How to Hold Your Pipe?

[4dotsasieni]

I was looking through some old Sherlock Holmes and other Victorian tales yesterday, and noticed that many smokers were holding their pipes in a manner rarely seen today - that is, with the thumb (under) and forefinger (above holding the stem, middle and ring fingers in front of the bowl, little finger under (if a flat pipe.)

My usual method is to just hold the bowl with my whole hand, as in my avatar photo. But, just for fun, I tried this many-fingered method, and don't see any advantage - in fact, my hand soon started cramping. Anyone else use this method? I suppose it would be appropriate for a long-stemmed, or clay pipe.

 

[piperookie]

I just made that motion with my hand and it seems very similar to how I would hold a ball. Were these figures holding particularly round pipes maybe?

 

[piperookie]

Double post, sorry...

 

[bigboi]

I usually like to hold my pipe in my mouth and let it hang. But when I do hold it in my hand I hold it like you do 4dot

 

[chubbster]

In your mouth, preferably with tobacco burning

 

[puffy]

Most of the time I hold my thumb behind the pipe.Two fingers around the pipe.Two fingers under it.But not all the time.This is one of those things that each pipe smoker figures out for him or her self

 

[checotah]

Like Puffy, most of the time I hold my pipes as he describes, but sometimes, if I'm being particularly contemplative or introspective, I hold it with my first finger over the stem which is resting on the back of my middle finger and tip of my thumb. This tends to happen more with straights or slight bents, but even full bents can get this treatment. Sounds kinda strange, I guess, but then I wear that robe well...

 

[redbeard]

I am a clencher, but when I do hold it my thumb is on the bowl nail facing me and my other four fingers are under the bowl. I have GIGANTIC hands though

 

[matchstickman]

My favorite way to hold my pipe is with the stem pointed at whoever I happen to be talking to while waving my pipe emphatically to emphasize whatever line of bulls**t I happen to be spouting at the time :mrgreen:
In all seriousness though, something that I dont ever see anyone do and something that is particularly comfortable for me, particularly with a straight stemmed pipe and even more so with a churchwarden, is to actually hold the pipe by the stem for a little while. I kind of curl my forefinger and middle finger around the stem (I suppose the same way some people hold a cigarette) and just let it rest on my fingers. I like to do this with my clay pipes too since the bowls get so damn hot.

 

[igloo]

I wrap my thumb and index finger around the bowl . This allows me to smoke my pipe and still give the international symbol of love if needed . It also keeps me from heating up the bowl and smoking too fast .

 

[4dotsasieni]

"Were these figures holding particularly round pipes maybe?"
No, in fact, most were bulldogs/Rhodesians or billiard shapes. I guess, as Mike Phillips said, it's a matter of personal taste. But this style of holding seemed to be in greater fashion awhile back. By the way, Mike, the reason my hand cramped is that a medication I'm forced to take often causes muscle cramps - in all kinds of weird places (ask my wife).
As for me, I like to hold the whole bowl because I enjoy the feel of the pipe warming as I smoke.
And can anyone identify the person in the photo I posted -- is that Tolkien? Edison? None of the above?? :?

 

[matchstickman]

And can anyone identify the person in the photo I posted -- is that Tolkien? Edison? None of the above?

Looks like Tolkien if Im not mistaken, and I dont think that I am.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

definitely Tolkien

 

[wildcat]

Like Bing, I find myself smoking this way from time to time...

But then again sometimes it depends on the pipe...

 

[misterlowercase]

I hold like that at times also, one noted advantage is when reading a book, the thumb remains free.
William Faulkner

Bertrand Russell

Walter Cronkite

Georges Clouzot

...but I've yet to hold my pipe like this:

 

[teufelhund]

Depends on the pipe +1 I've noticed that I hold bent pipes differently from straight pipes.

 

[4dotsasieni]

Great pix, everybody. Thanks!

 

[ugh457]

Not sure I'll be using the toe hold ever...lol...but mostly because to reach my pipe would result in a sit-up. I'm too lazy for exercise 8O ..

 

[joshwolftree]

I usually hold either cig style by the stem, or thumb under pointer behind bowl pinky in front of bowl, and middle and ring fingers resting on the top edges or providing carbs

 

[wildcat]

Love that shot of Cronkite!
+1 on the smoking while reading comment.