Memorable Pipe Smokers From Your Past.

pstlpkr · Feb 8, 2010

Good afternoon fellas,

One of our newest members Patriotfirst got me to thinking back to my early days of pipe smoking and my curiosity about my new passion, way back when.

I was a go-fer at Woodlawn Hardware Store, it was run by Mr. Fred, and Miss Mae. I made $1 an hour, 19 hours a week. (Old math: $1 x 19 = 2 movie tickets, 2 Sodas, 1 Medium Pizza "all the way", Dad put gas in the car.)

It was a dusty relic of the old style Mom and Pop Hardware stores where you could find things that you couldn't find anywhere else. (after a bit of rummaging of course) (you know the type) Even the hours were antiquated. 6 to 6 Mon. - Sat. except Wednesdays when we closed at noon because of an old blue-law. (so people could go to church) Well there was an old WWI veteran that would come in to buy a couple of nails or screws or just to shoot the breeze. He smoked a pipe with a Rum Soaked Crook cigar in it. I always found this amusing, but practical. He told me he had been smoking that way since "Ma momma give me dis pipe fo my 6'd birt-day. Mah re-ward for bein' a good boy-n stayin' in school".

dunringill · Feb 11, 2010

That would be my Grandfather. I don't ever remember him without his pipe and Sir Walter Raleigh. He lived to be 92 and could tell you some stories.
During his younger years he played minor league baseball, fought Pancho Villa, helped build bridges. All way before my time of course..lol.
I still have his pipe, an old Dr. Grabow Golden Duke and his tobacco pouch. We all loved the smell of his tobacco.

pstlpkr · Feb 11, 2010

Phil, Dunringill,

I think we all have a grandsire that smoked a pipe, all of which are deservedly revered.

My grandfather Leo, was a coast watcher during WWII, my Dad has a photo of him in his Civil Defense pith helmet smoking his pipe with search lights in the background. He was a retired Marine as well. He passed when I was about 5 years old.

Dun, I wonder if your grandfather knew another pipe smoking American hero; George S. Patton.

dunringill · Feb 11, 2010

pstlpkr,
I wonder the same thing. I will have to ask my Aunt as my father is no longer with me to ask. I do know his horse fell on him and busted up his leg pretty good. He walked with a limp and in his later years had a bowed leg. Even with that he was a tall man. I sure did not get my height from him or my hair for that matter. He had a full head of hair at 92.

pstlpkr · Feb 11, 2010

I knew I had a picture of Lt. George S. Patton Jr. aide to General Pershing during the pursuit of Villa.

Looks like my Peterson.

dunendain · Feb 11, 2010

My grandfather. He always had his pipe and a pouch of Sir Walter Raleigh. He was so laid back. I remember watching him play Dominoes in the game room of his store, smoking that pipe. I also had a Sunday school teacher who smoked a pipe in the class room.

sapo59 · Feb 15, 2010

My father smoked a pipe and I always thought it was much cooler than someone puffing away on a cigarette. I don't know what he smoked but it smelled great. The memory of this is what made me quit the cigs and take up the pipe.

pstlpkr · Feb 15, 2010

I think that room note that said home is one thing most of us have in common.

brazz · Feb 15, 2010

The reason I picked up the pipe was my grandfather, he smoked Mixture #79 all day, and night. I used to sit at his kitchentable while he made his tea (Irish)and I'd clean his pipes for him.I think they were Grabows w/ stingers know that I think of it. I used to love using his key type reamer and ream the sh.. out of his pipes. I must have been doing it down to bare wood but he never said a word.

igloo · Feb 15, 2010

My uncle Joe long since passed away in the mid 70s ,he would always spoil me ,with boxs of Good and Plenty and be my bud he smoked a pipe and even more cherry cigars .I wish I could remember the brands .

surfmac211 · Feb 15, 2010

Well for me all the men in my family got a pipe on our 16 birthday, but I remember sitting on the swing in my grandpas front yard with me my dad my grandpa and my great grandpa and all of them smoking their briars. It was kinda a special moment i remember because I'm the IV and was the last picture taken with all 4 of the Roberts. On Sundays all my cousins and uncles go outside and smoke a bowl or two and try convince each other who has the best pipe.

pstlpkr · Aug 3, 2010

The old joke says: "Opporknockity Tunes but once"

So I have copy/pasted the following into this string.

I would love to hear about those memorable pipe smokers from everyone's past.
Thank you Jugn1, Jody for reminding me of this old string.

My name is Jody and I live in McKinney, Texas (Near Dallas). I have just started pipe smoking recently. I'm new to the hobby but already love it! I have fond memories of the aroma of my fathers smoking pipe. He passed away over a year ago and after going through some photo albums I found a picture of he and I around the holidays. I was a young boy back then now but now I'm in my 30's.

