Any pipe smokers left?

[Rpg]

We see some discussion of cigars and cigar smokers but nothing about pipes and pipe smokers. I’m talking about tobacco pipes, not pipes for other substances.

My grandfather was a pipe smoker. So was an uncle.

As a 7 year old, I briefly experimented with my uncle’s pipes. That adventure ended badly: he discovered my experiment and did me one better: he loaded up a pipe and had me smoke it. It’s the first time I remember throwing up.

This morning I was going through a box of odds and ends I bought at an auction for $2.50. Among other cool odds and ends, it contained several old tobacco pipes that got me thinking about experimenting again.

Any guidance? Technique? Recommend tobacco?

As cool as it looks to smoke a pipe, it can’t have disappeared entirely can it?

How about a pipe smoking revival?

 

[walkin jack]

My dad was a pipe smoker. Nay, a pipe aficionado. He had a huge collection and a lot of them were hand carved Meerschaum. He always smoked a mail order blend from the E. A. Carey company and it smelled wonderful.

I tried to take up pipe smoking too. All the store brands were to hot and would "bite" my tongue. I tried the E. A. Carey and it was okay but I always had a devil of a time keepin' the blamed thing lit no matter what tobacco I was using.

It was such a nuisance and it was such a mess to clean 'em I eventually just let 'em go. No point in going around with a cold pipe between my teeth.

I'm (was) more a cigar person myself...

 

[Watchdog]

No point in going around with a cold pipe between my teeth.

It does seem kinda pointless, doesn't it?

But then again...

 

[dave holl]

I smoked a pipe from 1960 to 1980. Dad did too, in fact I inherited his Dunhill and Savinelli pipes. We both smoked MacBaren's tobacco which is still available. I stopped on the advice from my dentist and doctor. Gums and mouth tissues were irritated by the smoke, and, of course, the potential of contracting lung cancer.
Pipe smoking is a kind of a unique life-style, requiring a certain amount of paraphernalia and a cleaning routine.
Here is me in 1969.
Dave

 

[tekarra]

I used to smoke a pipe back in the 70s and had a collection of Peterson's. The tobacco I smoked had no preservatives as the preservatives supposedly burned hotter giving a bite and emitted harmful compounds when burnt. Back then pipe pubs were popular where one could sit in a comfortable armchair with a mug of complimentary coffee and read the newspaper or have an interesting conversation. The fellow behind the bar would clean your pipe for free and let try a few samples. I miss those visits.

 

[H30]

I too tried my hand at pipe smoking, gave it a good try but eventually gave up for most of the same reasons that Walkin Jack gave.
When I was giving it a try I bought a couple of nice pipes, not to expensive, just hoping to get the best experience. My wife is a thrift shopper and likes to visit all the thrift stores. One day she comes home with this well used but nice pipe. I said I ain't smoking some one else's pipe. Well, on a visit at the local tobacco shop and some conversation with the person behind the counter, I found out that the pipe could be restored. The bowl would be scraped and boiled if necessary, and a new stem installed for something like $15.00 so I did it.
The pipe came back like new. So my wife's mission after that was to buy all you find. I got some really nice pipes that way for cheap.

​

 

[snubbyfan]

I've toyed with the idea of trying a pipe.
The idea was to get something more of a traditional American Indian personal pipe and packing it with a blend of tobaccos traditional to the Indians of the great plains.
unfortunately (fortunately?) the laws concerning the sales of tobacco changed and the blend I was eyeballin' was no longer available.
Oh well, since the American Indians invented the cigar, I can live with that.
I really didn't need to start a whole new collection of smoking paraphernalia anyway.

 

[arjay]

Haven't smoked one in 30 years,but it still may be around here somewhere

 

[JayFramer]

Very, very few.

When I was a boy it was a bit more common but anymore I might see one pipe smoker every 2-3 years.

It just isn't done anymore, gone by the wayside.

