Tobacco appreciation thread - Winners never quit, and quitters never win

[Hantavirus]

I wish I could get that sweet Big Tobacco money, but unfortunately, I have shit on Philip Morris almost as much as I have shilled for snus! I just love my muddy lip goop, what can I say?

 

[Tequila Jong]

And then again on the flipside, sometimes it's a good excuse to get five minutes to yourself...

...you can't beat smoking for just some pure moody atmosphere on occasion.

100%. I always keep some baccy or fags on me for these purposes alone. It's nice to just fade away at a shindig for ten minutes and just relax and build up your energy to go back.

Spoiler: Story

One of my most favourite atmospheric smokes was in a European city, years ago. I missed the last train back home after work, so I was standing outside the train station and it started chucking it down. It was about 1am and there was no-one on the street so I just rolled up to smoke before calling a taxi. Fired up the slow jazz through my headphones and just leaned against a wall watching the rainy, lit up streets.

It was so atmospheric that I actually just stayed until the rain stopped, which must have been about an hour or so. One of those times you just stop to enjoy livin' in the now, man.

Lived in another European city and remember watching a thunderstorm roll in while I was smoking on the balcony. Moody melancholy to the max. I guess smokes and rain just go really well together.

 

[Mai]

I love cigars and smoke them as often as I can. I also have some pipes and pipe tobacco, but I prefer the cigars. Cigars have bolder flavor and pipes are more likely to cause tongue bite. I also love cigarettes, but my wife only tolerates the cigars and pipes. Tobacco is quite enjoyable.

Pipes only cause tongue bite if you pack it wrong, in my experience since cigars and cigarettes burn way hotter than pipes, they always give me tongue bite. I've only gotten a bite from my pipe the first time I ever smoked it and had no idea what I was doing.

 

[Clem Fandango]

100%. I always keep some baccy or fags on me for these purposes alone. It's nice to just fade away at a shindig for ten minutes and just relax and build up your energy to go back.

Spoiler: Story

One of my most favourite atmospheric smokes was in a European city, years ago. I missed the last train back home after work, so I was standing outside the train station and it started chucking it down. It was about 1am and there was no-one on the street so I just rolled up to smoke before calling a taxi. Fired up the slow jazz through my headphones and just leaned against a wall watching the rainy, lit up streets.

It was so atmospheric that I actually just stayed until the rain stopped, which must have been about an hour or so. One of those times you just stop to enjoy livin' in the now, man.

Lived in another European city and remember watching a thunderstorm roll in while I was smoking on the balcony. Moody melancholy to the max. I guess smokes and rain just go really well together.

I've enjoyed so many peaceful moments like that. Beautiful sunsets, deep dark nights with moonlight and the sound of crickets, watching the sunrise over the sea.

I guess you could also appreciate those moments with a cup of tea or something, but... I dunno, it just wouldn't be the same.

Edit:

I just remembered something. Did you know you can smoke on the Shinkansen trains in Japan? It's awesome, they have this little smoking room with a viewing window you can look out of. Makes you feel like you're in the 1960s, the combination of this super high tech train going 200mph but you can also light up a cig, lol.

 

[DankSmoker]

I usually get loose blends from the smoke shop but I tried a packaged name brand, Largo, not bad. Definitely better than some I've tried.

I guess smokes and rain just go really well together.

I've always liked rain but the smells of both just pair well together, though I agree with clem that all nature is good when you've got a smoke.

 

[Tablet County]

Tablet County is just mad because I fucked his mom while packing a lipper, then we had a PHAT cigar to celebrate while he cried in the corner. Drop a five ouncer of Capstan Blue for unban, bitch. Damn that pussy nice!

Ah-ha! You thought you were fucking my mom but it was actually ME in a clever disguise! The figure crying in the corner was actually my pet gimp Theovald, who was cleverly disguised as me!
Congratulations, you are now gay.

