I don't think there was anything special in my great-grandpa's very not so special pipe. But he'd gladly share a beer or whiskey with ya! Pipe snob not.
Do Pipe Snobs Really Exist?
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I suppose I am a pipe snob...maybe just a big snob all the way around.
Cobs smoke well, but I like a fine briar or meerschaum pipe much better, and will save for months to pay for one. There are literally zillions of pipes that smoke well; a tool, perhaps. I want special ones, those that are a joy to look at, to hold as well as smoke. I just don't get that from a cheap pipe. Sorry.
I also don't like a plastic watch. Nothing but mechanicals for me, sir. Shoes? I can't wear cheap shoes; they make my feet hurt. I save, buy really good shoes and walk in them for years. When they are in need of repair, I fix 'em, or spend money on a new pair. I work hard, and I'm worth it.
Cheap clothes? No, they shrink every time you wash them and make you look bad. McDonalds every day for lunch? Nope, I eat better than that. I could of course sustain myself on ramen noodles and so forth, but I'd rather be a snob and eat a good piece of beef.
Plastic-stocked rifles and pistols? No way. Millions of accurate arms out there, but for me nothing beats a fine piece of wood, blued steel and case colors.
Some people appreciate nice stuff, and some don't. I am not rich, but I enjoy nice things, and am willing to work hard and save for them. Some people don't have an appreciation for quality things; that's there bag. It's a free country.
I don't know what else to say, and I have nothing left to contribute to this conversation.
Cobs smoke well, but I like a fine briar or meerschaum pipe much better, and will save for months to pay for one. There are literally zillions of pipes that smoke well; a tool, perhaps. I want special ones, those that are a joy to look at, to hold as well as smoke. I just don't get that from a cheap pipe. Sorry.
I also don't like a plastic watch. Nothing but mechanicals for me, sir. Shoes? I can't wear cheap shoes; they make my feet hurt. I save, buy really good shoes and walk in them for years. When they are in need of repair, I fix 'em, or spend money on a new pair. I work hard, and I'm worth it.
Cheap clothes? No, they shrink every time you wash them and make you look bad. McDonalds every day for lunch? Nope, I eat better than that. I could of course sustain myself on ramen noodles and so forth, but I'd rather be a snob and eat a good piece of beef.
Plastic-stocked rifles and pistols? No way. Millions of accurate arms out there, but for me nothing beats a fine piece of wood, blued steel and case colors.
Some people appreciate nice stuff, and some don't. I am not rich, but I enjoy nice things, and am willing to work hard and save for them. Some people don't have an appreciation for quality things; that's there bag. It's a free country.
I don't know what else to say, and I have nothing left to contribute to this conversation.
I am so very happy that I don't have to work so hard to be happy. Picky people's day seems so much harder than mine. It's not a money thing, I was born into money. My whole family are snobs but good people. Every thing they do is just way more complicated.
I personally think that snobs are in every type of hobby. The reason for their snobbery in my opinion is self esteem issues. These people need to look down their noses at others to make themselves feel better. I saw it for years when I was in the internet cigar world, and I used to see a ton of it on alt.pipesmokers back in the day.
Yes. Yes they do. Before I came across this pipe community here, I was a member of another. I excitedly posted pictures of my first pipe and tobacco purchases, declaring that I had joined the pipe smoking fraternity. My pipe was Ukranian made pear wood. The first and top rated comment? "Get a real pipe made of briar."
So much for welcoming, huh? I'm glad to have landed here.
So much for welcoming, huh? I'm glad to have landed here.
its not unlike my other pastime... motorcycles.... there too, people start with a basic kit and if they stay with the hobby they progress to a better quality kit and more expensive bikes. Some see the lesser gear as starter kit where others keep buying the cheaper stuff throughout there lives.
