I was out enjoying a pipe while some of my shipmates were smoking cigars the other night, and it garnered more than the usual passing interest by one of them. I let him have a couple draws from the pipe (Samuel Gawith Navy Flake in this case), and he instantly loved it. After some talking, he was asking where to get a good, inexpensive starter pipe, and we discussed the merits of starting with a cob or getting a moderately priced briar to start. He asked if I had a cob I'd sell him while he shopped around and waited for a new pipe to arrive, and I just so happened to have a cob I'm more than willing to part with (and explained to him why - it's a filtered MM that I don't use filters with, so I regularly get burning embers in the back of the throat - he was willing to put up with that until he could get a better one).
Today I gave him the cob and a small amount of Lane Burley-Light-w/o-Bite that was gifted to me some time ago, and showed him how to pack and light it. I had my own pipe loaded with some of my recent favorite, Squadron Leader (I selfishly didn't offer that up, as I only have about three smokes of it left with none more on the way yet). After a bowl of BLWB and a couple of draws from my Squadron Leader he is hooked. Now I need to help him get a decent briar, maybe another MM cob, and some good starter tobacco.
Today I gave him the cob and a small amount of Lane Burley-Light-w/o-Bite that was gifted to me some time ago, and showed him how to pack and light it. I had my own pipe loaded with some of my recent favorite, Squadron Leader (I selfishly didn't offer that up, as I only have about three smokes of it left with none more on the way yet). After a bowl of BLWB and a couple of draws from my Squadron Leader he is hooked. Now I need to help him get a decent briar, maybe another MM cob, and some good starter tobacco.