnell St. James Park

Flake

In the latter part of the 1950s, a pressed straight Virginia was introduced, Dunhill Flake. This was renamed Light Flake in late 1960s to contrast the name of the newly released Dark Flake; as you could guess, a stronger variety of the former. Light Flake returned to its original name when the FDA banned descriptors of “light” on tobacco products. However, Dark Flake had already been dropped by this time.

Capstan Navy Cut

Newminster No. 400 Superior Flake

McConnell Flake

Peterson Flake

Elizabethan Mixture

It was in the period that we see Dark Flake appear on the market that another familiar blend arises, the renowned vaper Elizabethan Mixture.

G. L. Pease Fillmore

Sutliff Elizabethan Match (Victorian)

Based on the Murray’s production 

McConnell Regent Street

Peterson Elizabethan Mixture

De Luxe Navy Rolls

It seems that in the late 1990s, Dunhill tried their hand at a match of their own. In 1994, Gallaher ceased production of the ever-popular Escudo Navy De Luxe. It eventually reemerged in the late 1990s after being acquired by A & C Petersen, but in the interim, Dunhill released De Luxe Navy Rolls.

A & C Petersen would be acquired by  Orlik in 2000 and eventually production of Escudo Navy Deluxe moved to the Orlik/STG factory. There has been some debate about whether the current iterations of these blends  are in fact the same, as Peterson De Luxe Navy Rolls and Escudo Navy De Luxe are both made in the STG Factory and seem to match in each observable way, although different tobacco sources are purported.

Davidoff Flake Medallions

Escudo Navy De Luxe

McConnell Highgate

Originally Eclipse

Peterson Deluxe Navy Rolls

McClelland Blends

In the early 1970s, Carl Ehwa began working at Fred Diebel’s, a tobacco shop in Kansas City. He eventually started blending for the shop and, soon enough, was running factory operations. In 1974, Ehwa would publish The Book of Pipes— still a mainstay for pipe smokers.

Partnered with wife Mary (later Mary McNiel) and friend Bob Benish, Ehwa set out to start his own operation. It was Ehwa’s grandfather, Dr. McClelland, who provided the namesake and the location for the budding company, as the trio set up shop in his basement and got to blending.

Benish would depart in 1980 to realize his passion for pastry as a baker, prompting the arrival of Mike McNiel to the McClelland team. Unfortunately, some difficult times were ahead.

In 1982, Ehwa suffered a brain aneurysm. His personality changed and with it, the passion for tobacco waned. He would leave McClelland shortly after.

However, Mary and Mike proved to be a formidable partnership, continuing to develop the McClelland brand, and even wedding in 1993.

Every step of the blending process at McClelland was done with the most precise care, from a scrupulous choosing of leaf to the point of sealing, no aspect of production would be executed with anything short of thoughtful care. Mike had a meticulous approach to every facet of blending; checking moisture constantly, making miniscule adjustments so it was just right. Mary had her own acuity in her advanced palate. She had a keen sense for the nuances of the different components and would often crack-the-code on developing blends that were missing that one thing. This asset also made her adept at ensuring a component leaf or batch was up to the company’s high standards. Not to mention, she is the artists behind many of the McClelland labels such as the Frog Morton series and Christmas Cheer.

These high standards are a major part of why, to the chagrin of many, McClelland closed up shop in 2018.

We’ve made our pipe tobaccos–Virginias, Oriental mixtures, Aromatics, etc.–from the highest grades of leaf and stripped tobaccos because of their basic richness and natural sweetness. That has been the beauty of McClelland and that is now the problem. We can no longer access tobacco of the quality we need. The time-honored labor-intensive process at the farms are disappearing. The aging of leaf over several summers to mellow is largely a thing of the past. We need old school methods at every stage before manufacturing to make it possible for McClelland to draw from the leaf the flavors that have been our hallmark.

- Excerpt from announcement of McClelland’s closing

It can be difficult not to pout a bit, wishing maybe a successor could have been trained in the niche and proprietary methods of McClelland’s magic, but when it comes down to it, the ingredients and infrastructure within the industry just aren’t there now—so say the folks with the only authority to really say what McClelland blends need. The McNiels opted to preserve their blends as just what they were meant to be; even if that means they are only preserved in the fond memories of pipe smokers and the cellars of some lucky-so-and-sos. A graceful exit, though not an all too surprising one considering the artistry and passion exhibited in their famous blends.

Far be it from me to suggests “replacements” for the one-of-a-kind tangy, vinegary profile notorious of McClelland blends, but these may get you through the vexing McClelland withdraw without impulsively coughing up hundreds on that cellared tin.

5100 Red Cake

One thing McClelland was especially notorious for was their great Red Virginias. The loss of this one also spelt the beginning of the end for McClelland. In 2017, news of the end of 5100 Red Cake spread as Mike relayed to some in the industry that he and Mary had sampled the Carolina Red Virginias that they had just received from the year’s harvest. Sadly, the inevitable day the McNiels anticipated had arrived; the batch simply wasn't up to their standards. Rather than settle, they decided that was it for the blend. This one was really felt through the community, as 5100 was a favorite component for micro-blenders, and quite simply a delightful smoke. 

Sutliff Matured Red Virginia 515 RC-1

Frog Morton

Frog Morton had the flavor of rich Latakia, but nonetheless that iconic smoothness for which McClelland is praised. I’ve heard that it was blended with the idea of making a great introduction to English blends. Whether or not that is so, it certainly achieves a rewarding smoke, accessible as a newcomer’s introduction to Latakia forward blends as well as an all-day smoke for the seasoned pipe smoker. In addition to being a fantastic blend in and of itself, Frog Morton was also the springboard for a series of beloved variations on the original. You may hear the original referred to as Frog on a Log—a de facto label that easily distinguishes it within the Frog Morton family. 

Rattray’s Black Mallory

Cornell & Diehl Mississippi Mud

G. L. Pease Maltese Falcon

Frog Morton on the Bayou

Frog Morton on the Bayou is the Balkan variety which sees the original Virginia and Latakia blend boldened by Oriental/Turkish tobacco and Perique. Bayou is the only of the Frog Morton blends to utilize Perique. 

Cornell & Diehl Plantation Evening

G. L. Pease Samarra

Frog Morton’s Cellar

Another in the Frog family is Frog Morton Cellar. Here we have the original recipe aged with whiskey barrel staves. This is a popular method for imparting a more natural aromatic taste. The tobacco is slowly imbued with the remnant aroma from the staves, giving an extra flavor that mingles well with the tobaccos. 

Sutliff Private Stock Eastfarthing

Cornell & Diehl Strathspey

Missouri Meerschaum American Patriot

40^th Anniversary

The celebratory straight Virginia is a favorite from McClelland. The natural sweetness, citrus grassy notes, and iconic McClelland tang makes this mix of Red and Orange Virginias easy to miss. 

Cornell & Diehl Opening Night

Cornell & Diehl Interlude

G. L. Pease Union Square 

Dark Star

“Occasionally we meet someone whose familiarity with a variety of tobaccos, sensitive palate, and desire for "that special tobacco" provide an inspiration for us. In seeking to satisfy a taste other than our own, we pleasantly surprise ourselves with beautiful results. This is what the Personal Reserve Series is all about. We developed this concept early on as a way to enhance our creative spirit. We are proud to offer these fine pipe tobacco blends and hope you will enjoy them.” - McClelland

Another straight Virginia, but this one takes a dark turn. Aged, pressed, and stoved, Dark Star truly makes the case for the McClelland Virginia expertise and range. I will say, keeping in mind that there really are no perfect matches for any blends, the McClelland straight Virginias are an especially daunting gap to fill. Their unique flavors were their own, but we can still look into some dark, heavily stoved Virginias that may satisfy the palate of the Dark Star appreciator. 

Rattray’s Black Virginia

Astley’s No. 44 Dark Virginia Flake

Balkan Blue

Balkan Blue, originally called Blue Mountain, is a smooth Balkan with a significant Oriental presence which beautifully accents woody Latakia. This one was actually inspired by a 21-year-old tin of Balkan Sobranie #759 and won the People’s Choice Award at the 2011 Chicago Pipe Show’s Balkan Sobranie Throwdown. 

Cornell & Diehl Star of the East

G. L. Pease Abingdon

Sobranie House Blends

The Redstone family established Sobranie of London in 1879. They were one of the earliest cigarette brands as the smoking medium began to get more and more popular, especially in Europe. To us in the pipe world, they are the original manufacturers of the legendary Balkan Sobranie Mixture.

You often see Balkan Sobranie’s introduction dated in the 1920s, but it’s difficult to date accurately. Cigarettes of the same name had been around since the late 19 ^th century, which many early mentions refer to. Kevin Godbee wrote in 2012 that he’s found no explicit mention of the pipe tobacco prior to a 1949 issue of The Strand, but it was likely around for some time before this.

Sobranie House ceased their pipe tobacco production in 1982, selling a few of their most popular trademarks to Gallaher Group. Pipe tobacco simply wasn’t important enough to their business to justify the expenses and energy on products that, while beloved, weren’t the cash crop.

Sobranie House also manufactured brands such as Krumble Kake for Smoker’s Haven and other house blends—the productions of which were moved to other factories.

Some of the popular Sobranie blends are still available, of course, as modern interpretations of the originals.

The Balkan Sobranie

One of the most popular tobaccos ever produced, the namesake of the Balkan category of English blends, Balkan Sobranie is about as legendary as you can get in pipe tobacco blends.

Like many of these blends with such long histories, Balkan Sobranie has many iterations through the years, disturbed by the familiar agitators; changing of hands to different manufacturers and disruptions to leaf availability.

The first of such changes was when production was still under Sobranie House; the switch from Syrian to Cyprian Latakia that all blenders in the 60s found themselves contending with. Manufacturers likely warehoused Syrian Latakia and gradually phased in the Cyprian variety as stock dwindled. In light of this, it's difficult to explicitly pin point when the blend's Latakia was totally Cyprian, but it was likely within the decade or two that that followed the Syrian government’s ban on production. Then of course were the changes that came with the changing of hands.

G. L. Pease, a regular smoker of Balkan Sobranie when it was still manufactured by Sobranie House, points to a number of changes in the transition to Gallaher:

• Altered toasting technique.
• Reduction in Latakia from 50% to 35%.
• Yenidje replaced with generic Orientals.
• Additives introduced to the mix.
• Cut changed to accommodate mass-production.

In 1998, Gallaher ceased production of tobacco products, and that was the end of Balkan Sobranie until 2011, when distribution was picked up by Arango Cigar Co., blended by J. F. Germain & Son in the Channel Isle of Jersey factory. 

J. F. Germain & Son Balkan Sobranie

J. F. Germain is the perfect choice to recreate this time-honored mixture. We became acquainted with them, when we acquired the Butera Tobacco Company’s inventory and distribution rights of Germain. They continue to make several of Butera’s finest mixtures for us, including the well-respected Esoterica. So, we know their reputation for selecting and blending tobaccos of the highest quality and standards. I know smokers will respond positively to the reintroduction of Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture, and that the blend’s iconic white can will again top the list of many pipe smokers’ favorites."

- Michael Gold, President of Arango Cigar Co.

Sutliff Match Balkan Sobranie

Hearth & Home Black House

Russ Ouellette blend which won the 2011 Balkan Sobranie 759 Throwdown at the Chicagoland Pipe and Tobacciana Show. 

G. L. Pease Charing Cross

One of G. L. Pease’s early mixtures was blended to harken back to his memories of Balkan Sobranie he used to smoke—still made by House of Sobranie, though after Syrian Latakia was replaced by Cyprian. 

Balkan Sasieni

Bengal Slices

In the mid-70s, one blend was gaining a lot of traction as a great English with an innovative convenience, Smokers' Haven’s notorious Krumble Kake. The pressed slices were apparently the brainchild of Smokers’ Haven founder Joseph Zieve who imagined bringing an ease of transportation to tobacco blends. Crumble cakes feature ribbon cut tobacco that has been pressed, though not with as much pressure or as long as a flake would usually be. Seeing the promise of this cut style, Balkan Sobranie (who were in fact manufacturing Krumble Kake for Smokers’ Haven) opted to create their own, Bengal Slices. It’s believed that Bengal Slices was pressed Balkan Sobranie with an added topping.

Bengal Slices wasn’t included in the transition to Gallaher. It was originally a house blend for James B. Russel Inc. (JBR), so when Gallaher took over Sobranie trademarks, the Slices were retained by JBR. Bengal Slices reentered the market, being produced in a Denmark factory, but this only lasted a few years, and were discontinued in the late 80s. JBR would contract A & C Petersen who would manufacture Bengal Slices from 91 to 99, right up to the Orlik/STG acquisition of A & C Petersen in 2000. Finally, the last changing of hands occurred in 2015, which perfectly brings us to our first recommendation…

(STC) Bengal Slices

In 2015 The Standard Tobacco Company of Pennsylvania (STC) acquired the manufacturing and distribution rights for War Horse, John Cotton blends, and Bengal Slices. STC would then tap Russ Ouellette to help develop the blend recreation—an obvious choice, not only being that Ouellette is a master of his craft, but he had made his own tribute to Bengal Slices already.

(STC) Bengal Slices White

Hearth & Home Fusilier’s Ration

Russ Ouellette's tribute to Bengal Slices.

Esoterica Penzance

Penzance from Esoterica Tobacciana has reached the mythological levels of embrace by pipe smokers akin to those bygone blends without ever having been discontinued—it’s just very hard to find.

Penzance’s origins are in the classic Smokers’ Haven blends. When Founder Joseph Zieve first tasted Balkan Sobranie while stationed in England, he knew it had to make its way to America. He approached House of Sobranie and facilitated a partnership. This led to Smokers’ Haven’s Our Best Blend, which was really Balkan Sobranie relabeled. They expanded their portfolio, concocting new blends that were riffs on the Balkan Sobranie base—one of these was the infamous Krumble Kake which inspired Bengal Slices. As was stated in the previous section, Sobranie House’s leave from pipe tobacco meant Smokers’ Haven had to find a new manufacturer, which they did in J. F. Germain. However, they didn’t last long. With the pipe tobacco industry seeing hard times and Zieve retiring in 1987, Smokers’ Haven blends were soon discontinued.

Enter Stephen Richmond of the Piedmont Tobacconist. The business owner from Oakland, California envisioned a new pipe tobacco line which reimagined the Smokers’ Haven classics, blended by those who knew the lay of the blends—J. F. Germain. This is how Esoterica came to be, with a line of match blends—Margate matching Our Best Blend, Pembroke matching Cognac, and Penzance matching Krumble Kake.

Penzance is still manufactured in the J. F. Germain factory in the Isle of Jersey. Despite the wide success of the blends they produce, the operation is kept small. This may account for why Penzance has something special going on that’s difficult to pin down and makes it such an elusive brand. It’s on the shelves only so often and, even with retailers usually limiting the number of tins per order, it never lasts long.

But for this blend to be more readily available, would the operations at Germain have to be scaled up or moved to a larger factory? Is there something about the old-world operation that allows for the attention on the most meticulous level which shines through in these blends? And would the magic be dimmed in a larger operation? Likely so—compromise in all things, right? Still, there are other fantastic blends that may hold you over while waiting for that next stock of Penzance. 

Hearth & Home 10 to Midnight

Captain Earle’s Ten Russians 

Brebbia Latakia Flake No. 9

Bell's Three Nuns

What we can say about the origins of Bell’s Three Nuns is limited, it goes back all the way to the late 19 ^th century. Three Nuns is still in production, though of course, it’s had its share of changes. It is currently produced by Mac Baren having been moved from Orlik/STG along with the Capstan brand in 2013. Both brands hadn’t been available to the US market for 18 years prior to the move.

The original Three Nuns is lauded as a luminary VaPer. Later incarnations have been criticized for containing less Perique than the predecessor, or none at all. It’s easy to see why a truly Perique heavy blend may size down its abundance in a mixture—Perique is a labor intensive, expensive tobacco, the extinction of which has been threatened before. What most would identify as the “original” recipe (the most familiar era of manufacturing from 1911 – 1990) claimed to have 22% Perique. This wasn’t quite so, about 7% was a casing meant to simulate Perique. Clearly, even in an era not looming with the threat of Perique’s demise, it was sensible to find creative ways to boast the spicy condiment’s presence without breaking the bank. It’s supposed that Kentucky Fire Cured tobaccos were substituted for Perique sometime in the Orlik/STG production era (1990 – 2013).

A lot of the early information on Three Nuns is difficult to piece together. For one, it was introduced over a century ago, but even into the 20 ^th century, clarity is thwarted by industry norms of coded language and the secrecy around a given brands proprietary operations. However, thanks to the investigatory acumen of Kevin Godbee of Pipes Magazine, much has been uncovered.

Three Nuns was first introduced roughly 130 years ago in Glasgow, Scotland by J & F Bell. This is where it was produced in the late-19 ^th to early 20^th century. However, throughout the 20^th century we see Three Nuns coming out of different factories depending on geographic distribution. For those in the US, the iteration likely stirring the nostalgia of long-time pipe smokers is the British American Tobacco Three Nuns, manufactured in Liverpool from 1911 until 1990 when production was moved to the Orlik factory in Denmark. Here there were two versions, the familiar Three Nuns as well as a pouch version which contained no Perique. However, in the late 90s, Orlik stopped exporting Three Nuns to the US; it wouldn’t be available to the US market until 2013. This is when Imperial tobacco moved production to Mac Baren to be distributed in the US by Sutliff tobacco—the iteration in current distribution. 

Cornell & Diehl Three Friars

Three Friars may be considered an in between of the old and newer Three Nuns. Like the Orlik and Baren versions, it is a Virginia/Burley, but contains perique instead of Kentucky, like the Imperial era.

