The Merits of Window Shopping

[mso489]

Online retail and hard copy catalog sales are designed as sales venues where you go when you have money to spend and a desired product in mind. New pipe smokers with a credit card in hand can rack up quite a bill prospecting for the pipes, accessories, and blends they think they might enjoy.

However, if you put the credit card back in your wallet and think of these venues as short courses, you can learn a lot of useful information, and learn a lot of lore and detail in the process without spending any money at all on most days, and getting more educated along the way. So when you finally make a purchase, it will be a more informed decision.

A site like smokingpipes.com gives good specifications on pipes and tobacco as well as accessories. They give the weights of each pipe, the diameter and depth of the chamber, the length, and materials. If you carefully study fifty or one hundred pipes before you buy one, you are likely to make a considered decision and end up with something that will meet your needs.

Likewise with tobacco, you will learn what the base tobacco is in a blend, usually Virginia or burley, what the condimental tobaccos are, and often in what proportion, and sometimes details on flavoring, and definitely the cut of the leaf, its strength and room note.

So keep the credit card in your wallet and consider yourself a student. The more you learn, the more you know, the better your decisions when you decide to buy something.

 

[sparker69]

I found Tobacco Reviews a good site as well to increase knowledge about different blends, reading reviews, not to see necessarily which is "best" but to get a deeper understanding of the tastes and smoking qualities of the tobacco.

 

[mso489]

For most people on Forums, learning quite a bit about pipes and tobaccos is a pleasurable part of pipe smoking. The different sources of tobaccos, their growing, harvesting, processing and aging, is all part of the lore. Some people on here grow their own and really know firsthand what it takes to get a smoke from the plant to the pipe.

I'm sure to people who do not smoke, or don't smoke a pipe, it all seems arcane and unnecessary, but there's a lot of information to gain on related subjects while focused on pipes and tobacco. I'm always interested in the geography of where Forums members live and look up their home towns on a map. Forums really brings the world together. We are, collectively, a cosmopolitan bunch.

 

[Smoke Wagon]

I still like to drop by the local brick and mortar to see what’s on the market, ask questions, and buy something every time to support them for tolerating my questions.

I also agree with perusing the various websites for further info too. Tobacco reviews is a big one for me. I’ve spent a good amount of time at smokingpipes.com too and have been sure to buy a thing or two there as well.

 

[makhorkasmoker]

For me, reading catalogs, on-line or paper, is mainly entertainment. Don't get me wrong. I'm sure I'm learning something, probably more than I realize, but I feel like the real leaps forward in knowledge were made when I simply bought a few cobs, hardwoods, and a clay (in a range of sizes/styles) a few bulk samples of tobacco in each genre, some basic blending tobaccos--and started smoking. When I learned something reading, it was not a product description, but a blog post (I think smoking pipe's blog is pretty good) and lots of posts here too--especially posts on technique, and topics that catalogs don't get into much. Even now, when I have a much clearer idea of what I want, the catalog is not likely to tell me what I really need to know. For example, I like pipes with chambers in various diameters and depths, and when a description tells me, well, it's certainly good to know. But what I'd really like to know is more about the stem and bit--not just the material or style--but specific measurements that will tell me if that stem is for me (or if the pipe is likely to fall out of my mouth, as so many pipes do). From what I can see, most pipe catalog descriptions don't go into that much depth with stems. I'd like to know more about the drilling too, the draw, any coatings used, and, by extension, how likely that pipe is to give me a dry smoke even If I'm smoking on a rainy day on the porch (something I often do). Some estate catalogs, like Blue Room, do go more into that, and I'm grateful for the info. I think the main thing I learn from catalogs is a general sense of current pipe and tobacco aesthetics.

 

[captpat]

I found Tobacco Reviews a good site as well to increase knowledge about different blends, reading reviews, not to see necessarily which is "best" but to get a deeper understanding of the tastes and smoking qualities of the tobacco.

