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SBC

Lifer
Oct 6, 2021
1,518
7,240
NE Wisconsin
At the risk of agitating people I like very much:

I doubt some forum members' denials that their pipe smoking constitutes a hobby.

Certainly, there are pipe smokers in the world for whom it is not a hobby -- pipe smokers who don't discuss pipe smoking on pipe smoking forums, nor collect pipes nor display pipes nor categorize tobacco cellars nor keep up on pipe related history, news, and politics.

The pipe smoker for whom pipe smoking is not a hobby thoughtlessly stuffs his inexpensive pipe with his preferred tobacco and rarely if ever gives it a moment's thought.

But saying, "Pipe smoking is not a hobby for me" on a pipe smoking forum is like saying, "I cannot speak English." It disproves itself!

As a general rule, the sort of interest which motivates people to discuss things on forums is a hobby-ish sort of interest.
(An exception would be those who run up against a practical problem, and seek help on a forum.)

"Cars" do not constitute a hobby for the overwhelming majority of car-drivers. But then there are the guys who think and read about cars recreationally, who take pleasure in acquiring and collecting and displaying them, who attend car shows, who discuss cars and post pictures of their cars on forums.
The guys who do this, do not write into those forums saying, "Cars aren't a hobby for me -- I just have to get to work somehow."

Is it embarrassing to think of pipe smoking as a "hobby"? Does that make it seem fastidious? Does it make you feel like a dandy?
I can certainly respect an instinct to shy away from any such thing - I just never saw pipe-smoking-as-hobby in that way.

Or maybe I'm on the wrong track.

What motivates you to say things like, "It's just my preferred mode of nicotine consumption," when it is clearly much more than that, to you? Why not dip moist snuff or chew nicotine gum or wear a nicotine patch?
Your posts bear out that you take pleasure in acquiring, collecting, and displaying pipes; in sampling, discerning, and reviewing tobacco. You discuss technique, mentor newcomers to the hobby, and find satisfaction in your cellar spreadsheets.

Let me put a question more directly to hobby-deniers:
What, in your mind, would constitute pipe-smoking-as-a-hobby, and in what way do you not qualify for that?

Or maybe this is a better question:
If a fellow (let's call him Remus) who has thoughtlessly stuffed his cob 12x a day for decades, and never felt any curiosity about other pipes, or tobacco, or technique, or pipe culture or community, were to meet you, and learn that you acquire pipes of various makes and shapes and try different tobaccos and discuss pipe related things with other pipe smokers and post pictures of your pipes, and if he (Remus) were to say, "I didn't even know there were pipe forums. Not really sure why you'd want to talk about it... I guess it's more like a hobby for you," how would you answer him?
 

HawkeyeLinus

Lifer
Oct 16, 2020
5,580
40,851
Iowa
"Remus, go stuff your cob!"


Seriously kidding. My wife mentioned my "hobby" yesterday when a Wilke 4 pack sampler arrived, lol. When I smoked cigarettes as a kid and young adult I just smoked when I smoked. I suppose now with trying different tobaccos and sampling different pipes (my excuse for buying what looks good, lol) it probably is more like a hobby, so be it. I see both sides and am firmly on the fence.
 

lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,801
But saying, "Pipe smoking is not a hobby for me" on a pipe smoking forum is like saying, "I cannot speak English." It disproves itself!

Exactly. I agree 100%
Is it embarrassing to think of pipe smoking as a "hobby"? Does that make it seem fastidious? Does it make you feel like a dandy?
I can certainly respect an instinct to shy away from any such thing - I just never saw pipe-smoking-as-hobby in that way.

Yes, it is a bit embarrassing to think of pipe smoking as a hobby, so I reluctantly admit it is a hobby. I think none of us want our pipe smoking to come off as an affectation, so we just say we are "pipe smokers" and not "hobbyists." The truth is, every single member of this forum is a pipe hobbyist. We just want to be authentic people and don't want our enjoyment of the pipe to look kitschy or ironic.

