I don’t see a bright future but of course could be wrong. I’d stock up while you can and be done with it if you are in it for the long haul.
What Is the Future of Pipesmoking for Younger Generations?
- Thread starter fishmansf
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It's impossible to predict with 100% accuracy. Almost 10 years ago, I decided I would likely want to smoke a pipe until I pass. I set forth to purchase and cellar an adequate amount of tobacco to last me until I'm somewhere over 100. I cannot predict how long I'll live but I'd rather die with 100 lbs of tobacco left in storage than spend my final years craving a bowl of tobacco.
Were I in my 20's to 40's and enjoy smoking a pipe, I'd methodically (even aggressively if your budget will allow) go about purchasing as much tobacco as possible. In the past 10 years alone, pipe tobacco has almost doubled in price. Many great blends have gone away. I do believe there will be people smoking pipes likely into the next century. Therefore, there a market for your tobacco will exist if you decide to give it up. You would likely get a reasonable return on your investment if you cellar wisely.
Were I in my 20's to 40's and enjoy smoking a pipe, I'd methodically (even aggressively if your budget will allow) go about purchasing as much tobacco as possible. In the past 10 years alone, pipe tobacco has almost doubled in price. Many great blends have gone away. I do believe there will be people smoking pipes likely into the next century. Therefore, there a market for your tobacco will exist if you decide to give it up. You would likely get a reasonable return on your investment if you cellar wisely.
Don't bash my hobbies. What have those little fuckers do to deserve it?
Stack it cheap and stack it deep while you can. My prediction is pipe smoking will still be around will be heavily taxed and possible online sales ban.
I'm surprised the topic of preemption hasn't come up yet. Brookline, Massachusetts has the notoriety of being the first area in the US to preemptively banning tobacco for future generations. In 2021 they banned the purchase of tobacco for anyone born after 2000. I've heard proposals of enacting preemption at a state level...however, it is dividing state residents pretty heavily due to the state's relaxed standards on marijuana and the fact they're trying to ban citizens from a legal substance.
Another threat to the piping community I haven't seen addressed is the lack of patience among generations needed to sit back and actually enjoy a full bowl. As we all know, smoking a bowl is a marathon, not a race. I'm not convinced the fast-paced youth are willing to slow down and disconnect long enough to enjoy a pipe, especially since smoking has become an outdoor activity among people. That said, there's always the possibility that they simply overcome this dilemma by gravitating towards small-bowled pipes.
Of course, what's old often becomes new again, and Gen Zers seem to have taken to thrift shopping and retro styles, kind of like bell bottoms making a comeback in the 90s. There's always the chance that piping is embraced by this crowd for similar reasons - although they may satisfy this urge by creating pipe-shaped vapes.
I will say, that over the past year or so I have received A LOT of attention when smoking a pipe in public, and none of it has been negative. Many people have walked by and complimented my pipes, or said it was awesome to see a pipe being smoked in real life. On three occasions, when asked my age, I have been told I look younger and they have credited the pipe. I'm nearing 40, so I'm not that old, but it was interesting to hear pipes associated with youthfulness. So who knows...maybe those coming of age are craving symbols of a simpler time?
Another threat to the piping community I haven't seen addressed is the lack of patience among generations needed to sit back and actually enjoy a full bowl. As we all know, smoking a bowl is a marathon, not a race. I'm not convinced the fast-paced youth are willing to slow down and disconnect long enough to enjoy a pipe, especially since smoking has become an outdoor activity among people. That said, there's always the possibility that they simply overcome this dilemma by gravitating towards small-bowled pipes.
Of course, what's old often becomes new again, and Gen Zers seem to have taken to thrift shopping and retro styles, kind of like bell bottoms making a comeback in the 90s. There's always the chance that piping is embraced by this crowd for similar reasons - although they may satisfy this urge by creating pipe-shaped vapes.
I will say, that over the past year or so I have received A LOT of attention when smoking a pipe in public, and none of it has been negative. Many people have walked by and complimented my pipes, or said it was awesome to see a pipe being smoked in real life. On three occasions, when asked my age, I have been told I look younger and they have credited the pipe. I'm nearing 40, so I'm not that old, but it was interesting to hear pipes associated with youthfulness. So who knows...maybe those coming of age are craving symbols of a simpler time?
Recent history ( the last 20 years) says it will fade out of existence, but I’m my experience Men will always find a vice ie tobacco and continue its pursuit, My advise for what it’s worth is to cellar 3-4 of your favorite blends deep and you will always have a good smoke at arms reach. Also you have some effect on this outcome albeit small, The more that tobacco sales the more likely it will continue to be available. Cheers
The hipsters may keep it alive.
Trends come and go. They often repeat.
Trends come and go. They often repeat.
The above certainly isn't my style. Yet another unsupportable generalization. I'm sure some pipe smokers try to make the bowl last. Others? Probably just load, light and go about their business, not giving a care to length of time a bowl lasts. Pipe smokers are a varied lot.
