What's the Minimal Number of Pipes for Good Smoking

[mso489]

My dad only owned one fully functional pipe at a time. He'd keep a burn-out or two on hand as back-ups, but really it was just the one pipe, smoked from just after breakfast to bedtime, every day. I have "too many pipes," about ninety-something, and I enjoy the overage, but know I could do with half these or less. What's your minimum number of pipes for contentment, in terms of smoking, not joy of acquisition or pleasure of collecting? Could you make it with three? Six? A dozen? Sixty? I know some members get along fine with probably each of those numbers. How about you?

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

I think I could get by with 4 just fine.

 

[sablebrush52]

1, theoretically...

 

[musicman]

Four sounds about right. One for Latakia, one for Lakeland blends, and two for everything else.

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

1, theoretically...

For smoking contentment...

 

[Chasing Embers]

One

 

[Bluemonter]

4 total:

2 clays, for laid back smoking
1 cob, for working in the yard
1 briar, to prop up and look real pretty

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

There is one Peterson I’d like to find and they are no longer available. Otherwise, I’m done with 6-8

 

[JOHN72]

I only use corn pipes, they are very economical. I think I would go well with 50 and another 50 to store............?

 

[kcghost]

I'm sure that pipers have varying tastes in pipes but there surely those who find one pipe suits them fine. I just smoke four in rotation.

 

[mso489]

Seven to ten would be comfortable for me, I think, until I try to decide which seven, which ten. I like having one churchwarden, a really large bowl, a small bowl or several, an up-market pipe or three. And there I go. One pipe feels a little paltry to me, unless like my dad I took it as an ethical matter. Since gift pipes make up perhaps a dozen of my pipes, I think I'm stuck with that as my floor.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Yep, one is the number. Few will adhere to this minimum for a number of valid reasons.

 

[ray47]

3 would work for me (1 cob, 1 meer & 1 briar)

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

While I enjoy the cobs, only certain cobs.

 

[B.Lew]

From my perspective 7-10 is adequate. Do I want more, yes. Do I need more, no. 7-10 is my current number on hand. This seems to fit any style needed (windy, knock-around,” and indoor fancy) for an occasion. I am a minimalist in many areas of life. Personally I don’t desire a lot of possessions that aren’t necessary or will not be used. Tobacco on the other hand…it will never be less expensive and will only become more regulated. So possess away!

 

[mso489]

Only one of my cobs is a gift, and they are minimal acquisitions in terms of cost, and since I have about ten of them, they trim my sense of pipe allotment, justifiably or not. But they certainly are an anchor of my pipe contentment, low maintenance and high performance. I do have them fitted with Forever acrylic stems or purchased them as special editions with acrylic stems. Not counting the cobs, I have about eighty pipes. There, I feel better. (Ho-ho-ho.)

 

[warren]

A nice sized meerschaum would suffice nicely.

 

[Chasing Embers]

A nice sized meerschaum would suffice nicely.

I agree. This big boy is turning into my go to pipe.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I agree. This big boy is turning into my go to pipe.

View attachment 87452

I like a good meerschaum as well, a MM…..lol!

 

[mso489]

A single pipe, or three pipes in rotation, would probably show wear at an unaccustomed rate that would surprise me. With a large rotation, pipes stay new looking for years on end. The first pipe I bought, in 1978 or so, a Tinder Box St. Ives probably made by Chacom, still looks good and smokes well.