Dedicating Pipes as per Tobacco

[SeaGarr]

Read an interesting story about dedicating pipes to tobacco blends -
http://pipesmagazine.com/python/pipe-smoking/dedicating-tobacco-pipes-to-pipe-tobacco-blends/

The author divided pipers into three groups of people who dedicate their pipes as described below:

No Dedication - put anything in your pipe
Genre Dedication - have different pipes for different blends genre's
Strict Dedication - separate pipe for every blend

What are you and why? Does it really make a difference? - Thanks for playing .

In more depth:

No Dedication*
The pipers that don’t dedicate their pipes just don’t want to deal with the hassle of dedicating pipes to certain tobaccos. If they want to smoke a particular pipe, they just grab that pipe and load it with whatever blend that they want to smoke at that time. They don’t care about ghosting and actually like the way that some blends play off of each other that way. It is also cost efficient because you don’t have to own a lot of pipes to enjoy a lot of different blends.
Pros
•You can smoke whatever pipe you want without regard to the blend
•You can smoke whatever blend you want without regard to the pipe
•No hassle in picking out a pipe and tobacco combo
•Sometimes the ghost can have a really tasty effect on the smoke
•Less expensive (than Strict Dedication and Genre Dedication) - You don’t have to own a lot of pipes to enjoy a lot of different blends
Cons
•You will have a ghosting effect on other blends
•Ghosts may take longer to smoke out
•You may lose the subtle nuances of blends
•You may not taste the intended characteristics and flavors of a particular blend
_______________________________________________________________

Genre Dedication*
The pipers that dedicate pipes to different genres of tobacco may have the best of both worlds. They fall in between both of the other groups. They dedicate pipes to each genre of tobacco. They have pipes that are dedicated to English/Balkan blends, Virginia and Virginia/Perique blends, and Aromatic blends. This gives them a variety of choices of different pipes and tobaccos to choose from for a smoking combination. There is a small amount of ghosting that can happen, but since the pipes are smoked with blends from the same genre, the ghost can be smoked out very quickly. It is a lot more economical than Strict Dedication and not much more expensive than No Dedication.
Pros
•You can smoke whatever blend you want with any pipe from the genre dedication
•You can smoke whatever pipe you want from the blend genre
•Less hassle picking out a pipe and tobacco combo
•Ghosts are easily smoked out
•Less bowls (than No Dedication) to pick up on subtle nuances
•You can more easily taste (than No Dedication) the intended characteristics and flavors of a particular blend
•Less expensive (than Strict Dedication) – You don’t have to own very many pipes
Cons
•Light ghosting effect may happen
•Slightly more bowls (than Strict Dedication) to pick up on subtle nuances
•Slightly more expensive (than No Dedication) – You need to own a few more pipes
_________________________________________________________________

Strict Dedication*
The pipers that dedicate one pipe to one blend enjoy tasting every single nuance of a particular blend. They don’t want any other flavors intruding on the flavor of whatever blend that they smoke in that pipe. They don’t want any ghosting at all to take place. They have one pipe dedicated to one blend and that is the only blend smoked in that pipe until they want to change the blend. If you smoke less than ten different blends, this is OK. But if you are an eclectic smoker, who likes a lot of variety and smokes a lot of different blends, it will get very costly because you will need a lot of pipes.
Pros
•You will get the true flavor of a blend and every subtle nuance
•You will taste the intended characteristics and flavors of a particular blend
•There will be no ghosting effects on other blends because you smoke only one blend per pipe
Cons
•More expensive (than No Dedication and Genre Dedication) - You will have to own a lot of pipes if you enjoy smoking a lot of different blends
•If you want to smoke a certain blend, you have to smoke the pipe dedicated to it
•If you want to smoke a certain pipe, you have to smoke the blend dedicated to it

 

[Smokin Aces]

I know as one who is pretty new to pipes I certainly don't dedicate my pipes at this point but as someone who enjoys getting the most from each individual blend I may consider dedicating pipes to specific blends at some point once I have had a chance to feel out my tastes a little better.

 

[CVAC085]

I smoke all the baccy in all the pipes I own. Never tasted a difference....yet.

 

[Grrrrr609]

I'm halfway between genre and strict. Got my strict dedicated pipes and my not so strict. But then my meers are no dedication. So maybe I'm all three. I DON'T KNOW. Quot asking me hard question. I have too many pipes wait no I have too much baccy no wait............

I have a pipe I ONLY smoke Penzance from BUT I don't only smoke Penzance from that pipe. I'm so confused. Did I win?

 

[cgraunke]

I have a pipe I ONLY smoke Penzance from BUT I don't only smoke Penzance from that pipe. I'm so confused. Did I win?

Yup. Send this man Penzance!

 

[Hoshneer]

I dedicate certain pipes to some of my favorite blends but then mix and match others. There is one pipe I like to smoke aromatics out of and the throw English in once in awhile just because I love the sweet cake with my English tobacco. I am all over.

 

[SeaGarr]

Yup. Send this man Penzance!

Penzance, Penzance, Penzance!! Where can I buy this stuff? I think it's a figment of my imagination lol.

