As I started at a very young age I had to do it in hiding, I taught myself and made mistakes but I'm a quick learner. 
Who Taught You to Smoke a Pipe?
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I started smoking a pipe at age 17 and remember trying to teach myself. I wasn't very successful. A year later, I was traveling in Venice, Italy and also studying Italian. My teacher, Paulo Venerando, also smoked a pipe and taught me about the different kinds of blends in Italian. He also taught me how to pack and light a pipe properly. As a parting gift, he gave me a golden bag of "special" cube-cut tobacco he said was from Switzerland, I don't recall what it was. Unfortunately, we've lost contact but I think of him often.
I had no real guidance in smoking in general, just trial and error by myself, reading a crapton on this and other fora, watching some videos.
There was no one person, there were a small group of folks in various brick-and-mortar shops that imparted bits of wisdom(?) along the way. That along with a lot of trial and error, mostly the latter as a lot of advice I had received was not very good (i.e., outright wrong). Most of my real education started after discovering forums like this one.
The fellow who got me started was Mr. Copley who, with his wife, operated Copley’s Pipes, one of the top tobacconists in LA at the time. A large operation that had been around since the 30’s, they stocked everything you could ask for, and had a national following for their house blends.
Mr. Copley sold me my first pipes, at cost since I worked at the jewelers across the street, added a selection of tobaccos to sample, and showed me how to smoke and maintain a pipe.
Naturally, what he did effortlessly I struggled to do. But eventually I got the hang of it and continued to experiment till I was satisfied with the results. 50+ years on, still learning.
Mr. Copley sold me my first pipes, at cost since I worked at the jewelers across the street, added a selection of tobaccos to sample, and showed me how to smoke and maintain a pipe.
Naturally, what he did effortlessly I struggled to do. But eventually I got the hang of it and continued to experiment till I was satisfied with the results. 50+ years on, still learning.
I’ve only been smoking a pipe on a consistent bases for a few years. I had a couple of kicks at the can when I was younger but my tobacco choices and poor technique along with the “hassle” of carrying a pipe around with me ended those early forays.
At the time I was framing houses for a living which was also a contributing factor- Cigarettes were just a lot easier to deal with in the wet/when building the roof etc.
When I finally took up pipe smoking in earnest my life and work situation had changed a lot. I basically taught myself how to pack and smoke a pipe through trial an error. However, it wasn’t until I found PM that I really got things dialed in. The advice given here by experienced smokers has been invaluable not to mention the avalanche of information that is available about pipe brands; buying, cleaning and restoring estate pipes and of course tobacco blends and varietals. PM didn’t teach me to smoke a pipe but it certainly introduced me to a world of pipe smoking I didn’t know existed.
At the time I was framing houses for a living which was also a contributing factor- Cigarettes were just a lot easier to deal with in the wet/when building the roof etc.
When I finally took up pipe smoking in earnest my life and work situation had changed a lot. I basically taught myself how to pack and smoke a pipe through trial an error. However, it wasn’t until I found PM that I really got things dialed in. The advice given here by experienced smokers has been invaluable not to mention the avalanche of information that is available about pipe brands; buying, cleaning and restoring estate pipes and of course tobacco blends and varietals. PM didn’t teach me to smoke a pipe but it certainly introduced me to a world of pipe smoking I didn’t know existed.
A few guys from this forum and trying stuff.
Bought a decent pipe and a couple of samples of what smelled good to me and just started smoking. Learned along the way and still discovering new things today. The internet has been amazing but I enjoyed the entire journey including the fumbling first efforts with pretty much zero assistance or instruction. I’ve learned a lot from the good people here that has made the whole experience even better but it’s only been in the past decade or so.
I do remember seeing my great grandfather smoking a pipe when I was a very young child and wanting to have my own pipe one day if that counts, lol.
I do remember seeing my great grandfather smoking a pipe when I was a very young child and wanting to have my own pipe one day if that counts, lol.
My teacher was not a good one. It was me. I learned from making every mistake imaginable.
At the time I started, there were a few pipe smokers here and there, but very damn few. I mostly smoked nails in social company and kept the pipe to myself.
