Tove

Hi there,

I'm Tove, a new member of the forum, from England.

My interests in pipes goes back to the days of watching my grandpa smoke as a young child. My mum would tell me stories of being sent to the shops to buy a tin of "Erniemore" flake for him - he was an immigrant from Hong Kong and never could quite nail the pronunciation.

When I turned 18 my parents allowed me to buy a pipe and tobacco (in preference to me smoking cigarettes) whilst on holiday in France, however in the intervening years I largely forgot how much I enjoyed smoking. I recently turned 30 and decided to dive headlong back into the hobby - I've spent the past few months relentlessly reading and researching to the point of obsession.

I'm mostly interested in pipe smoking for the sense of peace and tranquility it brings, the intrinsic nostalgia of it (I'm incurably afflicted), and the relaxation of sitting down in the evening with a big mug of tea and a pipe, which has become my favourite new routine and ritual.

I mostly smoke Erinmore Flake (there's that nostalgia again...), but I'm hoping to branch out in the coming months - recommendations would be appreciated! I'm a Falcon pipe devotee, although my favourite shapes are probably those of the Canadian family, especially the Lovat. My dream pipe is a Dunhill Lovat, Group 2 or 3, in either Shell Briar, Cumberland or Chestnut. Maybe one day...

I also like cameras, penknives, bicycles, guitars, pens, lighters and watches - a bit of a magpie. I've been told I'm an anachronism (I took it as a compliment), so I'm hoping I'll find myself at home here.

Anyway, fingers crossed some of the wisdom of this forum rubs off on me. See you around!

Kind regards
Tove.