Hello, everybody!
I have been a pipe smoker for about two hours now. I bought my first pipe nine years ago, fully intending to break it in on my 50th birthday. It was a straight Peterson something-or-other from the Sherlock Holmes series, with a P-lip. I can just make out "925" on the silver band.
The pipe has been lying dormant in its box all these years until very recently, when I was suddenly reminded that I had it. Then I looked it up, and it struck me as a waste that I should have spent all that money on a pipe only to have it lying in a box. And what with all the restrictions on tobacco recently (the ban on menthol cigarettes for one thing), I got worried that I might not be able to enjoy it when I'm 50. So I decided to break it in 5 years early.
I proceeded to buy pipe cleaners, the 3-in-1 tool, another couple of pipes, a pipe stand, and, of course, some tobacco. I bought the tobacco from the US (less than half the price of what I have to pay in Norway, even for the Danish brands (which, ironically, I'm not allowed to buy from Denmark)). Of course, I've yet to see what the customs will add - if it's the regular 25% import tax then I'm still ahead, but for all I know they may be adding the tobacco tax as well. We'll see.
I did buy one brand from a Norwegian shop, though, just to get me started. Capstan Original Navy, flake.
Anyway, I had an early day today, and it's just as well that I got to test this out without the missus present. I think I did just about everything wrong, in spite of all my online research. Even set off the smoke alarm at one point. That's something for another thread, I guess, but my first impression was pretty much exactly what I expected: "this just tastes like smoke." At this point I should mention that I have never smoked anything in my life before today, nor used snuff or any other tobacco related product, though you could say I've been a second hand smoker all my life. So I fully anticipated my tongue and pallet to be completely unprepared to take in any of the actual taste of the tobacco. I have more hopes for the aromatics I've ordered, but I've read that a new pipe should be smoked in by something neutral.
Got lots of tongue bite, too. Didn't feel any nicotine kick (don't know what that's supposed to feel like, anyway). I could taste more of the tobacco when drinking coke afterwards, than I could when I was smoking it.
So did I like it? Well, I enjoyed the attempt. I didn't care for the taste, but it didn't bother me either. It was... smoke. By the end I was also having bits of half burned tobacco coming through the mouth piece as well, and that wasn't very pleasant. But I feel confident that with practice I'll be able to get things less wrong. And perhaps be able to keep the thing lit.
That's another thing: of all the things I ordered, the one thing I forgot was a lighter. So I probably went through half a box of matches for one bowl.
Anyway, that's how I became a pipe smoker. I've spent way too much money to stop now, but I think this will be more a weekly thing than daily, at least for now.
I have been a pipe smoker for about two hours now. I bought my first pipe nine years ago, fully intending to break it in on my 50th birthday. It was a straight Peterson something-or-other from the Sherlock Holmes series, with a P-lip. I can just make out "925" on the silver band.
The pipe has been lying dormant in its box all these years until very recently, when I was suddenly reminded that I had it. Then I looked it up, and it struck me as a waste that I should have spent all that money on a pipe only to have it lying in a box. And what with all the restrictions on tobacco recently (the ban on menthol cigarettes for one thing), I got worried that I might not be able to enjoy it when I'm 50. So I decided to break it in 5 years early.
I proceeded to buy pipe cleaners, the 3-in-1 tool, another couple of pipes, a pipe stand, and, of course, some tobacco. I bought the tobacco from the US (less than half the price of what I have to pay in Norway, even for the Danish brands (which, ironically, I'm not allowed to buy from Denmark)). Of course, I've yet to see what the customs will add - if it's the regular 25% import tax then I'm still ahead, but for all I know they may be adding the tobacco tax as well. We'll see.
I did buy one brand from a Norwegian shop, though, just to get me started. Capstan Original Navy, flake.
Anyway, I had an early day today, and it's just as well that I got to test this out without the missus present. I think I did just about everything wrong, in spite of all my online research. Even set off the smoke alarm at one point. That's something for another thread, I guess, but my first impression was pretty much exactly what I expected: "this just tastes like smoke." At this point I should mention that I have never smoked anything in my life before today, nor used snuff or any other tobacco related product, though you could say I've been a second hand smoker all my life. So I fully anticipated my tongue and pallet to be completely unprepared to take in any of the actual taste of the tobacco. I have more hopes for the aromatics I've ordered, but I've read that a new pipe should be smoked in by something neutral.
Got lots of tongue bite, too. Didn't feel any nicotine kick (don't know what that's supposed to feel like, anyway). I could taste more of the tobacco when drinking coke afterwards, than I could when I was smoking it.
So did I like it? Well, I enjoyed the attempt. I didn't care for the taste, but it didn't bother me either. It was... smoke. By the end I was also having bits of half burned tobacco coming through the mouth piece as well, and that wasn't very pleasant. But I feel confident that with practice I'll be able to get things less wrong. And perhaps be able to keep the thing lit.
That's another thing: of all the things I ordered, the one thing I forgot was a lighter. So I probably went through half a box of matches for one bowl.
Anyway, that's how I became a pipe smoker. I've spent way too much money to stop now, but I think this will be more a weekly thing than daily, at least for now.
