Do We Really Have it Better?

[mikethompson]

I try to post to as many new member welcome threads as I can. I think its important new pipe smokers feel welcome and free to ask as many questions as they want.
One common element in the posts is the idea that a new pipe smoker today has it so much better than someone starting 15-20+ years ago. In some ways that's true; you have multiple vendors selling a wide array of blends that are shipped to your door at the click of a button, you have access to thousands of pipes to purchase, and you can instantaneously contact other pipe smokers from around the world.
But - you also have many more voices in your ear telling you to worry about packing methods, lighting methods, breathing methods. Whereas you once had an uncle or dad giving you tips, you now have a thousand people weighing in. You once had a selection of whatever your B&M had, now you have countless varieties to choose from.
So does the selection of tobaccos now outweigh the negatives? Are you too old and seasoned now to care?
Curious to hear some thoughts from new pipers too. I'm not a veteran by any means, and sometimes its information overload.

 

[briarbuck]

It's an interesting topic (and one that I was thinking about last week). It's a given that there was more participation 50 years ago in smoking, but with the internet it's now possible to target a very small population of enthusiasts efficiently. Begs the question, what was the "golden age" of tobacco?

 

[btp79]

I think it all comes out in the wash. I'm more or less a newbie this is how I see it:
Pros:

Now - More blend's, ease of access to said blends (internet), ease of like-minded hobbyists to connect (you reading this post form a guy sitting in Houston), access to information.
Then - Out of production blends, limited public smoking stigma, more local shops with local blends, possible smoke at the office , martini lunches.
Future - ???????

 

[mrenglish]

The Internet has been both a boon and a bust for pipe smoking. One one hand, we get to see pipe makers from all over the world showing their stuff and learn about new blends; plus communicate much easier. On the other hand, we have pipe tobacco shortages all over the place and an ever increasing cost from taxes. Soon it will probably be easier to buy alternatives to tobacco (the green leaf) than it will be to get honest to gosh pipe tobacco.

 

[slowroll]

think it all comes out in the wash. I'm more or less a newbie this is how I see it:
Pros:

Now - More blend's, ease of access to said blends (internet), ease of like-minded hobbyists to connect (you reading this post form a guy sitting in Houston), access to information.
Then - Out of production blends, limited public smoking stigma, more local shops with local blends, possible smoke at the office , martini

This about says it all nicely, but 1 thing: the sword of Deeming hanging over our heads.

 

[woodsroad]

But - you also have many more voices in your ear telling you to worry about packing methods, lighting methods, breathing methods. Whereas you once had an uncle or dad giving you tips, you now have a thousand people weighing in. You once had a selection of whatever your B&M had, now you have countless varieties to choose from.

While some may see that as a negative, I think that far more new pipe smokers see it as a positive. How many times have you heard about people who had started smoking a pipe in the past, only to quit because they didn't like the OTC tobaccos they were limited to, or couldn't get the knack of packing, lighting, cadence, etc., etc., etc.? My father was one of those people, and just gave up the pipe (in the early 60's) because it was more of a PITA than a pleasure.

 

[jpmcwjr]

But - you also have many more voices in your ear telling you to worry about packing methods, lighting methods, breathing methods. Whereas you once had an uncle or dad giving you tips, you now have a thousand people weighing in. You once had a selection of whatever your B&M had, now you have countless varieties to choose from.

It may seem like a thousand, but, really, a handful of divergent views.
Some of us feel that worry about packing methods, lighting methods, breathing methods. are red herrings. Yes, sometimes, each area can be improved upon, but "worry" should have no place. Drying the tobacco obviates much of the above.

 

[warren]

I think it all depends on the new smoker and their mental approach. There will be those afraid to experiment and needing mentors. Others will take to the pipe easily, understanding that it's not rocket science. Some want simplicity and others desire rigid rules, techniques and only one right answer. It's more the mentality of the new smoker and their goal. Some people get overwhelmed by choices others simply cut to what's important to them.
I know some here find it hard to believe that a smoker can get by with only one blend, whatever the drugstore has at the counter most likely, and one simple cob, thoroughly enjoying the experience daily. Other smokers want to know how a pipe is constructed, what is considered a "good" pipe, afraid to make any kind of mistake. Others are driven to try every blend possible, constantly trying something new, simply for the experience.
It's the "mental set" of the new piper in my opinion which determines how they approach the pipe. Not everyone is bewildered by choice. Let's not "pigeon hole" every new smoker as needy and unable to make decisions on their own. Nor should we hold everyone to our own individual standard of what constitutes a good smoking experience. Some among us have different goals.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Good points. No cookie cutters here!

