Many of the pipe tobaccos that you can buy online today are available either in tins or in bulk bags. The amount of tobacco you can get in a bulk bag will vary from vendor to vendor: one pound bags are quite popular but you can also order much larger quantities than this if you desire. The amount of tobacco you get in a tin will depend on the type of blends that you buy. If you enjoy smoking blends manufactured in Europe, the tins will normally contain 50g or sometimes 100g of tobacco. If you prefer traditional American-made blends, you will find the tins you can buy are generally quite a bit bigger, containing either 7oz or 14oz of tobacco in many cases.

Bulk bags of tobacco almost always work out cheaper per ounce than tinned tobacco so it would seem that buying in bulk is the only sensible way to go. But is it really the best option for you? Not necessarily, as we will explain. Price is not the only factor you need to consider when buying blends to smoke in your tobacco pipes.

What to Consider When Deciding Between Tinned and Bulk Tobacco

Whatever types of blends you enjoy smoking and whatever part of the world you live in, it is probably possible for you to buy your tobacco either in bulk bags or in tins. If you are not sure which is the best option for you, consider the following factors carefully:

Price

As we mentioned above, buying tobacco in bulk will almost always work out cheaper than buying tins of tobacco, in much the same way that wholesale tobacco pipes are less expensive than retail pipes. With this in mind, if you are on a particularly tight budget and cost is your primary concern, buying in bulk could well be the best option for you. However, before you rush off to place an order for several pounds of your favorite tobacco blend, we recommend working your way through the rest of the factors to consider in this list.

Storage

If you buy a number of different tobacco blends in large quantities, you are going to need to find somewhere convenient to store it all. The space you choose should be dry, relatively cool, and dark. It should also be easy to maintain at a constant temperature and level of humidity. Many pipe smokers like to remove their bulk purchases from the bags in which they are sold and place them in airtight glass jars, such as mason jars. This is partly because it is easier to ensure tobacco does not dry out when storing it in airtight containers and partly because it’s more convenient to open a smaller jar when you want to start smoking it rather than opening a large bag. If you don’t have somewhere convenient to store bulk tobacco, you may wish to carry on buying it in tins.

Types of Blends You Enjoy

Some types of tobacco blends improve with age whilst others may deteriorate if kept for too long so this is something you need to consider before buying in bulk. Generally speaking, English blends, Virginia/Perique blends and pure Virginia blends have the most potential to improve with cellaring whilst aromatics often start to deteriorate after a few years.

Availability

If the blends that you like to smoke are only sold in bulk by a couple of vendors or by vendors in other countries, you may find that it’s simply too much trouble to buy them in large quantities. In this case, we’d recommend buying most of your tobacco in tins and perhaps just one or two of your long-term favorites in bulk bags. Of course, if the blends that you enjoy are not available in bulk quantities from any vendors, you will not really have much of a choice. You’ll either have to make your peace with the fact you’ll be paying a little more for your hobby try to find other blends that are equally enjoyable and are available in bulk bags. Some of us are lucky enough to live in areas where we can easily order tobacco pipe accessories and bulk tobaccos online while others have far less choice.

Familiarity

Have you already tried the blends that you want to buy? If not, we wouldn’t recommend buying them in bulk quantities. In fact, until you have been smoking and enjoying a particular blend for a few months, it may not be a good idea to place a bulk order. Our tastes often change over time and a blend that you loved when you first started smoking a pipe could turn into a blend that you find quite distasteful after some time. Conversely, a blend that you hate when you first try it may become a firm favorite at some point in the future so never throw any tobacco blend away until you’ve tried it a good few times.

One more factor you may need to consider is the collectability factor. Some people like to collect tobacco tins as well as tobacco pipes and accessories. If this is something you enjoy doing then buying in bulk may not be your best option.

Please feel free to check out our other informative articles on pipe smoking while you’re here, as well as our range of tobacco pipe accessories and tobacco pipes, which you can order and pay for right here on our website.