Your biggest Surprise in Pipe Smoking?

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hauntedmyst

Lifer
Feb 1, 2010
4,006
20,750
Chicago
My biggest surprise in smoking came when after 20 years, my tastes in tobacco just flipped. Prior to that, I only smoked aromatics and couldn't stand English blends, both with and without Latakia. Then one day I decided to try another English, one of the McClelland bulks and BAM!, it was wonderful. Then I tried 965 and it was wonderful! I still smoke aros but for the most part, they are only an occasional smoke. In the last 3 years, its been mostly non-latakia Englishes - aka GH&Co and Samuel Gawith. I'm still not a big Virginia smoker but smoke them occasionally. This forum has taught me to buy them anyways since I may one day like them and it will be nice to have some with age.
 

gamzultovah

Lifer
Aug 4, 2019
3,171
20,923
I was surprised to find a thriving pipe community. Pipe smoking had always been a solitary activity for me, and I had never met another pipe smoker in my 22 years of dabbling in the pastime (nor did I really care to). While searching for certain pipe artisans online, I ran across this site and in a moment of melancholy , joined. All of this has been a departure (surprise) for me, but a pleasant one.
 

STP

Lifer
Sep 8, 2020
4,104
9,547
Northeast USA
I purchased a Gigi bent billiard for $40’ish because I like Its appearance. It’s one of the best smoking and easiest to clean (passes a pipe cleaner) pipes that I own. Proof that spending a lot of money doesn’t necessarily mean a better smoking pipe. I actually learned this a while back w/Rossi. I still like the fine stuff too, but those starting out and not wanting to spend a ton, there are certainly budget friendly quality pipes available.
 

Philosopiper

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 26, 2021
115
393
I’ve had a few surprises in my relatively short time smoking. Among them, that a ~$5 MM cob is one of my favorite pipes; that englishes aren’t my main smoke; that the same blend can taste so different on different occasions; that I’m not noticeably addicted to nicotine.
 

tfdickson

Lifer
May 15, 2014
2,115
40,895
East End of Long Island
I thought of another. That is, the amount of tobacco I accumulated in a short period of time. When McClelland and Dunhill shut down in the same year, I took that as a wake up call and accumulated over 350 lbs in two years. If someone in 2017 would have told me I’d have 500 lbs off pipe tobacco in 2021, I’d been more than surprised. Now it’s in place and hopefully there will be no bad surprises to make me regret that.

500 lb! All is right in the world.

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