Sign of the Times?

[Price]

So, about a year and a half ago (10/21/2011 to be exact) I finally dipped my toe into the pipe pool after a good 15 years or so as a regular cigar smoker. Cigars International was my online retailer of choice, and I bought a lot. A lot. Even though I've been smoking primarily pipes ever since, I do occasionally enjoy a cigar, and my humidor has been dwindling slowly over the past year (down to maybe 30-40 sticks). It's seemed to me that pipes' popularity has been on the rise over the past year, but I wondered if it was maybe just my own perception.This afternoon, though, I stopped by the CI website and, lo and behold, they now sell pipes & tobacco, and assorted pipe goodies. Not a real strong selection, but hey, it's a start, and it does seem to be just another indicator of the briar renaissance.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Life today is so much hustle and bustle. Maybe some folks are realizing that, sometimes, you just need to slow down every once and a while and enjoy some relaxing time. Pipes are great for this, in my opinion. When you light a bowl, you make a commitment to chill out for a bit.

On edit: very sneaky with that signature change

 

[Hunter]

Life today is so much hustle and bustle. Maybe some folks are realizing that, sometimes, you just need to slow down every once and a while and enjoy some relaxing time. Pipes are great for this, in my opinion. When you light a bowl, you make a commitment so chill out for a bit.

On edit: very sneaky with that signature change

Agreed

And is it really enabling if all we are doing is helping a fellow find out what he really likes and should spend his money on?

 

[oc_in_fw]

Agreed

And is it really enabling if all we are doing is helping a fellow find out what he really likes and should spend his money on?

I prefer the title "Acquisition Consultant"

 

[Fkread]

"Acquisition Consultant"

^ this

 

[packersfan117]

Many of my friends smoke pipes. I'm not sure if that's just indicative of the people I like to hang out with or if the times are changing.

 

[the_edski]

You are just getting tired of "feeling pretty", right?

I prefer the title "Acquisition Consultant"

I agree, Price. The briar is back, baby!

 

[Shave_Rat]

I really hope pipes are making a comeback. It would only mean good things for the hobby and hobbyists.

 

[Argonaut]

I've noticed over the last few years that JR Cigars has added a lot of pipes and pipe tobacco to their catalogues and website. It used to be one straight pipe and one bent pipe from Savinelli, you just picked the shape and they sent one, you didn't get to pick the actual pipe. They have three pages of pipes now, including some Petersons. Definitely on the rise. I'm not sure it's good thing though. Anything that draws attention to smoking any form of tobacco seems to be the quickest way to get restrictions.

 

[WithTheGrain]

I know this sounds simplistic, but the hardest thing about pipe smoking is learning how to properly smoke a pipe. I have smoked cigars since I turned 18 back in the late 90s. Around that time, I also picked up a pipe for the first time. I would only smoke from time to time because it was such a frustrating experience (dealing with relights, figuring out how to pack it, etc.). In the time since, I would try to pick up tips from the internet, but it was still difficult because great info was scarce and the smoking trends were focused almost exclusively on cigars.

This has all changed in the last few years. For example, go search youtube for pipe info-- is FULL of great tobacco reviews, how to videos, and people just talking pipes. I think that this new access to info has made it much easier for new smokers to get into pipes. Its definitely a nice change of pace compared to 4 years ago when the only pipe videos you would find were creepy smoke fetishists....

 

[COHunter]

I've smoked pipes for around 15 years off and on and I've also enjoyed cigars. I think part of what may be happening with a bit of resurgence is frankly cigars have gotten ridiculously expensive and many folks are looking for other alternatives. Granted you can blow a ton of cash on pipes, tobacco and all the associated stuff, but that hardware will last decades if taken care of and per oz the tobacco is much cheaper and some would argue better than cigar leaf. I can appreciate both but the biggest issue I have is if I have a $10 stick and it's got a plugged draw that I can't free up then I just wasted $10. If I load a pipe and it's a plugged draw then I can just empty and re-load saving the money.

 

[WithTheGrain]

COHunter-
Totally agree. Price is why I started smoking pipes almost exclusively. I started my own business a year and a half ago and money (naturally) became much tighter. I don't smoke super often (once or twice a week in the summer, very occasionally in the winter), but having a few tins of pipe tobacco around is much easier than going out and dropping 10 bucks on a cigar every week. I spent about 24 bucks on tobacco (tin of Early Morning Pipe and a tin of Nightcap) last year, and it will last me for years if I want it to. I was lucky enough to get a hold of my dad's pipe collection, so I am sitting on 25 pipes already so no need to pick up new briar. Definitely enough to keep me happy

patrick

 

[Commander Quan]

Kind of like the Microbrewery revolution we've seen, I think we're in the golden age of pipe tobacco. Thanks to the internet people can now get blends by small blenders like C&D and Pease, where 20 years ago they would have only been sold in local shops and through mail order but no one would have known about them. People are trying to expand and challenge their pallets with beer, whisky, cheese, etc, and pipe tobacco is an extension of that. I do think that a lot of people who were cigar smokers are looking for an economical way to enjoy tobacco without burning $4-$10 every time, however I don't believe that the we are really seeing a huge increase in the number of people who use tobacco as a hobby, just more of an interest in those that do in pipe smoking.

Smoking has become such a pariah that it isn't convenient to do whether it's due to the limited number of places you can smoke outside of your personal property, or due to the increased insurance costs to the individual or the employer Those that see it as not worth the hassle move on to other things. When you immerse yourself in something it's easy to think that everyone else is doing it too, but like wetshaving the per capita increase of people who are pipe smoking is pretty small.

 

[KarlMaldensNose]

I really hope pipes are making a comeback. It would only mean good things for the hobby and hobbyists.

I hear ya, but I can't help thinking of it in terms of my ever decreasing chances of scoring a bloody bag of Stonehaven and Penzance. Just one bag is all I ask for. But alas, with each passing day and each new pipe smoker that bag is getting farther and farther away.

Definitely on the rise. I'm not sure it's good thing though. Anything that draws attention to smoking any form of tobacco seems to be the quickest way to get restrictions.

Interesting point