"Cars" do not constitute a hobby for the overwhelming majority of car-drivers. But then there are the guys who think and read about cars recreationally, who take pleasure in acquiring and collecting and displaying them, who attend car shows, who discuss cars and post pictures of their cars on forums.
The guys who do this, do not write into those forums saying, "Cars aren't a hobby for me -- I just have to get to work somehow."

Perfect analogy!
 

lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,801
elegant-old-fashioned-bearded-hipster-middle-aged-man-with-tobacco-pipe_322744-6.jpg

To follow up on my response above, and because a picture is worth 1,000 words, we say we are "pipe smokers" and not "hobbyists" because we don't want our pipe smoking to appear as though it is an affectation. Calling it a hobby implies a bit too much self-consciousness about pipe smoking. None of us want people to think we look like this guy.
 
Ha ha, love it. Maybe, “hobby” connotes guys who collect stamps or baseball cards?

But, we even have a radioshow for pipesmokers, pipe shows, and books about pipes. I would think that guys who just smoke for nicotine wouldn’t read about pipesmoking or tobaccos. When I smoked cigarettes, I didn’t read histories of cigarettes nor go to cigarette shows.
 

lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,801
The OP makes a compelling argument.
Some people just don’t like the connotation of the word hobby or the idea of being a hobbyist. Perhaps another term would be preferable e.g., enthusiast, aficionado etc.

I am a tobacco connoisseur. I smoke cigars as well. The same is true for whisk(e)y. I think this is true for most of us who have been smoking a pipe for a long time. Not to say we are all like Jim Inks with his very refined palate and ability to distinguish and pinpoint all the elements of the blend, but we all have fairly refined palates to one extent or another. Maybe "connoisseur" sounds snooty, but the bottom line is that we pretty much all have a cultivated good taste for pipe tobacco.
 
The car analogy has limits, since cars are not an addictive substance
IDK, it's not a substance, but one can definitely become dependent on vehicles. It might not be the same type of withdrawal, but I would fight having to walk to work or to buy groceries as much as I would withdrawal from nicotine.
 

DanWil84

Lifer
Mar 8, 2021
1,688
12,572
39
The Netherlands (Europe)
I'll admit its a hobby to me. Fine now? You should'nt have written a book about it!

This is the same discussion as before "how do you call yourself". IBTL, like I said a "tobacco connoisseur" looking down at the plebs smoking their inferior tobacco" eg cigarettes. In the end we all burn a heap of leafs in paper, tightly rolled or in a piece of wood/stone/corn. I don't give a rats ass how someone else would call it, I consider it a hobby. I don't need the nicotine, if I would have to quit today no biggy.
 

SBC

Lifer
Oct 6, 2021
1,518
7,240
NE Wisconsin
Yes, it is a bit embarrassing to think of pipe smoking as a hobby, so I reluctantly admit it is a hobby. I think none of us want our pipe smoking to come off as an affectation, so we just say we are "pipe smokers" and not "hobbyists." The truth is, every single member of this forum is a pipe hobbyist. We just want to be authentic people and don't want our enjoyment of the pipe to look kitschy or ironic.

and,

To follow up on my response above, and because a picture is worth 1,000 words, we say we are "pipe smokers" and not "hobbyists" because we don't want our pipe smoking to appear as though it is an affectation. Calling it a hobby implies a bit too much self-consciousness about pipe smoking. None of us want people to think we look like this guy.

Lawdawg,

I love you the better for these answers. To my mind, all the right sentiments are relating to each other ordinately in you.
 

Merton

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 8, 2020
941
2,499
Boston, Massachusetts
At the risk of agitating people I like very much:

I doubt some forum members' denials that their pipe smoking constitutes a hobby.

Certainly, there are pipe smokers in the world for whom it is not a hobby -- pipe smokers who don't discuss pipe smoking on pipe smoking forums, nor collect pipes nor display pipes nor categorize tobacco cellars nor keep up on pipe related history, news, and politics.