 

[DWalt]

The problem with pipe smokers is that they have too much time on their hands. All their time is spent with picking, tamping, lighting and filling their pipes.

Some 35 years ago I had a boss who was a devoted pipe smoker. He smoked some special blend he had made up for him by a tobacco shop in Columbus OH, and shipped it to him. I honestly don't remember ever seeing him when he was not busy fooling around with one of his pipes (he had several). That was back in the days when you could smoke in an office. Not many places allow that today. In my much younger days I tried pipe smoking briefly but it never took.

 

[Whitwabit]

I smoked a pipe for a few years .. was called RPL211 .. a blend by a local pipe shop .. when it closed in the early 70's I stopped .. as commercial packed blends are terrible !!

 

[Bajadoc]

A lot of pipe smokers in California, but the pipes aren't filled with tobacco, if you know what I mean.

 

[Kurusu]

I smoked pipe for the best part of my smoking life. The present smoking laws prevent me from that. I am (was) an efficient pipe smoker, I can't just say I'm out for a smoke be back in half an hour.

My more or less 30 pipes are now waiting for me to retire.

 

[chief38]

I've got a dozen or so pipes in my collection and still smoke them once a month. I smoke Borkum Riff Whisky, a few custom blends I got at the Tobacconist, but oddly enough I actually really like Sir Walter Raleigh and Prince Albert which are both "el cheapo - drug store brands". I just got a can of the formally discontinued Edgeworth and have been enjoying that too. The less expensive pipe tobacco's don't bite your tongue like some of the aromatic ones do.

 

[emptypockets]

I heard someone say that a pipe gives a wise man time to think and a fool something to do with his hands. I like the smell of a good aromatic tobacco but don't think I'll be smoking a pipe any time soon.

 

[Snapping Twig]

My daughter went to Ireland for Christmas with her boyfriend so they could spend the holiday with his family.

I asked them to bring me back some tins of Peterson's tobacco tobacco like they did a couple years back.

They did and then some!

Irish tobacco is SO much better than the stuff I have tried here.

I typically enjoy a cigar, but this tobacco is so good, I substitute the pipe every so often.

I typically smoke a bowl or a cigar on the weekend when I get together with a friend that rebuilds mid 80's Honda Magnas.

Nice to have a conversation, tinker, etc.

 

[BC38]

I gave up tobacco nearly 4-1/2 years ago after a 35 year habit.
The last 15 years or so I smoked cigars, and the last couple of months it was a pipe.

I still miss it sometimes, but I don't miss being short of breath, or smelling like an ashtray, so I wouldn't go back to it - unless I were terminal.
At that point it would pretty much be "oh, what the heck, why not - what is there to lose?"

 

[JayFramer]

I did experiment with a pipe in tech school. Me and my buddy would go to red lobster after class and smoke our piper while waiting on seafood! I recall the Irish cream blend being pretty good.

 

[Skye]

I've been a pipe smoker since 17years old (now 87).

Here are a few tips for anyone thinking of trying it -
Pick up a couple of corncob pipes (around $2 each) The reason I recommend corncobs is that they give a better smoke than anything else.

Take them home and put a drop of honey on the tip of your little finger and rub it into the bowls. This will allow for a cake to start forming.

Start out with a generic Tobacco like Sir Walter Raleigh.Now we come to the reason for two pipes - When the bowl of your pipe gets hot, it will bite the tongue. So put it down to cool off and fire up the second pipe.

All decent pipe tobacco goes out quickly, so like it or not you will have to relight frequently.

Get a Zippo lighter - Trust me on this one.

It's true that pipe smoking requires a bit of fiddling around. Use this to your advantage - When asked certain questions a pipe smoker will Slowly draw his Zippo and fire up the bowl of his pipe thus giving himself time to ponder his answer.

Hope this helps a bit...
skye

 

[JayFramer]

My least favorite part is when a hot ash goes up the pipe and hits the back of your throat right in front of that dingus hanging there, oh that hurts!