New to the forums ! (stories of your history with pipes)

Welcome... I am new to pipe smoking (smoking at all) too and just recently joined this community. Everyone seems very friendly and I've learned much.
Good to have ya here.

Welcome. I have only been smoking pipes for about two years, so I am still exploring a lot myself, but this is definitely the place for answers and opinions.
I'm curious about which book series you were reading, that much pipe smoking, it has to be good.

Welcome to the forums!
As for my own history, well, I don't have any. I started a little over a year ago after a friend of mine picked up a pipe on a whim while we were on a writing retreat with our spouses - and I enjoyed sitting out on the back porch while he indulged.
I did actually use an old tobacco pouch (the rubber liner had long since disintegrated) as a change container way back when I had a paper route - I think it may have belonged to my grandfather, but I never saw him smoke a pipe and my mom has never mentioned him doing so...
So I guess it's now up to me to create my own history. Good luck with yours!

Welcome to the forum. I started smoking pipes in 1970. No one in my family smoked pipes but I was always fascinated by them and the Sherlock Holmes movies and stories.

Like many, I started with a drug store pipe and some cherry blend. Both were horrible so I found a small B&M nearby and visited the elderly owner who took the time to educate me on the hobby. with my first GBD and some Lane blends I got into it further. Within a year I had "graduated" to more sophisticated blends, especially the Dunhill Line. Don't get me wrong here, I still went through a majority of the drug store blends in search of "The Blend". I finally found my blend in Lane Ltd.'s Highland and smoked that until it was discontinued in the early to mid 1980's.

Move ahead to the past few years and we pipers now have some many high quality blends at our disposal that it is nearly impossible for me to have just one favorite. Let's face it, you can't eat the same thing every day and call it fulfilling. So, now I have many different tins and find myself enjoying each for what it is. I it is about experimenting and discovering different things.

Interestingly I didn't pick up smoking a pipe 'til I was in my 40s. Before that, I had been a non-smoker all of my life. What first got me interested in pipes was memories of two uncles who were both avid pipe smokers. I remember as a boy growing up in the '70s and visiting with my uncles how much I enjoyed the smell of their pipes (both were "Sir Walter Raleigh" men). Fast forward many years later, I became a Civil War reenactor and as part of my "impression", I decided to start smoking a period reed stem clay pipe "just for reenactments". Soon I found that I really enjoyed the pipe and started smoking it on a weekly basis although I typically don't smoke more than 5-7 bowls/week. Last year my brother and I started up a pipe manufacturing company (Old Dominion Pipe Co.) manufacturing traditional bamboo stem corn cob pipes. So my hobby has developed into a business enterprise.

Ok Roy, I'll make this my first post aside from the intro thread. My own history is rather short in comparison to some of the "lifers" that exist on here but I feel that I can still make a contribution and perhaps help you out.

I smoked cigs from an outrageously early age until I was 36, (I'm 53). I have never looked back and don't miss them even a little. I discovered the world of hand made cigars a couple years after quitting the cigs and thoroughly enjoyed swapping, collecting and smoking some fabulous cigars, in moderation of course. In time though, I did become kind of bored with the whole thing and less impressed with the rising costs brought on by the rising popularity that grew into the late '90s, enter the briar pipe. We were lucky here in Pittsburgh in that time to have had a fair number of B&M tobacconists and I had happened to become pretty good friends with the owner of one large one in particular that had a very strong inventory of pipes, tobaccos and all the trappings that go with it. He is also a full line cigar dealer as well and to this day maintains a very busy and well stocked establishment. When I informed him that I was interested in learning about becoming a pipester, he immedietly began introducing me to his long time pipe club members, many of whom had a lifetime of experience, some even produced high grade hand carved but all of them together helped flatten my learning curve. Before reaching out to my friend and asking for his help I did fly solo for some time with a Dr. Grabow Duke and some Carter Hall. The former was quickly replaced, the latter? Well, it still holds a spot in my heart and rotation as it's not a bad OTC tobacco, not bad at all.
To help address your concerns on pipes and cigars, my 14 or so years in the hobby have taught me a few things. Corn Cob pipes, American MM specifically, can and will deliver a true Nirvanna like smoking experience for cheap. Don't let anyone tell you any different. Mid grade briars can deliver the same but you must learn how to identify the ones worth buying, these forums and some mentors can help with that. Spending big $$ on some fancy hand carved is fun and exciting but can lead to to a bad case of buyers remorse occasionally, I personally will never again spend much over a $100 for a pipe even if I do think I can afford to do so and if somehow I were to get weak, it would have to be something truly special.

