The Complete Corncob primer: Difference between revisions

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While I’ve been smoking cobs for over fifty years, I’m no expert, but just maybe my father was, and he taught me everything he knew. While I’ve learned some things on my own over the years, I still use every bit of information my dad gave me back in June of 1959. While he did own a few briars, I never saw him smoke anything other than a cob.

Missouri Meerschaum brand cobs are the only corncobs that I smoke, and the only ones I would advise anyone to use. I’ve tried other brands, but none had the quality of MM cobs. MM has been making cobs since 1869, and they simply are the best. You can check out their entire product line, and read their history from a link at the end of this article. Mars Cigars has the best selection and prices of any e-tailer I have found, and they offer a 10% discount on dozen lots of the same model. Walker Briar Works also sells Corn Cob Pipes and special Vulcanite and Lucite Stems for Cob Pipes. And Jack Hackett modifies MM cobs with antler and maybe bamboo shanks, so there are many options. Most every MM models comes with paper filters, and I’m of the opinion that the filters only get damp and smelly. I very strongly suggest you remove and discard them.  

* Quality Control Issues *  

Since none of us are experts, and we’re all individuals, no one set of ideas or methods will work for everyone. So what follows is Strong Irish’s opinion about allowing cake build up in cobs. While he and I disagree on a few points, both of us have decades of experience with corncobs.

I also believe that the reason so many guys have a burn out in the bowl of a cob is for this very reason. I have smoked cobs for 41 years and have NEVER had a burn out, since I do allow a nice cake to form in mine. I have have several cobs over 30 years old, a lot over 20 years old, that have some wonderful cakes in them, and they are still smoking great and show no sign of any burnout whatsoever.   

Cobs are great year round, but do need a bit more attention in damp weather, since they tend to absorb some of the surrounding moisture. So, while I usually tell folks to allow their cobs to cool completely before smoking them again, you may need to let them dry out completely too. And that means both inside and out. One thing that might help if it's really damp, is to store your clean, dry cobs in Ziploc or similar Freezer Bags. This will keep them from absorbing even more moisture, which won't really be noticed except when you smoke them, and realize something isn't quite right.  

* Breaking In Cobs *  

Then I sit the pipe down and let it smolder completely out before emptying the bowl or trying to clean it. I figure while it's sitting there a bit more of the wood may burn, and I don't want to stop it from doing so. After 2 bowls, and then again after 4 bowls I hit that shank with a reamer with very little pressure. I'm only trying to whittle away the charred wood and expose more unburned shank so it will burn out more easily next time. After 6 bowls, your cob should be good and broken in.  

* Modifying Your Cobs *  

Adding a hard wood plug is pretty easy to do. This short how-to was provided by Billiard, also known as the Cobbler, who is the nearest we have to an expert on the modification of corncobs  

If there’s a sticker at the bottom of the bowl, remove it and then use a pocket knife to poke a hole through the bottom of the cob's bowl dead center. Using a pocket knife twist it back and forth to make the hole a little larger. Don't make it too big yet, keep it small for now.  

Next, make the hard wood plug. You can buy a cherry dowel from WoodCraft or Home Depot and these work great, a 3/4" dowel is best for most bowls but for the smaller cobs use a 1/2" dowel. Buy the shortest dowel they sell and it will last you a lifetime of cobs. Measure the distance between the air hole and the bottom of the cob's bowl walls and then cut off a length of dowel to that size.  

Once the plug fits, take it back out and set it aside. You can remove the inner shank if you wish, cutting it flush with the inside wall of the bowl. Now put a wee bit of Elmer's Carpenter glue around the outside of the plug and the inside of the cob's bowl that the plug will touch and put it place. Clean the excess glue from the bottom and use a Q-tip to clean the excess glue from the inside of the bowl. Give your modified cob 24 hours or longer to set and cure before smoking it.

* Information & Advice For New Smokers *

* Types Of Tobacco *

So, tobacco that is black doesn’t mean that it is strong or harsh. Cavendished Virginia and Burley, while similar, are not the same. Both are mild and somewhat sweet, based on the casing or topping used. Most Cavendish is not goopy or gummy as some ill-informed smokers might claim.

* Cellaring: Storing, & Aging Tobacco *

Both from my own experience, and from what I have read on forums, not all tobacco ages the same. And keep in mind that most blends are just that, blends of a variety of different tobaccos. While the tobacco itself will change with age, often any casings or flavoring will soften or lesser over time. Virginia, with a higher sugar content, usually will age or change more. Orientals, including Latakia, often will soften or mellow. Cavendish seems to stay about the same, although their toppings or flavors, as mentioned above, might not fare as well.

