A Vanishing Breed? - Any Converts? Any Disciples?

[craig94yj]

I have six notches in my convert belt so far. Maybe not all full time like myself, but definitely enlightened to a appreciation of the hobby. While a coworker of mine thinks I should be in sales instead of a trade, I just have a way of conveying passion about certain things that temp the curious to take that first step. I am six for seven using the following technique; I buy a cheap MM corncob at the CVS for $6.00 and load it with a mild aro like 4th Gen 1897, and while I caution them about tongue bite and how to avoid it, I watch the expressions on their faces as they discover a whole new world. My only failure so far is my friend who I converted from cigarettes to cigars. He is OCD and just totally went off the deep end. He bought a wine fridge and converted it into a humidor and has never looked back. I guess you can't win them all. After reading Warren's post however, I think I'll have to pack a bowl and contemplate my efforts on converting the masses. Erinmore and some coffee should help. Good morning and happy smoking.

 

[pipingruotsi]

I'm not even really sure what a hipster is. If I am one, it's purely accidental. I've certainly never been described as hip, or even cool to my knowledge. I have been described as the most interesting man in the world. Again, I'm not really sure what that meant....

I'm known in the mile radius about my house as "the guy who walks his dog smoking a pipe." My neighbor across the street occasionally smokes a pipe and I've given him a cob and occasional tabac samples to try to encourage him further. While I'm not sure if I've ever converted anyone to the Brotherhood of the Briar, I'm always ready and excited to talk about it to anyone interested.

 

[flakyjakey]

@craig, well done that man!! Maybe you should go on tour, promoting the art. I'm sure the big sellers, mindful of future profits, would give you a cart load of free cobs for the masses !! LOL
PS I think Warren may subliminally be wishing he were the only pipe smoker in the world, and thus distinctive - indeed unique ! lol

 

[craig94yj]

Thank you Flakyjakey. I am just a humble servant of the Briar. lol

 

[allan]

So far, I've converted one of my close friends to pipe smoking. Previously,he smoked cigars, but when he's with me, pipe smoking often dominates our conversation.
I have another close friend who smokes cigars and has just mentioned that he might want to try smoking a pipe.
There is an old Peterson laying aroundthat I may have him try with an aro.
Hey, its worth a try.

 

[flakyjakey]

@allan, it's always worth a try. Persistence is the watchword !! LOL

 

[cigrmaster]

All you converters should be ashamed of yourselves. You have now doomed people to constant TAD and PAD. They will spend their last penny chasing an elusive pipe or blend, it will consume their very existence, you converters are like freaking vampires, addicting people to a life of the undead.
So far I have not converted anyone, but would in a second as misery loves company. lol

 

[flakyjakey]

@Harris, Ha Ha very good !! lol My son will curse me when I'm dead, and hopefully his son and his son's son !! LOL

 

[warren]

I don't want to be the only, as I'd miss the banter of this group of the assorted neer-do-wells, tobacco snobs, pipe hoarders (you know quite well who you are, no names necessary)who attempt to corner the market so the rest of us are reduced to smoking cobs, seconds, and poorly carved hand-mades we wistfully refer to as "rustics," and other riffraff with little to do but "sip" tobacco, I'm a puffer myself; big, jowl expanding puffs, which are then slowly exhaled through my nose until the latakea makes me sneeze uncontrollably and spill my pint.
No, I thoroughly enjoy knowing that there are others living with the conundrum of having to pay those who hate smoking through the purchase of heavily taxed tobaccos. We can't enjoy our hobby or, in some cases, addiction without shelling out money, a substantial portion of which is dedicated to the abolishing of smoking, to driving the anachronistic relics that we are from the sight and smell of so-called polite society.
I for one could not live with the guilt, should I quit smoking, of knowing that children will suffer because of my selfishness. As I understand the argument, tobacco is taxed for the benefit of "the children." I do not wish to carry the burden of knowing that children are somehow suffering because I quit the weed. I take great comfort in knowing that there are others, such as you, are contributing more than your fair share to the comfort of others less fortunate.
Those of us that continue to enjoy a pipe, cigar, cigarette or chaw should be saluted by those that choose not to contribute to the welfare of "the children." Indeed, we should be seated at the best tables in restaurants, not forced to leave the premises to enjoy an after dinner bowl or cigar. Airlines should cater to the smoker, the smoking section should be in first class. Smokers should be pointed out to children and lauded for their willingness to, with only a ;ow mummer of complaint, contribute substantial monies to the betterment of the less fortunate.
I salute you all!