Peter Stokkebye PS 400 Luxury Navy Flake

Savinelli Doblone d’Oro

Three Nuns (Mac Baren)  

Some Closing Thoughts

It should be said, these infamous blends certainly have something special about them, but we have to reckon with the bold truth that obscurity lends weight to legend. Scarcity generates lore, mystique. For many modern classics still readily available, the difference between a highly appraised blend and the exalted gift from on high is presence. The former’s greatness, while attested to regularly, is thwarted from the ranks of the latter by its own accessibility. Plenty of popular blends could go by the wayside tomorrow and we would be sure to see their ascendency.

This is by no means a sour challenge to the greatness of blends that are no more or that only come around when the stars align. I just want to float the suggestion that, perhaps, we are ever in the midst of a “golden era” in the romantic reflections of some future pipe smoker. I certainly think we are in such an age now—the creativity and artistry from blenders breathes life into the hobby, while the internet and pipe shows have allowed community to flourish from all corners of the globe.

But looking ahead, there is cause for concern. We’re dealing with an FDA that sees all tobacco consumption as one in the same, stifling manufacturers’ ability to release new products, or to make changes to recipes (often necessary for consistency) without being subject to costly bureaucratic procedure. Then there is the eternal threat of losing tobacco varieties and industry changes which toss wrenches into recipes. We’ve already discussed the departure of Syrian Latakia, Perique’s near-death experiences, Oriental bulking creating complications for Dunhill blends, the end of the auction system, and YTPC favorite Old Hollywood Briar recently wrote up a piece from an interview with Sutliff president Jeremy McKenna highlighting the desultory availability of Latakia.

I don’t mean to lay on the doom and gloom. As a pipe smoker who hasn’t been in the hobby all that long, I hope and do believe that there is much to look forward to. But given these daunting concerns, we ought to look onto the past with thankful gaze for the present it has given us, but not lament what’s lost to the point of missing what’s good here and now. Who knows what we may have to mourn tomorrow? 

Briarwood, meerschaum, and a good ol’ corn cob—though there are any number of materials a tobacco pipe might be made from, these three comprise a trilogy essential to most modern pipe smokers’ collections. Given the price difference between the humble maize and an ornate meerschaum or artisan briar, it’s easy to see how one unfamiliar with  corn cob pipes may assume they can’t hold a match to the other materials. That’s an assumption worth testing, because you may be happily surprised to find a new favorite pipe for the price of a movie ticket. Corn cobs are great smoking instruments, embraced in the rotations of innumerable veteran pipers. The cob being no exception, pipes made from any of these materials are well worth holding a match to.

Though one may certainly have a preference between pipes made from different materials, it’s not a matter of which is “better.” It’s that each has their own qualities and unique characteristics to offer, they shine in different ways. Many gravitate to a certain material for pragmatic, aesthetic, or functional reasons—but as pipe smokers we should let our curiosity reign and uncover our taste and preferences through the palate court. Just like how your favorite meal isn’t necessarily the one thing you want to eat forever, variety is a pleasure to the pipe smoker.

Corn cob pipes certainly deserve a fair shake as a piece in any curious smoker’s arsenal. Let’s dig into the merits of corn cob pipes to understand what makes them special.

1. Cob Pipes Are History Preserved

Corn cob pipes’ sustained prominence in pipe smoking over the past 150+ years speaks to their quality. Let’s start with exploring that history so that we may approach their low-cost in the right context. There are plenty of cheap materials out there for pipes to be made from, however, the precedence of corn cobs being a favored pipe since they first came around makes the case that there is something particularly favorable about these classics that has seen them endure as respected instruments of tobacco smoking.

When dealing with an item as bucolically resourceful as the corn cob pipe, it’s difficult to pin down with hard origins. I’m reminded of the alleged origins of the slide guitar. In late 19^th Century Hawaii, Joseph Kekuku was strumming his steel string while walking down a railroad track when, upon noticing a loose metal bolt on the ground, was stricken with curiosity. He picked it up and started sliding it across the strings and—viola. Was that the first instance of this technique? No one experimented with a bottleneck before? Who knows, but it sure doesn't make it any less appreciable. In fact, there’s something to be romanticized about the passing along of such home-spun fixtures.

In the case of the corn cob pipe, one company deserves praise for preserving and upgrading this novel contraption and sharing it to wider realms—

Missouri Meerschaum

Legend has it, in 1869, a Dutch woodworker by the name of Henry Tibbe observed a local farmer in his town of Washington, Missouri smoking from a corn cob that he had whittled by hand into a pipe. The farmer approached Tibbe inquiring if he would use his lathe to make more of these pipes, to which he agreed. After satisfying the famer, Tibbe went on refining this imaginative apparatus, eventually producing some to sell. They grew in local popularity, selling more and more—Tibbe found himself less occupied by woodwork as demand grew.

Pictured above is Tibbe’s first patent for his pipes, issued after some critical upgrades. In 1878, Tibbe and a chemist friend would truly revolutionize the corn cob pipe in concocting a polymer similar to plaster of Paris that would make the pipe fire resistant. This stroke of brilliance added very little to the production process, but in improving longevity, it did wonders for the cob. 

By 1907, the operation was incorporated as Missouri Meerschaum, and Missouri was now the Corn Cob Pipe Capital.

Missouri Meerschaum remains one of the most celebrated pipe manufacturers today. And the legacy continues to grow as they’ve integrated another great pipe company’s line of cob and clay pipes in recent years—

Old Dominion Corn Cob Pipes

Since its founding in 2013 by brothers Bob and Bill Savage, Old Dominion Pipes have honored the uniquely American corn cob tradition by crafting historically accurate cob pipes. Old Dominion traces their corn back to the “Bloody Butcher” variety grown in Virginia since the 1840s. This unique and colorful corn was dubbed “Bloody Butcher” because of the distinct, deep red coloring of the kernels. Now considered an “heirloom” variety, it was commonly used in pipe making during the mid-19th century, particularly in the Southern and Midwestern United States. Also setting Old Dominion’s cobs apart is their use of bamboo stems, a style unique to American cobs that was popularized in the late 19th century.

These great pipes, as well as the tradition they sustain, were nearly lost in 2020. For the Savage brothers, this venture was a matter of passion and yearning to revive “reed stem” cob pipes. However, the brothers’ careers outside of Old Dominion started to impose on their capacity to run the operation to their standards. When Bob approached Phil Morgan of Missouri Meerschaum about acquiring some of Old Dominion's lines, Morgan went a step further, taking in all of the lines and expanding some of them (Bob stayed on part-time to help development of the clay pipe line).

Bob says of the acquisition:

“I know with the utmost confidence that [Missouri Meerschaum&91; will honor and preserve the legacy my brother and I started and will be able to manufacture [Old Dominion Pipes&91; to the same strict quality standards that they have always done with their own pipes and be able to offer them in greater quantities than our limited production capabilities allowed.”

Famed Corn Cob Smokers

We wrap up the history of these American icons with a list of some notable cob smokers. The history of the corn cob pipe can’t be told without mentioning some of its notorious champions:

• Mark Twain - Real name, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, helped make Missouri Meerschaum the name it is today. He also remains the author we hold up as the gold-standard for writing The Great American Novel.
• General Douglas McArthur – US General of the Army and Chief of Staff, especially known for his defense of the Philippines in WWII and for running Japan during the US occupation immediately following their surrender.
• Daniel Boone - An icon of the American frontier. Boone was a hunter and pioneer.
• H.L. Mencken - Known as the “Sage of Baltimore,” Mencken was a journalist, editor, and scholar who greatly influenced the politics and literature of much of the early 20th century.

2. Corn Cob Pipes are an Affordable Smoking Option

Although there are some artisans that make high-grade cobs in a bit steeper price range, a great smoking corn cob from Missouri Meerschaum or Old Dominion will put you back anywhere from around four to thirty dollars. At ten bucks, the Missouri Meerschaum Diplomat 5^th Ave was one of my first pipes and it’s still getting smoked regularly.

One thing you must appreciate about cobs is their humbleness. The cheapness of some pipes is exposed by their observable flaws, both in appearance and performance. However, the great allure of the corn cob is in its unpretentious discretion, backed by its adroitness as a smoking pipe. As I previously wrote in a blogpost exploring pipe smoking characters, “...we couldn’t imagine Popeye winding his swollen forearms to give Bluto a pounding with a long, ornate Churchwarden in his mouth.” The cob smoker is grounded and practical without compromising a quality smoke.

But even still, some cobs manage to keep that homespun charm while nodding to elegance—I’m sure we can all think of a few of those special folks through our lives whose affability could penetrate any social sphere and have them fit right in. In a way, that’s how I see models like the Missouri Meerschaum Emerald or Freehand; the cob we know and love with stems that flout a modest sleekness. Whether hard at work or mingling in polite society, these are apt for the occasion.

3. For Tasting Pipe Tobacco

One of the most popular uses for a corn cob pipe is as an inexpensive and unbiased “tasting” pipe. Many smokers feel that briar sweetens or otherwise alters the flavor of pipe tobacco. To get a true sense of a blend, pipe smokers will often use a cob like a Missouri Meerschaum Mini Morgan. The minis are cheap enough to always have a few on hand and the small bowls are perfect for getting a quick sampling of a new blend.

Another benefit of using a cob for tasting is that you will prevent unnecessary ghosting problems on your briar pipes. Ghosting is what happens when a particularly strong tobacco leaves a scent and/or flavor on the pipe, affecting future smokes with different and less intense blends. This is particularly important with strong varieties like Latakia, Perique, and heavy-cased Aromatic tobaccos. Many pipe smokers will keep a single cob dedicated to certain strong blends—as in, one dedicated to Latakia forward blends, one for Perique, and so on.

Traditionally, meerschaum pipes have been used for tasting, but a quality meerschaum can be both expensive and delicate. Priced as low as four dollars, it is much easier for modern smokers to keep a few cobs on hand.

4. To Learn About Pipe Smoking

As a vehicle for a blend's unadulterated flavor, corn cob pipes can be great for the intermediate pipe smoker who is getting acquainted with their palate and the nuances of mixtures. 

However, for a truly fresh piper just learning to smoke a pipe, one may not be so concerned about such details when simply trying to learn the basics. Getting the rhythms and methods down for fluid pipe smoking can take patience and practice, but corn cobs are great for this phase as well.

Investing as much as a few hundred dollars in smoking pipes, pipe tobacco, and accessories may not be a good way to start. An inexpensive corn cob and a good tobacco are often an excellent alternative for learning and cost next to nothing compared to other options. This also makes them low risk for some of the trials and tribulations we go through while learning things like pipe maintenance and lighting methods. If you don’t want to char the rim of a nice bowl, it’s good to go through some of those growing pains on an inexpensive corn cob.

And if you do decide to learn with one, check out this piece on breaking in a corn cob to help you along.

Additionally, cobs are great to keep around for a smoker who is always looking to help a curious friend take the hobby up. As pipe smokers, we’re always happy to broaden our circles and help along a potential pipe smoker in navigating the often-confusing early stages of taking up the craft. So having a stalk—I mean— stock of corn cobs on hand to gift to an interested acquaintance is a great idea.

5. Cobs Are Great Activity and Work Pipes

Expanding on the advantage of cobs as brunt-taking pipes, they’re excellent activity pipes for much the same reason they’re good learning pipes—they smoke great, but they’re easily replaced.

Many of us enjoy lunting or having a smoke while getting the yard work done, working in the garage, or doing another activity which has us engaged beyond our smoke. However, it’s usually best to stick to pipes that you aren’t too worried about taking some damage in these situations. Just like how you’re probably not mowing the lawn in your nice loafers, cobs are the perfect workhorses of the pipe collection.

6. They Offer Variety

When it comes to corn cob pipes, there’s more variety than one may think. When conjuring the image of a corn cob pipe, most folks’ imagination will invoke an archetypal shape, like the cartoon simplicity of Popeye’s—a tight cylinder at the end of a straight rod. Unlike wood and other pipe crafting materials, cobs aren’t shaped from a block to the mind’s fancy—for the most part, nature has decided its shape.

But as is so inherent to pipe lovers, the impulse for individualizing finds a way. Throughout Missouri Meerschaum’s catalogue you’ll see plenty of varieties of stems, shanks, and finishes. Even the cobs are manifold in their shapes; the acorns, barrels, peanut shells, and beehives—to name a few of the silhouettes (my best approximations, you don’t have to take me cloud watching). There is also the infamous MacArthur shape—long, narrow, and sure to stand out, even among its kind.

And as I mentioned before, there are cobs made by artisan pipe makers as well. In our store we have the gorgeous Custom Papa cobs from JWK 2366, the pipe making operation of the talented craftsman John Keller. Though he works with briar as well, cob lovers the world over admire him for his cob-mods—the craft of deconstructing basic corn cob pipes and customizing them. You can learn more about John Keller and the art of cob modding in our interview with the artisan.

7. You Can Do Mods of Your Own

Many of us are curious about getting into the craftsman side of pipes. Unfortunately, it’s not all that easy to casually hobby around with woodturning unless you’re fortunate enough to already have access to a woodshop, to say nothing of materials and expenses.

And to be clear, I don’t say this to dissuade anyone flirting with taking up pipe making by any means. It’s never a bad idea to take up a craft. But sometimes the allure cannot conquer the demands—sometimes we seek a more casual, leisurely creative outlet.

With cobs, there are plenty of ways that you can customize and employ your creativity. You can stomp around the web and find a lot of hobbyists’ customizations to help you generate ideas, and there are even some great videos from the YouTube Pipe Community which show the process, such as this series from CaneRodPiper. 

A corn cob pipe is a time-tested tradition that we believe every tobacco pipe smoker ought to try at least once. Check out our selection of great corn cobs and enjoy a piece of history with your smoke. 

Alternatives to:

Before clutching the pearls or grinding the teeth (or axe) at the notion of a “match” or “replacement” for a legendary blend, let me kick off this collection of alternatives to classic pipe tobacco blends with the assurance that I am aware as you are, things can’t truly be recreated—not perfectly. Heck, even with a consistent manufacturer, in the same factory, using the same equipment, change is inevitable.

Sourcing of raw leaf is a variable game; the days of the auction system are no more—large cigarette manufacturers such as Philip Morris and J.R. Tobacco commission farmers by the millions of pounds while humble operations struggle to find high quality leaf and the agency to be selective. Old school methods of manufacturing disappear from farms. Some varieties may go away completely as Syrian Latakia has—Perique has certainly given us a few scares before.

Absolute consistency is difficult for anyone. So, we certainly can’t expect a perfect match from approximating a blend without the proprietary practices and equipment, mapping out a recipe from the discerning palate of a clever blender. 

But we need not get hung up on this idea of the perfect match. Because we may still find ourselves with a fantastic blend that can supplement the absence while bringing us something new to discover. In fact, you’ll see through this piece that a lot of the classics were conceived as matches themselves.

“Match” (when not referring to our little fire sticks) can sometimes feel like a buzz word in pipe tobacco discussions. For some, it lands on the ear like a gnat and provokes the reflex to swat it off. I like “alternative,” but whatever we want to call it, let’s establish our mission here. It is not to find the carbon copy of the bygone or evasive classic. It won’t be found, and such expectations only set us up to evaluate through an impossible rubric and can warp the impression of an otherwise great blend. This is about exploring, guided by the giants of pipe tobacco—touching on their histories, and paying homage while we’re at it.

It’s a great time to be an explorer in this hobby. We owe that to the craftsmen we have today—pipe maker and blender alike—who treat the craft like the art that it is. But we also owe our gratitude to the giants whose shoulders these modern masters stand on. 

Dunhill Blends

In 2018, unfortunate news befell the world of pipe smoking. British American Tobacco (BAT), who owned General Cigar Co. (the makers and distributers of Dunhill blends), decided to leave the pipe tobacco and cigar enterprise. At the time, these blends were being manufactured in Denmark at the Orlik /  Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) factory. Luckily, STG purchased the rights to the blend designs and trademarks. Also acquired by STG: Peterson’s pipe tobacco line. The Peterson pipe company had recently sold to an American company. STG opted to reintroduce some of the popular Dunhill blends as part of the Peterson line. Luckily, since these blends were already being made in the STG factory, the only change in the tobaccos was the Dunhill name on the tins being replaced with Peterson’s logo. However, in the interim, a few fantastic blends sprouted up by other esteemed pipe tobacco manufacturers looking to fill the void, giving us more options to explore.

Now let’s rewind to where Dunhill got started…

In 1907, Alfred Dunhill opened shop in London where he revolutionized pipe tobacco blends. Recognizing how personal of an experience taste is to the pipe smoker, Dunhill instituted a creative way for customers to achieve a fantastic smoke curated to their palate. He would interview shop-goers about their tobacco tastes and mix them a personalized blend then and there. The process could be repeated, the recipe gradually refined, until the right mixture for that patron had been realized. These personally cultivated mixes were the “My Mixture” blends.

Let's continue the history of Dunhill, told through their famous mixtures. Each will precede a few recommendations.

(Note: although the Peterson versions of some of Dunhill’s especially popular blends differ only in name, I’ll include those because they give us an opportunity to explore some of the great blends they influenced)

My Mixture 965

In the long run, Dunhill couldn’t rely solely on the My Mixture method. It doesn’t translate so well to a catalogue format, and of course some folks are more interested in walking into a store, getting what they need, and leaving—not invested enough for the song and dance of an interview. So, while keeping the practice, Dunhill also delegated ten of the My Mixture blends to a line of prepackaged, name mixes which would be featured in the 1910 catalogue. One of these blends was My Mixture 965, apparently mixed for E. A. Baxter, Esq. 965 remained popular throughout the Dunhill years and is still prominent in the Peterson Dunhill line.

