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Why Did you Start Smoking a Pipe, and Why Do You Still?
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After many failed quit attempts to get off a 30-40 a day cigarette addiction, I switched to a pipe over 11 years ago.
I've not had a ciggie since. They no longer have any appeal.
Puffing on a pipe is one of my few remaining pleasures in life. Love tobacco, hated the addiction so I choose blends with mild nicotine.
I've not had a ciggie since. They no longer have any appeal.
Puffing on a pipe is one of my few remaining pleasures in life. Love tobacco, hated the addiction so I choose blends with mild nicotine.
I wanted attractive women to tell me I remind them of and smell like their grandfather…
I started smoking a pipe because I read a bunch of articles by G L Pease over ten years ago, and it sounded delicious. Oh, and I wanted to blow smoke rings. Bought a bit of this and that over ten years ago, and I've been enjoying it off and on ever since.
My father was a package designer. In the 1950s, he handled a lot of overflow work and did designs for a big advertising executive named Frank Gianniotto. He worked on the package for Marlboro cigarettes when Gianninotto was rebranding it from a women's brand into the manly brand we know today with the red chevron. My father worked on holiday packages for KOOL and Viceroy in the '60s (and designed annual reports for Philip Morris through the early '70s). He worked in an office, but, he also had a studio set up in the basement at home.
He worked on the candy wrappers in the '60s for Three Musketeers and Milky Way (see the hand painted dummy for that below and the hand painted pasta box) and a whole bunch of other fairly iconic designs.
In the '70s he worked on Swanson TV dinners. He swore we'd never eat such terrible food and was horrified when he found out years later that my mother fed us nothing but Swanson TV dinners for a year and a half when he was away spending time with one of my brothers in another state.
Around 1967, he worked on Four Roses packaging (when I believe Seagram's might've owned it). Those of you into higher end bourbon will remember when Four Roses did the Al Young 50th Anniversary Small Batch release, they inverted the bottom heavy bottle design to look like this 1967 one my dad worked on:
My dad chain smoked Pall Mall cigarettes, but, he also smoked a pipe. I remember him smoking Cherry Borkum Riff, but, when I picture the big round tin he had, it was black and white—so, I'm thinking he must've been smoking the Bourbon Whiskey version. I loved the smell of his pipe. In the early '70s he smoked a Barling Challenger. I can still picture the deep, dark, blue box with condensed, white, sans serif lettering it came in. My dad's pipes are in storage. I'm hoping to retrieve them sooner than later and smoke them. Or at least display them. I recently picked up a pouch of the Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey tobacco and will smoke it to rekindle the memories of my father smoking it.
In the mid-to-late-Eighties, when I was playing competitive darts in leagues and tournaments, there was a guy at my local team bar in Manhattan, the Kettle of Fish, named Bob Teague. Bob was always doing work around the bar and smoked a pipe. He made a dart cabinet for me, which I still have. I loved the smell of his pipe, too. Unfortunately, Bob died from throat cancer.
In the early '90s I got into cigars big time. I was subscribing to Cigar Aficionado, Marvin Shanken's Cigar Insider Newsletter, buying any cigar magazine I could find. I was buying cigars by the box and smoking at least one a day. I picked up a Dr. Grabow pipe to add a little variety to the mix and smoke a pipe instead of a cigar on occasion. When my father died from lung cancer in 2002, I cut back on smoking quite a bit.
In 2018 and 2019 I attended CIGARfest with Susan and had a great time and got back into cigars. I received some freebie Missouri Meerschaum pipes in the bundles each year. I work on a magazine with a friend and he got into cigars and that reinvigorated my interest as well. Sharing a hobby with a friend can be great fun. My interest in pipes got rekindled in 2020, especially when it got too cold to smoke outside. Susan can tolerate my pipes indoors, but, the cigars, not so much.
I guess because my dad was a package designer, it's why I enjoy collecting some pipes in their original packaging. My appreciation for the design as a whole comes from seeing my father work on so many cool things growing up. And the smell of his pipe probably has much to do with it, too. I miss him very much.
He worked on the candy wrappers in the '60s for Three Musketeers and Milky Way (see the hand painted dummy for that below and the hand painted pasta box) and a whole bunch of other fairly iconic designs.
