Hello fellow lunters. I started smoking a pipe on August 7, 2024. Yes, you read that correctly. I am a newborn babe to this hobby. I am 53 years old, and I live with my wife and two cats in New Brunswick, Canada. I had been thinking about taking up the pipe for about a year before I actually did so. I have watched a number of videos by Dr. Alan Harrelson and Muttonchop Piper to educate myself on the basics before taking the plunge. My first pipe was a standard looking bent pipe. I struggled for a couple days to keep it lit, but I think I finally got the hang of it. LOL! I also bought a corn cob pipe which is my current favourite. I was shocked to see that after two uses with this pipe, the stem separated from the bowl, and was quite badly burnt. A friend reassured me that this is quite normal for that type of pipe. I would welcome any feedback on this point. I leave you with this bit of humourous advice: If you find yourself speaking like a fool, just stick a pipe in your gob. Have a great day everyone. I look forward to chatting with many of you soon.