Cornell & Diehl Tuggle Hall

Blend Type: American Tobacco Type: Cavendish, Latakia, Perique Cut: Ribbon Strength: Medium - Full Taste: Full

Sutliff 965 Match (Match 20)

Blend Type: English Tobacco Type: Black Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental Cut: Ribbon Strength: Medium  Taste: Medium

McConnell Marylebone

Originally My Mixture 999 Blend Type: English Tobacco Type: Black Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental, Virginia Cut: Ribbon  Strength: Medium Taste: Medium

Peterson My Mixture 965

Blend Type: English Tobacco Type: Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental Cut: Ribbon  Strength: Medium - Full Taste: Medium

The Royal Yacht

In 1910, Dunhill sought to offer more name blends which fulfilled what the My Mixture system could not. Blending is a meticulous art beyond the mixing of ingredients. Flavors are dramatically altered by the processes that blends undergo, especially giving time for the component tobaccos to sit together, allowing flavors to marry. This was another drawback to the on-the-spot production of My Mixture blends. Thus, in 1912, a new line was released of pre-packaged blends. Among this line, the still popular Royal Yacht—infamous for its fine, matured Virginias.

Peterson University Flake

Cornell & Diehl Dreams of Kadath

McConnell Paddington

Peterson The Royal Yacht 

Durbar (1066)

Another one of the pre-packaged blends launched in 1912 was the Oriental mixture Durbar.

Despite being a popular blend, Durbar was dropped in the late 60s but was promptly replaced with My Mixture 1066. This replacement was said to be nothing but a name change, but many speculate it was more of a pivot in the wake of complications in keeping the Durbar recipe consistent. 

It seems alterations to the Durbar blend may have been inevitable given the difficulty sourcing specific Oriental sub-varieties. It was necessary for Dunhill to purchase these tobaccos discretely to achieve the nuanced specificity of some of their blends. However, it became more and more common for these sub-varieties to be sold in a bulk mixture. Additionally, the Syrian government’s ban on Latakia production saw blenders switching to Cyprian Latakia. Most Latakia smoked today is Cyprian. These changes may have prompted Dunhill to introduce 1066 to take on the altered recipe without betraying the original profile, while hopefully still satiating the same smokers. Durbar would eventually be reintroduced with its original title, but ultimately would not be included in the Peterson line.

Cornell & Diehl Rajah’s Court

Rattray's Red Rapparee

McConnell Oriental Square

Ye Olde Signe

During WWI, more name blends hit the market. Among them was Ye Olde Signe, launched in 1915. The straight Virginia favorite saw a similar trajectory as Durbar, moving to Murray’s in 1981, Orlik/STG in 2004, and finally bowing out with the Dunhill brand. Of course, we can assume that it isn’t out of the realm of possibility for these blends that were not picked up by Peterson to eventually be reproduced. But until then, hopefully alternatives will suffice.

Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake

McConnell Shakespeare

Standard Mixture

In the economic recovery following the war, the price was raised on Dunhill’s existing blends. To sustain accessibility for a broad market, Dunhill released a number of affordable mixes. One of these, released in the early 1920s, was the Dunhill Standard Mixture, which was available in mild, medium, and full Latakia strengths. Although blended as an affordable option, Standard Mixture became a wildly popular blend and has stood the test of time, even being picked up in the transition to Peterson. 

Sutliff Standard Mixture Match

McConnell Notting Hill

Peterson Standard Mixture

London Mixture

In 1928, Dunhill released the Latakia/Cavendish blend London Mixture. By the time of its later iteration however, London Mixture could accurately be described as an Oriental blend—the variant taking a bit more of a starring role in contrast to the smoky Latakia and grassy Virginias. Unfortunately, London Mixture was not picked up by Peterson.

G. L. Pease Westminster

McConnell Piccadilly Circus

Nightcap

Though Dunhill had built up a substantial portfolio, by the end of WWII a reworking of the catalogue was underway. A number of blends were dropped. The catalogues of the 50s show Dunhill offering My Mixture blends, Royal Yacht, Durbar, Cuba, and three new blends released in 1951: Nightcap, Early Morning Pipe, and Aperitif. In his article, DUNHILL PIPE TOBACCO: 1907 – 1990, John C. Loring proposes that this change was a strategy to focus on the most successful pre-war blends while introducing new ones meant to find hold in the American Market, which proved to be much more consistent in tobacco pricing in the post-war period compared to the UK. 

Nightcap has long been a quintessential English blend, possibly the most mourned in those gap years between Dunhill and Peterson. 

Ashton Artisan’s Blend

Sutliff Nightcap Match (Late Evening)

McConnell Covent Garden

Peterson Nightcap

Early Morning Pipe

Fortunately, both Nightcap and Early Morning Pipe were picked up with the Peterson Dunhill line. With Nightcap as the robust, full-bodied, wind-down smoke, Early Morning Pipe is there to get the English lovers' days started with a flavorful, mild to medium pleasure. Such a staple for these English smokers, quite a few blenders were looking to fill the void between the Dunhill and Peterson productions. 

Cornell & Diehl Good Morning

Presbyterian

Sutliff Early Morning Pipe Match (Sunrise)

McConnell Boutique Blend

Peterson Early Morning Pipe

Aperitif

Unlike Nightcap and Early Morning Pipe, Aperitif was not picked up as part of the Peterson Dunhill line. But we hold onto hope that this Scottish mixture perfect for that pre-dinner smoke might pack our pipes once again. In the meantime, we certainly aren’t starved of options.

Samuel Gawith: Squadron Leader

Rattray’s Black Mallory

McConnell St. James Park

Flake

In the latter part of the 1950s, a pressed straight Virginia was introduced, Dunhill Flake. This was renamed Light Flake in late 1960s to contrast the name of the newly released Dark Flake; as you could guess, a stronger variety of the former. Light Flake returned to its original name when the FDA banned descriptors of “light” on tobacco products. However, Dark Flake had already been dropped by this time.

Capstan Navy Cut

Newminster No. 400 Superior Flake

McConnell Flake

Peterson Flake

Elizabethan Mixture

It was in the period that we see Dark Flake appear on the market that another familiar blend arises, the renowned vaper Elizabethan Mixture.

G. L. Pease Fillmore

Sutliff Elizabethan Match (Victorian)

Based on the Murray’s production 

McConnell Regent Street

Peterson Elizabethan Mixture

De Luxe Navy Rolls

It seems that in the late 1990s, Dunhill tried their hand at a match of their own. In 1994, Gallaher ceased production of the ever-popular Escudo Navy De Luxe. It eventually reemerged in the late 1990s after being acquired by A & C Petersen, but in the interim, Dunhill released De Luxe Navy Rolls.

A & C Petersen would be acquired by  Orlik in 2000 and eventually production of Escudo Navy Deluxe moved to the Orlik/STG factory. There has been some debate about whether the current iterations of these blends  are in fact the same, as Peterson De Luxe Navy Rolls and Escudo Navy De Luxe are both made in the STG Factory and seem to match in each observable way, although different tobacco sources are purported.

Davidoff Flake Medallions

Escudo Navy De Luxe

McConnell Highgate

Originally Eclipse

Peterson Deluxe Navy Rolls

McClelland Blends

In the early 1970s, Carl Ehwa began working at Fred Diebel’s, a tobacco shop in Kansas City. He eventually started blending for the shop and, soon enough, was running factory operations. In 1974, Ehwa would publish The Book of Pipes— still a mainstay for pipe smokers.

Partnered with wife Mary (later Mary McNiel) and friend Bob Benish, Ehwa set out to start his own operation. It was Ehwa’s grandfather, Dr. McClelland, who provided the namesake and the location for the budding company, as the trio set up shop in his basement and got to blending.

Benish would depart in 1980 to realize his passion for pastry as a baker, prompting the arrival of Mike McNiel to the McClelland team. Unfortunately, some difficult times were ahead.

In 1982, Ehwa suffered a brain aneurysm. His personality changed and with it, the passion for tobacco waned. He would leave McClelland shortly after.

However, Mary and Mike proved to be a formidable partnership, continuing to develop the McClelland brand, and even wedding in 1993.

Every step of the blending process at McClelland was done with the most precise care, from a scrupulous choosing of leaf to the point of sealing, no aspect of production would be executed with anything short of thoughtful care. Mike had a meticulous approach to every facet of blending; checking moisture constantly, making miniscule adjustments so it was just right. Mary had her own acuity in her advanced palate. She had a keen sense for the nuances of the different components and would often crack-the-code on developing blends that were missing that one thing. This asset also made her adept at ensuring a component leaf or batch was up to the company’s high standards. Not to mention, she is the artists behind many of the McClelland labels such as the Frog Morton series and Christmas Cheer.

These high standards are a major part of why, to the chagrin of many, McClelland closed up shop in 2018.

We’ve made our pipe tobaccos–Virginias, Oriental mixtures, Aromatics, etc.–from the highest grades of leaf and stripped tobaccos because of their basic richness and natural sweetness. That has been the beauty of McClelland and that is now the problem. We can no longer access tobacco of the quality we need. The time-honored labor-intensive process at the farms are disappearing. The aging of leaf over several summers to mellow is largely a thing of the past. We need old school methods at every stage before manufacturing to make it possible for McClelland to draw from the leaf the flavors that have been our hallmark.

- Excerpt from announcement of McClelland’s closing

It can be difficult not to pout a bit, wishing maybe a successor could have been trained in the niche and proprietary methods of McClelland’s magic, but when it comes down to it, the ingredients and infrastructure within the industry just aren’t there now—so say the folks with the only authority to really say what McClelland blends need. The McNiels opted to preserve their blends as just what they were meant to be; even if that means they are only preserved in the fond memories of pipe smokers and the cellars of some lucky-so-and-sos. A graceful exit, though not an all too surprising one considering the artistry and passion exhibited in their famous blends.

Far be it from me to suggests “replacements” for the one-of-a-kind tangy, vinegary profile notorious of McClelland blends, but these may get you through the vexing McClelland withdraw without impulsively coughing up hundreds on that cellared tin.

5100 Red Cake

One thing McClelland was especially notorious for was their great Red Virginias. The loss of this one also spelt the beginning of the end for McClelland. In 2017, news of the end of 5100 Red Cake spread as Mike relayed to some in the industry that he and Mary had sampled the Carolina Red Virginias that they had just received from the year’s harvest. Sadly, the inevitable day the McNiels anticipated had arrived; the batch simply wasn't up to their standards. Rather than settle, they decided that was it for the blend. This one was really felt through the community, as 5100 was a favorite component for micro-blenders, and quite simply a delightful smoke. 

Sutliff Matured Red Virginia 515 RC-1

Frog Morton

Frog Morton had the flavor of rich Latakia, but nonetheless that iconic smoothness for which McClelland is praised. I’ve heard that it was blended with the idea of making a great introduction to English blends. Whether or not that is so, it certainly achieves a rewarding smoke, accessible as a newcomer’s introduction to Latakia forward blends as well as an all-day smoke for the seasoned pipe smoker. In addition to being a fantastic blend in and of itself, Frog Morton was also the springboard for a series of beloved variations on the original. You may hear the original referred to as Frog on a Log—a de facto label that easily distinguishes it within the Frog Morton family. 

Rattray’s Black Mallory

Cornell & Diehl Mississippi Mud

G. L. Pease Maltese Falcon

Frog Morton on the Bayou

Frog Morton on the Bayou is the Balkan variety which sees the original Virginia and Latakia blend boldened by Oriental/Turkish tobacco and Perique. Bayou is the only of the Frog Morton blends to utilize Perique. 

Cornell & Diehl Plantation Evening

G. L. Pease Samarra

Frog Morton’s Cellar

Another in the Frog family is Frog Morton Cellar. Here we have the original recipe aged with whiskey barrel staves. This is a popular method for imparting a more natural aromatic taste. The tobacco is slowly imbued with the remnant aroma from the staves, giving an extra flavor that mingles well with the tobaccos. 

Sutliff Private Stock Eastfarthing

Cornell & Diehl Strathspey

Missouri Meerschaum American Patriot

40^th Anniversary

The celebratory straight Virginia is a favorite from McClelland. The natural sweetness, citrus grassy notes, and iconic McClelland tang makes this mix of Red and Orange Virginias easy to miss. 

Cornell & Diehl Opening Night

Cornell & Diehl Interlude

G. L. Pease Union Square 

Dark Star

“Occasionally we meet someone whose familiarity with a variety of tobaccos, sensitive palate, and desire for "that special tobacco" provide an inspiration for us. In seeking to satisfy a taste other than our own, we pleasantly surprise ourselves with beautiful results. This is what the Personal Reserve Series is all about. We developed this concept early on as a way to enhance our creative spirit. We are proud to offer these fine pipe tobacco blends and hope you will enjoy them.” - McClelland

Another straight Virginia, but this one takes a dark turn. Aged, pressed, and stoved, Dark Star truly makes the case for the McClelland Virginia expertise and range. I will say, keeping in mind that there really are no perfect matches for any blends, the McClelland straight Virginias are an especially daunting gap to fill. Their unique flavors were their own, but we can still look into some dark, heavily stoved Virginias that may satisfy the palate of the Dark Star appreciator. 

Rattray’s Black Virginia

Astley’s No. 44 Dark Virginia Flake

Balkan Blue

Balkan Blue, originally called Blue Mountain, is a smooth Balkan with a significant Oriental presence which beautifully accents woody Latakia. This one was actually inspired by a 21-year-old tin of Balkan Sobranie #759 and won the People’s Choice Award at the 2011 Chicago Pipe Show’s Balkan Sobranie Throwdown. 

Cornell & Diehl Star of the East

G. L. Pease Abingdon

Sobranie House Blends

The Redstone family established Sobranie of London in 1879. They were one of the earliest cigarette brands as the smoking medium began to get more and more popular, especially in Europe. To us in the pipe world, they are the original manufacturers of the legendary Balkan Sobranie Mixture.

You often see Balkan Sobranie’s introduction dated in the 1920s, but it’s difficult to date accurately. Cigarettes of the same name had been around since the late 19 ^th century, which many early mentions refer to. Kevin Godbee wrote in 2012 that he’s found no explicit mention of the pipe tobacco prior to a 1949 issue of The Strand, but it was likely around for some time before this.

Sobranie House ceased their pipe tobacco production in 1982, selling a few of their most popular trademarks to Gallaher Group. Pipe tobacco simply wasn’t important enough to their business to justify the expenses and energy on products that, while beloved, weren’t the cash crop.

Sobranie House also manufactured brands such as Krumble Kake for Smoker’s Haven and other house blends—the productions of which were moved to other factories.

Some of the popular Sobranie blends are still available, of course, as modern interpretations of the originals.

The Balkan Sobranie

One of the most popular tobaccos ever produced, the namesake of the Balkan category of English blends, Balkan Sobranie is about as legendary as you can get in pipe tobacco blends.

Like many of these blends with such long histories, Balkan Sobranie has many iterations through the years, disturbed by the familiar agitators; changing of hands to different manufacturers and disruptions to leaf availability.

The first of such changes was when production was still under Sobranie House; the switch from Syrian to Cyprian Latakia that all blenders in the 60s found themselves contending with. Manufacturers likely warehoused Syrian Latakia and gradually phased in the Cyprian variety as stock dwindled. In light of this, it's difficult to explicitly pin point when the blend's Latakia was totally Cyprian, but it was likely within the decade or two that that followed the Syrian government’s ban on production. Then of course were the changes that came with the changing of hands.

G. L. Pease, a regular smoker of Balkan Sobranie when it was still manufactured by Sobranie House, points to a number of changes in the transition to Gallaher:

• Altered toasting technique.
• Reduction in Latakia from 50% to 35%.
• Yenidje replaced with generic Orientals.
• Additives introduced to the mix.
• Cut changed to accommodate mass-production.

In 1998, Gallaher ceased production of tobacco products, and that was the end of Balkan Sobranie until 2011, when distribution was picked up by Arango Cigar Co., blended by J. F. Germain & Son in the Channel Isle of Jersey factory. 

J. F. Germain & Son Balkan Sobranie

J. F. Germain is the perfect choice to recreate this time-honored mixture. We became acquainted with them, when we acquired the Butera Tobacco Company’s inventory and distribution rights of Germain. They continue to make several of Butera’s finest mixtures for us, including the well-respected Esoterica. So, we know their reputation for selecting and blending tobaccos of the highest quality and standards. I know smokers will respond positively to the reintroduction of Balkan Sobranie Original Smoking Mixture, and that the blend’s iconic white can will again top the list of many pipe smokers’ favorites."

- Michael Gold, President of Arango Cigar Co.

Sutliff Match Balkan Sobranie

Hearth & Home Black House

Russ Ouellette blend which won the 2011 Balkan Sobranie 759 Throwdown at the Chicagoland Pipe and Tobacciana Show. 

G. L. Pease Charing Cross

One of G. L. Pease’s early mixtures was blended to harken back to his memories of Balkan Sobranie he used to smoke—still made by House of Sobranie, though after Syrian Latakia was replaced by Cyprian. 

Balkan Sasieni

Bengal Slices

In the mid-70s, one blend was gaining a lot of traction as a great English with an innovative convenience, Smokers' Haven’s notorious Krumble Kake. The pressed slices were apparently the brainchild of Smokers’ Haven founder Joseph Zieve who imagined bringing an ease of transportation to tobacco blends. Crumble cakes feature ribbon cut tobacco that has been pressed, though not with as much pressure or as long as a flake would usually be. Seeing the promise of this cut style, Balkan Sobranie (who were in fact manufacturing Krumble Kake for Smokers’ Haven) opted to create their own, Bengal Slices. It’s believed that Bengal Slices was pressed Balkan Sobranie with an added topping.