 

[Hantavirus]

Ah-ha! You thought you were fucking my mom but it was actually ME in a clever disguise! The figure crying in the corner was actually my pet gimp Theovald, who was cleverly disguised as me!
Congratulations, you are now gay.

Congrats on the surgery, bro. Dam that bussy ncie!

I am now on a mission to find Oliver Twist chewing tobacco. I have tried loose chaw, but never plug or bits. You can get it from the Northerner, but I like to patronize local shops wherever possible.

 

[Tequila Jong]

I've enjoyed so many peaceful moments like that. Beautiful sunsets, deep dark nights with moonlight and the sound of crickets, watching the sunrise over the sea.

I guess you could also appreciate those moments with a cup of tea or something, but... I dunno, it just wouldn't be the same.

Edit:

I just remembered something. Did you know you can smoke on the Shinkansen trains in Japan? It's awesome, they have this little smoking room with a viewing window you can look out of. Makes you feel like you're in the 1960s, the combination of this super high tech train going 200mph but you can also light up a cig, lol.

Yeah, when I went through a phase of smoking-then-not-smoking-then-smoking-again, I tried to enjoy moments like that with coffee or a beer. I mean it was nice and all, but as you say, not the same. Also that's awesome about the trains.

Kind of related, I was in Eastern Europe in the early 2010s, and you could still smoke inside bars. The smoking bans were already in place in my homeland, but they hadn't reached there yet, it was great. Absolutely impossible to cut down though, after your third beer and you clock the smokes behind the bar, that's you done.

I usually get loose blends from the smoke shop but I tried a packaged name brand, Largo, not bad. Definitely better than some I've tried.

I've always liked rain but the smells of both just pair well together, though I agree with clem that all nature is good when you've got a smoke.

We're in the same boat, really. You can go out to the woods on a beautiful day and just sit and enjoy it, but having a smoke on hand just seems to feel good.

 

[DankSmoker]

We're in the same boat, really. You can go out to the woods on a beautiful day and just sit and enjoy it, but having a smoke on hand just seems to feel good.

Speaking of having a smoke on hand, does anyone here carry a case? I've always thought it would be too posh but since I hand roll everything it seems more convenient. Pill container would suffice but then people would assume you're smoking weed.

I've also considered cigarette holders but every option is too queer so I'll just deal with my fingers getting brown if I smoke too much.

 

[Yandex Captcha Solver]

Speaking of having a smoke on hand, does anyone here carry a case? I've always thought it would be too posh but since I hand roll everything it seems more convenient. Pill container would suffice but then people would assume you're smoking weed.

For my machine made RYOs I bought an American Spirit metal tin to carry around. It's durable, doesn't crush, and just works. Not cheap, but they don't appear to be made very often. So if you make them before hand, it would be the perfect container.

You can also use an Altoids tin as it is about the perfect size for king sized cigarettes, I imagine it would work well with some tobacco and some papers. Should hold about a pack worth of tobacco. When I used to hand roll years ago I would just reuse old store pouches till they were disintegrating, then just pick another up at the store.

Largo

Never had Largo, but as a fan of Camel, Lucky Strikes, and Winstons I came to enjoy some "Cherokee Red" tobacco. Can only find it online personally but was pretty game changing vs Ohm, Buoy, Golden Harvest, and Smoker's Pride. Full flavor taste that is solid and strong, something that others lack. They also have their black blend which is a full flavor Turkish, not as good as their red blend imo, but it's up there. Best bet is to load up online with a bunch of different brands and blends you would like to try. Then bulk purchase your top choices and after shipping the price should be about the same as your local store.

 

[Hantavirus]

Yeah, when I went through a phase of smoking-then-not-smoking-then-smoking-again, I tried to enjoy moments like that with coffee or a beer. I mean it was nice and all, but as you say, not the same. Also that's awesome about the trains.

Kind of related, I was in Eastern Europe in the early 2010s, and you could still smoke inside bars. The smoking bans were already in place in my homeland, but they hadn't reached there yet, it was great. Absolutely impossible to cut down though, after your third beer and you clock the smokes behind the bar, that's you done.

