Ciggs to Pipe: A Primer by The People, For The People!
- Thread starter Blackbeard's Delight
- Start date
Still going strong. Not even tempted the last two days. One of my friends was very happy to recieve my stockpile of cigarettes yesterday.
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- #23
Nice! Good work bro! The further along you go the easier it gets... have you been using the snus to get through work? As time goes on you'll get used to having less nicotine in your system. I never made it through my morning coffee without a cigarette and now I don't bust out the pipe until 10 or 11am. Normally I would have had 4 or 5 cigarettes by then! I am not fighting cravings the whole time... I just got busy in the morning and decided to skip the pipe with coffee... then it was later and later before that first smoke. Sadly, nothing brings out the nicotine rage like mornings at work...
Today is the 4 week marker for no ciggs and I haven't really had any moments of weakness wanting to go back. I know technically I am still smoking the pipe 4 to 6 times a day, but it's a far cry from a pack (20 ciggs!) a day. I definitely feel better... maybe it's in my head, but I don't get the moist forehead when I go for brisk walks any more. I have been enjoying the flavors more from the pipe... probably because I am not nuking the taste buds on my tongue with all the ciggs.
I would probably smoke the pipe even less but I just enjoy it too much. If I went out when I was craving only, I'd probably smoke 2, maybe 3 times in a day. It's just so relaxing, and it's an excuse to get outside and listen to nature a little (and the occasional police/fire truck from the station down the road)...
Keep it up though. Think of the cash you're saving too. I picked up a bag of Captain Black Sunday and it's been almost a week... I still have probably enough in that 1.5 ounce pouch to get through the long weekend. Huge improvement on the pack-a-day habit!
Yeah snus has been getting me through work. It's too busy at teh hotel now to get out for even a quick puff of the pipe. That's reserved for before and after work right now. It's been a lot less stressful dropping cigs, not worried about finding the time between calls and people checking in to smoke. Gonna write up a long post sunday on my week.
So I've been off of cigarettes for a week now. The first day I had decided to quit I smoked 3 cigarettes. Two at work I didn't inhale any smoke from but one before I went to bed I did. Seems like right before I go to bed is when I get the worst craving for a cig, but a couple puffs of the pipe has been taking care of that since last week. That was the hardest day by far. Didn't help anything that I forgot to bring a pipe into work. Snus was able to get me through the week by calming all the nicotine cravings, pipe got me through the normal cravings for smoke that a cigarette smoker constantly has. It wasn't the easiest thing ever but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be either. One of the biggest reasons I've been able to do it this week was the support I've gotten from members of the brown leaf. Kind of like a support group thing I guess. Blackbeard's Delight sent me a PM checking my progress a couple times, seeing how I was still doing with the quiting. Really did have that support group feel to it.
It has been pretty nice not trying to find time to choke down a cig will at work, or after a meal when out with friends. When I sit down with the pipe it's never a rush, just a pleasurable pipe experience. Have rushed a pipe while at work, but that was more a social thing with the head of maintenence here at the hotel than something I had to do. Only smoked 4 times at work this week. I sometimes just draw on the unlit pipe in the office and pretend I'm smoking, when it's just slow enough to think about it but too busy to actually light it up.
Work pipe got rained on this morning a little will after I took a couple puffs from it. Only got a little wet but I night not be able to smoke anymore till I get off work tonight. Not too worried about smoking anymore of it today though. Figure the worst is almost over. Real test is going to be next weekend when all my cig smoking friends are in town on vacation and are dragging me out to the bar all weekend after work.
It has been pretty nice not trying to find time to choke down a cig will at work, or after a meal when out with friends. When I sit down with the pipe it's never a rush, just a pleasurable pipe experience. Have rushed a pipe while at work, but that was more a social thing with the head of maintenence here at the hotel than something I had to do. Only smoked 4 times at work this week. I sometimes just draw on the unlit pipe in the office and pretend I'm smoking, when it's just slow enough to think about it but too busy to actually light it up.
