Less is More
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Of the six pipes I'm using I have:
Standard straight stem with Dover rustic
Hunter straight stem with Dover smooth
Extra straight stem with Dover lined
Standard bent with Plymouth Smooth
Shillelagh with Turkish meerschaum 'Dublin'
Shillelagh with Hunter Plymouth
That's a comprehensive response, thank you! I like simplicity and avoid clutter. Having tried a lot of blends, and this is not a cheap hobby, I've quickly realised that I do not have a delicate palate and little refinement for it. It's interesting reading the different views though and I appreciate your time. I'll check out the links.I just wanted to make sure before I went on about some things, you might of known already.
Simplicity in smoking is a great thing, but I wouldn’t confuse simplicity with having choices. Smoking for only a few years is barely scratching the surface.
Have you heard of Dr. Fred Hanna?
Meet Fred Hanna, Doctor of Pipes | Smokingpipes.com
Read our interview with Fred Hanna, Doctor of Pipes and author of Pipe focused books such as <em>The Perfect Smoke</em>.www.smokingpipes.com
The Myth of Brand and Maker in Pipesmoking
This is also a good article, a lot of people have a misunderstanding of what an Aromatic is.
Aromatic Pipe Tobacco | Smokingpipes.com
Learn more about how aromatic pipe tobaccos are made, including the differences between casings and top notes.
It’s true price doesn’t always equate to a better smoking pipe, but there are also higher priced higher quality pipes that are better. But at times a higher quality pipe can also turn out bad. So, it takes time and experience digging around. So you might think, why do I want to bother with all this, I guess you’d look at it like Hobby Exploration, just something you like doing, checking out different pipes.
Everyone’s tastes are going to be different, and just like tobacco, it takes time to develop the taste buds to sense and appreciate the complexities, especially if someone wants to smoke and enjoy good complex blends.
There are certainly pipe smokers who gravitate towards certain pipe materials, and only smoke these, but, I would never suggest doing this, especially for someone that wants to smoke complex blends, and really experience the world of pipes, until they’ve smoked a lot of different pipe materials, with a lot of different blends for quite a number of years.
If anyone thinks they have it all figured out after a few years, I’d say, just wait, and guess again. Even the most veteran of pipe smoker, will occasionally run into peculiarities from time to time. One of the simplest reasons here is that, tobacco blends can vary from year after year, the crops will change, methods and materials will change, and then it causes you to rethink that blend, and how to go about it.
I can tell you, for me personally, my higher priced pipe, with briar aged over 20 years has been the absolute most amazing pipe I’ve ever smoked. It opens the tobacco up to much greater depth and complexity.
I do have an older meerschaum, but maybe one day I will try a more expensive Altinay.
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Even after all these years, I’ve not jumped yet into the higher end meerschaums to see what they might bring, or at least some decent ranged ones.
Someone could smoke briar with only a few years age on it, and it’s a nice pipe, but if the smoker hasn’t developed their taste buds, or doesn’t smoke complex blends, then they’ll really never know, and it could simply taste good to them, for lack of experience.
Tobacco complexity is where aged briar shines. Now it doesn’t have to be an expensive pipe, simply an inexpensive estate pipe with decades on it could be nice.
For me personally, I’ve never smoked a briar pipe that only had a few years of age on it, that was as good as one with a lot of age. But someone could always luck out…
Is pipe smoking really difficult, no, it’s just something you might have to do a long time, to start developing the taste buds, obviously some people‘s taste will be better defined than others quicker. We’re not all born connoisseur wine tasters, it takes time.
I would never put anyone down for whatever they wanted to smoke out of, and whatever blend they liked, I would just make sure to steer them down the right road, which is, you need to try a lot of things in various ways for many years.
Oh, and besides the materials, specs really change things up. Bowl Height, Chamber Depth, Chamber Diameter, Outside Diameter.
I wouldn’t discount briar at all, it’s one of the great smoking materials. I can only assume, the ones you bought, the briar wasn’t that good is all.
Just remember, just like life, it changes, we change, and our mouth and personal tastes changes. So what you are smoking, doing now, you might not be doing down the road.
So unless you like eating chicken every day, then you will probably find years down the road, many more amazing tobacco blends, and eventually you’ll find amazing briar pipes too.
To be honest, anyone who loves pipe smoking, with their gained experience, learns to appreciate smoking from briar, corncob, clay and meerschaum, and we might even throw some of the more unusual in there, like Olive and Strawberry wood too, because they all offer something different. Even Corncob that some might flip their nose at, but, because how corn is more porous, not the density of briar, that breathability lends to a different smoking experience.
Give yourself time, a few years isn’t enough to start discounting any of it, and sure, you might dislike something at this moment, but you might also find, you’ll come back to that what you once didn’t like, you like now.
