Where Has the Pipe Presence on YouTube Gone?

[samanden]

I remember when I first started smoking a pipe almost 7 years ago, there was a large pipe community sharing ideas on YouTube. There was dubinthedam (who emailed me personally to give some advice); there was Pipe Poet and GothamCitySmokes (although good, he didn't post much); you had 1968Eric and some other good guys. I know some had to stop for health issues and we still have Pipe Lawyer and Astroman2112. But, what happened to the movement?
Now, I'll admit that I'm not the most diligent YouTube-er, so correct me if I'm off base.
Do any of you fellas have folks on YouTube you're keeping up with? Or are my assumptions reasonable?

 

[zekest]

At least two YouTubers that I used to follow, are now into cigars and don't post any pipe stuff anymore.
It must be hard to create new content all the time, and like anything else, people grow tired of putting in the time to create videos, and over time they just stop.
samanden, here is your opening to start a YouTube channel on your pipe smoking journey...

 

[danielplainview]

Hey Sam. There are still a few of us on YouTube. Checkout Matches860 on YouTube, you can find a ton of pipe enthusiasts through his channel. I to have a channel dedicated to pipes. PROLE FEED is my channel name. Or search GBD pipe collection to find it. Cheers!

 

[james80]

DubintheDam was the most informative. Keith Graham was also enjoyable and he seems to have gone. I guess it becomes a bit repetitive posting as well as taking time.

 

[samanden]

Lol. Zekest, I have my hands in so any pots as it is... I guess I just solved my own mystery.

 

[mso489]

My experience with youTube pipe videos are that they offer some good information but are done with very poor

production values. The guys just don't seem to rehearse at all, and don't have any structure. To make it worse,

to dramatize the subject, they pause and puff and hem and haw, and reach off camera, etc. The magic of

youTube is that some of the speakers or performers are natural talents, even if some of the material is of

no interest or too peculiar for me. But you can't pause and ponder and shrug and tap your teeth with the

pipe bit and get a lot of views. It's show biz, so you need a pipe smoker who is also a performer.

 

[igloo]

Love the pipes and the music on PROLE FEED .Very nice work .

 

[frankenstein]

I think they understood that they only embaressed themselfs. I mean, grown mean presenting themself as "matches860" and so forth. Tell me your real name and maybe I'll watch your videos, but probably not since they still suck ass. The only MAN on youtube smoking a pipe is.. uhm that guy in the northwest. He who's always out n' about in the woods and such. Fireman is he not? Yeah, that's a real man, look like Daniel Day Lewis in "There will be blood" too. Oh man! I like that he doesn't focus as much on that he is smoking a pipe, but talks about his everyday life.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Once I found the PM Radio show, I just never went back to watch the videos. Brian Levine just had better content without the weirdness of watching someone smoke in a way that I thought was just silly. The radio show just has more class than any of the videos that I saw. While I don't like the idea of judging people based on what they look like, it's hard for me to watch a guy with tons of tattoos, or a shirtless hairy guy, or someone with a Duck Dynasty beard. Those things are perfectly fine things, I just don't want to watch it. Maybe I just never stumble on any of the classy videos, I don't know.
But, the radio show has enough class and interesting content that my (formerly tobacco-nazi) girlfriend will even remind me when the show is coming on, so that we can both listen to it together. I think Brian does more positive things for the hobby as a whole than a couple of foul-mouthed bikers making a video in their garage. Just my opinion.

 

[jmill208]

My experience with youTube pipe videos are that they offer some good information but are done with very poor

production values. The guys just don't seem to rehearse at all, and don't have any structure. To make it worse,

to dramatize the subject, they pause and puff and hem and haw, and reach off camera, etc. The magic of

youTube is that some of the speakers or performers are natural talents, even if some of the material is of

no interest or too peculiar for me. But you can't pause and ponder and shrug and tap your teeth with the

pipe bit and get a lot of views. It's show biz, so you need a pipe smoker who is also a performer.

I've watched a lot of videos on YouTube and you are correct, sir. The fidgeting, puffing and dragging out the review or comments, etc. is just maddening. I found myself learning a bit, but at a great expense; my time.

 

[frankenstein]

cosmicfolklore: I agree, even though I've got some tattoo's on my hide I would never show them to people, or wear anything that would reveal that I am tattooed. Youthful sins and all that. Being kind of a style nazi, WASPish, it hurts my eyes to see how poorly dressed some people are.
I once saw a "pipe video" were the guy was laying on the floor, smoking a pipe and talking into his webcam.
The radio show is great but the commercial breaks make me grow tired of listening. Don' have a TV so my tolerence to commercial is very low. Would've been great if they just announced the sponsors before the show started.

 

[apatim]

Although I was able to find some helpful info on youtube, most of the presentations were just too long and boring for my taste. As mentioned above, too much hemming and hawing... just get to the point already! ;-) I tried making videos for my own business and found that I bored myself - it is really a lot harder to produce an interesting video that one might think.

