Glad to be here. I was an avid pipe smoker in the 1990's, then went to cigars, then quit everything. Started smoking cigars again, and recently got my first new pipe in over a decade, and remembered why I was so hooked on pipes before. I love the old briars with a passion. Old Barlings, Dunhills, Castello, Caminetto, and nearly any high grade Dutch or Italian. Actually, I just go for the smoking qualities. I bought an unmarked billiard with an amazing grain out of the display window at Grant's Pipe Shop in San Francisco that smokes like a dream. I will lurk the auctions for those old briars with nasty stems just so I can get the briar. I only smoke non-aromatic blends, and prefer good English blends with a dose of Latakia and Perique to kick it up a notch. I just bought a lot of 40 pipes on eBay that will keep me busy for a while.
Pipes relax me...