What About Pipes Do You

[workman]

...Like, love, find fascinating etc?

I think I have found out what my thing is.
I like their durability. The fact that they are crafted from very old school materials, that they can be used again and again becoming more and more intimate to the user for each smoke, yet endure and, with some maintenance, stay functional and indeed beautiful nevertheless.
What is it for you?

 

[Chasing Embers]

You can burn tobacco in them.

 

[mortonbriar]

Yes, I think your list is a good summary, as well as a connection to the past. But for me, if the smoke itself was only as enjoyable as a cigarette, or even a cigar then I would have bypassed the hobby altogether and happily smoked nothing.

 

[GabrielSTB]

I’m always fascinated by just how much the shape, size, and material can change a blend for me. I like to smoke the same blend in several different pipes to find what it likes best. I usually think English/Balkans in a wide bowl perform best and straight Virginias/burleys are best in a narrower pipe.

 

[mso489]

All of what you say, and the variety and imagination, in factory pipes as much as artisanal. Each pipe is a little different in design and proportion, and that lures people on and on, as if you can't ever have too many. We do, but never mind.

 

[workman]

All of what you say, and the variety and imagination, in factory pipes as much as artisanal. Each pipe is a little different in design and proportion, and that lures people on and on, as if you can't ever have too many. We do, but never mind.

Somewhere you wrote about your pipes and how many you have and how often you smoke them. I can't recall the figures exactly, but I do remember that I did some math and came to the result that any one of my pipes gets smoked as often in one week that any one of yours gets smoked in one year.
I find that amusing. Not sure why, but I do.

 

[workman]

You can burn tobacco in them.

That too, yes. Well you can burn tobacco in all sorts of things, but yes.

 

[workman]

I’m always fascinated by just how much the shape, size, and material can change a blend for me. I like to smoke the same blend in several different pipes to find what it likes best. I usually think English/Balkans in a wide bowl perform best and straight Virginias/burleys are best in a narrower pipe.

I'm not there, but I don't smoke lat blends anymore, so that's not an issue for me.

 

[runscott]

That too, yes. Well you can burn tobacco in all sorts of things, but yes.

Keep having fun - it's not a thing everyone can pull off.

 

[ashdigger]

EVERYTHING

 

[Chasing Embers]

That too, yes. Well you can burn tobacco in all sorts of things, but yes.

Yep, and thoroughly enjoy them all.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Keep having fun - it's not a thing everyone can pull off.

Sure they can, but many are afraid to let themselves.

 

[aspiring_sage]

I like to tinker and fiddle with things.
Who isn’t fascinated by fire?

 

[TheIronMonkey]

The utility/function is a given, but the visual aesthetics probably come first for me, whether it's the beauty of the wood, or shape and line (or a combo of those things), followed by uniqueness and possibly history. I see pipes as little sculptures that you can smoke tobacco out of; some are pretty, others, not so much, but, equally useful and have their place.

I'm less likely to take a Savinelli Autograph pipe on the go, or do yardwork with it than a Missouri Meerschaum Cob; the cob is more useful to me in those instances, and function trumps aesthetics (to protect and preserve the art).

 

[sandollars]

When you find that perfect tobacco that goes with that perfect pipe......

 

[workman]

Keep having fun - it's not a thing everyone can pull off.

Just remember the trio: use moist tobacco, stuff it in real tight and suck on it like a hoover on steroids.

 

[autococker07]

The taste

 

[workman]

EVERYTHING

Me too. I also like this guy's take on everything:

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

Like other hobbies of mine, pipe smoking (and collecting) is such a timeless hobby. Collecting vinyl records is a great comparison. I can enjoy a record (pipe) today just as much, if not more, than I did years ago. There's always something new to learn or try. I have my trusty favorites that I regularly listen to (smoke), but am always getting turned on to something new that I never imagined I'd find. Another timeless aspect is the pipes. Like records, if maintained and cared for, a pipe can be enjoyed for a lifetime. I love buying old pipes and records that are just as usable today as they we're 5+ decades ago. Kind of fascinating to think about the life of a pipe or record before it ended up in my collection.
Aside from its timelessness, the community is also fantastic. Great people who share a deep interest with one of my favorite things - doesn't get better than that.

 

[runscott]

Just remember the trio: use moist tobacco, stuff it in real tight and suck on it like a hoover on steroids.

Next time I have a really bad attitude I'll review 'the trio', and I bet I'm doing at least one of them.