From Cigarette to Pipe

[Toast]

I used to smoke rollies & the whole process of putting together a smoke was part of the attraction - so pipes, involving a whole world more fiddling, actually worked out really well for me.

I'd, personally, avoid anything that tasted too much like cigarettes - taster pouches opened whole new worlds of flavour (not all lovely) & kept me excited.

As someone who's probably pretty nicotine tolerant ignore any warnings about X or Y tobacco not being suitable for new pipe smokers - a lot of the really strong stuff is actually very forgiving of the sorts of mistakes new pipe smokers often make.

& (contrary to standard advice re cobs) buying lots of expensive pipes & way too much tobacco made me financially invested & fully engaged my mulishness - I've not touched a cigarette since.

You've made a great first step. This place is genuinely amazing &, if you dig a bit, has all of the advice you're likely ever to need.

 

[redz]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[anotherbob]

oral tobaccos like snus or whatever the more available local version of the same can help. Even using nasal snuff along with the pipe can help get off the cigs.

 

[anotherbob]

Once you apply the match to the tobacco it's pretty much the same toxins/carcinogens in both pipe tobacco and cigarette tobaccos being released. Cigarette toxins being absorbed predominately in the lungs and the pipe tobacco toxins being absorbed through the various membranes in the mouth and nose. Certainly there is a difference between sucking down a pack (20) of cigarettes and those pipe smokers who only dabble, having a bowl a day or, for many, even less. But, the carcinogens from incinerating tobacco in either mode are the same. No different than exposure to a camp fire or a burning stack of old tires.

though the lungs are way more hurt by those chemicals then the oral cavity. It's kind of designed to take more then the lungs are. Also not really true because of all the crazy additives in cigs, look up that list might help you stick with the pipe.

 

[username]

As for blends I recommend old joe krantz,haunted book shop and 5 brothers. All high in the vitamin n content and wish you luck in kicking the cigs.

 

[warren]

crazy additives in cigs

Again we deal with a general statement. I don't smoke the white paper infused cigarettes. Wouldn't recommend them simply because they are bland. I smoke a so-called "luxury" cigarette which is flavorful and not wrapped in a chemically infused paper. They die out when left in an ashtray.

Further, the carcinogens are absorbed into the blood, displacing oxygen of course, and carried to all of one's vital organs. They don't just hang innocuously around one's "oral cavity." Your genes, personal habits, etc. will determine how long you live. Well, you can always step off the curb and become one with the insects on the grill of a bus.

We pipe smokers, for numerous and varied reasons, have selected the pipe with it's nicotine and attendant carcinogens as our vice of choice. Whether the pipe or a cigarette we are simply trusting our genes to carry us into old age. We challenge those genes with various poisons, some from intentionally ingested while others are simply in the world around us. But, we've made a personal choice to impair our systems and no amount of mental gymnastics will mitigate the damage. Simply embrace the selfish joy of smoking, accept the risks, out of pocket costs (I do so dislike the posts from people complaining about the price of blends and pipes. It's a choice folks!) and ... carry on.

 

[anotherbob]

Again we deal with a general statement. I don't smoke the white paper infused cigarettes. Wouldn't recommend them simply because they are bland. I smoke a so-called "luxury" cigarette which is flavorful and not wrapped in a chemically infused paper. They die out when left in an ashtray.

Further, the carcinogens are absorbed into the blood, displacing oxygen of course, and carried to all of one's vital organs. They don't just hang innocuously around one's "oral cavity." Your genes, personal habits, etc. will determine how long you live. Well, you can always step off the curb and become one with the insects on the grill of a bus.

We pipe smokers, for numerous and varied reasons, have selected the pipe with it's nicotine and attendant carcinogens as our vice of choice. Whether the pipe or a cigarette we are simply trusting our genes to carry us into old age. We challenge those genes with various poisons, some from intentionally ingested while others are simply in the world around us. But, we've made a personal choice to impair our systems and no amount of mental gymnastics will mitigate the damage. Simply embrace the selfish joy of smoking, accept the risks, out of pocket costs (I do so dislike the posts from people complaining about the price of blends and pipes. It's a choice folks!) and ... carry on.

