Thank you, yes I had a little trouble with the captcha when registering, I don't know why it kept kicking me out when I was picking all pictures with a store front or mountain or river but I'm sure it was my phone. Anyway I had to start over and didn't get some info back in there. Hahaha.
Well I liked the cigars I've tried but they don't taste the same if you relight the next day. Standing around socializing with a drink and nothing to smoke is no fun, so I tried a pipe. My first 2 blends I tried we're off the shelf at my b&m, a Virginia blend and a Cavendish heavy aeromatic with a very light honey/vanilla taste plus great flavor. The Virginia in a mm cob bit the crap out of my tongue and It was a let down in flavor, the other was wonderful fantastic zero bite. The cob sucked though, so I found kaywoodie estate pipes under 10$ all day on ebay and each one is different and smokes different. This is when I realized I had a new hobby on my hands.
Actually I did a Google search for how to make cavendish and that was the first time I came across this site, being that Cavendish is so processed I would rather make it myself and then I know what is in it. I'm also interested in making twists and cakes and putting away some to age. How cool would it be to share a blend I made and aged for years with my sons, especially with the pipes I have been restoring some already 30+ years old.
So you caught me in a story telling mood, I'm smoking a bowl of entertainer from liberty Tobacco in san diego and trying to relax now that the boys are in bed.
I will enjoy the heck out of making my own blends one thing I'm excited about is having a large pool of different tobacco leafs to try, which brings up a question from the wlt store and a thread where you mentioned that you were thinking about putting together a sample pack for pipe smokers in 1/2 lb increments, I would be interested in this. Although I'm sure I'll use up a whole lb of Virginias and burleys.
I truly wish I found pipe smoking before cigarettes I also could have saved quite a bit of money too.
Thank you again for the warm welcome!
Geoff