Pipe Rotation

[Duke of Erinmore]

I have just smoked a Brebbia Dublin that I had not touched for years and was surprised how nicely it smokes. Probably I will smoke it more often from now. There are other pipes I used to smoke almost daily, which somehow came "out of fashion" with me. Others are more or less constantly in use.

Other pipe smokers I talked to have a steady rotation and smoke the pipe that is "next in line". Not my cup of tea - I have my favourites, that may change, but in the end I always smoke the pipe I prefer at the moment of choosing.

How do you do it?

 

[mikethompson]

It helps if you only have one or two pipes, but if you have a rack full, then I usually choose according to size.

That said, my Strambach billiard or my smaller Brigham usually get the nod.

 

[Old School 3319]

I have 7 or 8 pipes on my table and I just grab the one that jumps out at me. I do have my favorites but I rotate in others when the mood strikes

 

[judcole]

I keep a pretty set rotation - the "next in line" school - but I am not iron clad about it.

 

[hawky454]

I’m pretty much like you, I smoke the pipe I feel like smoking at that particular moment. I could never keep a set rotation. Like you, every now and then I’ll smoke a pipe that’s been collecting dust and I always think, “I need to smoke this pipe more often!”

For me, the blend I feel like smoking usually dictates the pipe I’ll smoke it out of.

 

[petes03]

I keep 25 or so next to my recliner in the living room. I just pick which ever one strikes me at the time, though I don’t smoke the same one twice in the same day. I do the same with my pipes in the man cave.

 

[scloyd]

Hmmm....haven't smoked this one in awhile. No rotation.

 

[Duke of Erinmore]

Thanks for the answers!
I really love how differently pipe smokers go along with their passion. I know a guy who has the biggest tobacco rack I have ever seen - surely a few hundred tins and 30+ jars open. Funny thing, he's not at all interested in pipes, he has about 15-20, all similar shapes of Vauens and Petersons because he just doesn't care where he's burning his zillion blends in...

 

[dkmdvm]

I have six pipes I bounced around with since I started pipe smoking this spring. Three of them are Missouri Meerschaum cobs, one a savinelli 320, a wiebe Radiator and a Nording diplomat shaped pipe. I was trying to use them all equally, but have found that now I prefer one of the cobs and the savinelli. I almost use these exclusively now. I'm ready to enter a few more into the rotation and can see having 4-5 shapes I really like I use all the time. I see them as tools, use the ones you like most frequently but don't wear them out so they last longer, use less desirable tools every now and then to extend their life. Before long you replace the less desirable tools with ones that are more desirable, etc. By the time you have it figured out, you own so many pipes you have to sell them on eBay so someone like me can buy them as prospects for their rotation.

 

[mso489]

I try to keep all of my 92 pipes in use, though not in strict rotation. I roam around among them, and enjoy shopping around my in-house pipe shop. I have a few pet theories about what pipe goes with what blends, but nothing dogmatic. I don't designate, but I don't smoke Lakeland aromatics either. Occasionally I enjoy the feeling that I have discovered some pipe or another after a long while, and often am surprised at what a fine smoker I've been neglecting. Just the other evening, I chanced upon my Yello-Bole checker, which is a fairly basic U.S. factory pipe, and was truly impressed at what a good smoke it is.

 

[kcghost]

Not much of a strict rotation guy. I usually have 5-6 out at time and will smoke them for a whole then move on.

 

[cigrmaster]

I usually choose my pipe by what tobacco I want to smoke, but not all the time. Sometimes I want to smoke a certain pipe and then grab a tobacco that goes with the pipe. I have around 95 pipes or so and I need to move some out as they are not all getting smoked. I hate having pipes just taking up space and not getting smoked. I now have 63 artisan made pipes and that is enough for me, I have no set rotation as I could never remember which pipe went next. I do only smoke one blend in one pipe and then move to another pipe and blend. I usually smoke 4-6 bowls a day. I clean my pipe really well after every smoke. I always have a fresh pipe to choose from. I couldn't imagine smoking out of a dirty pipe, I am kind of anal about this one.

 

[bullet08]

I end up smoking all my pipes. They are in "rotation", but if I remember if I haven't smoked certain one, it gets its time. Some times, if I want certain blend, I might pick a pipe that goes well with it. But most of the time, I pick the one that's next in line.

 

[lawdawg]

I've got 2 or 3 pipes that are my favorite virginia pipes, then 2 or 3 that are my favorite latakia pipes, plus a bunch of cobs. In all likelihood, I'm smoking one of those pipes. If I deviate from that pattern, it's just because I've oversmoked my favorite pipes and they need a rest to dry out a bit. That's really about all the pipes I would need, but of course I will continue to refine and expand my collection and hopefully end up with a small curated set of pipes that I enjoy equally.

 

[tradition]

I have 7 pipes. All get smoked regularly.

 

[anotherbob]

I rotate mostly except with my nosewarmer (small chamber 20 minute smoke), which I smoke on breaks at work. I have two pipes I don't smoke often both meer and one that is not for walking about with. But I just enjoy switching it up a little bit. I actually get a weird neglectful feeling if it's been too long since I've smoked a certain pipe. Like it will get jealous and ask why I don't love it as much as the others.

 

[mountainman]

I also let the tobacco dictate which pipe I am going to smoke. If I feel the blend smokes better out of a deeper chamber, or a wider bowl, then I will pick that way. I don't really dedicate pipes, though I won't smoke strong aromatics out of anything but a few select pipes. That is rare though. I try to reach for pipes that haven't gotten love lately, as it is easy to stick to the same 15-20 favorites. No rules though. Anything goes.

 

[irishearl]

Have somewhere north of 50 pipes and try to use all of them. I tend to pick the ones I wish to smoke in a given week and place them into a rotation for that week, though most of my favorite get smoked once weekly at specific times-I smoke 3-4 times daily.

 

[jamesc]

No rotation here, like many others the tobacco dictate the pipe for me.

 

[PipesRock]

I try to give the pipe a couple+ days off. +1 on smoking from a clean pipe as well. I'll test new Aromatics and off the beaten path new blends in cobs. I love my Brebbia Dublin from @BROBS for English/Balkan blends, it's become one of my top 4 for those blends. I thought it interesting how the Op mentioned the Brebbia at the start. Besides that no real rotation, I just smoke what I feel like out of 20ish pipes not counting multiple cobs.