First I agree with you about the taste of cigs. When I smoked them I smoked the same kind and one thing I always found somewhat telling where peoples reactions to them. People sometimes would tell me how weird it was that my smokes smelled good.
One of the chemicals in smoke of any kind is carbon monoxide. For that to get into your blood stream it has to be inhaled. And that's the one that literally displaces oxygen and forces your heart to work harder to do less. It can bind to the red cells for something like twenty times as long as oxygen. Nothing else in smoke will have that same effect of depriving the cells of oxygen. And carbon monoxide isn't absorbed through the lining of the mouth. Yes nicotine is and many other things. And nicotine is about as dangerous as caffeine.
And yes genes are a huge factor in certain disease and mortality. If you have the right genes you can smoke three packs a day and get to a hundred. Or live like a saint and get lung cancer in your 30's and die of a heart attack at 40 while jogging and munching on carrots. Your habits will push that up or down.
And yeah we all gotta go at some time, but I still believe in informed decisions. For me pipes and snus represent a good trade off I feel like I get more then enough to make it worth the risk. Cigs on the other hand I personally don't feel the trade is worth while. Because the bottom line to me is cigs pose more of a risk. And that risk for me isn't just when I get to meet the grim reaper but also how I feel and how functional I am up until that point. Pipes don't make my lungs hurt when I have to run I don't get winded when I need to put a little more exertion out.
And yeah it would be healthier to eat a perfect diet and not smoke a pipe but it's healthier then cigs and they just don't give me anything more then a pipe does. (I get the same nicotine more flavor it costs less and if a wild animal decides it's time for a foot race loser is dinner at least my lungs will feel fine before I enter a new role in the food chain.
And Warren you are the kind of curmudgeon who is going to go out one of two ways. Either you're going to get to 100 something and die peacefully in your sleep with everyone finding out you where 98 percent cancer at that point or getting mauled by wolves who are anti smoking sometime before then. So carry on the world needs at least a few like you out there to tell the rest of us how silly we're being.
Oh and thanks for reading this and just for my gratification some day look up the list of additives in cigs and think about how many of those things are not good things to add to any thing consumed. (you know like industrial solvents that cause aggressive and rare bladder cancers that seem to only effect two segments of the population people that make the chemical and smokers.)

 

[edger]

I used to smoke rollies & the whole process of putting together a smoke was part of the attraction - so pipes, involving a whole world more fiddling, actually worked out really well for me.

I'd, personally, avoid anything that tasted too much like cigarettes - taster pouches opened whole new worlds of flavour (not all lovely) & kept me excited.

As someone who's probably pretty nicotine tolerant ignore any warnings about X or Y tobacco not being suitable for new pipe smokers - a lot of the really strong stuff is actually very forgiving of the sorts of mistakes new pipe smokers often make.

& (contrary to standard advice re cobs) buying lots of expensive pipes & way too much tobacco made me financially invested & fully engaged my mulishness - I've not touched a cigarette since.

You've made a great first step. This place is genuinely amazing &, if you dig a bit, has all of the advice you're likely ever to need.

I like the "financially invested" concept. Very reinforcing! Kudos!

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

#1. Don’t start with aromatics
#2. Buy Decent tobacco
#3. Don’t expect a pipe to tast like a cigarette. Enjoy the pipe and don’t get frustrated

And smoke slowly! It's not a race.

 

[anotherbob]

And smoke slowly! It's not a race.

yes. Pipes are about taking time and relaxing. It's as much a drug or luxury experience as it is a meditative action. Savor and sip.

 

[Gus]

wellcome from Balearic Islands

 

[garywlee]

Greeting Amir from Northern Virginia!
First, I am struggling with the same issue, but I have made the switch from store bought cigarettes to RYO. I love being able to make my own cigarettes and feel it gives me more freedom. I also mix my own pipe tobacco blends. I have started buying whole tobacco leaves and processing myself. As others have noted, it is a hard switch as the pipe don't give as much nicotine as cigarettes do, so I'm trying to work that out as well.

But basically, I have to mentally will myself to smoke the pipe instead of a cigarette each time, so there are many struggles one faces in the shift from cigarettes to pipes. But I do enjoy smoking a pipe and losing myself in the flavors I blend. I tend to like the sweeter flavors such as "butter pecan," "caramel," "vanilla" etc.

So don't become discouraged if it takes a while to switch, and just enjoy the tip each time you light up your pipes. Since beginning the transition last year, I have collected several pipes Petersons, Ropps, etc, and they are great and I use each pipe smoking experience as a "Me" time and just sip the smoke and enjoy.

I'm a newbie here as well, but the folks here have a wealth of knowledge and experience and are happy to give pointers. Again welcome from another newbie and enjoy sipping from you pipes.