 

[pappymac]

As a new pipe smoker in 1972, I think there were more pipe smokers in public then there are now. I had a number of pipe smokers aboard my first unit I could learn from. When I transferred to an office in downtown Seattle, there were several pipe smokers on the same floor with me and two or three shops within walking distance that carried pipe tobacco.
Now days the only time I see pipe smokers in the "wild" is when I attend the local pipe club meeting or drive to the pipe shop where we hold the meeting. The only daily communication with other pipe smokers is on forums.
I preferred being able to sit and talk with other pipe smokers when I was first starting but I now willingly join in discussions with new pipe smokers and try to answers questions.

 

[ray47]

I've been smoking a pipe since 1967. Although I miss some of the old blends, I've found better blends, but some of the old OTCs are still around. Pipe selection is whole lot better today and you can always find old estates or have a pipe made from pretty much any era you choose. In my opinion, we are currently living in "The Golden Age". Enjoy it while you can.

 

[mso489]

My dad was an all-day pipe smoker for decades, and I was there in the nineteen-forties on with him. He had only one pipe at at time and smoked only Granger. My Uncle Roger, also a pipe smoker, had a number of pipes and some premium blends. Dad rode the commuter train to work in the smoking car reading the Chicago Trib and smoked at his desk at work. Pipe smoking, and smoking in general, was integrated with life at the time. A majority of adults smoked something. Today it is a specialized hobby. I think most pipe smokers are far less involved in the details than Forums members. We are not representative, except as highly involved hobbyists. I think pipe smoking has become nearly invisible and rather private. It's pleasurable but much less social than it used to be. It's just different.

 

[crashthegrey]

You are hearing those voices, too? Nah, can't be. Shh. Enough. Wait, what were we talking about? No, I don't see those things as negatives. As mentioned above, many guys simply gave up when Uncle Joe didn't have a better method for them. Every person is different, and all of the voices are helpful in finding a method from which to start which better suits their needs and style. Too many tobacco choices can be an issue, especially when new, and you don't even understand the style differences yet. Too many of the same type of blend can burn you out, but I still see these things as a positive. I do wish there were more pipe smokers in the wild, though.

 

[sablebrush52]

Today it is a specialized hobby. I think most pipe smokers are far less involved in the details than Forums members. We are not representative, except as highly involved hobbyists. I think pipe smoking has become nearly invisible and rather private. It's pleasurable but much less social than it used to be. It's just different.

I absolutely agree, especially that it's "just different". When I first started smoking a pipe in 1971, there were more pipe smokers and it was more generally accepted. We didn't have "on line" stores, obviously, but we had tobacconists where we could go, sample blends, buy a tin of this or that, or a pouch of that tobacconist's house made blends, and actually meet and spend time with live human beings. Pipe smoking was a much more locally based activity.
We didn't have the over 6000 blends that were on the market until recently, but we had way more than enough choices as it was and didn't ever feel limited. We didn't have a bunch of brands that existed in name only, made as one of many brands taken over and produced by one of a handful of surviving blenders. We had blends that were largely made by the companies that created them. There were actual British and Irish factories producing actual British and Irish blends, not Danish and Polish made imitations. Besides, seriously, who needs 6000+ blends?
There wasn't the level of fetishism surrounding pipes and tobaccos as there is today, maybe because it wasn't such an exotic seeming activity. But there wasn't nearly as much aesthetic creativity involved in pipe making either.
People had different ideas about blends and technique then as now, but I don't recall competing "methods". You just asked your tobacconist, who was always a pipe smoker, some questions to get started. You chatted with the occasional pipe smoker on the street about blends, etc. You didn't worry about any of it, you figured it out.
Today there is a lot more information available at one's fingertips. And every now and then, some of it is actually useful.
So, looking back after all these years I'd say it isn't a matter of better or worse, just different.

