# Anyone else smoke a pipe?



## pamountainman (Aug 24, 2010)

I usually smoke it when the mosquitoes are bad on the lake, my grandfather smoked one, and I always loved the aroma of it when we went to their house. I was looking at a few online retailers to find a new one, I never knew they could fetch up to $5,000 :shock: .


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## Pruitt1222 (Aug 24, 2010)

Any thing people consider eccentric the price goes through the roof, Every one in there right mind use to smoke using a pipe. You would think pipes should be cheap as dirt. That old technology should be cheap in compairison to new I would think. Over the long run it would be cheaper I guess. I shave with a stright razor, I have used the same razor for 9 years and have never had to buy a new blade. It cost well over 100 chips but I magine I have saved much more by not having to replace the cartridges every week. I don't know how much tobacco is by pound verses by pre rolled carton but I would say its much less.


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## arkansasnative (Aug 24, 2010)

my grandpa does. he used to make them so he has a huge rack of them in his house... my favorite is actually 2 pipes. you turn one upside down, sit its big part on top of the other ones big part (where you put the tobacco), and they twist and lock together to make a duck sculpture! he also does pipe smoking competitions... well at least he did up to about a year ago.


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## nathanielrthomas (Aug 24, 2010)

I used to smoke one everyday in college, but I had to quit when I joined the Navy. I had two; one that looked like a frog, and another that looked like a mushroom.


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## Loggerhead Mike (Aug 24, 2010)

get'cha a corn cobb pipe. 5 bucks and your off to smoky land :LOL2:


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## nathanielrthomas (Aug 24, 2010)

Loggerhead Mike said:


> get'cha a corn cobb pipe. 5 bucks and your off to smoky land :LOL2:



Corn Cobb Pipe? Would you care to elaborate? Id like to know more..


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## BaitCaster (Aug 24, 2010)

Not me, but one of my buddies smokes a pipe while fly fishing and operating a trolling motor. I don't know how he does it.


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## nathanielrthomas (Aug 24, 2010)

BaitCaster said:


> Not me, but one of my buddies smokes a pipe while fly fishing and operating a trolling motor. I don't know how he does it.



Raw talent, thats how he does it.


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## MadCatX (Aug 24, 2010)

BaitCaster said:


> Not me, but one of my buddies smokes a pipe while fly fishing and operating a trolling motor. I don't know how he does it.


Skills take that sort of concerntation


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## MadCatX (Aug 24, 2010)

nathanielrthomas said:


> I used to smoke one everyday in college, but I had to quit when I joined the Navy. I had two; one that looked like a frog, and another that looked like a mushroom.




L O L :lol:


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## batman (Aug 24, 2010)

I do, but only when I run out of JOB's............JK 

DanD


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## azekologi (Aug 24, 2010)

Excellent topic! =D> I've been wanting to post this one myself, but you've seem to have beat me to it.

I'll have to take some pictures of my pipes and upload them when I get a little more time, but we'll have fun with this one, pipe smoking is one of my favorite hobbies, next to fishing that is!

Meanwhile, what type of tobacco do you smoke? Aromatic, English, a blend? What brand perhaps? Also, what type of pipe(s) do you have: style/brand/etc.?

...if only I didn't have to _work_ this afternoon #-o and could just take pictures of pipes and talk about them all day....ooooohhhh weeee!

In the meantime, I'll leave ya'll with one of my favorite pipe smoking quotes:

"_Nowhere in the world will such a brotherly feeling of confidence be experienced as amongst those who sit together smoking their pipes._" - The Results and Merits of Tobacco, 1844, Doctor Barnstein.


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## Zum (Aug 24, 2010)

Same as you...only when the mosquitos are bad.
I do like the smell,I use my grandfathers old pipe.
As far as what type tobacco,whatever was cheapest,think it's export a.


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## Outdoorsman (Aug 24, 2010)

I am a pipe smoker...gave up cigs and started smoking pipe (cheaper than cigs)...and better aroma / flavor. 

