I'm a late arriver. For me it was a natural evolution from MYO cigarettes. I make my own cigarettes primarily for quality concerns vs. cost savings. This lead me to learning about tobacco in general and all its qualities. It's history. How it's cultivated and cured. Blendign and how different varietals interplay etc.
I eventually found I wasn't fully experiencing fine blends in a 5 minute smoke from a paper tube. So the pipe made sense.
I never inhale a pipe. (OK maybe rarely and by accident) so it's not that aspect of smoking cigarettes that lead me to the pipe. And I don't and still have no intention of quitting cigarettes. A cigarette is a darned fine experience in the right situation. I find I smoke far fewer cigarettes now though.
For me pipe smoking initially was all about the taste and sensation derived from tobacco. But now that I've figured a few things out there's much more that perfectly fits me. For instance, I'm a bit scatter brained and the pipe is a good way to sit and sort of drift rather than manically leaping from place to place and thought to thought. Allows me to chill out and reflect. It's therapeutic.
I love the process and the "equipment". I'm into pipes now and not just tobacco.
I like the "occasion". Given that I only smoke 2 or 3 bowls a day it makes it special. Cigarettes tend to all run together mindlessly.
I like the aesthetic. I tend to admire things that are classic or iconic and the pipe fits in there somewhere for me.
So short answer is I started smoking a pipe because I love tobacco. I'll continue because I love so many aspects of pipe smoking. It seemed to immediately suit me.
I won't see any communication directed to me here. I'm no longer active at this forum.