Closet Queens No More!

[smokeyweb]

So... I have OCD, and I am a pipe smoker and novice collector going on 3 years. My collection consists of my regular smokers, yard beaters, and unsmoked closet queens. Over the last couple weeks I have been asking myself: What am I "saving" these closet queens for? So when I am dead someone else will get to smoke these beauties and probably not even appreciate them like I do? Well... not anymore! Tonight I lit a match to my first closet queen, and I feel liberated! Time to enjoy my Pristine pipes! I won't live forever, and I can't take them with me! Anyone else struggle with this problem? It has taken me 3 years to get over this hump! Do those of you who have overcome this problem find you enjoy your beautiful pipes more when you actually start smoking them???

 

[didimauw]

I don't believe in closet queens for anything I own.

I love seeing the old dunhill estate pipes for sale, that were smoked daily, rode hard, and put away wet. Caked, cracked, chomped on etc.
True love.

 

[ashdigger]

Oftentimes when a new pipe arrives by mail I try to have it packed and lit BEFORE I make it into the house. But, I'm sure other struggle like yourself.

 

[scrooge]

:clap:

 

[bonanzadriver]

I have a rack with several "born again closet queens".
I probably need to explain that a little bit.
With the exception of my 80's Nording Freehand, that was given to me new as a gift in 1987, and the Luciano that I just won today @ the Pipe Expo in Raleigh, all my other 30 or so smokers are estate briars.
Some of them have only taken a couple of hours to resurrect, others like my Sparkproof Weatherproof Windless Billiard, took me days to bring back to life. I've had it for 6 months now and still can't bring myself to smoke it.
My first Dunhill, an 84 Bruyere Smooth Finish Canadian, sat for months before I finally smoked it.
So, I get it.
Not sure when I'll smoke the Sparkproof. And I realize that it's probably not all that valuable, in the big picture of things, but to me anyway, it's too pretty to mess up.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Totally not what I was expecting with the title :rofl:
My opinion is, if it's drilled for smoking, it's meant to be smoked. You bought them, you should be the one smoking and enjoying them. Good to know your enjoying your pipes :clap:

 

[brian64]

I thought this thread was going to be about Barry Manilow.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Totally not what I was expecting with the title

Me either. 8O
All of my pipes are closet queens just because that is where they are kept when I'm not smoking them. Other that a bit of self torture I did last year with a made for Christmas pipe, I have no unsmoked pipes.

 

[smokeyweb]

Thanks, guys! I have come to the resolution that if I don't smoke and really enjoy my pipes while I'm here... when I'm gone, eventually some other bloke will!

 

[kanse]

I can relate with the OCD.

A while back I purchased a moderately sized plastic reservoir which holds all my smoking paraphernalia.
The hobby would be much more enjoyable for me without all the micromanagement it takes.

Shame cigars are so expensive in comparison, they are a lot easier to deal with.

 

[ssjones]

With old motorcycles, we say "ride'em, don't hide'em". But,I do have a few pipes that get smoked sparingly because of their age/value. (Comoy's 499 Extraordinaire & GBD 9242). When I found the old Sandblast 9242 at the NY show, my buddy asked if I'll resell it. Nope, I'm smoking the living daylights out of that one.

 

[monty55]

Absolutely!
Your not just liberating yourself, your also liberating your pipe! It was created, by design, to be smoked. If it's never smoked, it never reaches its designed state of being. It's more of a sculpture, rather than a smoking pipe... imo
Every pipe should be smoked at least once ::

 

[smokeyweb]

Good points made by all. I always felt like my best pipes were "too pretty to smoke" or I would "mess them up" by smoking them... but that is just plain nonsense. Plus, at the end of the day I think I appreciate my pipes more after smoking them. As stupid as this may sound to some... it's like you develop a relationship with your pipe once you start smoking it! Or perhaps I just need more friends, haha.

 

[deathmetal]

Nothing lasts forever. If it is historically important, send it to a museum. If not, use it with the same respect you give to anything else.

 

[davidy97]

Like my guns, I use my pipes. I end up selling a gun/pipe if I don't use it.

 

[drwatson]

Smokeyweb I feel your pain. I have closet queens also! I keep them in my safe and look at them and put them back, I dont know why I do this. None of the are like million dollar Dunhills or anything, just ones I really like. But I also think someone else may get these, hopefully one of my sons. It's a addiction. I need Dr. Phil

 

[tschiraldi]

The big question is... what are they Photos, please! I debated not smoking my father's old pipes when I got them. He had some pretty nice pipes. But, in the end, I figured "Well, HE smoked them. I should too!". I had 'em cleaned up by someone who knows what he's doing and fired 'em up! If they ever get dull, or the stems oxidize I can always get them fixed up again. They were made to be smoked!
Tim

 

[mso489]

I stalled on one cob for several years, after I'd equipped it with a good Forever stem. Then the day came, and that was that. I have a Prince of Wales Sav unsmoked for just about a year, and expect to fire it up any day. I'm pleased to say, the price on that one has gone up about thirty bucks. Maybe I was waiting until it became a more expensive pipe. Usually, I can barely get them out of the pipe store, box, or sock without putting a match to them. I haven't figured out what makes for the exceptions. I have a little English estate pipe, a saddle stem billiard, a Plymouth, en route, unsmoked for about 30 years I suspect. That one will get packed pronto.

 

[Briar Baron]

Yes, guilty as charged.......... I have a few closet queens, but I do have a plan. I currently have about a dozen mid to high range pipes in my regular rotation. At some time in the future, a milestone of age for example, I will sell these regulars and the closet queens will be the new rotation.
Not sure why I have these thoughts apart from that this may let me enjoy these high ends when circumstances may not allow me to purchase such pipes.
I think it is a balance for me since in my regular rotation pipes now are several high end pipes so the closet queens are a balanced version of Delayed Gratification?

 

[smokeyweb]

Very interesting.