My grandfather also smoked a pipe so I inherited all of his...nice pipes from a good smoke shop can get expensive. I have my eye on one that is about $20.00. I usually smoke small pipes when traveling and large pipe while outdoors. A nice small pipe that smokes well can be bought for about $5.00. I smoke "Captain Black" tobacco. The regular stuff in a white plastic pouch with black lettering (not the "Gold"")....

Pouch lasts for a week for about $8.00
Never bought the big can @ about $50.00

Outdoorsman.


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## Graham (Aug 25, 2010)

I've smoked a pipe for a few years. I buy cheap bags of tobacco for about $17 and they will last me about a month. It always surprises me how many non smokers like the smell of pipe tobacco. They usually say it's a memory thing. Like some have already said, it does tend to keep the insects away when you're on the water, and they're good for keeping the feeling in your fingers when the temperature is low.
The corn cob pipes are fun to smoke but they don't tend to last very long. I have had the same briar pipe for about five years and it's still as good as new.


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## pamountainman (Aug 25, 2010)

I'd love to get a nice pipe, but I get by with a $4.00 tobacco shop special :LOL2: . I've tried the cherry blend, but it seems to be a pain to keep lit, then I found apple flavor from the middleton co., and I love it, smooth,good aroma, and stays lit.


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## Crankworm (Aug 25, 2010)

nathanielrthomas said:


> I used to smoke one everyday in college, but I had to quit when I joined the Navy. I had two; one that looked like a frog, and another that looked like a mushroom.



Ha, I remember those days. Just the occasional stogie for me these days


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## Jim (Aug 25, 2010)

I was afraid to click into this topic. Afraid of what I might find. :LOL2: 

No butts, cigars or pipes for me. I quit butts when my son was born. I tried a cigar but I inhaled and almost coughed up my lungs....Thought I was going to die.

Love the smell of Pipes, just don't do it.


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## azekologi (Aug 25, 2010)

pamountainman -

Well, as promised, here some pics of my pipes and some info:







This was my first pipe, sorry I don't have a better picture (had to search the files for this one), the stem broke and it's currently getting repaired. It's "freestanding" (sits/stands on it's own), machine made, sandblasted ("rough") briar from La Rocca, made in Italy. My friends call it "The Professor" as it's a classic professor's pipe and, well, at the time I got it I was working as a college professor...cliche, but fitting I presume. Good smoking, not the coolest smoking pipe, but cooler than some of my others. I actually received this as a wedding party gift from a close friend who was getting married. He's an avid pipe smoker who often travels to Europe. His gift to five of his closest 'bro' friends was a pipe which he picked to fit our individual personalities (ie., why I got the professor, why our ex-Marine friend got a bulldog, another friend a classic churchwarden, and our one 'questionable' but good longtime bud got a stubby nose warmer [long story, you're better off NOT knowing the details]), a leather, suede-linned, 2-pipe bag that has a sewn-in silicone storage area for tobacco, and our choice of one aromatic and one English tobacco. This pipe retails for about $100.






My second pipe; a Britannia in the classic "bulldog" style, machine made in England, smooth briar. This is probably my 2nd favorite pipe, good smoking, again cool but not the coolest smoking pipe. This pipe retails for about $85.






The third pipe I added to my collection; the long-lost twin Britannia to my smooth "bulldog"; this one is the same but with a darker sandblasted ("rough") finish. Again, machine made in England. This pipe smokes a little hotter than it's clean-shaven twin. I only use it for English tobaccos (more on that later). This pipe retails for about $65 (less than it's smooth twin; you'll find that briar with more defined grain (potentially more visually appealing) become smooth, and chunks of briar that have less grain definition or have more imperfections become sandblasted). Rough or sandblasted pipes are usually cheaper than their identical siblings.











