Hello everyone,
I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Jorge and I recently picked up pipes and pipe tobacco. I originally started smoking cigars in college back in 2006. I smoked cigars on and off for a few years, primarily during special events or moments in life, but always maintaining a few cigars here and there for said events and to age. I primarily got my nicotine fix through cigarettes, but always told myself I would quit cigarettes by the time I had my first child, so I upon finding out my wife was pregnant in 2020, I quit cigarettes at the beginning of 2021.
In the summer of 2021 we welcomed our daughter into the world and my life and outlook was completely changed for the better. There is a bit of crossover, from what I have seen, with cigar and pipe smokers so seeing cigar smokers post pictures of their pipes and tobacco grabbed my attention and curiosity. On a work trip to Austin, TX (Iived there for 6 years and moved back in July of 2020) in Nov. 2021, I stopped by a cigar shop to pick up a few stoagies and started asking questions about pipe tobacco. After the conversation I was out of there with some cigars, a MM corncob and 2oz of C&D Engine #99.
The day after I got home I filled the bowl, lit it, took a few puffs and my jaw dropped. I couldn't believe the flavors of tobacco I had been missing out on. I was floored and I think that is when the hook was set. After I finished the bowl, I came inside and was raving to my wife about the experience I had just had. "Oh man, a new hobby....Daddy's found a new obsession," she told my infant daughter in her arms. "No, no I still love my cigars, this is just a nice little alternative" I said.
She was right.
When I have some time for myself to smoke, usually very early or late at night, I keep finding myself going straight for a pipe. I'm hooked, I love everything about it. It's meditative, delicious tasting, and the pipes are beautiful. Admittedly, I am still smoking out of MM cobs, I've picked up about 6 or 7 since my Austin trip. I also have a Peterson Dracula that I was gifted years ago that I never got around to using.....there may or may not be a new pipe arriving in the mail tomorrow...
Anyway, thanks for the read. I'm not usually this long winded...but I reached for the pipe as I decided to type this and got "inspired". I am still learning and looking forward to the input on these forums.