 

[artificialme]

As the new pipe smoker, internet helps me a lot, either in knowing you guys (and your jokes) and information collecting. I don't think there's a negative effect in information sharing. It's true, information overload can make someone to be confused, but hey, it's our brain's job to do those information sorting. It's good to make sure it wont grow dull :mrgreen:
Although internet can be used as a data bank, the negative effect in pipe smoking will be TAD and PAD. With all the goods in those pipes and tobacco around. Sure it will be difficult to resist TAD and PAD :D
As for technique and method, looks like I'll be using those trial and error method. Seems working best (for me though) :puffpipe:

 

[broseph]

I sporadically struggled with a crappy pipe and the musty aromatics from the local cigar and pornography shop (no joke) for 10 years before finally turning to the internet as a pipe resource.
First I learned how to properly pack, light, tamp, smoke, and clean a pipe. Then a little research revealed that perhaps my smoking experience could be better with a different pipe, and there is a whole world of tobaccos to choose from.
That was about a year ago. Now I smoke far too often, have way too many mason jars full of tobacco, more cobs than I care to admit, and never enough briars... Thanks a lot, internet.
Though I will say the internet has a tendency to concentrate the extremely particular members of any niche together, which can be overwhelming for a newcomer.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I just got back from Asheville, North Carolina the other day, and saw and spoke to several pipe smokers there and along the way. I also see pipes all of the time here in Alabama, on the road and finishing their pipes in parking lots before going into stores (or while waiting on wives to shop). Maybe I am just more observant or maybe there are still plenty of pipe smokers out in "the wild" here in my area of the world. It has just never occurred to me that there were "less" pipe smokers today than when I was a kid. The only place I ever hear that there are less pipe smokers is here on this forum. The Briary talks like business keeps getting better and better, better than even before they were located in the mall in 1972.
The one thing I do notice is that the pipe smokers I do meet in "the wild" don't give a crap about belonging to a forum, and they usually smoke their OTC, and seem to care less about trying new blends from online, or at least that is the impression that i get when talking to them. I have never just run into a forum member, online tobacco buyer, or someone who even knows there is a forum out there without first planning a meeting with a forum member.
As to whether it is better for new pipe smokers today...

Well, there is good and bad. Pipe smoking is not nearly as complicated as we all make it out to be. I had it down for a few years before ever even knowing there was a forum online. Filling a pipe, lighting it, cleaning it... I have noticed that there are three types of people in the world with every hobby. The first just figures things out, thinking that someone was first to do something, therefore it can't be hard. Maybe they ask someone a question every now and then to get the gist of something, but then for the most part, they just do it, whatever it is. I coach debate, and the intricacies of research, creating a framework, and delivering their ideas in verbal communication just comes easy to some people. I run into mountain bikers who just figured out how to bunny hop roots, hop a curb, or land a jump. I meet guys who didn't need any formal training to be able to make things that they sell at craft and art shows. I have met several people who just figured out how to juggle on their own.
Then there are those that have to have instructions on every little thing they do. Whether it is a lack of confidence, wanting confirmation, only learn from visual or written instructions, or just have no idea.
Then there are those who go through life never trying something new... for whatever reason even if they want to.
Some aspects of how to smoke a pipe, I just picked up from watching pipe smokers as a kid. Codger scoop, light it, and let it smolder. At first it burns your tongue, but a smart person will figure out how to make it pleasurable, unless they are the type to just give up easily. Too hard, won't try.
The best part of today is that we are all not limited to merely what tobaccos we can find at a pipe shop or convenience store. Even a place like the Briary doesn't carry nearly the selections we can find online. Is this good or bad? Well, without the internet stores, I would probably just be smoking with less selections, but I would be smoking my pipe.
Needing help with getting started is not a weakness. It just means that someone is the type than needs help. There is no proof that just figuring it out on your own makes you enjoy it any more than someone who has questions. And, it is better than the third of people who want to do it, but just never start because they are clueless. However, in the old days a person who needs instruction would just ask another smoker. They would actually go out and find one, and not just set on their couch wringing their hands saying they've never seen a pipe smoker in real life. But really, a person who has never seen a pipe smoker in life would probably have no inclination to smoke a pipe anyways.
we also have members on here that will see one person dissent in a thread and get all pissed off because in their mind they equate one person's comment to "everyone". Without naming names, we have a few people that are members that will demand that their post be taken down if one person doesn't agree or kiss their ass. Take the engineering thread for example, a couple of people start posting that they don't believe that pipemaking is engineering, and then we get the old codger that says "all of you think you know better than the pipemakers." It's kind of funny how some people will turn one or two posts into "everyone" or even "a bunch." Just like when we get three people who get moldy tins turned into "all" tin were moldy in the eyes of forum members. It's just a phenomena of forums. Exaggerated results. Just like there are people living right here in my area of the world that think they are the only pipesmokers in their area. They drive to work with blinders on, and sit on their couch when they get home. I bet you I could find at least five pipe smokers at Six Flags right on any given day. I would just light up my pipe in the smoking area and start talking to people. If I don't actually run into someone who has a pipe on them, I will get a hand full of people who will tell me about their husband, father, or uncle who smokes a pipe. And, how many men are out there in the world that come home from work and only smoke their pipe while watching the news every day? These guys don't use forums.
Forum members are only a small percentage of a small percentage, a fraction of a fraction of people who smoke pipes. We are only a piece of a slice of cheese that was sliced off of an even larger chunk. We do not even represent pipesmokers as a whole, and we look very different in the way we enjoy our pipes than the majority of pipe smokers in the world. Most of the world smokes aromatics in drug store Grabows, at least the majority of men that I meet that smoke do, almost all.
Most men only smoke one blend all the time. Most only spend maybe $30 on a pipe. Most never had someone tell them how to pack it or light it. We are the few and far between. And, the statistics from the vendors back this up, as well as the statistics of how many smokers we have in the world, compared to forum results.
So, I don't think we have it any better or worse today. We are just a small percentage that enjoy the camaraderie of pipe smoking and taking the hobby to the next level. And, asking us a question about something that is minor or seems to be common sense is not a bad thing, as it builds camaraderie. How many people do we really help with novice level questions? We get maybe a handful a week? Maybe more on a good week? Look at that in comparison to the thousands across the planet that pick up a pipe for the first time every day or week.
As much as I enjoy this site, I think that some of us place too much emphasis on it, like one bad comment will kill the entire hobby. But, all in all, it all goes back to that phenomena I was talking about.

