Welcome aboard, Blake, and welcome to the hobby. :
:
MacBaren has some good info available on their
Expert Knowledge page. Sometimes the wording is a little odd, because English is not the first language for these folks, but it's not bad.
Other than that, I would give the following advice:
There are no rules in pipe smoking, but there are what we might refer to as "best practices" - lessons learned from long experience. Ask questions - there are some folks here with lots of experience.
Buy the best pipes and tobacco you can afford. This does not mean you need $400 pipes, or can't smoke what one might refer to as the "American Classics" - Carter Hall, Prince Albert, and so on. But I am convinced, from my 40 years experience in pipe smoking, you will get more enjoyment from having 1 good quality pipe that cost you $75 - new or estate - than 3 cheapies at $25 a pop. (Good quality corncobs are an exception.) And the really low-end tobacco - the kind that is really cigarette RYO tobacco relabeled to avoid taxes, or sold in drugstores for $20 for a 12 oz bag - is best left to the RYO folks.
Other than that - take your time. Explore. Relax and enjoy. I know it's easy to be impatient with a new hobby, because one is full of enthusiasm. But pipe smoking is best when it is savored - and that's the best way to approach the hobby, too.