Work pipe got rained on this morning a little will after I took a couple puffs from it. Only got a little wet but I night not be able to smoke anymore till I get off work tonight. Not too worried about smoking anymore of it today though. Figure the worst is almost over. Real test is going to be next weekend when all my cig smoking friends are in town on vacation and are dragging me out to the bar all weekend after work.
Great job on the cig quitting! I quit about 3 years ago myself and never looked back. My opinion is that cig tobacco has something in it to really hook you. Not to mention grabbing a quick smoke was always tied to a work break, good times with friends, or other pleasurable times. Once that tie is broken things get a lot easier.
I quit using cigars and cigarillos, but since moved to pipes.
I quit using cigars and cigarillos, but since moved to pipes.
Depending on how crazy next weekend is there may be quite a few ties broken. haha.
Sounds like fun!!
Mr. Blackbeard's Delight, bravo on an excellent post!
The level of writing ability you've displayed makes me ever more eager to explore these forums. It's fairly rare to encounter such enthused penmanship on "leisure forums".
I too quit the ciggs & pick'd up the pipe. I was a total ciggfreak too! With the factory stuff it was Gitanes Blondes, Craven "A", 555, Natty Sherms, Lucky Strike Filter etc until I evolved to RYO with Bali Shag or P.Stokkebye. When the price for a 5oz. can nearly tripled, from $13 to $30 (!!!), I got frustrated & somehow landed on a pipe site looking for D&R TwoTimer (a damn good tobak for roll-ups) and it so happened I got fascinated with pipes and the whole soulful ritual they entail.
It's hard work dammit, at first, to smoke a pipe, it was for me at least, almost giving up in complete frustration. Yet once I began to smooth out the mechanics involved with properly smoking, it's all been groovy gravy-land! So I encourage anyone who is first starting out to bear in mind to slow down, enjoy the experience, be satiated with the relaxing waves of this good gift, it truly is somewhat philosophical with the manner inwhich the smoking session calms thought toward an almost ecstatic meditative state and it's not just the complex neurochemical effects of nicotine at play, not the typical "cigg crave", but like a fullsome gourmet dinner bringing tactile & olfactory & tasty essences into a perfect frame.
Not only have I been feeling somewhat more healthy physically, but my mental health seems to be boosted as well, and all that along with the hobby itself has been quite invigorating. I only regret not being hip much sooner...all the vintage tins I'd have in my cellar by now!
= )
The level of writing ability you've displayed makes me ever more eager to explore these forums. It's fairly rare to encounter such enthused penmanship on "leisure forums".
I too quit the ciggs & pick'd up the pipe. I was a total ciggfreak too! With the factory stuff it was Gitanes Blondes, Craven "A", 555, Natty Sherms, Lucky Strike Filter etc until I evolved to RYO with Bali Shag or P.Stokkebye. When the price for a 5oz. can nearly tripled, from $13 to $30 (!!!), I got frustrated & somehow landed on a pipe site looking for D&R TwoTimer (a damn good tobak for roll-ups) and it so happened I got fascinated with pipes and the whole soulful ritual they entail.
It's hard work dammit, at first, to smoke a pipe, it was for me at least, almost giving up in complete frustration. Yet once I began to smooth out the mechanics involved with properly smoking, it's all been groovy gravy-land! So I encourage anyone who is first starting out to bear in mind to slow down, enjoy the experience, be satiated with the relaxing waves of this good gift, it truly is somewhat philosophical with the manner inwhich the smoking session calms thought toward an almost ecstatic meditative state and it's not just the complex neurochemical effects of nicotine at play, not the typical "cigg crave", but like a fullsome gourmet dinner bringing tactile & olfactory & tasty essences into a perfect frame.
Not only have I been feeling somewhat more healthy physically, but my mental health seems to be boosted as well, and all that along with the hobby itself has been quite invigorating. I only regret not being hip much sooner...all the vintage tins I'd have in my cellar by now!
= )
I did love ryo tobacco back before the 2400% tax increase. Samson was my favorite, but I smoked to much to afford afterwards. Had to switch to the Pall Malls at $35ish a carton.
I did quit the pipe after my first attempt with it years ago. Came back two years ago a little calmer and with a Falcon pipe and it kind of grew on me.