These two corncobs are my "junk pipes". Don't get me wrong, they serve their purpose and I enjoy them in my rotation, but they are pretty much disposable. The one with the green band; yep, that's colored electrical tape. After a while the stem gets loose and tends to fall off, an easy fix with some tape. I smoke these until they break, burn through, or whatever. At $7 each at the local drug store, they're nothing more than extra pipes to try out new tobaccos, have a quick smoke from, or whatever. These particular ones are made by Missouri Meerschaum (located in Washington, MO).






...And the best for last...THIS is my #1 pipe! Period! It's a freestanding, HANDMADE, Tim West pipe, smooth briar with a plateau top (notice the top of the pipe is left rough, although the pipe itself is smooth). The pipe retails for $325, you can find it online for about $285, I picked it up when our local pipe shop was closing, on the last day they were open, for $68.37 OTD, after about an hour and a half of haggling/debate/and a few bowls of tobacco with the shop manager. My best friend came up with the perfect name for it; The Judge. I don't name all my pipes, but after a while they do get their rightfully deserved titles. He named it as such for the obvious gavel resemblance, but more-so because this is a pipe for times of great debate when a philosophical decision has to be made. It's earned this title many times over.

I will tell you this; it puts all my pipes to shame. It smokes so cool it's like it's not even lit (although you can tell it is from the voluminous thunderclouds bellowing out of your mouth). It's smokes so smoothly it makes all my other briars look like $7 corncobs, and it never goes out while you're smoking it. If you set it down for 15 min, you may have to puff it for a little bit to get it back, but no need for matches or a lighter. It smokes more evenly than my other pipes (a lot of how even a bowl burns is due to how you pack it, but the design has great influence as well), and remaining ash is literally dust, not chunks of unburned or half-burned tobacco. To give you an idea of the difference, smoking the same tobacco out of each of these pipes tastes totally different and has a totally different "mouth feel" how the tobacco enters and circulates in your mouth. It was my first handmade pipe, and I'll tell you that my next purchase will be handmade as well...there's a HECK OF A DIFFERENCE, and it's worth every penny of that difference!

______

So, now that you've seen my lineup, I ask what you're after and where you'd like to go? If you want to get started with pipe smoking I recommend beginning with something more than a cobb, but less than a handmade briar. A good machine made briar (I'd guess as low as $40, but more likely between $60-80) will afford you a good smoke, a quality pipe, and time to learn all the [strike]tricks and secrets[/strike] skills of pipe smoking. There's so much that goes into how to properly load a bowl, how you draw on the pipe, how you clean it, how you properly let the pipe cool before you smoke another bowl in the same pipe, etc. that it's best to learn on things that are more like good 'ol Ford trucks, rather than Fiats or Ferraris. If your Fiat breaks all the time, it's no fun to drive, if you drive your Ferrari every day, it's going to hurt when you get it scratched or when you break it, but that good 'ol Ford, heck, it'll run forever.

Anyway, if you, or if any fellow TBers here would like to chat about anything pipe-related, let's have at it, this is my favorite hobby, second only to fishing.

Good luck and I'm off to have a bowl before I begin my next task. Here's another pipe smoking quote that I truly love:

"_There can be no doubt that smoking nowadays is largely a miserable automatic business. People use tobacco without ever taking an intelligent interest in it. They do not experiment, compare, fit the tobacco to the occasion. A man should always be pleasantly conscious of the fact that he is smoking._" -John Boynton Priestley


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## nathanielrthomas (Aug 25, 2010)

azekologi said:


> I'm off to have a bowl before I begin my next task



If I only had a nickel......


:LOL2: all kidding aside, I read your complete post and I find arts like this to be truly amazing. Like you with the art of pipe smoking, I often catch myself speaking so passionately about the art of bass fishing to someone who has no clue what Im talking about. Nonetheless, you have to respect the love and passion for the hobby. Who knows, I might just pick up a pipe one day, or I could just make a post about Copenhagen. :LOL2: Thanks for the info, I thouroughly enjoyed it.


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## azekologi (Aug 25, 2010)

nathanielrthomas said:


> or I could just make a post about Copenhagen.



