My goal is a 365 day rotation. At least one rested pipe for each day of the year. Since I smoke at least two diff. pipes a day that will give me some flexibility on which pipes I choose for the day. Not to mention it's just fine to work on pipes.
Minimum pipes for a reasonable rotation
- Thread starter aquadoc
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Aquadoc,then they wouldn't be Falcon's. They are great smokers. I have all types of briar and Meer pipes, but I currently use my Falcons for travel. They just can't be beat for compact travel and I carry enough gear.
Will give them more consideration. Does the choice of bowls really matter for this system or purely aesthetic?
I like Kirstens better, I now have several in my collection, the Falcon is a more simple pipe and cheaper, a lot cheaper. There are a lot of parts to a kirsten and a lot of ways to customize them. They are the AR platform of the pipe world.
Back to the OP, I found that when I started, I used one pipe, everyday, just had to be diligence with the cleaning. I now have 3-5 pipes in active rotation at any given time. I think currently right now it's 4, one is a meerschaum which I push hard, it's my all day shop smoker, the other 3 are briars. I have also found that at least for me, pipes each have a personal smoke style, not just down to what tastes good in each one, but rest times. I have a couple briars I can smoke multiple times and day, and just give them an overnight rest, than I have another pipe that if I smoke it once, I have to give it a full day if not two days rest.
So, I'd say 3 pipes is a minimum for a good rotation, if you added a meerschaum there's little you'd have to worry about.
Back to the OP, I found that when I started, I used one pipe, everyday, just had to be diligence with the cleaning. I now have 3-5 pipes in active rotation at any given time. I think currently right now it's 4, one is a meerschaum which I push hard, it's my all day shop smoker, the other 3 are briars. I have also found that at least for me, pipes each have a personal smoke style, not just down to what tastes good in each one, but rest times. I have a couple briars I can smoke multiple times and day, and just give them an overnight rest, than I have another pipe that if I smoke it once, I have to give it a full day if not two days rest.
So, I'd say 3 pipes is a minimum for a good rotation, if you added a meerschaum there's little you'd have to worry about.
My dad smoked Granger all day for about 50 years, and only smoked one pipe at a time, ever. His only back-ups were burnt out pipes that might serve for a day until he bought a new one. So that's possible. I think his pipes lasted him about a year or a little longer. I believe he bought them at newsstands in Chicago, which was a common source during the 50's and 60's. So as a minimum, that's what's possible. I'll stand by my ten-pipe idea, as a good way to preserve pipes and enjoy variety. A few days to dry out is a good thing.
That's right. All of my uncles, etc., that smoked when I was young, they had 2-4 pipes maybe at most and smoked constantly. They smoked their whole life that way. Pipes really are not any more expensive today and there are a zillion of them to buy, the sky is the limit on what you want to spend, from $5 to $5,000. I like your number mso and agree: 10-15 pipes and you have a nice selection that will support any smoking habit and give the pipes enough rest to afford them premium care to last probably a lifetime if you so choose. Any more pipes than that and you are just a pipe collector buying for want rather than need.
Want vs need is subjective.
I totally agree with one or two pipes was how it was done. They smoked them as hard as needed and pitched them.
The perfect # for me is 60. Because I like variety and go in phases.
I totally agree with one or two pipes was how it was done. They smoked them as hard as needed and pitched them.
The perfect # for me is 60. Because I like variety and go in phases.
All this talk of the one pipe approach, and using 'em till they're kippered, is making me want to get my pipes back into single figures again.
Aimless, I often go a week of two smoking 1 or 2 pipes almost exclusively....but then I let those pipes rest for a month or so after a really good cleaning.
Answer for me is 42 + 42+ 42...
But a very nice rotation can be had with a dozen or so, as well as you can get by with a couple.
But a very nice rotation can be had with a dozen or so, as well as you can get by with a couple.
The answer is always 42. No matter what the question.
A reasonable rotation? 2-3,000.
I do give my pipes a rest between days of use. The issue is keeping the fit between the shank and the stem snug. With some pipes, overuse can lead to a loose stem. But that's only true with some pipes. So maybe giving a pipe a rest is a form of insurance.
I do find that the occasional long period of rest can be beneficial to a pipe.
Only my system pipes get any prolonged drying (minimum 12 hours) with the stem removed. All others are cleaned immediately after use (stem, shank & bowl), re-assembled and placed back on the rack for next time.
It works for me :
:
Regards,
Jay.
It works for me :
:Regards,
Jay.
My grandfather had 5 pipes. One was a small pocket pipe he took to work with him everyday and then let rest on the weekend. After he retired, he would just smoke one pipe, empty it and fill another pipe. After he smoked each of his pipes he would repeat the process. The only resting the pipes got was when he slept or while he smoked one of the other pipes. I was gifted with two of his pipes after he died in 1979. I still have one of them. One of my sons has the other one.
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