New Members, Introduce Yourself!

[carlbc]

Hello all!

After forum-lurking for a while, I decided to join after perusing the CPCC Show this past weekend. I've been smoking pipes since 1981, when I bought my first pipe while stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC. My service career was Army, but my avatar is an homage to my father's service in the Navy as a diver aboard the Skylark in the 1950s.
I enjoy many different pipes, and I seem to constantly shrink and expand my small collection as the interest in my old pipes wains and new pipe interests arise. I'm currently trying to round out my collection by accumulating one or two of the easily recognized but less common pipe shapes - horns, pickaxes, blowfish (a current fave!), cavaliers, etc.
I prefer blends of Virginas, periques, burleys and orientals, and the cross-overs of those tobaccos. I occasionally enjoy blends with a light latakia addition, and have moved away from aromatics in general. The CPCC Show (my first Chicago show) was quite an eye-opener! In the mid-'90s I managed a b&m tobacco shop, but it was always The Owner that went to the shows. :'(
Some of my alternate activities include silver/gold smithing; miniature wargaming; a lot of reading and spending a goodly amount of time with my wife & son. I look forward to commiserating with my fellow pipe enthusiasts, and I hope my occasional sardonically cornball humor doesn't cause too many groans!
Cheers!

 

[pstlpkr]

Welcome Carl,

Sounds like you're gonna fit right in. :D
And, Welcome to all the wonderful new members.

Don't be shy. Just dive right in.

Post those pics, ask those questions, and comment where ever you wish.

We might poke fun.... but, we never make fun of our less experienced members.
Happy Puffing,

::

 

[krgulick]

Welcome to the newest members. Hope to see you here as often as you can.

 

[seakayak]

Welcome aboard, gentlemen. I am a member of several forums reflecting my various obsessions. This is, by far, my most used. The company is consistently congenial and helpful. Your bios tell me that you will all fit in nicely. Post often and enjoy some old time fellowship.

 

[adam12]

Hey y'all, my name is Adam. I've been smoking a pipe since college and I'm in my 40s. I worked in a pipe shop in college. Anything else will probably come out in the course of convo. I have to say a big thanks to Pipes Magazine and the dudes who run it because it's very cool. I read it all the time so I thought I would sign up.

 

[unclearthur]

Welcome to all the new folks!

 

[romeowood]

Big welcome to all the newest members, we seem to have gained a lot of more experienced smokers lately which is great to see, the site's reach is growing every day!! :clap:

 

[python]

Welcome newest members!

 

[krgulick]

Welcome to adam. Hope to see you here often.

 

[pstlpkr]

Wow! A Bunch of new folks!

Thanks for accepting those "Friendship Requests" everyone.
Welcome to one and all!

 

[bootlegbonvivant]

A friend of mine just joined the site this afternoon. Wanted to give a shoutout to hiker04, aka Greg.

 

[papipeguy]

Great group of newcomers. Welcome and jump in; the water's fine.

 

[smokindawg]

I've known about Pipes Magazine for some time and have met a couple of the people involved including the moderator here, "Bob"
I started smoking pipes back in December of 04 and have enjoyed it. I tend to jump in with both feet in just about everything I do.
Soon after taking up the pipe I did as many do, started buying every pipe I thought a bargain on ebay. I bought a bulk amount of pipes on ebay and upon receiving them, found them to be better off in the trash. Instead, I started reading all I could on cleaning up pipes and soon had saved most of the pipes in that bag.
I also made a few tampers and still do and got into making pipe racks for a while as well.
I then decided that I'd like to give making a pipe a try. So I started out with a pre-drilled kit. It didn't turn out bad, but I wanted to learn more, so made a trip to Phoenix Arizona to learn some tips and tricks from a few of the pipe makers in that area. (There are quite a few there) Then picked up my own briar and other supplies at Pipe Makers Emporium.
I started buying tools as well as making or adapting others. By this time I was hooked. I love working with my hands and there are so many faucets to pipes that the fun is endless.
The wife and I found a place to buy and it had a shop building, so I started building and setting up a shop of my own. I've now spent about 3 years collecting briar, stem material, bamboo and other supplies for pipe making and I'm just starting to produce a few pipes. I have a long way to go but I enjoy it so will continue.
I have learned a lot from other pipe carvers (and I appreciate their help) that I've met at pipe shows and in person and learn something new every day. I look forward to my shop time.
I also have a small cellar of vintage and hard to find blends, some not even made anymore. As said, I enjoy all aspects of pipes.
There is an open invitation for anyone interested in visiting my shop. We can share a smoke and I can show others what I've learned. This is a pass it on type thing.
I live in North east Missouri and luckily, so far, have escaped the terrible weather that has ravaged many parts of the mid-west.
I look forward to reading the many posts here and learning from this forum as well.

 

[python]

Welcome to the site Steve.

 

[kevincardiff]

Hi, Folks:
My name is Kevin Cardiff and I just joined two days ago. I must apologize to a couple of people who sent me a friend request and I inadvertently rejected them because I didn't recognize their names. Sorry, and I hope they will still consider having me as a friend. :~)
I recently started a pipe club here in Las Vegas Nevada and we have been meeting for the last six months at Tobacco Town Cigars in the southwest part of the Las Vegas Valley. It's great to get together with other pipe smokers and share our knowledge and sample all of our different blends. I've been a pipe smoker and collector for 41 years, since I was 16. Never smoked cigarettes, but I do like the occasional cigar.
Anyway, congratulations on a great web site, and I look forward to logging on every day. Sincerely, Kevin Cardiff

 

[krgulick]

Welcome smokindawg and kevincardiff. Hope to see you here often. Will have to check out the pipe club here in Vegas, Kevin. Hope you can make it to the pipe show later on this year.

 

[semper]

Hello everyone. My name is John and I am not only new to this site, I have only been smoking a pipe for about 2 months now. I have 2 jobs, 5 kids, 2 grandchildren and I also take some college classes on the side. I have always wanted to smoke a pipe but just never tried it. Now I am hooked. I look forward to smoking everyday as I make sure to only do it when I have the time to enjoy it and take it slow. It's one of those relaxing things I make sure to do with a good glass of bourbon. I found the site while looking for information on Perique. My family is from Louisiana and my mom just purchased some for me and is mailing it to me today. I live in Wisconsin.

 

[menckenite]

Welcome semper. Glad you found us and sounds like you have a great mom! Looking forward to your posts and pics.
I've been out for a bit so a big welcome to all the new members.

 

[loneredtree]

Hello to all,
I have spent many happy hours looking at this site for many weeks and signed up because I thought I could make some contribution to the discussions. I live in the Sierra foothills of northern California. Luckily there are several B&M located near me in Sacramento where I can satisfy my PAD TAD needs. I occasionally smoked a pipe from 1962 to 1973 and dropped it because there were no suppliers near me when I lived in Idaho. I still did pick up some used pipes there however. I have been collecting estate pipes for some time now and have begun to smoke again a few times in the Fall and Spring. Still not a heavy smoker. I have learned much from reading the input to the forum. (You are never too old to learn something new) I hope that I can add to this great site.
73 Lone Red Tree

 

[krgulick]

Welcome to the newest members. Hope to see all here often.