Evolution of Your Personal Tastes in Pipes

[pstlpkr]

Hey Guys and Gals,
This has been rattling around in my brain like the proverbial BB in a Box car for some time. I was wondering if your personal preferences for pipe shapes have changed through the years. I know mine have.
I started with a little stubby quarter bent pipe. It is called a Royal Coachman. It is almost a Rhodesian shape without the characteristic parallel groves around the bowl, and its a sandblast and black.

Then I gravitated toward full bents and Calabashes, then to half bent free forms.

In the last ten years or so my tastes have continued to change gradually, toward more traditional shapes culminating in a very large bulldog (my first real traditional shape).
Just curious to see if personal preference evolves or if fashion trends are an influence. For example; white rings, or colored rings like turquoise on the shank. Or, green stained bowls, or red, electric blue, and white painted bowls.

Lastly; one other aspect that may influence your tastes in pipes, that being cultural. You know... does or has your local B&M's personality/personnel/atmosphere influenced your tastes in pipes.

Just looking for comments and observations and specifically how your tastes have changed... if at all.

 

[sparroa]

The corn cob is my primordial form of pipe. I couldn't buy anything in my area and the internet supplied me with these beauties; I'm only a year in but I haven't seen a need to change yet!
I look forward to the time when I will be able to contribute more to these threads!

 

[cortezattic]

I started out with a Medico straight bulldog and a Kaywoodie bent Danish.

I toyed with random basket pipes until I could afford some seriously expensive pipes.

That was in the early 1970's, and the Danish freehands were all the rage, and I focussed

on Preben Holm and Celius pipes, as well as a Pioneer gourd calabash and a claw meer.

I eventually sold those off because I found "my shape" in the bent bulldog, which I find

both comfortable and complimentary to my appearance. So now my rotation has over a dozen

bent bulldogs with various bowl geometries, from a variety of manufacturers. I still have

a couple of other shapes laying around, but I don't use them much.

 

[expatpipe]

Well, I not so long ago, made a purchase for a large chambered pipe. Like the large, I guess billiard or apple shape, but realised large bowls are not really for me. Much more comfortable with a 20 or 30 min smoke. Don't really have time or enjoy fully a smoke that lasts over an hour. Guess maybe I progressed into knowing and accepting my prefered smoking style. I have mainly straights, a few bents. Enjoy my bents more, but seems straight pipes are much easier to find and collect. That is more of an economical factor as it is a preference. My favorte shape, is a Danish in nature. I have a vintage Bjorn Thurmann bent Danish freehand , which is my favorte pipe and best smoking in my judgement. I have finally spotted a Danish shape Dunhill and hoping I have enough saved to purchase. (not looking like it)
But I think your right, Culture and learning my true smoking style have both influenced my pipe preferences.

 

[unclearthur]

I started with 3/4 bents (the good Dr. G ) and still favor that shape. Though in recent years I have acquired more Canadians and billiards.

 

[igloo]

I like freehands but billards are easier and cheaper to find . lately the apple is my favorite shape . Really the the stem shape means more to me now I look for a certain type of button ,that is probably why I collect Amphoras and GBD pipes the most .

 

[juni]

From bents:

to bent bulldog:

to straights:

and..

and...

although I really like the zulu shape too:

Thats not all pipes I have but the trend seems to be going towards straight pipes.

 

[bootlegbonvivant]

My first pipe was a 3/4 bent Bent Bob pipe. I feel I abused the poor thing, but it's sturdy as ever and is now my wife's pipe when she chooses to smoke. My 2nd pipe was a 1/2 or 3/4 bent pipe I bought off of ebay. It has a briar bottom of the bowl and shank, with a meerschaum bowl that kinda snaps into place. It's a great smoker. I bought some meers, then I bought some other pipes, some of which I smoked, others I didn't. My first big name brand pipe was my Rinaldo bent Rhodesian.
I've tended to stick with bent pipes since I've started pipe smoking. I have smoked and owned some straight pipes, but I don't tend to like them as much as my bent pipes. I've only tried cobs a couple of times, not something I've been overly enthusiastic about.

