New Member Introduction - 2017

[jpmcwjr]

No bragging detected! I, too, have three or four Dunnies, one a birth year which I took to NYC a few weeks ago to celebrate my......birthday!
I am under a hundred pipes, but some I don't smoke but twice a year. About two dozen or so for most of my bowls.
So, carry on, write for hours on your pipe thoughts. Your English is rather refined!

 

[dunstanhillwell62]

A belated congratulations on your birthday, jpmc...
At the moment I think that my pipe collection is about 150 pipes and I also do smoke them all; some more than others though. It gives me immense pleasure first deciding which tobacco I'd want to smoke and then deciding which pipe gets the honour. I do not have special pipes for special kinds of blends; they are just divided into latakias and non-latakias and a couple of pipes for when I do want to try the occasional aromatic.
Thanks for the compliment on my English. As it is not my mother tongue I am ever so slow and careful trying to get it as correct and readable as possible.
Happy smoking

::

 

[jpmcwjr]

If only a couple of our native English speakers would take half the care you do! But it's all good.
I also don't segregate my pipes by tobacco type, partially because 90% of what I smoke is English/balkan blends!

 

[gunr]

Hello all from North Carolina!
New to this site and only psuedo new to pipe smoking. I have been lurking here for a while and decided I should take the plunge and sign up. I look forward to learning all I can and contributing where I am able. Retired from the Marine Corps in 2014 and am currently trying to enjoy civilian life.
Thanks!

 

[itsthesparks]

I should have done this a while ago but hello from the Pacific Northwest! I've been lurking on the site for a few months (sponging up all the info I can) but only joined within the last month.
Started out with an estate Yello-bole and a fresh cob. A young buck nearing 30 and a first generation pipe smoker. Trial by fire for me.
I look forward to all the wisdom that will be bestowed upon me by you all. God knows I'll probably need it! :mrgreen:

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Welcome, Gunr and Sparks :D

 

[dreamsofsmoke]

Good morning. Until very recently, I smoked only English, Virginia flakes, Va/pers, and the occasional lat heavy Balkan when the mood strikes. I began with aromatics, but found them to be one dimensional and uninteresting, a snob like pride was taken at moving on from aros... except that I just found Rattray's Exotic Orange and, just like that, I'm an aro smoker all over again. It's my current love affair, along with F&DCVP and McClellands 40th. These are my current pipe tobacco affairs. This forum provides a terrific pathway for finding tobacco's I'm not familiar with and that's why I'm here. A cumulative decade or so of pipe smoking and while I still buy the occasional new pipe, it's exploring the blends that currently holds my interest.

Hello fellow pipe people ::

 

[bluegrasspipe]

I suppose it's time for an introduction since I joined in January this year, (after lurking around for over a year).

I smoked cigs for about 15 years, and during that time in my early 20's (at a bluegrass festival hence bluegrasspipe, I am a mandolin picker playing bluegrass 20 years + now), I found a falcon pipe. I was rolling drum tobacco from the big can at the time, and decided to clean it up and try that in the pipe.

Next thing I knew, I was buying an aromatic tobacco blended from a B&M blend called victorian standard which I smoked lightly for many years, it smelled and smoked wonderful, had a light vanilla to it. I have friends that started smoking a pipe because they loved the smell of this blend.

Then recently, a friend of mine started asking questions about smoking a pipe and asked for some pointers from me. I realized I have a lot to learn about pipe tobacco, and in my search I found the wonders of english/balkan and vaper/vabur and virginia flake blends, along with many others of course. I started researching more myself and before I knew what had happened, I had a case of PAD/TAD like no other. I bought about 20 pipes in one year before I got control of myself. :puffpipe:

Which brings me to this forum. Google constantly directed me here to the dead sea scroll threads and this wealth of knowledge for which I am grateful. I have spoken to GL Pease among others with questions and issues, traded with members and been clued towards countless blends while available, who knew how fun this could be? Thanks for everything, Cheers!!