Bengal Slices wasn’t included in the transition to Gallaher. It was originally a house blend for James B. Russel Inc. (JBR), so when Gallaher took over Sobranie trademarks, the Slices were retained by JBR. Bengal Slices reentered the market, being produced in a Denmark factory, but this only lasted a few years, and were discontinued in the late 80s. JBR would contract A & C Petersen who would manufacture Bengal Slices from 91 to 99, right up to the Orlik/STG acquisition of A & C Petersen in 2000. Finally, the last changing of hands occurred in 2015, which perfectly brings us to our first recommendation…

(STC) Bengal Slices

In 2015 The Standard Tobacco Company of Pennsylvania (STC) acquired the manufacturing and distribution rights for War Horse, John Cotton blends, and Bengal Slices. STC would then tap Russ Ouellette to help develop the blend recreation—an obvious choice, not only being that Ouellette is a master of his craft, but he had made his own tribute to Bengal Slices already.

(STC) Bengal Slices White

Hearth & Home Fusilier’s Ration

Russ Ouellette's tribute to Bengal Slices.

Captain Black

True, the infamous Captain Black brand from Lane Limited is still going strong with its array of beloved Aromatics. But the pillar of modern tobacco blending that it is, a dive into the brand and its influence seems warranted.

These days, Aromatics are the most popular blend types by and large—and Captain Black, still the most popular pipe blend in the US, was at the forefront of the movement. Captain Black was a pioneering blend for the Aromatic as we often experience it today where top flavoring is lush and dominant, doing more to define the blend rather than accent it. Aromatics in this vein are often Black Cavendish heavy as well, as the process of steaming and pressing the (usually) Virginia and Burley results in a leaf with a subdued “tobacco taste” that is especially gracious to taking on added flavor.

Some do look down on this trend toward heavily cased and flavored blends, but it often comes down to finding the right one for you. So, let’s explore some options using the archetypal mixes for modern Aromatic pipe tobacco.  

Captain Black Original

The original Captain Black, often referred to as Captain Black White, is a mainstay of pipe blends. Likely the sweetest of the brand’s offerings, this vanilla, marshmallow-y blend tastes as good as it smells.

Mac Baren Seven Seas Regular

High Peaks White

Lane Limited 1Q

Sutliff Z92 Vanilla Custard Cream

Captain Black Royal

Royal offers a take on Captain Black that is a bit more subdued in the flavoring. With Black and Golden Cavendish, this variety is great for the pipe smoker who enjoys their occasional, moderately topped aromatic.

Mac Baren Seven Seas Royal

High Peaks Blue

Sutliff 1M

Captain Black Dark

A late comer to the scene, Captain Black Dark is another take on the classic Black Cavendish, Vanilla Aromatic. Its launch in 2013 saw many blind-sided aromaniacs with a new favorite in the Captain line-up.

Mac Baren Seven Seas Black

Sutliff B30 Chocolate Mousse

Lane Limited BCA

Captain Black Gold

Captain Black Gold is another in the series that might be preferable to the fair-weather Aromatic smoker. The topping allows more of the Golden Cavendish to peak through, still retaining some of that natural Virginia sweetness and grassy notes.

Mac Baren Seven Seas Gold

High Peaks Gold

Lane Limited MV-1000

Captain Black Cherry

What’s a world-renowned drugstore brand without bringing some cherry to the mix? Captain Black Cherry carries one of those aromas that can inexplicably provoke nostalgia upon one’s first whiff of it. The toasted Black Cavendish sets the foundation perfectly for a simple, straightforward, cherry-full delight.

Mac Baren Seven Seas Red

High Peaks Red

Sutliff SPS-3 Cherry

Esoterica Penzance

Penzance from Esoterica Tobacciana has reached the mythological levels of embrace by pipe smokers akin to those bygone blends without ever having been discontinued—it’s just very hard to find.

Penzance’s origins are in the classic Smokers’ Haven blends. When Founder Joseph Zieve first tasted Balkan Sobranie while stationed in England, he knew it had to make its way to America. He approached House of Sobranie and facilitated a partnership. This led to Smokers’ Haven’s Our Best Blend, which was really Balkan Sobranie relabeled. They expanded their portfolio, concocting new blends that were riffs on the Balkan Sobranie base—one of these was the infamous Krumble Kake which inspired Bengal Slices. As was stated in the previous section, Sobranie House’s leave from pipe tobacco meant Smokers’ Haven had to find a new manufacturer, which they did in J. F. Germain. However, they didn’t last long. With the pipe tobacco industry seeing hard times and Zieve retiring in 1987, Smokers’ Haven blends were soon discontinued.

Enter Stephen Richmond of the Piedmont Tobacconist. The business owner from Oakland, California envisioned a new pipe tobacco line which reimagined the Smokers’ Haven classics, blended by those who knew the lay of the blends—J. F. Germain. This is how Esoterica came to be, with a line of match blends—Margate matching Our Best Blend, Pembroke matching Cognac, and Penzance matching Krumble Kake.

Penzance is still manufactured in the J. F. Germain factory in the Isle of Jersey. Despite the wide success of the blends they produce, the operation is kept small. This may account for why Penzance has something special going on that’s difficult to pin down and makes it such an elusive brand. It’s on the shelves only so often and, even with retailers usually limiting the number of tins per order, it never lasts long.

But for this blend to be more readily available, would the operations at Germain have to be scaled up or moved to a larger factory? Is there something about the old-world operation that allows for the attention on the most meticulous level which shines through in these blends? And would the magic be dimmed in a larger operation? Likely so—compromise in all things, right? Still, there are other fantastic blends that may hold you over while waiting for that next stock of Penzance. 

Hearth & Home 10 to Midnight

Captain Earle’s Ten Russians 

Brebbia Latakia Flake No. 9

Bell's Three Nuns

What we can say about the origins of Bell’s Three Nuns is limited, it goes back all the way to the late 19 ^th century. Three Nuns is still in production, though of course, it’s had its share of changes. It is currently produced by Mac Baren having been moved from Orlik/STG along with the Capstan brand in 2013. Both brands hadn’t been available to the US market for 18 years prior to the move.

The original Three Nuns is lauded as a luminary VaPer. Later incarnations have been criticized for containing less Perique than the predecessor, or none at all. It’s easy to see why a truly Perique heavy blend may size down its abundance in a mixture—Perique is a labor intensive, expensive tobacco, the extinction of which has been threatened before. What most would identify as the “original” recipe (the most familiar era of manufacturing from 1911 – 1990) claimed to have 22% Perique. This wasn’t quite so, about 7% was a casing meant to simulate Perique. Clearly, even in an era not looming with the threat of Perique’s demise, it was sensible to find creative ways to boast the spicy condiment’s presence without breaking the bank. It’s supposed that Kentucky Fire Cured tobaccos were substituted for Perique sometime in the Orlik/STG production era (1990 – 2013).

A lot of the early information on Three Nuns is difficult to piece together. For one, it was introduced over a century ago, but even into the 20 ^th century, clarity is thwarted by industry norms of coded language and the secrecy around a given brands proprietary operations. However, thanks to the investigatory acumen of Kevin Godbee of Pipes Magazine, much has been uncovered.

Three Nuns was first introduced roughly 130 years ago in Glasgow, Scotland by J & F Bell. This is where it was produced in the late-19 ^th to early 20^th century. However, throughout the 20^th century we see Three Nuns coming out of different factories depending on geographic distribution. For those in the US, the iteration likely stirring the nostalgia of long-time pipe smokers is the British American Tobacco Three Nuns, manufactured in Liverpool from 1911 until 1990 when production was moved to the Orlik factory in Denmark. Here there were two versions, the familiar Three Nuns as well as a pouch version which contained no Perique. However, in the late 90s, Orlik stopped exporting Three Nuns to the US; it wouldn’t be available to the US market until 2013. This is when Imperial tobacco moved production to Mac Baren to be distributed in the US by Sutliff tobacco—the iteration in current distribution. 

Cornell & Diehl Three Friars

Three Friars may be considered an in between of the old and newer Three Nuns. Like the Orlik and Baren versions, it is a Virginia/Burley, but contains perique instead of Kentucky, like the Imperial era.

Peter Stokkebye PS 400 Luxury Navy Flake

Savinelli Doblone d’Oro

Three Nuns (Mac Baren)  

Some Closing Thoughts

It should be said, these infamous blends certainly have something special about them, but we have to reckon with the bold truth that obscurity lends weight to legend. Scarcity generates lore, mystique. For many modern classics still readily available, the difference between a highly appraised blend and the exalted gift from on high is presence. The former’s greatness, while attested to regularly, is thwarted from the ranks of the latter by its own accessibility. Plenty of popular blends could go by the wayside tomorrow and we would be sure to see their ascendency.

This is by no means a sour challenge to the greatness of blends that are no more or that only come around when the stars align. I just want to float the suggestion that, perhaps, we are ever in the midst of a “golden era” in the romantic reflections of some future pipe smoker. I certainly think we are in such an age now—the creativity and artistry from blenders breathes life into the hobby, while the internet and pipe shows have allowed community to flourish from all corners of the globe.

But looking ahead, there is cause for concern. We’re dealing with an FDA that sees all tobacco consumption as one in the same, stifling manufacturers’ ability to release new products, or to make changes to recipes (often necessary for consistency) without being subject to costly bureaucratic procedure. Then there is the eternal threat of losing tobacco varieties and industry changes which toss wrenches into recipes. We’ve already discussed the departure of Syrian Latakia, Perique’s near-death experiences, Oriental bulking creating complications for Dunhill blends, the end of the auction system, and YTPC favorite Old Hollywood Briar recently wrote up a piece from an interview with Sutliff president Jeremy McKenna highlighting the desultory availability of Latakia.

I don’t mean to lay on the doom and gloom. As a pipe smoker who hasn’t been in the hobby all that long, I hope and do believe that there is much to look forward to. But given these daunting concerns, we ought to look onto the past with thankful gaze for the present it has given us, but not lament what’s lost to the point of missing what’s good here and now. Who knows what we may have to mourn tomorrow? 

A new year is upon us and we’re welcoming 2022 with enthusiasm. Obviously, the last couple years have been a roller coaster for all, but we can’t help but reflect on this last year and all the positive changes it ushered in. Surly that momentum can’t sustain while taking for granted all that brought us here, so we thought we’d take this opportunity to tell the whole story—TobaccoPipes.com from the beginning.

Pre-TobaccoPipes.com

The two of us (Ben and Terry) met all the way back in middle school (neither was all that impressed), but it wasn’t until we went on a camping trip in high school with some mutual friends that we really hit it off. Never could we have predicted the friendship that would ensue; co-workers at Radio Shack, attending tech school together, Ben being best man at Terry’s wedding, being godfathers to each other’s kids—and of course, building a business together.

Before the founding of TobaccoPipes.com (or TobaccoPipeStore.com as it would first be called) Ben was running a small business remanufacturing ink and toner cartridges while Terry was in IT. Between our chemistry working together and our specific skill sets, we saw an opportunity to go into the e-tail business. Yeah, “e-tail business” sounds pretty vague, but at this point, the plan was to pursue a scattering of niches. We imagined building a few sites, each with its own focus.

Frankly, we didn’t come into this venture with a passion for pipes. In fact, tobacciana wasn’t even the first field we took a shot at. We started building online stores for all kinds of things: LED faucets and showerheads, exercise equipment, hand trucks, etc. We were always trying new avenues, kicking around ideas for another e-store that would hopefully stick. We came upon tobacco pipes the same way so many do—”my grandpa smoked a pipe” Terry considered, “why not try selling pipes?”

Honestly, there were initial doubts. Something seemed attractive about the idea, but we couldn’t help thinking that maybe smoking pipes were a little too niche. There’s a reason for that cliché pipe smoker origin story of remembering one’s grandpa smoke a pipe. There was a time when they were everywhere, now adays, not so much. But something seemed right about it. As we chewed on the idea, we came to realize there was this vibrant culture of pipe smoking. While merely a fragment of the population of tobacco smokers in general, we learned that pipe smoking had a community that was robust and deeply engaged. It’s a community comprised of true characters who have a sense of romance about the pastime. Although we knew our own growing appreciation for the hobby wouldn’t inherently translate to a successful business, we had to go with our instincts, and in 2010, we launched TobaccoPipeStore.com.

As you could imagine, this early operation was a humble one. By humble, we mean a box of Dr. Grabows in a 10-ream paper box kept at Ben’s work. When an order came in, he’d fish through the container for the right pipe and ship it. We were still working our full-time jobs while trying to get one of these sites off the ground. But the tide started to turn.

Any lingering concerns over the potential of TobaccoPipeStore.com were quickly put to rest as it emerged as the dark horse among the other sites; we were finally seeing some reward for our efforts as orders for pipes started to pick up.

What’s more, this reward wasn’t simply the bit of traction that the site was garnering (although that certainly was exciting). Beyond that, we were coming to find our own growing appreciation for pipes.

We felt especially grateful—if there was one of these e-stores we especially wanted to see grow, it was TobaccoPipeStore.com. We were delighted with the folks that running the site was bringing us into contact with. Our operation was still just the two of us and we were taking customer service calls for all of these sites. But it was the pipe smokers who stood out. We found ourselves staying on the line, going beyond the initial reason for the call and having friendly chats, hearing folks’ stories. Pipe smokers are just a kind, passionate, sociable bunch. That was becoming clear by the developing relationships with patrons of the store as well as our connections with the manufacturers whose products we were carrying in our (albeit, slowly) growing inventory.

It was around this time that we began taking up pipe smoking ourselves. We felt this business might really have the potential to be something more, and if we were going to put our all into seeing this thing through, we couldn’t be outsiders to it—we needed to understand what made the fine people giving us their business so taken with the pipe in the first place. It soon became clear what made the pastime so rich and enduring.

The other fields we were choosing for these webstores weren’t exactly picked for our passion toward the products. Hand trucks sure are a swell invention, we’re glad they’re around, but we can’t say we have a significant affinity for them. As the world of pipes and tobacco started to open up, we became more and more convinced that were into something good.

We then found that we could acquire the TobaccoPipes domain for a decent price. Well, that was enough for us. If we were going to do this, we were going to commit. In 2012, two years after the launch of TobaccoPipeStore.com, we closed the other e-stores, Ben sold his business, and we moved operations into his home office where we would fully embrace TobaccoPipes.com.

Early TobaccoPipes.com

Things were steadily moving along and about a year after we started working out of Ben’s home office, we were able to move into a 900 sq ft space in a small retail plaza. Things only seemed to be picking up, but we’re sorry to say, it’s around this time that we lost our way.

At the time, the overall goal of operating various web stores had not changed. TobaccoPipes.com had proven to be our most promising venture, so we put our all into the site with the expectation that it could be a stabilizing force as we added more businesses. We expanded into the neighboring unit and created a site for bird goods (seed, feeders, etc.). We then bought an existing baby product e-store and expanded again into the third abutting unit. But it just wasn’t working. The new businesses just weren’t sustainable and the stress of it all sucked a lot of the life out of things. The enjoyment just wasn’t there.

Getting any business off the ground is going to come with plenty of setbacks. The most thriving business is still bound to present some stressful days. Even with TobaccoPipes.com being the most promising of our ventures, it was no exception. The difference, however, is that with TobaccoPipes.com, there always seemed to be an undertone of joy in the work, even when it challenged us. It’s kind of like solving a puzzle—the challenging parts are also what makes it stimulating. Without them, there’s no sense of achievement. Basically, with TobaccoPipes.com, there was an innate morale through the rain and the shine. But at this point, that joy seemed to fade.

We thought the success of TobaccoPipes.com would allow us a comfortable safety net to keep experimenting with different e-tail niches. This was the second time that the site proved to be the outlier in a miscellany of pursuits. This time, we knew that we had to rethink the end goal. Any time energy was diverted from TobaccoPipes.com, we got burned. Any time we put more into it, we got more out. And after all, it was the craft and culture of pipe smoking that we now found joy in, business or not. I mean, birds are great, but when we were taking a break, marking an occasion, passing around ideas, capping off a day of hard work—well we weren’t in the parking lot throwing seed around for pigeons—we were sharing a smoke. It’s no wonder that pipe smoking has long been employed as a catalyst to thought as well as a keystone to social ritual.

Though this was a darker time, it was a necessary one. We refocused and found clarity.

We left the third unit and sold the other businesses. This time, our commitment to TobaccoPipes.com wasn’t about fomenting the growth of any business but TobaccoPipes.com. We also renewed a commitment to the culture within our walls. We’re serious about putting in hard work and always have been, but you gotta have some fun too.

Bringing the joy back to the job was crucial to all in the TobaccoPipes.com family, which to us includes everyone on this team as well as anyone who has given us their business. Customer service has always been at the center of our ethos in running this company. We’ve maintained a philosophy that the convenience of online shopping does not have to come at the cost of human connection. With that in mind, we believe that the energy cultivated within our walls shows through, even to the customer who isn’t physically in our store. We never wanted folks to hesitate to call, we wanted to foster the confidence that one could reach out to us with no doubt they would find someone on the other end ready and delighted to help, whether it be offering advice, information, remedying a problem, or whatever it might be.

Back on track, things really started to pick up again. We were receiving more and more orders and were quickly expanding our inventory. In fact, things were getting pretty cramped. On numerous occasions we found ourselves having to put up more shelving to keep all of our stock easily accessible. Sometimes UPS would come mid-day and one of us would realize we’d been boxed in at our desk.

This period of growth is also marked by another milestone—integrating pipe tobacco into our store. Our focus had been on pipes and accessories thus far, as all the red tape around selling and shipping tobacco is quite a bit to navigate for a small business already spreading a few people thin. But it felt that without this major facet of the hobby, TobaccoPipes.com just wasn’t complete. Naturally, the day tins started stocking our shelves felt like the dawn of TobaccoPipes.com as we know it.

We then turned our sights on offering cigars in the store, but of course, we needed more than shelf space for that. The idea of bringing a sizable humidor into this location that was already so cramped—well it was a non-starter.

We knew it was time to size up, but we were wary of taking another big step on an impulse. We learned that lesson before. We diligently sought a new place that was just right for us—somewhere with appropriate space to operate, but not without a little room to grow into. It was nearly two years before we found just the location.