In the '70s he worked on Swanson TV dinners. He swore we'd never eat such terrible food and was horrified when he found out years later that my mother fed us nothing but Swanson TV dinners for a year and a half when he was away spending time with one of my brothers in another state.
Around 1967, he worked on Four Roses packaging (when I believe Seagram's might've owned it). Those of you into higher end bourbon will remember when Four Roses did the Al Young 50th Anniversary Small Batch release, they inverted the bottom heavy bottle design to look like this 1967 one my dad worked on:
My dad chain smoked Pall Mall cigarettes, but, he also smoked a pipe. I remember him smoking Cherry Borkum Riff, but, when I picture the big round tin he had, it was black and white—so, I'm thinking he must've been smoking the Bourbon Whiskey version. I loved the smell of his pipe. In the early '70s he smoked a Barling Challenger. I can still picture the deep, dark, blue box with condensed, white, sans serif lettering it came in. My dad's pipes are in storage. I'm hoping to retrieve them sooner than later and smoke them. Or at least display them. I recently picked up a pouch of the Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey tobacco and will smoke it to rekindle the memories of my father smoking it.
In the mid-to-late-Eighties, when I was playing competitive darts in leagues and tournaments, there was a guy at my local team bar in Manhattan, the Kettle of Fish, named Bob Teague. Bob was always doing work around the bar and smoked a pipe. He made a dart cabinet for me, which I still have. I loved the smell of his pipe, too. Unfortunately, Bob died from throat cancer.
In the early '90s I got into cigars big time. I was subscribing to Cigar Aficionado, Marvin Shanken's Cigar Insider Newsletter, buying any cigar magazine I could find. I was buying cigars by the box and smoking at least one a day. I picked up a Dr. Grabow pipe to add a little variety to the mix and smoke a pipe instead of a cigar on occasion. When my father died from lung cancer in 2002, I cut back on smoking quite a bit.
In 2018 and 2019 I attended CIGARfest with Susan and had a great time and got back into cigars. I received some freebie Missouri Meerschaum pipes in the bundles each year. I work on a magazine with a friend and he got into cigars and that reinvigorated my interest as well. Sharing a hobby with a friend can be great fun. My interest in pipes got rekindled in 2020, especially when it got too cold to smoke outside. Susan can tolerate my pipes indoors, but, the cigars, not so much.
I guess because my dad was a package designer, it's why I enjoy collecting some pipes in their original packaging. My appreciation for the design as a whole comes from seeing my father work on so many cool things growing up. And the smell of his pipe probably has much to do with it, too. I miss him very much.
When I was young, my uncle used to smoke a pipe. I don't recall going his place a lot when he did, but the couple that we were over there as kids the smell was so captivating. Then when I was maybe 7 years old or so, he gave up pipes in favor of cigs, and gave me and my younger brother a couple of pipes each. I received a small "Well Bent" and a straight pipe, although that one broke shortly after I got it. I remember smelling the bowl often, likely to my parents chagrin.
Over the years the pipe held a special place in my mind. I never smoked cigarettes, and only a handful of cigars, but my mind kept going back to the pipe. After a couple years in college, me and a friend decided to build a log cabin in the bush near his parents. Both of us were wanting a winter off from the working world, and we figured we may never get a chance to do it again. Once that project was close to completion I bought a basket pipe and some tobacco, and that was the start of my pipe experience. It was largely aided by my brother in the early going, as he supplied me with numerous tins (mainly Nightcap and Balkan Sasieni, which may have been a little heavy to a new pipe smoker).
I can't say I've evolved into an avid pipe smoker since then, only being able to partake here and there due to life's circumstances. However, I am slowly getting to smoke on a more regular basis once again, and am enjoying that immensely. A few of my friends have got into it since then as well, including one who took it up full time to replace his cigarette habit.
Over the years the pipe held a special place in my mind. I never smoked cigarettes, and only a handful of cigars, but my mind kept going back to the pipe. After a couple years in college, me and a friend decided to build a log cabin in the bush near his parents. Both of us were wanting a winter off from the working world, and we figured we may never get a chance to do it again. Once that project was close to completion I bought a basket pipe and some tobacco, and that was the start of my pipe experience. It was largely aided by my brother in the early going, as he supplied me with numerous tins (mainly Nightcap and Balkan Sasieni, which may have been a little heavy to a new pipe smoker).
