At the risk of agitating people I like very much:
I doubt some forum members' denials that their pipe smoking constitutes a hobby.
Certainly, there are pipe smokers in the world for whom it is not a hobby -- pipe smokers who don't discuss pipe smoking on pipe smoking forums, nor collect pipes nor display pipes nor categorize tobacco cellars nor keep up on pipe related history, news, and politics.
The pipe smoker for whom pipe smoking is not a hobby thoughtlessly stuffs his inexpensive pipe with his preferred tobacco and rarely if ever gives it a moment's thought.
But saying, "Pipe smoking is not a hobby for me" on a pipe smoking forum is like saying, "I cannot speak English." It disproves itself!
As a general rule, the sort of interest which motivates people to discuss things on forums is a hobby-ish sort of interest.
(An exception would be those who run up against a practical problem, and seek help on a forum.)
"Cars" do not constitute a hobby for the overwhelming majority of car-drivers. But then there are the guys who think and read about cars recreationally, who take pleasure in acquiring and collecting and displaying them, who attend car shows, who discuss cars and post pictures of their cars on forums.
The guys who do this, do not write into those forums saying, "Cars aren't a hobby for me -- I just have to get to work somehow."
Is it embarrassing to think of pipe smoking as a "hobby"? Does that make it seem fastidious? Does it make you feel like a dandy?
I can certainly respect an instinct to shy away from any such thing - I just never saw pipe-smoking-as-hobby in that way.
Or maybe I'm on the wrong track.
What motivates you to say things like, "It's just my preferred mode of nicotine consumption," when it is clearly much more than that, to you? Why not dip moist snuff or chew nicotine gum or wear a nicotine patch?
Your posts bear out that you take pleasure in acquiring, collecting, and displaying pipes; in sampling, discerning, and reviewing tobacco. You discuss technique, mentor newcomers to thehobby, and find satisfaction in your cellar spreadsheets.
Let me put a question more directly to hobby-deniers:
What, in your mind, would constitute pipe-smoking-as-a-hobby, and in what way do you not qualify for that?
Or maybe this is a better question:
If a fellow (let's call him Remus) who has thoughtlessly stuffed his cob 12x a day for decades, and never felt any curiosity about other pipes, or tobacco, or technique, or pipe culture or community, were to meet you, and learn that you acquire pipes of various makes and shapes and try different tobaccos and discuss pipe related things with other pipe smokers and post pictures of your pipes, and if he (Remus) were to say, "I didn't even know there were pipe forums. Not really sure why you'd want to talk about it... I guess it's more like a hobby for you," how would you answer him?
I doubt some forum members' denials that their pipe smoking constitutes a hobby.
Certainly, there are pipe smokers in the world for whom it is not a hobby -- pipe smokers who don't discuss pipe smoking on pipe smoking forums, nor collect pipes nor display pipes nor categorize tobacco cellars nor keep up on pipe related history, news, and politics.
The pipe smoker for whom pipe smoking is not a hobby thoughtlessly stuffs his inexpensive pipe with his preferred tobacco and rarely if ever gives it a moment's thought.
But saying, "Pipe smoking is not a hobby for me" on a pipe smoking forum is like saying, "I cannot speak English." It disproves itself!
As a general rule, the sort of interest which motivates people to discuss things on forums is a hobby-ish sort of interest.
(An exception would be those who run up against a practical problem, and seek help on a forum.)
"Cars" do not constitute a hobby for the overwhelming majority of car-drivers. But then there are the guys who think and read about cars recreationally, who take pleasure in acquiring and collecting and displaying them, who attend car shows, who discuss cars and post pictures of their cars on forums.
The guys who do this, do not write into those forums saying, "Cars aren't a hobby for me -- I just have to get to work somehow."
Is it embarrassing to think of pipe smoking as a "hobby"? Does that make it seem fastidious? Does it make you feel like a dandy?
I can certainly respect an instinct to shy away from any such thing - I just never saw pipe-smoking-as-hobby in that way.
Or maybe I'm on the wrong track.
What motivates you to say things like, "It's just my preferred mode of nicotine consumption," when it is clearly much more than that, to you? Why not dip moist snuff or chew nicotine gum or wear a nicotine patch?
Your posts bear out that you take pleasure in acquiring, collecting, and displaying pipes; in sampling, discerning, and reviewing tobacco. You discuss technique, mentor newcomers to the
Let me put a question more directly to hobby-deniers:
What, in your mind, would constitute pipe-smoking-as-a-hobby, and in what way do you not qualify for that?
Or maybe this is a better question:
If a fellow (let's call him Remus) who has thoughtlessly stuffed his cob 12x a day for decades, and never felt any curiosity about other pipes, or tobacco, or technique, or pipe culture or community, were to meet you, and learn that you acquire pipes of various makes and shapes and try different tobaccos and discuss pipe related things with other pipe smokers and post pictures of your pipes, and if he (Remus) were to say, "I didn't even know there were pipe forums. Not really sure why you'd want to talk about it... I guess it's more like a hobby for you," how would you answer him?