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Just wondering if I'm the only one. Of course I started out with a MM Legend I picked up from the local drug store so I could see if I even liked pipe smoking.
Well of course I loved it and have picked up a few decent briars over the last few months. But I just keep going back to the cobs.
Maybe it's because I don't have to be careful with them. Heck, I've been known to smoke 3 bowls back to back to back without a second thought.
Anybody else actually prefer a cob?
I really like the taste that cob imparts to some tobacco but I still enjoy my briars too. Hearth & Home Burley Kake, Shenandoah as well as many Cavendish heavy blends taste great in my cobs. I think I'm about 50/50 on cobs, in pipe count and use.
Since taking my first MM Legend out for a spin (about 10 years ago) I gradually began smoking cobs as much or more than meers and briars combined. When I smoke a cob I'll reach for the MM General or Basil Meadows "Corndog" classic almost all the time. They are both cool, dry smoking pipes and, as most Missouri Meerschaum cobs are, easy to keep sweet smelling and very durable.
One of my uncles lived in DC most of his life - former OSS turned buttoned down urban bureaucrat type, suit/tie - and he smoked a pipe constantly. I only ever saw him smoke a cob. I figured he was cheap but, when I asked, he showed me racks of briars that he gave up on once his discovered cobs. He said they smoked better. Imagine that.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/b62psik759...422-1.jpg?dl=1
@Moo, that's a cool looking cob/bulldog hybrid thing you got there.
I have a few briars, most of them thanks to @NeverBend . I do enjoy them a lot but I'll never give up on cobs I don't think. I keep going back to my dirty old MM Pride. It's just the right size, been banged about, stuffed in a pocket, dropped in the snow, dropped on the cement and it's none the worse for wear. If it finally croaks some day I'll just yank the forever stem out of it and cram it in a new one. It does everything well and it's far more durable than you'd expect. It's hard to beat a good cob.
http://i975.photobucket.com/albums/a...pskmyx0wet.jpg
I have somehow accumulated my share of briars (pretty sure they magically mulitply in my pipe bag), but I do love my cobs. Some blends are just better in them, particularly Lakelands and aros, IMO.
So far I've tried a cob all of twice, I keep tasting burned corn. While it isn't really offensive, it is distracting. I still like my briars more, but I'll try a few more bowls to build up the cake or char to see if it improves.
I smoke VaPers until the corn taste goes away. I actually enjoy the taste of the curing cob along with a VaPer. I hate to see it go. I'd imagine the corny taste wouldn't go so well with an English blend tho...Quote:
Originally Posted by Lostmason
Gone in one or two more smokes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lostmason
Cobs Rule! This is my current "smoking rotation." I just replaced most of my old ones last year, so these all have a lot of millage left on them!
http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/...psvhr3h7sg.jpg
I still smoke a lot of briars, I get different flavors out of briars that I just can't get out of a cob, so I can't say that I prefer a cob necessarily.. But cobs are the best for when on the go, smoking something that you have never tried before, or blends that will ghost the jeebus out of a briar.
I also find it almost impossible to smoke a cob wet, which is a huge plus. They're super cheap too, which makes it easier when I "accidentally" throw one playing golf :lol:
Can't say I prefer them but I smoke them at work more often than not because I worry about wrecking my briars on a job site.
I was thinking some of the "spicier" blends might be complimented,,,,I'll give it a try ThxQuote:
Originally Posted by Emperor Zurg
I was hoping that was the case,,,,my B&M has some in stock for 5 to 10 bucks ea.(MM Cobs)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mister Moo
My name is Bruck and I am a coboholic. Hello Bruck (in unison) :)
I've picked up a couple of the smokeable seconds from MM; still have about 15 or so. I have a few briars and meers, but usually reach for a cob for the everyday after dinner smoke.
PS for those of you who might not now about the smokeable seconds - Missouri Meerschaum sells random grab bags of 10 cobs that for one reason or another, usually aesthetic, don't pass QC, for abt $35 shipped.
I like my cobs (about 25%) of my pipes, but I can't imagine every abandoning briar. In my opinion they serve to offer everything a briar does not, and the briar does the same in respect to them.
If you looked at my cob to briar ratio you would conclude I favour cobs. And that may be true. Their merits are manifold:
1. Readily available. I bought one at lunch so I could smoke some tobacco a friend sent to the office today.
2. I can smoke goopey, stinky stuff in them and not care.
3. I can clench them like Popeye.
3 1/2. They are light weight, don't exacerbate my TMJ syndrome.
3.99. I can keep them around new in the package for when my kid's bum friends come over and want to smoke a bowl with us.
4. I like the break-in taste.
5. I can use a pipe lighter and not care if it tastes like charcoal starter. That crap ghosts my briars.
6. I'm cheap and I'm from Iowa.
Drawbacks? Ugly as sin with no aesthetic value. That's why I love briar--it's beautiful.
Basically, I am 95% into Cobs and 5% in Meerschaums. After having about 30 briars, in my herd, at one time in my life, I only own one now days and rarely, if ever, smoke it!
Hearing that come from you sir, I feel validated. :pipe:Quote:
Originally Posted by johnnyflake
Thanks for all the replies guys. I don't hate the few briars I have. I have a beautiful pre-Republic Peterson that I do enjoy. I'm smoking a no-name briar right now that I picked up at a flea market on the cheap. But I probably smoke cobs 10-1.