Tastes change all the time, and until you’ve smoked a lot of pipes and different blends, over the years developing the tastebuds, you’re not going to really know, unless you’re happy eating chicken all the time. LOL
Like I always say; I don’t eat chicken everyday! LOL
Now none of what I’ve been saying here, has anything to do with owning hundred of pipes and hundreds of blends. I’m only saying, unless your tastes are very simple, and possibly one dimensional, then owe it to yourself to sample a lot. Then, in time, you own only a few pipes, and maybe a few blends. Blends are a different story, with so much out there to try, I don’t think we’ll ever be able to try everything out there In our lifetime.
Yes I love simplicity, and I’m not a hoarder, or collector, but I’ve gone through a lot of pipes and tobacco. At present I have 3 pipes with a 4th on the way, and around 15 blends. I’ll only ever own a few pipes, but I’m always trying different tobacco blends, because there so many amazing blends out there.
Aloha & Enjoy!
I appreciate your listing this. I have only one Falcon which is a straight stem and a mid size bowl. Would like to add a couple more bowls but haven't yet.
Gotcha. I misunderstood and I thought you were off briar completely but just meant full briar pipes, not briar as a material.
I agree it's best to skip buying every pipe that catches your eye... But tobacco is a different story.
Buy it now while the variety is wide and the price is cheap.
Buy it now while the variety is wide and the price is cheap.
All good, my friend! Not knowing Falcons well I thought maybe they used alternative materials in their bowls.
Well my little experiment seems to be working for me. I've paired my pipes and cleaned them out so they are now going to be for my fixed tobaccos. St Bruno tasted a bit better on the second and third bowls so might have had some ghosting or flavour bleed over before.
Basically I've organised it so I have one pipe for couple of similar tobaccos. I'm stocking up on those blends and kept a pipe spare for sampling other blends at Christmas and holidays, taking on board what you guys have said about expanding tastes...
It's a lot easier to grab a pipe and it's associated tobacco, less thinking, less stress and more enjoyment so far.
Basically I've organised it so I have one pipe for couple of similar tobaccos. I'm stocking up on those blends and kept a pipe spare for sampling other blends at Christmas and holidays, taking on board what you guys have said about expanding tastes...
It's a lot easier to grab a pipe and it's associated tobacco, less thinking, less stress and more enjoyment so far.
I buy everything i can to see what works for me from blends of Tabacco to pipes. I have a long way to go for sure but have found one pipe brand in particular that smokes long and cool and makes smoking extremely relaxing! That would be nording pipes just absolutely love their style and the way they smoke.
I'm cool with having just a few pipes and I agree with it being less of a chore deciding which one to smoke. Having 6-7 pipes only is ideal to me. Tobacco on the other hand, I enjoy having a bunch of stuff to choose from. It's not difficult for me to just grab something off the shelf and be happy with it. Good to hear that you are finding your groove, brother. Enjoy your Falcons!
Minimalism is the anti contemporary. For some, it isn't about being contrary. I haven't been able to put a finger on it for myself. Brain chemistry? Socialization reaction? Ethics? Economic trauma or necessity? I know when I watched Jeff Goldblum have three of the same suits in The Fly, never having to make a choice (later was told Einstein was the same), I was instantly connecting with the approach. Later, an experience with people laughing at a Rothko painting, but silently thinking it was something I liked. Then, being mesmerized by Richard Serra's steel work. Randomly running into interior design photos and liking the sparse, minimal aesthetics the most. And then running into minimalism in music with drone and repetition. At some point, there isn't much choice other than connecting the dots and realizing minimalism is something in you.
The problem is: the world outside is at odds with all that. It is rarely an immediate beeline to the minimal. The frontend is usually loaded with more and clutter and options, but by the time I'm at the backend, I often desire less and sparsity and fewer choices. It's always this collision of worlds, and then the same learning curve. You can feel like a real dunce to have to re-learn and re-learn the same, over and over again. It's more complicated than we think.
The problem is: the world outside is at odds with all that. It is rarely an immediate beeline to the minimal. The frontend is usually loaded with more and clutter and options, but by the time I'm at the backend, I often desire less and sparsity and fewer choices. It's always this collision of worlds, and then the same learning curve. You can feel like a real dunce to have to re-learn and re-learn the same, over and over again. It's more complicated than we think.
I definitely understand your mentality. I have a collectors mentality, in all my hobbies, but I find myself sticking to a few in those hobbies and am gravitating back towards your approach.
I've only been smoking pipes for a little over a year and have 1 good briar pipe, 2 cheap ones and about 20 different cobs. Out of all that selection, I generally dmoke a few of the cobs and the rest just sit. I keep a cheap briar in the garage, to smoke while I work.
