Do You have a Pipe You can’t Bring Yourself to Smoke?

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BigEd

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 19, 2023
160
476
Franklin, TN
I'm primarily a pipe smoker, not a pipe collector. That said, I do own a few pipes that I'm satisfied to keep in their unsmoked condition and have no interest in smoking, such as this unsmoked Barling companion set from 1907:
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And this unsmoked Lindbergh pipe commemorating his transatlantic flight:
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As well as a few others.

They're like little time machines. Once they're smoked , they're just another old pipe, and I have plenty of those.
Those are great!
 

Jbrewer2002

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 17, 2023
672
4,972
Somerset Ohio
For me, I like the idea of having a collection of something that I enjoy. The problem is I’m a fairly practical person and such collection that just collect dust seems like a waste of my money. The solution is that I can collect pipes because I use them. Problem solved!

Other people’s collection’s and how they treat them doesn’t bother me because it’s not my money. Actually I get to live through others by looking at there collection of what ever it may be and enjoying it.

As it’s been said. If you don’t want to smoke it then don't. It’s all up to the individual person.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
44,911
117,170
Pipes are made to be enjoyed
They're made as a source of revenue by the manufacturer and can be enjoyed whether smoked or not. The unsmoked ones I have were purchased just as look at pieces and the pipes that I smoke were bought to smoke. Decades ago I would've smoked every one but now I like to keep some pristine. I bought a 1992 Lee von Erck last year intending to leave it unsmoked buy it's likeness to autumn leaves prompted its dedication to maple blends.

One of Preben Holm's last pieces. It also appears on his pipedia page.
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An Emin Brothers floral beret.
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A Savinelli 904 Giubileo d'Oro before they started topping the bowl and ruining the shape.
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A giant L'Anatra.
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Nine Nording Nord-Coats in a display case.
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BigEd

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 19, 2023
160
476
Franklin, TN
They're made as a source of revenue by the manufacturer and can be enjoyed whether smoked or not. The unsmoked ones I have were purchased just as look at pieces and the pipes that I smoke were bought to smoke. Decades ago I would've smoked every one but now I like to keep some pristine. I bought a 1992 Lee von Erck last year intending to leave it unsmoked buy it's likeness to autumn leaves prompted its dedication to maple blends.

One of Preben Holm's last pieces. It also appears on his pipedia page.
View attachment 282090

An Emin Brothers floral beret.
View attachment 282091

A Savinelli 904 Giubileo d'Oro before they started topping the bowl and ruining the shape.
View attachment 282093

A giant L'Anatra.
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Nine Nording Nord-Coats in a display case.
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Awesome!
 
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Two Pipes Crossing

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 3, 2023
146
2,905
Austin Texas
One for what ever reason you are saving? Post a pic and the inevitable story of why you haven’t smoked it?
I‘ll start.
There was a long since closed restaurant in Nashville called Ireland’s. It was a nice place to eat and had a nice bar. A lot of locals gathered there after work. A fellow I had met introduced me to a nice girl he knew in 1980. Some 5 years later we are married and I was out of town. She met up with a girlfriend for dinner at our old haunt. It was St. Patrick’s day and they always held a drawing for an all expense paid trip to Ireland. Low and behold she won. It was our first of many international trips but we didn’t have a lot of extra money in those days. I had always wanted to visit London and the travel agent was happy to route us through for an extra day as long as we paid for the extra expenses. One place I had to visit was Dunhill’s. They were happy to find me a pipe that I liked and could barely afford.
The Ireland portion of the trip was incredible. I’ve never returned but if you ask me if I could only visit one more place before I die it would be Ireland.
I wish I had visited Peterson when I was in Dublin but it wasn’t on my radar in those days.
The Dunhill I have never smoked and as the years have rolled by it has become harder to smoke. Pipes are made to be enjoyed and yet I just can’t bring myself to break it in. Maybe on my death bed.
Am I alone in this phenomenon or are there others?

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You deserve to smoke it >< it deserves to be smoked.
 
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One for what ever reason you are saving? Post a pic and the inevitable story of why you haven’t smoked it?
I have some corncobs that I have not yet crushed beneath my boot heel. I'm not really saving it as much as waiting for a snow, where I can build a snowman and use the pipe with that. The rest of the corncob pipes were disposed of in the trash. Why haven't I smoked them? Because I have a bunch of real pipes that I prefer to smoke.

Ehhh, I also have some unsmoked briars in a drawer. Not really sentimental, I just don't like them for one reason or many. And, I don't sell pipes. Just a hassle. There's more room in the drawer, and most likely, I will add more to it as I continue to collect.

I don't understand this idea of downsizing or purging.
 

peteguy

Lifer
Jan 19, 2012
1,531
916
I have 6 unsmoked pipes from Carvers on forums. I smoke them when I feel I have an appreciation for the poster and the pipe. Some may never get smoked others may be torched next week. No rhyme or reason, when it's time, I know it.
 
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