What Brought YOU?

[homeguard95]

History. I was drawn to the nostalgia. I've always had a love of history, but.... all cards on the table, the tipping point for me was Hell on Wheels .... you know the show on amc, I love that show!!! August 2nd can't come soon enough! :mrgreen:

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

For me, especially as I've grown older, it seemed the logical choice. As I grew closer and closer to being forty, it just seemed natural. Of course now I am forty and I have a FEW pipes lol. I also love how it seems to take me away to another time, a simpler time, and a time where being a man meant something (no offense ladies, I have no problem with your pipe smoking)a little more than it seems to now. You can look through history and find many pipe smokers among great men. These days not so much. Also, and I know this is WAY OVERDONE, I'm a huge fantasy fan. So images of Gandalf and hobbits and dwarfs and their pipes come to mind. And I'm writing a novel myself and some of my favorite authors smoked a pipe. Many great authors smoked a pipe. So the pipe was an easy choice for me.
Or perhaps the pipe chose me.

 

[ravkesef]

@cobguy-- where did you get it? Man, talk about a trip down memory Lane.

 

[bwithers55]

I guess hitting 45 was a wake up call to pick up the briar again after giving it a try in my early 20's. -bw

 

[hawke]

My wife says I look cool with a pipe. Hell Yea! Hehe.
I think its the hobby thing that got me. Cigarettes stink and are unhealthy. No inhaling is better for the health and I love nicotine so the pipe was a natural transition. Pipe tobaccos offer the connoisseur in me something to indulge in too. Keeps me off the weed too, damn urine tests!

 

[sablebrush52]

Very simple. The scent, the delicious scent of burning pipe tobacco, got me interested. I figured that anything that smelled THAT good was worth exploring.

 

[thewalrus21]

Tolkien made me start smoking.

 

[huntertrw]

What brought me to pipes was the fact that I have never known a pipe-smoker who was not a gentleman. My heroes were all pipe-smokers, and include Santa Claus, Bing Crosby, Robert Ruark's "Old Man," my maternal and paternal grandfathers, my high school band director, my first boss after I graduated from college, and a number of late writers including Gene Hill, Corey Ford, and Shelby Foote (hence my avatar). They all possessed a certain quiet confidence, and their pipes seemed integral to it.
Each of these men has given me something to live up to. I hope that I may do as well.

 

[woopigsooie]

I was drawn for the same reasons as the OP. I love the nostalgia. I only turn 31 next week so I can't say from experience, but, it seems like men used to be more manly. As silly as it may sound, doing some thing the old fashion way make me feel good. I also use a safety razor and brush and wear mechanical watches.

 

[andystewart]

Excellent OP! Welcome to the forum. I was born in 1964 so there were still plenty of pipe smokers around as I grew up in rural England, including (occasionally) my Dad. At 17 I moved to Oxford, where my landlord was an old bastard with a number of fascinating stories. Jim had been the radio operator on the British airship R100 in the 1930s and was due to fly on the maiden voyage of the sister ship, the R101, but broke his arm the day before. The 777ft airship crashed and his replacement was killed. Jim had a 24 year old wife and was cool. He also smoked a pipe; when I expressed an interest, Jim had a beautiful little full bent, silver mounted system pipe professionally cleaned for me. I was away and have smoked a pipe (on and off) for over 30 years. For most of that time it was an increasingly unfashionable and lonely pastime until I discovered this site, which has changed my pipe into a fascinating hobby. I've smoked more pipes and blends since January this year than in the 30 years previous and I love it!
Andy

 

[cigrmaster]

I had been a cigar smoker for over 20 years when a cigar buddy of mine told me I had to try a pipe. He worked on me for a few weeks till I finally got sick of hearing him. I was at my buddy's cigar store and lounge and he sold some pipes and pipe tobacco. I bought a Savinelli Linea Piu 5 and I think some type of Ashton tobacco. I got hooked and the rest was history.

 

[geo3rge]

Like a member above, I always felt as a lad that, if I were to smoke, a pipe would be the thing. All of my family were cigarette smokers, except a distant relative who smoked a pipe. Seeing, back in the 1970s, plenty of men (I'm sure there were ladies too, but the social mores of the day forbade female public pipe smoking, it seems to me) lighting up in public and enjoying their pipes wherever they were, simply fuelled the desire. There were also the beginnings of the health campaigns against smoking cigarettes, and pipes and cigars were, believe it or not, actively and enthusiastically recommended by doctors and health councils. Well do I remember seeming scores of younger men taking up the pipe, including many of my teachers in school. My own love affair began at around seventeen/eighteen and I bought a Falcon as my first proper pipe. The aroma, taste, the simple but tantalising acts of filling the bowl, even rubbing out, then the lighting and puffing, all create an aura and a mystique about them. Pipe smoking is absolutely enticing and compulsive, I'm afraid. After several years of having just one or two pipes and one brand of tobacco, the last twelve months have seen an absolute explosion as I have began to buy new pipes and try new blends. I hope to continue for as long as health, finance and opportunities allow.

Steve

 

[ericthered]

My grandfather smoked a pipe when I was young; he passed a few years ago so, for me, it's way of keeping his memory alive. I hope that someday my children and eventual grandchildren will remember me like I remember him. Similar to anthonyrosenthal74, several of the fantasy novels I enjoy reading have significant references to pipes and tobacco so smoking a pipe helps to further connect with the characters. I enjoy the almost forced relaxation that preparing, smoking and cleaning a pipe requires and I enjoy the thrill of the hunt for my next favorite tobacco!

 

[davidyanik]

I had an uncle who smoked a pipe and it always seemed so cool and the smoke always smelled so good. I didn't get into pipe smoking until pretty recently. Me and my wife both smoke cigarettes (I don't smoke cigarettes anymore.) We have always been doing the roll you own cigarette thing and our machine broke and its a pain the ass to roll cigarettes by hand so I said screw this and bought a corn cob and started smoking this Honey flavored tobacco we had got (it was meant more for rolling so it was kind of not great) but it was good enough that I decided to give up smoking cigarettes and I bought a few kinds of tobacco from the local shop and I haven't smoked a cigarette sense. The smell and the taste of this is so much better than a cigarette, it's 10 times more relaxing to sit and smoke a pipe on the front steps or while i work than smoking a cigarette. The smoke is thick and beautiful and I don't think I'll ever want a cigarette again.