Why Did I Start Smoking a Pipe?

[InWithBothFeet]

I was asked that today. I didn't have a good answer. Boredom? Something to do? I answered that like most things I start, the idea of it appealed to me. Something not a lot of people do. I started this spring when I was traveling for work and had too much free time on my hands.. got to looking at pipes and such on the internet. I'm a LOTR fan, but after buying a big churchwarden, found that I don't like them too much. I prefer lighter shorter pipes. After some self reflection, I still don't have a good answer as to why I'm smoking a pipe. For now I'm going to fall back on "something to do/boredom repellant". --shrug--

 

[popeofpiping]

My answer is simple. I am a nicotine hound. I also love history, collecting, researching, acquiring. Pipe smoking is the only vice that includes everything I love all wrapped up in a lifestyle/journey.

 

[xrundog]

Cigars were costing me too much. You burn them and the money literally goes up in smoke.

 

[Sig]

It makes me look cool!

Actually I got started after years of cigar smoking. An old codger on the "Cigar Geek" forum gave me the idea.
I was in a bit of a slump with the cigars and wanted something to spice up my taste buds.
The only memory of pipe smoking I had was my friends dad smoking Captain Black in 2 dirty, stinky pipes.
But Larry, the guy on the forum smoked both cigars and pipes....who knew you could do both?
Before long I had 100 pipes and about 60 pounds of cellared tobacco.
For a few years I completely stopped smoking cigars. I currently smoke MAYBE one cigar a month.
But, when I stopped smoking cigars in about 2010, I had a bunch of cigars in 3 humidors. I've been keeping the humidors going for all these years. I still have about 50, very aged cigars.

 

[Hillcrest]

I was asked that today. I didn't have a good answer. Boredom? Something to do? I answered that like most things I start, the idea of it appealed to me. Something not a lot of people do. I started this spring when I was traveling for work and had too much free time on my hands.. got to looking at pipes and such on the internet. I'm a LOTR fan, but after buying a big churchwarden, found that I don't like them too much. I prefer lighter shorter pipes. After some self reflection, I still don't have a good answer as to why I'm smoking a pipe. For now I'm going to fall back on "something to do/boredom repellant". --shrug--

All the cool, smart people smoke pipes throughout history. Its a select group.

 

[Lumbridge]

I smoked cigars occasionally before trying pipes and never really found the flavor of most cigars satisfactory. I heard pipe tobacco described as "mellow and sweet" and that appealed to me, so I got a cob and some Captain Black, and loved it. Now I smoke mostly non-aromatics - go figure.

Why do I continue to smoke? I just like trying new tobaccos and think pipes are cool. A good bowl is a nice accent to my leisure time and is an indulgence which leaves me clear-headed and fully functional, yet relaxed.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I like nicotine and in the late '80s it was easier to stick a lit pipe in a shirt pocket than a cigarette when teachers walked into the high-school restroom.

 

[telescopes]

Easy. My dad smokes pipes, and in college, my best friend was smoking Dr. Grabows that he bought at Grandpa Pigeons. It wasn't long until I joined in.

 

[Home Brewing Piper]

I don't honestly know. My dad smoked a pipe when i was an infant and chewed when I was a kid. I had zero desire. 40 years later, I decided it was something I wanted to do. I never smoked or chewed. I just wanted to smoke a pipe. I enjoy it. Nothing more. Nothing less.

 

[captainsousie]

Stupidly, it was a bit of a romantic idea. It turned into more than that when I started trying blends and fixing up estates.

 

[warren]

"something to do/boredom repellant". --shrug--

If you have money to burn I suppose that's as good an answer as any. Might I ask? Did you make a stab at weighing risk versus return?

 

[Pipke]

Have had a on-and-off relationship with tobacco since I was 12. Haven't had tobacco in 9 years. Then I was going through my deceased parents stuff and opened the box with my father's modest pipe collection. I've never smoked a pipe. Been looking at them for a year, and ya know... I'm going to clean these up and smoke 'em! I love smoking a pipe!

 

[OzPiper]

Started when I was an undergrad.
I thought I’d look cool.
And become an instant chick magnet

NO !
And NO !

 

[Servant King]

And become an instant chick magnet

Yep, I thought this too.

But instead of the intense wave of disappointment, I assured myself that I merely had a different definition of what constitutes "instant."

Fortunately, my definition of what constitutes a "chick" remained solidly intact.

 

[FurCoat]

My answer is simple. I am a nicotine hound. I also love history, collecting, researching, acquiring. Pipe smoking is the only vice that includes everything I love all wrapped up in a lifestyle/journey.

This would be my answer.

 

[InWithBothFeet]

If you have money to burn I suppose that's as good an answer as any. Might I ask? Did you make a stab at weighing risk versus return?

I'd guess that I'm at a higher risk than some for the health implications. Both my parents have battled cancer. Both won their battles. I usually only smoke on weekends and sometimes I skip a weekend, although it was a 2 bowl day today... one Lane Verry Cherry and one RLP-6. Sat there for an hour and watched the birds eat the money I poured into their bird feeder. LOL

 

[Hillcrest]

Started when I was an undergrad.
I thought I’d look cool.
And become an instant chick magnet

NO !
And NO !

Shoulda tried St. Bruno !

 

[Lees65GTO]

I wanted to help my wife quit smoking cigarettes, she was pregnant with our son. She was quitting cold turkey so I thought I would quit so I wouldn’t be a temptation. Well she made it ok but I didn’t last two days, I had to have something to satisfy my oral gratification I guess. The nicotine never seemed to be an issue. I bought a Dr. Grabow pipe and some drug store pipe tobacco and just began trying different tobaccos and it became an adventure.

 

[gkunkel]

Pipes always appealed to me and I liked the idea of being different as a young guy at the time

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I love all forms of tobacco.