Is Pipe Smoking Changing?

[jpmcwjr]

I've found myself growing in the opposite direction over the past year or so. I spend more time smoking two or three pipes and as many blends when just a few years ago I was all over the map with both piped and blends.

Same. Sometimes less is "more".

 

[mikethompson]

I am kind of with Embers as well, I have a few blends I like and I'm happy if that's all I will ever have. I have a very modest collection of pipes and I when I get a new pipe, an old one goes away.
But I started a similar thread a while ago asking whether we really have it better now than say 40 or 50 years ago, and it was a resounding 'yes', both in terms of what's available to us, and sharing information.

 

[tulsagentleman]

I started smoking a pipe when I was in college in about 1960. I had two briar pipes I bought at the drugstore and smoked Half & Half. Sometime later I discovered Borkum Riff and thought it was exotic. That was my go-to tobacco for a long time. Then I quit. Then I started smoking cigars, now I'm back on pipes and with the advent of the internet have acquired too many pipes and have too many varieties of tobacco. I think I will sell all my pipes but a couple of favorites and go back to H&H.

 

[brian64]

You can log out anytime you like, but you can never leave.

 

[bassbug]

I guess that if you can be so easily influenced by a bunch of strangers on the internet, this isn't the place for you.

 

[trubka2]

Ah, yes, the overthinking of overthinking. Just when I was starting to think that all that stuff about the meditative state induced by pipe smoking is a bunch of BS.

 

[irishearl]

lamp, what, you don't think hanging out here while you're at work beats actual working at work? Heck, even after I retire in 3 weeks I plan to hang out here. :lol: As to blends, have always only kept 2 on hand at a time. I do like having the # and variety of pipes I currently have which gives me a regular rotation of 10 or so evening pipes, 9-10 noon pipes, about 14 breakfast pipes and about 8 afternoon pipes on the weekends- I always smoke after every meal and on week-ends I throw in a mid-afternoon pipe session.

 

[mityahicks]

I'm not entirely sure all has changed. My grandfather died sever years ago at 93 and he held onto his modest pipe collection of around 20 pipes in varying condition. The man had not used these pipes in more than 50 years as his Doc made him quit, but he held onto those pipes. They must have been meaningful to him, because he didn't horde anything and got rid of most of his possessions before his final days. No fire pit for that old timer.

 

[olkofri]

"Less is a bore."

—Robert Venturi

 

[bullet08]

and i was happy with marlboro red and a pint of Guinness.

 

[kola]

I have 3-4 pipes I use (3 fantastic older Petes, 303 spigots and a great smoking spiral Boswell) That's it. I smoke the same 5 or 6 blends regularly and every now and then I grab out for a change-up blend.
I've changed, not sure about the rest. I'm going back to my roots and stopped chasing for the the Holy Grail blend/s.

 

[milehighpiper]

As a fairly new pipe smoker I don't know much about the "changes" that have taken place. I have to admit that I enjoy having the availability of pipes, the ease of buying a handful of new blends and yes I sometimes enjoy this forum. I can imagine a time where catalogs were the closest thing to the internet and I respect that. However, I think I live in a great time for pipe smoking.
I enjoy every chance I get to relax with a pipe in hand and wouldn't have it any other way!

 

[tjsgarden]

Sometimes I get frustrated. I have smoked a pipe on and off since the early 70's. After dozens of pipes and an untold amount of 'fancy' tobaccos, now I often enjoy MM cobs and am smoking Mixture #79 for the first time as I write. It is like coming full circle back to the naive, simplistic enjoyment of tobacco.

 

[admin]

You are now in our power ... mwahahaha!
The members of this forum are a subset of pipe smokers - a niche within the niche.
When someone asks me what I do, and I try to explain this place to them, I compare it to wine connoisseurs.
There are casual wine drinkers - which is most people - and then there are the serious wine hobbyists - that collect wine (like we collect pipes) and have wine cellars (like we have tobacco cellars).
This is not so new.
This website recently turned 10, and the discussion are not too different now than they were in 2009.

 

[instymp]

"I've found myself growing in the opposite direction over the past year or so. I spend more time smoking two or three pipes and as many blends when just a few years ago I was all over the map with both piped and blends."
"Same. Sometimes less is "more"."
Amen

 

[trouttimes]

Well said Kevin.

 

[judcasper]

For years I just grabbed a pipe and whatever pouch was close and off I went. Little if any thought give to choice or the experience.

Well, all I can say is that despite being a pipe smoker for less than 6 months, the above quote describes me perfectly. If habits are changing I certainly haven't picked up on them.
To be perfectly honest I put no store whatsoever in all this talk about pipe/tobacco rotation, and certain pipes for certain tobaccos. I'm not even a great believer in 'breaking' a pipe in. Just get the damn stuff in there and light it!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Judcasper, we've had members that do that, and all are welcome here, but after a while you will start asking yourself why you are here... because talking about your one pipe and one tobacco will start to get old. Lets hope that you can string the conversation about that pipe and tobacco out as long as you can. ::

 

[bassbug]

cosmic has a point but I'll add one proviso.
If indeed one is interested in TALKING about pipes and tobacco, it helps if they have something new to talk about once in a while. If one prefers to pick up a tip here and there, stay current on the "industry" and maybe try something new once in a while there's no need for soul searching

 

[judcasper]

Well, you've both misinterpreted my post grossly. I didn't say, or even suggest, I smoke just the one pipe and one tobacco. All I said is that I don't pay any attention to rotation or tobacco/pipe choice.