I think the whole “rotation” was a conspiracy of the manufacturers (to sell more pipes, obviously) and the portion of the pipe community with PAD (of which;admittedly, I am one) as a way of justifying their rather large collection. (I’ve pared down my collection, but still have north of 80 pipes, probably 90% of which I smoke regularly).
Old codgers never rotated pipes, but seeing a codger Estate, you see the results. Massive amounts of cake buildup, sometimes Tim damage, and really discolored stems.
If you like to keep things near pristine, then a rotation is a must. If you don’t care, 1 or 2 will suffice. *Ive a favorite pipe I smoke near every day, but I clean it after every use, I polish it twice a month, and generally take good care of it. No burn through or visible detriment to the pipe. It’s a workhorse. But I smoke two or three bowls a day, so I rotate other pipes in for that second and third bowl.
I definitely have PAD, I’m a Pete but, and cover the 05 shape. I also find an excuse to buy its derivatives (the 05S, XL11, 305 and XL315) as the 05 isn’t offered in every line. ? If they weren’t being used, I’d be a hoarder, but since they are being used, I just refer to myself as a collector.?
Beware, if you’ve an addictive personality, PAD and TAD can really sneak up on you.