White Schooner is great in a partisl blast Revaew Ecurb volcano. :wink: I see what you did there! :mrgreen:
How Did You Get Started?
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Smoked cigs for 25 years, tired of that addiction, watched a TV episode of Fargo where an older woman was smoking a pipe, fiddling with packing it, char lighting it, then finally smoking it... looked fun. So I went to Walgreens picked up a cob and cherry tobacco the next morning, never smoked cigarettes again. Went from Aromatics, to English blends, to Virgina's (which I smoke exclusively now). Love everything about the pipe, and can't stand the smell of cigs anymore.
I had actually set out to start smoking crack, but crack is just so damned hard to find here. And, it's a shame. I think I would be really good at it.
I grew up with an image of pipe smoking and tobacco generally that gave me that weird nostalgia for something one has never experience. It seemed to go hand in hand in my mind with a less complicated, more humane, more civilized time. I encountered it in books, in my mother's fond memories of her father and uncle (both passed before I came along), though only rarely in real life. Further, tobacco of any sort was, to me, a traditionalist's thumb in the eye to the established (ironically called) "liberal" establishment.
By the time I was 17 I knew I wanted to smoke a pipe. Once I got to college I had some friends I could get to buy the pipe and tobacco for me (I was still young at the time). It was a Dr. Grabow and--I think--Borkum Riff. I also encountered another freshman who--aside from having a lot of other more academic passions in common with me--was an avid (and seasoned) pipe smoker.
I also had a professor in my second semester, who would always bring a still-smoldering pipe into class. The hints I caught off of that pipe resting on the ledge of the chalkboard were simply divine, pure tobacco aroma. (The first time I noticed it and asked what it was he told me it was 965. For a long time thereafter the smell of real tobacco was in my mind bound to Latakia.)
In college I enjoyed a lot of pipes. But I also came to have a distaste for those irregular pipe smokers I viewed as affecting the pipe in college because it looked intellectual.
At more or less the same time, I also developed a taste for cigarettes, which, partly from their convenience became my main smoke over the next decade (in grad school I discovered PS London Export, then Drum Halfzware Shag, and while studying in Rome, Old Holborn). I can roll a cigarette like none other, and my students will swear I can do it one-handed--I've never disabused them of this notion even though I don't actually believe it is physically possible; allowing oneself to become a legend is just good pedagogy.
All through this and the ensuing years I viewed myself as a pipe smoker (always carrying a czech tool on my keychain), thought in reality it was an on again off again affair, more off than on. I never really cracked the puzzle and figured out quite how to smoke a pipe or quite figured out what I liked. Pipes always left me dissatisfied. The experience was overall so-so with some unpleasant after-effects (mild tongue bite, an unpleasant taste in my mouth, and sometimes a constricted feeling in the throat), though punctuated with moments of real ecstasy. I had become precisely the irregular pipe smoker I had disliked in college. I always craved some other form of tobacco when I put a pipe down. And as time wore on, the breaks between pipes grew longer til I never really touched them.
While we were engaged, my wife (ironically herself a cigarette smoker) put down an ultimatum to me that I had to agree to give up cigarettes before our first child was born, if she wasn't to call off the engagement. Thank God I had the foresight at the time to carve out concessions both for pipe smoking and for pipe smoking inside the house.
So, due to the then-impending advent of my daughter, I decided just over a year ago to get serious about pipes, and in particular to explore Virginias. (Without my realizing it, right as the FDA was deciding to step up their oppressive regulation.)
And here I am.
By the time I was 17 I knew I wanted to smoke a pipe. Once I got to college I had some friends I could get to buy the pipe and tobacco for me (I was still young at the time). It was a Dr. Grabow and--I think--Borkum Riff. I also encountered another freshman who--aside from having a lot of other more academic passions in common with me--was an avid (and seasoned) pipe smoker.
I also had a professor in my second semester, who would always bring a still-smoldering pipe into class. The hints I caught off of that pipe resting on the ledge of the chalkboard were simply divine, pure tobacco aroma. (The first time I noticed it and asked what it was he told me it was 965. For a long time thereafter the smell of real tobacco was in my mind bound to Latakia.)
