Is Pipe Smoking Fading Into History?

[mso489]

During my working life, I gravitated toward jobs that had a high degree of independence. I was around people but not with them most of the time, but did a lot of my work as independent projects. I had a summer internship on a daily paper where I was out on my own most of morning, except for talking to news sources, and writing it up in the afternoon.

The Navy involved a lot of solo midnight to eight a.m. radio watches and later producing a multi-lith newspaper on a remote station (Midway Island) where much of he work was alone at a typewriter or roving about getting "news."

Likewise, much of my career was doing independent projects -- writing, editing, photography, etc. I had some social exposure interacting with reporters and broadcasters, and working with video crews and giving presentations, but much of my week was on my own. Mostly I ate lunch alone, to collect my thoughts, and took walks. Because I was productive, my bosses went along with this, and also because it made me available to them but not dependent on them.

So I get my energy working on my own, and just make forays into meetings, collaborations, and interviews. I still need a daily ration of alone time with my own thoughts. I'm the breakfast cook, to have some time to learn what I have in mind.

 

[anotherbob]

It can also be seen as a symptom of low self esteem, anxiety, and dependence.

yeah almost every psychological issue is a normal function at the "wrong" levels. Turned up too loud or turned too low. Or in the wrong context. And all those things are totally normal to have lacking sometimes. It's more how consistent.

 

[jpmcwjr]

There used to be millions of pipe smokers world-wide, now I suspect there are thousands. So, that math supports that it is a dying past time.

I suspect hundreds of thousands, perhaps several millions, if we are indeed talking worldwide.

 

[renfield]

maybe we need to do more to educate our lawmakers

There’s a better chance of teaching an alligator how to whistle.

 

[Chasing Embers]

@swilford

If ethical, could you give us a ballpark figure of the number of customer accounts SPC has?

 

[monty55]

It's a good question, but I don't believe pipe smoking will fade into history.

Isn't smoking from a pipe one of the very earliest, or the earliest form of smoking tobacco? As long as there's tobacco leaf, there will be pipe smokers.

There may be fewer pipe smokers in the future, per capita, but there will be pipe smokers, and we will be around long after cigarettes and cigars have disappeared

 

[Chasing Embers]

It's a good question, but I don't believe pipe smoking will fade into history.

Isn't smoking from a pipe one of the very earliest, or the earliest form of smoking tobacco? As long as there's tobacco leaf, there will be pipe smokers.

There may be fewer pipe smokers in the future, per capita, but there will be pipe smokers, and we will be around long after cigarettes and cigars have disappeared

If the cigarette industry fails, pipe tobacco will go with it, there will be not be lucrative enough use for tobacco. Pipe tobacco benefits from portions of yields from cigarette and chewing tobacco crops.

 

[Peterson314]

I don't think cigarettes are a proxy for pipes. I think cigars are.

Cigars are now a $12,700,000,000 market. It grew about 4.5% last year and according to market analysis, is projected to grow north of 1% a year. I don't see a scenario where pipes decline as cigars become more popular. I see people like my little brother.

He's in his early 30's, never touched a cigarette, smokes an occasional cigar with his buddies, but he doesn't find the experience very satisfying. It takes an hour or two to smoke a cigar, he's tired of it before he's done with it, there aren't that many different flavors to explore, and then he's stuck with the aftertaste for three days. Pipes solve all of those problems, and he gets to connect with the likes of Albert Einstein, Sherlock Holmes, and Gandalf. What's not to like?

His only other experience with a pipe was in college when his delinquent friends crumbled a Marlboro into a cob. I fixed that problem for him this past weekend, and he's already dropping very unsubtle hints about his upcoming birthday.

TL;DR: Pipes and it's tobacco will outlast us. But I'm building a stash just in case.

 

[Zamora]

There’s a better chance of teaching an alligator how to whistle.

Exactly, they don't care about the truth and neither does the anti smoking movement they're subservient to. By all means I'm glad politicians are no longer subservient to Big Tobacco, a damn shame they traded one dirty lobby for another.

Cigars are now a $12,700,000,000 market. It grew about 4.5% last year and according to market analysis, is projected to grow north of 1% a year. I don't see a scenario where pipes decline as cigars become more popular. I see people like my little brother.

He's in his early 30's, never touched a cigarette, smokes an occasional cigar with his buddies, but he doesn't find the experience very satisfying. It takes an hour or two to smoke a cigar, he's tired of it before he's done with it, there aren't that many different flavors to explore, and then he's stuck with the aftertaste for three days. Pipes solve all of those problems, and he gets to connect with the likes of Albert Einstein, Sherlock Holmes, and Gandalf. What's not to like?