Glad you enjoyed it, truthfully, I'm glad that could post it, I love pipe smoking.

So, Copenhagen huh? I've always preferred to old timey chew to Cope. I reach for Beechnut when I want a dip. If I really want a pouch and can't get Beechnut, I'll settle for Redman or Levi Garrett, but neither measure up.

I kinda equate pipe smoking (vs. cigarette) to chewing; pipe smoking is to Beechnut chew as cigarette smoking is to, hmm, Skoal Mixed Berry or Skoal Citrus #-o. If you've smoked either, or chewed either, you probably get what I mean. :wink:


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## lswoody (Aug 25, 2010)

pamountainman said:


> I usually smoke it when the mosquitoes are bad on the lake, my grandfather smoked one, and I always loved the aroma of it when we went to their house. I was looking at a few online retailers to find a new one, I never knew they could fetch up to $5,000 :shock: .




Do not smoke at all but $5gs for a pipe!!!!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock:


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## azekologi (Aug 25, 2010)

lswoody said:


> pamountainman said:
> 
> 
> > I usually smoke it when the mosquitoes are bad on the lake, my grandfather smoked one, and I always loved the aroma of it when we went to their house. I was looking at a few online retailers to find a new one, I never knew they could fetch up to $5,000 :shock: .
> ...



I know! :shock: $5K, it better do a lot more than just burn tobacco if you know what I mean :-s 

In all honesty, as I mentioned in my big post, there's quite a difference between a $100 pipe and a $325 pipe (the most expensive I've had the opportunity to smoke), but there HAS to be a law of diminishing returns, because $5K is A LOT of clams!

I'm sure it's a nice piece of eye candy, I'm sure it smokes VERY well, but really, $5K better? That's hard to imagine!


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## cavman138 (Aug 25, 2010)

wow Rick that was quite the post. I had no idea pipe smoking was that involved. Can't say I ever have, but I definitely enjoy the smell.


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## ncfishin (Aug 25, 2010)

I smoke a pipe on occasion. The best one I've found is glass. Probably the cleanest way to smoke a pipe.


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## azekologi (Aug 26, 2010)

cavman138 said:


> I had no idea pipe smoking was that involved.



Man, and I didn't even touch on tobaccos yet! 8) 

It's as involved as you want it to be. For me, I'm a guy who enjoys procedure, routine, details, etc. Hence I find pleasure in the tactility of maintaining and smoking my pipes.

Once you have a tobacco that you regularly smoke, it's nice to devote one (or more) of you pipes to only that tobacco, or to only that _type_ of tobacco. Briarwood absorbs the aroma of what you smoke through it, so having a seasoned pipe is nice, and if you were to smoke something else through it you'd find subtle hints of your regular tobacco throughout the new stuff. My favorite "daily smoke" is Captain Black Cherry (red pouch) or Royal (blue pouch). Captain Black Cherry is largely burly, with a nice blend of cherry Cavendish. My pops used to smoke Captain Black Cherry, and I came around to it eventually, but definitely see his like for that flavor. The Royal is lighter, with hints of vanilla and other spices, I enjoy it, but it's a second to the Cherry. My handmade Tim West, smooth bulldog, and at least one corncob are dedicated to these two tobaccos, although they occasionally see other aromatic tobaccos. The professor has turned into a lighter use pipe for me, so it's the usual pick when I get a new aromatic.

As Virginia and English tobaccos are more, hmm, Earthy, natural, or woodsy blends (not being subject to the sweet sugar-curing process of aromatic tobacco), it's best to have a pipe (or pipes) devoted to just those types of tobacco. I like the bulldog style a lot (easy to work and smoke with this type of "hands-free" pipe), so my twin rough bulldog took to this task. There's usually at least one corncob in my collection as a second for Virginia and English tobaccos as well. I haven't settled on one single 'non-Cavendish' tobacco, so these pipes usually see 3-4 different blends.