I can't say I've evolved into an avid pipe smoker since then, only being able to partake here and there due to life's circumstances. However, I am slowly getting to smoke on a more regular basis once again, and am enjoying that immensely. A few of my friends have got into it since then as well, including one who took it up full time to replace his cigarette habit.
Interesting and true story.
I was 10 y/o and walking to school one day, I stopped to watch 2 housepainters painting the front of a 2 story house. Both painters had on their white painter's overalls, and looked very professional. One of the painters came down from his ladder and stepped back to admire his work while taking out his pipe and lighting it. As I watched, I noticed how content he looked puffing on his pipe while admiring the quality work being performed.
I knew I had to try pipe smoking some day.
I was 10 y/o and walking to school one day, I stopped to watch 2 housepainters painting the front of a 2 story house. Both painters had on their white painter's overalls, and looked very professional. One of the painters came down from his ladder and stepped back to admire his work while taking out his pipe and lighting it. As I watched, I noticed how content he looked puffing on his pipe while admiring the quality work being performed.
I knew I had to try pipe smoking some day.
I started smoking a pipe because I lost my pacifier. I still smoke a pipe because I can't find it. 
Confluence of things I guess, but mainly I just feel like tobacco is one of the last vestiges of the "world as it was".
I grew up in the "world as it is" (the last <30 years), and I'm not really a fan of where it's headed (without expanding on that).
I grew up in the "world as it is" (the last <30 years), and I'm not really a fan of where it's headed (without expanding on that).
In my Navy days when the smoking lamp was lighted, the cigarette smokers went back to work (turned to) sooner than the pipe smokers-it was a no-brainer. The pipe smokers seemed more relaxed and amicable, I wanted to be like them.
I'm a long time cigarette smoker and 3 or 4 years ago I went Ryo. By virtue of going to the tobacco shop to buy bags of tobacco and tubes I started becoming interested in the pipe tobaccos. So I bought a pipe which I quickly burned out. Then I bought some cobs and learned a little bit. The thing that solidified my pipe smoking status was a basically unused perfect condition Edward's billiard (my 700 S) that I bought for $7. I bought a bunch more Eds and a few BBBs and the rest is history. 2-3 bowls a day sometimes more. I have about 3 pounds of stuff jarred and maybe a pound or so in baggies for everyday smokes. I'm currently trying to build the jar stash up. Would like to have 10 pounds on hand. I really enjoy my pipes.
I had the obligatory pipe (a GBD New Standard) in college in the 70s, but didn't really start smoking a pipe until 20 years later in an effort to stop smoking cigarettes. I enjoy smoking a pipe and trying different tobaccos because it's an ongoing learning experience as well as an enjoyable and relaxing pastime. I'm also a collector at heart and the area of pipes and tobaccos lends itself well to that, including a tobacco book library and a Royal Doulton collection. And of course I've been able to meet people, develop friendships, and learn from many people who share a similar interest.
I come from a family where tobacco use was standard. Often strong, unfiltered cigarettes. My grandfather loved to give me his Players unfiltered to smoke and my dad often rolled his own by hand. My dad would also smoke cigars. I did smoke cigarettes but quit when they got to be over a dollar a pack. Just seemed too expensive. I had a great uncle who smoked a pipe and a good friend’s dad smoked a pipe. It really interested me so a friend and I would sometimes roll our own using pipe tobacco. After quitting cigarettes I would still smoke cigars from time to time. The curiosity about smoking a pipe never left me so one day I bought a $50 Lorenzo briar pipe and a pouch of rum and butter aromatic. I loved it from the jump. I quickly learned about non-aromatics, and have been learning since then. I keep going because it connects me with family who are gone, nostalgia, ritual, enjoyment of tobacco, relaxation and reflection and fun.
I started with cigarettes and chewing tobacco when I was a kid. Then I bought my first Pipe when I was 13. Back then there really wasn’t a legal age, that was enforced anyhow. I loved smoking the pipe from the start and eventually dropped the other habits. I’m not sure I could quit the pipe very easily but I don’t plan on finding out. There isn’t much I enjoy more than smoking my pipe!
I was attracted to the pipe just by watching other pipe smokers. Even though it was in the 1960's I still clearly remember sitting in the same train carriage as two men while going to school. They sat together, one would have a ready rubbed mixture in a leather pouch while the other would rub out a flake. I was fascinated by the whole procedure and suspect that's when the seed was sown.