 

[Griz]

I smoke whatever in what ever pipe I am in the mood for, but since I dont smoke aro's, does that really make a difference? In my warped mind I would think going back and forth between aro's and english/latakia/virgina's would let some of the sweet taste and make a huge difference when some of the other were lit up. Maybe thats what they are calling dedicating, aro's verses lat blends....
Mine was a better response than Grrr's, so did I win?

 

[Grrrrr609]

I smoke whatever in what ever pipe I am in the mood for, but since I dont smoke aro's, does that really make a difference? In my warped mind I would think going back and forth between aro's and english/latakia/virgina's would let some of the sweet taste and make a huge difference when some of the other were lit up. Maybe thats what they are calling dedicating, aro's verses lat blends....
Mine was a better response than Grrr's, so did I win?

Yes you win! Where shall we send the prize?








Hehehe

 

[Griz]

Yes you win! Where shall we send the prize?








Hehehe

I have to look in my archives and find your address HA

 

[cgraunke]

Penzance, Penzance, Penzance!! Where can I buy this stuff? I think it's a figment of my imagination lol.

You can't. At least not easily or for a good price. It does show up though, but don't get caught up in chasing it. Just get on a bunch of "in-stock alert" lists and have a quick trigger finger when you get the email. When it does show up, you can buy in the area of $8/2oz tin and $24/8oz bag, and average you'll find is probably more like 150% of those prices, so that gives you an idea of how far marked up it is on eBay or sites like P&C.

 

[rdomfoto]

I smoke whatever in what ever pipe I am in the mood for, but since I dont smoke aro's, does that really make a difference? In my warped mind I would think going back and forth between aro's and english/latakia/virgina's would let some of the sweet taste and make a huge difference when some of the other were lit up. Maybe thats what they are calling dedicating, aro's verses lat blends....
Mine was a better response than Grrr's, so did I win?

I'm in the same boat. I have a couple of pipes that I only smoke aros in but the rest I'll use for either Va/Per or English blends. Not strict at all.

I may have to try a bowl of an English blend in one of my aro pipes. I like the sound of that.

 

[mikeman84]

Im not very strict about it but I do have a couple pipes I smoke certain tobacco in. For the most part I just grab whatever pipe I fell like smoking an pack it.

 

[Whtwtrman79]

Ihave a couple of va/vaper only pipes, ands couple cobs I'll smoke anything in and restrict aros to those, otherwise I usually don't work about it, I'll put a va in a english pipe but not vice versus

 

[JustTroItIn]

I'm kind of middle of the road. I have a few pipes I'll smoke anything in. I have a few I won't smoke Latakia blends but are open to pretty much any others. I have one dedicated aro cob. I'll pretty much smoke Virginia in anything.

 

[johnnyflake]

When I use to smoke briar pipes, after a number of years I found that it was necessary to dedicate pipe in 3 categories, for the best flavors possible from the tobacco you are smoking. Now days and for the last 5/6 or so years, I only smoke Corn Cobbs and ocasionally a Meerschaum.
I dedicated a few pipes to Latakia Blends only. Once you do so you will, in time, really start to get the true flavor of the blend!
I dedicated a couple of pipes to Aromatics only, any aromatic, no break downs, but just aromatics.
Finally, all my other pipes were used to smoke whatever, I chose to smoke in them, except an Aromatic or Latakia Blend.

 

[SeaGarr]

Now days and for the last 5/6 or so years, I only smoke Corn Cobbs and ocasionally a Meerschaum.
I dedicated a few pipes to Latakia Blends only. Once you do so you will, in time, really start to get the true flavor of the blend!
.

Thanks for your response. Thanks to All for your responses.

@johnnyflake - what made you give up on the briars?

 

[hopzilla]

I'm a genre-dedicated guy for my pipes. Aros (1 briar), english, VA(/per), burley are my currently defined genres

 

[johnnyflake]

Thanks for your response. Thanks to All for your responses.

@johnnyflake - what made you give up on the briars?

Three things:
1. Really good briar, the kind that really makes a difference, is not readily available anymore and when available it's expensive.
2. Briar pipes really do need to be maintained and that takes time.
3. Most importantly though, Corn Cobb & Meerschaum Pipes (Solid Meerschaum, Not Pressed Meerschaum) smoke much, much better, than briar pipes of any type and they offer much truer flavors of the tobacco, you are smoking, than any briar ever will. A quality Meerschaum Pipe affords the best possible smoke, you can ever get, out of whatever tobacco you choose to smoke. Corn Cobbs are second best!

 

[SeaGarr]

Three things:
1. Really good briar, the kind that really makes a difference, is not readily available anymore and when available it's expensive.
2. Briar pipes really do need to be maintained and that takes time.
3. Most importantly though, Corn Cobb & Meerschaum Pipes (Solid Meerschaum, Not Pressed Meerschaum) smoke much, much better, than briar pipes of any type and they offer much truer flavors of the tobacco, you are smoking, than any briar ever will. A quality Meerschaum Pipe affords the best possible smoke, you can ever get, out of whatever tobacco you choose to smoke. Corn Cobbs are second best!

Well crap...

Back to the drawing board .