Carrying Pipes Back In The Day

[Snook]

I've been watching several documentaries and other shows as of late that are based around the turn of the century. Of course, cigarette and pipe smoking are featured heavily as they were so commonplace at the time. Today I got to wondering, though, and now I'm curious: what were common methods that folks used to carry their pipes and related paraphernalia around back in the day? I doubt they used the fancy hand-made custom leather pipe rolls like you find nowadays (which can sometimes be over-the-top). And I doubt they were carrying around pipe cleaners and other such items with regularity. It was more of a utilitarian mindset, I think. It seems it was also more common to be smoking throughout the entire day, as opposed to just a bowl or two.

Vests and sport coats were popular year-round back then, so plenty of pockets were available to store things. Would someone setting out for their day just put a pipe and some matches in their pocket, and maybe have a small pouch of their preferred blend in another?

Personally, I have a pipe roll that my wife made for me when we were first dating. I'll usually carry everything in there (lighter, tamp, cleaners, pipe, tobacco), but sometimes it's nice to just fill a bowl, throw it in my pocket, and set out without all the extra stuff to carry with me. I find this easier to do in colder months when I'm wearing a jacket with extra pockets, though.

What are your thoughts? I'm interested to hear.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Probably just pockets for pipe, tobacco, and a lighter/matches. I smoke all day and that's how I do it. Never found a need for rolls or the other trappings.

 

[Duck]

Pipe cleaners were cheap, readily available, and sold in packets of twenty. Easy enough to fit in a breast pocket. In Britain yellow latex pouches were ubiquitous for carrying a few flakes. Fingers to tamp and a match to pick.

So pipe, backy pouch, cleaners and matches all readily fitted in your pockets or lunch bag.

 

[El Capitán]

Front shirt pocket probably.

 

[PA Piper Mike]

My guess, in their coat pocket, a pouch of tobacco, the pipe, a lighter or matches and the use of a digit for tamping.

 

[LeafErikson]

Just like how I do it. I throw my tobacco pouch, pipe, lighter, and tamper in my pocket. The only difference is that many of them likely didn’t even use a tamper. I keep pipe cleaners in my cars so I don’t have to carry them. My pouch is always filled with Pegasus. I smoke other blends but that’s generally only when I’m at home.

 

[Coreios]

I have a leather one with pockets. I don't use ot though. All that's really needed is a Bic, tobacco, and a pipe. Maybe a pile cleaner. I just clean it later though. Preload the pipe depending on how long you'll be gone and even less is needed.

 

[spike]

I’m old enough to have been working when smoking in the office was commonplace and men wore traditional suit coats or sports jackets to work. I kept my daily pipe in my breast pocket, tobacco pouch in my rear pants pocket, and lighter and tamper in my jacket side pocket. Nothing fancy or complicated.

 

[verporchting]

I bought a fantastic old Linkman’s Canadian pipe for $8 at a flea market that had the most god awful custom made leather belt holster with the previous owner’s initials tooled into it. Promptly shitcanned the holster because it was horrid but the pipe was in fantastic condition and I still smoke it! I cannot imagine seeing someone carrying a pipe that way, but I would absolutely bust a gut laughing if I ever see it.

That’s one way NOT to carry a pipe.

 

[Chasing Embers]

many of them likely didn’t even use a tamper

Many of us still don't.

 

[minerLuke]

If I'm going somewhere and bringing a pipe, I usually just put the pipe, tobacco and Bic lighter right in my pocket. For carrying the tobacco I usually use an old Altoids mint tin. It easily holds enough for half a dozen bowls and I find with the lid folded out it makes a convenient to load a bowl. I can even keep a few pipe cleaners folded up in the tin.

 

[LeafErikson]

Many of us still don't.

I am aware. I’ve tried it without an tamper and am not a fan. If I’ve forgotten one I get a stick or small rock from the ground.

 

[VDL_Piper]

Here in Australia for nearly 100 years most men in the bush carried a tobacco pouch on their belt with their pocket knife and pocket watch. Back in the day too everyone wore a waistcoat which has pockets for matches and a pipe if need be and tampers where usually kept on the fob chain of your pocket watch.

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

I would presume a plug or rope wrappend in handkerchief was carried next to a pocket knife in a coat/suit pocket.

 

[WVOldFart]

Many of us still don't.

When I was a youth the old timers had a tamper, it was called a finger.

 

[warren]

That's what pockets, consoles and dashboards are for, pipes, tobacco and lighters all fit untidily and, most importantly, are handy. I see "man purses" advertised for pipes and such. I just don't need extra encumbrances to tote around.

 

[Ahi Ka]

Fanny packs.

 

[Sobrbiker]

I use a two-pipe pouch (with two pipes, cleaners, lighter and Czech tool) in my lunchbox at work. Construction/streets maintenance can break stuff carried all day in pockets quickly. My always present safety vest has a bic and a golf tee in pocket, pipe goes in short pocket if needed.
My tobak selection is a handful of Camel Snus tins kicked down from a buddy with masking tape labels of contents, usually five of them filled Sunday will last the four day week.

I’m sure back in the day, there was as many different ways as today that individuals preferred to port their kit, with jacket pockets being common for a pouch or plug, and matches.
I do know that western movies don’t show it much, but everyone that carried ad depended on a gun had a kit of cleaning and maintenance tools somehow readily available s black powder will foul a tool rather quickly, I doubt if pipe smokers were much different.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

My guess like others have said is, pockets. I'm guessing that was a regular thing back then, being that some manufacturers made pocket pipes. Heck I've seen pipe smokers wear fishing vests to carry their pipes and accessories. I laugh at that, but it seems very affective. I guess you would call them lunting vests and not fishing vests in that case.

 

[Jbrewer2002]

Since you can’t really smoke anywhere, when I’m on the go and smoking I am usually in one of our vehicles. I just keep a lighter, tamper, and pipe cleaners in the vehicle. Then I have a pocket tin that I put some tobacco in and grab a pipe then go. If I’m going on a trip for multiple days I have a small bag that I throw everything in.