 

[burlpettibon]

I got converted to smoking cigars while I was in Oklahoma by one of my (very few) buddies. I enjoyed it so much that I even got a memebership to the local lounge (Beans & Briar if anyone is familiar).
Anyway, after the government paychecks stopped arriving the whole cigar thing got far too expensive and the idea of pipes struck me. I tried them several years ago but I stopped because I had, what I now know, to be a crappy pipe with a crappy tobacco. I decided to give it a shot again a couple months ago and this time I did it right and stuck with it.
Now I live in Washington State, the hipster capitol of the world, but I dont get out much so I cant speak to the popularity of pipes and Pot is now legal up here so any time I try to talk to anyone about smoking pipes they automatically think I'm talking about a bong... Suffice it to say I dont talk to many people up here and my attempts at conversation in regards to this most glorious of habits have been in vain. That being said, my wife enjoyed cigars with me while I was in the military and for our 2 year anniversary I got her a Peterson System Deluxe and a couple of tins of tobacco and we have been happy puffing partners since. So I guess I converted the one person who counts!

 

[flakyjakey]

@burlpetibon, a triumph !! lol The last person in the world that I could convert would be Her Indoors !! LOL

 

[warren]

burlpettibon: Good on you! Your a better man than I!

 

[rmason]

Out here it's all chew and dip.

Same out in Idaho Perique.

~Ron

 

[kendodan]

I wish I had some people to enjoy my pipe with. I am all alone in Japan

 

[flakyjakey]

@kendodan, what are the attitudes in Japan to smoking indoors/outdoors?

 

[piperl12]

I used to enjoy a cigar or two with a neighbour until one day I brought him a gift of a new Brigham Pipe I had kicking around in a box for the last 16 years. It was unsmoked and I think he enjoyed his first few experiences. He and I don't get together often but I hope he smokes it on his own.

 

[pylorns]

We've started the local Austin Pipe club at our local tobacconist, and aside from about 5 of us I rarely if ever see anyone actually smoking a pipe - most are smoking cigars.

 

[mso489]

It's difficult to win any adherents when there is no place to smoke a pipe among other people. I occasionally

smoke at the local independent pipe shop, but the people there are pipe smokers. I have an out-of-state-friend

who is an advanced pipe smoker with basic pipes from his old street corner busking days (he's a musician and

composer) and some magnificent meerschaums. He's my major pipe contact, although he's quite cryptic about

his tobacco. When I mentioned Latakia, he said, "Ah, Latakia." But not much information. He really enjoyed a tin

of Nightcap I gave him as a birthday gift, but what pipe smoker wouldn't. His wife really likes the aromatics I

sometimes smoke, so I presume he doesn't smoke aromatic much or at all. We puff and converse on deep

thoughts. He's exceptionally well read, etc.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I've gotten a few people to take up pipe smoking, but they don't smoke on a regular basis. They're more "social" pipe smokers. I gave my brother a cob and some tobacco and he'll smoke it on occasion. I bought 6 of my poker buddies all cobs, and they'll have a smoke from time to time when we play poker and one of my good friends and also poker buddy took up the pipe after he tried one of mine and really enjoyed it. He actually went out and bought a couple of his own pipes, and enjoys his pipes a little more than the other guys.
Since taking up pipe smoking two years ago I've noticed several people in my town that are pipe smokers. I've seen on multiple occasions a person driving down the road smoking a pipe, and their is a local businessman that I converse with from time to time who enjoys smoking a pipe on a regular basis.

 

[kendodan]

@flakyjakey (nice name by the way) Most of the places allow indoor smoking unless explicitly stated. Unfortunately, one of the bars I frequent is a nonsmoking joint. Other than that it's pretty much open to anything. (public drinking is also allowed :D )