Cigars Vs Pipe

The three most common ways to consume tobacco cigarettes, cigars and pipes, with the latter two offering a more elegant way to smoke as well as providing a richer tobacco experience. While some smokers stay loyal to their certain way to enjoy tobacco, most will switch between pipe and cigars to enjoy both experiences. We take a look at the differences between the two so you can decide whether you want to try other techniques of smoking.

The first and most obvious difference is the equipment needed to smoke them. For a cigar the essentials are a cigar cutter, lighter and an ashtray. For pipe smoking you will need to purchase a pipe - we have a selection of pipes from quality budget ones starting at £9.99, however for a good lasting pipe you should aim to be spending around £40 upwards, there are even some that go into thousands! You also need matches or a lighter, a pipe cleaner and a pipe rest for if you want to put your pipe down.

Another difference is tobacco. Cigars are made of high quality tobacco which tend to be a blend from different harvests and even countries. A great deal of effort goes into cultivating and processing tobacco for cigars, as the outer leaves need to look perfect due to being used as a wrapper. A blend of different tobacco leaves is also what makes the flavours , whether it's a mix of filler tobaccos from different countries or just different leaves from the plant. Whereas pipe tobacco will have two variations: regular and aromatic, regular is just the taste of natural tobacco whereas aromatic has flavour added to them during the curing process, providing an extra scent such as vanilla or cherry.

The size of the tobacco also differs, as pipe tobacco is usually cut more fine so it can be packed into a pipe whereas cigars use whole leaves wrapped in a binder and wrapped in a beautiful leaf.

Cigars are designed to develop in flavour as they are smoked. The initial notes can be very different from the finish, the aromas and taste will change giving you a complex yet enjoyable smoking experience, on the other hand pipe tobacco provides a standard smoking experience as the tobacco is not rolled and designed to be the flavour as advertised.

If you are looking to start pipe or cigar smoking then both require maintenance. For cigars, if you're considering purchasing a box of cigars or having more than you’re going to smoke in a day, then you will need to purchase a humidor. They are needed to keep your cigars at the ideal humidity and temperature. Without it, the cigar can become dry or wet - both situations leave the cigar unsmokable.

For pipes you need to find the perfect balance between having a clean pipe and building cake. The cake is a layer of carbon that forms within the pipe -, it helps to protect it, giving it a longer lifespan. When you decide to clean your pipe you must avoid scraping the bowl as this will remove the cake layer.

You would assume that cigars will be the most expensive of the two hobbies - However, it does comes down to your personal preferences and choices, as one cigar can be more expensive than a pipe, but on the other hand if you have less expensive cigars then a quality pipe and all the accessories will be more expensive. Pipe smoking is an investment to start with but afterwards, tobacco is the only expense which can be less than £4 for 10 grams depending on which tobacco you desire.

If you do decide to try a pipe or cigars and need help feel free to contact us, where we will be happy to assist.

Written by Oliver Partington