A Big Move

This new chapter for TobaccoPipes.com felt like a true turning point. One standout moment was finally getting to attend the Chicago Pipe Show.

Although things were progressing since we totally dedicated ourselves to this business, the constant grind made it difficult to engage with the wider pipe smoking community how we really wanted to. Afterall, it was the people that really grabbed us about this field. No doubt we took pride in the hard work we were putting in, but we had long been in this liminal space—we were growing and strengthening the business but weren’t yet at the point where we could step away for a weekend to attend a pipe show while keeping the site running smoothly.

This is an industry that thrives on community, and pipe shows are an important part of that, especially for us e-tailers who relish the opportunity to engage face to face with the folks who have been supporting us all this time. We attended the Chicago Pipe Show early on when we were just getting TobaccoPipeStore.com off of the ground and wanted to get a better sense of the scene. However, it would be a few years before we made it to a comfortable place where we had the staffing and stability to attend Chicago again. Although we weren’t there as vendors, we were there as folks who felt like we had a place in this world that had been so good to us. It really felt like an indicator that we were moving in the right direction. The feeling was confirmed when, at the show, we got to talk to many pipe smokers who expressed a love for the site. We were just overcome with gratitude. And TobaccoPipes.com aside, we were now fully seasoned pipe smokers ourselves, where would a lover of the briar rather be?

The connections we’ve made along the way have been beyond fulfilling. Customers have become friends, and relationships with those in the industry have blossomed. We’re proud to carry pipes and tobacco from prominent brands such as Peterson, Rattray’s, Castello, Neerup, Savinelli, Missouri Meerschaum, Sutliff, Seattle Pipe Club, Cornell & Diehl, and G. L. Pease.

No less are we proud to carry handmade pipes from a number of amazing artisans like Ian Walker of Northern Briars, Bruno Nuttens, Owl Pipes, and J. Mouton. Of course, these folks aren’t producing pipes by the thousands every year—their process is a meticulous labor of love. That they allow us to sell some of the limited number of pipes coming out of their workshops—pipes that have taken hours upon hours of steady concentration and years of refining their craft—well it’s difficult to say what that really means, but to say we’re honored scratches the surface.

It all goes back to that lesson that was so crucial for us; putting our faith and dedication into this business would see a faith in us returned. We got that vote of confidence in a way we never could have imagined in the summer of 2021 from a good friend in the industry, Jeremy Mckenna, President of Sutliff tobacco.

Acquisition of TobaccoPipes.com- An Even Bigger Move

Most of you who have been with us know that a few months back, in July 2021, we packed up our inventory and moved our business up to Richmond, Virginia as a subsidiary of Sutliff Tobacco Company. The last few months have been quite an adjustment but beyond exciting. We’re operating with the same ethos that has gotten us here, but with the support and infrastructure to seek out opportunities and strengthen our business in ways we could have only dreamed of back in Ben’s home office.

We are collaborating and growing like never before, and we’re loving every minute of it. It’s amazing to reflect on that milestone Chicago show where we finally got to engage with the pipe smoking world like we hadn’t been able to considering all the great ways we get to now. We’re literally situated in the upstairs of the Sutliff Tobacco building—right where the legendary master blender Carl McCallister once developed some of our favorite blends that we smoke today.

And of course, the infamous Mac Baren is parent to Sutliff. With these partnerships, we’ve been fortunate enough to collaborate in exciting new ways. Their support has made it possible for us to conduct a number of amazing sweepstakes and special offers in the last few months, and it’s just the beginning.

To name a few:

• Gave away a 9-pound block of Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding, and later a 5-pound block of Sutliff Cringle Flake 2021, both produced right here at the Sutliff factory.
• Did a giveaway of McClelland 5100 Red Flake that Sutliff had some stock of.
  
• Hosted an Ultimate Sample Pack of 50 Cigars sweepstakes.
• In conjunction with master blender Per Jensen, we had the great fortune of offering our 3+ Years Aged Series—sets of Mac Baren tins that have been cellared for at least 3 years. Each set featured blends specifically recommended by Jensen for their aged qualities.

Then of course there was the 33rd Annual CORPS Richmond Pipe Show hosted right downstairs at Sutliff. To think we spent all that time not being able to get away for a show, now the longest running pipe show in the world was coming right to our building.

With all the changes for TobaccoPipes.com that preceded the Fall of 2021, coupled with the unfortunate year of cancelled pipe shows in the wake of the pandemic, the Richmond Pipe Show felt like a wonderful reintroduction.

Another big change our move made possible—our new humidor.

To the left we have the proud moment when we got our first humidor. As was said before, getting the space for this was a big motivation for us finding a new location back in Florida. It certainly was a start, but we’re beyond excited to fill this room out with all sorts of amazing cigars.

Many of you may have noticed that we’ve expanded our cigar selection a great deal in the last few months. But there is plenty of unclaimed space in this humidor—that’s no accident. We figure we have a great opportunity to hear from the folks who made this possible. So, if you have any suggestions for what you might like to see on these shelves, please tell us.

There is still much that the future has in store for TobaccoPipes.com, and we hope you’ll join us in carving it out. More than a customer, we want all to know that we welcome them in being an active member of this TobaccoPipes.com collective brain. What’s missing? What do you want to see next? What’s working and what’s not? Please reach out and help us make a good thing even better. 

Briarwood, meerschaum, and a good ol’ corn cob—though there are any number of materials a tobacco pipe might be made from, these three comprise a trilogy essential to most modern pipe smokers’ collections. Given the price difference between the humble maize and an ornate meerschaum or artisan briar, it’s easy to see how one unfamiliar with  corn cob pipes may assume they can’t hold a match to the other materials. That’s an assumption worth testing, because you may be happily surprised to find a new favorite pipe for the price of a movie ticket. Corn cobs are great smoking instruments, embraced in the rotations of innumerable veteran pipers. The cob being no exception, pipes made from any of these materials are well worth holding a match to.

Though one may certainly have a preference between pipes made from different materials, it’s not a matter of which is “better.” It’s that each has their own qualities and unique characteristics to offer, they shine in different ways. Many gravitate to a certain material for pragmatic, aesthetic, or functional reasons—but as pipe smokers we should let our curiosity reign and uncover our taste and preferences through the palate court. Just like how your favorite meal isn’t necessarily the one thing you want to eat forever, variety is a pleasure to the pipe smoker.

Corn cob pipes certainly deserve a fair shake as a piece in any curious smoker’s arsenal. Let’s dig into the merits of corn cob pipes to understand what makes them special.

1. Cob Pipes Are History Preserved

Corn cob pipes’ sustained prominence in pipe smoking over the past 150+ years speaks to their quality. Let’s start with exploring that history so that we may approach their low-cost in the right context. There are plenty of cheap materials out there for pipes to be made from, however, the precedence of corn cobs being a favored pipe since they first came around makes the case that there is something particularly favorable about these classics that has seen them endure as respected instruments of tobacco smoking.

When dealing with an item as bucolically resourceful as the corn cob pipe, it’s difficult to pin down with hard origins. I’m reminded of the alleged origins of the slide guitar. In late 19^th Century Hawaii, Joseph Kekuku was strumming his steel string while walking down a railroad track when, upon noticing a loose metal bolt on the ground, was stricken with curiosity. He picked it up and started sliding it across the strings and—viola. Was that the first instance of this technique? No one experimented with a bottleneck before? Who knows, but it sure doesn't make it any less appreciable. In fact, there’s something to be romanticized about the passing along of such home-spun fixtures.

In the case of the corn cob pipe, one company deserves praise for preserving and upgrading this novel contraption and sharing it to wider realms—

Missouri Meerschaum

Legend has it, in 1869, a Dutch woodworker by the name of Henry Tibbe observed a local farmer in his town of Washington, Missouri smoking from a corn cob that he had whittled by hand into a pipe. The farmer approached Tibbe inquiring if he would use his lathe to make more of these pipes, to which he agreed. After satisfying the famer, Tibbe went on refining this imaginative apparatus, eventually producing some to sell. They grew in local popularity, selling more and more—Tibbe found himself less occupied by woodwork as demand grew.

Pictured above is Tibbe’s first patent for his pipes, issued after some critical upgrades. In 1878, Tibbe and a chemist friend would truly revolutionize the corn cob pipe in concocting a polymer similar to plaster of Paris that would make the pipe fire resistant. This stroke of brilliance added very little to the production process, but in improving longevity, it did wonders for the cob. 

By 1907, the operation was incorporated as Missouri Meerschaum, and Missouri was now the Corn Cob Pipe Capital.

Missouri Meerschaum remains one of the most celebrated pipe manufacturers today. And the legacy continues to grow as they’ve integrated another great pipe company’s line of cob and clay pipes in recent years—

Old Dominion Corn Cob Pipes

Since its founding in 2013 by brothers Bob and Bill Savage, Old Dominion Pipes have honored the uniquely American corn cob tradition by crafting historically accurate cob pipes. Old Dominion traces their corn back to the “Bloody Butcher” variety grown in Virginia since the 1840s. This unique and colorful corn was dubbed “Bloody Butcher” because of the distinct, deep red coloring of the kernels. Now considered an “heirloom” variety, it was commonly used in pipe making during the mid-19th century, particularly in the Southern and Midwestern United States. Also setting Old Dominion’s cobs apart is their use of bamboo stems, a style unique to American cobs that was popularized in the late 19th century.

These great pipes, as well as the tradition they sustain, were nearly lost in 2020. For the Savage brothers, this venture was a matter of passion and yearning to revive “reed stem” cob pipes. However, the brothers’ careers outside of Old Dominion started to impose on their capacity to run the operation to their standards. When Bob approached Phil Morgan of Missouri Meerschaum about acquiring some of Old Dominion's lines, Morgan went a step further, taking in all of the lines and expanding some of them (Bob stayed on part-time to help development of the clay pipe line).

Bob says of the acquisition:

“I know with the utmost confidence that [Missouri Meerschaum&91; will honor and preserve the legacy my brother and I started and will be able to manufacture [Old Dominion Pipes&91; to the same strict quality standards that they have always done with their own pipes and be able to offer them in greater quantities than our limited production capabilities allowed.”

Famed Corn Cob Smokers

We wrap up the history of these American icons with a list of some notable cob smokers. The history of the corn cob pipe can’t be told without mentioning some of its notorious champions:

• Mark Twain - Real name, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, helped make Missouri Meerschaum the name it is today. He also remains the author we hold up as the gold-standard for writing The Great American Novel.
• General Douglas McArthur – US General of the Army and Chief of Staff, especially known for his defense of the Philippines in WWII and for running Japan during the US occupation immediately following their surrender.
• Daniel Boone - An icon of the American frontier. Boone was a hunter and pioneer.
• H.L. Mencken - Known as the “Sage of Baltimore,” Mencken was a journalist, editor, and scholar who greatly influenced the politics and literature of much of the early 20th century.

2. Corn Cob Pipes are an Affordable Smoking Option

Although there are some artisans that make high-grade cobs in a bit steeper price range, a great smoking corn cob from Missouri Meerschaum or Old Dominion will put you back anywhere from around four to thirty dollars. At ten bucks, the Missouri Meerschaum Diplomat 5^th Ave was one of my first pipes and it’s still getting smoked regularly.

One thing you must appreciate about cobs is their humbleness. The cheapness of some pipes is exposed by their observable flaws, both in appearance and performance. However, the great allure of the corn cob is in its unpretentious discretion, backed by its adroitness as a smoking pipe. As I previously wrote in a blogpost exploring pipe smoking characters, “...we couldn’t imagine Popeye winding his swollen forearms to give Bluto a pounding with a long, ornate Churchwarden in his mouth.” The cob smoker is grounded and practical without compromising a quality smoke.

But even still, some cobs manage to keep that homespun charm while nodding to elegance—I’m sure we can all think of a few of those special folks through our lives whose affability could penetrate any social sphere and have them fit right in. In a way, that’s how I see models like the Missouri Meerschaum Emerald or Freehand; the cob we know and love with stems that flout a modest sleekness. Whether hard at work or mingling in polite society, these are apt for the occasion.

3. For Tasting Pipe Tobacco

One of the most popular uses for a corn cob pipe is as an inexpensive and unbiased “tasting” pipe. Many smokers feel that briar sweetens or otherwise alters the flavor of pipe tobacco. To get a true sense of a blend, pipe smokers will often use a cob like a Missouri Meerschaum Mini Morgan. The minis are cheap enough to always have a few on hand and the small bowls are perfect for getting a quick sampling of a new blend.

Another benefit of using a cob for tasting is that you will prevent unnecessary ghosting problems on your briar pipes. Ghosting is what happens when a particularly strong tobacco leaves a scent and/or flavor on the pipe, affecting future smokes with different and less intense blends. This is particularly important with strong varieties like Latakia, Perique, and heavy-cased Aromatic tobaccos. Many pipe smokers will keep a single cob dedicated to certain strong blends—as in, one dedicated to Latakia forward blends, one for Perique, and so on.

Traditionally, meerschaum pipes have been used for tasting, but a quality meerschaum can be both expensive and delicate. Priced as low as four dollars, it is much easier for modern smokers to keep a few cobs on hand.

4. To Learn About Pipe Smoking

As a vehicle for a blend's unadulterated flavor, corn cob pipes can be great for the intermediate pipe smoker who is getting acquainted with their palate and the nuances of mixtures. 

However, for a truly fresh piper just learning to smoke a pipe, one may not be so concerned about such details when simply trying to learn the basics. Getting the rhythms and methods down for fluid pipe smoking can take patience and practice, but corn cobs are great for this phase as well.

Investing as much as a few hundred dollars in smoking pipes, pipe tobacco, and accessories may not be a good way to start. An inexpensive corn cob and a good tobacco are often an excellent alternative for learning and cost next to nothing compared to other options. This also makes them low risk for some of the trials and tribulations we go through while learning things like pipe maintenance and lighting methods. If you don’t want to char the rim of a nice bowl, it’s good to go through some of those growing pains on an inexpensive corn cob.

And if you do decide to learn with one, check out this piece on breaking in a corn cob to help you along.

Additionally, cobs are great to keep around for a smoker who is always looking to help a curious friend take the hobby up. As pipe smokers, we’re always happy to broaden our circles and help along a potential pipe smoker in navigating the often-confusing early stages of taking up the craft. So having a stalk—I mean— stock of corn cobs on hand to gift to an interested acquaintance is a great idea.

5. Cobs Are Great Activity and Work Pipes

Expanding on the advantage of cobs as brunt-taking pipes, they’re excellent activity pipes for much the same reason they’re good learning pipes—they smoke great, but they’re easily replaced.

Many of us enjoy lunting or having a smoke while getting the yard work done, working in the garage, or doing another activity which has us engaged beyond our smoke. However, it’s usually best to stick to pipes that you aren’t too worried about taking some damage in these situations. Just like how you’re probably not mowing the lawn in your nice loafers, cobs are the perfect workhorses of the pipe collection.

6. They Offer Variety

When it comes to corn cob pipes, there’s more variety than one may think. When conjuring the image of a corn cob pipe, most folks’ imagination will invoke an archetypal shape, like the cartoon simplicity of Popeye’s—a tight cylinder at the end of a straight rod. Unlike wood and other pipe crafting materials, cobs aren’t shaped from a block to the mind’s fancy—for the most part, nature has decided its shape.

But as is so inherent to pipe lovers, the impulse for individualizing finds a way. Throughout Missouri Meerschaum’s catalogue you’ll see plenty of varieties of stems, shanks, and finishes. Even the cobs are manifold in their shapes; the acorns, barrels, peanut shells, and beehives—to name a few of the silhouettes (my best approximations, you don’t have to take me cloud watching). There is also the infamous MacArthur shape—long, narrow, and sure to stand out, even among its kind.

And as I mentioned before, there are cobs made by artisan pipe makers as well. In our store we have the gorgeous Custom Papa cobs from JWK 2366, the pipe making operation of the talented craftsman John Keller. Though he works with briar as well, cob lovers the world over admire him for his cob-mods—the craft of deconstructing basic corn cob pipes and customizing them. You can learn more about John Keller and the art of cob modding in our interview with the artisan.

7. You Can Do Mods of Your Own

Many of us are curious about getting into the craftsman side of pipes. Unfortunately, it’s not all that easy to casually hobby around with woodturning unless you’re fortunate enough to already have access to a woodshop, to say nothing of materials and expenses.

And to be clear, I don’t say this to dissuade anyone flirting with taking up pipe making by any means. It’s never a bad idea to take up a craft. But sometimes the allure cannot conquer the demands—sometimes we seek a more casual, leisurely creative outlet.

With cobs, there are plenty of ways that you can customize and employ your creativity. You can stomp around the web and find a lot of hobbyists’ customizations to help you generate ideas, and there are even some great videos from the YouTube Pipe Community which show the process, such as this series from CaneRodPiper. 

A corn cob pipe is a time-tested tradition that we believe every tobacco pipe smoker ought to try at least once. Check out our selection of great corn cobs and enjoy a piece of history with your smoke. 

Here's a quick list of cigars for beginners to try:

1. Ashton 8-9-8 Parejo
2. Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Corona
3. Arturo Fuente Curly Head Panatela
4. Perdomo Habano Epicure
5. CAO CherryBomb Corona
6. Acid by Drew Estate Atom Maduro Robusto
7. Gurkha Grand Reserve Cognac Corona Natural
8. Tatiana Chocolate Classic Long Corona

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For any beginner cigar smoker, choosing which cigars to try demands thoughtful consideration—sometimes also known as a headache. There are myriad of factors to weigh and that can definitely get overwhelming. 

You probably don’t want to start off with something too strong. Full-bodied cigars may very well be in your future, but it takes time for the new smoker to get a tolerance for the strength. Additionally, you probably don’t want to spend a lot of money before you know your taste, then end up with cigars you don’t care for. There are certainly great cigars out there for affordable prices, but how do you know which? Making the wrong choice early on could easily result in a smoking experience that would turn off the newcomer before they’ve given their curiosity any real chance to roam. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the 8 best cigars for the beginning cigar smoker.

