Why Switch from Cigarettes to Pipe?

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MattRVA

Lifer
Feb 6, 2019
4,030
32,725
Richmond Virginia
For me it was predominantly economics, then taste, finally health. Smoking cigarettes was pretty chronic for me and I wanted to slow down and enjoy tobacco moderately. Pipe tobacco is less expensive compared to cigarettes in the US and I inhale less frequently. There is a health risk associated with all forms of tobacco use. Pipe smoking helps me slow down a tad and the nicotine delivery is steady and gradual versus the hit from cigarettes, which has helped with the intensity of cravings. I rarely crave a pipe like I did cigarettes.
 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,699
16,205
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
Until they quit making my brand of luxury cigarettes I was perfectly capable of cigarettes, pipe or cigar. One doesn't need to choose either or. All three are perfectly good ways of putting nicotine into one's blood and feeding the brain. But, I stress a luxury cigarette so as to avoid the chemical infused paper of cheaper fags. The paper is designed to keep the cigarette burning even as it sits in and ash tray. Luxury cigarettes soon snuff themselves when unattended, much less wasteful than the cheaper brands and, I think, more tobacco flavor.
 

pantsBoots

Lifer
Jul 21, 2020
2,132
7,517
Terra Firma
Because pipes don't dust and tar up my lungs like cigarettes do, and plus pipes (and cigars) taste waaay better. It's all in being patient for the nicotine buzz - with pipes or cigars it takes a good 45 minutes for me. If I need a bang, they do still make nasal snuff. ?
 

Aomalley27

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 8, 2021
763
1,696
Chicagoland area
Assuming you DON’T inhale the pipe smoke; then it’ll be a less costly health risk. (Although, If you do inhale both, then the piping is probably worse. Saw a study where the median nicotine level per cigarette was 12 mg; and the average nicotine level in a bowl was around 130 mg; However the big difference was inhalation, whereas most cigarette smokers absorb almost 90% of that nicotine, whilst pipers that don’t inhale generally absorb less than 2% of the nicotine)
Economically; piping is cheaper. My neck of the woods, a pack of cigs is $17. What’s in a pack? 12 cigs???? A 50g tin will normally yield me around 20 bowls. Plus it won’t go stale if stored properly.
 

chopper

Lifer
Aug 24, 2019
1,480
3,317
Tailor made cigarettes have a staggering 300+ added chemicals [some of which I'm convinced are more addictive than nicotine] Pipe tobacco has no added harmful chemicals.

For over 35 years I was a heavy cigarette smoker, 30-40 a day. Quit attempts were torture.
Around 12 years ago I switched to a pipe.
After a week I stopped craving for a cigarette and have not craved one since.

When a craving hit when I smoked cigs I wanted it NOW!
Now I'm content to wait to smoke my pipe when it's convenient.
The blends I choose are mild [because I inhale] with mild nicotine.

The difference in my smoking habits has changed dramatically.
A large bowl can last me many hours when I'm doing other things. I'll have a few puffs then get distracted so the pipe goes out.

Smoking cigarettes was a serious addiction.
Smoking a pipe is a pleasurable pastime.
 

blackpowderpiper

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 19, 2018
810
3,787
Middle Tennessee
I think this is an important topic for many. In the past, I smoked cigarettes and also dipped snuff. I think I started with Skoal when I was about 15 years old. I have been and currently am addicted to nicotine. From my understanding, most cigarette tobacco has undergone certain modifications to make it more addictive. Let me preface my comments by saying that I'm not an expert on this subject, but I've read where cigarette tobacco has been altered to place the nicotine in a freebase form which allows for a very quick nicotine hit. I also believe this causes the nicotine in the bloodstream to be quickly metabolized leading the smoker to need cigarettes more frequently.

I have found over many years that when smoking either a pipe or a cigar, I do indeed get a satisfying dose of nicotine, it just takes longer to do so. When I smoke my pipes, I can go 3-4 hours or even longer between smokes. I just feel like the nicotine delivery with pipes and cigars lasts longer for me and I enjoy it more. The problem I had with cigarettes is their convenience. They come in nice, ergonomic packs. No fuss no muss. Just light up and in 5 minutes you've got your nicotine hit. You can easily carry them with you and you don't need any accessories outside of a source of fire. With pipes and cigars, you have to plan for it. It takes longer. Let's face it, if it's freezing cold outside, who wants to sit outside for 30 minutes or longer smoking a pipe? The convenience and the immediate nicotine delivery is what makes quitting cigarettes very difficult.

Over the years, I've learned to overcome the cigarettes by planning ahead, having a pipe ready in the morning and adjusting my blends accordingly. I tend to smoke stronger blends that satisfy my cravings. I truly hate cigarettes but love my pipes and cigars. It is certainly an adjustment but I think it is possible to transition to only pipes. Just my two cents.
 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,087
6,394
Florida
Basically the same story as others: Addicted, smoked roll y'er own, Camels, Luckies over the years, quite for a yr or more about 12 x's and over 5 yrs or more at least 3x'x. I hated to go back but I needed the nicotine.
Once I found Drum to be too pricey I went to some mail in bagful's of bulk ribbon cuts and sought the same papers as Drum provided to no avail.
One day, I thought, heck, why not just get a corn cob and leave the papers out of the equation.
So, for about a month I smoked my new Legend just as if it were a cigarette.
I had time on my hands as I'd retired about 6 mos. previously, and discovered not only this forum, but several content providers who identify as the YTPC. (youtube pipe community)
Once I learned how to smoke, w/o inhaling, I was off to the races and no looking back!
 

kcghost

Lifer
May 6, 2011
13,140
21,408
77
Olathe, Kansas
I never got into cigarettes for some reason. My wife likes Davidoff Magnum and says they deliver nothing but the taste of the tobacco to her. Unfortunately they are very difficult to import in to the U.S. after Davidoff stopped shipping here. She doesn't inhale the things so that is a moderate plus to her. She's only 77 so bad things can still happen.
 
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Donb1972

Can't Leave
Feb 9, 2022
415
1,079
Erie, PA
I went from pipes, to cigarettes, to vaping, and back to pipes. ? I started smoking cigs because they were easier to use when out and about, and pipes were seen as sort of old-fashioned at the time. I quit smoking cigarettes because I promised my Mom I would quit if she did, and when she died(she quit before she died), I kept my end of the bargain. Vaping helped me quit. Now I'm back with pipes, because it's relaxing, and contemplative, and since you can't smoke anywhere but in your home anymore, I figured I'd rather have my house smell like Mixture 79 than cigarette butts:ROFLMAO:
 
Jun 25, 2021
1,369
4,443
England
If I choose to have a days rest from smoking pipes these days, I find that four cigarettes spread over the day is enough to satisfy my addiction.
Years ago I used to smoke 20 a day,
On a saturday morning I would buy a packet of 20 Disque Bleu and chain smoke the lot, looking back on it I think that's was obsessional behaviour.