Pipes I'm married to (and pipes I'm not)

[SBC]

Some of my pipes have stories as to how they "came to me." These are the ones that I feel most attached to.

If a pipe doesn't have a story, it may well wind up gifted or sold away, eventually. Maybe it'll gain a story attached to somebody else.

Most of the pipes which I myself feel married to, came to me in one of two ways:

1. The pipe was a gift.
   
   
2. The pipe was a diamond in the rough which I stumbled upon in the back of some forgotten antique shop.

Of course, there are other ways in which a pipe might develop history with you, also.

For example: The first new pipe that you ever bought. That is its story and so now you feel attached to it.
Or for other examples:
A pipe which you acquired through an interesting trade.
A pipe which you always smoked at a certain spot, or on a certain occasion.
A pipe which one of your kids especially liked and always asked you to smoke.
A special commission you had made.

There are many ways in which a pipe might get its story.

But if I simply buy a new pipe for myself -- even a cleaned up estate from a vendor like Smoking Pipes -- then it's just a pipe that I happen to have, rather than a pipe that's mine. There's nothing wrong with that, but eventually it will be given the opportunity to develop history with somebody else.

I'll keep a pipe that has a story behind it. A pipe which has become a part of my history which my kids should inherit from me.

Do any of you feel similarly?

 

[scloyd]

I have a few pipes that I'm "married" to that I'll never divorce.

A couple of Peterson's that I received as gifts from generous forum members.

A 1959 birth year Dunhill that I received as a Secret Santa gift.

A numbered limited edition pipe that I purchased in Paris.

A Mr. Brog Van Gogh that my grandson gave to me.

Pipes that are gifted to me are special. If a person cared enough to pick out a pipe and gift it to me...I'm keeping it.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Mine are divided into aesthetically pleasing and drilled well versus those that aren't.

 

[Kobold]

I feel the exact same way as you. I love the pipes my wife bought me for various special occasions and would never sell them but the ones I bought off smoking pipes for myself I feel are kind of soulless. Maybe those pipes will gain some meaning one day if I take them camping or on a nice hike but for now they don’t feel special and might be sold or gifted to someone.

 

[timt]

Out of a couple dozen pipes (not counting cobs), I have 2 that I would really care if they were gone. They’re the 2 meers that I smoke over 95% of the time. I just like seeing what I’m doing to them by smoking them, plus they’re great smokers.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Was feeling sentimental yesterday evening and pulled out the first pipe I bought, a Peterson SH Rathbone (was inspired into pipes by seeing a Nording Woodcock and had found one of those right about the same time, but that's a different story) and I've been influenced in the Peterson direction ever since, but not exclusively.

I have some gifted pipes from different forum members that will never leave the herd. Some of the rest of the pipes are semi-sentimental, some I just like, period, some are commissions (more on that in another thread later) and I've leaned more in the direction of commissions from forum members and getting what I really want vs. bouncing around with new and estate pipes. Still am interested in what Peterson is and will be doing, as always, still love old British briar pipes and those I have aren't going anywhere, but kind of getting more picky and less shotgun about acquiring them (and finally got the list done and started packing up the pipes I have that are going off for sale, and will probably put one up on here in a day or two - so seriously culled the herd of pipes I bought that I thought I "needed" and tried and just don't pick up, so no point keeping them). None of the remaining pipes smoke poorly, nor do any that are leaving - a couple like that over the last couple of years just got tossed, haha.

 

[gervais]

Nobody has ever gifted me anything pipe related, but if they did, that pipe would definately carry meaning. My favorite pipes have to do with the visual appeal.

 

[mso489]

I'd say about half my pipes have stories around them, and half of those are especially memorable to me. Gift pipes, prize pipes, pipes that are associated with special times or events. Some pipes I like for their origins. My Nording Eriksen, one of his early econo-pipes that looks a little like a Dr. Grabow, is interesting just because of its blend of quality manufacture with basic design and finishing, more about Nording himself than about me. Likewise, my Iwan Ries house pipes are all from a time when they were sourced from Edwards' Benton line, nice Algerian oil-cured briar. I have the artisan pipe by Jerry Perry, in orange stain with an orange stem, that I smoked when I made a pilgrimage to the Nat Sherman store on 42nd Street, now closed, and smoked their 536 English blend with burley that I bought in bulk from Mr. Gold, their senior tobacconist.

 

[anotherbob]

Some of my pipes have stories as to how they "came to me." These are the ones that I feel most attached to.

If a pipe doesn't have a story, it may well wind up gifted or sold away, eventually. Maybe it'll gain a story attached to somebody else.

Most of the pipes which I myself feel married to, came to me in one of two ways:

1. The pipe was a gift.
   
   
2. The pipe was a diamond in the rough which I stumbled upon in the back of some forgotten antique shop.

Of course, there are other ways in which a pipe might develop history with you, also.

For example: The first new pipe that you ever bought. That is its story and so now you feel attached to it.
Or for other examples:
A pipe which you acquired through an interesting trade.
A pipe which you always smoked at a certain spot, or on a certain occasion.
A pipe which one of your kids especially liked and always asked you to smoke.
A special commission you had made.

There are many ways in which a pipe might get its story.

But if I simply buy a new pipe for myself -- even a cleaned up estate from a vendor like Smoking Pipes -- then it's just a pipe that I happen to have, rather than a pipe that's mine. There's nothing wrong with that, but eventually it will be given the opportunity to develop history with somebody else.

I'll keep a pipe that has a story behind it. A pipe which has become a part of my history which my kids should inherit from me.

Do any of you feel similarly?