The pipe smoker for whom pipe smoking is not a hobby thoughtlessly stuffs his inexpensive pipe with his preferred tobacco and rarely if ever gives it a moment's thought.

But saying, "Pipe smoking is not a hobby for me" on a pipe smoking forum is like saying, "I cannot speak English." It disproves itself!

As a general rule, the sort of interest which motivates people to discuss things on forums is a hobby-ish sort of interest.
(An exception would be those who run up against a practical problem, and seek help on a forum.)

"Cars" do not constitute a hobby for the overwhelming majority of car-drivers. But then there are the guys who think and read about cars recreationally, who take pleasure in acquiring and collecting and displaying them, who attend car shows, who discuss cars and post pictures of their cars on forums.
The guys who do this, do not write into those forums saying, "Cars aren't a hobby for me -- I just have to get to work somehow."

Is it embarrassing to think of pipe smoking as a "hobby"? Does that make it seem fastidious? Does it make you feel like a dandy?
I can certainly respect an instinct to shy away from any such thing - I just never saw pipe-smoking-as-hobby in that way.

Or maybe I'm on the wrong track.

What motivates you to say things like, "It's just my preferred mode of nicotine consumption," when it is clearly much more than that, to you? Why not dip moist snuff or chew nicotine gum or wear a nicotine patch?
Your posts bear out that you take pleasure in acquiring, collecting, and displaying pipes; in sampling, discerning, and reviewing tobacco. You discuss technique, mentor newcomers to the hobby, and find satisfaction in your cellar spreadsheets.

Let me put a question more directly to hobby-deniers:
What, in your mind, would constitute pipe-smoking-as-a-hobby, and in what way do you not qualify for that?

Or maybe this is a better question:
If a fellow (let's call him Remus) who has thoughtlessly stuffed his cob 12x a day for decades, and never felt any curiosity about other pipes, or tobacco, or technique, or pipe culture or community, were to meet you, and learn that you acquire pipes of various makes and shapes and try different tobaccos and discuss pipe related things with other pipe smokers and post pictures of your pipes, and if he (Remus) were to say, "I didn't even know there were pipe forums. Not really sure why you'd want to talk about it... I guess it's more like a hobby for you," how would you answer him?
One the clearest and most thoughtful posts on the subject ever. Good job
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,675
29,391
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
At the risk of agitating people I like very much:

I doubt some forum members' denials that their pipe smoking constitutes a hobby.
I don't what I doubt is if our definition of a hobby is the same thing. That's where I see the division.
Basically a hobby is anything a person does not only for gratification and not obvious benefits (making money, eating, stuff like that) which involves a strong input of resources (time, and money usually). Oh almost forgot the most important part it's treated with a high level of gravity and seriousness. Basically if the general public doesn't understand how important it is, it's a hobby.
Example of this if I say hey I have to go to work people get that. If I say I have to get to the next safe point, only gamers get that.
 

lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,801
and,



Lawdawg,

I love you the better for these answers. To my mind, all the right sentiments are relating to each other ordinately in you.

Thank you for the kind words, friend! I am in 100% agreement with your thread here.
 
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lawdawg

Lifer
Aug 25, 2016
1,792
3,801
I don't what I doubt is if our definition of a hobby is the same thing. That's where I see the division.
Basically a hobby is anything a person does not only for gratification and not obvious benefits (making money, eating, stuff like that) which involves a strong input of resources (time, and money usually).

Like regularly posting on a forum and acquiring very large numbers of pipes and large quantities of tobacco well beyond what anyone will smoke for years? puffy
 

Merton

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 8, 2020
941
2,499
Boston, Massachusetts
View attachment 108381

To follow up on my response above, and because a picture is worth 1,000 words, we say we are "pipe smokers" and not "hobbyists" because we don't want our pipe smoking to appear as though it is an affectation. Calling it a hobby implies a bit too much self-consciousness about pipe smoking. None of us want people to think we look like this guy.
But, but, i do look like that guy sort of. I frequently wear a bow tie, have a beard albeit better groomed and glasses...no hat...starting to feel self conscious
 
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