Well hello! My name is Simon and I introduced myself not too long ago here. I was looking for information on pipe smoking and of course, came to the right place. Everyone here is friendly and willing to answer questions and spark more discussion. After a great response I thought it would be nice to write a sort of diary based on my experiences of going from someone who does not smoke, drink or do drugs to a pipe smoker and what the transition might be like. I hope that other beginners would like to join in and explain their own experiences; while experts in the subject can perhaps help out and reminiscence on their first experiences when smoking the pipe! As I explained in my introductory thread, I am quite conserved in my life and after much contemplation decided to try smoking the pipe. I drink a lot of tea and believe the process to be not that far apart.
My first post is about my purchase of the pipe while visiting the Pipe Museum in Amsterdam. The good, the bad, and the disastrous! I am sure you will figure out which is the bad part
Enjoy and please share your first experiences!
So I was in Amsterdam and decided to visit the Pipe Museum and shop there to buy a pipe and get some advice/ information. I have to say that if you have the opportunity to be in Amsterdam its well worth a look! I was overwhelmed by the amount of pipes to choose from and after much debate with myself and conscious, after looking through many many draws of pipes I could not find anything I loved. The person in there was very patient and completely understood that it was necessary for the pipe to 'speak' to you. For you to feel a connections with the pipe. Every-time I looked there was something just not right...AND THEN!!! I had seen one propped up on a little stand and picked it up. Straight away it feelt good. It looked the same as many of the others, yet it had a different 'personality' to it. A simple brown wood pipe with black acrylic for the mouthpiece. It had a very dark grain on the wood and a small tiny chip in the side. It was a second hand pipe but he assured it had been cleaned, restored and everything else which I believed. So I bought it! I got my little pipe tool and decided on a sweet tobacco in the end. Alsbo Vanilla. Its a Danish brand and it says Body=2 Aromatic Taste=3 Room Note=4.
With now being the proud owner of my first pipe I went in the evening to try my new found past time. Well it was a disaster!! I really struggled to light the pipe and after about 30 mins of trying, Gave up for the night disappointed but not deterred. I managed to get a taste while it was lit briefly and it was really nice. It carried on for a few days not really understanding what I was doing wrong and on the final day I sat down on the side of the canal with my gf. We were walking around waiting for the time to catch the plane. I decided to take out my pipe and try again. This time I covered the top of the pipe while I lit it. And BEHOLD! It stayed a light! I was smoking my pipe and it was a fantastic feeling. I sat with my feet over the edge of the canal, sun beaming down and watching the canal boats go by. It was everything I had hoped for and more. I was surprised by how little of the vanilla I could taste but loved the flavor. It was sweet, but had other aromas which at the moment am not trained to fully pick up. I really love the warmth of the pipe in my hand and as I draw. There is something, and I will choose my words carefully here, majestic about the process. It really felt like I had made time to think. To slow things down enough for me to be calm and process my thoughts better. I think its safe to say I will be a pipe smoker for a long time to come :
:
As I was finishing up about 30 mins later happy and relaxed I cleaned the pipe and put it into my pocket. Me and my gf continued to speak and drink our tea. When I went to get up I heard a crack and knew straight away....I had snapped my pipe.
So after my first successful pipe smoke I had gone on to snap my pipe. How unlucky can one be? Very it seems... Now I know the pipe only cost me a mere 30 euros...And its going to cost about that or more to fix it...but I am going to ask anyway. Does anyone know any places in the UK, preferably London that might be able to put a new stem on the pipe. I know its only been four days but I already am attached to the pipe. Or whats left of it. The wooden part is OK but the stem snapped and part of it is still stuck in there. I really hope I can fix it. If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them! I have attached a picture of the damaged part for more clarification.
And so there you go! My first chapter in my new hobby. I would love to hear how others first experiences were and I hope they didn't have such an unhappy outcome as mine!
My first post is about my purchase of the pipe while visiting the Pipe Museum in Amsterdam. The good, the bad, and the disastrous! I am sure you will figure out which is the bad part
Enjoy and please share your first experiences!So I was in Amsterdam and decided to visit the Pipe Museum and shop there to buy a pipe and get some advice/ information. I have to say that if you have the opportunity to be in Amsterdam its well worth a look! I was overwhelmed by the amount of pipes to choose from and after much debate with myself and conscious, after looking through many many draws of pipes I could not find anything I loved. The person in there was very patient and completely understood that it was necessary for the pipe to 'speak' to you. For you to feel a connections with the pipe. Every-time I looked there was something just not right...AND THEN!!! I had seen one propped up on a little stand and picked it up. Straight away it feelt good. It looked the same as many of the others, yet it had a different 'personality' to it. A simple brown wood pipe with black acrylic for the mouthpiece. It had a very dark grain on the wood and a small tiny chip in the side. It was a second hand pipe but he assured it had been cleaned, restored and everything else which I believed. So I bought it! I got my little pipe tool and decided on a sweet tobacco in the end. Alsbo Vanilla. Its a Danish brand and it says Body=2 Aromatic Taste=3 Room Note=4.
With now being the proud owner of my first pipe I went in the evening to try my new found past time. Well it was a disaster!! I really struggled to light the pipe and after about 30 mins of trying, Gave up for the night disappointed but not deterred. I managed to get a taste while it was lit briefly and it was really nice. It carried on for a few days not really understanding what I was doing wrong and on the final day I sat down on the side of the canal with my gf. We were walking around waiting for the time to catch the plane. I decided to take out my pipe and try again. This time I covered the top of the pipe while I lit it. And BEHOLD! It stayed a light! I was smoking my pipe and it was a fantastic feeling. I sat with my feet over the edge of the canal, sun beaming down and watching the canal boats go by. It was everything I had hoped for and more. I was surprised by how little of the vanilla I could taste but loved the flavor. It was sweet, but had other aromas which at the moment am not trained to fully pick up. I really love the warmth of the pipe in my hand and as I draw. There is something, and I will choose my words carefully here, majestic about the process. It really felt like I had made time to think. To slow things down enough for me to be calm and process my thoughts better. I think its safe to say I will be a pipe smoker for a long time to come :
: As I was finishing up about 30 mins later happy and relaxed I cleaned the pipe and put it into my pocket. Me and my gf continued to speak and drink our tea. When I went to get up I heard a crack and knew straight away....I had snapped my pipe.
So after my first successful pipe smoke I had gone on to snap my pipe
. How unlucky can one be? Very it seems... Now I know the pipe only cost me a mere 30 euros...And its going to cost about that or more to fix it...but I am going to ask anyway. Does anyone know any places in the UK, preferably London that might be able to put a new stem on the pipe. I know its only been four days but I already am attached to the pipe. Or whats left of it. The wooden part is OK but the stem snapped and part of it is still stuck in there. I really hope I can fix it. If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them! I have attached a picture of the damaged part for more clarification.
And so there you go! My first chapter in my new hobby. I would love to hear how others first experiences were and I hope they didn't have such an unhappy outcome as mine!