Anyway I'm starting out with the classic tobaccos/pipes but will be looking to expand my horizons with some English blends. I will be searching the site for some suggestions, if anyone has suggestions feel free to message me. For now I will be doing some searching and listening.

caliguy · Aug 3, 2010

For me, it was my first wife's Grandfather (if she had been as cool as he was...well, who knows) He was a retired police office from the UK, a really funny, intelligent and easy going man.
I was in my 20's, fascinated with his nightly ritual of gathering his pipe (I don't know what brand) and his pouch of Ready Rubbed tobacco. He would put a portion of tobacco in his hand and work it around the palm, then delicately tamp the tobacco down into the bowl. He'd then take a long wooden match out the bright yellow box of "Swans Matches" and light the tobacco. It smelled wonderful and he always looked so relaxed afterward. Though that may have had as much to do with his glass of whiskey as with the pipe.
In any case, it's the image I carry in my head and often recall while I'm enjoying my own pipe and beverage of the moment.

bubbadreier · Aug 3, 2010

When I was a young child (I guess I still am in some of your opinions) my family and I used to drive two hours to visit an older couple that had no family at all. We called them "grandma and grandpa" Brunkin, Grandma was 87 and Grandpa was 89. Grandma was always in the kitchen or in her sewing room making another quilt for us to take home. I still have one on my bed right now. Grandma used to make a chocolate cake for after dinner every single time we were there, and it was the most amazing cake I have ever had. While grandma was busy in the kitchen Grandpa would always sit in his lazyboy chair (always wearing an orange jumpsuit) with either a hand carved pipe or Dr. Garbow in his hand. (I don't remember what he smoked but I do know that Captain Black smells just like it). He would tell us stories from the 20's and the 30's and stories about the war, he would tell us how he hates that he outlived his two children and how much he loved having us over. He wasn't really my Grandpa but I loved him like he was, to this day I can't smell pipe tobacco or see a pipe without thinking of him...

ohin3 · Aug 3, 2010

My great grandfather and my grandfather. Both smoked cigars and pipes. Great grandfather was the kind of person that always seemed to live in the moment. Everything he did was done with mindfulness and passion. That guy could make eating an orange seem like a Religious experience. He immigrated to the states during the great depression so he was always quite thrifty. I remember he would smoke a Parodi cigar till it was too small to hold. Then he would put it on a toothpick and smoke it till it was burning his lips. Then he would take the remainder and drop it in his pipe to finish. Never wasting a crumb. My grandfather was more of a dapper man's man, but still very much the son of an Italian immigrant. He smoked Parodis as well, but he also had a pipe collection for smoking Captain Black, Sail, Borkum Riff and Half and Half. He was a total clencher too. I remember that the end of his cigars always looked completely mutilated and that his pipes all had severe tooth chunks out of them and that he was regularly cracking them from constantly clenching. I still love the smell of Captain black and I do occasionally smoke a Parodi.

pstlpkr · Aug 4, 2010

Thanks for those outstanding posts guys.
I believe that we all should remember those who hold that position of reverence in our hearts and minds.
My daughters' friends all know that I smoke a pipe. When they come over and pass through "the dog house" (my man cave) I frequently hear "I love the way this room smells." I hope that I too will be remembered in a similar fashion to those we revere.
Keep the posts comin' guys.

cortezattic · Aug 4, 2010

Well, you seem like a fit ambassador for the task -- especially if you keep smoking that 1-Q.

papipeguy · Aug 4, 2010

I'm the only pipe smoker in the family although my granfather smoked a pipe in the 1930's from what I'm told. I have one of his Dunhills in my collection. For me it was Basil Rathbone as Holmes and other movie stars. Bing Crosby ( I do have one of his signature Savinellis) and especiallly, Cary Grant. In the Movie "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" Cary Grant and Melvin Douglas both are constantly puffing away. Of course, Cary Grant could make the most mundane activity look like pure elegance.

hobie1dog · Aug 5, 2010

I use to go to my Granparents house and usually my Grandfather would be sitting in his same chair playing Solitaire on the foot stool for hours, smoking his pipe. Then my first cousin took over his position in the family. My first cousin quit about 10 years ago after inhaling smoke all his adult life( he said back then, everyone usually did as it was the "manly" thing to do.)

duncan · Aug 5, 2010

Mine is my Grandfather he is 84 still kicking with the only leg he has left. I remember growing up and he always had his pipe (usally a Dr. Grabow of some type) and his tobacco pouch with Middletons cherry (which he still smokes). Now when I go and check on him in the morning and afternoon we sit down smoke a bit of pipe and he tells me his WWII stories. The one thing that is amazing to me is he never cleans them anymore so he just gets us to get him a new one. One day he is going to figure out that I am taking a few old one cleaning them and putting them back in his draw. He is amazed at the endless supply he has. lol

Memorable Pipe Smokers From Your Past.

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