 

[nitemair13]

As someone who is still new to pipe smoking I can say that the overload of information online can really make things seem more complicated than they really are. I'm hard headed though and usually prefer to find my own way of doing things. I do feel I missed out on the social aspect of pipe smoking, I mean this forum is great but I'd love to meet fellow pipers in like a local park or just out in general. The modern age has sort of run smokers into hiding plus a lot of places have banned smoking of any kind.
The advantage is in the online market place. If your local B&M doesn't carry or can't get what you want, there's plenty of sites that can.
Does the easy access to a wider variety of pipes and tobacco outweigh the loss in the social aspect? I'm not so sure, most pipers I've met (mainly you fine people) make me wish I could go down to local park and sit with another piper and swap stories.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

As someone who is still new to pipe smoking I can say that the overload of information online can really make things seem more complicated than they really are.

It never ever ever dawned on me in my first years of smoking a pipe that there was someone out there who made a technique of loading tobacco into a pipe. I never even gave it a thought before coming on here. It's not a bad thing to have a technique. Heck, I think that discovering that some people had techniques and exploring those techniques myself gave me even more insight into smoking as a whole. But, there are many, many, many more guys out there who never needed to know a technique, and they could care less. I actually have an elderly friend (and pipesmoker) that I watch out for in my neighborhood who thinks we are crazy to talk about such things. He has smoked for well over 60 years, and does he enjoy his pipe any less? ...more? Probably not. It's just different, not better or worse.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

I do feel I missed out on the social aspect of pipe smoking, I mean this forum is great but I'd love to meet fellow pipers in like a local park or just out in general. The modern age has sort of run smokers into hiding plus a lot of places have banned smoking of any kind.

I feel the same way at times as well. There are a lot of groups out there that have demonized smoking to a point that if you do it, you're going to die tomorrow and take like 1,000 people with you. It's sickening, but they've made their point for so long now, that less and less people want to actually buck what has become a new social norm to not smoke. In addition, we have become a society that is less likely to communicate with one another. Think about it. If you live on a street in a neighborhood, how many neighbors do you know? Do your kids play with their kids? Do you have neighborhood cookouts or gatherings? Think back to the fifties or sixties when almost everyone on your street or block knew one another. Now you're lucky if you know 2 out of 10 neighbors. People don't get out and meet the neighbors anymore. Sometimes people move in and out so fast you start to wonder "what's the point? We'll have someone new in 6 months anyways."
I feel it's more about the times we live in. Go out to eat and look around the restaurant. How many people do you see on their phones? Everyone? 95%? Almost all of them, when I make a point to look. Used to think it was just the younger generations, including mine (I'm 35), but then the wife and I went out to eat with my older sister, her husband, and my mom and step-dad. The wife and I were talking to each other and I looked over to find everyone of my family except us fully absorbed in their cellular devices.
So no, I don't think it's just with pipe smokers, I think it's happened to society as a whole. People have forgotten how to be neighborly and friendly and social. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong generation.