Myths, Misconceptions, and Other Fooey

[warren]

Big myths: People who smoke a pipe are nicer, smarter, more sophisticated, more honest, better grounded, politer, dress better, have more money, are better looking, have fewer illnesses, live longer, are deeper thinkers, smell better, or in general are just better people. Anyone stating any of the above merits a huge "Bronx Cheer."
My apologies to any member who does indeed have all of the traits listed above. I for one am missing one, possibly two of them.

 

[agnosticpipe]

Thanks for the re-assurance Tom. I really didn't want someone coming over to break my fingers over something I said... Whew...

And just to make sure that doesn't happen, I agree with everything that everyone else has said on this thread! Like Bradley said, "that's my story, and I'm sticking to it"!

 

[lostandfound]

Rubbed out flakes like to crawl out of the bowl a lot, so I will light those and then tamp to get a flat ash...

Ditto. ODF does this often, and with enthusiasm.

 

[mso489]

A reamer is one of the basic necessities of pipe smoking. As someone stated earlier, if you choose, you can live without cake by wiping out the bowl each smoke. This leaves a nice carbon coating sufficient to all purposes. Many beginners do serious damage with a reamers, and some people continue to do damage for lack of skill or talent. Reamers are needed if you build a lot of cake, or renovate pipes of those who have. Otherwise, you need never own one. They are not terrible implements but are often misused. I agree with a number of the other "myths" dispelled here, but won't belabor them. I also agree that you can get some choice smoking pipes for moderate and even low prices, but you have to put in the sweat equity to learn which ones are good quality.

 

[allan]

Anyone stating any of the above merits a huge "Bronx Cheer."

I resemble that.
I'm from the Bronx.

 

[warren]

allan: You'll be the leader then and can teach the others what a "Bronx Cheer" is.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

All advice is hog phooey, IMO. I think that people want to make something magical or make it all seem harder than it really is. It does take time to get into a style with your smoking. And, I guess the one day a week dabbler with the pipe will probably never fall into as natural rhythm with smoking, so that it is just second nature, thus they want a quick fix suggestion. Whereas the guy with the pipe in the maw all day long doesn't even think about how he loads his pipe, or worries about breaking down a hot pipe to clean it. They've learned through experience to get a sublime smoke within their own style of smoking that fits what they are doing at the time.
I was in the cycle; the newbie giving advice to the newbie, while the experienced smokers smile and realize it is all just silly. Thus, I don't post as much any more. I can watch the newbies helping the newbies now and chuckle. Like playing a guitar, if your just going to pick it up on Sundays and play one song, that's all your ever going to do. If you really want to make music, your going to have to play it all day long every day. It takes time and practice to make smoking your pipe as second nature as putting on your shoes. But, I realize that there are all sorts of different people coming to pipes for different reasons. And, it's all good. Use your magic packing method, your magic lighter or match, and your magic lighting style, smoke in your magic way, and then treat the pipe like it is some magical thing that will break its mojo when you take it apart when hot. And, a good guitar player can play a good song on an expensive "quality" guitar, but a great guitar player can rock out on any junky thing that can hold a tuning.
You can follow rules and get a good smoke once a week, or you can practice all the time and become the Eric Clapton of pipe smoking. But, all in all, if only the best birds sing, the woods would be silent, so everyone just do your own thing, follow whatever mojo, ritualistic, dark magic, paint by numbers method you want, ha ha. As long as you enjoy your pipe the way that fits who you are.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Like playing a guitar, if your just going to pick it up on Sundays and play one song, that's all your ever going to do. If you really want to make music, your going to have to play it all day long every day.

Just like my guitar instructor used to say: "You don't learn how to play guitar at a guitar lesson."

follow whatever mojo, ritualistic, dark magic, paint by numbers method you want, ha ha. As long as you enjoy your pipe the way that fits who you are

But, avoid projecting your whacky superstitions on others! Encourage exploration, not dogma!

 

[shikano53]

I was told that if I smoked a pipe I would get laid more often. Alas!

It's not true! :crying:

 

[allan]

Cosmic
Very thoughtful response.
I would say, however, that when I was a 'newbie' I would look for advice anywhere. Unlike cigar smoking, pipes are much more complex, at least when you are starting.
Cigars, cut the end, light the thing, smoke it. Yes there are different cutters and a jillian ways to light a cigar, but that gets solved quite quickly.
Pipe smoking to a beginner can be very daunting and as a matter of fact, much of it was mystery to me when I re-began smoking one after many years. Only when I joined this forum and met some members and asked all of the 'stupid' questions and watched all of the videos did I finally become comfortable with a pipe, and equally importantly, learn what I wanted in a pipe and tobacco.
Let's give our newbie's a chance to explore and even though we can smile, I'm for helping out anyone I can, just as all of you guys helped me.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Let's give our newbie's a chance to explore and even though we can smile, I'm for helping out anyone I can, just as all of you guys helped me.