 

[celticrunner]

Good day to all! Another newbie to the ranks of the pipe lover, though I got a late start on this. My first 48 years on earth were spent in a very conservative religion so no smoking at all. Left that in 2008 and tried my first pipe and cigar in 2015. Cigars are meh and I don't care for them, but the pipe....this is not only a beautiful work of art and has a delightful history, but smells great and is a pleasure. I don't smoke often as I'm a runner,cyclist and active fella. But occasionally I do indulge and LOVE the pipes themselves and their legacy. In 2015 I had acquired 5 or 6 low grade briars and decided to give them all away and cease smoking. But, last month I was called back again to this and was glad to take up the "hobby".I'd kept one pipe given to me as a gift, a Peterson Aboriginal meerschaum that has been used a few times with aromatics. Due today is my first Savinelli Tortuga 305 rustic. My other passions are Celtic languages and music, shakuhachi and Native American flutes, Buddhist philosophy, kilts and tattoos, writing and blogging, history, especially Celtic, running and cycling. Looking forward to learning more and enjoying this forum!
Seumas Dòmhnal Ross

 

[mbwilson]

A couple of months ago my brother gave me a few pipes that belonged to our grandfather. At the time I had been trying to quit smoking cigarettes with vaping and snus with good success, but I still liked to smoke and would smoke 1-2 cigarettes a day, though 1-2 would often become 3-4 or 5-6. Pipe smoking has quickly replaced the few remaining cigarettes. I've enjoyed it much more than I would have imagined. Pipes and tobacco have also replaced knives and guitars as my outlet for collecting things. This is a very interesting subculture full of history, artistry and craftsmanship, and I am happy to learn more and participate.

 

[falc]

Hello All! I have been lurking here for a little while and thought I would formally say hello!

Been smoking pipes for the better part of 30 years or so. I have a very small collection of pipes, my favorites seem to be the unfinished pipes from Amazon but I have a few Peterson and Savinelli. I enjoy a good aged tobacco so my tobacco collection is ever expanding. Favorite blends at the moment seem to be Nightwatch and McClelland 2015. I was fortunate enough recently to have a friend point me to the Tabac Manil blends of Semois Burley and since then I have been searching for more unique tobaccos from around the World. Look forward to reading and learning more from this forum, have a great day!

 

[surenot]

Greetings from Philadelphia. While shopping in center city with my wife a few months back I found myself perusing cigars in a tobacco shop when a familiar scent wafted near me. It took me a moment to put my finger on it but it was the same scent I remembered my Doctor smoking when I was a kid. (In the 80's!) I asked the gentleman what he was smoking and he chuckled a little and said half and half. I purchased a Missouri Meerschaum hardwood, a small sample of one of their house blends and a pouch of half and half. I really enjoy half and half but believe it is more of a love of the nostalgia as opposed to the tobacco. To support my nostalgia theory, I tried nearly all of the major brand OTC blends and find half and half is the only one I like. After working my way through the OTC blends I decided to try some other blends. My first was Petersons Irish Flake. I consider the Irish Flake a good tobacco. My next purchase was Dunhill 965 which I consider a better tobacco. My most recent purchase was Frog Morton's Cellar and I must say that I'm in love. It's the best I have tried so far. Along the way I acquired two estate pipes. One is a Jobey Torino and the other is a Butz Choquin leader. I really like them both however they are both straight stems and I am finding myself more comfortable with a bent stem.
I look forward to talking tobacco with you guys.

 

[tomnernas2ndson]

