Sharing Your Pipe

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music4cash

Might Stick Around
Jan 5, 2016
92
0
I was smoking my pipe yesterday and a friend told me he'd always wanted to try a pipe, and asked if he could take a drag off of mine. I told him no, and he was a little offended, I felt bad so I bought him a cob, and gave him a few different tobaccos to try. I'm wondering if any of you guys would share your pipe with someone. To me it would be like sharing your toothbrush, or your underwear. I don't think I would even share one of my pipes that was resting let alone the one I'm smoking right now.

 

dadgy

Might Stick Around
Nov 13, 2015
78
1
There is not a single chance I'd share a pipe with anybody other than my wife, and it's not chilly enough in Hades for her to have ever asked. I'd have done the same thing you did, and I usually keep an extra cob around for such an occasion.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,455
It is like sharing a toothbrush. It might not be a problem, but we all carry bacteria and virus that may not be causing us any problems, because we are immune to that particular bug, or because we have good resistance to it. Anything from colds, flu, and sinus infections, to herpes, strep, mononucleosis, or mouth sore virus. Then there's just the aesthetics. I don't mind swapping saliva with my wife, but that's about it. However, different cultures and groups have very different attitudes about this. For some it is a big bonding experience to pass around a bottle of whiskey (or whatever) on the basis maybe that the alcohol is enough of a disinfectant (probably not). Some people think it is an insult if you do not share this group activity -- with booze, pot, food stuffs, and so on. People who have never had a good biology course don't even know about this as a potential disease vector, don't have a clue. I think you went above and beyond, buying your friend a cob and tobacco, and showed good faith despite your different concepts of personal hygiene. To explain all this would be taken as an insult to him, so I think you've done what you can.

 

stickframer

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 11, 2015
875
8
Well played, and kudos on the cob and samples. It'd be great if your friend stuck with it.
This hasn't happened to me, but I agree, sharing a pipe is not allowed. But I'd like to think I would respond the same way by gifting a cob and tobacco.

 

music4cash

Might Stick Around
Jan 5, 2016
92
0
It isn't even just a hygiene thing it's more that it is my pipe...even if I were to properly disinfect it first and afterwards, my pipes have quickly become personal totems, I will share a joint, I don't smoke cigarettes anymore but I would share a cigarette with a friend, but my pipes are for some reason very personal to me. I'm glad to find I'm not alone on this.

 

cobguy

Lifer
Oct 18, 2013
3,742
15
Yes, I would let a close friend try my pipe ... and I work in Microbiology.
Use common sense and don't share with someone who is currently sick or has an open cold sore.
I've been sharing pipes and other smokes with friends for 30 years now ... no problems.

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,043
402
I share a certain type of pipe quite often partaking in a certain herbal substance and haven't ever had a major issue in over 20 years. I would just run an alchohol soaked pipe cleaner through the stem.

 
Apr 26, 2012
3,369
5,444
Washington State
A few of my poker friends wanted to try smoking a pipe, so I let a couple of them smoke a few of my pipes that I didn't smoke that much. I then cleaned them afterwards just as I would an estate pipe. I later went out and bought a grab bag of MM Corn Cob seconds and gave each of them a pipe. The pipes are either kept at my place or my other friends house where we play poker. You shouldn't feel to weird about your friends smoking one of your pipes. Its no different than if you bought an estate pipe. Just clean it afterwards, but getting him a cob is a good way to go.

 

mcitinner1

Lifer
Apr 5, 2014
4,043
24
Missouri
Use common sense and don't share with someone who is currently sick or has an open cold sore.
I have also let a select few try my pipes at times. Also, think early 70's arena concerts when a LOT of passing a smoke was going on.

 

tuold

Lifer
Oct 15, 2013
2,133
166
Beaverton,Oregon
I would not share a warm pipe with anybody but my wife. I do keep a lot of spare pipes for situations like that and have given some away to those who look like they might stick with it.

 

rfernand

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 2, 2015
669
39
The logical side of my brain agrees 100% with @cobguy.
The irrational beast in me says "yuck". And for these things, I'm an irrational beast.
Get off my pipe. :puffpipe:

 

michaelmirza

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 21, 2015
638
0
Chicago, IL
I've let friends borrow my pipes before. It's worth a little cleaning to potentially get them into the hobby, and life's too short to be germaphobic.

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
If anyone asks to smoke my pipe while I am, I stick it up my ass and then say, sure have at it.
I cannot count the thousands of times, a joint made it's rounds and I never thought twice about it. The only thing we would bust peoples balls about it was when they put a ducks ass( they slobbered all over it) on the joint. Shared plenty of bongs and other pipes as well. I am totally not germophobic, hell I might wash my hands only once a week.

 

stickframer

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 11, 2015
875
8
I'm not too worried about the germ thing. Shared lots of joints and those pipes back in the day, and cigarettes. And probably the odd cigar. I just see pipes in a different light.
If somebody today was to ask for a drag of my cig, I'd look at them oddly for a bit and then give them a full cig.

 
Sep 18, 2015
3,253
41,958
Nope, not gonna happen, MY pipe! I would be more likely to buy somebody one or even give them one out of my collection, but share the one I'm smoking? NFW.

 
M

mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast

Guest
I've only had one friend ask me before and yes, I packed him a bowl in one of my nicest pipes. Friends are friends. I don't have many and I trust them with my pipes if they are so inclined to smoke one.

 

shutterbugg

Lifer
Nov 18, 2013
1,451
21
If you give someone a taste off your fork or spoon, or let them drink from your glass or beer/soda bottle, or kiss you on the lips, then probably the hygiene issue doesn't bother you so why not let them take a couple puffs of your pipe?
I only had had one person ever ask to do that, I was standing at a curb in San Francisco (the only place you can legally smoke on a public street there) and a really hot young woman smoking a cigarette said my tobacco smelled nice and if she could "have a drag". So I let her. It was Royal Yacht, she did a deep inhale, and I doubt if she'll ever ask a piper for a drag again :D

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,455
I've tolerated people with bad colds sneezing and coughing beside or near me on an airplane, and half the time I end up with that same affliction a day later. My inclination is to think how sturdy and tough I am and to ignore it, and long as I'm not hit directly with spray. But the durn little bugs really do travel and really do cause illness, and it takes my time to recover from them. So, smoke my pipe? No, so sorry.

 
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