A Sober Realisation

[Morrison Jeremiah]

Over the past couple of days I've been thinking about how many people I've ever seen actually smoking a pipe.
I would say about twenty here iin England, and all of those when I was a boy.
In 1966 I stayed in Germany for 3 months and saw about 20 people with a pipe.
But in the last 50 years I'm sure I haven't seen a single one.

I've never thought about it before, but now, after consideration, I feel quite surprised.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Growing up, my uncles were all pipesmokers, and when we would go to the General Store, there were always men lounging about smoking a pipe or rolling cigarettes.
Now, there are quite a few pipesmokers in my area. The old mayor we used to have smoked pipes, and the fire chief was always at the pipeshop. I see men in traffic smoking pipes, and at the mall there is usually someone smoking a pipe outside, especially when I light up mine, they tend to come out of the woodwork.

There are also a lot of pipe shops in the Birmingham area, so that probably keeps the hobby going. And, our pipe club used to range from 6 of us to start with to meetings with well over 100 at times, depending on what we did to draw them in that evening.

 

[Stompthroat]

Thanks for sharing your observations. Pipe smoking seems to be a more solitary activity, most of the time. In public it seems it is cigarettes or nothing. I have occasionally seen a cigar or pipe smoker. If I had to put a number on it, 3 pipe smokers over the last 5 years.

Three reasons I can think of- lack of time, lack of acceptance, and fear of cancer. Not to mention it's just not that easy to prepare a pipe on the go.

 

[lawdawg]

I don't smoke pipes in public all that often just because I don't want to carry all that stuff with me. I do sometimes keep a cob or two and some codger burley in my truck. I wonder if there might be more pipe smokers around than we know just because they mostly smoke at home.

 

[kcghost]

I know Brian Levine is encouraging us all to be seen smoking a pipe but I haven't done it. I just can't clench a pipe for the life of me.

 

[mso489]

I see few pipe smokers in public. The local independent pipe shop often has a pipe smoker or two at its smoking table. I can remember only one pipe smoker I spotted in a grocery parking lot, but when I asked him about his blend, he retreated at a fast walk, saying he was smoking Prince Albert. Cigar shops and lounges are kept in business and a lot of cigars get smoked there, but not so much in public.

 

[JOHN72]

I find it more satisfying to smoke in my study room. I imagine you mean smokers in the streets or on the terraces of acoffee shop or parks................Anyway, it is very frowned upon by the new generations. There is no middle ground, do not assimilate, sport with pipe smoking. They do not assimilate having a relaxing time smoking, after a session of exercise, yoga, weight lifting, or eating carrots in the sun. Governments always very concerned about our health, And for the health of your dollars or euros in the Cayman Islands.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ok, ok, do what you want, with any excuse you want... but, I can preload a pipe, put a tamp and a Bic in my pocket, and voila... no need to drag all of the damned accessories along with me. If I will be out for more than an hour, I might even put a handful of tobacco into an old square OGF tin and bring it along in my jacket pocket.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Ok, ok, do what you want, with any excuse you want... but, I can preload a pipe, put a tamp and a Bic in my pocket, and voila... no need to drag all of the damned accessories along with me. If I will be out for more than an hour, I might even put a handful of tobacco into an old square OGF tin and bring it along in my jacket pocket.

Yeah, I’m thinking if I just had to, I’d figure a way.

 

[warren]

I believe it's a regional "thing." The hectic life of the big city v. rural. I've seen plenty of pipe smokers over the years because I used to frequent "smoke shops." I've seen few pipe smokers on the sidewalks of Chicago but, IRC's smoking area is probably littered with them. I've never seen a pipe smoker in the streets of my city. But, in the smoke shop? Well, that's a normal observation.

It's the same with cigars. Pipes and cigars lend themselves to smoking when time permits for many. Most smokers are probably unlike myself and a few others here, who crave the nicotine, can clench and work with both hands, etc.

to carry all that stuff

Something to carry the blend in, a pipe, fingers for tampers and a lighter. I don't need a bunch of "stuff" to enjoy a "perfect" pipe, I try to keep it reasonably simple ... enjoyable, not a chore.

