How Many Pipes Do You "Need" in Your Rotation?

[foggymountain]

I "need" about 45 pipes in the rotation. About 9 a day and a 4 day rest for each. I have almost 3 times that many. Why? It's more fun. And if you let a pipe rest a longer time between smokes, say a few weeks, it really smokes dry and is tastier.

 

[numbersix]

let a pipe rest a longer time between smokes, say a few weeks, it really smokes dry and is tastier

+1

 

[petergunn]

It's more fun. And if you let a pipe rest a longer time between smokes, say a few weeks,

you must have a really good system or great long term memory, after I smoke and rack a pipe the next day I struggle to remember when I smoked it last let alone a week out
I'm a minimalist at heart so my thoughts are always getting the most out of the least and I got this notion the other day that I could exist quite happily with four group 4 pipes (2 Dunhill 2 Ashton) and 2 group 2 pipes and 2 old knockabouts for hunting/fishing.
Right now I'm at dozen with no plans to reduce, as I'm and outside smoker in good weather I'm up to 4 bowls a day and I let the pipes rest at least a day.
I've got two old workhorses that I can smoke 3 or 4 bowls a day without out any issues but the rest I will do 2 bowls a day max, so I think about a dozen is right for me at this time with my core being 6-8 and the rest my bench players

 

[bobpnm]

How many pipes are there? A post here from thenumbersix about his Briar Bid listings convinced me I needed another one. Unfortunately for my bank account, there are still some pipes out there that don't belong to me.

 

[cigrmaster]

I rarely smoke more than one bowl in a pipe in one day. The only time it happens is if I am going out for the day and I will then smoke tops 3 in the same pipe. I will let that pipe rest for at least one week. I dedicate pipes to certain categories of blends so that ghosting is at a minimum. I have my Va pipes and Vaper pipes and I will start dedicating other pipes to my Va/Buley blends now that I have 5 of those blends in my rotation. I just need to figure out which pipes I want to dedicate to those. I believe that for a pipe to give you the optimum smoking experience the pipe needs to be completely dry. Now some pipes will dry faster than others so you will need to figure out which ones do. When money is a concern, I believe the best bang for the buck is the estate market. You can get some great smoking pipes for under 100.00 and in many cases under 50.00. It would behoove anyone looking to increase their collection to learn the estate market, plus it is a blast when you score a great pipe for short money.
Al is a member here who gets some awesome pipes from the GBD line for not a lot of money. He would be a good person to get in touch with for help with those. We have sponsors such as http://www.mkelaw-pipes.com/ who sells pipes for 50.00 and under.

 

[flyguy]

Unless you are a collector (a big "Unless"), you need enough pipes in your rotation to rest your pipes enough so they don't go sour. For me, that means owning 14-24 pipes. YMMV.

 

[chubbster]

I have two pipes. I guess they are considered high grade, and an ultra high grade. I smok them everyday. One for Va and one for oriental forward blends. Both pipes are bone dry after smoking, and they have yet to go south on me. I clean thoroughly after every smoke, with a paper towel, bristle pipe cleaner and a fluffy pipe cleaner. If you take care of your pipes and dot smoke then wet, you can smoke everyday.
YMMV though...

 

[05venturer]

No need to over-think these things. Keep the pipes clean, and let them -- and your desires -- dictate the "need".

In my experience, your pocketbook will be the determining factor in the long run. [:lol:]

+1 cortezattic

 

[samreddevilz]

I am confused about the actual no. As I never reached there. I will inform you as soon as I can reach there. Thanks,

 

[voorhees]

I have several in rotation as follows...but smoke these more often.
LVC Meer (which I smoke 2-3 times a week)

Comoy Bent

Savinelli Zulu

Savinelli Dry System

Edwards Squat Bulldog

GBD Bent

Dunhill(occassionally)
I also throw in one of the other pipes from my collection every now and again.

 

[chopsie]

I currently have 3 Briars, a Peterson Meerschaum and a Kirsten pipe in my rotation. Ideally I'd like to get up to 7 Briars (one for each day of the week). I smoke 2-6 bowls in the chosen briar of the day and it gets rested for 2 days at the moment, while this hasn't caused any problems bowls 5 +6 if they happen aren't as nice of a smoke. What I have is working for me, but I think 7 briars will be my happy number.

 

[teufelhund]

I just filled my 12 pipe rack with briars and I have a handful of cobs, clays and a meer. I usually get to rest my briars for about two weeks. I supplement my rotation by either just smoking a cob, clay or my meer as well as sadly to say, non-smoking days. I always have a dry smoke so that's nice and I don't really like have a lot of excess pipes around at the moment so I have a sort of pipe survivor competition where my faves manage to stay in the big 12 and others hit ebay. Also justifies to my girlfriend the need to purchase and restore more pipes.

 

[smokeystover]

Some really good advice here. My personal minimum rotation would be 3 to 6 pipes, smoking one pipe multiple times per day. For what it's worth, some of my most memorable smokes, the ones I have remembered for years later, have been from the second or third bowl in a particular pipe. I guess some of my pipes just taste better when they're a little wet.
My current rotation is 24, reduced over the last several years from over 100. I find that with a smaller rotation, each pipe gets smoked and cleaned more often, and smokes better because of it.

 

[foggymountain]

To keep track of the rotation I put a coin on top of the pipe racks indicating which pipe of a group is to be smoked next. Groups include Crosbys, billiards, Canadians, panels, and so forth.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I would be happy with 365 . . . well, maybe 366 for leap years

 

[paintedklown]

Good thoughts here guys.
I have thought about this question more since posing it, and in my mind, I have the idea that multiples of 7 seems to be a good idea.
If you have seven pipes, you can smoke one per day. If you have 14, then you can smoke 2 pipes a day, with alternating between the two for each bowl. If you have 21 pipes, you can smoke three a day, while rotating the three for that day with each bowl you smoke...and so on, and so forth.
Just an "idea" I guess, and how I am thinking I will attempt to build my collection. Obviously, it will take a a VERY long time to build up my collection, so until I have 7 pipes in my rotation, it's MM cobs to take the abuse. :lol:

 

[coolsiggy]

I've been a pipe smoker for 25+ yrs. I think it depends greatly on how often you fill & light and the degree of moisture in bowl. I rotate 20 of my favourites and alternate between two pipes daily with a fresh pair each morning. I have found this to be the best way to maintain a fresh set of pipes. I generally have about 10 pipes in a 2-3 week rest cycle, my rack holds 33 which makes things easier to regulate.

 

[ciderguy]

I don't like to put more than 3 bowls through a briar in a day, and then I'll let them rest for a day or two. I generally don't bother to worry about the number of bowls I run through a MM cob. My thoughts are that if the cob is cool from the previous smoke, then it is ready to be filled again. I've probably smoked 10 bowls in a cob before letting it rest overnight and then used it for the first bowl the next morning.
I do smoke very slowly and maybe this helps keep everything dry. I can keep a MM Mizzou Express lit and smoking for 30 to 45min.

 

[Wellington]

Many old smokers used the same pipe numerous times a day, every day. You're pipe isn't going to break or die or burnout if you don't listen to the rest theory now and then. I smoke my pipes if and when I feel like it, I do try and rest in a day if I can, but I don't lose any sleep if I smoke it a a few days in a row.

 

[philip]

How Many Pipes Do You "Need" in Your Rotation?

Just one more.