Greetings from the island of Newfoundland, Canada!
I have been a pipe smoker since March 1988 and I never gave it up since. It's been part of my daily life since and I have been immensely enjoying it. Until more recently.
On with my grievances, to start. Since 2016 or so, I started noticing I would have my gum line irritated after smoking, and this only involved, at the time, any product from C & D, to the point where I had to stop buying any brand manufactured by them.
This became more repetitive over the last 3 years, particularly with anything manufactured by Mac Baren and Sutliff. Then, I noticed the tinned tobacco I was buying, independently of the brand or manufacturer, seemed to never become dry enough for smoking. It could stay moist for months, in the tin, after opening. And this was only worse with pouched tobacco.
Over the last year, I have been plagued with repetitive mouth roof irritation, to the point where I had to stop smoking my pipe for weeks in order to let it heal.
This has led me to ask myself three questions.
Firstly, is it me, or has the tobacco and the way it's being processed (plus the additives and humectants added), changed significantly?
Secondly, I understand with age things happen. However, I have never been excessive in my consumption, never smoked a pipe under high wind conditions and made a point to buy quality pipes with properly seasoned briar.
Thirdly, I asked myself if it's the humidity percentages where I live that could influence the moisture levels in such a significant way? This led me to reflect on past decades, when I lived in Québec and Ontario, which are fairly humid provinces. Never could I remember a time where it would be such a problem to smoke my pipe. Of course, freshly bought tobacco was always on the moist side, especially during the summer heat waves. But I clearly remember tobaccos like Amphora, Sail, and tinned tobaccos like Peterson and Dunhill becoming on the dry side after a few weeks. As where today, it actually does stay moist forever. I have had a pouch of Amphora Rich Aroma open for over 5 months and the tobacco is still very moist!
This led me to conclude it is not normal. Something must have changed in commercial tobaccos, and not for the best. Something is being added and that something is proving harmful to me. Maybe, to others as well?
So....................long story short.
All this to say that I have started considering transiting to more natural tobaccos, if you please. Tobaccos which would not contain any additives or humectants. I have heard that smoking raw tobacco can be a challenge but, frankly, what is being currently sold may look and smell like tobacco, but is it still tobacco? I honestly do not know, anymore, considering how it impacts my mouth after almost every single pipeful. I have tried drying it to the bone. Putting it in the oven at 200F for a few minutes. Removing the lid and leaving the tin open for days. To no avail.
The alternative seems like a reasonable option as I am not willing to stop smoking my pipe. It is one of the rare, genuine pleasure I have (and it keeps me sane in this unusual world). I am not giving it up! I do enjoy a good cigar on a regular basis but cigars don't bring me the same enjoyment a good pipe does.
I am thus here to learn about whole leaf tobacco. I am willing to order a bit to see what gives (when that darn Canada Post strike is over) and, if all goes well, keep buying some while I could start planting and cultivating my own.
After all, my great-great grandfathers did plant and cultivate their own tobacco. I have not been aware they complained.
Why shouldn't I be doing the same?
Thanks for having me, ladies and gents.
I have been a pipe smoker since March 1988 and I never gave it up since. It's been part of my daily life since and I have been immensely enjoying it. Until more recently.
On with my grievances, to start. Since 2016 or so, I started noticing I would have my gum line irritated after smoking, and this only involved, at the time, any product from C & D, to the point where I had to stop buying any brand manufactured by them.
This became more repetitive over the last 3 years, particularly with anything manufactured by Mac Baren and Sutliff. Then, I noticed the tinned tobacco I was buying, independently of the brand or manufacturer, seemed to never become dry enough for smoking. It could stay moist for months, in the tin, after opening. And this was only worse with pouched tobacco.
Over the last year, I have been plagued with repetitive mouth roof irritation, to the point where I had to stop smoking my pipe for weeks in order to let it heal.
This has led me to ask myself three questions.
Firstly, is it me, or has the tobacco and the way it's being processed (plus the additives and humectants added), changed significantly?
Secondly, I understand with age things happen. However, I have never been excessive in my consumption, never smoked a pipe under high wind conditions and made a point to buy quality pipes with properly seasoned briar.
Thirdly, I asked myself if it's the humidity percentages where I live that could influence the moisture levels in such a significant way? This led me to reflect on past decades, when I lived in Québec and Ontario, which are fairly humid provinces. Never could I remember a time where it would be such a problem to smoke my pipe. Of course, freshly bought tobacco was always on the moist side, especially during the summer heat waves. But I clearly remember tobaccos like Amphora, Sail, and tinned tobaccos like Peterson and Dunhill becoming on the dry side after a few weeks. As where today, it actually does stay moist forever. I have had a pouch of Amphora Rich Aroma open for over 5 months and the tobacco is still very moist!
This led me to conclude it is not normal. Something must have changed in commercial tobaccos, and not for the best. Something is being added and that something is proving harmful to me. Maybe, to others as well?
So....................long story short.
All this to say that I have started considering transiting to more natural tobaccos, if you please. Tobaccos which would not contain any additives or humectants. I have heard that smoking raw tobacco can be a challenge but, frankly, what is being currently sold may look and smell like tobacco, but is it still tobacco? I honestly do not know, anymore, considering how it impacts my mouth after almost every single pipeful. I have tried drying it to the bone. Putting it in the oven at 200F for a few minutes. Removing the lid and leaving the tin open for days. To no avail.
The alternative seems like a reasonable option as I am not willing to stop smoking my pipe. It is one of the rare, genuine pleasure I have (and it keeps me sane in this unusual world). I am not giving it up! I do enjoy a good cigar on a regular basis but cigars don't bring me the same enjoyment a good pipe does.
I am thus here to learn about whole leaf tobacco. I am willing to order a bit to see what gives (when that darn Canada Post strike is over) and, if all goes well, keep buying some while I could start planting and cultivating my own.
After all, my great-great grandfathers did plant and cultivate their own tobacco. I have not been aware they complained.
Why shouldn't I be doing the same?
Thanks for having me, ladies and gents.
Last edited:
