If You Had To Do It All Over Again

[pipesmokingtom]

Another topic sparked this little idea in my mind, so I thought I'd check in with the group for your thoughts.
If you had to take up the pipe all over again or could give your past self some advice on the matter, what habits, purchasing, etc. would you change?
Would you spend less on tobacco/more on pipes, would you skip over a specific tobacco genera completely, would you have started a YouTube channel way back when, would you have been more active in a pipe club, etc?
Me personally? If I had to give myself one piece of advice, I would have suggested spending less time learning about smoking a pipe (forums, videos, etc), and much more time actually smoking a pipe.

 

[wyfbane]

Hmm. Good thread. I suppose I would have been a bit more patient in my diving into the realm of ebay. I have done remarkably well, having only gotten bitten maybe 4 times out of 150 or so and of those only twice badly. But I think I would have taken more time to get knowledgeable. I think the best deals are made with people face to face at shows and meets. I just never get to those. So my second change would be to make it to more meets and shows. Lol.

 

[voorhees]

I would have stopped buying alot of cheapo pipes from antique shops. And I would have moved to flake sooner.

 

[pagan]

I don't think I would change much, I've done pretty good on building my collection, maby spend more thought on baccy purchases, seam to have a lot that I really don't smoke much, tend to favor the plain codger blends.

 

[ashdigger]

Voorhees, those are my thoughts EXACTLY. The only addition is I wished I picked up the pipe early, since I derive so much satisfaction from it.

 

[bryguysc]

I would have cellared earlier. I spent a lot of time just buying from the local B&M jars, and only when I ran out.

 

[aldecaker]

Either stopping at codger burleys and MMs, or starting cellaring much sooner. One or the other.

 

[jvnshr]

I wish I would have started pipe smoking hobby of mine earlier, when I was a student. I could have bought more pipes and tobacco, smoked more and freely.

 

[crashthegrey]

Voorhees, you nailed it. I have a feeling more than a few of us feel this way.

 

[katarn07]

I should have bought a sampler that sampled various genres rather than hastily purchasing an aromatic sampler pack that I can't stand to smoke. I've only been at this since February so haven't made too many slip ups.

 

[texmexpipe]

I had the inclination and even tried a pipe in College, but for some reason it didn't stick. I would tell my 20 year old self, "stick with it dummy!" I think this would have had some profound affects on some of my life decisions.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Either stopping at codger burleys and MMs, or starting cellaring much sooner. One or the other.

Certainly two different directions.
I'm on a codger burley kick right now, trying to focus on a couple pipes and a couple blends to really get to know them. I think I've suffered from some option paralysis and it hasn't done me any favors.

 

[markus]

If had known that I was going to burn myself out on latakia so fast, I wouldn't have bought so damn much of it!

 

[hmhaines]

Cobs are awesome.
Buy plenty of Perique.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Feeling that I was just lucky; not much I'd change doing it over. Exception: bought some estates that were simply mistakes. Not horrible pipes, but ones I just don't smoke.

 

[ray47]

I'd smoke only cobs and no more then 3 blends.

 

[robwoodall]

I seem to have suffered from tongue-bite more than most people. Part of the problem seems to be that I started buying many pipes and many types of tobacco early. Since each pipe smokes a little differently, and each tobacco smokes a little differently, I feel like I was constantly starting from scratch.
If I had it to do over, I'd buy one or two good pipes (gosh, the money I wasted on cheap pipes!) and one (or two) decent tobaccos, and leave the experimenting until I'd developed a bit of skill.
As it is, I still tend to get tongue-bite the first few times I smoke a new blend, but the first nine months was nearly constant pain!

 

[hmhaines]

I'd smoke only cobs and no more then 3 blends.

That'd make things a lot simpler.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

As it is, I still tend to get tongue-bite the first few times I smoke a new blend, but the first nine months was nearly constant pain!

I remember you having a problem with that.
It's hard to avoid wanting to buy/try ALL the things ALL the time. In the end, I just don't think it's beneficial. So you can say you have 400 different blends and 100 pipes. If you don't ever get to a point where you enjoy them, what's the point.
Off to buy some more new tobacco with my birthday gift card!

 

[papipeguy]

I wouldn't change a thing. I've been having a blast for 46 years. Of course there are the blends I should have hoarded from the 1970's but who knew.