I'm back with pipes for only about a year so relatively new to this, and after using a cheap briar i've bought an old stock but new Ropp Cherrywood and it was the anti-snob factor that made me buy this simple home made looking pipe that looks like a tree branch to the man in the street. If there are snobs out there and they are not kind to the new guy starting out or a guy who's budget is limited then it's their loss, because in biking i take the newbies out once a month and i get so much from seeing them get a thrill from group riding and the social side at drink stops. It takes me back to my youth and the newness of everything
I'm back with pipes for only about a year so relatively new to this, and after using a cheap briar i've bought an old stock but new Ropp Cherrywood and it was the anti-snob factor that made me buy this simple home made looking pipe that looks like a tree branch to the man in the street. If there are snobs out there and they are not kind to the new guy starting out or a guy who's budget is limited then it's their loss, because in biking i take the newbies out once a month and i get so much from seeing them get a thrill from group riding and the social side at drink stops. It takes me back to my youth and the newness of everything
QFMFT
That said, there's nothing wrong -- and often something very fine -- in appreciating the highest expression of any human endeavor or creation. It's one thing to posit that this Dunhill or that S Bang is a better, worthier pipe than this Grabow or even that Peterson, and to offer the reasons one thinks so, or to strive to learn about, own and enjoy the best of something.
That's all good and I submit it's part of what makes human being what they are. A three-legged milking stool will keep your ass off the ground; but that doesn't mean there's not a place for a Mies van der Rohe chair (albeit not in the milking shed). We are designed and built by our Creator to create and to strive to be excellent in our creations.
The problem arises when those who can afford the Dunhill view ownership of the Grabow as some sort of indictment on the quality of the person. Or, in the reverse, when those uninterested in provenance of a patent era Peterson must -- usually as a means of relieving their own cognitive dissonance -- scorn or belittle those who ARE devoted to those pursuits,
Human worth CAN, perhaps, be expressed in some way by the nature of human creation. But mere OWNERSHIP of an object is no substitute for, nor signifier of, any particular human's character.
Neill Archer Roan runs a great blog that touches these issues -- where the finest artisan pipes get their due, but never by resort to snobbery.
(press play)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT7_Y1pIBb4
Of course not. This is a figment of your imagination, good poster.
We're all here in camaraderie to discuss the gentle smoking of the beautiful golden leaf, preferably in our $5,000 Chonowitsches and Ivarsson billiards.
Now kindly close the door before someone with an infernal (ahem) COB sees you.
Bless you my child. Now, where were we?
Signed,
J.Williams Bufforfington III, Esq.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT7_Y1pIBb4
Of course not. This is a figment of your imagination, good poster.
We're all here in camaraderie to discuss the gentle smoking of the beautiful golden leaf, preferably in our $5,000 Chonowitsches and Ivarsson billiards.
Now kindly close the door before someone with an infernal (ahem) COB sees you.
Bless you my child. Now, where were we?
Signed,
J.Williams Bufforfington III, Esq.
Maybe I've been lucky, but the snob attitude is not something I've ever gotten from any of the pipe smokers I've personally known.
Some of the guys I've met in the cigar crowd... different story.
Some of the guys I've met in the cigar crowd... different story.
I just happened on this thread and recalled sitting a the our table in the smoking tent saturday nite at the chicago show. At that time I noticed there were people of all sort,from absolute pillars of the fancy to newbys sitting together. I remember thinking how many groups of any interest can this happen. we were having a good time and the more knowledgable were answering questions for the less. How great is that and how many places does this happen. I would like to think its frequent in our group. jim
My first pipe ever was a Dr. Gabow, being in a small town wit no local tobacco shop near by, but also a little bit nervous and knowing nothing about starting up pipe smoking, I went to the local CVS and picked one up. Dr. Gabow will always have that place in my life as the first pipe I ever had.
I think what it boils down to is that everything is an opinion and some people tend to stress their own more strongly than others. This forum is a great place, because the majority of the members are very accepting and enjoy a beautiful pipe for what it is and not the name engraved on the side of it.
Wow that was intense menachem. At least you admit it. :lol: What about Kaywoodies? Edwards? GDB?
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