Maybe it's just because I'm a rookie and cobs are so easy. They don't ghost, so I can pack whatever I'm in the mood for in and not worry about it. It's damn near impossible to make them gurgle, which I do have a problem with in briars. That may be why I lean towards them.
They make pipes out of corn? Have they been doing that long?
Seriously, I have been known to smoke a cob...often. What always tickles me is when folks refer to them as disposable. I have not put a new cob in service in about 4 years. A well smoked cob is a well smoked cob. Once they are "seasoned'', the smoke is sublime. I treat them pretty much like I do my briars. Smoke several bowls a day, wipe out the bowl with a paper towel and run pipe cleaners through the stem and shank as needed. The one shown below is at least 4 years old, looks like hell and smokes like heaven.
http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/...ps32ac5ba2.jpg
i have actually been enjoying my cob more than the estates i bought and restored! idk why but i just like the way i smokes
Since I'm not a huge fan of sweet tobaccos, I tend to shy away from the cob overall unless I'm looking for that corn syrup sweetness. I know that sounds weird, but I avoid most bourbon for the same reason.
I will say that burley in a cob can be magical.
Thank you for the kind words my friend!Quote:
Originally Posted by Cool Breeze
With few exceptions, I reach for a meer or cob when venturing to my pipes....I probably have 10 briars sitting on the sideline.
I like my MM pipes; they smoke drier and cooler than my briars and meerschaums. And you don't have to worry about messing them up, dropping them or damaging the finish. If you do damage one, it's no big deal, just buy another one.
I restrict my cob smoking to flake, ribbon cut, cube cut, rope, shag, kake, twist, aromatic, english, balkan, VA, and cavendish :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Emperor Zurg
You gentlemen were/are absolutely correct, third bowl that I smoked , fourth for this cob, and the burned corn taste is gone.Might just enjoy this little smoker more. Thanks !!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mister Moo
Hooked another one.:devilish:Quote:
Originally Posted by Lostmason
Ya know,, When I was growing up,They sold the cob pipes as suvineers and for blowing bubbles.Quote:
Originally Posted by DGErwin11
It's a bit of a change for me to smoke my tobacco in one, but it does seem to be a viable addition to my briars and meers.
The cob I have now, I found rolling around in my brother-in-law's truck. He doesn't smoke so I had to ask him what was up.
Well, he was visiting a friend in Florida, and that night his buddy lit up a bowl, so my BIL wanting to give it a try bought this cob.
Of course once he came home, there's no one here he feels compeled to smoke with so he just forgot about that littlr smoker
until I found it. It was almost brand new, so I asked him for it. I did promise him that on his next trip south, I would send him
with a good briar to impress his buddy. All told, I think I could get to like the cobs,,wallet friendly, and easy smokers.
I've yet to pick up a cob, I just have a brindisi briar and a cheap mm ozark mountain. I find I get less gurgle issues in my mm and tend to use it more since it's in the truck all the time (where I enjoy the pipe most), when sitting out on the patio enjoying a bowl it's usually the brindisi. I really need to pick up a couple cobs to try with my next order. If they smoke as good as my mm ozark I'll be in the cob boat for sure.
Another miracle. Blind hog and all that. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Lostmason
Aquire one immediately, you will not regret it.Quote:
Originally Posted by bluenoser
I did not like smoking out of my cob (MM), but after reading this thread, I realize maybe I need to give it more than 2 chances. Smoked from it last night and will get at least one more in over this weekend. Hopefully I will have a better idea on them a week or two. I like my briars, but have definitely noticed that they smoke wet at times and I have to work around the gurgle sometimes.
Keep at it and you will soon reap the rewards, of a good smoking Corn Cob!Quote:
Originally Posted by fastnbulbous
Just got in from a thurs-sunday trip and am smoking a bowl of 1Q in a MM Legend while I catch up on my posts here.
Good to see the thread got someone to give cobs a try. :pipe:
@Cool Breeze , after getting mine broke in, so to speak, I will be getting more cobs.It does smoke easy and cool, so I might of been a bit wrong about them.Now, if I can find one with a wind cap, I'ld be sold for life.
Never saw one for sale with a wind-cap, however, you can buy metal wind-caps and mount one on your cob of choice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lostmason
My issue with cobs is I keep reaching for the same one. I had 6 cobs at one time and I am now down to 3. I gave the other 3 away unsmoked. They smoke great but I like the look of Meer and Briar so I reach for those 98% of the time. The one cob I smoke is a Freehand and smokes ribbon cut very well.
This: They smoke great but I like the look of Meer and Briar so I reach for those 98% of the time. [/QUOTE]
But, I have smoked a couple more out of the cob, and strangely enough, they seem to be getting better.
(Cu the Jaws theme).
Absolutely cob forward in my smoking. I only smoke dry blends in my briars as I tend to puff a lot and cobs are forgiving with that.
If aesthetics are an issue one only need to see the plethora of customized cobs available that eclipse the average briar in beauty and function.
There is a cob size and style to suit every tobacco as well.
I started out smoking a corn cob to keep from putting wear and tear on my other pipes. What I came to realize was that it became my pipe of choice when I was at home. I absolutely wore out that first corn cob pipe; it slowly started bulging out around the middle of the bowl. In the end, it fell when it burned out where the shank meets the bowl. I kept it around for years out of respect.