The Rarity Of The Pipe Smoker

[ssjones]

I was in Philly this evening for the Morleyson Pipe Club meeting (met Lestrout & SamTheCoffeeMan). I was killing a little time before the meeting at a nearby park, smoking a pipe and reading the morning paper (hey, no one hassled me either!). As I was leaving, I passed a young guy with a toddler enjoying his pipe. I mentioned that I don't encounter many pipe smokers. He said, yep, there aren't many. I laughed and told him where I was going for the evening and showed him my pipe bag (it's NOT a man bag..). He is a recent cigarette smoker and pipe convert. He was from Ireland, married to a PA gal and working at Temple University. He couldn't come to the pipe club because of his little girl, but I told him about this place and exchanged contact info.

 

[batdemon]

Welcome aboard, ftroop. Glad to have you join us

 

[phil22]

I, too, would like to be able to smoke with a couple of buddies, but I am the only pipe smoker I know. Even the guy who owns the pipe and cigar shop (mostly cigars) knows almost nothing of good pipe tobacco.

 

[didimauw]

What is it about pipe smokers that make us so rare and special?

 

[voorhees]

Of my close friends, I am the only pipe smoker. A few may smoke a cigar now and then, any others are nail smokers. I get grief from them, but I don't care. I talk to a few in the cigar shop I work at on saturdays, but they are older.

 

[rhurd1]

I think it brings back good memories for a lot of people. At least once a week someone tells me my pipe and tobacco reminds them of there grandpa , then walk away smiling.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

I've seen a few pipe smokers scattered around Vegas. Usually it's either in casinos or outside coffee shops.
As for swamp coolers, we have one. It usually goes on when it's between 80-100 because it drops the house temp by about 15-20 degrees. In Vegas a high humidity day is around 15%, so they work very well here.

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

I'm 27 and am attempting a full-convert from the cigarettes that I've been smoking since I was in the Navy. I have a guy who temps at my work occasionally that USED to smoke pipe, but has quit smoking all together since the last time I saw him. I've been by my closest B&M (Prince Philips) and seen a small group of older men there but didn't stay to have a sit with them ... didn't seem very welcoming and they all stared at me as I checked the tobacco jars for a different blend.
I picked up the pipe because it smells great, smokes longer, the feel of the pipe is good, tobacco goes a long way and it is a good conversation starter. I usually get a positive comment when I am out at a bar either because I am just smoking a pipe or because it smells good. I have a friend who is thinking about trying it out for the same reasons so I may lend him one of the estate pipes I just finished cleaning up.

 

[ftroop]

Thank you for the welcome, BatDemon.

 

[puffinbilly]

I grew up in Liverpool in the 50's, there were plenty of pipe smokers about then, Pipe smoking was one of the working man’s, pensioner’s or sailor’s pleasures. Cigars and cigarettes were somewhat swanky. Pipe tobacco was even taxed differently and when duty on cigarettes was raised pipe tobacco usually benefited from a lower increase or remained the same.
Bill

 

[peanubutter]

In Wyoming the county still allows smoking in the bars and I go there occasionally for a cigar and a beverage. The restaurant I work at has two other pipe smokers and several cigar smokers. We meet in the garage on occasion and fire up our choices and watch the people go by and comment on our setup and what we are smoking. I don't believe we have ever had a negative comment from anyone about any of our choices. I need more pipe experience myself and look like a dweeb next to the other more experienced pipe smokers. It's all good fun though.

 

[fiawol]

My landladie's husband smokes a pipe when he mowes our grass. My wife began to comment on how she loves the smell of the fresh cut grass and the pipe smoke. I have always wanted to start smoking a pipe and took that as a go ahead. I have yet to be home when he mowes so I have never been able to talk with him.

 

[rayje589]

Out of all my friends I'm the only one that smokes a pipe... or smokes at all. The bar I usually frequent has an older crowd and they always comment on how they haven't seen someone some a pipe in ages (the DJ also calls me Sherlock Holmes). At another bar with a younger crowd I get asked if I have any drugs. -_-
In my travels I have not seen any other pipe smokers unfortunately.

 

[terrygoldman123]

Doing my saturday errands in and around Richmond, VA and while smoking a pipe in my parked car a woman walked up and said that the smell reminded her of sitting on grand daddy's lap as a child. Later while at a stop light a man motioned for me to roll down the window and said it was good to see me with a "bowlful."
Two comments in one day. Not bad.
Alas, I live near to CORPS the big pipe club in Richmond and RARELY (save for the annual Pipe Show in Oct) see another piper. Too bad. More 1Q please.

 

[smokedragon]

Really, the only person I see regularly smoking a pipe is my father. He smokes captain black mostly, and all of his pipe are black rusticated. I'm going on 10 months of pipe smoking,so I'm definitely new. I tend to do a lot of sampling and send stuff my dad's way since he's my only pipe buddy. That being said, I have seen quite a few pipe smokers here and there. I did a lot of traveling this year, and have seen quite a few gentlemen smoking a pipe. It's almost like pipe smokers have this unspoken acknowledgement. A puff, a quick nod of respect, and off you go.

 

[unclefester13]

I think I figured out the rarity of the pipe smoker . . . My father was the kindest man I've known and a pipe smoker till the end, and I've never met a mean pipe smoker. Therefore I conclude that most people are downright mean, lol. Pipe men are friendly, kind and obviously mellow like the men here.