I wish I had the talent at writing that you and Blackbeard have but I get distracted by shiny objects and either ramble or got off on a tangent. Alas, I'm stuck with short posts till I get that figured out.
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- #31
You'll definitely enjoy the benefits of ending the cigg addiction. I think the first couple days is the hardest, making the adjustments mentally and tobacco-wise. After that it's not too bad. It's been 4 weeks of pipe and no ciggs for me, and at work I go out with my briar on break with a bunch of cigarette smokers, and it's not too bad, I don't miss it. I have had a couple times where I actually missed the flavor of my old ciggs, but I just focused on the flavors of the pipe tobacco and made sure I enjoyed it more. Though I can't say I've been on any benders getting boozed and trying to smoke the pipe. That sounds like it would probably be dangerous...
I guess the best thing to do is quit smoking altogether, but this is a step in the right direction. It's like going from eating 10 battered and deep fried twinkies a day to eating 4 regular twinkies a day. It's an improvement on the current situation. I'd like to quit completely, or cut back to 1x/day with the pipe, and eventually I think I will. The wife still smokes cigarettes, and has smoked around me a lot when I am not smoking, and I haven't been tempted at all to go buy a pack, so that's a good test.
There's definitely a lot of great people on this site, all of which are very knowledgeable and supportive. I came here for the wet-shaving information, a few weeks later signed up on the boards, then immediately discovered the brown leaf... and your pipe PIF, which inspired me to try and use the pipe to quit ciggs. The rest is history. If you asked me in January if i was going to shave with a safety razor and smoke a pipe instead of cigarettes, I'd think you were crazy. If you asked me now if I would rather smoke ciggs and use a Mach 3 & electric razor again, I'd think the idea was completely insane! Looking back it's hard to imagine I was living like that. Now if I can only find somewhere on the forum about quitting being a fatass and I will be on the right path!
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- #32
Thanks for the compliments on the post. I think in forums most people don't really want to dig in to a long-winded post, but in a subject like this, and wanting to get across the experience and personal details, etc. I didn't want to cut anything out that could be helpful. So it just got big. I had been telling Haiku44 that I was going to write a thread about this for a while (by his suggestion, by the way) as it would be nice to have a place for people making this switch to have a jump-off point. Also I wanted to make sure the switch was successful before I started to pitch my story to anyone. I am happy to hear when my writing is entertaining, I try to weave in some humor so not too many people fall asleep while reading!
They got a place for that also. It's called the clubhouse http://badgerandblade.com/vb/forumdisplay.php/100-The-Clubhouse. I don't venture over there much myself yet. Haha. Can't quit all my vices at the same time.
I guess me and you really did play off eachother as far as quitting goes. Kinda cool it worked out that way.
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- #34
Oh lord, I was afraid of this. Maybe I will check the link after I get home, I have Ice Cream in my evening plans...
I don't think I would have made it far into pipe territory without B&B to guide me and put up with my silly questions. You definitely helped a lot, and you were quick to give info and support any time I posted questions here. At the very least, your generosity prevented me from carrying my pipe in a fanny-pack, man-purse, bra, or some other shameful embarrassment to pipe smokers worldwide!
Hahaha. I had totally forgotten about the fanny pack! I'd have done anything to save your wife and us fellow pipe smokers that embarrassment. And believe me the pipe bra is not very comfortable, I was adjusting it constantly.
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- #36
Well I have passed the 5 week marker since my last cigarette, with the pipe as my only tobacco source. There is a big part of me that thinks I shouldn't be so proud since I am still smoking tobacco... but the benefits of pipe smoking over cigarettes makes it so much better of a choice from the two. But mostly it's been nice adjusting to a life without butts ruling the day.
I have slipped into a routine now. I have been enjoying Captain Black for two smokes during the day at work, usually a half a bowl. Then I may have one more when I get home depending on how awesome my work day is. I'll have one more after dinner or before bed (or both) with Carter Hall, which I think has a more subtle flavor to help relax at the end of the day. So that's 3 to 5 smoke sessions a day. Something I couldn't have imagined with cigarettes! (smoking a pack a day- 20 ciggs!)
