Hi Stuart from Australia,
I smoked a pipe back in the early 80’s then stopped smoking altogether when kids arrived that is until a few months ago when I have rediscovered the joy of “the pipe”. I always had a “hankering” to return to the pipe but always just didn’t follow up on it.
I had a Barling pipe that I had been give n by a good friend back in the 80’s and I had kept.
So I went into a local tobacconist (actually tobacconist is a stretch it was a cigarette and paraphernalia shop) and from their very limited pipe tobacco I purchased a 30g pouch of Balkum Riff Cherry Cavendish (which I had smoked back in the day) for $68 Australian about US$48 !
First change I discovered since the 1980’s we have a 70% tax on tobacco! So a 50g tin is AUD$104 the same as a bottle of Single Barrel Jack Daniels! I am now enjoying smoking Peterson Nightcap and Sherlock Holmes, plus SG Squadron Leader. I am awaiting some Elizabethan Mixture to come in so that will be interesting.
So I am glad this is a hobby not a habit - I am about a three bowl a week smoker.
I have also started a collection of Peterson pipes and now have seven preferring the “System pipes” and also I have started refurbishing some estate pipes sourced on Ebay, after watching some excellent Youtube videos on the subject and I am enjoying that a lot.
In fact I have been able to give my first effort of refurbishing a pipe to a friend who is interested in switching from cigarettes to a pipe.
So that is my story.
I smoked a pipe back in the early 80’s then stopped smoking altogether when kids arrived that is until a few months ago when I have rediscovered the joy of “the pipe”. I always had a “hankering” to return to the pipe but always just didn’t follow up on it.
I had a Barling pipe that I had been give n by a good friend back in the 80’s and I had kept.
So I went into a local tobacconist (actually tobacconist is a stretch it was a cigarette and paraphernalia shop) and from their very limited pipe tobacco I purchased a 30g pouch of Balkum Riff Cherry Cavendish (which I had smoked back in the day) for $68 Australian about US$48 !
First change I discovered since the 1980’s we have a 70% tax on tobacco! So a 50g tin is AUD$104 the same as a bottle of Single Barrel Jack Daniels! I am now enjoying smoking Peterson Nightcap and Sherlock Holmes, plus SG Squadron Leader. I am awaiting some Elizabethan Mixture to come in so that will be interesting.
So I am glad this is a hobby not a habit - I am about a three bowl a week smoker.
I have also started a collection of Peterson pipes and now have seven preferring the “System pipes” and also I have started refurbishing some estate pipes sourced on Ebay, after watching some excellent Youtube videos on the subject and I am enjoying that a lot.
In fact I have been able to give my first effort of refurbishing a pipe to a friend who is interested in switching from cigarettes to a pipe.
So that is my story.
