Seeing the smoke

[brian64]

Don't know if anyone here has read the book Confessions of a Pipeman by Gary B. Schrier, but one very interesting idea that he mentions is (paraphrasing) that one of the most important aspects of pipe smoking, if not THE most important, is SEEING the smoke. At first this sounded a bit ludicrous, but when you stop and think about it, it does seem that it would be very difficult to smoke a pipe, and enjoy smoking it, if one could not see.
So I'm wondering what anyone else might think of this, and I'm really wondering if there are any pipe smokers out there who are sightless.

 

[zanthal]

Never read a book about pipes or tobacco.
I do look at my puffs as they go, to see how concentrated they are.
But, I do imagine, that as a blind man's hearing is more acute by necessity, that his sense of taste must be more acute as well. He might not be able to see the smoke, but it probably means a little more to him than we could understand.

 

[brian64]

@zanthal: Very good point. I thought basically the same thing myself. But also, the more I thought about it, actually seeing the smoke does seem to play a large role in the actual mechanics of the smoking process, beyond just aesthetics...as in gauging the amount you are taking in on any given puff. It makes me curious if there are any sightless briar bros. out there who might want to comment on it...or if anyone has ever known a sightless pipe smoker.
I have tried smoking with my eyes closed and I find it very difficult.

 

[throwryuken]

if you can't see the smoke its either windy, your tobacco is about to die..... or its dark lol

 

[tokerpipes]

If I take out my contacts and don't wear my glasses its close to being blind. I will tell you it isn't easy but iven in total blurr out I can see the white from the smoke. So I don't think I can really coment on the taste factor. I can just imagine the tastes they get to enjoy yhat we may take for granted.

 

[winton]

Living in a cold area, I can tell you that smoking outside in the snow often results in you seeing "smoke" long after the pipe has gone out. That would be the normal steam from your breath.
winton

 

[rickpal14]

I have tried smoking with my eyes closed and I find it very difficult.

I have tried this also and found the same thing.

 

[ohin3]

I heard that a long time ago and tried it and I have to say that smoking is not very enjoyable with closed eyes or in a completely dark room.

 

[tslex]

The most dedicated pipe smoker I ever knew was my uncle Bob Weisenberger. (Ain't that a great last name?)
Bob ALWAYS had a pipe in his mouth. At his chair in the living room was an ENORMOUS poker/sitter that probably held three hours of tobacco. He taught me a LOT about pipes and tobacco. He probably had four dozen, all kept in meticulous organization, rotated on a schedule that took either Bob's mind or a Cray computer to track, all lovingly maintained.
Bob had a civil engineering undergrad and a master's degree in urban planning. He worked for the City of Cleveland for many years designing transit routes for trains and buses. Bob would travel through Cleveland by bus and train (and sometimes, but rarely, by cab), accompanied by his big German shepherd dog (over 50 years he had Paula, then Maxx, then Thom). Not only did he NEVER get lost, if he was riding in your car, he could call out cross streets and even buildings as you passed them, and tell you all about the history of every place you were passing.
He loved going to baseball games at Cleveland Municipal Stadium (although he said football was better for him on radio) and was a huge Indians fan with an encyclopedic knowledge of the team. Back then you could smoke in the stadium and most guys smoked cigars. But Bob had a big Stanwell he'd fitted with a windcap, and that was his smoke.
He, and my dad, taught me everything about how a gentleman conducts himself in a city -- whom to tip and how much, how to flirt pleasantly but safely with coat-check girls, what topics of conversation were appropriate for barmen and cab drivers, how to order in a fancy restaurant, how to enjoy a dive.
Bob was blind. He'd lost his sight to scarlet/rheumatic fever when he was 10.
So yes, seeing the smoke is great. But clearly not essential.

 

[cajunguy]

Tslex, that was an excellent post.
Here's to the men that passed down the greatest of knowledge to their sons/grandsons/nephews: plain and simply, they teach us how it's done.

 

[batdemon]

I grew up around people who were blind. My mom was born blind and out of 12 brothers and sisters 3 were born with sight and the rest were blind. I grew up in the 60s & 70s, I don't know if it's still the same, but at that time the blind community was quite close so I knew several blind people. Several of them were pipe smokers and I can't recall ever seeing them have a problem with smoking their pipes and they certainly enjoyed them very much. From what I recall, they all smoked OTC blends like Prince Albert, Half & Half and Grainger comes to mind. I also recall that most of them were very meticulous when it came to cleaning them. I was raised that you called adult men "Mr." and if they were a close family friend you called them "Uncle". One such Uncle was named Milton, and he was much like the Uncle that tslex mentions, very much the gentleman and intelligent. He played the accordian and could also travel all over town on his own. He had around 6 pipes, all of them were Dr. Grabow or Medics, if I remember, and he took great care of them.

 

[uberam3rica]

12 brothers and sisters 3 were born with sight and the rest were blind

Thats really interesting that that many of them were born blind.

 

[weezell]

I'm a pipe smoker who has no sense of smell.Everything is relative.I go by percieved tases of different blends.

 

[ohin3]

I'm not saying that it is essential and I don't really think that enjoyment is dependent on weather or not a person can see the smoke of his pipe to enjoy it. What I will say is that it is simply a matter of taking away a stimulus that has hitherto now been a part of my pipe smoking enjoyment. Me closing my eyes or turning the lights out while smoking cannot be directly compared to the experience of a blind pipe smoker. Sight is not the only thing that I enjoy about pipe smoking and I am sure that, if I lost my sight, I would still continue smoking a pipe and probably learn to appreciate all sorts of new things about pipe smoking.
What does your Uncle look like. I used to live in Cleveland and took metro transit to work in the Huntington Bank builing Monday through Friday. I remember a blind fella with a German shepherd being on my route rather often. He was a very kind fella and I remember being impressed by his shepherd's ability to keep track of his location and nudge him when his stop got close.

 

[steyrshrek]

tslex thats a wonderful post, brings back memories of going out with my dad and grandfather as a kid, I enjoyed it then b ut didn't realize I was getting a valuable education until much latter.
ohin3exactly, removing sight of smoke is a removal of a stimulus, but that stimulus is not a stimulus to the non sighted. I worked with a gentle that was loosing his sight and over the course of the 8 months that I worked with him he went from very diminished sight to total blindness. The amazing thing was the speed at which other senses became heightened. He was able to tell it was me coming to his office as a walked down the hall from the sound of my gait and a slight drag scuff of one heal. I often wonder what the mind of a blind person (since birth) perceives when they think of red, blue, tree or a dog.

 

[brian64]

Thanks to all for the input...and especially tslex and batdemon...thank you for sharing those stories. Very interesting, and I guess that puts to rest the notion that a sightless person can't enjoy pipe smoking. But I do often try to remind myself not to take things like being able to see for granted. We're too often not thankful for such things. My dad lost his sight to glaucoma in appx his late 60's, so I'm somewhat familiar with many of the issues related to the blind, but he never was a smoker.

 

[philip]

I'm sure a blind person's other senses are more acute. They use what they have to their best ability. If you can see, be glad for your sight. When you smoke or do anything, enjoy what you are doing to the fullest with every sense you have available to you.

 

[irishsmoker]

+1phillip

 

[yohanan]

@Philip
Excellent Post ::

 

[juvat270]

I have tried smoking with my eyes closed and I find it very difficult.

I have tried this also and found the same thing.

I was going to reply with this as well. I've closed my eyes while puffing and exhaling and it just isn't the same. I suppose if you were born blind, then obviously wouldn't know any better. But there's something psychological about seeing the smoke that I think adds to the experience.