At the time I started, there were a few pipe smokers here and there, but very damn few. I mostly smoked nails in social company and kept the pipe to myself.
I didn't have any in-person mentors in 1999. There were a handful of articles on the Internet, but they mostly repeated stuff like the 3-layer pack, smoking to the bottom, and aromatic-shaming. So I had a lot of smokes that lost flavor quickly, were hard to keep lit, and burned my tongue at some point along the way. Still, there were enough good moments of flavor and enjoyment that I never gave it up entirely. I had to come to sites like this to unlearn a bunch of that old crap and really start enjoying (pretty much) every smoke.
when I actually started smoking a pipe, my grand father and most of my uncles had passed, but as a child watching them pack and smoke a pipe was what I was drawing on. I had an uncle who would wear a hole in his stem, so that he could fall asleep on the porch smoking without dropping his pipe. There would be a tiny smolder of smoke and his snoring.
But, I honed my skills, putting memories to practice from the writings of GLP and Kashmir’s post on here a long time ago. They best put words to what I remembered helping me get better at my clench and breath smoking style. But, really, watching and emulating what the ghost of my Uncle Mark was what I pulling from most. Him and his cowboy hat, Grabow, and riding around all day helping him doing farmwork. He was a philosopher farmer, always making any situation seem deep and worthy of contemplation.
But, I honed my skills, putting memories to practice from the writings of GLP and Kashmir’s post on here a long time ago. They best put words to what I remembered helping me get better at my clench and breath smoking style. But, really, watching and emulating what the ghost of my Uncle Mark was what I pulling from most. Him and his cowboy hat, Grabow, and riding around all day helping him doing farmwork. He was a philosopher farmer, always making any situation seem deep and worthy of contemplation.
I did have memories of a great uncle and a friend’s father who were pipe smokers, but they were not teachers. I read a few articles on the internet and bought a pipe and a rum and butter aromatic at the mall B&M. Then the journey was on. The results were positive enough to keep at it and I soon found this forum and that really helped the process. Still learning and enjoying.
I already had some experience as a 15 year old teenager with one briar the father of a girl friend gave to me and a clay. Read „The Art of Pipe Smoking“, and gave up after short time, self rolled cigarettes were the most convenient.
Later on almost three years ago, I read almost everything I could get on the internet. But it was „Ralph’s Pfeifenkino“ that gets to my mind, when he said „go slow with pipe smoking, keep them clean, but otherwise there are no rules. Do it your way“. That’s it.
Later on almost three years ago, I read almost everything I could get on the internet. But it was „Ralph’s Pfeifenkino“ that gets to my mind, when he said „go slow with pipe smoking, keep them clean, but otherwise there are no rules. Do it your way“. That’s it.
I don't remember who taught me to smoke a pipe. I think mostly I just refer to the internet and YouTube videos. But @OzPiper fine tune me on pipes and pipe smoking. And taught me a lot of things about knowing a pipe, maintaining a pipe and cleaning a pipe.
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I was indirectly taught through osmosis by watching my Dad for years….smoke and enjoy his pipes. My secretive efforts at pipe smoking as a kid had me attempting and practicing what I saw him do regarding the pipe daily. Though he never formally trained me, he was my teacher in my own journey with my decades of pipe smoking.
"Self taught" using resources from the internet, mainly the old PSF and YouTube.
not all of our stalkers are so useful.
I don't think I ever learned. I just muddle along, packing too tightly, using too moist tobacco, leaving pipes filthy to ferment, smoking crap I should know to avoid, buying new pipes as though they matter in the scheme of things, spending time on a friggin' forum, etc.
My dad smoked from just after breakfast until bedtime, every day all day, only owning one pipe at a time until near burnout, and only Granger in the foil pouch. By the time I finally bought a pipe in my thirties, I had total muscle memory on how it was done.
Dad taught me a lot of things. Any question, he was prepared with a thorough presentation, short course, and commentary. But he never formally taught me anything about pipe smoking, except by observing him. After all those years, it was totally imprinted, and still is.
Dad taught me a lot of things. Any question, he was prepared with a thorough presentation, short course, and commentary. But he never formally taught me anything about pipe smoking, except by observing him. After all those years, it was totally imprinted, and still is.