In college I enjoyed a lot of pipes. But I also came to have a distaste for those irregular pipe smokers I viewed as affecting the pipe in college because it looked intellectual.
At more or less the same time, I also developed a taste for cigarettes, which, partly from their convenience became my main smoke over the next decade (in grad school I discovered PS London Export, then Drum Halfzware Shag, and while studying in Rome, Old Holborn). I can roll a cigarette like none other, and my students will swear I can do it one-handed--I've never disabused them of this notion even though I don't actually believe it is physically possible; allowing oneself to become a legend is just good pedagogy.
All through this and the ensuing years I viewed myself as a pipe smoker (always carrying a czech tool on my keychain), thought in reality it was an on again off again affair, more off than on. I never really cracked the puzzle and figured out quite how to smoke a pipe or quite figured out what I liked. Pipes always left me dissatisfied. The experience was overall so-so with some unpleasant after-effects (mild tongue bite, an unpleasant taste in my mouth, and sometimes a constricted feeling in the throat), though punctuated with moments of real ecstasy. I had become precisely the irregular pipe smoker I had disliked in college. I always craved some other form of tobacco when I put a pipe down. And as time wore on, the breaks between pipes grew longer til I never really touched them.
While we were engaged, my wife (ironically herself a cigarette smoker) put down an ultimatum to me that I had to agree to give up cigarettes before our first child was born, if she wasn't to call off the engagement. Thank God I had the foresight at the time to carve out concessions both for pipe smoking and for pipe smoking inside the house.
So, due to the then-impending advent of my daughter, I decided just over a year ago to get serious about pipes, and in particular to explore Virginias. (Without my realizing it, right as the FDA was deciding to step up their oppressive regulation.)
And here I am.
I smoked mostly cigarettes+cigarillos all those 30+ years,being on and off smoking a pipe but still liked more Ryo cigarettes, in all probability I wasen't smoking my pipe right doing something wrong(wet tobacco-poor packing)kept affirming and saying myself:next year I will quit cigarettes and pick up pipesmoking seriously.Nevertheless it wasen't to be so until I turned into my 50ies, I allready had (7)good pipes around to start with.Then I finally was facing the truth and had to choose,'be a man for you own good and qive up them cigaretttes while you can,and so I did, at least for the most part of it,if not for %100)But tell you what,switching from cigarettes to pipe even if you know how and what to smoke is pretty hard a task,eventually I did reducing the number of smoked cigarettes to a minimum number,Type of pipetobacco what I had was always English type of mixtures ,Dunhills If my memory serves right.Had overdose of latakias-so today I hardly use any of Latakia ,
I've always loved the smell of pipe smoke. There was a tobacconist across the street from the jewelry store where I worked after class and on weekends, and I used to buy Sobranie Chaliapin cigarettes there. One day I decided to try out a pipe and the owner, Mr Copley, set me up with an inexpensive meer and a sampling of their blends. I loved the whole experience. That was 47 years ago.
I'm still very much in the transition. But I think most of my difficulty with giving up my remaining cigarettes boils down to convenience (I can roll and smoke a cig in 5 minutes--whether I'm standing, walking, driving--and at no point do I need to look at what I'm doing or find somewhere to put my supplies down). My optimism is in that instead of craving a cigarette even after finishing bowl, I find myself craving the pipe, and the cigarette is a quick and easy but less satisfying substitute that holds me over til I can sit down and prepare a pipe.
But at the end of the day they are different experiences, and I really doubt I will ever get the the point that I never have an itch that only a cigarette will itch.
The real story of "how" and "why" would really take up a novel. I grew up with pipesmokers. I hung out at a Mall based Tinderbox as a kid. I bought my first pipe when I was in college, tried some aromatic trash, burned my tongue, and threw the pipe into a junk drawer, where it disappeared into obscurity. I think most first time pipesmokers do this.
