Well it has ebbed and flowed over the years while i figured out what I liked and the wife would let me spend more per pipe so I'd say went from over sixty pipes and smoked 10 regularily down to the present 30 or so that I wouldn't part with.
Brown Billard don't feel that way. I'm down from five pipes to three myself. I gave on to a US civilan that i work with here in afghanistan, and one to one of the afghanistan locals that I work with also. I alaso gave them each a pouch of captain black royal to go with. They both seem to be enjoying them as I now have two pipe smoking companions when I used to be the only pipe smoker here. Not to worry you can always get more. I now have three more on the way :: funny how that works
3. One large Ashton for inside the house, and one small Ashton estate for outside. The third is a chinese "wooden" pipe that i use to hold doors open on hot days, and also as a makeshift hammer.
I have probably owned over 50 different pipes, but now I am down to just 5. I have gone through a lot of phases, but the vast majority have been the trusty briar. Also, I have come to realize that I really only like rusticated billiard or canadian pipes with no more than 1/4 bend to them. It's funny how tastes change over time.
It has been increased again to 24. 15 briars, 2 metal with briar bowl, 1 meer-lined, 3 meers, 1 gourd calabash and 2 cobs. I have added a smokingdragon cob
By material, 5 briar, 1 cob, 3 pear, 1 maple & 2 cherry.
By shape, 2 nosewarmers, 4 bent, 2 straight, other toss or sell.
The maple is the first I made. It has smoked only Maple Street. It is ghosted to the point I can taste the tobacco without even loading it. Ask again after the Chicago Pipe Show.
I now have 25. The Smokingdragon cob fell through, but I've added another meer and my buddy is giving me an aristocob. For those that don't know, an Aristocob is kind of like a Falcon, but with a corn cob bowl. So now it's 15 briars, 2 metal with briar bowl, 1 meer-lined, 4 meers, 1 gourd calabash, 1 metal with corn cob bowl, and 1 cob.
I went to my local smoke shop to get a cigar and ended up getting an MM Cob as well. So now it's 15 briars, 2 metal with briar bowl, 1 meer-lined, 4 meers, 1 gourd calabash, 1 metal with corn cob bowl, and 2 cobs.