We think all of these are great cigars full-stop, and especially welcoming to the beginner’s palate and tolerance. But to better use your own preferences as a compass through this guide, let’s make sure we’re coming to it with a little background knowledge.

Strength and Body of a Cigar

Strength and body are sometimes used interchangeably, but they each describe a different aspect of the smoking experience. It’s not hard to see why they’re often glommed together, one could say they both relate to a cigar’s weight (in the abstract sense, not its literal mass). However, it is what is being weighed that differs.

Strength refers to the nicotine content of the cigar. It’s what can leave a new smoker feeling light headed. However, strength doesn’t necessarily translate to harsh or bitter. A cigar with high strength may still be smooth.

Body refers to the presence and depth of flavor and aroma. The best way for beginners to think of this is in comparison with beverages. There are full-bodied wines such as Merlot that have a bold, lingering flavor that is best taken in sips and pairs well with hearty foods. Compare this with a crisp white wine like Prosecco.

If it feels like the light between these terms is thin, that’s okay. You’ll quickly get a sense of strength and body once you’ve had a few different blends and notice the contrast between their qualities.

No big surprise then, strong cigars aren't usually a kind friend to the beginner cigar smoker, so we’ve chosen cigars that are all considered mild to medium in strength. I say “considered” because each smokers' sense of strength is personal—it's inextricably bound to our relative perception. And it’s not as though nicotine is something added in a measuring cup, it’s natural to the tobacco plant and its potency hinges on a number of factors like the variety of tobacco, the stage of growth when harvested, or where the leaf was on the stalk. So, this categorizing is based on a general consensus, but it’s still subjective and some smokers may not be in agreeance. 

Now, if you're thinking to yourself, "Hey, I love dark, bold tastes—spicy, woody, bitter flavors. I wanna start with the strong stuff." Well, you’re probably someone with a dynamic appreciation for taste so you’ve come to the right hobby, but your body’s nicotine tolerance doesn’t care that you like a strong black coffee—that nic-hit will still kick you with a strong blend. However, a cigar with strength doesn’t necessarily mean it’s full bodied in flavor, and vice versa, so don’t think because you’re not yet acclimated to strong cigars that you don’t get to explore and enjoy dynamic and interesting profiles—many cigar lovers never venture far into strong, nicotine-heavy blends simply out of preference, and they are happily fulfilled smoking and exploring the kinds of cigars they like.

The Difference Between Traditional and Flavored/Infused Cigars

Then we come to flavored and infused cigars. We’ll discuss the differences between these two but they both diverge from what we might call traditional cigars (which is just to say not flavored) in that they have had some sort of flavor added to them besides the tobacco. These can be popular with new smokers, so the latter half of our list are flavor/infused cigars.

The distinction between flavored and infused is in how that flavor is added. For flavor cigars, the additional flavor is imparted from syrup or oil that is applied to the cigar. Infused cigars on the other hand, pick up their flavors through a curing process where they are hung up and exposed to different essences and herbs and such, then left hanging to imbibe the flavors. 

Fair warning, flavored and infused cigars receive flak from some stiffs. This is often due to a generalization associating all flavored cigars with those behind gas station counters. If those convenient store cigars were the only flavored cigars, I’d be inclined to agree with the kibitzing—those sticks are often made with stale scrapped tobacco and, well, there’s just nothing to be desired there. However, what we’re talking about are premium, crafted cigars from respected industry brands. Now, some purists may still want to stick their noses up. Ignore the braggarts and find what you like. From pipe tobacco to premium cigars, it’s all about carving out your profile and fueling curiosity. And that’s what this list is for, not a prerequisite “you’re not a real cigar smoker until you’ve tried these blends” list. But a good jumping off point for a personal exploration—so let’s get into it.

1. Ashton 8-9-8 - Parejo

Ashton Cigars are great for beginners as they’re notoriously consistent and smooth. The Dominican filler and binder are aged for at least five years, making for a creamy, mellow smoke with notes of mild spice and wood. It’s wrapped in a Connecticut shade wrapper, infamous for their light color, thin veins, and incredibly even burn. This is a great option for a slow-day puff, maybe an easy-going morning. You can sit back enjoying a smooth, effortless smoke.

2. Romeo Y Julieta Reserva Real Corona

The Reserva Real from Romeo y Julieta is a favorite mild cigar that peaks its way into the medium strength range. The honey notes are complemented by an earthy smokiness, especially in the retrohale. This blend really shines in the complexity of flavor brought out with its mix of Nicaraguan long-filler and Dominican tobaccos. The smokiness and strength make this a solid option for those coming from cigarettes.

3. Arturo Fuente Curly Head Panatela

The name Arturo Fuente alone is enough to flag a quality cigar. The Curly Head Panatela features Dominican filler and binder with a Cameroon wrapper. The humble, band-less cigar is a great option for those that really like the taste of smoky tobacco without a flavor-bomb. Peppery notes dance gently with a slight dark woodiness—very consistent and one of the most quality cigars you’ll find for such a price.

4. Perdomo Habano Epicure

For our last traditional stogie, here’s a medium strength that's ideal for beginners who have a little experience or are coming in with some nicotine tolerance from cigarette or pipe tobacco smoking. The Habano from Perdomo is a wonderfully chocolate, woody, peppery smoke that takes you through a range of bold, interesting flavors. All of the tobacco in this blend is aged for at least six years. The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrappers are then bourbon barrel-aged for an additional eight months making for a smoke that is creamy all the way through with an easy draw.

Flavored/Infused Cigars

1. CAO CherryBomb Corona

Now onto the flavored cigars. The CAO flavored line features cigars that are mild and super flavorful, perfect for any curious beginners without nicotine experience. In flavored cigars and pipe tobacco blends alike, a good cherry flavor is supreme. It’s one of those flavors that can often taste more artificial, covering the tobacco as opposed to working with it. But done right, it’s a perfect compliment. The CAO is the latter, a delicious fruity, vanilla smoothness with a sweet, natural aroma and taste.

2. Acid by Drew Estate Atom Maduro Robusto

The Acid line from Drew Estate Cigars is a favorite for appreciators of infused cigars. The Atom Maduro is cured in a fragrance room where it is imbued with all sorts of delicious flavors to make for a complex, dynamic blend. The Nicaraguan tobacco makes for a smoky, thickness that perfectly mixes with the fruity, potpourri flavorings to give a smoking experience characterized by its sweet aroma and smoothness. This one will start mild, but finds some strength in the last two-thirds or so, which is great for a beginner who’s toeing down the shallow end toward the bold, darker blends, instead of having to jump right in.

3. Gurkha Grand Reserve Cognac Corona Natural

Expertly flavored with fine cognac, The Grand Reserve from Gurkha is one of most popular infused cigars in the industry. Each stick is wrapped in a pristine Connecticut wrapper that’s aged five years. The binder and filler feature premium Dominican tobacco that has been aged for three years. An easy draw and forward sweetness with a subtle pepper finish makes this cigar a great place to start.

4. Tatiana Chocolate Classic Long Corona

Although any of the amazing, flavored blends from Tatiana Cigars’ make for a great smoke, let’s close our flavor list up with some chocolate. One thing you’ll notice as you continue to grow your palate and try new cigars is how much pairing goes into the craft. That’s to say, it’s not always about a “good” or “bad” cigar, but what the cigar is complementing, and what’s complementing it. The creamy, rich, smoothness of this Corona is a favorite evening cigar. Made with premium Cuban seed Dominican tobacco, and wrapped in a silky Indonesian wrapper, the Tatiana Chocolate is mellow yet resonates on the palate. Open a nice ale or after-dinner coffee and perfectly wind down the day with a soothing, sweet aroma.

That’s it for our list of great cigars for beginners, but here’s one more recommendation for the budding cigar smoker—

Bonus: Samplers

Sometimes it can feel hard to pull the trigger on your next cigar when there are so many options, especially when looking for something new. We know that feeling—wanting to be economic and buy a box but are hesitant to make the commitment on a cigar you haven’t tried before. This is why sample packs are a great option for beginners, or really anyone looking to explore more blends. They offer an opportunity to try an assortment of cigars to explore and uncover one's preferences. 

Not only are samplers likely to introduce a few new blends, but they help the experimental newcomer understand what kind of blends they like. They help in developing one’s compass for their preferences which will be an asset in researching and deciding on your next cigar. We even carry two great assortment packs that include blends mentioned in our list—The Habano in the Perdomo Travel Humidor Connecticut Epicure Sampler and the CherryBomb in the CAO Sampler. But you can browse all of our  cigar samplers and find an assortment that piques your interest.

We hope this list of the best cigars for beginners proves to be a useful launchpad off of which your exploration can flourish. And as important as the right cigar is, make sure you have everything else you need like a cigar lighter, cutter, and storage care gear to keep those stogies fresh. As always, our customer service team is happy to help you find just what you need.

When Achille Savinelli returned to Italy after the country's surrender in WWII, he expected to re-immerse himself in his parents’ tobacco pipe shop. However, dissatisfaction with Italy’s place in the global pipe trade sent him down a different path.

In decades prior, England and France established the classic pipe shapes we recognize today. Thus the pipe smoking world held these brands in high appraisal. Italy was known for their high-quality briar, but did not enjoy such a reputation for pipe design.

The postwar period saw a few Italian brands sprout. And so came a revelation in Italian pipe design, as the contours of the neoclassic style took shape. Savinelli Pipes occupied an aesthetic realm between the traditional and the neoclassic approaches. Their shapes were characterized by an embrace of tradition, but without a shyness toward taking bold, creative liberties with the classics. And here we are in 2022 with five new lines from the historic Savinelli brand that show they still know how to keep graceful balance between tradition and modernity—the elegant and the avant-garde. 

In true Savinelli style, these lines stay near to the classic shapes, while still flirting with the neoclassic aesthetic they helped make a staple of pipe design. Though they’re more conservative in the liberties taken with traditional shapes when compared to others at the vanguard of neoclassicism, such as Castello Pipes, Savinelli’s approach to pipe design continues to demonstrate that shape is only one way to recast convention. Last year we saw this in their 2021 lines—the Arlecchino’s confetti stem; the Bamboo with its unique rustication and milky-mocha, brindle stem; or the Camouflage with its mottled, camo-acrylic stem. These 2022 lines keep the penchant for artfully bold color schemes and playful concepts at the heart of Savinelli pipe design.

Collection 2022

Every year, Savinelli treats us to a new Collection Series. The series always features a new pipe design; one that is not accounted for in their standard arsenal of shapes and is then promptly retired. A tradition since 1985, each year is a collectable of its own. 2022 is no exception, especially for Dublin fans. This year’s Collection offers a sinewy imagining of a slightly bent Dublin. The 2022 Collection Dublin features a wide, flat rim atop a squat bowl. The wide, oval shank leading to a uniformly thick, tapered stem is quintessential Savinelli.

The 2022 Savinelli Collection Dublin comes in four variations—two sandblasted and two smooth finishes. The sandblasts beautifully bring out the alluvial texture from the briar’s grain and feature a deep red wine, glossy finish. The broad rim of one of the sandblasts keeps continuity with the rest of the stummel while the other is smooth, revealing the natural wood. The smooth 2022 Collection Savinellis offer both a natural and rich, brown finish.

Foresta

It's always exciting to see what idiosyncratic patterns will grace Savinelli's iconic stems. It's one of the things we anticipate most about new series reveals. There’re sure to be a few that flout orthodoxy with artistic drama. This year’s lineup certainly didn’t disappoint, and here’s the first example, the Foresta series. Stripes of earthy-green hues, intersected by two chrome bands, meets the end of the shank before the stem turns to a solid, dark green.

These flourishes are the perfect accents for the smoker who appreciates a pipe with personality, but not going too avant-garde. A playful approach to convention, not a subversion of it.

Like the 2022 Collection Series, the Foresta offers smooth finishes in both brown and natural, as well as a craggy, dark brown sandblast. The Foresta series is available in an array of popular Savinelli shapes, most of which are KS (king sized) variations, perfect for a good long smoke and getting the most out of those complex blends. 

Granola 

A defining charm to Savinelli pipes—their designs are often unique, but still fit into a larger theme. It’s part of what makes Savinellis especially fun to collect.

For example, Savinelli’s Natural Collection is made up of lines that each host a novelty of their own. But they share the commonalities of having natural finishes and creative, nature-inspired rustications. Past lines in the Natural Collection include: Pannocchia (corn cob), Spinosa (cactus or cardoon flowers), Bamboo, and Ghibli (desert sand patterns). The rusticated finishes on each of these pipes evoke the natural textures from which the design draws inspiration.

The Granola is the newest addition to this collection. The finish is inspired by the texture of wheat, barley, and other grains. The unpretentious shank is fitted with yet another eye-catching custom stem—a pebbly texture of cream, dark brown, and tan hues.

The coherence between design and concept in these pipes is wonderful. But something else to appreciate; as you smoke the pipe, the natural briar will develop a patina. Yes, the coloring of a bowl is not just for the Meerschaum pipe.

Morellina

Morellina is Italian for “dark brown”—it doesn’t get much more straight forward than that. The Morellina line offers us two rich finishes, rusticated black and smooth brown. The sandblast brings out horizontal waves across the bowl making the pipe exceptionally comfortable in the hand. The grain on the smooth finish is beautifully brought out in the deep, rich brown hues. 

The Morellina is fit with a special, custom sourced acrylic stem with a coffee-and-cream swirl pattern. Intersecting the pipe is a simple, thin nickel band—a dignified accent to the complimentative finishes of the stummel and stem.

This line also comes in a plethora of options from Savinelli’s classic range of shapes. 

Pulcinella

Lastly, we have the Pulcinella line—another continuation on a theme introduced last year with the Arlecchino.

The Pulcinella and Arlecchino are both classic stock characters in the Commedia Dell'arte, or Italian Comedy. This form of theatre was popular through 16th-18th century Europe, and is the basis for many of the character tropes we still know today.

The Pulcinella is a bent Brandy shape that comes in a rusticated black or smooth natural finish. The Pulcinella character generally has a potbelly and thin, gangling legs. It's not hard to see how they landed on this shape for the pipe.

The sharp contrast between the stem and stummel is reminiscent of the duality of the Pulcinella trope. The character was developed from two Roman comedy (Atellan Farce) personalities, Maccus and Bucco. As a result, Pulcinella is a bit of an enigma. "Upper" Pulcinella, a master who is stately and scheming. "Lower" Pulcinella, a crass servant.

The stem is really fascinating here. Irregular black and white panels create a glitchy pattern. But when viewed from above, two black marks smear neatly toward the bit, interrupting the geometric theme. The fun and light-hearted spirit of the Italian Carnival tradition is alive in this pipe.  

These brilliant, new lines from Savinelli deliver on what we've come to expect from the Italian marque—taking the classics and giving us new reasons to fall in love with them. From the artistry to the smoking qualities, the Savinelli legacy is one still being written. 

Table of Contents

Reaming a tobacco pipe is an uncomplicated, important part of a smoking instrument’s routine maintenance. But the horror stories of over-reamed pipes and the potential risk involved can make the procedure seem more daunting than it should. If you’re taking a patient approach and coming to the task with some prior knowledge, and maybe some practice, you’ve nothing to worry about.

By “routine maintenance,” I’m referring to the maintaining of a thin cake in your pipe’s chamber by occasionally trimming the excess. Having an estate pipe caked with copious carbon buildup is another story. If the latter is the case, and you value the pipe as more than a means to practice reaming (i.e., you would be sorry to damage it), get some experience with that routine maintenance first. If it’s really a special piece—perhaps inherited, rare, or just a pipe you truly would like in your smoking rotation—consider having it restored by a professional. There are plenty of opportunities to learn, and assiduously cleaning out a long abandoned or abused pipe is a different beast than ordinary maintenance.

Let’s start by getting an understanding of what exactly this “cake”—or carbon buildup —is and why we do (or possibly don’t) want it.

What is Pipe Cake and Why is it Important

The combustion of the tobacco in your pipe releases carbon which sticks to the chamber wall of the pipe. This accumulation around the sides of the bowl is what we call cake .

While most smokers want at least a thin layer of cake in their briar pipes, some pipe smokers are exceptions to this norm. Additionally, cake buildup has different implications depending on what the given pipe is made from, so let’s understand the conventional (and often challenged) wisdom on cake building as it applies to the most common smoking pipe materials.

Building Cake in a Briar Pipe

Briar is the ideal wood for tobacco pipes given its high heat tolerance, but an extra layer of insulation is always good. The carbon, which absorbs moisture and heat very well, helps protect the briar from getting too hot. This is both good for the wood itself and helps to keep the temperature of your smoke down, mitigating the potential for and severity of tongue bite.

Building Cake in a Meerschaum Pipe

When it comes to meerschaum pipes, there’s really no need for a cake at all. Although briar is quite fire resistant compared with other woods, it’s still wood, and the cake makes for a great insulator. This insulation isn’t necessary for meerschaum, and a thick cake could damage the pipe. Additionally, many attest that cake impedes the coloring of the meerschaum.

To prevent cake from building, it’s recommended that you wipe out the chamber of your meerschaum pipe after each (or at least every few) smokes.

Mind you, a little carbon isn’t going to be bad for the pipe. Plenty of meerschaum smokers do want a little cake, often saying they prefer the taste, and many do claim it keeps the smoke cooler. As is usually the case in this hobby, the “general knowledge” is far from absolute consensus. So, if you find that having a thin cake in your meerschaum is your preference, or you do have some carbon buildup and don’t feel confident reaming all the way to the chamber walls, maintaining a thin carbon layer is A-OK.

In fact, my one meerschaum often has a small layer. We can pretend it's the result of my thoughtfully calculated and developed preferences and not a symptom of my scattered brain.