Fast forward through a cigarette addiction for decades. I was in line buying some quality RYO tobacco, and a box of tubes and filters, and I saw a corncob behind the counter. Quality RYO, minus the tubes, filters, and the fee for using the industrial rolling machines, and I have a pipe full of this "pipe tobacco." I bout the cob, and I have never been impressed with corncobs, still not. So, I bought a Savinelli and smoked through several bags of Turkish RYO till I tried some other pipe tobaccos. I quit cigarettes almost instantly, but I was also inhaling the smoke right off the bat. So, for me the biggest challenge was learning to smoke my pipe without inhaling. I am still addicted to tobacco and nicotine. No biggie though. I don't inhale, but I still crave the nicotine goddess. And, you know the rest of the story.
Fast forward through a cigarette addiction for decades. I was in line buying some quality RYO tobacco, and a box of tubes and filters, and I saw a corncob behind the counter. Quality RYO, minus the tubes, filters, and the fee for using the industrial rolling machines, and I have a pipe full of this "pipe tobacco." I bout the cob, and I have never been impressed with corncobs, still not. So, I bought a Savinelli and smoked through several bags of Turkish RYO till I tried some other pipe tobaccos. I quit cigarettes almost instantly, but I was also inhaling the smoke right off the bat. So, for me the biggest challenge was learning to smoke my pipe without inhaling. I am still addicted to tobacco and nicotine. No biggie though. I don't inhale, but I still crave the nicotine goddess. And, you know the rest of the story.
In 92/93, my 2nd year in college a friend and I got corncob pipes and some OTC cherry tobacco as a joke. I enjoyed it (I was also a cig smoker though) and continued smoking Bugler & Drum in the pipe for a while.
I consider '98ish - after I moved to Colorado- to be my real start. I bought an Edwards 3/4 bent billiard and some re-branded 1Q. Every week or two I'd go in there and buy a couple ounces of one of the store blends or a tin of whatever looked interesting. I loved the exploration and still do.
Welcome to the forums Carl.
No one likes a quitter. Now go out to the seediest part of town you can find and get you some crack.
I consider '98ish - after I moved to Colorado- to be my real start. I bought an Edwards 3/4 bent billiard and some re-branded 1Q. Every week or two I'd go in there and buy a couple ounces of one of the store blends or a tin of whatever looked interesting. I loved the exploration and still do.
Welcome to the forums Carl.
No one likes a quitter. Now go out to the seediest part of town you can find and get you some crack.
But, but, now all of my pipes are ghosted with tobacco. Ha, I wonder if crackheads complain about ghosting in their crack pipes? "Found this one in the dumpster, and I think it's ghosted with rancid chicken."
My dad was a pipe smoker. I took it up in college. I smoked mostly Troost flake. When life became busy I smoked cigarettes. I recently switched back to pipes and enjoy try the different types and styles of tobacco. I enjoy the tast of the tobacco. My preference is for virginia tobacco but will try others (orientals). It’s a really exploration, not a habit.
Pfff ... I bought my first pipe when I was in college, I guess that was in 2005. I was really into cigars, and where I lived back then - Austin, Texas, there was a very nice tobacco shop by Northland Mall. Huge walk in, very friendly staff, and a smoking lounge. I was hanging out there pretty much whenever I could. Mostly I worked nights, and especially over summer break when I had no school and people were at work during the day I would go there. Sometimes I didn't even buy cigars for my humidor, just bought one and smoked on the spot. I always enjoyed reading while smoking back then - still do but don't have as much time now, and after I went through their entire "Cigar Aficiando" collection, I used to bring my own books. Right about this time I have discovered a full collection of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, at a Half Price Book Store. I guess like Muttnchop with Lord of the Rings, I got inspired by my reading and I figured "Heck - I am here quite often, and these people blend pipe tobacco - why not give it a shot?".