On tobaccos, try as many types, genres and flavor specific tins and bulks as it is humanly possible to do and journal your experiences. I try all new tobaccos in a cob specifically to guage every nuance of JUST the tobacco as briar pipes in different grades and depending on what's been smoked previously in them can impart a "ghosting" flavor effect. Often this can be a good thing but I like to know what tin X of a certain Balkan blend really tastes like on its own before stuffing it into one my pipes that's marked for my Balkan rotation.
Don't be concerned with having to use pipe cleaners during a smoke to keep things cool and dry and don't stress on how many re-lights you may have to preform to finish a bowl. Matches are cheap and most often free.

Find and patronize a B&M if one exists within a reasonable distance even if it's only occasionally. You can't intelligently purchase from Internet suppliers if you don't have some sort of baseline experience and exposure to certain blends and smoking instruments.
I know this was long but hopefully helpful.

Welcome aboard Roy!

Not a lot to tell on my end really.

The only person I knew growing up who smoked a pipe, was my step-grandfather's brother-in-law. I would go over there sometimes as a kid, and I always loved the smell.

He kept a big bag of tobacco by his chair, and a rack of pipes on the table.
Myself, I first smoked a pipe 13 or 14 years ago. It was a borrowed Dr. Grabow, and some Capt. Black White.

My cousin was given a couple of pipes, and he let me smoke one when I would come over. He had a big tub of CBW on the coffee table, and we would sit there and smoke those Grabows like a couple of chimneys! Of course neither one of us had a clue what we were doing, lol!

We did that for several months.
After that, I didn't smoke a pipe for several years. I picked it up again about 6 years or so ago, and I've been at it ever since!

My tastes have greatly changed in that amount of time, and I now enjoy a very wide range of tobaccos (except Lakelands).

My time here on this forum has greatly increased my love of the pipe, and steered me towards some great blends I probably wouldn't have tried otherwise.

My collection has grown from roughly 20 pipes when I joined, to over 50, and my tobacco cellar from just a couple pounds (if that), to 35+lbs!
That's pretty much my story. This is a great place, and a great bunch of guys, but thanks to them I have a lot less money in the bank! Lol!

welcome to the forum! I started smoking a pipe a couple years ago. I mainly was attracted to the "art" of pipe smoking really. I love the craftsmanship that goes in to making a pipe and a pipe tobacco blend. I also love the different variations of pipe tobacco. There is so much to learn with this hobby and it never gets old! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. As for good pipes that aren't too expensive I would recommend Brigham pipes and Nordings. Good luck with your adventures!

I come from a family of staunch non-smokers. My mother's father smoked cigars, but he died when I was five. . . not sure he had much influence. And I learned later that my father's grandfather had smoked a pipe. But I come from a line of ministers and missionaries, and smoking of any kind just wasn't done.
Yet in college I realized that some of the strongest influencers in my life (apart from my parents) were smokers: C. S. Lewis and his brother, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams. I somehow knew that once I became "legal" (18 in Illinois), I'd at least give it a try. I started with a pack of Kool Milds. I inhaled the first one, just to see what the experience was like. I loved it! (No coughing/gagging like you see in the anti commercials.) But I knew I didn't want to be addicted and that, being a singer, I didn't want to do anything that would affect my voice. So everything smoked after that was NOT inhaled.
Between my first and second years of college, I was in a 7-member music group that toured throughout the midwest and east. We did one song that mentioned corncob pipes, so we thought it would be fun to add them as props. I'd always been curious about pipes -- again, Lewis and Tolkien -- so one day I picked up one to actually smoke, along with some apple-flavored drugstore tobacco. It was awful. Yet, for some reason, I persisted. The next fall I picked up my first briar from a local Tinder Box (which I still happily smoke!), along with the store's most-popular aromatic, North Sea (which is their rebranding of Peter Stokkebye's Nougat). Suddenly I was actually enjoying the experience of smoking a pipe.
And that was 34 years ago. . .
Bob

I started pipe smoking in 2000, having smoked cigars for twenty years till then. When my dad died mum gave me his old tobacco pouch - a lovely leather article with an oilskin lining which sealed airtight when zipped up (it is probably seventy-years old now, and I still use it).
So I went to the tobacconist (now the only one still in business in this part of Scotland) to ask for some Ogdens Walnut Sliced that dad used to smoke. The guy suggested a Peterson basic System and also that I should try some loose (bulk) flakes - both good pieces of advice.
So, from the beginning I smoked Irish Slices, Bulwark, GH&Co Balkan Flake, FVF, BBF and Rum Flake. They are still my staples (and hence the first two syllables of my moniker!!lol), but I have since extended my repertoire in both blends and pipes!! I have a large collection of pre-1950 (ie older than me!) pipes and a burgeoning cellar, mainly of flakes.