Another thing that's happened on several occasions now, I have gone out into the world without bringing ANY tobacco products with me! Something else that hasn't happened in eons! This morning I went to my nephew's 1st birthday party and left the house at 10:30am and got home at 2:30pm and left the pipe at home, and I was fine the whole time. Before, if I was half way there and realized I left my ciggs at home, I would have sped back home like the chase scene from the movie Bullitt, and I would have probably smoked a cigg when I got home just to beat back the stress of realizing I went out into the world without tobacco. But now, no pipe? No worries, I'll just smoke when I get home at some point.
The smoker's cough is gone completely. When I get up in the morning for work, I am not waking the neighbors hacking up that nasty business. That is a big nice benefit that I never want to take for granted!
Another thing I have noticed is that I don't get winded or sweat performing some activities... before, when I go up certain stairs at work, or walk fast/uphill though the city, I was guaranteed to be a little winded, and to have some sweat beading up on the forehead. Now I make it through these things no problem. I can't say with scientific proof this is definitely a side effect of switching from ciggs to pipe, but I can't think of any other life changes that could explain this (maybe the wet shaving? Probably not...). I am not eating any healthier, not getting any more sleep or exercising at all. So I will roll it into the pipe switch!
The strange thing I have noticed, unlike other times when I have quit (using gum, snus, etc) just the smell of someone elses cigarette or even driving by someone smoking who's walking down the street would blast me with a huge craving that made me crazy over time. But with the pipe, there seems to be no temptations, physically, to go back to ciggs. Part of me does miss the flavor of the cigarettes I used, but not enough to go buy a pack. But I walk past smokers all the time and don't get the craving. It's strange.
The only change I really would like to make, at this point, are to grow my pipe collection before I burn out the briar. The cob I got is mostly cooked, though I still use it from time to time. I'd also like to have some other flavors of bacci in the rotation. But things have been going pretty smoothly, and I am trying to focus on expanding my wet-shaving gear at this point. So I can stay in this cycle for a while. But it seems like the transition is pretty complete now, and I am very comfortable being a pipe smoker.
Thanks again to all the brothas at The Brown Leaf, I doubt I would have learned enough about pipe smoking to make it stick like it has without all of your help!
I have slipped into a routine now. I have been enjoying Captain Black for two smokes during the day at work, usually a half a bowl. Then I may have one more when I get home depending on how awesome my work day is. I'll have one more after dinner or before bed (or both) with Carter Hall, which I think has a more subtle flavor to help relax at the end of the day. So that's 3 to 5 smoke sessions a day. Something I couldn't have imagined with cigarettes! (smoking a pack a day- 20 ciggs!)
Another thing that's happened on several occasions now, I have gone out into the world without bringing ANY tobacco products with me! Something else that hasn't happened in eons! This morning I went to my nephew's 1st birthday party and left the house at 10:30am and got home at 2:30pm and left the pipe at home, and I was fine the whole time. Before, if I was half way there and realized I left my ciggs at home, I would have sped back home like the chase scene from the movie Bullitt, and I would have probably smoked a cigg when I got home just to beat back the stress of realizing I went out into the world without tobacco. But now, no pipe? No worries, I'll just smoke when I get home at some point.
The smoker's cough is gone completely. When I get up in the morning for work, I am not waking the neighbors hacking up that nasty business. That is a big nice benefit that I never want to take for granted!
Another thing I have noticed is that I don't get winded or sweat performing some activities... before, when I go up certain stairs at work, or walk fast/uphill though the city, I was guaranteed to be a little winded, and to have some sweat beading up on the forehead. Now I make it through these things no problem. I can't say with scientific proof this is definitely a side effect of switching from ciggs to pipe, but I can't think of any other life changes that could explain this (maybe the wet shaving? Probably not...). I am not eating any healthier, not getting any more sleep or exercising at all. So I will roll it into the pipe switch!
