Regarding my first briar

[StogieJim]

So my first briar will be here thursday. Savinelli Roma 673KS. Pretty pumped! I have 5 cobs but it was time to step up.

My question is, do you guys stick to one "family" of tobacco per pipe? If so, I really have no idea what kind of baccy I'll use this pipe for!

I love VA, i love English, and I love aro's lol!!

What'ya guys recommend?

 

[CVAC085]

First off, about time you picked up a briar. I mean congratulations!!! LOL.

I've read up some people like to use a certain pipe for their specific baccy or even a specific brand of a baccy. A good friend of mine said he uses his cobs for trying out the new baccy he purchases before even thinking about putting them in his briar or custom pipes he owns.

But me personally, do I do that? NO, since my pipe collection is small for the moment. Honestly, I don't even taste a difference if I switch blends. It might just be me and my taste buds. I just let my pipes rest 24 hours after smoking and clean within a few hours after I'm done smoking a bowl.

 

[StogieJim]

Thanks man! and LOL, yea I'm glad I finally pulled the trigger.

This leads me to my other question. I like using the filter. I should definitely wait 3 or 4 hours before pulling the stem to clean right? I won't be able to run a pipe cleaner through when there is a filter in there

Thanks!

 

[CVAC085]

Thanks man! and LOL, yea I'm glad I finally pulled the trigger.

This leads me to my other question. I like using the filter. I should definitely wait 3 or 4 hours before pulling the stem to clean right? I won't be able to run a pipe cleaner through when there is a filter in there

Thanks!

You can take out the filter from pipe. You'll see it's a triangle piece of wood that rests in the stem (I think that's the proper name?), forgot the exact name of the wood though because I'm having a brain fart too. I'm batting .500 tonight. You SHOULD get a nice amount of filters an extra as a little gift. And can always order more easily on-line or even if a local B&M might carry as well. I keep mine in and take it out to clean it when I clean out my pipe. Like tonight, I took a tissue to it and cleaned off some of the crap on it. Maybe I'm a little OCD and trying to milk the filter more even though it should probably be changed. I think there's also an adapter you put into the pipe should you not want the filter anymore. I can't find my box to check and see if I have one on my Spring series pipe. But yes, I keep the filter in. My others don't have them except my Dr Grabow, which I rarely smoke anymore.

Cleaning the pipe, really depends on my mood. Tonight I had to run around a while so it got a little bit of rest. Maybe 7 or 8 hours?? I've had times where I had it rest for a day or so and remembered to finally clean it up. Just whatever you do, DO NOT clean right after you smoke. Allow it a little time to cool or you'll crack the briar and well, then pipe ruined. If you want to give it a few hours so be it. It's all your personal preference. Just again, don't pull the stem off or anything right after you smoke.

I'm sure others will chime in and give their opinions on it also. Even though it's 2:30am here on the east coast.

 

[JustTroItIn]

Thanks man! and LOL, yea I'm glad I finally pulled the trigger.

This leads me to my other question. I like using the filter. I should definitely wait 3 or 4 hours before pulling the stem to clean right? I won't be able to run a pipe cleaner through when there is a filter in there

Thanks!

I'm kind of a mixed bag. I have some pipes I'll smoke anything in and have some that I just won't smoke Latakia or Aro blends but anything else is fair game.

When pulling the stem you definitely want the pipe to be cool, but 3-4 hours is probably overkill. Congrats on your first Briar.

 

[SeaGarr]

Congrats man! I love my briars!

I use the balsa filters on my Sav(s) pretty much all the time now. I went back and forth for a while, but the filter seemingly won the day. I can average about 4 smokes out of a filter out of my smaller Savs, but three smokes on a larger may be all you want to do. Eventually you get a feel for it, and don't even need to count.

I would never smoke an aromatic in my briar unless it was dedicated. I believe that eventually it would taint the bowl. Other than that, I smoke just about everything out of mine and haven't noticed a lingering taste because of it.

I don't know if it's because I mix my tobaccos or if it's just something you need to do with Savs when using a filter, but I run some booze through mine every time I change the filter. I feel that because I don't run a cleaner through my pipe because... well how can you with a filter in it lol, that the pipe will get a bit "skunky" if I don't.

All said and done, it becomes pretty intuitive pretty fast. I am pretty passionate about my Savs - I really like mine. I hope you'll like yours as much too!

 

[WaRevo]

Congrats on the Savi, I have 3. One is a Roma, one a sitter 622KS and one is a Pocket 626. I smoke everything in them and I don't use the Filters anymore. I do use the Savi filters in some of my Dr. Grabows as I like the Bulsa wood better then the paper. My Favorite Pipe out of my collection of 112 is my Savinelli 622KS. Huge bowl, Smokes like a dream. In the 626 I use the insert in place of the filter. 622KS no filter or insert. Not found a tobacco yet that I can't smoke it in.

