Not smoking and not drinking ARE flaws.
Introducing Friends to Pipe Smoking
- Thread starter Mrs. Pickles
- Start date
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I've tried here and there with no luck.
Most people who use nicotine have strict routines.
Same as when I've tried to get my dad to drink any alcohol other than beer.
Most people who use nicotine have strict routines.
Same as when I've tried to get my dad to drink any alcohol other than beer.
I wouldn’t bother. Unless someone is already well established in supplies, legislation and time are just going to make things harder on new smokers.
I can’t imagine anyone asking me but I’d probably recommend them to this forum (that’s how I got started) and give them a couple of pipes and some different tobacco.
Since I was taught that gentlemen don’t use the “f” word, your example is not likely for this pipe smoker.
That’s definitely an introduction to two important things to appreciate about this hobby. This forum (and its YMMV attitude) and the generosity that exists among people who enjoy pipe tobacco. I’ve certainly been the beneficiary of both.
I keep a handful of cheap new cobs around just in case. I don't make the offer unless someone expresses some genuine curiosity about my pipe smoking. I've only done so twice, and both efforts seem to have been successful. The first was with my oldest kid, who just attended the Chicago pipe show with me so I'm pretty sure it worked well with him.
Opportunities not that frequent but frequent enough for me to keep a couple of unsmoked cobs and/or inexpensive basket briars on hand for friends and acquaintances who show interest. During my college and grad school days, my pipe attracted a lot of interest. At the time, I didn't have the budget to buy new pipes, let alone give any away, but I could easily persuade mates to go to a pipe shop with me to get outfitted with pipes, tobaccos, and accessories. A couple of those guys totally took to pipes; one guy became a serious collector who started carving and now sells his custom pipes as a side gig.
When I get to socialize in a tobacco-positive setting, the seasoned cigar aficionados tend to stick with their fave brands. Occasionally, a nonsmoker or a guy who just dabbles in cigars shows interest in pipe smoking. If the interest seems strong, I'll offer one of my standby pipes, some nice tobacco, and a little guidance in packing and lighting. More than half the time, my offer leads to a tasting. The gesture has led to two or three guys taking up pipes as a regular hobby.
When I get to socialize in a tobacco-positive setting, the seasoned cigar aficionados tend to stick with their fave brands. Occasionally, a nonsmoker or a guy who just dabbles in cigars shows interest in pipe smoking. If the interest seems strong, I'll offer one of my standby pipes, some nice tobacco, and a little guidance in packing and lighting. More than half the time, my offer leads to a tasting. The gesture has led to two or three guys taking up pipes as a regular hobby.
I have a local lady who smokes RYO's and she wants to try a pipe at our next BBQ so it does happen.
So what tobacco are you going to introduce her to?
I think a Virginia as that seems to be what she smokes and go from there, probably some 507 with that added sweetness is a good place to start.
Before i built my current home i lived in a nearby city with close proximity to a tribal cigar lounge. It was close and convenient for socializing after work and i went there several nights a week to visit like-minded folk. I started my evening out with a couple pipes and then transitioned to cigars when we hit the dart boards. I had only been at the pipe for a few years at that time and was quite enthusiastic. Several of my cigar buddies from the local lounge showed interested in them, especially when they saw the price of the tobacco (about $8/tin at the time). So as time went on many of them took to the pipe, sharing and exploring blends in the earlier part of the evening together. I know a few of them stuck with it over the years. Good times....
I've attempted twice. One co worker heard me mention i was a pipe smoker. He then followed it up with a nostalgic "I wish I was a pipe smoker" . So I surprised him with a pipe and baccy a week or so later. Changed his life forever.
My brother inlaw always mentions wanting to start. I gave him a few pipes and some blends. I don't think he ever tried it. Wish I had that pipe back now haha.
I have another friend who smokes a pipe. Just like we here on the forum do. But the pipe was acrylic or plastic, with a metal insert bowl. But he was smoking Rainy Day pipe tobacco by Ashton. At the time the forum came to an agreement that I shouldnt tell him hes wrong and I'm right.. Let him smoke his strange contraption in peace. haha.
Otherwise Im the only one in the group that smokes a pipe. And will ever only suggest it if it's brought up to me.
My brother inlaw always mentions wanting to start. I gave him a few pipes and some blends. I don't think he ever tried it. Wish I had that pipe back now haha.
I have another friend who smokes a pipe. Just like we here on the forum do. But the pipe was acrylic or plastic, with a metal insert bowl. But he was smoking Rainy Day pipe tobacco by Ashton. At the time the forum came to an agreement that I shouldnt tell him hes wrong and I'm right.. Let him smoke his strange contraption in peace. haha.
Otherwise Im the only one in the group that smokes a pipe. And will ever only suggest it if it's brought up to me.
I don't think I have an evangelistic bone in my body...well, except maybe encouraging pipe smokers to try growing their own tobacco!