Tobacco, i have about a dozen blends, but when I bought a few blends in bulk, I again found myself only smoking those blends. I don't have a super palate, so I can't pick out every nuance of every blend. So, that's probably part of the reason I can stick to just a few.
I smoke cigars every now and again and I find I do the same there. I have a few dozen different types of cigars, but keep reaching for about 6 different sticks, when I want a cigar.
Now, the only thing I do, is hone in on the few types of tobacco I like and buy it in bulk and cellar it.
Glad you found a system that works and one you're happy with. Happy piping!
I've only been smoking pipes for a little over a year and have 1 good briar pipe, 2 cheap ones and about 20 different cobs. Out of all that selection, I generally dmoke a few of the cobs and the rest just sit. I keep a cheap briar in the garage, to smoke while I work.
Tobacco, i have about a dozen blends, but when I bought a few blends in bulk, I again found myself only smoking those blends. I don't have a super palate, so I can't pick out every nuance of every blend. So, that's probably part of the reason I can stick to just a few.
I smoke cigars every now and again and I find I do the same there. I have a few dozen different types of cigars, but keep reaching for about 6 different sticks, when I want a cigar.
Now, the only thing I do, is hone in on the few types of tobacco I like and buy it in bulk and cellar it.
Glad you found a system that works and one you're happy with. Happy piping!
I never thought it was work to pick a pipe. I decide what Im smoking and among the pipes I use for that blend I pick the one that appeals to me.
But if less is more to someone Im happy for them. Whatever makes ya happy.
But if less is more to someone Im happy for them. Whatever makes ya happy.
I think labeling it as "work" is not really useful or accurate. It's more about a type of dissonance, or maybe an unnecessary noise related to too many options. It's not as if it is unusual. Children offered too many options often show signs of frustration, irritation, and being overwhelmed by the choices. All that subconscious stewing that is constantly cooking. Consumption and more is better is a learned behavior and perspective, and a relatively new one at that.
For me, pipe smoking is not an addiction or habit, it is a hobby. I like having choices and variety. It is not a chore or a frustration when selecting what to smoke. FalconForever has his preference and likes the limitation. Good for him. I aimed for a minimum of 21 pipes of different shapes so that I could smoke three a day and not have to smoke the same one more than once in a week. Why? I do not have a reason. Tobaccos I purchase sporadically when I can and what is available. I have preferences of my own, but I hope not rules to enforce or restrict. But others are free to do differently and may it be that way ever thus!
My mindset is similar to the OP. Being new to pipes, I'm still tempted to try various blends that seem like they could be nice. Good thing one can purchase 1 oz. quantities. I'm enjoying the "hobbyist" aspect of pipe smoking, but my goal is to learn what my range of tastes are and eventually stick to just a few blends that I like. And smoke them from a modest collection of pipes.
Ever see those threads where people ask, "What did Tolkien smoke?" or "What did Einstein smoke?" You don't get this huge list of blends and a description of their cellars. The answer is almost always one blend. And these were smart guys.
However what Funkenhouser says strikes a chord with me. I'm looking at retirement in a few years. I'm arranging my house for that eventuality. Stocking up on a few blends seems prudent, to a point. There are way more important things to prepare, and stocking up on tobacco variety and quantity takes a lower priority. Less is more.
Barry Schwartz wrote a book about the paradox of choice that gets at exactly what you are talking about re too much choice. Here is aTed Talk Barry gave on the subject that I really like.
The paradox of choice
Psychologist Barry Schwartz takes aim at a central tenet of western societies: freedom of choice. In Schwartz's estimation, choice has made us not freer but more paralyzed, not happier but more dissatisfied.
As for pipes, I really like a lot of them, but am pretty controlled in what I buy. I’ll buy a brand new pipe once every few years and my max spend limit is $300 (tho a Castillo might be an exception down the road). I’ll buy estate and antique pipes here and there though if the price and condition are right.
See I prefer to spend money on tobacco now, figure out my palate, and build my cellar, which is close to where I want it. Prices and availability of tobacco keep changing for the worse whereas for pipes not so much. Hopefully after a few big TAD purchases this year in prep for some tax changes I’ll be set and then can buy a few more nicer pipes.
But like one of you said, it’s akin to having a stocked liquor cabinet and I like having choices even if it means I might have more than enough.
See I prefer to spend money on tobacco now, figure out my palate, and build my cellar, which is close to where I want it. Prices and availability of tobacco keep changing for the worse whereas for pipes not so much. Hopefully after a few big TAD purchases this year in prep for some tax changes I’ll be set and then can buy a few more nicer pipes.
But like one of you said, it’s akin to having a stocked liquor cabinet and I like having choices even if it means I might have more than enough.