While most smokers seem to use canning jars to store their tobacco, and I have too, I now recycle used Middleton tubs, which are actually called Sta-Fresh Canisters. Middleton uses not only a high-grade industrial plastic, but also a patented Humi-Dome. For most, if not, all of their blends. I have found that these canisters, or tubs, as most folks call them, will not only keep tobacco fresh, but also can allow tobacco to age.

* Dedicating Pipes To Certain Blends *

Hghost replied: I have my pipes dedicated to tobacco types as opposed to specific blends. With one exception, a pipe, that is dedicated to Devil's Holiday, which ghosts a pipe terribly. I also consider bowl size. Generally larger bowls for Orientals. My pipes are dedicated to 1) OTC's/aromatics 2)Virginia/Plugs/Flakes 3)Orientals(English) My Falcon pipe bowls are set up the same way. My corncobs are usually used for OTC's and Burly blends. I have one of my CCSS Freehands dedicated to Orientals.

I do use Carter Hall or Prince Albert to build up cake in any new pipes. Orientals take forever to build cake. It then takes about 10 bowls of Oriental to remove all OTC flavors. I religiously keep cakes between 1/16" and 3/32".

Quaffer posted: There are just two sections to my cabinet: 1) pipes for English blends 2) pipes for everything else. I'll even throw 'everything else' in an English pipe if I feel the urge.

I’ve never been a big fan of Flakes, partly because I DGT most of my pipes, but mostly because I nevr have found a way to prepare them that seemed to work for me. So when I discovered Mac Baren’s roll cake blends, I was happy as a lark. The reason being that roll cakes are made from ropes, that are thinly cut into small coins. These coins are quite easily folded and stuffed into a pipe, leaving plenty of room for air to circulate.

Cigarsarge posted: My favorite way to rub a flake is to rub it out lightly between the palms of my hands letting it drop out as it's rubbed. The first rub is pretty chunky. That's the way I like my flakes. If you want it rubbed out more do it again till it is the consistency you like.

As I’ve said earlier, this information and advice, mine as well as other smokers, applies to any pipe you might smoke.  The biggest mistake a new pipe smoker can make is to join a forum and right away, ask advice about which tobaccos to try. You’ll get a laundry list of your fellow pipe smokers current favorite blends, but seldom advice on what would be the best to begin with. I would suggest that new pipers get one or two ounce samples of what are known as OTCs, which means Over The Counter, which I also refer to as American Classic Blends. These are proven, time-tested Burley and Burley/Virginia blends that come either in 1 1/2oz pouches or 14oz tubs. These tend to be mild but flavorful mixtures that can help you decide if pipe smoking is for you. Many e-tailers also offer sample packs of variuos types of pipe tobacco, which is an affordable way of trying a variety of similar blends, to learn what you like, and dislike.

I don’t believe there are any Experts in the field of pipes and tobacco. Many of us have many years of experience, but as in my case, that experience is limited lately to mostly  corncob pipes and American Classic Blends. But I do feel I know enough to bring together my own, my dad’s, and even other cobbers opinions to offer a Primer that might educate new smokers as to the real value of cobs. I don’t sell cobs, I simply smoke them. It just so happens Missouri Meerschaum is the only company that makes quality corncobs. My goal is to help fellow smokers avoid buying inferior cobs made outside of the US, since those from elsewhere seem to be inferior.

Now, as far as custom made pipes, briar and otherwise, the value and worth are subjective, and will vary from person to person. While I’m sincere when I say I have never found any pipe that smokes better than a corncob, my experience is limited. I have owned one custom briar pipe, and it was a lower-priced custom. I also have a briar that was gifted me, that I feel would be worth between $350-$500. That pipe is wonderful, and loves Virginia, but so do my cobs. Value must be decided by the purchaser, not an onlooker.

The truth, to a large degree, is that almost every blend is a good, quality blend, and that personal tastes determine what each of us smoke. As with any other product, price is a poor indicator of quality and value. So if you prefer some value-priced bulk blend or a time-tested American Classic Blends over a higher priced “Specialty” blend, you don’t have to hang your head in shame. As long as you enjoy the tobacco you put in your pipe, that’s all that matters. But if you enjoy more expensive blends, and can afford them, you have no reason to apologize to anyone. Now if you want to start paying for my tobacco, then you can have a say in what I smoke.

* Rehydrating Dry Tobacco *

* Delayed Gratification Technique *

The other version of DGT, which is better known, involves smoking only part of a bowl, and setting it aside for a while. While most pipers are unwilling to DGT beyond a few hours or overnight, I have forgotten pipes for days and even weeks, and still enjoyed the rest of the bowl. But of course I like my blends close to bone dry. Normally I don't DGT beyond 72 hours, but never simply dump a bowl without giving it a try. I DGT roughly 95% of my pipes.  

* After Smoke Do-To-List *