I started when I was 15 however if I'm being honest I didn't really like. Took me a while to really appreciate what it's all about.
Still learning 50 years later.
I started when I was 15 however if I'm being honest I didn't really like. Took me a while to really appreciate what it's all about.
Still learning 50 years later.
My dad smoked a pipe from about age 15 to age 65, including all the time I was growing up, right after breakfast to bedtime, with time out for meals. His pipe went to war as he skippered a minesweeper in the Philippines during WWII.
He only smoked Granger in a pouch, and only owned one pipe at a time. He quit at age 65 to take a job on a no-smoking campus. He lived to be 89, licensed to drive without glasses.
When I picked up a pipe in my mid thirties, his technique had imprinted on me so I had down all the moves. I had one long hiatus, quitting in solidarity when my late wife quit a three-pack-a-day cigarette habit.
Right now, I'm enjoying GLP's Barbary Coast in a Thompson (Cigar) house pipe also stamped "West Germany," a gift from friends. Thank you Greg for this cube burley based blend.
He only smoked Granger in a pouch, and only owned one pipe at a time. He quit at age 65 to take a job on a no-smoking campus. He lived to be 89, licensed to drive without glasses.
When I picked up a pipe in my mid thirties, his technique had imprinted on me so I had down all the moves. I had one long hiatus, quitting in solidarity when my late wife quit a three-pack-a-day cigarette habit.
Right now, I'm enjoying GLP's Barbary Coast in a Thompson (Cigar) house pipe also stamped "West Germany," a gift from friends. Thank you Greg for this cube burley based blend.
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July 2020
I'm 36, don't know why it took me so long to take it up, my grandfather smoked and I always wanted to give it a go, still have his pipes and ashtrays. Then with covid and more time at home it dawned on me to finally dive in. First pipe was some $5 cob from china and a pouch of Sutliff Peaches and Cream. Wasnt a stranger to tobacco or smoking, quit cigarettes in 2014 and smoked cigars here and there, my dad is a big cigar guy. My other smoking habit became legalized in my state last year, been doing that far, far longer.
Why do I still? I just love to smoke. Pipes are a great way to enjoy smoking because of the flavors. Cigars are ok too but I find a pipe to be a more sessionable activity and I can get away with some indoor smoking.
I'm 36, don't know why it took me so long to take it up, my grandfather smoked and I always wanted to give it a go, still have his pipes and ashtrays. Then with covid and more time at home it dawned on me to finally dive in. First pipe was some $5 cob from china and a pouch of Sutliff Peaches and Cream. Wasnt a stranger to tobacco or smoking, quit cigarettes in 2014 and smoked cigars here and there, my dad is a big cigar guy. My other smoking habit became legalized in my state last year, been doing that far, far longer.
Why do I still? I just love to smoke. Pipes are a great way to enjoy smoking because of the flavors. Cigars are ok too but I find a pipe to be a more sessionable activity and I can get away with some indoor smoking.
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I had dabbled with pipes numerous times in the past. Quit cigarettes in 2007, then smoke cigars. One day I discovered a few pipes I had kept and an tin of tobacco, decided to load up and give it a go. That was all it took, I almost exclusively smoke pipes now with the occasional cigar. Haven't had a puff on a cigarette since I quit in 2007.
I don't know specifically why I started. I didn't smoke.
During the lockdowns, it seemed like a good idea.
I've got some excuses for starting, but I don't know if any of them are the real reason.
During the lockdowns, it seemed like a good idea.
I've got some excuses for starting, but I don't know if any of them are the real reason.
- In prayer, it seemed like pipe smoking is something I should start doing.
- I wondered at the strange and unbridled hatred for those that followed the data vs the "official lockdown rules". It felt exactly like the late 90s with smokers. After seeing tons of blatant lies, intentional deception. If I learn someone is a liar, I start to question their previous words. Tried to look up the benefits of smoking; Obviously people must do it for a reason. I found nothing positive. Seemed fishy, got started to see for myself.
- I noticed a tendency to give all of my time to technology, and am becoming too reactive in my thinking. Smoking may be a better break than following the media, since media doesn't have a time limit and doesn't leave me rested (not much of a break).