There was this elderly gentlemen, Peter I believe was his name, and he was very kind and patient. I have learned the pipe basics from him. He helped me pick a basket pipe (which I still have by the way), and set me up with tamper, matches and everything. My first blend was "24karat", a very sweet house blend - their signature actually, which I still miss every so often. At first I wasn't that much into it, especially because of tongue bite. I kept to my guns - cigars and cigarettes. When I moved back to Europe ... well, what do you know !? No tobacco shop, no smoking lounge, no walk in humidor, no Peter. The very small shops back then were a luxury, with Cuban cigars that were considerably over priced. For a while I tried to quit smoking cigarettes - still smoke them every so often, especially when drinking - for some reason I have this tendency to revert to bad habits. One day I was sick in bed, and as I was watching TV bored as hell, I suddenly felt the urge to smoke a pipe. I picked up winding road from Ashton right after I got better, and when I had the tongue bite again I joined this forum. I have been hooked since... Darn it, if I can hold to my 2-3 bowls a day, and smoke no more cigarettes I would be a happy camper. I managed without for a while, but then again when I hit hard times lately with my PhD and work and stuff, I rebound on cigarettes big time. I am fighting this demon a lot. I enjoy pipe on the other hand, and unlike cigarette smoking pipe smoking is not necessarily a vice - oh well, maybe except when you spend your child's lunch money to buy your 123rd pipe :mrgreen: I think I will stick with my pipes this time around.
There was this elderly gentlemen, Peter I believe was his name, and he was very kind and patient. I have learned the pipe basics from him. He helped me pick a basket pipe (which I still have by the way), and set me up with tamper, matches and everything. My first blend was "24karat", a very sweet house blend - their signature actually, which I still miss every so often. At first I wasn't that much into it, especially because of tongue bite. I kept to my guns - cigars and cigarettes. When I moved back to Europe ... well, what do you know !? No tobacco shop, no smoking lounge, no walk in humidor, no Peter. The very small shops back then were a luxury, with Cuban cigars that were considerably over priced. For a while I tried to quit smoking cigarettes - still smoke them every so often, especially when drinking - for some reason I have this tendency to revert to bad habits. One day I was sick in bed, and as I was watching TV bored as hell, I suddenly felt the urge to smoke a pipe. I picked up winding road from Ashton right after I got better, and when I had the tongue bite again I joined this forum. I have been hooked since... Darn it, if I can hold to my 2-3 bowls a day, and smoke no more cigarettes I would be a happy camper. I managed without for a while, but then again when I hit hard times lately with my PhD and work and stuff, I rebound on cigarettes big time. I am fighting this demon a lot. I enjoy pipe on the other hand, and unlike cigarette smoking pipe smoking is not necessarily a vice - oh well, maybe except when you spend your child's lunch money to buy your 123rd pipe :mrgreen: I think I will stick with my pipes this time around.
I have a couple reasons I guess:
I'm a psychologist who works for the public school system. I work in a very poor area with a lot of problems. I've seen and heard pretty terrible things in the 5 years I've been doing it. Lots of negativity working with parents who don't care about their children or teachers who are lazy. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and care deeply about the children i work with. With my job, I found I really needed to have time to decompress and relax. Pipe smoking just helps me clear my head and slow down. Nothing helps me after a bad day like sitting on my porch and smoking a pipe.
As far as how I got to the idea of pipe smoking, it was my dad. He smoked a pipe for as long as I can remember. We lived in Upstate New York, and he used to patron Cup O Joes when they were just a small operation in the mall in Queensbury. I showed an interest in it when I came home during a break in grad school, and he gave me a Stanwell 2007 pipe of the year and some 1Q. Been doing it ever since.
I'm a psychologist who works for the public school system. I work in a very poor area with a lot of problems. I've seen and heard pretty terrible things in the 5 years I've been doing it. Lots of negativity working with parents who don't care about their children or teachers who are lazy. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and care deeply about the children i work with. With my job, I found I really needed to have time to decompress and relax. Pipe smoking just helps me clear my head and slow down. Nothing helps me after a bad day like sitting on my porch and smoking a pipe.
As far as how I got to the idea of pipe smoking, it was my dad. He smoked a pipe for as long as I can remember. We lived in Upstate New York, and he used to patron Cup O Joes when they were just a small operation in the mall in Queensbury. I showed an interest in it when I came home during a break in grad school, and he gave me a Stanwell 2007 pipe of the year and some 1Q. Been doing it ever since.
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