Most people don't realize that a pipe, being made of a porous material, takes on moisture, heat, and oils/tar from the tobacco. So it's best to let a pipe completely cool before smoking an additional bowl from it. Sure you can smoke 2-3 bowls in a row from the same pipe (been there, done that), but the temperature and flavor of each progressive bowl without proper cooling and cleaning will be worse. By having more pipes within the rotation, you can keep the consistency of flavor, temperature, or overall 'quality' of smoke the same. I like to have a minimum of 3-4 hours between bowls in the same pipe, even then I can tell the difference from something that hasn't been smoked since the day before.

I put a lot of stock in the validity of my last quote about smoking becoming and automatic process for a lot of people. If you take the time to enjoy what you're doing, not simply be a creature of careless habit, you'll more enjoy what your doing, as well as your smoking while doing it. When I go hang out at the bar with my friends, over at their houses, or camping/fishing and whatnot, I take great care in what pipes and tobaccos I take with me. What I smoke while I'm doing something is as important as the act of doing it.

Probably one of the most enjoyable things I hear people say about pipes, or when they see me smoking mine (as it seems that a lot of people smoke, but few care to smoke cigars, and even fewer pipes), is how they remember their father or grandfather smoking, or how the smell reminds them of something they used to do with their family member. It's nostalgia and character, which doesn't come in a pack of Camels or Marlborough Reds. I've always fancied myself as a classic gentleman, and smoking a pipe for pleasure has always seemed a way to connect with times when smoking and life were more glamorous than the monotony and automation of modern day. And more importantly, I've had many a lady sachet across the room to start a conversation shortly after I strike a match and light a pipe than I ever had with anything before. That alone should be reason to at least try pipe smoking at least once in you lifetime. :wink:


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## azekologi (Aug 26, 2010)

Don't suppose anybody smokes a meerschaum pipe?:







_Meerschaum is a mineral that comes primarily from Turkey. This material is soft and easily shaped but wasn’t used as a pipe material until the discovery of tobacco. Its scientific chemical name is hydrous magnesium silicate and is thought to be remnants of prehistoric sea shells. Once the pipes are carved they must be dried and polished. Meerschaum’s are renowned for the cool, mellow smoke, and remain very popular today. Meerschaum pipes have quite a long break-in period, but the smoker is rewarded with a beautiful autumn brown pipe and a full ripe quality and flavor._

I haven't added one to my rotation as I haven't been able to find one of good design/quality.


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## kairo (Aug 27, 2010)

I have a few pipes and enjoy them on occasion. I love to bring them on camping trips and the like, as most people seem to find it wonderfully hilarious when a 25 year old lights up a Sherlock Holmes.


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## azekologi (Aug 28, 2010)

kairo said:


> most people seem to find it wonderfully hilarious when a 25 year old lights up a Sherlock Holmes.



Heck ya, =D> bring back that old timey style! :mrgreen:


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## Graham (Aug 28, 2010)

azekologi, you're right about the ladies being attracted to the aroma. Once you get past the fact that they are not talking to you because you are a sexy hunk, but because you remind them of their grandfather it's not too bad. I originally come from England and I agree that the British tobaccos are more earthy than the American brands. It took me quite a while to get used to the sweet flavor. I have tried the cherry flavored blends but they are still too sugary for my taste. My go to blend is vanilla flavored. When my American wife calls me her eccentric Englishman, I give her a dirty look, but then I'll be fishing in my 1968 Richline powered by a 1967 Johnson, smoking my black sandblasted briar and I guess she may have a point.


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## Hanr3 (Aug 28, 2010)

I never took up tobacco pipe smoking. I did however, roll my own, they tasted much better thatn commercial grade cigarettes. The MP's weren't too keen on the rolling papers, but once I showed them the tobacco they would back off. I quite smoking in 1985. The price of cigarettes was getting out of hand @ $.50 per pack. Double what it cost me when I started. Too damn much money, couldn't imagine paying $50 a carton now-a-days. That's a $200 a month habit. I dont spend that much on bait. :---) :mrgreen:


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## ShadowWalker (Aug 28, 2010)

azekologi said:


> Don't suppose anybody smokes a meerschaum pipe?
> 
> I haven't added one to my rotation as I haven't been able to find one of good design/quality.


