I think that's why people seeing it as a cultured and sophisticated act. Because there is a learning curve and much of the enjoyment is found by paying attention (even if you're an old hand and the attention happens without actively applying attention [psychologists call that state "flow"]. Kind of like the difference between knowing bourbon and doing shots of Jack Daniels (not knocking either, just saying they're different pleasures with different parameters).
All that said I wish I would have had resources like this site when I was 16 and started smoking a pipe. The only good advice I got on pipes was to quote the gentleman "it's not a cigar don't suck it's duck, it's a pipe you make love to a pipe". Funny thing is I got what he was saying and improved my cadence early on. Though it took a long time for me to discover that drier and looser are better. Drier found by accident by leaving a tin open and looser from chatting with folks here. (to continue with the randy theme, a pipe is the opposite of a ladies fun-time parts in one way dry and loose is the most enjoyable.)
