Do You Still Have Your First Pipe?

[jpmcwjr]

Yes, I still have it. My first real pipe I purchased in 1965 at age 14
at the most wonderful small shop on Burd Street in Nyack New York.
It was called "The Calabash"...
I was lucky that day; the older gentleman who came in only on occasion
waited on me. Seeing I was young and likely didn't have much money
(correctly so), he said "let me find you a good pipe". After checking out
a few, he pulled one off the shelf and handed it to me. I told him that
"I like this one". It's a quarter bent Charatan's second, a pot shape with
a flat bottom and the only mark - London England.
The man then scrutinized the pipe, and could not find any reason for
it to be a second. No flaws, no fills, perhaps only that it was just a bit
small for that shape. I got a great pipe for under $15.
I later learned the mysterious older man was one of the worlds foremost
tobacconists, and had worked for and consulted almost everyone
in the tobacco industry. Over the next 16 years or so, I learned a lot
from him about tobaccos every chance I got.
Sadly, the shop was closed in the early 80's. Naturally there were some
great deals on all my favorite pipes. Myself by this time being a shopkeeper
just around the corner on Main Street, purchased some of the unique
fixtures including a beautiful golden oak humidor display case with a
Corinthian style pillar holding a wooden Indian.

Good story, and have you any photos of the display case or other paraphernalia?

(Also, it you don't hit the carriage return or Enter, except to create a new paragraph, your text will show up better.)

 

[seldom]

No. My first pipe was a corncob from a gas station when I was a boy. I used to keep it in a secret hiding spot in the woods. I imagine it has long since returned to being soil.

 

[Spa32]

Yes. Savinelli Roma 626.

 

[Bengel]

Yep, first of many Petes ?

Only 5 years ago

 

[Marindas]

Unfortunately, no. I bought my first pipe in 1981 from a pipe shop when I was going to college. It was a cheap Italian basket pipe, a red stained bent pot with a gold swirl lucite stem.

A friend of a friend who smoked a pipe recommend a vanilla black cavendish tobacco (probably BCA) from the local store. I never got through the whole 2 oz that I purchased before giving up and tossing the pipe in a drawer. Eventually, after moving several times after college, I lost track of it.

I sometimes wish I still had it just for old times sake. The next time I smoked a pipe after that was not until 2005 when I picked up a cob.

 

[python]

Yes. Dr. Grabow Duke. I don't smoke it much anymore, but I have it.

 

[kilroyjune6]

Yes. MM Legend, that I've had for almost nine years. It's seen better days, and it doesn't get nearly as much use as my other cobs, let alone the briars, but it still smokes nice.

 

[renfield]

Yes. I got 2 pipes that fateful day and still have both. A BC Versailles and a silver banded Pete shape 69. The BC got smoked first so it’s officially the first. Both pipes still look and smoke great.

 

[derhammer]

No way. My first pipe was made out of resin. You know, those fake chinese ones. Tossed it after a week as it was starting to be very moist. I think I'm gonna get cancer later in life for smoking that goddamn toxic of a pipe. I was a total noob.

 

[Jef]

Mine was a Butz Choquin which is now dedicated to Ennerdale Flake.

Chris.

View attachment 6579

Nice!

 

[Whittlesticks]

Good story, and have you any photos of the display case or other paraphernalia?

(Also, it you don't hit the carriage return or Enter, except to create a new paragraph, your text will show up better.)

Hi, and thanks. I don't think I have a photo of these things. Too bad
you weren't there to say - Hey, put some film in your camera and
take a picture! Nobody was walking around with a phone & camera
in their pocket then.

One reason I write only 10 or 12 words per line is that my screens are
set to 200% magnification. Otherwise I am not able to see what I read
or write. For me, when I receive an email or something with long lines,
I can only guess what people are trying to say on the half I can't see.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I didn't realize you didn't have those things anymore.

And not sure what gear you use for a computer, but most email clients and web browsers will set the "wrap" at whatever width you set it. So seeing truncated lines is a bit of a mystery. HTH.

 

[zion]

Yes, I have my first. Which was my dad’s first.

 

[sandollars]

I gave my first pipe to my son.

 

[gamzultovah]

Fortunately, yes!

 

[burleyboy]

I gave my first pipe, a Peterson army mount, to my father.

 

[Whittlesticks]

Yes, I have my first. Which was my dad’s first.

You're so lucky for that! Even though I've posted about my first "real pipe",
You have prompted me to remember something from ages ago.
When around 6 or 7 years old, my Father told me that as a toddler,
I used to play with and broke his only pipe. He mostly smoked Camels.
I vaguely do remember that pipe. He also claimed I broke his harmonica.
I have no recallection of this. It must have been my sister. She did it!

 

[Stickmaker1958]

Yeap, in the year1979. Tinder Box meerschaum lined. Not knowing anything about pipes much less meerschaum I dug it out bad. Recently after learning about pipe mud I’ve repaired the inside that was all cracked up but not fulling out, I started to refinish the pipe just need to get some stain. That pipe has not seen daylight for about 30 years but will be smoking again very soon.

 

[jmsmitty6]

Unfortunately no. Terrible quarter bent rusticated bulldog from the Gatlinburlier in Tennessee. I only wish I had for posterities sake.

 

[mso489]

You don't have to spend a lot of money on a first pipe, but it's good if you find one that is sturdy, attractive to you, and designed to last. Because a pipe, being small and portable, can haunt your possessions for most of your life. On a budget, house pipes can be a good bet. Pipe shops tend to want to sell reasonably priced pipes to beginners that will make them want to keep smoking. A good pipe at a good price is in their self-interest.