Building Cake in a Corn Cob Pipe

Thoughts on cake buildup in corn cob pipes are quite similar to those toward meerschaum. It’s not necessary, but folks have their preferences, thus some build a cake, and some do not. However, corn cob pipes don’t have the same potential for being damaged by a thick cake like meerschaums (allegedly) do. So, I would just say, try and work out your own preference.

Although I will give this piece of advice if you’re new to reaming a tobacco pipe—

Let the cake build up in a cob or two and use them for reaming practice. Getting practice in on some cheaper cobs, which could be easily replaced, is a great way to get comfortable reaming a pipe.

And it’s been my experience that cake builds a bit faster on a cob. I’m unsure if that’s others’ impression as well, but it probably won't take long to build some up if you’re smoking it regularly.

The Argument Against Building Cake in Your Pipe

Cake buildup often facilitates ghosting, or the remnant flavors of a blend haunting a pipe and thus possessing future smokes. This is especially so with heavy Latakia blends or generously topped Aromatics.

However, many pipe smokers opt to have their cake and…also avoid ghosting (Marie Antoinette jokes will be swatted down like the low hanging fruit they are). Pipe Smokers will often navigate ghosting by having certain pipes dedicated to certain tobacco blend genres. The remnant presence of Latakia is irrelevant in a pipe used only for Latakia blends.

Additionally, the cake’s absorbent quality makes for a drier smoke, but this also means a rest period is conducive to getting the best smoke out of your pipe as the cake dries. This isn’t as necessary in a cake-less pipe.

Others just feel that if you have the right cadence and control other variables of your smoking, cake isn’t necessary to maintaining a cool smoke.

As far as I can tell, a preference for no cake at all in a briar is rare. It seems to usually come down to a question of how much cake. Many pipe smokers certainly want cake as thin as can be without reaming down to the briar. That’s generally my preference, but there are no right or wrong answers.

When Should I Ream My Pipe?

Bear in mind that routine maintenance doesn’t mean you need to ream often, but before the cake is excessive. Cake builds slowly, especially if you’re regularly wiping down your pipe’s chamber. How often you need to ream depends on how much you smoke a given pipe, so we can’t really apply a generic timeframe. If it doesn’t seem like your chamber is significantly narrower, you probably don’t need to ream (though preferences may dictate otherwise).

Remember, cake is generally a good thing for your smoking pipe, and it builds slowly. It’s easy for newcomers to the hobby to think “oh, I haven’t reamed yet, I’m probably overdue for it” and then go to work grinding down their perfectly thin cake. I know the feeling of being excited to explore new facets of the hobby, but you don’t want to jump the gun on this one. In the words of The Beastie Boys, “it takes time to build, you got to chill.”

How Much Should I Ream My Pipe?

Common advice you’ll often hear is to bring the cake down to about 1/8 ^th of an inch, or between the width of a dime and a nickel. Again, there’s no right answer until you know what you like. With that in mind, I think what’s most important is not going any further than you feel confident going. It’s sometimes difficult for those with little experience to gauge where cake ends and briar begins, especially if there’s charring that blends the rim down into the chamber.

Here’s how I initially approached reaming; I think it’s a pretty solid technique to ease one’s way in, getting experience without taking risk—

After having smoked for some time, a few of my more frequented pipes were clearly taking less tobacco to pack. This was made further evident from the space my finger had in the chamber while packing. At this time, I wasn’t thinking about cake’s role in absorbing moisture and heat or any of that—it was just that thing taking up space and I wanted to open my chamber back up. So, I got a reamer and trimmed it back a tad—no intention of thinning any more than necessary to make things a little less tight.

At first, I maintained a chamber that could at least fit my index finger without any force (usually going a little further for wider bowls). This got me comfortable with my tools and I started developing a sense of how much I was taking off. From there, I started reaming the cake thinner—not testing my confidence, but in step with it. I can’t say I have much of a rule or measurement that I stick to. From taking off a bit of cake at a time, a sense of where I wanted to stop just sort of formed.

So, ream to your preferences, but to find them, I advise taking off just a little bit at a time. You may even end up finding that your preferences vary pipe to pipe.

Tools for Reaming a Pipe

There are a few reaming tools that can get the job done. Let’s dig into what they are and where their strengths and weaknesses lie.

Pipe Knife

The pipe knife is perfect for concise touch-ups and getting down into the heel of the pipe (the bottom of the chamber). The heel is especially important to be cautious of when reaming, as any damage to the draft hole will alter the physics of the pipe. Luckily this area isn’t as prone to building cake as the chamber walls. Pipe knives allow for more tactile maneuvering and the rounded point makes these instruments especially appropriate for the delicacy of reaming. With a regular pocket knife, the pointed end makes it a lot easier to make an unfortunate nick.

You can use a pipe knife for reaming the chamber wall as well, but I think the tools we will see next are less risky, more user friendly, and more conducive to getting an even cake. Nonetheless, that’s just my preference, and plenty of pipe smokers prefer the pipe knife for the whole job.

T-Handle Reamer

The T-Handle style reamer generally comes with four attachments in different sizes, as shown with the Castleford above. The multiple reamers are convenient for starting narrow and gradually widening your reaming circumference, but some pipe smokers aren’t as keen on the fixed sizes, preferring the option for more incremental widening.

However, it’s a very straightforward, easy to use tool. T-Handle reamers lend themselves quite well to getting the cake at the heal of pipes with a U-shaped chamber. They also can handle heavier reaming jobs that less sturdy reaming tools may not be ideal for. T-Handles are a solid choice no matter the extent of the carbon cake buildup.

Senior Pipe Reamer

Like the T-Handle, The Senior Pipe Reamer offers a robust instrument that is well suited for reaming a smoking pipe with thicker buildup but also has the benefit of more precise, incremental size adjustment.

It also has this very convenient drill bit that unscrews from the head of the contraption. This is meant to run through the shank to break up heavy cake. The grooves make it perfect for getting through those really set cakes of old, long unsmoked estate pipes. It’s certainly a nifty bonus, though, probably not applicable unless you’re restoring an old pipe that has closed up.

British Butner Style Tool

British Butner is actually the name of the brand that originally designed this style of tobacco pipe reamer, but they’re now made by several pipe accessory manufacturers such as Brigham and Cobblestone.

The Butner is light, compact, and easy to use. Best of all, it self-adjusts as you ream. The further down the T-bar is, the wider the blades spread. You insert the reamer with the T-bar all the way up (so the blades are at their narrowest). The T-bar is then pushed down, only dropping as far as the chamber walls will allow the blades to spread. A light pressure on the T-bar as you turn the reamer allows the blades to conform to the walls, slowly widening with the thinning of the cake.

But when I say light pressure, I mean very light. With the other two reamer styles, you set a width, then ream. Since the blades on the Butner naturally conform by pressing down on the T-bar, it’s important to not put extra pressure, the blades should be doing nothing more than gently scraping the chamber walls. If it feels like you’re only getting a little bit of cake at a time and it’s taking a while, good, you’re doing it right.

I find these reamers to work especially well for minor reaming—when trimming cake back a bit. I prefer the Senior or T-Handle when working through a heavier carbon buildup but will often switch to the Butner when the bulk of it has been scraped away, especially if I’m removing all of the cake.

Additionally, the Butner is especially well shaped for conical or tapered chambers.

Reaming Your Pipe

You put the thing in and turn right? Wrong! No wait…yeah, that’s kind of it.

There’s not much to reaming a pipe in terms of steps. It’s a repetitive process but it’s how you go about it that’s important. Stock car racing might just be turning left, but those drivers are doing a lot more than that. Well, there’s some things for you to keep in mind as you turn and turn.

Of course, there will be discrepancies in how to ream a tobacco pipe depending on what tool you’re using—I’ll try to account for these when applicable.

Supplies:

All you really need is the reamer, but I would also recommend:

Flashlight – it’s important to check your progress as you go along, and it can be difficult to get a good look inside a pipe bowl.

• Ashtray – or really any place to dump the cake dust as it accumulates.
• Newspaper – or anything to cover where you’re working to avoid mess.
• Pipe cleaner – to keep the shank clean.

1. Feed a pipe cleaner through the shank.

This will prevent the dust from the cake that is scraped away from falling through the draft hole as you ream. Not a big necessity, but it keeps things neat, and you won’t have to clean all the carbon dust out of the shank later.

2. With your reamer at its smallest size, insert it into the chamber, keeping it straight and centered.

• T-Handle – start with the smallest attachment. If there is obvious clearance between the smallest size and the wall, check the next size. But start with the smallest size you can, don’t force a larger attachment.
   
• Senior – have the reamer totally closed, the blades as narrow as they go. Then once you have the Senior centered, widen the blades to where they are just touching the chamber walls. I’ll even reach the walls and then go the smallest increment narrower and give it a few turns for good measure.
   
• Butner – with the tool centered in the chamber, put the lightest pressure downward on the T-bar so that the blades are against the chamber wall.

3. Slowly begin turning the tool in the chamber. Very slowly and gently.

A little slower.

Gentler… Gentler!

You’ve got no place to be. Take your time.

4. Frequently check your progress.

The carbon should be coming off in a fine dust, though you may get some cake crumbling off in small chunks. This usually happens at least a little bit, especially for older cake that’s dried out. But make sure you’re really taking your time and not being too aggressive. It’s easy to think, “well I’ll get the bulk of it off and then smooth it out at the end.” No no, just be patient, keeping the cake as even as you can with the gradual filing away of each layer.

5. When you are no longer trimming the cake, size up.

• T-Handle - move to the next attachment.
• Senior - should be widened the slightest bit. This is where the unfixed sizes are a plus, so don’t get impatient and go any wider than needed to get the next thin layer.
• Butner – the blades should be adjusting to the widening chamber as you go. Keep grazing with minimal pressure.

Repeat this step until the cake is at the desired thickness.

6. If you get resistance or pulling, don’t force it. Return to a smaller size and give it a little more time before sizing back up.

Sometimes I’ll wrap a little sandpaper around a marker and smooth the cake so that it’s even and less prone to snags.

7. Once finished, clean out the bowl and shank with pipe cleaners.

Even after dumping the loose dust from the bowl, there’s likely to be some that needs to be excavated, and you don’t want to do that with your mouth next time you draw. Hopefully the pipe cleaner in the shank kept it relatively clean, but to be thorough, give the airway a good run through as well.

A few suggestions moving forward:

• If you do want to practice before reaming one of your beloved briars, as I mentioned before, letting cake build in an inexpensive corn cob pipe is a good way to learn. You could also purchase some beat up estate pipes. You can usually find some that could use a good reaming on eBay or at antique stores.
  
  Pictured above is an old Billiard I picked up from my local antique mall. If you can take care of cake like this, you’ll have no reservations about a little trim now and then.
   
• After each smoke, loop a pipe cleaner in a sort of ribbon shape and twist it inside the chamber. This will slow down cake build up. If it’s a new pipe, you may want to wait until it’s broken in and has some cake.
   
  
• Knowing your pipe well can go a long way with reaming—both in knowing how much cake is built up and getting a sense of how much cake you prefer. By “knowing your pipe” I just mean having that sort of familiarity that comes with time and attentiveness.
  
  When I have a new pipe, I’ll test the bowl size with my index finger. I can’t say there’s some specific measurement I’m looking for, but I have a sense of the spaciousness—width and depth—of others in my collection and their smoking characteristics. I’ll insert my index finger now and again after smoking up some miles on it. Again, it’s not a science, just a feel for the instrument that you develop. You’ll notice the narrowing clearance and start to get an idea of how you prefer things.

Happy Reaming

It does take some practice to get proficient, but once you’re comfortable with it, reaming becomes another one of those many rituals that comes with pipe smoking; another task like packing, tamping, or cleaning that probably seems cumbersome to the outsider. But from the inside, we know these things to be part of the charm of our chosen smoking method. That the tool doesn’t disintegrate through the smoke, but is an object of craftsmanship to be cared for, is what sets pipes apart. 

Hello and welcome to the first installment of this new series, What I Smoked This Week.

The name is pretty self-explanatory, but to summarize, each week I’ll dive into two different blends—sometimes they’ll be new to me, sometimes not. At the end of the week (Friday), I’ll expound on what I smoked and my experience with them.

Ultimately, I hope to chronicle the exploration of pipe tobacco blends in a way that’s informal, conversational, and human. I'll be writing entries throughout the week, like any smoking journal—so, instead of being written entirely as a reflection at week’s end, I’ll try to show the arc of how the blends open up and how my impressions change as I work through them.

And of course, we’ll get into pipes as well. Finding that pipe that makes a blend sing is all part of exploring after all. In fact, any goings-on in my pipecraft I will bring to these pieces (I've recently gotten into restoration, so look out for some botched Grabows). 

That’s the gist of what the spirit of the series aspires to be. But I’ll refine the approach to best engender that spirit as I go. I’d love for any readers to be a part of this too, so please reach out with any feedback, advice, requests, corrections, or just a friendly hello (if I know pipe smokers, I may get all five in one email—here’s hoping I do). You can reach me at GregR@TobaccoPipes.com.

Okay, let’s get into it.

The two blends starring in this first installment—Bengal Slices (re-release) and Escudo Navy De Luxe.

(As the pilot of the series, I’m kind of wishing I did Squadron Leader. Shame, shame.)

Bengal Slices

Entry 1

I have a beer cracked, music's on (fellow pipe smoker Harry Nilsson), and in front of me is a fresh tin of Bengal Slices.

Opening it up, the anise flavor comes right out to shake your hand. Something about that dark spice, licorice scent with the smoky Latakia evokes a pleasant old-worldliness. The dark brown, blond mottled slices crumble easily into small clumps. “Finished with a subtle top note,” the tin reads. That seems to wash with the lightly moist tobacco in my hand, far from the moisture you get from a generously cased Aromatic. The licorice scent seems a step beyond subtle, but we all know how deceiving a tin note can be. Though the slices break down into small pieces, still, the clumps have that hydrated springiness, refusing to be taken to dust. I bet it would smoke fine out of the tin, but I’ll give it a half hour to air out just a bit.

It’s a frigid evening and there’s something about a good English blend that warms me up. It’s cozy in my apartment, but I’ll have to take my pipe outside. Unfortunately, my building has a strict no Latakia rule (okay, it’s a no smoking rule). I remember reading that the old Model Tobacco plant a few blocks up the street is getting turned into apartments—think they’ll let tenants smoke inside there? Hm, no—I assume not. But I bet they keep the retro sign.

Okay, I’ve got my Missouri Meerschaum Emerald packed with Bengal Slices—into the cold I go.

Entry 2

So far, getting familiar with Bengal Slices has been a treat. This is of course the rerelease that Russ Ouellette blended upon Standard Tobacco Company acquiring the brand (just one of three classic brands they revived). I haven’t tried the original or any previous iteration, so I’m only talking about this tobacco on its own merits. But frankly, that’s the only way I will ever judge a rerelease or match blend or anything of the sort. I may note how they differ if I have the relevant experience to do so, but if I like the blend in front of me, I’m a happy camper.

Speaking of camping, let me get back to this smoky English.

It’s an easy smoke and very smooth. I anticipate some trial and error with a new blend—altering how I pack, dry, or break it down with the first few bowls (sometimes more) to find what’s most agreeable with the particular blend. I don’t think much of that will be necessary though. Bengal Slices is that drama free friend that’s always “down for whatever.” No fuss.

My first impression of the Latakia was a more herbal smokiness rather than assertive. More woody than spicy which compliments the earthy Orientals very nicely. The blend is rather strong with flavor—not as a Lat-bomb, but as the emergent property of a few players.

Then there’s the top flavor. The nose deceives again. True to the tin description, the topping seems light. The licorice is certainly present, but not forward as an Aromatic would likely be. However, it creates a wonderful dynamic with the tobacco flavors. The Virginias and Black Cavendish are sweet. However, the earthiness keeps a cap on the sweet side—a dynamic, complex blend for sure.

Entry 3

When trying a new blend, I’ll often switch to a bowl of something else in the same vein. I think there’s something calibrating about it, it gives perspective on if I’m just perceiving a blend generically as “an English/Balkan” or if I’m getting more of the individual characteristics, the qualities that make a blend its own. So, perusing my options, I pull a jar of Arango’s Balkan Supreme from the shelf and pack a bowl.

If it wasn't implied, there was time between all these smokes—if there wasn’t I could have eaten some of my dog’s food and tasted Latakia.

(Has anyone named a dog Latakia? That would be a great dog name.)

I gravitated to a wider bowl for these, such as my Molina Tromba 102. I think the wider burn area lends itself to complex blends. It's kind of like a burrito bowl—the best bites have a little bit of all the fixin's.  

I think Supreme had more of the woody smokiness, Slices more herbal and darker—almost dark fruity (the licorice top flavoring and Virginias are likely suspects). Slices have a sweetness, but not very sugary sweet—silky and floral in the olfactory kind of sweet. The Black Cavendish is creamy and adds body.

I think this side of the profile came into higher resolution when returning to the Slices from Supreme; juxtaposed by Supreme’s more (in my approximation) savory-ness. 

Here’s where I’m at based on these initial several smokes—

Strength:    ◙◙◙○○○○○○○
Taste:           ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○
Flavoring:   ◙◙◙○○○○○○○

Entry 4

Having spent a bit more time with the blend, I think my initial impression is nearly the same. If anything, I may have understated the presence of the Latakia. Although, I have at this point read numerous reviews, (this entry being the first since doing so) and others have attested to a more Lat-heavy experience, so perhaps that is affecting my objectivity (whatever that is). While I am noticing that smoky Latakia more, I think the abutting flavors give this blend a complexity that subverts being defined by one note.