 

[pylorns]

Man, I read the posts here and this is the first thing that comes to mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsqJFIJ5lLs

 

[latbomber]

I agree with the above posters, and have made the following guide so you too can make your own youtube pipe video! :mrgreen:
1)Make sure you are either under 18 years old, or over 80. (not that there is anything wrong with that, but you want to go with the trends)
2)Buy the crappiest webcam you possibly can, and sit in a dark area. Be sure to have background noise as well.
3)Make sure you have a gross puberty beard, giant hobo beard, or other unkept and greasy facial hair (I have a beard myself, but it is well maintained) A suit/fedora/pancake hat will also help.
4)Do not actually mention the tobacco or pipe you are reviewing until AT LEAST 15 minutes into the video.
5)ONLY review a tobacco that you are just smoking for the first time, if you smoke it more than once a proper review is impossible. You might accidentally provide useful information.
6)Be sure to leave huge pauses in between words and stare into the camera, so it seems like you are a serial killer or someone who has a piposexual fetish (yes i just made that word up)
So there. With this handy guide you will be on your way to getting literally tens of views!! :wink:

 

[lostandfound]

You guys know you're not required to watch any YouTube videos, right? If you don't like what you're watching, you can click the "back" button on your browser and said shitty video will cease playing? Jesus, you guys must have a lot of time on your hands to be nitpicking members of a community of which you are admittedly NOT a part of.
Lol... it makes me laugh. We call this a community, but the vast majority of us don't even go by our real names. We hide behind our clever user names and pipe-related GIFs. Sorry, but doing YouTube videos is a much more effective way of synthesizing actual human interaction, than participating on a forum.
@ Frankenstein:

I mean, grown mean presenting themself as "matches860" and so forth.

Yeah, and Frankenstein is your real name. :clap:
Seriously, if you don't like what you're watching then don't watch it. Chances are if someone has 2,000+ people subscribed to their YouTube page, their videos have some value to someone.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

LOL, and likewise, you didn't "have" to read this thread, nor criticize thusly, but you did. Just like we did towards the videos. And, that's ok. But, you just stepped into the pot calling the kettle black territory, ha ha.
Anyways, making fun of stuff is, well... fun :: It's Youtube, everyone makes fun of it. That's what it's for.

 

[layinpipe]

I think Brian does more positive things for the hobby as a whole than a couple of foul-mouthed bikers making a video in their garage. Just my opinion.

Hahahahaha, cosmic, were you referring to the Dagner boys? I freakin' love their videos, man, they are great. I agree with some viewpoints here and disagree with others. I think the yt vids can be very informative to the rookie beginner piper who needs general as well as specific information regarding FAQs about pipe smoking. The videos do get old real quick though and many of them are creepy and uncomfortably boring. The dagners keep it interesting and add comedic relief. They cover it all from new pipe reviews from different makers, to new pipe smoker information, tobacco reviews, trips to visit different pipe makers and states/countries in the name of the briar and leaf. I love the fact that they are motorcycle enthusiasts, tatted up, sport majestic beards, and that jay is into skating and such. A lot of these traits reflect the way i live my own life and i dig it. I also swear like a sailor and hate conformity and fitting into society's mold. Definitely wouldn't consider myself a square. At the same time i am "live and let live" and respect everyone's right to agree or disagree with my own opinions. I also have pretty thick skin and it takes a lot to really ruffle my feathers. Life's too short for any unnecessary stress and anger over trivial matters.
Anyways, i wish someone would make a really sweet pipe documentary. I mean, professionally done and proper about the origins of pipes and pipe smoking. I know there's that "Father The Flame" vid but last i heard it was still in production, maybe it is out now but i have not checked.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Right on layinpipe, if you dig it, then you are their target audience. I just said that was why I didn't watch it. Besides, I'm not even 100% sure we are talking about the same guys.
That "Father The Flame" thing has been dragging about for forever. It is starting to remind me of my crazy friends of mine who continually talk about a novel they are working on, but just never seem to get it done. And, I actually dropped some money on them. But, so far, all I've heard about this movie is vagueness. I never got the impression that they were going into anything historical. And, yes, I realize that I am ragging on them. Maybe it will hurry them up. So, don't get your panties in a wad, lol.

 

[layinpipe]

Lol, gotcha, the Dagner's are the first thing that popped into my mind, as i was just recently watching one of their vids and they personify pretty much exactly what you said; a couple foul-mouthed bikers making videos in their garage. Consider it a response to the thread at hand and a Dagner video review, haha. 2 birds, 1 stone.
I did some looking a while back when i was searching for some good pipe documentary type videos to watch. I stumbled across the Father the Flame stuff and was stoked on it, but just like you said it is a lot of hot air and hype with little action. I am surprised at how little video related material is available about pipe smoking/pipe making/pipe tobacco/pipes in general. I mean, when i smoked primarily cigars, there was 10 times the amount of documentaries, factory tours, tobacco production methods, reviews and etc. Doesn't seem to be nearly as much for pipes. Oh well, at least we have the forums.

 

[frankenstein]

lostandfound: No it's not. And I don't present myself with it, especially if I want to be taken serious. Hi I'm Tomas.
This guy knows what it's all about:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tthn0jMmX0A