Cheers

 

[Pipenwheels]

I switched over due to health reasons and have never looked back. I don't miss cigarettes one bit, in fact I would have preferred never to have smoked cigarettes in the first place. The taste of pipe smoke is 100% better and those around me concur. I feel better, and my sense of taste has returned. Welcome and Good Luck!

 

[cory84]

Welcome from the PNW!

 

[chopper]

Hello there
I'm a cigarette smoker right now but I would change it to tobacco pipe . Would you guide me in this way?
Thanks all members who does answer me .
Amir hossein

G'day and welcome from Down Under.

For 35 years I smoked cigarettes. Quit attempts were torture. I was terribly addicted and smoked 30-40 cigs a day.

Over ten years ago I switched to a pipe.

Tailor made cigarettes contain a staggering 300-600 added chemicals.
Pipe tobacco has nothing nasty added [some blends have a little harmless propylene glycol]

Pipe tobacco typically has less nicotine than 'full strength' cigarettes. [Although there are pipe tobacco blends with strong nicotine if that's your thing] Some of the chems in cigarettes are also addictive.

So there's a 4-5 day adjustment/withdrawal period switching from cigs to a pipe.
This wasn't hard for me because 1. At least I got to smoke - better than nothing. 2. The blends that I was smoking then had mild to medium nicotine which helped the nicotine withdrawals but most importantly, 3. After many failed quit attempts I was determined to make a pipe work.

To successfully get off the ciggies [for me at least] one must stick to the pipe. Sneaking a ciggie here or there wont help one break the addiction.

After more than a few years of smoking nothing but a pipe, I found that I could order tobacco from the U.S. where there's a huge range of blends from which to choose.
From then on I've only chosen blends with no more than mild nicotine. [With the help of www.tobaccoreviews.com JimInks reviews in particular, especially for his accurate assessment of nicotine levels]

This is what worked for me.
Now I can go hours without a smoke and not even notice when otherwise occupied.
My only regret is that I did not persevere with the pipe when I briefly picked one up at 15yo.

There is a bit of a learning curve smoking a pipe - packing in particular, but with time it does become 2nd nature.

There's a vast wealth of experience here so don't be shy to ask. No such thing as a dumb question if one doesn't know [Before finding pipe forums I barely had half a clue. Forum members have been a big help to me]

Good luck.

 

[chopper]

Reading others posts I'm surprised at how many are recommending not to inhale.

That might work for some but for me, inhaling is an integral part of the addiction.
It's why I choose mild, mild-medium strength blends for that very reason.

After several years of smoking mild blends with no more than mild nicotine, I've become rather sensitive to nicotine. Stronger blends would probably turn me green.

This is a good thing because although I like nicotine, it no longer likes me. [Buergers disease]

Not inhaling would not have worked for me to get off cigarettes.
Despite inhaling I've lost my smokers cough and my health is much improved.

If I got to the point where I could puff on a pipe without inhaling, I'd probably give up altogether.

 

[Jacob74]

Ahlan wa sahlan Amir! Quitting cigarettes in favor of a pipe can make a significant difference in your health. Do you have a particular question that we can help you with?

 

[chopper]

Reading others posts I'm surprised at how many are recommending not to inhale.

That might work for some but for me, inhaling is an integral part of the addiction.
It's why I choose mild, mild-medium strength blends for that very reason.

After several years of smoking mild blends with no more than mild nicotine, I've become rather sensitive to nicotine. Stronger blends would probably turn me green.

This is a good thing because although I like nicotine, it no longer likes me. [Buergers disease]

Not inhaling would not have worked for me to get off cigarettes.
Despite inhaling I've lost my smokers cough and my health is much improved.

If I got to the point where I could puff on a pipe without inhaling, I'd probably give up altogether.

Forgot to add; A U.S. Surgeon General report found that pipe smokers who inhale have the same life expectancy as a non-smoker.
Unadulterated tobacco is not as bad as the shrieking anti-tobacco brigade would have one believe.

 

[Delant_Sotsan]

Congrats on making the switch over to piping. I enjoy it more as a way to meditate the mind and enjoy the moment. Best wishes and happy piping

 

[Chasing Embers]

yes. Pipes are about taking time and relaxing. It's as much a drug or luxury experience as it is a meditative action. Savor and sip.

That's a lot of generalizing. Pipe enjoyment is subjective to the individual and most of the time I'm on the go when smoking. Savor is an overused and often wrongly used word. It just means to fully enjoy and you don't necessarily have to slow down to fully enjoy smoking a pipe.