His only other experience with a pipe was in college when his delinquent friends crumbled a Marlboro into a cob. I fixed that problem for him this past weekend, and he's already dropping very unsubtle hints about his upcoming birthday.

TL;DR: Pipes and it's tobacco will outlast us. But I'm building a stash just in case.

Nailed it. I haven't seen any surveys but from what I've seen anecdotally most pipe smokers started out with cigars and many continue to enjoy both. That's certainly the case for me and most of the YTPC members I've watched will say they started with cigars.

 

[dunnyboy]

I think pipe smoking will evolve the way drinking spirits has evolved. The enjoyment of pipe smoking will become less about mass consumption and more about connoisseurship. Instead of drinking spirits to get pissed, more people now drink whiskey to experience the range of flavors and terroir. Nobody argues that spirits are healthy, and governments are trying to discourage alcohol consumption with high taxes, just as with tobacco, but small distillers are springing up around the world, big producers are marketing more high quality, unique blends at higher prides and the market has remained viable and even become more interesting.

 

[Zamora]

I don't think pipes will die out during my lifetime, but I wouldn't be surprised if for a large number of pipe smokers things will return to how things were back in the 50s where unless you lived in a city with a tobacconist you only had access to four or five codger blends and most people only smoke one. In jurisdictions where online sales are banned that's probably already the case

 

[Zamora]

I think pipe smoking will evolve the way drinking spirits has evolved. The enjoyment of pipe smoking will become less about mass consumption and more about connoisseurship. Instead of drinking spirits to get pissed, more people now drink whiskey to experience the range of flavors and terroir. Nobody argues that spirits are healthy, and governments are trying to discourage alcohol consumption with high taxes, just as with tobacco, but small distillers are springing up around the world, big producers are marketing more high quality, unique blends at higher prides and the market has remained viable and even become more interesting.

Honestly I think that's a healthy direction for it to go. I've been under the impression pipes already made that transition, gone are the days of codgers who have two Grabows they smoke Prince Albert in all day.

 

[Chasing Embers]

gone are the days of codgers who have two Grabows they smoke Prince Albert in all day.

Probably more of them than you think. The codger blends have seen the demise of hundreds of boutique blends and have even outlived companies by decades. The number of forum membership is just a drop in the bucket for number of smokers and Grabow still has its customers. I myself have primarily settled into just two blends after 30+ years of smoking.

 

[Zamora]

Probably more of them than you think. The codger blends have seen the demise of hundreds of boutique blends and have even outlived companies by decades. The number of forum membership is just a drop in the bucket for number of smokers and Grabow still has its customers. I myself have primarily settled into just two blends after 30+ years of smoking.

I'm well aware codger blends and Grabow are still going strong, I myself smoke SWR and H&H regularly. I'm just talking about guys who smoke just one blend and only have one or two pipes and smoke all day.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I'm just talking about guys who smoke just one blend and only have one or two pipes and smoke all day.

Considering I smoke the same pipe multiple times per day often for weeks at a time before switching, it wouldn't be a stretch and my pipes are blend specific meaning that I'm only smoking one blend during that time. One of out mods often is a one pipe, one blend smoker.

 

[Zamora]

Considering I smoke the same pipe multiple times per day often for weeks at a time before switching, it wouldn't be a stretch and my pipes are blend specific meaning that I'm only smoking one blend during that time. One of out mods often is a one pipe, one blend smoker.

Off topic but what are the two you've mostly gravitated to?

 

[JOHN72]

Sorry to be pessimistic. We live in an ocean of uncertainty. I prefer not to think, and enjoy what little or much I have. Social changes, I don't think, are for the better.

 

[monty55]

If the cigarette industry fails, pipe tobacco will go with it, there will be not be lucrative enough use for tobacco. Pipe tobacco benefits from portions of yields from cigarette and chewing tobacco crops.

Except us pipe smokers can grow our own leaf... like it was done at the dawn of smoke!
I just think pipes will be around as long as man is around.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Except us pipe smokers can grow our own leaf...

As long as it's still legal to do and for those willing to put the effort into it. Nearly all production tobacco is cased to make it more palatable. I enjoy smoking untreated twists, but many find raw tobacco too harsh to smoke.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Off topic but what are the two you've mostly gravitated to?

Engine 382 and Sutliff TS24.