Actually both very much so and not at all.
There is only one pipe I have that I will not give up I will not sell. It's got a story about how I got it. It's not the best smoker for me. It's actually got qualities I don't prefer in a pipe. The draw is super open, I prefer a bit in the middle closer to tighter draw. But not only have I had it so long it feels like part of me and not something I own. It's got a story. My local tobacco shop which was great and one of the two places I genuinely miss in this Town. There was a churchwarden that was super basic low mid range pipe. I went to buy it the owner of the shop Don (great guy by the way) refused to sell it too me until the first day of their pipe sale (every march they did a deep discount on the pipes). The first day of the sale like planned came in to buy it and he looked embarrassed. He told me someone bought it first thing and then a few minutes later he came back with my next pipe and offered it to me at the price the other one would have been. I was like I'll happily pay double that.... Then it's been with me for decades.
The difference for me is I feel like all my pipes get their story from just living with them for a while. Otherwise the same. A pipe might be a tool but it's also so much more. To my mind it's an almost living thing and if we don't click it still deserves a good home.

 

[Ray Popp]

"

I have a few pipes that I'm "married" to that I'll never divorce.

A couple of Peterson's that I received as gifts from generous forum members.

A 1959 birth year Dunhill that I received as a Secret Santa gift.

A numbered limited edition pipe that I purchased in Paris.

A Mr. Brog Van Gogh that my grandson gave to me.

Pipes that are gifted to me are special. If a person cared enough to pick out a pipe and gift it to me...I'm keeping it.

"Pipes that are gifted to me are special. If a person cared enough to pick out a pipe and gift it to me...I'm keeping it."

I'm a lot that way. And share those stories with care. I have some gifted pipes from past loves that might have become "lost".

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Funny, my ex-wife gave me the pipe of her husband's father, a few years ago after he passed. I just smiled and put it in my pocket. It was a Grabow. I still keep it in my drawer of pipes that I don't smoke. I never get rid of a pipe, even the ones that make me laugh. Bless her heart.

Now, my wife has given me some awesome pipes, and some of my pipes have great stories to them.

I did get a Sir Jacopo on a trade with a local pipeshop here. He had asked for a dozen of my pipe tamps, and when I brought them to him, sterling, gold, stones, etc... it was over a thousand dollars in materials, he turned his nose up at my asking price. He is a dick... a very close friend, but a dick nonetheless, ha ha. Anyways, he offered me a huge Sir Jacopo bent bulldog. Was a pretty pipe, and he had a $1000 price tag on it. I reluctantly took the trade. I got home and did a search and I could have bought the damned pipe for $400 elsewhere. It is the only pipe I have sold. Just looking at it pissed me off. I mean, it was a pretty pipe, but I just couldn't bring myself to smoke it. I just remembered that guys beady little shit grinning eyes every time I saw it. Ha ha. Just having it on my rack turned my stomach. So, I offered it up here, unsmoked for just a tad under $400, and I finally let it go for half that. Worst deal of my life. And, to add insult to injury, he posted my tampers for less than what the materials were worth.

I have many stories for some of my pipes, but... I could go on and on...

 

[trouttimes]

The only pipe that have been gifted to me were crap. How would have know non-pipe people couldn’t pick a decent pipe?

 

[Ray Popp]

The only pipe that have been gifted to me were crap. How would have know non-pipe people couldn’t pick a decent pipe?

Fortunately, those who have gifted me pipes have been lucky. One, an Oom Paul whose maker I am not certain of (and I am not at home with my pipes) is the damnedest pipe ... still have not parted with it continuing to think that it is me and not the pipe. And that is probably true. Very narrow chamber and ... well, I am going to give it a try again with a much lighter pack and Virginias ...

 

[Coreios]

Gifted pipes are most certainly married to me. I was also gifted a pipe from someone generous here. It will be a favorite for sure. Pipes I divorced are pipes I bought when first starting that I thought looked neat on Amazon.

 

[elvishrunes]

I’m married to all of my pipes and keep them all…. I have great antique store finds or gifts that have sentimental value and history when I got them, although I no longer smoke them. I only smoke my small/medium Neerup collection, because they are nicer looking, and I like them better. I probably won’t buy anymore pipes for a few years, I go slow and make sure I value them now. I’d rather keep building tobacco’, who knows when that gets cut off for various reasons.

 

[bullet08]

I like my pipes. But they lack certain features to be married to them. You know.. Things that males don't have.

 

[vosBghos]

I have a few pipes that I'm "married" to that I'll never divorce.

A couple of Peterson's that I received as gifts from generous forum members.

A 1959 birth year Dunhill that I received as a Secret Santa gift.

A numbered limited edition pipe that I purchased in Paris.

A Mr. Brog Van Gogh that my grandson gave to me.

Pipes that are gifted to me are special. If a person cared enough to pick out a pipe and gift it to me...I'm keeping it.

A birth year from a member? Dang , Love this forum

 

[Ahi Ka]

Mine are divided into aesthetically pleasing and drilled well versus those that aren't.

Man I wish Harris was here. He’d have made a wise crack saying that’s exactly how he chose his lady friends, then go onto a rant about the exact dimensions he gets his American artisan pipes carved to.

 

[vosBghos]

The only heirloom I own would be my birthyear Dunhill.
I've been narrowing my cellar to make it deeper and trying my favorite blends in my various pipes looking for those WOW smokes and dedicating them accordingly.
I got a no-name "made in Italy" giant Dublin that seems to call out to me when I leave the house "take me with you" and it accompanies me whenever I go to the B&M and just smokes whatever tin I purchase that day, probably be buried or burned with it depending if there are any plots left after every inch of not city land has been zoned into a Bohemian Grove style nature reserve...

 

[didimauw]

All of my pipes that I do a year stint with get saved. Hung on the wall. That's where this Altinay I'm smoking will go too. The only other pipe that means a lot to me is my first meer from our late friend Weezell. Everything about the pipe is great, and the fact that it came from him makes it even greater.