Chagrin of the "older generation" (and I use that term loosely!)

[schmitzbitz]

Sorry if my title has offended anyone - by older generation, I don't actually mean age, but rather mind-set.
Last night, after unpacking my camping gear from the weekend, I grabbed my trusty bottle of Lambs 151, bristle cleaners and shank brush, and went to town as seemed prudent. My elderly (90) year old, former pipe smoking grandfather wandered into the kitchen, and questioned what I was doing. After explaining the process (and the goal) to him, he laughed, and told me that in all his years, he had never heard of such a thing...which, of course, led me to ponder just what it was he did if his pipe went sour. His answer? "Made a face, and dealt with it." Then, to really blow my mind, he told me a story about burning out his favourite pipe - so, he went to the local watch maker, and had a screw inserted in the burn hole!
Certainly, I realize that pipe smoking has changed immensely over the years - the "old guard" had a go-to brand of tobacco, and they may never try another, pipes were smoked from dawn to dusk seven days a week, 365 days a year, and pipe-cleaners were luxuries for the rich. Are we overthinking this, or have we refined the hobby?
Have any of you heard of any other practices that would be considered questionable today, but were considered the norm by the "old generation"?

 

[hobie1dog]

we are just living in the age of having every possible solution to modern living available to us at a cheap price. Anything you can think of to make life easier has been thought of(just watch an afternoon of infomercials), so we have gradually accepted the use of modern conveniences. Do we need 90% of them.....NO.... ::

 

[duncan]

Hell about a half dozen of my grandfathers pipes have epoxy in the bottom of the bowls where he wore them through. Just don't get me started on all the pipes having the front lip smashed to a pulp from banging them in the ashtray.

 

[cortezattic]

Some of that "make do" attitude may have been the result of being raised during the Great Depression.

As I understand, it was a time when things were repaired rather than replaced. I suspect that pipes

were reamed with a pocket knife; shanks were "cleaned" with anything you could push through them;

and booze was a drink -- not a pipe sweetener.

 

[tedswearingen]

My grandfather was a pipe smoker. He owned two pipes and smoked one blend. He was not a hobbyist, as he is fond of reminding me, and I believe therein lies the difference in mindset.

 

[lonestar]

Great story grampa

I sometimes wish I made things that simple.

 

[yuri66]

You know its fascinating to read some of these posts because I learned my pipe smoking from the "Old Guard" and many of the things you guys do with your pipes are always new to me, so I read and learn but have never tried cleaning my pipes with alcohol or any other things that have been mentioned. My influence was a crusty old Sergeant Major of mine that always gave me shit about cigarettes and so during the invasion of Panama I picked up my first pipe and have smoked ever since, but never have done much to my pipes asides wipe them down with a clean cloth and use pipe cleaners. So I can understand Gramps looking at you funny....

 

[lonestar]

From my point of view, I've spent hours cleaning gunk and crap out of the shanks of some of those old pipes. For me, I'd rather keep up with cleaning a pipe regularly, than trying to refurbish a pipe thats never really been cleaned.

On the one hand, you can smoke a pipe for a looooooong time without cleaning the shank in alcohol.

On the other hand, you can keep the shank clean, the bowl reamed, and it will probably outlive you. (then whoever buys your estates doesn't have all the hassle of hours cleaning gunk :lol: )

 

[papipeguy]

You do have to wonder what people are thinking sometimes. I was in the pipe shop a couple of months ago and a guy brought in 4 pipes with carbon build-up so thinck you could not get a pencil in the bowl. How does one let a pipe get that bad.

The tobacconist sent them out to Floyd and they came back looking brand new, which was a miracle in my eyes.

The guy isn't old bu just one of those fill 'em, smoke 'em and don't worry about 'em kind of person.

 

[connolse]

The 'old guard' pipe smokers in my family also never knew of things like salt/alcohol treatments, carnuaba wax, the Frank packing method or the like. They also didn't have a formal pipe rotation.
But in the end I learned the MOST important tools from them: even if you don't have a huge collection, or a cellar with 200 blends, or all the toys and devices that can be bought, or have read all the trendy treatises and articles, treat your smoking as a gentle art, and treat your pipes with love and care. My uncle once told me pipe smoking was the domain of a gentleman, whether rich or poor, and I still take that to heart.
We might have greater means available to us now, but the old rule doesn't change. It amazes me how many pipe smokers I see who have ALL the bells and whistles but still have filthy pipes or frantically smoke too hot and fast. . .present company excepted, of course

 

[igloo]

I got my 83 year old uncle a new Nording billard for Xmas to my dismay he still has not smoked it when I asked he replied . Iam saving it for a rainey day . Very frugal . :D

 

[jcsoldit]

I don’t consider myself an older generation pipe smoker, but I did smoke my first bowl back in the late ’70s, while living in a small town in Colorado. We didn’t have a B&M so my tobacco and pipes came from a drug store and everything I knew about pipes and tobacco came from my father. Now back then drug stores offered a better selection then they do now and you could even handle the tobacco products because they weren’t kept behind a counter and all things considered the pipe selection wasn’t all that bad because some local family owned drug store even stocked some good pipes such as Savinelli.
At first I only owned one pipe, which I did smoke almost every day and cleaning was done with pipe cleaners and sometimes a paper towel, and yes I did ream my pipe with a pocketknife. You’ve got to understand we didn’t have the internet and your cleaning habits were developed with common sense and based on needed. You reamed your pipe when the cake build-up started to decrease the bowls tobacco capacity and you didn’t want to go too deep out of fear of damaging the briar or as we called it back then the wood. BTW… the only pipe I ever had burnout was a cob and I don’t believe I ever damaged a pipe with a pocketknife.
Now I enjoy all of the information and knowledge available to us, but I do often wonder if it isn’t sometimes a little overwhelming for a true newbie.

::

 

[juni]

They also didn't have a formal pipe rotation.

I always thought they actually did have a rotation, with the "best" pipe saved for sundays. I can't ask grandpa since he passed a few years back (I wonder what happened to his pipes).

 

[morlader]

I suppose I can be regarded as "older generation",I'm 77 and smoked my first pipe in the 50's.I clean and rotate my pipes regularly.I like the tobacco for it's taste and relaxation and the pipe as something well crafted and a pleasure to handle.I have learned a fair bit from being here among like minded folks.Was a time when I smoked only Latakia blends and nothing else but since being here I have tried somme of the aromatics mentioned and now I like them just as much. BTW my grandpa had a Sunday pipe,he always smoked it on the way to church.I didn't like his way of packing a pipe though,he put his pipe in the pouch and shoved the baccy in the bowl with his forefinger,I tred it once and hade to keep re-lighting.Three drops and a charing light for me. ::

 

[wwtravlr1]

You mean there is another way to pack ur bowl?

 

[admin]

Great thread schmitzbitz.
I agree with Ted.