Culture Shock

[cigrmaster]

I buy pipes based on how they perform. I want the best smoking experience possible and have found over the years that certain pipes out perform others. For my tastes, a really well designed stem is a must, I am a clencher and I want comfort. A pipe that smokes bone dry and never needs a pipe cleaner to soak up excess moisture is also a must. A pipe that is lightweight but still smokes cool is another feature I want. Looks are important up to a point, I will go for performance over looks every time which is why I stopped chasing grain years ago. I have found that certain shapes and sizes smoke my favorite blends better than others. By meticulously cleaning my pipes at all times, this also insures I will get a great smoking experience each time I light that pipe up. I do not look at my pipes as just a delivery system, if that is all I wanted then none of my criteria would matter. In terms of price, I have found that a certain price range gets the pipes I want. From 150-400.00 I can buy a plethora of great artisan pipes that suit my needs. I have owned much more expensive pipes but those did not smoke as well as the ones I have now. I smoke flake tobaccos exclusively so I buy pipes based on how I think they will smoke my flakes. I pair certain pipes to certain blends and enjoy the fact that each time I light that pipe up with that tobacco, I know the type of smoke I am going to get. It has taken years to get to the point I am at now and a lot of experimenting has happened over the years.
To the original question of " Why is the pipe you smoke so important to you?" It is because the tobacco I smoke and love, smokes best to me, in the pipes that I have a set criteria for. It is all about the tobacco for me and to get the most out of my favorites, I have found pipes that do it the best for my tastes.

 

[zonomo]

I dont know, i just love them, I think they're interesting, I love that a man took a piece of wood and created art (yes, pipes are art to me). On the other side is the tobacco itself. My palate is a bit less refined than most of the people here but I also love trying new tobacco and trying to find the notes. What a great hobby.

 

[chagovatoloco]

I believe there was a whole front article and thread dedicated to this just a few weeks ago.

 

[4dotsasieni]

In addition to the joy of holding, smoking and admiring a well-crafted pipe, I've found that the pipe can make a HUGE difference in the way a particular tobacco tastes.
For example, in a recent thread (http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/mcclelland-stave-aged-virginia) I was saying how unimpressed I was with McClelland's "Anniversary" blend, and then I had to retract that statement after smoking the same blend in my $18 Polish-made oakwood pipe - now it tasted delicious!
I've found this to be true too many times to be entirely subjective. As a result, some of my pipes are now dedicated to a particular blend, or to a class of tobaccos (Latakias, VaPers, etc). Even within the same brand range, some tobaccos just taste better in a particular pipe.

 

[bryanf]

I guess I'm old school. I don't give a crap about a scratch or burn mark on my pipes. I only care about how they smoke- which means they smoke cool, can smoke most of the bowl without too much dottle, and taste good. My smoke of choice being Ennerdale is FAR from being a subtle blend, so I don't worry so much about cleaning all the time.
I love my pipes, but treat them pretty rough compared to you guys. My truck is scratched but maintained and runs great. My guns are spray-painted, but dead accurate and get hunted regularly. My bike is left outside all day, but mechanically maintained to perfection and has never once let me down. My knives are old but razor shaving sharp. I don't look like much, people probably think I'm broke, but I own my own home and business and I can hike up a mountain which I do a couple times a month. I'm more into function than outer appearances. It drives my wife crazy because she doesn't think I care, but I do- just in a different way.
Priorities....does the pipe smoke good? Then smoke it!

 

[tbradsim1]

+1 Bryan.

 

[puffinbilly]

Gents,
Great thread, thanks once again for all your posts.
I respect any pipe smoker’s philosophy, even if I can’t quite see the reasoning behind it, individualism is always worthy of respect and after all, we all enjoy the same hobby.

I guess captainsousie got it right in his post:

From the guy who labels each pipe with the date of the last smoke, the blend smoked, and a numerical rating of the quality of the experience to the one who runs a pipe cleaner through once a week at most. Both get their intended use from the pipe and neither remotely understands why the other would act the way they do.[/i]
Bill
Also please accept my apologies; as a “newbie” on the site I should also have checked what has gone before; before I started the thread

 

[soggycitybob]

I think you might as well ask the ladies why don't they just buy one or two pairs of shoes. I think we like collecting pipes because they are works of art and different in style and appearance. I have collected maybe a couple dozen pipes via Ebay, cleaned 'em up, and either resold them or kept the ones I like. The ones I keep I like to think about the history and previous owner - what tobacco did he smoke? Was he a clencher? How many people observed this pipe smoked? How many other pipes did he own? Etc...
And like the ladies and their shoes, I pull out my pipes depending on what and where I smoke 'em. I carry a smaller, lighter one when I'm on the go. I choose a nice bent Admiral pipe for smoking a fragrant Ennerdale, and I like to pull out the beautifully designed Italian rusticated pipe with colored acrylic stem for showing off with others.