 

[mjtannen]

I bought my first pipes when I was a college student in the late '60's. A kaywoodie or two and a Dr. Grabow. They were cheap ....maybe $7.00 each new. For many years I did not smoke anything. About 10 years ago I began again to enjoy the occasional pipe with Capt. Black White or cigar. In the last five years or so I've really begun to enjoy my pipe. When I smoke a cigar now it is a full body 54 ringer with a deep maduro or oily oscuro wrapper. I think it is a function of more leisure time alone at home and grown sons out and about with their own lives. I'm also a widower now so there are no wife complaints about PAD or room notes. I am now a 4-5 bowl a day guy and my preference is definitely the large bowl full of latakia. My most expensive purchase has been a new Pete Kinsale at $107.00 and that is the one and only new not so expensive higher end pipe that I own. Most of my pipes were acquired on e-bay at real bargain prices and I am very happy with all of them. I have definitely evolved and I absolutely love my pipes and tobaccos. I also always have a box of cigars cellared. My favorite stick is a Partagas Black Label Magnifico. I have certainly been on the journey and at this point I've settled in tight with my go to blends, my largest bowls and my smoke routine. I always smoke in the morning and I always have a strong large lat bowl just before I hit the sack. I also have made several good pipe smoking buddies and I enjoy keeping up with all of them. When keyboarding as I am now I'm always doing so with a clenched pipe billowing grandly. And yes, now I clench all the time. Once my pipe is lit it does not leave my mouth ever, for any reason. I never inhale, but now more than ever I enjoy the taste of the smoke and enjoy the nostril tickle from the rising tobacco from my oom pauls especially. I have three of them and they rank high on my pipe shape favorites. I'm planning full retirement this June as I open my backyard pool and I anticipate I might just be headed toward some more PAD with increased leisure and at home time. I'm also thinking about a house in Florida so there may well be big changes in store. Yes, most definitely an evolutionary process.

 

[julesholling]

Well not been in the pipe game for long but my taste in pipes has changed a bit. When i first got into them i favoured straight, smooth finish pipes. My first pipe was a corncob but can't ever say that i found that a good looking pipe. I just got it as it was recommended as a good starter pipe.
I now seem to have a hankering for a full bent billiard with rusticated finish by Peterson or Savinelli.

 

[wolfscout]

My first pipe was a Swiss-made BBK, a bent. About a week later I bought a Dr Grabow Omega bent, both from the PX in Korea while in military 1982.

I bought my first cob while stationed at Fort Hood Texas. And that is how it went for nearly 15 years with three pipes. LOL.

Now, I buy mixed pipes, mostly estates, what ever strikes me at the moment. I have a thing for author style pipes, Acorn style bowls, and Wellingtons of all sizes.

This was my latest purchase... Dr Grabow Starfire #39 :

 

[bowhatchie]

I have just about all shapes.. smooth,rusticated, blast.... The only shape I really don't like is the full bent... I guess I would be safe in saying that today my favored shape tends to be a quarter bent..either Bulldog,Rhodesian,or prince.

 

[marmal4de]

I'm in a straight kick right now.

 

[pstlpkr]

Wow! Gentleman, your posts have exceeded my hopes and expectations.

It is gratifying to know that we all love our pipes and that our tastes do change over time.
There were some comments that lend themselves to the "cultural" aspect, and those "peeks behind the curtain" are what I was hoping for.
Thanks :clap:

Now, I think I'll smoke a straight... ::

Noooo... I think I'd rather have a big bowl of 1Q a full bent (I'm feeling a bit reflective.)... :puffpipe:

 

[hauntedmyst]

I started out liking straight billiards. Over time, I grew to like Group 6 sized straight billiards. Now I like Group 6 straight billiards and just to be funky, group 6 straight Apples and Dublins. I know, I am out of control. Probably the biggest change I've made over time is coming to appreciate a good sand blast. Culturally, I've grown more limited. I used to buy a pipe from just about anywhere. Now I am more limited to English pipes. I'll still pick up the occasional italian if its a great deal.

 

[maduroman]

i have 2 strait pipes.... a dr grabow i got in 1976 and another dr that was my dad's pipe that he smoked for about 6 months before going back to cigs.
all my other pipes range from 1/4 bent to full bent with large bowls. i like the way they feel in my hands.

 

[teamhavoc28]

I tend to go with bents as a habit though lately I've been fighting the urge to purchase a lovat/Canadian to go with the lone straight pipe I have. Straights have a wonderful look to me but a tendency to clench makes them uncomfortable after a while. I'm sure as I progress in the hobby my tastes will tide back and forth.