Funny what we learn about family pipe smoking!

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yorkshirepipe

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 26, 2012
136
0
Like many of us have or have had in the hobby, my maternal grandfather was a pipe smoker. I only took up the pipe after he had passed away, unfortunately when I got into the hobby and asked my gran about his pipe, she thinks it was thrown away. I always remember that he smoked gold block though.
I have the odd memory here and there of my dad's pipe that he only puffed when working in the garden, but stopped shortly after so do not remember what kind of pipe it was, but he still has lots of gold block tins he uses for nails, bolts etc. (Gold block seems to be in my blood!)
My parents know that I smoke, but have almost a don't ask-don't tell relationship, I don't smoke when I visit them and vice versa, and I usually put away most of my tobacco and my pipes when they visit. However, last week when they joined me, I left my pipes out, my mum naturally noticed saying "What are they doing there?!" and calls my dad to see, expecting him to say "It's bad for you" - on the contrary, he said "You haven't got any churchwardens?" When I told him that I have had previously but sold them, he went on to tell me that he used to smoke a churchwarden when he was a student, and that we could have a bowl together when I'm next at my parents house!
Has anyone else learned anything about their family and pipe smoking later than expected?

 
Mar 30, 2014
2,853
78
wv
Great story. My grandfather smoked pipes more than 60 years. He got me started in the hobby.

I have several of his pipes and use them regularly. No one else in the family smokes pipes, but

I've heard some great stories from my uncles about my grandfathers P.A.D.

 

layinpipe

Lifer
Feb 28, 2014
1,025
8
As far as i know, i'm the only black sheep weirdo that smokes a pipe in my family. Oh well, their loss!

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
As I've said (maybe a little too often) my paternal grandfather was a pipe smoker with a circular pipe rack

with an amber jar in the middle by his living room chair. My dad chain smoked Granger in a pipe, cigars for

a while, then Granger again. I inherited the circular pipe rack. I still smoke Granger now and then. Dad quit

cold turkey when he was sixty-five, and he passed on at 89 licensed to drive without glasses (as I like to

remember). I was with him at his last drivers license eye test. My mom's dad smoked only cigars, maybe one

or two a day.

 

eightywon

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 4, 2014
563
0
Thanks for sharing. I was never lucky enough to have known my grandfather. When I picked up the pipe I was maybe 25? Soon after I started my old man bought me a couple pouches of PA and CH. I've only ever seen my pop smoke cigs. Maybe that's what his old man put in his pipe. Or maybe my old man smoked a pipe in another life (47 years old, 2 kids- that I know of, 2 previous marriages- that I know of, he finally met my mother, and they've been together ever since- may she rest in peace).

 

yazamitaz

Lifer
Mar 1, 2013
1,757
1
I am also the only (to me anyway) known pipe smoker in my family. Pretty much EVERYONE in my family smoked cigs at some point. My sister and I were always in a sport so neither of us went the cig route in our teens. I started smoking a pipe my junior year in high school since I was so into the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit story. My parents were cool and let me smoke in the house since they did (at least they weren't hypocrites). I kinda wish I had some kind of familial connection with a relative that smoked a pipe.
Great story man, thanks for sharing.

 
Mar 1, 2014
3,646
4,916
Of the people I know, No-one from the generation before me has anything to do with tobacco, they are all very anti-smoking.

My older brother, and most of my friends seem to be quick to pick up a pipe though. One of my best friends in college (about eight years ago) was a very enthusiastic pipe smoker, and started making his own pipes as soon as he could manage.

I have a feeling a common thread among all of us is A. Being some degree of a history buff (some extreme, myself more casual), and B. C.S. Lewis and Tolkien.

The odd thing is that none of the previous generation really falls from that description, but they still were adamant non-smokers.

 
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