Smoking a pipe vs cigarettes or cigars

[sapo59]

I smoked cigarettes for 18 years and finally quit a few years ago by taking up the pipe. Now smoking cigarettes gives me a terrible headache. I do dip Copenhagen also. I really enjoy my pipes and the range of avalible tobaccos. In my opinion smoke or use what every tobacco product you like after all they are all somewhat tobacco.

 

[kcvet67]

What I've figured out is, it sucks to get old.

Yeah, but it beats the hell out of the alternative.

 

[lonestar]

Haha

My Dad told me the other day (as he stood up, and took about 3 minutes to get completely straight) "Getting old ain't for wussies"

 

[marmal4de]

I smoked cigarettes from age 12-22, I am 24 now and only smoke my pipes. I still love a cuban now and again though.

 

[w1nd0wl1cker]

I started smoking cigs when I was 16 and I am 31 now. Do I still smoke them? Yes. I have had many attempts to try and quit.

I have found that injecting my own did cut me back quite a bit.

Unfortunately with the tax on tobacco, the 10 oz can I was buying made a crazy jump from @ $25 to $60, and I can't find really anything that is comparable to that brand.
Since I started smoking a pipe, which has been off and on in the last few years, I see that I smoke cigs alot less. In fact, I have noticed I smoke alot less in general. I find that Petersons Irish Flake certainly helps with the nicotene cravings lol.

I am also enjoying the search of finding all these great pipe tobaccos, which is more of a hobby now than just getting the fix.

 

[lonestar]

WL, Definitely check out the brands I mentioned.

I don't want to encourage smoking cigarettes, but if you do, please smoke REAL tobacco!

Two Timer is an old school double toasted burley, Two Timer Gold is double toasted burley with a bit of virginia ribbon mixed in.

http://www.smoke-n-chew.com/product_info.php?products_id=43

They also make the Rimboche series, which is a most excellent Perique cigarette blend.

http://www.smoke-n-chew.com/product_info.php?products_id=83

You can order them from other places too, I know P&C carries a lot of the blends.

Trishas cafe is owned by Mark Ryans daughter, so I suppose you could see it as the "factory" outlet.

 

[w1nd0wl1cker]

Nice. Thanks Lonestar.

I def agree with you about smoking "REAL" tobacco, and buddy let me tell you that since I have swithced back to the cowboy killers my lungs sure feel it in the morning if I smoke to much.

But again, since I picked the pipe back up, it really has helped cutting back.

I'm really enjoying my flakes.

 

[abecox]

I haven't had a cigarette for a few months now, though I was usually bigger on Pipes and Cigars anyways.

 

[jimmyg]

Hi guys, good topic,i started smoking cigs when i was 12,and then on and off for yrs my dad smoked a pipe and cigars but the pipe always was the way i wanted to go and bought my first one when i was 22,smoke the pipe all the time now at 41 yrs of age only thing i find is when im having beer or two sometimes the pipe just does not give the kick i require but the wife rolls her own, and smokes cherry brandy handrolling tobacco,so end up having a few of them by the end of the night,but would never touch pre packed full of chemicals cigs

 

[pipetrucker]

when im having beer or two sometimes the pipe just does not give the kick i require

I have the same problem.

 

[torcoman]

Titanic Explorer wrote

I love smoking my pipe, and enjoy a good cigar.

But I have NEVER liked cigarettes. They just taste disgusting to me.

What struck me are some advantages smoking a pipe has over cigarettes:
(1) A pipe bowl is a much tastier, lasts longer, and is sweeter smoke than a cigarette
(2) Smoking a pipe is much cheaper than smoking cigarettes. I can make my pipe tobacco last quite awhile. The cost of a pack of cigarettes is insanely high
(3)The lingering pipe smell can be nice- but reeking of cigarettes can be pretty nasty

Pipe smoke smells much nicer than cigarette smoke
No offense to cigarette smokers, but I think a good pipe stands head an shoulders over cigarettes. What do you think?
A related debate might be what is better- a good pipe or a good cigar?

THAT might be an even match

Couldnt agree more with you sir! Before i enter the wonderfull world of pipe smoking i was smoking cigarettes. It is only now that i understand why pipe smoking is superior in every way to cigarettes. From the taste to the "healthier" tobacco that you smoke. The relaxation that you get by smoking it and the "ritual" to prepare your bowl light it smoke it and at the end clean it and polish it is trully wonderfull

 

[davesussex]

I smoke roll ups and pipes, enjoy smoking a pipe alot since starting pipe smoking last year but finding it very hard to stop smoking roll ups and just smoke a pipe. At work and stuff i dont really have time to smoke a pipe so it has to be a quick roll up, would like to quit the roll ups tho.

 

[nativeson]

Myself, I smoked cigs for years and I loved them! Back then, you could smoke 'em anywhere and everyone did. Later, it just got to be too much aggravation here in Florida after the "clean indoor air act", and to be honest, I wouldn't have given the pipe a second look if we still had the free and easy rules on the cigarettes. But then again, that second look is the ONLY thing I have to thank the "antis" for, and I thank them very much!

