I’m just starting to get into pipe smoking. I’ve started out trying Captain Jack pipe tobacco since it’s easy for me to pick up at a smoke shop. I know there has to be better pipe tobaccos out there any recommendations?
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My favorites are Peterson, Samuel Gawith and Gawith & Hoggarth pipe tobaccos. Anything is going to be better than Captain Black, it is low grade tobacco that has been soaked in sugary syrup. I prefer plain tobacco and tend to stay away from aromatic blends even the high end ones which are flavoured with Cavendish tobacco not sugary syrups. Five Brothers is a good strong American drugstore brand if you are in America and can find it but it is bone dry and best if rehydrated alittle. https://www.smokingpipes.com/ is my goto place for all things pipesmoking.
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Cool thanks yeah I figured Captain Black was not gonna be too tier after seeing how it was stored in the corner bottom shelf of the smoke shop. I was looking into this Perique tobacco as well any experience with that?
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I was a pipe smoker for a few years before getting interested in snuff.
The regulars I smoke are usually “codger blends.” My favorite being Sir Walter Raleigh; an excellent, inexpensive tobacco with a very nutty aroma and flavor. Prince Albert is also up there as a very good codger blend. Both are inexpensive and worth getting.
For aromatics, my favorite is Cult Blood Red Moon, very strong cherry and dark chocolate. Delicious but more pricey ($10-$15 per tin) and often out of stock. Buy it up when you can.
Aromatics are good for smoking when you have company around who aren’t acclimated to tobacco smoke; aromatics smell really nice, and if you have a good blend it’ll taste nice, too (a lot of aromatics smell good but have no flavor).
Sutliff has some good aromatics, too, but I usually mix them with whatever I’m smoking just to enhance it because they can be overly sweet on their own. A lot of aromatics can gunk up your pipe because they have so much syrup so some smokers will dedicate a certain pipe (usually corncob) to smoking aromatics. Me? I don’t care enough, I smoke what I want out of whatever pipe.
You may like English blends, depending on your preference. English blends are very campfire-smokey, beef-jerky flavored. Excellent blends if you like that sort of flavor.
Peterson has many good blends, I’ve also heard good things about SPC’s Plum Pudding, though I’ve never had it.
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Awesome thanks a lot of good knowledge and advice. I did not know that you sacrifice flavor for aromatics kind of a give take thing as my wife can not stand the smell of smoke.
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@Nicfit Yeah a lot of aromatics will smell good but have little flavor and can gunk up your pipe. If I’m smoking in mixed company I’ll usually add a little aromatic to whatever I’m smoking to make it more pleasant if anyone is sensitive to the smell.
If you get the higher quality aromatics that are flavoured with Cavendish tobacco they will not gunk up your pipe like the cheap aromatics that are flavoured with syrup. But Cavendish is low on nicotine and although it smells great it has very little flavour. As for Perique blends most are Virginia tobacco with a bit of Perique mixed in. Be warned Virginia burns hot and can give you wicked tongue bite if you smoke it too fast.
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Good tips right here
I got a pretty good price on a tin of Petersons Nightcap and Royal Yacht commin in the mail Thursday and a Restored Stetson Briar Pipe coming Friday. Looking forward to the weekend!
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Nice pipe! A straight billiard, I believe? Curious to see how you like the filters, I started with them but got tired of replacing them so leave the chamber empty on any of my filtered pipes.
And one thing you may want to look into if you want to keep the mouthpiece in good shape is a pipe bit. It’s just a piece of rubber that goes over the mouthpiece so the pipe is easier to clench and your teeth don’t chew up the mouthpiece. I use a pipe bit on all my nice pipes. The corncobs I don’t really care lol
https://www.smokingpipes.com/accessories/pipe-tampers-and-tools/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=142
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Yep I have a couple pipe bites I bought with my last pipe I got a pipe a few weeks back from Amazon I wasn’t real thrilled with. It’s okay but after doing a little more research I wanted to see the difference on how it smokes with a briarwood pipe as opposed to pear wood. From what I hear was there’s less tongue bite with briar wood. I also have that Petersons Nightcap and Royal Yacht commin in the mail tomorrow and wanted to see the difference.
Royal Yacht is a good strong baccy with good flavour and is one of my favorites but it can bite you if you smoke it too fast. Nightcap is a latakia heavy English blend, a great blend if you love latakia. Latakia is very smokey, it basically smells like a camp fire. You should be happy with these they are a big step up in quality from Captain Black.
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@Nicfit Yup, I would always recommend briar or corn cob, wouldn’t touch anything else. Especially on Amazon, some of those pipes on Amazon are made with wood that can be toxic, or are lacquered which can also be toxic when heated.
@n9inchnails hit the nail on the head!
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I normally just get blends from my local cigar shop but I did venture out and purchased some Ashton “Rainy Day” pipe tobacco. Its delicious. There’s a big apricot scent (that i didn’t know i needed in my life.), it’s cozy, I’m fairly new to pipe smoking, it’s not an overbearing flavor. Here is a link to Cigar International, you may be able to find it for a better price on another site. Happy Puffin!
https://www.cigarsinternational.com/p/ashton-rainy-day-pipe-tobacco-pipe-tobacco/1439839/#p-97172
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I did try the tobacco shops around town seems like there really all more bong and vape shops. But I looked around and found The Cigar Merchant online there the only site that didn’t tax me to death. 40$ out the door my my 2- 50g tins of Petersons. Compared to almost paying 60$ on other sites.
My city is more than big enough Im really surprised I can’t find any good tobacco shops.
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Cigar shops seem to be the only places that stock pipe tobacco you should search your area for cigar shops, the more expensive the cigars they carry the greater the chance that they will carry pipe tobacco. Some of them like @SnuffPlow mentioned have their own house blends and they will be the cheapest quality pipe tobacco that you will be able to find.
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Good Call found 2 Cigar Shops 1 of which looks pretty upscale as well gonna check them out tomorrow! Thanks Man
Update Cigar shop owner called me a pipe poker and would never sell pipe tobacco again said pipe smokers were to picky about what he bought and vowed to never stock pipe tobacco ever again 
I’ll try shop #2 today
But my Petersons royal Yacht and night cap came in today and is wonderful 
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I should add that anyone in America lucky enough to find a local tobacco or cigar shop that has house blends they are most definately blended by Cornell & Diehl and they are master blenders with a long list of excellent blends of their own.
Also all of my pipes have the rubber tips previously mentioned, I like to hold my pipes in my teeth and would destroy my mouthpieces in no time without them. As for filters these are the only ones I use, they are cheap and last quite a few bowls before needing replacing. They do not remove nicotine or flavour they just absorb moisture for a nice dry cool smoke.
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I recieved my pipe today and I’ve already fallen in love with it. The seller restores vintage pipes and they are absolutely beautiful. He’s a great guy that does too notch work at a great price I’ll provide a link if anyone is interested in checking him out.
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