 

[anotherbob]

You know I don't see it super often. Every once in a while I'll see someone in their vehicle smoking a pipe or get a glance at someone with a pipe. They clearly sell tins of pipe tobacco semi regularly at the cigar store in town. Also sometimes in my neighborhood I'll smell someone else smoking a pipe and not find them. I think a lot of people don't smoke pipes out and about as much and we don't leave as much evidence as other tobacco users. For example I don't see a lot of cigarette smokers but I do see a lot of cigarette butts.

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

It seems to me that perhaps the dearth of visible pipe smokers is a lot to do with image.
People just don't want to be seen doing that old fashioned thing.

Personally I think it's a good thing to be seen doing.

 

[alaskanpiper]

I've seen a couple over the years. Unsurprisingly, mostly crazy people and miscreants. And those are just the ones I know!

 

[didimauw]

I have seen maybe 5 different pipe smokers in my lifetime, since I started pipe smoking 9 years ago.

However the one that stands out the most to me was (I fear to admit), a homeless guy smoking a corncob pipe.

There ya go @cosmicfolklore . You get one, and only one time I'll ever admit it.

 

[Dave4211]

Pipe, sandwich bag with tobacco and rolling papers, and two lighters. Those are always in my pocket. Sometimes two pipes.

I never see other pipe smokers, though. Just me around here.

A pipe is a handy thing. It can withstand environmental conditions that make cigarettes fall apart.

I never quit cigarettes, but I've only had two in the last few weeks. They don't call out to me like a pipe does.

So, generally, if you see me, I'm smoking a pipe.

 

[Dave4211]

I have seen maybe 5 different pipe smokers in my lifetime, since I started pipe smoking 9 years ago.

However the one that stands out the most to me was (I fear to admit), a homeless guy smoking a corncob pipe.

There ya go @cosmicfolklore . You get one, and only one time I'll ever admit it.

When I was homeless and traveling, I had an orange painted Grabow, a Savinelli, and a Peterson with me. The Grabow saw the most use. I rolled a lot of cigarettes for people, but I usually smoked a pipe.

 

[HitchensDog]

I think the last time I saw another pipe smoker in Omaha (in public) was maybe ten years ago. He was a young guy in a cigar bar and had no idea how to smoke a pipe. I'm guessing the pipe smokers that are here, are like me and primarily smoke alone at home. However, I don't think there are too many. There are only two places in town to buy pipe tobacco, and they are both cigar shops. Whenever I go into those places, the pipe tobacco stock seems pretty much unchanged from the previous time I went in. Maybe we have locals that just smoke OTC blends, but you don't see those in any of the local drug stores anymore. At least, the ones I go to don't carry pipe tobacco anymore. I honestly think I'm like a unicorn around here. Maybe an enigma is a better description.

 

[Dave4211]

I find it more satisfying to smoke in my study room. I imagine you mean smokers in the streets or on the terraces of acoffee shop or parks................Anyway, it is very frowned upon by the new generations. There is no middle ground, do not assimilate, sport with pipe smoking. They do not assimilate having a relaxing time smoking, after a session of exercise, yoga, weight lifting, or eating carrots in the sun. Governments always very concerned about our health, And for the health of your dollars or euros in the Cayman Islands.

I see what you mean.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I see people staring at me when I'm in my car, I almost always have a pipe in my mouth while I'm driving. I'm not much into strolling, sight seeing or hiking so my public time is primarily spent where smoking isn't allowed. I don't tolerate fools or busybodies very well so I don't bother smoking much in public to avoid being arrested for kicking some moron's ass who feels obligated to express their unsolicited opinion about smoking or lecture me on the evils of tobacco.

 

[Dave4211]

I see people starting at me when I'm in my car, I almost always have a pipe in my mouth while I'm driving. I'm not much into strolling, sight seeing our hiking so my public time is primarily spent where smoking isn't allowed. I don't tolerate fools or busybodies very well so I don't bother smoking much in public to avoid being arrested for kicking some moron's ass who feels obligated to express their unsolicited opinion about smoking or lecture me on the evils of tobacco.

That's one good thing about living in a small town in Tennessee. Nobody cares if you smoke. I could probably smoke in some stores over on the poor side of town. I doubt anybody would notice.

Things are changing, of course. Around here, things just change slowly.

Outside, nobody will ever say anything. People smoke. It's what people do.