If You're Not Located in the United States, Please...

[numbersix]

Please... share what pipe smoking is like in your country.
I know we have at least 2 pipe smokers from China. Several from Australia. Several from the U.K. And at least one from Brazil. I'm sure there are many other countries too. As a frustrated traveler (i.e., I like to travel, but can't afford to), I enjoying learning about other countries and cultures. Some questions to consider:
What's it like to be a pipe smoker in your country? i.e. is it welcomed or spurned by others? Is pipe smoking common or uncommon in your country?
Do you know other pipe smokers in your area?
Is tobacco easy to obtain? Is it expensive?
Are pipe smoking laws excessively restrictive where you are?
Do you have a B&M (brick & mortar) or do you purchase from the U.S. online?


And anything else you'd like to share. And if you can share photos of your area, please do.

 

[hfearly]

CANADA (Ontario)
Smoking not allowed inside buildings, or on patios. In some regions (Capital) smoking not allowed in parks. Smoking generally frowned upon, and easily singled out because almost nobody smokes here in public.
Tobacco prices are horrible (50g = 25-30$).
Availability of blends is low, most companies won't pay the "license fee" to sell every blend they carry, but only for a few select, perceived "favorites".
Ordering beyond the 100g mark from the U.S. will be heavily taxed, but ordering any less than 200g is infeasible shipping-cost wise. Buying from a B&M is extremely expensive.
Not many pipe smokers around, due to low population density, and general anti-smoking sentiments.
Rating

Smoker-Friendliness: 4/10

Availability: 5/10

Pricing: 2/10

Community: 3/10

 

[foggymountain]

Six: I am located in New York City, which is pretty much out of the USA. Or at least it seems to be, and probably should be. They don't like smokers here. Turn up their noses at me when I smoke in public (or even when I don't). People take a look at me, then at the pipe and I can see their mind thinking "pretty much what we would expect from a weirdo like that." We are not even allowed to smoke in the parks. Pipesmokers should stage a mass protest, maybe march on Bloomberg's mansion. But the truth is we are so laid back, nobody would show up.

 

[numbersix]

@hfearly: thanks man - that is an excellent summation. That sucks, worse than here in the U.S. (but probably not for long.)
@foggymountain:

I am located in New York City, which is pretty much out of the USA. Turn up their noses at me when I smoke in public (or even when I don't).

lol! I have to say that I am really surprised by this. I would have expected NY'ers today to ignore it more than anything else. It's been a while since I've been to NYC, but in the past most seem so jaded that nothing affected them (I would expect this behavior from tourists however).

 

[irwinmetro]

+1 hfearly
But I will add that, when I pull out a pipe people generally aren't repulsed like when someone pulls out a cigarette,. Typically, people in and around my age think it's pretty cool (and they're not wrong are they?)
And here in Alberta, the taxes are somewhat higher than Ontario, some of the highest in the country. For example, I just received an order from 4noggins, that cost $25(12 for tobacco, 13 for shipping), and would've cost closer to $70 at my B&M, that's in terms of weight as they don't carry the particular selection I purchased.

 

[northernneil]

I am from Alberta Canada and we are taxed higher than anywhere I have seen personally. That being said, in oil country a lot of people still smoke cigrettes, so I do not feel like an outcast when I pull out my pipe in public. However, there is still a stong push from the anti's to ban all forms of tobacco. Silver lining, the government make too much money from taxes to make tobacco illegal, but that is a hard justification for the price.
All and all I find the tobacco community freindly and considerate. Most cig smokers are good about staying away from non-smokers and the non-smokers usually reserve their comments for when the smokers are no longer present hahaha.

 

[chagovatoloco]

Six: I am located in New York City, which is pretty much out of the USA

I am in the San Francisco Bay area, just as bad.

 

[spud]

Hi 6----------I'm in Corinto Nicaragua, second poorest country in the western hemisphere. You can get here on Spirit Airline for $100 each way. Lots of pictures on Bing Images.

---You can smoke anywhere you choose to light up. Frowned upon in churchs. Cigars [puros] are to be found everywhere, Cuban and Nica. No one smokes a pipe except for me. I'm the only one I've seen with a pipe. Pipe tobacco is not available anywhere. As in ZERO pipe tobacco. People will stare at you when smoking a pipe because that is the only pipe they have seen in their life time. Then they will gather downwind from you so they can enjoy the aroma of your tobacco.

---Want a cheap vacation? Come and spend a few days at my house, 50 meters from the beach. For free. Best for North Americans in Jan. and Feb. . Temps, here at that time is close to 100 F everyday, and that is or dry season.

