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misterzombie

misterzombie

Lurker
Dec 30, 2012
49
0
So I was in a discussion with some people while smoking my pipe and they started to ask about my pipe smoking because they noticed I wasn't inhaling. I told them that with pipe smoking it isn't about inhaling the smoke. So then they asked me "What is the point if you don't inhale?" I thought it was an odd question to ask and didn't quite know how to answer. I told them it was more about tasting the flavor of it, the smell of it, and simply relaxing.
How would you of answered the question? What do you think is the "point" or "purpose" of pipe smoking? How would you explain this hobby/past time to people who only really know about cigarettes?

 
matchstickman

matchstickman

Lifer
Jul 15, 2011
2,363
31
I accidentally inhaled a little bit of smoke from my bowl of Irish Whiskey the other night, and I will tell you that is a mistake I will NOT make again. Pipe tobacco is much more harsh on the lungs than something like cigarette tobacco. Some people inhale, some don't, but there are a lot of pipe smokers who cant handle it. To me, pipe tobacco is like a fine wine, something to be sipped and savored and enjoy the flavor rather than inhaling and getting the nicotine buzz, although nicotine is a nice benefit as well. If a pipe is like a fine wine, I would say cigarettes are like a cheap whiskey, just something cheap and less satisfying that feed an addiction rather than being consumed for personal enjoyment. Just my two cents anyway.

 
bubblehead33

bubblehead33

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 17, 2012
615
0
Canada
i get that question quite a bit too. i simply tell them its just because i enjoy the flavor, i'm not looking for nicotene. if that's all i wanted, i'd smoke cigarettes.

 
yohanan

yohanan

Lifer
Oct 1, 2011
2,120
4,003
Old Belt/U.S.A.
I think you gave them a good answer for their question. I have had similar questions asked of me, and stating the fact... whats the point? My reply to some of them...because that's what I like to do...are you not doing what you like to do? :puffy:

 
kris

kris

Can't Leave
Sep 16, 2012
433
1
Every pipe smoker I've met "in real life" inhales at least some of the time...

 
gray4lines

gray4lines

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 6, 2012
679
2
KY
I know that most cigar smokers, myself included, do not inhale, and if someone does inhale most of the cigar then they typically end up throwing up. Cigars are of course different than pipes, but I believe that pipes and cigars are more closely related to each other than either is to cigarettes.
Chemically, there are big differences in pipe and cigar smoke and cigarette smoke. Cigarette smoke is more acidic, thereby facilitating nicotine absorption into the body. This is why it is easier to inhale and why it is a more efficient delivery system for a nicotine fix. Pipe and cigar smoke is basic and thus more harsh to inhale and does not deliver as much nicotine.
I think it is generally accepted practice to not inhale pipe and cigar smoke. Some do, some of the time, and that is absolutely fine. But in my experience, it is not typical.
I like the comparison of pipes to a "fine wine." It is about flavor, more so than a nicotine delivery system. You don't taste with your lungs, only your mouth and nose.

 
tbradsim1

tbradsim1

Lifer
Jan 14, 2012
9,099
11,051
Southwest Louisiana
Tell them it's your Time Capsule when people were civil and careing, when we didn"t have Twitter, Glitter, Link-a-dink, Face time and people talked to each other, OH What a wonderful World, I can feel my blood pressure going down thinking about loading a bowl and Pondering. The old cajun :puffy:

 
wildcat

wildcat

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 1, 2012
682
1
I usually tell them it's all about the ritual, the relaxation, and the taste.
Click to expand...
I usually say something similar. However, I have been known to inhale at times. More with certain blends and/or in different situations... while drinking cheap whiskey as an example!

 
rondyr

rondyr

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 19, 2012
269
38
46
Bel Air, MD
Like cigars, the nicotine, however minor as compared to a cigarette, from pipe tobacco can be absorbed by the mucus membranes on the roof of your mouth. A cigarettes' nicotine cannot be absorbed that way and must be drawn down into the lungs.
There ya go. That'll be $250 for the consultation.
Bwahahahahaha.

 
guitarguy86

guitarguy86

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 6, 2012
703
0
The whole experience. The hunt, the smell, the taste, the journey, the satisfaction, and just the overall enjoyment.

 
freakiefrog

freakiefrog

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 26, 2012
745
2
Mississippi
For me it's a taste thing. Pipes and pipe tobacco offer different flavors that cigars or cigarettes and even chewing tobacco just don't have. I enjoy the taste of a good cigar but absolutely adore the taste and room note of pipes. But the point is three fold, first is the ritual of packing a pipe, second is the settling in for a good smoke, and third is the enjoyment of the warm briar in my hand, the soft cool flavors in my mouth and also smoking a pipe or even a cigar make you look (from the outside anyway) to be just that bit more sophisticated than the average smoker..

 
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