"Sorry Phillip Morris, I am on a new train now. One with roots deeper than yours."
Beautiful.

Welcome Royveda. I'm on book ten of the Wheel of Time Series as we speak. And, I'm also very new to this hobby as well.

Well Nicholas like yourself I'm rather new to pipe smoking,I've been smoking a pipe for about 6 months now,as for history I had a great uncle (that I never had the chance to meet) that smoked a pipe,but I was first drawn to pipe smoking when my dad came home one day ( I was maybe 12 ) with a Dr. Grabow estate pipe he got from somebody that was going to throw it away,before this the only thing my dad smoked was cigars,but he brought this pipe home and we cleaned it up together and it went into humidor to sit for no joke about 5 years until he lent it to his brother.My first pipe was a china cob I know china cobs are probably some of the worst pipes you can have and I have since graduated to some better quality ( albeit still cobs ) pipes but there will always be a little sentiment there.Anyway my dad finally got his Dr. Grabow back and has since given it to me,and as for a history with pipes that would be where mine ends,but there's always room to add to it so....... ::

Well, I'm a total n00b. Smoked cigars on and off in the late nineties/early 2000s, but stopped due to spousal pressure. My maternal grandfather and my father had both been pipe smokers, and my dad had smoked cigars.
Didn't touch tobacco for twelve years or so. Then last fall a new shooting buddy brought some cigars out to the range, and I really enjoyed it. Picked up a humidor, filled it, and have been enjoying one or two cigars a week since. Then a couple of months ago somebody at work mentioned pipe smoking, and that sparked a train of thought. Started researching it on the Internet, score an estate Lorenzo Billiard at the local "B&M" (actually a kiosk at the mall), then a Rossi Author and a Sav 626 online, and just picked up a Blatter&Blatter bent Bulldog at Blatters this week.
Started with a pouch of Brigham's Maple Vanilla (rather bitey) and a tin of Solani Black & White (tin notes of fermented prune cough syrup, but smokes much more nicely). I also quite Blatter London and Reserve (English and Balkan), and Balkan Sasieni. I guess I just like Latakia.

Good post idea. It's neat to see backgrounds all in one place rather than catching pieces here and there when they're relevant to a thread.

When I got to college two years ago, my roommate and I hit it off really well. He's still my best friend on campus. He was a pipe and occasional cigar smoker, as his father had been before he was born. I had no smoking experience or first person influence from my family. Apparently my dad's father, who I never got to meet, smoked a pipe for a while but dropped it. My father did have a close friend who smoked a pipe profusely, and some of my earliest memories are of playing on the floor of his house and watching him smoke. I even recall the smell, but I don't know the blend. At any rate, my roommate introduced me to smoking, and I've been at it pretty steadily since I really dove into it at the end of freshman year. I go to a conservative college where dozens of students smoke pipes, along with a handful of professors (I actually smoke with my advisor/favorite English prof fairly regularly). College is a great environment for this hobby, especially if you get a friend or two into it! Between my school and this forum, it's a pretty good time to be a pipesmoker.

Many yrs ago I attempted to be a pipe smoker. Really enjoyed it, but as a young man, I just didn't have the patience.
Fast forward to the present 67 yr old gent, I'd like to pick up the pipe again. I know for sure that there will be no smoke in the the house, but thats OK, I have a great Porsche restoration, metal, sheetmetal back garage shop.
Just picked up an estate sale drug store variety, pipe & holder for 10.00
Question:
1. Best way to clean/sterilize the pipe

2. tobacco suggestion
Thanks Gents.

ed

Welcome to the forums.
I started as a young man in 1970 and was fortunate to have some fine pipe mentors in Liverpool. They did not care what their pipes looked like or how many times they had to relight.
Just to establish a baseline, you may consider a high quality Virginia flake such as GL Pease's Union Square. Virgina leaves are the foundation of most blends, and once you have a feel for how they taste, you can branch out(no pun intended)into other leaves.