Oh man, I remember the glory days of vapes...they were just called "e-cigarettes," they came either as disposable tubes painted to look like ciggies or as cartridges that screwed onto the battery to complete the "cig," and they were packaged to look like a slim pack. You could get away with puffing many places smoking was banned. Like you in the bars, I probably vaped way more than I should have just because I could. "Oh, this? Don't worry, it's just vapor." That was usually enough for people fresh on the heels of the smoking bans in most of the country. Nowadays, many "No Smoking" signs also prohibit vaping and even smokeless tobacco, though I doubt the latter carries the force of law in many states.

One of the reasons I like snuff so much is that I can take it openly if I want, discreetly if I need to, and you can even snuff while you eat. You obviously can't eat with a snus or a dip in, but if you work with your hands, oral tobacco is more convenient--which is probably the reason snus was developed by the lower classes in Sweden in the first place, and why dip became so popular in the US after snus was brought over by Swedish immigrants.

Speaking of having a smoke on hand, does anyone here carry a case? I've always thought it would be too posh but since I hand roll everything it seems more convenient. Pill container would suffice but then people would assume you're smoking weed.

I've also considered cigarette holders but every option is too queer so I'll just deal with my fingers getting brown if I smoke too much.

I used to carry a cigarette case but found I did not smoke enough, and the cigs would dry out and go stale. Somehow they seemed to last a little longer in the original pack. I've always thought a cigarette case with an airtight seal would be fantastic. I would use one to keep my cigarillos in, instead of the bulky Mason jar I use now. Good tip about the Altoid tin, I bet you could seal that with some RTV gasket maker and have a decently airtight case.

As for cigarette holders, I had a glass one that I'm pretty sure was actually supposed to be used as a one-hitter. I tried it but quickly decided it was too gay, even if it did help cool the smoke and keep some smoke off your fingers.

 

[𝕺𝖑' 𝕯𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖞 𝕱𝖆𝖙𝖘𝖔]

What would you guys suggest to a newfag for a good first time cigar? I like black American spirits and the odd blunt but I have no idea about actual decent brands of cigar. Willing to pay up to around $25ish for one nice one for my first time, also wouldn't mind recs for less expensive ones if i decide I enjoy them

 

[Hantavirus]

If you're a complete newbie to cigars, I would recommend trying a cigarillo, since you can buy them individually for $0.50-2.00 apiece. There's less variety in the small size, but that way you aren't blowing a bunch of cash on something you don't end up enjoying. If you want a "real" cigar, just go to a good smoke shop and ask the clerk for recommendations on something mild. I could rattle off a laundry list of types or brands that are milder and are good value, but that wouldn't be very helpful if your smoke shop doesn't carry them, and buying tobacco online is usually only cost-effective in bulk. It's not exactly a hot take, but in my experience, cigars are like wine: cheap stuff is mostly junk but you can usually find something you like for a daily smoke, mid-priced stuff can range from trash to great, and spending more than $20 on a single smoke is a waste of time. They aren't actually that much better, and you're just paying for the ring.

Just make sure you go to a real tobacco shop, not a vape shop with a fridge-sized cigar case. If they sell bongs or have more vapes than tobacco, or if the clerk is dressed like a Hot Topic model or looks stoned, turn around and walk out lol.

 

[TiggerNits]

The biggest thing about a good cigar shop is how it makes you feel when you walk in. If you step in and it feels like you just walked in on your grandpa boarding about taxes while watching football with his VFW buddies, it's a good one

 

[Tequila Jong]

The biggest thing about a good cigar shop is how it makes you feel when you walk in. If you step in and it feels like you just walked in on your grandpa boarding about taxes while watching football with his VFW buddies, it's a good one

Absolutely, and old fashioned tobacconists in general. It's been closed for years now, but I used to love going into my old local tobacconist. The guy had been there for decades and he was ancient. He was also a massive smoker, obviously.