The strange thing I have noticed, unlike other times when I have quit (using gum, snus, etc) just the smell of someone elses cigarette or even driving by someone smoking who's walking down the street would blast me with a huge craving that made me crazy over time. But with the pipe, there seems to be no temptations, physically, to go back to ciggs. Part of me does miss the flavor of the cigarettes I used, but not enough to go buy a pack. But I walk past smokers all the time and don't get the craving. It's strange.
The only change I really would like to make, at this point, are to grow my pipe collection before I burn out the briar. The cob I got is mostly cooked, though I still use it from time to time. I'd also like to have some other flavors of bacci in the rotation. But things have been going pretty smoothly, and I am trying to focus on expanding my wet-shaving gear at this point. So I can stay in this cycle for a while. But it seems like the transition is pretty complete now, and I am very comfortable being a pipe smoker.
Thanks again to all the brothas at The Brown Leaf, I doubt I would have learned enough about pipe smoking to make it stick like it has without all of your help!
I know that feeling but I'm barely smoking the pipe at all by comparison so I don't feel like it's the same thing for me.
Had two friends tell me that I hadn't really quit because I was still smoking tobacco.. My response was "screw you" to both of them.
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- #38
I think it's like the difference between drinking a 20 pack of beer a day versus a couple glasses of brandy at night. Sure it's still drinking, but one is clearly a more unhealthy choice. No one has called me out on it, but I have been aware that I am technically still smoking. But I look at it as a path towards eventually not smoking at all (though in the end I really want to have at least one bowl at night before bed since I have grown to really enjoy the art of pipe smoking!).
For the most part, when my explanation gets to how long it's been since I smoked my last cigarette, people are usually pretty supportive of that. Also I find the people who are cigarette smokers tend to be the ones who are the most impressed, I think most cigg smokers have stopped and come back more than once. I think for a non-smoker, it's all frowned upon, and mostly they won't understand the nicotine addiction.
They both had to quit smoking cause they got pregnant. But you are right the ones that still are smoking have been very impressed. Not impressed enough to give it a try themselves though.
I don't want to quit the pipe. Cutting back so I am not using it as a crutch would be great. Even now though I'm only smoking 2 or 3 bowls a day(hard drinking/party days it's more), cutting back to one after work or walking outside would be fantastic.
I don't want to quit the pipe. Cutting back so I am not using it as a crutch would be great. Even now though I'm only smoking 2 or 3 bowls a day(hard drinking/party days it's more), cutting back to one after work or walking outside would be fantastic.
So it's been two weeks now since I smoked a cigarette. This week I've had most of my out of state friends in town for the art and music festival, they all smoke so it was a little bit of a challenge. Probably didn't help that I'm accustomed to smoking cigs with these people. Also probably didn't help that I've consumed vast quantities of spirits this last week. But I managed not to ask for a drag off one of their cigarettes or just bum one off them.
To get past smoking the cigs but enjoy hanging out and smoking still I would smoke a partial bowl every second or third cig smoked by one of the friends. It was important to pick one friend to keep track of so I didn't go overboard and smoke the pipe non-stop all night at the bar. Got 4-5 smokes out of one bowl, and would tamp it down and put a wine cork in the pipe between sessions. I did smoke the pipe more than I normally would have, but these people are only around a couple times a year so I'm ok with that.
My beater cob has preformed admirably. More than 3 bowls a day in it for a solid week and it is still doing great. Last night was kind of horrible because I had the same filter in it for 3 days, but once I took it out it smoked fine again. I would never take my good pipes out while fueled by the grape.
To get past smoking the cigs but enjoy hanging out and smoking still I would smoke a partial bowl every second or third cig smoked by one of the friends. It was important to pick one friend to keep track of so I didn't go overboard and smoke the pipe non-stop all night at the bar. Got 4-5 smokes out of one bowl, and would tamp it down and put a wine cork in the pipe between sessions. I did smoke the pipe more than I normally would have, but these people are only around a couple times a year so I'm ok with that.
My beater cob has preformed admirably. More than 3 bowls a day in it for a solid week and it is still doing great. Last night was kind of horrible because I had the same filter in it for 3 days, but once I took it out it smoked fine again. I would never take my good pipes out while fueled by the grape.
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