I took a "cigarette only" friend to this year's Chicago Show. He was so intrigued and asked many questions, learned the ins and outs of pipes, and made a few new friends in the smoking tent. I ended up buying him a Morgan Bones, he bought himself a Peterson. He sampled almost everything on the tobacco sharing table and became a member of the CPCC.
in contemporary world ,I assume pipes are too trublesome, asking for cocentration and patience which for younger men is simply unbearable task
A couple years ago I was on a camping trip with my wife. We were sitting around a campfire and I was doing what I always do around a fire, smoking my pipe. A young couple walked by with their dog, and I noticed that the guy was smoking a cigar. His wife remarked that she liked the smell of my pipe. I waved to them, said thank you and they moved on. About 10 minutes later they looped around again and approached us to ask some questions about pipe smoking. I asked him if he wanted to try smoking one and he was very interested. I had an older basket pipe with me. I cleaned the stem with a little vodka, ran some water through it, loaded it with some Carter Hall and we spent the next two hours smoking and talking about pipes and pipe tobacco. Jon took to it like a duck takes to water. We discovered that we only lived about 45 minutes apart and we now get together quite often to smoke and chat. In the following two years, Jon has collected about 100 pipes and through YouTube videos and many talks with me has taught himself basic pipe restoration. In the last 40 years, I've introduced many people to pipe smoking but I've had the most connection with Jon. What started out as a chance meeting progressed to a mentorship of sorts and has ended up in a true friendship. My buddy and his wife just celebrated the birth of their first child a few months ago. They had us for a lovely dinner at their house and my wife got lots of cuddle time with their new baby and Jon and I enjoyed some pipe smoking on their porch. It was a lovely evening and I was reminded of the power of a shared interest. If someone expresses an interest take the time to help them out. It might not result in a lifelong friendship, but it will certainly will be appreciated!
I've gotten a number of guys started over the years. Usually it's been an acquaintance who's seen me smoke a pipe, or heard that I smoke a pipe, who's said something like, "So cool! I always wanted to try that!"
Most of them haven't been serious smokers beforehand. Maybe they'd tried the occasional cigarette or cigar.
I keep a little box of cheap but functional pipes -- usually of the 50s drug store sort -- that I've wound up with as extras in ebay lots and such, in order to share with guests at my house, or to give away to a guy who wants to get started.
As for tobacco, I'm a big believer in dialing in perception via comparison and contrast. So, I'll send him home with a sample of one virginia, one burley, one latakia mixture, one cavendish aromatic, and possibly one scented lakeland or some other wild card. (Just enough for a bowl each, in baggies.) I'll tell him to smoke one per day for the next few days, and then report back on what he liked best.
Then if he's drawn to one of those genres, I'll send him home with samples of sub-genres. For instance if he liked the VA, then I'll get him a sample of a yellow, a red, a brown, a dark, etc.
Then if he's drawn to reds, I'll have him try all my reds (Ok not my McC 40th anni. just yet, but you get the idea).
By comparison and contrast of sets, sub-sets, sub-sub-sets, etc. he'll either be off to the races or he won't. Some guys give up quickly as it turns out not to be for them. Some guys latch on. If they latch on, you don't need to do anything else -- they'll be reading this forum before long.
One thing that I've realized is that a guy is going to be as into it as he's going to be. If he's not going to stick with it, then he simply isn't, no point in trying to motivate him by giving him more. If he's going to dabble occasionally when the situation arises, then that's just where he is, don't expect more. And if he's going to jump in deeply and long-term, you won't have to do much.
You don't usually have much say in what people are in your life or what they like.
Most of them haven't been serious smokers beforehand. Maybe they'd tried the occasional cigarette or cigar.
I keep a little box of cheap but functional pipes -- usually of the 50s drug store sort -- that I've wound up with as extras in ebay lots and such, in order to share with guests at my house, or to give away to a guy who wants to get started.
As for tobacco, I'm a big believer in dialing in perception via comparison and contrast. So, I'll send him home with a sample of one virginia, one burley, one latakia mixture, one cavendish aromatic, and possibly one scented lakeland or some other wild card. (Just enough for a bowl each, in baggies.) I'll tell him to smoke one per day for the next few days, and then report back on what he liked best.
Then if he's drawn to one of those genres, I'll send him home with samples of sub-genres. For instance if he liked the VA, then I'll get him a sample of a yellow, a red, a brown, a dark, etc.
Then if he's drawn to reds, I'll have him try all my reds (Ok not my McC 40th anni. just yet, but you get the idea).
By comparison and contrast of sets, sub-sets, sub-sub-sets, etc. he'll either be off to the races or he won't. Some guys give up quickly as it turns out not to be for them. Some guys latch on. If they latch on, you don't need to do anything else -- they'll be reading this forum before long.
One thing that I've realized is that a guy is going to be as into it as he's going to be. If he's not going to stick with it, then he simply isn't, no point in trying to motivate him by giving him more. If he's going to dabble occasionally when the situation arises, then that's just where he is, don't expect more. And if he's going to jump in deeply and long-term, you won't have to do much.
You don't usually have much say in what people are in your life or what they like.
I concur with the idea that a man is going to do what a man has to do - and if he believes that smoking a pipe is something that has to do with him, he ain't going to smoke if for long.