 

[lonestar]

It is really tough to kick the cigarette habit. I would suggest you start by cutting waaaay back on the cigarettes.

Try to wait as long as you can in the morning before having your first.

Try to roll smaller cigarettes when you do smoke.

Try to cut the # you smoke in half, and replace that other half of smoking with 2-3 pipes a day instead.

After some time, you will stop feeling like you always need a cigarette.

For me, thats the big difference between cigs and pipes.

You smoke a cigarette because you need one, and a pipe because you want to.

You might look into Chantix also.

I had to stop taking it because of side effects, but just the small amount of time I took the pills made it super easy to cut back.

I went from 40 cigs a day to 10 a day for the last month, and that was after taking Chantix just 4 days.

 

[charlie]

I switched to Nat Sherman. Their cigs are 100% tobacco. Taste alot better than those chemical-laden ones. Since smoking a pipe, I've managed to cut down to about 3 cigs a day, but I'm still having a hard time getting a nic fix from a pipe. Maybe i'm not keeping the smoke in my mouth long enough?

 

[python]

Charlie, you're not going to get the same nicotine hit from a pipe as from cigarettes. While some nicotine does get absorbed into the body through the membranes in the mouth from pipe smoking, it will not deliver the same amount as is absorbed through the lungs as with cigarettes.
There are some pipe tobacco blends that do offer higher nicotine content than others. Search the forums and you will find a few threads that discuss stronger blends.
-------
Another thing to keep in mind is; you may be getting a good nic hit from some of the stronger pipe blends, but since you are used to inhaling the smoke from cigarettes, you may not feel that you are (psychologically) because you are not inhaling the pipe smoke.
This happens to me sometimes. I will smoke a bowl of strong tobacco and I know that I am feeling the effects of it, but my mind wants to smoke a cigarette for the inhaling habit. You just have to ignore it and try not to smoke a cigarette if that is what you choose to do.

 

[ohin3]

I agree with everything that Bob said. And I strongly recommend that you try some of the more nicotine laden pipe tobaccos out there. Many of the Samuel Gawith and Gawith and Hoggarth Virginia flakes make the room spin for me. SG 1792 comes to mind and GL Pease Haddos delight. Most Virgina/perique tobaccos have a strong nicotine content. Sg 1792 makes my mouth water and breaks me out in a sweat. Also Gawith and Hoggarth Dark Birdseye. I think thats a Gawith and Hoggarth blend. It too makes me weak in the knees.

 

[ohin3]

Oh yeah...ROPES ! ! ! I have never tried them because I am not a fan of high nicotine content tobaccos, but, from what I understand, ropes are among the very strongest in nicotine content.

 

[frank13]

Hi, Folks. I'm new here, but I started smoking cigarettes when I was 16. I'm 45, now.
Over the years, I've tried pipe smoking, but never was very serious about it.
About two years ago, I switched from Marlboro Lights to American Spirits. Then, about a year ago, I switched to American Spirit Organic Lights. (I ran out and decided to buy a pack of Marlboro Lights, and I couldn't even smoke ONE! They tasted HORRIBLE!!)
About a month ago, I bought a couple of cartons of American Spirit Organic Lights at Costco, and nearly choked from the price: Two cartons: $125.00 Good grief...
I had an old Dr. Grabow pipe knocking around, and a can of Captain Black white label. I also bought a can of Villiger Midday. I expected the Captain Black to taste bad, since it was easily over two years old. Nope: It was still just fine... Very mild, smooth, and a little sweet. Very nice. I have since bought a Peterson, a no-name brand made of pearwood, and I have a Marxman French/Algerian pipe, so I can circulate them.
What's interesting, is that when I've tried to quit cigarettes before, it's been torture. I've tried Zyban, Wellbutrin, Chantix, Nicorette Gum (which tastes like weasel turds...), hypnosis, cold turkey, etc. etc.
When I started smoking my pipe seriously, I dropped from nearly a pack a day, to about five cigarettes per day. A couple of days later, I was smoking three cigs per day. Two days later, I was down to two cigs left in the pack and considered buying another pack, but I decided to refrain. I smoked the last two cigarettes in the pack, and I've been free of cigarettes for the past 72 hours. (I know: Big deal...) But here's the cool thing: It's been effortless.
I have some tobaccos that are heavier duty: LEO, and Crown Achievement, as well as some of the other morning blends that have a lot of latakia, but I also enjoy Villiger's 1888 series. (I've heard rumors that the Mid-day is being discontinued...) I've also got some 7 Seas tobaccos, (Gold, Reg, and Dark), and those are nice, but not particularly superior to the Captain Black, as far as I can tell.
Anyway, just thought I'd introduce myself and offer my own experience with switching to a pipe from cigarettes... Good luck to anyone looking to make the switch.

 

[dryseason91]

Hi Frank, congratulations on cutting out the cigs, and bienvenue to the forum.