Good luck with your new pipe and keep us posted on what your thoughts are.
James

 

[Deadman's Point]

I'd burn nothing but Carter Hall for the first dozen bowls, then a sugary virginia to get a hard cake in it. Then try some different blends out in it to see what burns the best. You got time, & dont over think it.

 

[Shlippy]

Just clean after each smoke and you'll have no ghosting to speak of. You only have to wait until the bowl is cool to disassemble, which shouldn't take hours. I usually let mine sit 20 mins or so.

I run one pipe cleaner down the stem a couple of times, another pipe cleaner in the shank a couple of times, and then take a half a paper towel and wipe out the bowl, and that's it.

 

[StogieJim]

Thanks for the input everyone!
it looks like my Sav has carbon in the bowl already. Do i still need to do the carter hall thing?

I've never had it before and was hoping to break her in tonight with some EMP...

 

[Shlippy]

No need, just smoke away

 

[WaRevo]

No but if you have it or Prince Albert then Smoke it. EMP is some Good Tobacco and I do smoke it in my 622KS often.

I don't remember if I do much smoking of PA in the 622KS but still seems to smoke everything great. EVEN some Drew Heirloom Cherry that I am smoking in it right now, LOL Had to revisit the Tin and see if it is a Tobacco with the chemical taste still...... Sadly it is. So far only Tobacco I don't like to smoke. When I am done I will clean the bowl, shank, and stem well. Then do a thin scrape (Ream) and then smoke 2 to 4 bowls of PA to make sure nothing stays behind. From now on this stuff only gets smoked in a Toss-A-Way Cob.

James

 

[StogieJim]

Damn now you've got me thinking i need to pick up some Carter Hall on the way home....
I don't like mild stuff very much but if it's for the good of the pipe...
Does that carbon that's in the bowl mean i don't need to break it in?

Sorry for all the newb questions, just don't want to mess up this beautiful pipe!

 

[CVAC085]

Damn now you've got me thinking i need to pick up some Carter Hall on the way home....
I don't like mild stuff very much but if it's for the good of the pipe...
Does that carbon that's in the bowl mean i don't need to break it in?

Sorry for all the newb questions, just don't want to mess up this beautiful pipe!

It gives you a kick start in helping build cake within the bowl.

 

[CVAC085]

Just clean after each smoke and you'll have no ghosting to speak of. You only have to wait until the bowl is cool to disassemble, which shouldn't take hours. I usually let mine sit 20 mins or so.

I run one pipe cleaner down the stem a couple of times, another pipe cleaner in the shank a couple of times, and then take a half a paper towel and wipe out the bowl, and that's it.

No, I wouldn't recommend wiping out the inside of the bowl. That's where you need to build up cake. You'll need a small amount built up within the bowl. If you REALLY need to clean inside the bowl. @K Williams suggested taking a pipe cleaner and making it a U shape of it and then going along the inside of the bowl. I do that and find that to work better, ONCE CAKE IS SLOWLY BUILDING UP. Or you'll most likely ruin your pipe.

Read up on this, there's a few links also included in this sticky. As always, you have more questions just ask!

http://www.botl.org/threads/getting-started-with-pipes.715/

 

[StogieJim]

Man I really wanna fire up this new pipe tonight, but the more I read the more i think i need to go buy some carter hall and smoke half bowls every other day for two weeks. Seems like overkill though.

I'd love to throw some deception pass in as I've never tried it before and have a closed tin of it, would that be a bad idea?

 

[stin187]

pack it, light it, smoke it, enjoy, repeat!
I like to smoke a baccy I know in a new pipe so I can really judge how it smokes but other than that I say go for it. I also try to stick to one "family" of baccy in a pipe ... most of the time

 

[CVAC085]

Man I really wanna fire up this new pipe tonight, but the more I read the more i think i need to go buy some carter hall and smoke half bowls every other day for two weeks. Seems like overkill though.

I'd love to throw some deception pass in as I've never tried it before and have a closed tin of it, would that be a bad idea?

I smoked full bowls right out of the gate. And with whatever baccy I was in the mood for at that time.

 

[StogieJim]

Damn I should have gone with a full bowl of deception. I just killed the baby bowl I packed. Can I pack another right away or should I now wait for 48 hours?

Looks a tad wet at the bottom of the bowl.

 

[CVAC085]

Damn I should have gone with a full bowl of deception. I just killed the baby bowl I packed. Can I pack another right away or should I now wait for 48 hours?

24 hours is plenty I think. Need to leave it longer then so be it.