One thing to watch out for on Tobacco Reviews is that a lot of content is dated, and as we've seen blend recipes change. IOW the blend reviewed in 2009 may not be exactly the same that one purchases today. Nonetheless when considering a new blend I always check to see what others have said about it.

 

[vosBghos]

BnB in Asheville NC has a huge stack of old Pipes and Tobacco Magazine. I like to go in there and get a good look at the pipes and tobaccos and tell myself if its still here next time maybe I'll buy it if not that one if not that one and so on and so forth. I usually end up buying at least a couple house blends and I did my Santa shopping there, but sitting around and looking through those old magazines is a real treat it's a pity there are no more pipe print magazines I grow so tired of the screen sometimes and love tuning the glossy pages and the long format articles its like a never ending encyclopedia.

 

[Steddy]

BnB in Asheville NC has a huge stack of old Pipes and Tobacco Magazine. I like to go in there and get a good look at the pipes and tobaccos and tell myself if its still here next time maybe I'll buy it if not that one if not that one and so on and so forth. I usually end up buying at least a couple house blends and I did my Santa shopping there, but sitting around and looking through those old magazines is a real treat it's a pity there are no more pipe print magazines I grow so tired of the screen sometimes and love tuning the glossy pages and the long format articles its like a never ending encyclopedia.

I love BnB, it’s such a blessing to have a brick and mortar close by. I’m happy to give them my money and hope everyone supports their local shop if they have one.

 

[vosBghos]

I love BnB, it’s such a blessing to have a brick and mortar close by. I’m happy to give them my money and hope everyone supports their local shop if they have one.

yeah they are super inviting and being able to smoke all day inside a warm place with plenty to read a record player and a chess table always at the ready is a real treat.

 

[sablebrush52]

The older I get, the less I seem to want or need. I think closing up my parent's home some years ago, getting rid of all that clutter that nobody wanted, left me with a desire to get rid of stuff. The past few months I've been ridding myself of "treasures" right and left and with every disappearance I feel that much better.
For some it's "He who dies with the most toys wins." For me it's more the opposite. Getting down to what is really needed, as opposed to what is wanted feels better. Window shopping works for me.

 

[mso489]

The clutter can bury the necessities and treasures in a few weeks. Our place is three households collapsed into one. Throwing out or moving out the accumulation is a battle we have yet to win. You literally lose the use of some of the possessions important to you.

Some inherited the Great Depression habit of saving and recycling everything, when there wasn't much to have.

 

[sparker69]

I still like to drop by the local brick and mortar to see what’s on the market, ask questions, and buy something every time to support them for tolerating my questions.

I also agree with perusing the various websites for further info too. Tobacco reviews is a big one for me. I’ve spent a good amount of time at smokingpipes.com too and have been sure to buy a thing or two there as well.

That brings up an interesting point as well: as much as it can be much more expensive at the B&M, at least in Canada, I think it's important to encourage them as well. I appreciate them so much, as well as the experience that goes with visiting them: asking questions, chatting about pipes & tobacco and just developing relationships with them. A richness to the journey that I would be sad to lose.

 

[sparker69]

I love BnB, it’s such a blessing to have a brick and mortar close by. I’m happy to give them my money and hope everyone supports their local shop if they have one.

100%! It's quite a bit more expensive for me to buy from them, but it would be a real loss to lose them. I can afford a few extra dollars - not going to kill me. Indeed - a blessing.

 

[Jef]

For the past 5 years I have bought myself 2 pipes every year. This year I have only bought one, a Winslow Crown. I have been looking for the second one of the year when I came to the realization that I am perfectly content with what I have. I have 3 Petersons and the Winslow that I smoke 95% of the time. They seem to do me just fine.

I learned Depression Era scrutiny and descipline from my father. His family lived through it. I guess some of it has rubbed off on me. Simple is less complication, which is good in my eyes.

Window shopping down Main Street in my little town sounds like a good idea to me.

mso489 I applaude your thought. Bravo!

jef

 

[LeafErikson]

This thread made me want to listen to Window Shopper by 50 Cent.