One bump to the Taste bar—

Strength:    ◙◙◙○○○○○○○
Taste:           ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○
Flavoring:   ◙◙◙○○○○○○○

But I have to say, for my taste, I really enjoy that incense, herbaceous quality an English can have, especially when it’s silky and is retrohaled without roughing up the sinuses. Latakia, I like. Lat-bombs work for me sometimes, but I’m especially receptive to its inclusion in moderation where it really just jibes with the Oriental and Virginia and isn’t stealing the show. For that reason, I think Bengal Slices hits my personal preferences quite well. But that’s just me, others certainly find it to be a Lat-bomb.

That said, upon reading others’ impressions, I think I have no choice but to give Fusilier’s Ration a try in the near future. This is Ouellette’s other nod to the original Bengal Slices—apparently a bit more strength for this one. I’ll be interested to give it a smoke! But I can say confidently that I’ll keep the Slices on deck.

Escudo Navy De Luxe

Entry 1

My other indulgence this week was the quintessential VaPer, Escudo. I first tried it two nights ago in my Nuttens Bing Heritage II. I’ve had this pipe for a few weeks and it smokes like a dream—has quickly become one of my favorites.

The coins are immaculate and arrive in a perfectly neat presentation around the tin. I would have thought they’d get a bit disheveled in their journeys. They were easily rubbed out into soft ribbons—for some reason I imagined they would have a more coarse consistency. This packed well and took to a light with no fuss.

I jotted down my tin note impression, “Wine vinegar-y. Grass. Fig.” What poetry! I’m inclined to leave these incoherent notes on strangers’ windshields just to confuse them. I won’t...

Now, with my first smoke, my palate was a bit blown out. I may have been drawing on an Aromatic earlier in the day with a bit too much enthusiasm. And although coffee can often be a wonderful friend to a smoke, it probably wasn’t doing me any favors in getting a basic first impression.

But here are my notes while having my first bowl—

Grass and hay from VAs. More on that [grass and hay&91; side than sweet. A little lemon. Perique is plummy and adds a little spice but not a lot. Thought maybe more strength would develop through the bowl but seems quite consistent.

Since that note I've had a few more opportunities to get to know Escudo.

I expected more Perique. Which isn’t to say I’m disappointed there isn’t, but a lot of VaPer enthusiasts love their heavy Perique blends, and Escudo being the essential VaPer, part of me expected more forward spice. That said, you don’t have to go searching for the Perique, it’s not like Orlik Golden Sliced (by which I mean, there isn’t debate as to whether Perique is used at all), but still is modest and very well balanced in the mix.

Escudo seems tame in taste and doesn’t have too much of a nic hit, but the notes of fig and grass are wonderful and there’s a consistent tanginess I enjoy very much. At this time, I put the strength just below medium and the taste at mild to medium, probably closer to mild.

Strength:    ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○
Taste:           ◙◙◙○○○○○○○

Entry 2

I’m starting to notice a little more spice from the Perique developing throughout the bowl. Still mostly on the dark fruit side, which is just dandy for me, no complaints here.

Escudo proves to be one of those that gets more interesting as you keep getting familiar. It’s only grown on me. Although, I did come to it with only a few taste buds left, so perhaps my growing appreciation is really the arc of my returning senses. Either way, this VaPer is singin’ now.

Escudo isn’t especially complex, it isn’t balancing a ton of flavors, but I’m realizing it’s one that really puts me at ease. Yes, pipe smoking tends to have that effect in general, but some blends all but demand it. My one regret? The cold. I’m taking a few coins from this tin and putting them in one of my 4 oz. Ball jars. The next warm Virginia-winter day (and you usually don’t have to wait too long), I’m sitting in the sun with a book and some Escudo.

Entry 3

Packed some up in my recently acquired/cleaned up Chacom Star 158. This little pipe is perfect for a quick break smoke.

Given some time to get acquainted with the blend and coming to it with a less tarnished palate, I’ll have to adjust my Taste and Strength for this blend a hair, 1/10^th more in each assessment.

Strength:    ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○
Taste:           ◙◙◙◙○○○○○○

I’m certainly getting more Escudo. Despite already being sold on it, some blends you just know aren’t done growing on you.

Until Next Time...

Happy smokes 

(Maybe I should come up with a sign off that's actually original. Homework for next week.)

Morgan Riley, Midlothian, Va, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons – unaltered

The idea of breaking in a tobacco pipe can be a bit confusing to new pipe smokers. When we think of breaking in a new pair of shoes or a baseball mitt, we think of something that's stiff needing a little more give to be comfortable. With pipes, we want our smoking instrument to be more durable—that is, less susceptible to damage from overheating and simply more conducive to a good, cool smoke. 

Unsurprisingly, there are a few factors and a diversity of opinion on the subject, so before getting into how to break in a pipe, let's start from square one.  

What do we mean by "breaking in" a pipe?

Breaking in a tobacco pipe generally refers to the period when a new briar pipe has yet to build up a carbon cake in its chamber. The cake is a coating that slowly builds up around the chamber walls from the release of carbon that results from the combustion of tobacco. Briar is the standard wood for crafting smoking pipes because of its significant heat resistance, but it’s still wood, and we want to take every precaution to avoid damage. 

The carbon cake acts as insulation so that the bear briar has a layer between it and the combusting leaf. When a briar pipe's chamber doesn't have carbon buildup, it’s more vulnerable to burn outs. It’s also much easier to enjoy our smokes once there’s carbon buildup, as a cooler smoke should always be the goal. In addition to the threat too hot a smoke has on your pipe, it can also lead to tongue bite, and a poor smoke in general. The flavor we get from pipe tobacco really comes from the smoldering of the leaf, we don't want it set ablaze. 

An overt example of this is demonstrated by the vexed windy-day smoke. If you’ve ever tried to smoke outside on a windy day, you may have noticed a big ember in your chamber, half the leaf you packed burned through in minutes, and an acrid taste upon drawing. The wind-stoked combustion is a more dramatic example of what is more subtly happening when we smoke hot.

Carbon cake makes that cooler smoke much more maintainable in our briar pipes. However, you really only need a thin layer. Once that’s built up, you’ll want to maintain your cake without building excess by periodically  reaming your tobacco pipe.

Do all pipes need to be broken in? 

When you hear pipe smokers talk about breaking in a pipe, they're probably referring to briar. 

Corn cob and meerschaum pipes do not need a carbon cake, in fact, most will attest that it's risky to build cake in a meerschaum and advice wiping out the chamber after each smoke to prevent even a thin layer from building. 

Of course, there can be excess in any pipe. Basically, heat causes expansion, and due to the material differences between the cake and bowl, and the cake's direct contact with the combusting leaf, they won't expand and contract in perfect harmony. Because briar and corn cob are more accommodating, more limber, than meerschaum, the latter is at a greater risk of cracking. 

Potential for damage aside, one of meerschaums distinguishable attributes is its neutral taste. Briar and cake alter the pure taste of a blend, which isn't a bad thing and is often preferred. Still, for many, Meerschaum's faculty for delivering that pure taste is part of its charm and appeal. Neutral taste is also a reason many  choose to smoke a corn cob pipe.

Tips for how to break in a pipe

You'll get a lot of different views when asking how to break in a pipe. Many will simply say "smoke it." I've had new pipes that I've smoked from the first bowl just as I would any other and had no problems. I've employed suggested techniques, some I continued with and others I didn't. There is no right way, but let's go over some of those tips and techniques and you can adopt them into your routine as you see fit. 

1. Clean your pipe

The first thing I do before smoking a new pipe is give it a clean. This isn't the thorough, deep clean I'll give my tobacco pipes from time to time. After all, the pipe is unsmoked. However, in its travels from the factory or workshop to your hands, there could be some debris that's found its way into the stem and shank. Running a  pipe cleaner through it will suffice. 

2. Smoke slowly

No matter what techniques you do or do not employ when breaking in a pipe, what's especially important is keeping that pipe from getting too hot while still building up a carbon cake.  Finding the cadence to maintain a cool smoke is conducive to getting the most out of a smoking experience, broken in pipe or not. But heat is especially important to be cautious of when the wood is exposed and more vulnerable.

3. Smoke a neutral tobacco to avoid ghosting the briar

We often think of ghosting as what happens when cake takes on the flavor of especially pungent tobacco and imparts that flavor onto later smokes. But most smokers have at least one story of that cursed pipe from which they could not exorcize that ghost. Try as they try, reaming simply won't do because the ghost is present in the wood. A new pipe that doesn't have a carbon cake is more susceptible to storing the piquancy of Latakia or the top flavoring from a strong-flavored Aromatic.  Virginia blends are a good option for breaking in a pipe without it ghosting. 

I'll generally use straight Virginia blends to break in a pipe. The one draw back is that their sugar content makes them burn hot if you're not careful with your cadence and packing method. If you're not used to straight Virginias, Oriental or Burley blends could work well. These leaves aren't so dominant in flavor like Latakia or top flavorings, they also have a low sugar content and don't burn so hot. Just make sure the blends don't contain something that might ghost the pipe. 

Of course if you plan to  dedicate your pipe to a particular genre, this isn't as important (or if you just aren't concerned about ghosting. Many smokers aren't and enjoy their pipes nonetheless). But keep in mind, if ever you grow out of that genre or, for whatever reason, change course with that pipe's dedication, you'll have an easier time ridding it of flavors imbedded in the cake than in the briar.

4. Apply a bowl coating

Often times, manufacturers will apply a coating to their tobacco pipes to help protect the bowl from charring while breaking in and developing a cake. However, not all pipes come with coated chambers and proponents of coatings will opt to apply one themselves. Inversely, many pipe smokers dislike these coatings and remove them before smoking. The bowl coatings are temporary and are only meant to protect in that liminal stage of cake building. 

Simon of LCS Pipes and the YTPC channel  London Calling With Simon explains that he favors a layer of honey as a temporary coating to protect the briar and expedite the development of carbon cake. 

5. Gradual packing method

Another technique you will often hear is the gradual packing method. To get a nice even carbon cake through the chamber, some advocate for only packing the first few bowls one third or one half full, increasing gradually as cake builds up. This is probably the most common technique you'll hear in regards to breaking in a pipe. 

On the other hand, if you aren't smoking all the way down to the very bottom, buildup isn't all that important in the heel since it isn't getting very hot. Moisture easily collects in the heel, so even if you smoke nearly to the bottom, most all of us end a smoke with excavating at least a little dottle. 

Personally, I don't take this approach, although I did for a while. I certainly don't advocate against it, in fact, I suggest you try it and see if it's for you. 

When I have a new pipe, I just make sure that I'm smoking it when I have time to smoke the whole bowl. By whole, I mean as far down as I would in a broken in pipe. For me, the best way to get your cake even is to just smoke all the way through as you usually would, because ultimately that's the area of the chamber surface that will be taking the heat. But I do understand why doing it in stages may mitigate the amount of heat a bowl has to take at one time. I think most all will agree, whether smoking a fraction of the bowl or all of it, the most important factor is going slow and keeping it as cool as can be.

Enjoy your new pipe!

If it seems like there's a lot to this breaking in a pipe thing, it's only because there are different approaches to and thoughts on the subject. I think if it works for some folks, it's worth considering, but ultimately, you find your way. Just take it slow—breaking in or not. Dashing through a museum in a full sprint defeats the purpose right? Enjoy each draw because it's in that patient, rapt state that the enigmatic joy of smoking a pipe lives. 

Hello and welcome to the second installation of this…series? Column? Maybe column is the right word.

Well, whatever this is, it is certainly What I Smoked This Week and I certainly smoked some things—spoiler, it was tobacco.

But if you haven't read the first column and want a little synopses of what it's all about, check it out here.

It's been a fine week in our tobacco pipe world as Sunday, February 20th was International Pipe Smoking Day. I hope you found the time to enjoy a smoke or several and could take advantage of some of the deals going on. I enjoyed it but I think the real gift for me came Monday evening

Last time, I wrote that I would be making sure to save some Escudo for the next warm, sunny day. Well, I got that opportunity Monday. I packed my Georg Jensen Granat 78 and was reading Ben Rapaport's An Intimate History of The Tobacco Industry, 1850 - 1920.

Maybe not very sunny by the time I was freed up, but that's alright. Just to go out in the warm air and settle in the courtyard with my pipe and book was a simple, but greatly missed pleasure—and Escudo was every bit of the companion to such an activity as I hoped it would be.   

Also this week, I started trying to give some life to this old Kaywoodie White Briar. It's a shape #1 but seems to have had the slight bent stem replaced with a straight tapered one from another Kaywoodie. Hopefully next week I can share a much prettier version. I'm on the fence about whether to strip the white and refinish. If you have any thoughts, I'm all ears. 

So, for this and next week, I’m doing all four blends in the Cobblestone Indulge series from Sutliff Tobacco. This week I smoked Vanilla Custard and Walnut Maple Pie. Next week will be on to Cherry Delight and Crème Brulee. Each is a treat-inspired Aromatic, so it will be a sweet time.

Vanilla Custard

Entry 1

Well I'm in for a very Aromatic 2 weeks. I don't smoke Aromatics too frequently so this will be a bit different. But I've heard good things about the Indulge series, and actually have had a tin of Cherry Delight before, which I'll be smoking next week. 

At this point I've had a few smokes of Vanilla Custard. 

The tin note is a strong vanilla aroma just upon opening it, but getting close, I noticed a little bit of a medicine smell—kind of like cough syrup. Sometimes I get this with Aromatics, and it's nothing a little airing out won't usually take care of. I fluffed the ribbons up out of the tin a bit and let it sit. Not long after, all I could smell was vanilla and cream—very sweet. Instantly reminds me of Sutliff Z92. 

I set to drying out some tobacco for my first bowl. To me, it's a bit tricky to gauge the right dryness for an Aromatic blend. It's going to feel pretty moist from the top flavoring, so my "feel" for it doesn't translate from non-Aromatics so well. Despite that, after about 40 minutes of airing out I packed a bowl into my Molina Barasso 108. It took a flame very easily and needed only a few relights through the smoke. 

Vanilla Custard burned smooth and slowly throughout the bowl. The taste is quite aligned with the tin note, vanilla and cream. There's little tobacco flavor to speak of, but I believe I picked up on some of the natural, honey-like sweetness from the Cavendish. 

As far as strength and flavor, it pretty much falls in line with what you'd expect from this sort of Aromatic. Generously flavored, very light, little nicotine. 

Strength:     ◙◙○○○○○○○○
Taste:            ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○
Flavoring:    ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○

Entry 2

Not much different to say, I think these Aromatics are pretty upfront with their profiles, there's not much wrestling. But sometimes that simplicity is nice, and it sure has been through this rainy week being limited to enjoying a smoke in the few awning-covered areas available. 

I have to say, for a well coated Aromatic, this one isn't threatening tongue bite. The Black Cavendish brings out a dense, silky smoke even with moderate sipping making it easy to get the rich flavor across the palate without pulling too hard or constantly puffing. 

Vanilla Custard reminds me of some of my first pipe smoking memories—summer river days with that Molina (my first pipe) and Z92 (my first blend) and half a pack of matches sacrificed to a single smoke. Memories I'm always happy to be whisked away to. 

Entry 3

With the frequency that I smoke Aromatics, one tin can go a long way. So I really only keep a couple tins or Ball jars of bulk around at a time. The only reason I can't say I'll be re-upping on Vanilla Custard is because it doesn't really scratch an itch Z92 doesn't, which is one of the few Aromatics I tend to keep supplied. In a world without Z92, this would easily be a regular on my shelf.  

Walnut Maple Pie

Entry 1

So far, Walnut Maple Pie has surprised me, it seems to have a few more dimensions than I thought it would.

First off, the tin note wasn't as one-note strong as similar Aromatics. I expected an onrush of pure maple but it was accompanied by a woodiness. Just like the Vanilla Custard, I gave it some drying time after which it was a very easy pack and burn. 

The Burley adds some appreciated body to Virginia Custard, but in Walnut Maple Pie, its flavor really comes through too. Maybe something in the way the walnut top flavor and nutty Burley harmonize—there's certainly more to say of the tobacco component in this blend. 

I think I anticipated something more like Cornell & Diehl's Autumn Evening, which is—to my memory—very rich with an authoritative maple flavoring. Many of Sutliff's Aromatics that I've tried seem to be of that kin, but there's a bit more of a complexity to Walnut Maple Pie. The toppings are forward and lead, to be sure, but a bit more subdued where it counts, the audacity of the potent maple not taking advantage of other flavor's subtelty. 

I was wondering if I would get much of the walnut at all from this blend. Of the two top flavorings, it seemed the richness of the maple might shroud the walnut. The space made for each is certainly the result of smart blending. The Burley and walnut are especially present through the retrohale. 

Strength:     ◙◙◙○○○○○○○
Taste:            ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○
Flavoring:     ◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○○

Entry 2

Tobacco reviews often talk about the room note. To be honest, I don't feel as though I have a good sense of the room note of something that I'm currently smoking. Taste and smell are so intimately coupled that I don't think I can isolate them enough to find the edges of either. I've noticed that a reviewer will sometimes offer their wife's reaction to the aroma. Well I don't have a wife, but I do have a Chris and Sav. 

Those would be my friends. At the park this evening—Walnut Maple Pie packed in my Missouri Meerschaum Legend—they had some great insights.

"That smells like Waffle Crisps," Chris informs me. He explains Waffle Crisps are a maple syrup flavored cereal. Quite specific, but they too are enjoyed in a bowl, so maybe it's just the right comparison. 

Then Sav offers, "It does smell like waffles, I thought I was having a stroke." 

I really know how to choose 'em.

Jokes aside, the maple fragrance was very well received. 

Entry 3

I think this might be good to cut with an earthy non-Aromatic. Maybe a mild English. Might have to experiment.

All in all, Walnut Maple Pie is definitely my favorite Aromatic that I've tried in a while. I'm sure I'll keep some more around.  

Until next time...

I'm still brainstorming that sign off. 

Remember, if you have any feedback, advice, requests, corrections, or just want to say hello, I'd love to hear from you—GregR@TobaccoPipes.com

Thanks for reading!