From what I have learned so far, money usually, if not always wins, and with tobacco, a government will keep it going for as long as possible, as it’s a cash cow, and if a government does choose to make tobacco illegal, in will step the gangs and black market. Look at Aussie, general consensus, is they have raised the tax too high, and now they have an out of control tobacco black market.There are 2 parts to this.
1) are young people interested in pipe smoking, or will it die out?
From what I've seen there are more younger people moving to cigars and pipe smoking than in years past. Cigarette smoking is going down in the most recent generation, generation Alpha, but some are going to cigars and even pipes.
This comes from the very limited information I have from our local cigar lounge owner. He says about 50% of his regular customers are under 30. Just five years ago the under 30 crowd was about 10%.
Over the last 3 years he has started to stock cheap basket pipes, MM cobs, and a limited stock of tins due to demand from the under 30s.
Also, about 50% of the under 30 year old Amish guys I know smoke pipes. Not just cobs and RYO, but briar pipes and Carter Hall, Borkum Riff, Half & Half, PA.....
This is a big change from 23 years ago when we moved to Amish country. The guys that work for me love when I share Latakia blends and they are beginning to know the difference between Burley and Virginia. Many of them start at about 15-17 years old. I have no issue giving a 16 year old kid a bowl full of Balkan Supreme.
2) Is tobacco going to be around in 20 years? That depends on a few things. Twenty years ago we would have never guessed there would be weed shops on every corner.
It depends on if the money grabbers win, or the health nuts.
Could local governments treat tobacco like weed? Maybe.
Have it grown and regulated by the government for the tax money. Weed has never been cheaper, why not tobacco?
If the health nuts win, and decide grown adults cannot choose to use tobacco, we are done for.
In my opinion.
In NZ here, a few years ago the current labour (democrat to you guys) government brought in a whole raft of new laws to curb tobacco sales…..shops across NZ selling tobacco were going from something like 6000 to about 300 or so, they were bringing in that stepped age thing (raising the age every year), and some other things I can’t remember now as I have been up since 02:30. After the election a year or so after that, and the National party (republican to you guys) came in, they stopped all the changes. I think what happened was they opened the books and though “shit, is this how much tax is coming in” and ditched it all in favour of the revenue.
Smoking in any form, I think, will always be around, to some degree, because it’s a time tested, enjoyable thing to do, and it will be appealing to a certain group of people. I’m 38.
OK, that’s my quarterly post….
Actually, a marathon is a race. But, the idea of engaging in a slow paced activity will be attractive to a lot of people.
You bringing up dating apps and “420 friendly” reminded me of this woman I matched with on Hinge who switched to cigarettes to quit weed.
How would one go about identifying the hipster in charge to pitch them the idea that pipe smoking is cool. Maybe go ahead and jump start this process.
Look for the man purse and the handlebar mustache.
Which one ?
roflYou bringing up dating apps and “420 friendly” reminded me of this woman I matched with on Hinge who switched to cigarettes to quit weed.
Over here in UK, it does seem to be generally regarded as a symbol of a simpler time. On the Victorian farm, in my role as the bailiff, I find great pleasure and tranquility in smoking a pipe in between jobs and guiding tour parties. In the three years I've been there I have only been disapprovingly moralized at, once. Others have said the pipe perfects the look, while more have actually asked me - often with an incredulous tone - if it's a real pipe and tobacco I'm smoking. They seem to see it as the same kind of anachronistic craft demonstration they've paid to come and see, like horse-ploughing, reaping with a scythe, or threshing with a flail... one of those nearly-lost skills almost nobody does any more. I could say (and I do) that pipe-smoking is one of the nearly-lost pleasures almost nobody enjoys any more. Like proper food.
I show them the rare breeds of pig, cattle, sheep, chickens that were all massively popular in the 19thC but are endangered now, thanks to the modern fear of unsaturated fats, and - my favourite theme - the postmodern superstition that brown eggs must be better for you than white, because brown bread and brown rice is.
From the feedback we get, many visitors seem to come away from the farm with a sense that something precious has been lost, or is in danger of being lost, and the progress pundits of the past century have perhaps not been infallibly right - whether it's farming organically, reusing waste products, growing heirloom fruits and vegetables that taste better and have superior food value compared to what supermarkets offer and what commercial farmers are forced economically into growing, day-long interaction with animals rather than machines, a laid-back attitude to safety standards compared to the almost paranoid, risk-averse, litigious society we have today, self-reliance, personal responsibility... I know this drift is getting dangerously close to the political, so I'll stop here by saying that I think we just might be experiencing a point at which the pendulum of reaction is about to swing the other way. Newton's Third Law seems to work historically, if you follow me.
Pipe-smoking could well become a part of the new Resistance. We'll see.
Do hipsters even exist anymore? Ironically enough, I discovered pipe smoking from hipsters posting on tumblr circa ~2010 when they were at their peak.
