Welcome, Maker. I, too, am a Chicagoan, West Ridge. I'm also a long time member of the Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club. One way to acquire first hand help getting into pipes is to join a club. Sitting around with a bunch of folk, both young and more senior pipemen, swapping stories and sharing a bowl or two is a convivial and informative way to spend a few hours. Lucky for you, there's a meeting of our club today, Saturday, March 24th.
Here's a link to the club's Facebook page with info on the meeting: https://www.facebook.com/events/1975094656041921/
I hope to see you there. And again, welcome to the Forum.