The Art of Pipe SmokingBy Lost
Hitched wrote another article, the guy has been on a role.
He write about a mutual passion and hobby of ours, pipe smoking. I urge every man to head down to the local tobacconist and purchase a pipe and any assortment of tobacco and delve into a meditation one puff at a time.
Smoking the pipe is so much more than just inhaling tobacco like a cigarette, but i’ll let him explain that.
This is the start of a string of articles aimed at manly hobbies and their benefits to the mind, body and soul of a man.
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“A pipe in the mouth makes it clear that there has been no mistake–you are undoubtedly a man.”
-A. A. Milne
In the years since the rise of feminism, men have slowly lost manly traditions. Things and activities once enjoyed primarily by men have been scoffed at by women. One of these activities is pipe smoking. And no I’m not talking about weed in your pipe, I’m talking the pipe your Grandpa smoked. That sweet smelling smoke he lit up while relaxing reading the newspaper, or sitting in his armchair watching tv. The pipe was part of his daily activities.
Maybe you’ve never known a man who smoked a pipe, so you don’t know what I’m talking about. Either way it doesn’t change the fact that pipe smoking is a manly activity worth bringing back, it is an art.
Pipes were very common amongst men back in the 30′s and 40′s and up pretty much until the the cigarette took over. Men of all kinds smoked pipes, from farmers to executives. Today, men who smoke a pipe are taking part in a manly ritual that stretches back to the dawn of time and has continued unbroken to the present. The pipe smoker belongs to a breed apart from other men. His pleasures are contemplation and relaxation; he does not rush, he is not nervous. His joys are the casual and meditative ones, those of the fireside, the easy chair, and the good book. The pipe stands as a symbol of this type of man, easily recognized by his even frame of mind, his unhurried approach to life’s problems. It is almost always just such a man who chooses a pipe as his path to smoking enjoyment.
Pipe smoking is as much ritual as it is relaxation. There’s a certain satisfaction you get when you pack the tobacco into the bowl just right. Then, the whoosh of the match followed by that wonderful, aromatic smell. Smoke a pipe with one of your favourite drinks in the comfort of your favourite armchair, and you’ve got the makings of a perfect evening.
Pipe smoking is not a habit. Done properly it is an intellectual experience. It is an aid to contemplation, a mellower of moods, a soother of the troubled mind and a friend to the common man. It makes philosophers ruffians and levels any field where two pipe smokers come together. No matter what their differences may be, they will always be able to sit together and enjoy a bowl of tobacco in peaceful harmony.
This is not having a “smoke break” with a cigarette. In fact pipe tobacco smoke isn’t even inhaled. Its savoured in the palate of your mouth. Pipes can range from cheap corncob, to exquisite briarwood pipes. What you spend is totally up to you, but the experience will always be the same.
So go ahead, grab a pipe, some tobacco, matches and a scotch, and enjoy a manly tradition like no other :
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