I assume I'm a new old member. I've been smoking a pipe since 1984. I joined this site in 2011, and made my first post then. I just made my second post this past week. Someone noted it was a record between posts.. I transitioned careers back around 2010, was already into smoking pipes, jumped around a few sites beginning in 2000, lurked a lot, but with 3 daughters going through high school, college, etc, I did not find much time to post anywhere. With the youngest one off to the university this Fall, I'll finally have time to post and learn more. Its for me, I served in the USMC for 6 years and am a veteran, went on to a 20+ year career in law enforcement, and for the past 14 years have been a professor in higher education. I started aggressively collecting pipes back in the mid 80's, in fact at a time up to over 200, then suddenly reduced the herd down to about 30 pipes. Among them I kept are a dunhill, savinelli, radford, custombuilt, jan zeeman, a group of fine making careys, some Mizzou meerschaums, and recently added a cob from Bob Man and one from Bulletproof Basil..Neat pipes. And a few unarmed freehands.
When I returned a week ago to this forum, I made an error of advising I had a large amount of tobacco to sell, etc, as it was part of my downsizing. Not having thoroughly read the rules, my post was removed(justifiably so) since I had not met the minimum number of posts. It caused me further reflection, so, in turn, in lieu of selling the tobacco, I shipped out several boxes, probably 5 pounds in total at least, of a variety of samples of what I had for free to a retired cop and a former navy member who frequent this forum and were among the first to befriend me upon my return here. Good people. Paying it forward. I'll get to that 100 posts in the next few months, and maybe then, sell some. Or, Otherwise, I'm inclined to pay it forward. Peace... Greg

 

[phreon]

Hi,
I've been a lurker for a fair amount of time here. I've been pipe smoking 5 or 6 year, mostly occasionally. I've found great advice here and think it's about time to participate and branch out. If I smoke 4 bowls a week, that's a lot, but I'm finally learning to savor, sip. The "Breath" method has saved my tongue.
I started with various Missouri Meershaums which I still think are a great value. I recently discovered Falcon pipes and so far am thrilled. They're pedestrian compared to what some of you smoke, but I'm quite happy how good they are.
My current favorite:

 

[aldecaker]

Greg, welcome back, and phreon, welcome aboard! I guess we're pedestrians on the same sidewalk, as I'm smoking Middleton's Apple in a MM Legend even as I type. :wink:

 

[hobie1dog]

Welcome everyone. Now don't be shy, post up for us.

 

[rcanderson]

Aloha everyone, new pipe smoker from beautiful Hawaii here. A few months ago I joked about growing out a beard and smoking a pipe. My wife made sure that I was aware of how much she was against both choices.
So here I now sit with a full white beard as I puff on my newly acquired 2011 Oom Paul shaped Dunhill Ruby Bark (5226) filled with some Ashton Artisans Blend. Once she saw that she wasn't going to win that battle she finally gave in. But I do confine my pipe smoking to outdoors.
I see postings here and there from other pipe smokers in Hawaii, but I have not seen anything within the past couple years. I am wondering if the new pipe tobacco taxes chased them all off. Was hoping to find a local pipe club but alas I have not been able to find anything here. I haven't even seen another pipe smoker around yet, so I will have to continue enjoying new tobacco finds alone.

 

[lazar]

Hey all - greetings from New Mexico. Long-time lurker, blah-de-blah. I've been around a couple of other forums but don't know why I've hardly ever posted here, considering how often I find great info. So I'm kind of a new member.
I've only been pipe smoking for 2-3 years, though smoked cigars before that. My dad smoked both and inherited his pipes, humidor etc., and couldn't let them go to waste! So far I've been able to resist PAD since I started out with a baker's dozen of pipes, but TAD is another story.... I only smoke a bowl a day max, so I probably have plenty.
My favorite genres are latakia/Oriental blends, aros, and cross-overs. Some of my favorites are McConnell's Oriental, Boswell's Piper's Pleasure, Pembroke, and 3 Oaks Syrian.
Looking forward to exploring more here!

 

[northernpipeshed]

Hi all.........been Lurking around for quite a while and thought I had better join. Been smoking a pipe for a few years now ( not including the stolen puffs of my dads when I was in my teens )
I live in the U.K.....but unfortunately for my wallet my Favourite tobacco is nearly all from across the pond...mainly C&D and GL Pease blends.
I love Artisan pipes and enjoy restoring old briars that I take a fancy to and modding cobs when time allows.
Looking forward to some good chat.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Welcome, gents, hope your time here is enjoyable.
Northernpipeshed- how far North?
Lazar- The City Different or elsewhere?