Question: Does anyone have any experience buying leaves and shredding them yourself? Is it worth it? I thought about buying leaves and making my own blend, because 1 lb/500g of dried tobacco leaf is less than a third of the price of the same weight in Golden Virginia. Even with the cost of a shredder and maybe a hydrometer it still seems like it would be cheaper and probably a cleaner smoke?

 

[Hantavirus]

I have bought bulk leaf, in fact, I made a pretty decent Marlboro Red copy. You won't perfectly replicate commercial cigarettes because the exact cultivars and proportions are proprietary, and because of the additives, but a good blend of tobacco and the right casing will get you 90% there. It is definitely worth it if you smoke a lot, if you want to replicate a brand that is too expensive or no longer exists, or if you just like the hobbyist aspect of having fun tinkering with your recipes.

I am actually thinking about breaking out the shredder and doing a fresh order. I would like to experiment with trying to replicate some of my favorite Bernard's snuffs, as they have gone out of business and the little remaining stock will soon be gone. I think other types of commercial tobacco are easier to replicate because they are much cleaner and have fewer (or at least simpler) additives than cigs. Lots of people make their own pipe blends, which is as simple as shredding your leaves and mixing them by weight before throwing them in a jar for a month or two. Maybe add a "sauce" for an aromatic blend.

 

[TiggerNits]

Absolutely, and old fashioned tobacconists in general. It's been closed for years now, but I used to love going into my old local tobacconist. The guy had been there for decades and he was ancient. He was also a massive smoker, obviously.

Question: Does anyone have any experience buying leaves and shredding them yourself? Is it worth it? I thought about buying leaves and making my own blend, because 1 lb/500g of dried tobacco leaf is less than a third of the price of the same weight in Golden Virginia. Even with the cost of a shredder and maybe a hydrometer it still seems like it would be cheaper and probably a cleaner smoke?

I grew up picking and drying tobacco on my grandparents plantation, the leaves only matter for cigars. Cigarettes, chaw and pipe you can make with whatever you have laying around.

Cigarettes are literally the worst tobacco because when they shred it so small it honestly just pulverizes the leaf so much that it no longer really affects taste and they add in random shit to give it something to hide it. You'll get a slightly better smoke by a small twinge if you cut it wide and gently and roll it so that you don't have too much stem to it.

Pipe tobacco just masks it by adding molasses, corn mash, and letting it age a few months in a rum barrel with some moisture left in it. If you wanted to start making your own pipe tobacco, buying bulk leaf and figuring out your own Cavendish recipe could be great, citrus,sugar, vanilla and coffee actually all play nice on the leaf itself.

Chaw makes no sense for home leaf, you really have to do straight up voodoo to make it palatable and even then, it's still kinda gross

 

[Sober the Serg]

I smoke cigarillos when I read "all quiet on the western front." And the pipe when I read Tolkien, as he intended.

It's currently Montecristo Puritos, Romeo y Julietta minis and Orlik golden slices. But when I get across the border to Sweden I'll get a stache of Bellmans and some Borkum Riff.

The tobacco tax in Norway is insane (albeit not the highest in Europe). Here it's 32$ for a pack of twenty Bellmans, in Sweden it's 12$. Goddamit

 

[Sober the Serg]

Furthermore, i't would be interesting to grow my own tobacco. But I'm not sure how they would handle the Norwegian climate.

 

[Hantavirus]

I guess it depends where in Norway you are, but tobacco can definitely be grown in Scandinavia. Homegrown tobacco was the raw material for the original Swedish snus, developed as a way of taking tobacco while working in the fields. Tobacco is an extremely heavy feeder and is vulnerable to pests, but if you can keep diseases and insects at bay, you can grow a decent leaf most anywhere in the world. I would suggest you get seeds for a bunch of different cultivars and just transplant a couple of each, that way your first year can be a sort of trial run to see what grows well in your area.