 

[numbersix]

Thanks for sharing everyone. I feel badly for our brothers in Canada. Not sure if I'd even have started with conditions like that—give you a lot of credit.
Spud - very interesting - thanks for sharing. No pipe tobacco anywhere?! Wow. May I ask - how old are you?

 

[foggymountain]

Spud: that was a very kind invitation. Sorry I don't fly anymore.

 

[teufelhund]

I've been a lot of places in the military and I have seen both ends of this situation. Good luck lighting up in Singapore, but there are a lot of cool places too. I would have to say the best place for a pipe smoker was probably Greece. It's just too bad they're having a rough go of it lately, but Italy was also very tobacco friendly.

 

[werdna]

I am located in New York City, which is pretty much out of the USA

@foggymountain, you may be ridiculed for smoking a pipe, but you can still drink a 32 oz soda pop. Bloomberg lost the battle.

 

[nzpiper]

Hi Six,
I'm in New Plymouth New Zealand. Seanz is also from NZ, although he hasn't been on here in a while.
Like most, if not all the other commonwealth countries, smoking is the purest form of evil here, staright from hell. You're better off murdering someone than smoking!!! :D

No seriously pipe smoking is all but non-existant here, tobacco is hellishly expensive and extremly limited. The government is actively aiming at pricing it out of anyone's reach and frankly, they are succeeding.
B&M's are virtually non-existant.

 

[northernneil]

NZ Piper, I think my goverment is using yours as a model. They are trying to make tobacco unaffordable, but there is so much money being thrown around alberta cause of oil that the high prices aren't phasing anyone. Hell, I don't even bat an eye at a $50 tin anymore.

 

[brdavidson]

Hey Six, my Ontario seems nothing like hfearly's, we have a thriving pipe club in Oshawa, my pipe smoking in public has been met with curiosity and general good remarks. We can still smoke on patios here as long as they don't have a roof, and our local B&M has a great sselection of tobaccos. We still have the crazy taxes but beyond that I don't find it to be so bad.

 

[hfearly]

Hey Six, my Ontario seems nothing like hfearly's

You lucky bastards down there in Oshawa! :twisted:

 

[rockymtnsmoker]

Another Alberta (Calgary) boy here. Can't believe there are three of us posting on the same thread! Anyway, taxes are indeed hellish. Couple of decent but not brilliant B&Ms in town. Actually saw another piper at a local music festival last weekend and almost fainted. He slipped into the crowd before I could connect. Anyway, would love to get together with another human to smoke a pipe. May have to go visit the lads in Oshawa if we can't spark anything locally

 

[puffinbilly]

Dortmund Germany,
I’m a Brit expat living and working in Germany.

The German Government cracked down on smoking indoors in cafes, restaurants and bars only about two years ago. There is obviously no smoking on public transport or at work. However there is no problem enjoying a pipe or two in a Biergarten on a sunny afternoon or out on the terrace of a cafe.

Compared to other countries smokers are not made to feel like pariahs, pipe smokers however are a rare sight, that doesn’t mean they are a rare breed it’s just that you don’t just pop out to have a couple of puffs on your pipe and are back in a few minutes. If you light your pipe in said Biergarten one or two pipe smokers will inevitably wander over for a chat.

Prices well I don’t know how they compare I pay 20 Euros for 100 Grams of tobacco and a 50 Gram tin of quality flake Dunhill Navy Rolls or Samuel G will cost 12 Euros so my hobby costs me 32 Euros a week I think that’s about $43.

You definitely need to find a proper tobacconist or cigar dealer. Pipe tobacco is sold in most newsagents or kiosks but there is no great variety and sometimes you can blow the dust from the tins they have on the shelves.
Bill
There is also a tobacco trade fare here every year check out the link
http://www.westfalenhallen.de/messen/intertabac/en/index.php

 

[northernneil]

Rockymtnsmoker, I am also from Calgary. It would be nice to share this habbit with another human for sure hahaha. Unfortunately I have not been able to find any places / clubs where you can smoke a pipe without paying a large membership fee. That being said, maybe there is a garage somewhere that could house a little smoke meeting

 

[peckinpahhombre]

As a Canadian, I will add that you can still build a cellar on a cost effective basis using US tobacco retailers. I have stockpiled over 450 pounds in about 9 months. When I order from smoking pipes, I keep the order around 200g and sometimes 250g. I have placed over 400 orders from them and have paid duty exactly 6 times for a total of about $180. Shipping for that amount is about $10 now, and before the end of January was about $6. Not too bad.