Heck yeah! And that's more to my original point. The advice real pipe smokers actually give is solid and informative, but it seems to often be asterisked by "you'll get bad advice ie. against cobs or aros or whatever." I just haven't found that to be true, as a rule.

 

[robwoodall]

I'm glad you started this, Tom. I was thinking the same thing and it really can be hard for a newbie to separate the "wheat from the chaff" as they say...
Warren, however, was just wrong. I smoke a pipe, and I'm perfectly awesome. MUST be a correlation!
LOL

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I made a few statements about it all being good. But, these guys who just got the advice are probably better at giving the same advice back out than me. I don't even think about how I load a pipe. Like putting my shoes on this morning, I don't even remember doing it, but I must have, ha ha. They're on my feet. I must have packed this pipe and lit it somehow, but I just didn't give it much thought. When I do something over a dozen times a day, it just becomes a "thing".
Everyone was shown how to properly hold a fork, or a steak knife, but how many times do we think about it when we eat? Do we do it exactly like we were shown?
Since I left all of the advice aside for myself and just starting "doing it" my own way, these new lads can do a much better job than me. Not that I am any better than the one day a week smoker at all. Just different... and I probably smell worse, ha ha!!

 

[shikano53]

This is a great thread. Thanks Tom!

I just ordered my first cob despite all the cob bashing I've read.

I smoke because it is there. No wait; I climbed it because it was there.

Here is one of my fav pipes.

My little, Medico/

And here are the tools I use to work on my pipes for maintenance. These are very high end and expensive tools! I paid a lot of money for these.

Chris in Red Deer, Alberta

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Everyone was shown how to properly hold a fork, or a steak knife, but how many times do we think about it when we eat? Do we do it exactly like we were shown?

I don't do anything like I was told/shown, because I'm a stubborn prick. Sometimes I'm better for it, often times not. It's my cross to bear.

 

[carytobacco]

Funny when people dismiss aromatics. 90% of pipe tobacco solanum the U.S. is aromatic. The other 10% must know something we don't. :roll:

 

[sablebrush52]

People who smoke a pipe are nicer, smarter, more sophisticated, more honest, better grounded, politer, dress better, have more money, are better looking, have fewer illnesses, live longer, are deeper thinkers, smell better, or in general are just better people.

Gee, Warren, thanks for all, the nice comments about me, though you forgot to mention my extreme modesty and humility.
The hobby is a mountain range of BS, and some of that makes it really fun and interesting, while other items are just BS (no, I'm not referencing Balkan Sobranie, though that would be apt as well...).
Some myths and plain old BS:
Tobaccos can age forever and just get better and better.

Any tobacco blend is head and shoulders above the rest.

All tobaccos must be cellared for years before they are good to smoke, or that cellaring will make hugely dramatic changes to the flavor. They will be different, but not unrecognizably so. I'm enjoying some 15 year old Escudo right now and it has a different flavor, but it still tastes like Escudo.

Dunhill is the best made pipe.

High end Danish pipes smoke better than anything else.

You have to spend at least $300 to get a decent pipe.

THE terrible "break-in" period.

Aros are for beginners, or droolers.

A dime's thickness of cake is necessary.

The whole charring light, tamping, true light ritual.

Never remove the stem when cleaning, the fit will be ruined.

100 year old, or older, briar offers a superior smoke.

Calculating the age of the briar includes how old the pipe is, ie: a 50 year old pipe made with 30 year old briar means that the briar is 80 years old. It's 30 year old briar regardless of the age of the pipe. Age is determined by the age of the root in the ground, nothing else.

Handmade pipes are superior to machine made pipes or vice versa.

Artisan made pipes are superior to factory made pipes or vice versa.

Straight grain pipes offer superior strength - they're actually structurally weaker - mixed grain is strongest.

Sandblasts are inferior to smooths.

Wide open draws are superior to traditional draws. or vice versa.

Brand names offer an ironclad guarantee of quality.
And so much more.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

...Meerschaum is not fossilized sea critters, despite the description on SP.com...
Edit: They changed the description! That makes me happy.

 

[nachman]

Breaking done a pipe when it's hot is a sorry myth I"be been taking them apart for 50 yrs while hot, no breakage, shanks clean with Q tips very good and it doesn't solidify letting it cool overnight. Rim also cleans better while hot. I clean my pipes after every smoke. You hear they will wear out if you do this, don't believe that. That's my story and I"m sticking to it

+1. I too have been smoking pipes for a long time, since 1963, and always have pulled the stem and cleaned it while hot. I have never broken a stem and find the pipe cleans much better while hot. The gunk wipes right out if you get to it before it cools and solidifies. My father did the same thing back in the forties.

 

[kanaia]

Fantastic thread pipesmokingtom and a amen on sable's list.