I Do. I'll get a picture tomorrow


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## azekologi (Sep 1, 2010)

ShadowWalker said:


> I Do. I'll get a picture tomorrow



ShadowWalker - What!? To busy fishin' to post? Geezz. :wink: 


Well all this pipe talk, and the newest edition to my pipe rotation, has given be the bug to add yet another pipe to the collection. Not sure where which one will be next, or if I'll just end up waiting a while to decide, guess I'll just have a bowl now and contemplate the decision.

For any of you pipe enthusiasts, I'd welcome any input...

First up:

*Stanfield HCA (Hans Christian Anderson) VI dual stem*. Basically, I'm wanting to add a churchwarden to the collection as I don't have one. I like the idea of the dual stem, because that kind of gives me two pipes instead of just one. But it's the churchwarden's long stem which provides an unmatched cool, dry smoke that I'm really after.






Strong second:

*Boswell Jumbo or Jumbo X*. After experiencing the quality of smoke that I got from a handmade pipe (vs. machine made) with my latest addition by Tim West, and having a much larger bowl size (I can easily smoke one bowl for 2+ hours), I want a second, large, handmade pipe for non-aromatic tobaccos. I figure the extreme bowl size would be great while on the boat, fishing, camping, etc. I’m thinking something along the lines of a poker style, or possibly a billiard. Either way, I’d like a rough finish as I prefer to have smooth finishes for aromatics and rough finishes for non-aromatics (dunno why, just do).






Last but not least:

*SMS Premium Meershaum Full-Bent Sitting Apple - Lattice.* Been wanting to add a meer to my collection/rotation for some time. Did some looking around and really like this one.






Sorry for all the pipe banter guys; it could be worse...I could be posting pics of plaid purses. [-X


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## nathanielrthomas (Sep 1, 2010)

Maybe its just because Im running on an Alabama public education, but I feel somewhat cultured after participating in this topic. Kinda like that time I went to a wine tasting with a few navy officers, but this is whole lot less embarassing. Thanks Guys.


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## azekologi (Sep 1, 2010)

nathanielrthomas said:


> Maybe its just because Im running on an Alabama public education, but I feel somewhat cultured after participating in this topic. Kinda like that time I went to a wine tasting with a few navy officers, but this is whole lot less embarassing. Thanks Guys.



I'm glad that you feel cultured and I'm glad that you contributed! =D> As you can tell from some of my smoky ramblings, I really like collecting pipes and smoking them. Sure, I choked down my fair share of coffin spikes in my day, but I've moved on to enjoying my tobacco rather than mindlessly consuming it. Never again will I smoke those floor sweepings [-X. 

If you want to peruse a good article on the resurgence of pipes, and how "Pipes are for Everyone", check this one out. You may be shocked to find that even some good looking ladies are chomping down on the bit of a pipe.

https://pipesmagazine.com/blog/put-that-in-your-pipe/pipes-are-for-everyone/

As I said in a previous post, I enjoy the pipe for a multitude of reasons. Sure, it's relaxing, I do enjoy the tobacco too, but it's more than that...smoking a pipe seems to be a conversation waiting to happen. I get positive, often flirtatious, comments from older ladies who enjoy seeing a "young lad" with a pipe, to girls younger than I care to keep up with (although, I would give it the ol' college try 8)). Not many, but a few pipe smoking gents have seen me puffing away in public and commented on my pipe, choice of tobacco, or the like. More importantly, I feel that too much happens, too quickly, in our fast-paced world...strangers and passers-by rarely share pleasantries anymore. The pipe gives me the opportunity to slow down and enjoy the ride...same as fishing has done...just slow down, and troll the calm waters.


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## ShadowWalker (Sep 3, 2010)

Sorry, between work and class I haven't been home a lot except to sleep. I will get the picture soon.


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