Something every pipe smoker knows, but (probably) never thinks about
- Thread starter georged
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seadogontheland
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My goodness where are you that cigs are 13 bucks a pack? Here they are roughly 5 for a pack a premium smokes, in Indianapolis...say Marlboros and the like. For 2 packs of smokes and I can but one tin of premium pipe tobacco and it will last me at least 7-10ays...definitely a good deal. I only have three briars at the moment but they are all good solid 50-60 dollar pipes which smoke well. I clean and dry them pretty well so no problems there. If I had the money I would set up a campaign to give away pipes and baccy to those who struggle with acquisition.
Things you can do with money to make your smoking experience better:
Call Tom and tell him which pipe he's making for you today
Fly Greg to Turkey to hand select bales before they hit the lot for auction. Have him prepare an assortment of tailor made personal blends....reject them all and start over with someone else just 'cuz
Get deer tongue off the banned list
Finally tell people the real reason "they" can't buy anything from Germains
PS: Sorry about Germain's but its fun to watch you guys scamper for it.
Call Tom and tell him which pipe he's making for you today
Fly Greg to Turkey to hand select bales before they hit the lot for auction. Have him prepare an assortment of tailor made personal blends....reject them all and start over with someone else just 'cuz
Get deer tongue off the banned list
Finally tell people the real reason "they" can't buy anything from Germains
PS: Sorry about Germain's but its fun to watch you guys scamper for it.
When I think of the years I wasted in both money and health with cigarettes and discovered the pipe, I sometimes despair. But at least I kicked the cigarettes and re-discovered the joys of a smoke with a good tobacco and pipe. It is sometimes moderately expensive, that is for someone like me who lives on a fixed budget, and often have to wait from month to month to assuage my PAD and what is rapidly developing into TAD, but the price of this "hobby" is still great, too great in fact: I fear the day our congress discovers that someone is enjoying themselves and their pipe obsession and take advantage of it by increasing taxes on tobacco. But if pipe tobacco cost twice what it does now, I'd still buy it. A one-pound bag of Trout Stream lasts about 3 months and is dirt cheap, and with the discovery of the Cayuga pipes made by Paul's Pipe Shop here in Michigan--the gentleman there makes pipes that would rival Dunhills for a mere $50, more or less has made new pipes much more affordable. (I'd like to own a volcano someday, but those are in the "expensive" column so far as I can find. If anyone knows where I can get them for under $200, please PM me.)
Just did a quick search for volcanos: you can get some for under $200, but not very attractive. Damn, wish Nording would try making these.
Cosmic, love to get to know you. Would you be so kind as to provide your address--you can PM me. You a family man, by any chance? :twisted:
I would buy some artisan pipes. But I wouldn't expect them so smoke any better than some of my Savs or cobs or old Stanewells.
But honestly, paying multiple thousands for an instrument to burn tobacco? I would like to think I would put the money to some socially constructive use. But then, I never thought I would $30 or $40 for a cigar. But it has happened. Not often, but it has happened.
Pax
But honestly, paying multiple thousands for an instrument to burn tobacco? I would like to think I would put the money to some socially constructive use. But then, I never thought I would $30 or $40 for a cigar. But it has happened. Not often, but it has happened.
Pax
If I was rich I might give up pipe smoking all together!
Wouldn't want to die before I spent all my money...
Wouldn't want to die before I spent all my money...
Very good point, georged!
Obviously one can spend quite a lot of money on pipes, but the fact remains that even the current production top-shelf tobacco is available to almost anyone. Especially for the pipe smokers in the US -- the rest of the world typically pays much more. I pay about double the price here in Finland, and yet a bowlful of the Good Stuff® costs no more than, say, $1.50. For that price I can get one can of the cheapest domestic beer, or one tenth of decent cigar.
Obviously one can spend quite a lot of money on pipes, but the fact remains that even the current production top-shelf tobacco is available to almost anyone. Especially for the pipe smokers in the US -- the rest of the world typically pays much more. I pay about double the price here in Finland, and yet a bowlful of the Good Stuff® costs no more than, say, $1.50. For that price I can get one can of the cheapest domestic beer, or one tenth of decent cigar.
I'm sure my pipe collection would change dramatically if I won the Powerball, whatever that is (I live in Vegas). I will agree though that my tobacco would probably remain pretty much the same other than the fact that I'd have dozens more tins of Dunhill's De Luxe Navy Rolls and pounds and pounds of Stokkebye's Luxury Bullseye Flake.
That's one of the common threads in hobbies I choose. The best on offer is within your savings capability.
And this isn't the first time I've bought a few high end trinkets only to go back and continue on with the cheapest available because they all work the same.
I'm just a sucker for good craftsmanship sometimes.
Throwing Dunhills out the window sounds like fun, but I would still have some sensibilities (I might throw a few Dunhills out the window without smoking them).
If I had a billion dollars I'd just buy Smokingpipes.com, move them into my back yard and pick what I like on any given day. At the end of the day anything I was bored of would be cleaned up and sold with the other estates. In the end though I would probably start making my own pipes anyway, money can't scratch a creative itch. It really is nice to think that other than having the opportunity to slobber on tens of thousands of dollars worth of pipes there really isn't anything that would be within my grasp that isn't already.
And this isn't the first time I've bought a few high end trinkets only to go back and continue on with the cheapest available because they all work the same.
I'm just a sucker for good craftsmanship sometimes.
Throwing Dunhills out the window sounds like fun, but I would still have some sensibilities (I might throw a few Dunhills out the window without smoking them).
If I had a billion dollars I'd just buy Smokingpipes.com, move them into my back yard and pick what I like on any given day. At the end of the day anything I was bored of would be cleaned up and sold with the other estates. In the end though I would probably start making my own pipes anyway, money can't scratch a creative itch. It really is nice to think that other than having the opportunity to slobber on tens of thousands of dollars worth of pipes there really isn't anything that would be within my grasp that isn't already.
I originally decided to try the pipe again after many years of smoking cigars upon my retirement because I thought it would be cheaper. Within a year I had collected 100 pipes and 3-4 dozen different tobaccos. I think I've finally conquered my PAD but it will be a few years before it actually works out as a cheaper alternative to cigars.
I have now and have been into some expensive hobbies and passions with the cost varying from being very much initially and tapering off to certain ones that get pricier as you progress deeper into it but pipe smoking and the associated expenses can ebb and flow as the disposable income dictates. It's one of the reasons it has stood the test of time in human civilization and has been very inclusive as far as who can partake. Even the lowliest of peasant was able to enjoy a small bowlfull in the days of the tavern pipe and enjoy it they did. Cigars are great but no matter how you slice it it comes as close to pissing money away as one can get IMHO whereas pipes and the tobaccos we covet are much more 3 dimensional and are often left behind as heirlooms. Think about that for a moment, you have this walk in humidor in your mansion that is stocked full of premium Puros that get left to your useless son in law, he smokes every last one of them while you rot in the ground. When they are gone, there gone, just an empty room for him to store his beer can collection in. With pipes and such I see a much different scenerio. 
True. I think I'm just going to start buying tobacco now that I will soon have a second meerschaum that should last my lifetime. My willpower will probably fail me if I see a nice pipe on eBay though.
I know. I just paid $160 on a Pete meer. But this will be the last time... so long as I avoid eBay and the Internet entirely.
Pipe smokers, as several of you have stated, have got it made in the USA as far as prices. IF I had to pay what the rest of the world pays for tobacco, I'd be cellaring much less now.
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