New Article: The Ritual of Smoking a Pipe

[admin]

Some pipe smokers are ritualists, some are instrumentalists, and some are both. Find out which YOU are when you read our latest article from our guest author, Mike "Doc" Garr.
The Ritual of Smoking a Pipe

 

[terry]

Neat article.

 

[lankfordjl]

Great article. Very true.

 

[baronsamedi]

I think the ritualistic aspect of lighting and smoking your pipe is one of the big reasons I like it so much.

 

[kcvet67]

I can't decide if I'm a ritualistic nstrumentalist or an nstrumentalistic ritualist. :puffpipe:

 

[kyletheaviator]

I think the ritualistic aspect of lighting and smoking your pipe is one of the big reasons I like it so much.

+1 to include packing. Everything plays into the ritual. It's not a convenience thing, but an art that must be treated with respect. Definitely an article to inspire thought! Good read indeed

 

[jchaplick]

Doc is my professor, he's a great guy. Very good article.

 

[barkar]

good article.

 

[carlosviet]

good article.

Is it? I don't know. It didn't permeate me.
As I read it, if I wash the dishes after eating, I am doing a ritual... If I go for a walk in the evenings, I am falling into ritualistic behaviour...

As far as I know, ritual is an action done for its symbolic value... The article advocates that any deed towards getting or improving a feeling is a ritual... After reading it, I get the impression that the only way of not being ritualistic is to throw away the pipe after smoking it...
If you only clean your pipe under the light of a full moon, then you are ritualistic. Otherwise, you are just taking care of your tools. And exchanging impressions how to use and maintain your tools, is not a ritualistic drive. It is a human drive of learning and improving...

 

[cortezattic]

I think Carlosviet expresses the nature of a ritual pretty clearly -- ceremonial behavior. Sometimes we can mistake routines and functional habits for ritual, which is where Doc Garr starts to stray. For an example from baseball, consider a pitcher throwing from the "set position" with runners on base. His deliberate, almost codified motion is habituated as a way to avoid any of a dozen ways to commit a balk without having to think about each and every one. It looks like a ritual, but it has intrinsic value ...and no symbolism.

 

[daveinlax]

Solid article! I enjoyed reading it. Two tobacco related rituals I have noticed and endure every day is the exaggerated pounding of the cigarette pack the young smokers engage in and the constant (like every 15 seconds) spitting the young "dippers" seem to do. Drives me crazy but it seems to be more than just a habit. 8O

 

[philip]

Interesting read. There is routine and there is ceremonial. But I think it is a fallacy to make any distinction between sacred and profane.

 

[baronsamedi]

When I smoked nails, I always bought them in the box, packed the box with 7 taps and then flipped the front-center cigarette upside down and smoked it last. I also never inhaled the first puff.

 

[locopony]

Interesting.....................I don't clean my pipes very often, but consider them very prized. I liken myself to a wizard contemplating the complexties of the universe while I smoke my pipes. I sit and consult the mind to solve what ever problems I encounter in my day. Every thing from the mechanical to the spiritual while I smoke. Just yesterday I worked on a carburetor then when I installed it the motor still didn't run properly, so I sat with my pipe and contemplated the problem and the possible solutions. So is it instrumental or ritual? I know this my pipes are for sure not profane items. I dont clean them very often, I allow the rim to char a bit, I will use a torch but prefer a match for lighting. I still attempt to pack the bowl perfectly and neatly as possible every time. I only have a few expensive pipes and still prefer the less expensive ones. I have my first pipe and still smoke it even though I have cut the stem down a bit because well the bit has been chipped away by my clinch. I prefer not to drink anything but water while I smoke, but will use a different tobacco in a pipe without cleaning it. No more Frog Morton........... awe here is some 1q...... great stuff and puff. Prop up the ole hooves and think while smoke rings halo my head. I dont even want to read while I smoke.......think only.

 

[bigvan]

"I liken myself to a wizard"...
There seems to be a lot of that going around on this board. As for the article, I'm not sure I get the point.

 

[martiniman]

Does anyone know the author Doc?

I live 5 min from Wilkes Barre and the smoke shop described El humidor was once a great pipe shop, change in ownership made it into a great cigar shop. 5% pipe at most. I am going to make it a point to look up Doc at Wilkes Univ. They are one of my business clients an I'm over there once a week.
This is an interesting read and well written. thanks for the post.
As I posted before, its the journey, not the destination.
Long live the ritualistic nature of pipe smoking.

 

[waznyf]

Thanks for the great article.

Based off of what was read, I can conclude that I am a ritualistic pipe smoker.

The one thing said about ritualistic pipe smokers that didn't sound like me was the non-smoking of nice pipes.

I avoided smoking a couple nice pipes for close to a week maybe a little longer and then I couldn't hold off any longer. I know I can keep it just as beautiful and smoke it also, so no worries for me.

Thanks Doc!

 

[jchaplick]

@ martiniman Check your PMs

 

[baronsamedi]

My pipe shelf is essentially an altar to pipe smoking. Think it's ritual?

 

[cortezattic]

Creepy, Baron. Really creepy. 8O

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Philip said

I think it is a fallacy to make any distinction between sacred and profane.

I think Doc Garr was astute in making that distinction. Can you elaborate and help me see the fallacy?