Talk me in / out of a pipe

[Shaving_CHENG]

Gents,

Looking for your highlights or lowlights of smoking a pipe. I have about a 30 minute walk once a week, and was thinking about the company of a pipe and some fine tobacco. In helping me form a decision, what are the positives or negatives you see?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Commander Quan]

It is funny how these posts attract people who never normally frequent the Nib.

Or the BL

 

[njpaddy]

You probably already know the health risks. I quit cigs (regular & funny) in the mid 70's. Even so, I bought a pipe this past weekend. I'm retired and want to enjoy the time left, so I plan on continuing my daily gin and occasional pipe. I do find gin and pipe relaxing, but not usually with exercise.

 

[Alacrity59]

Guys. I know this has the potential to blow into something nasty. The "tobacco kills" issue has been mentioned. Please let's leave it at that. This forum is for people who enjoy tobacco and for people who are looking for advice on how best to enjoy tobacco and related equipment. Let us explore other pros and cons related to the original poster's question.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Gents,

Looking for your highlights or lowlights of smoking a pipe. I have about a 30 minute walk once a week, and was thinking about the company of a pipe and some fine tobacco. In helping me form a decision, what are the positives or negatives you see?

Thanks,
Mike

For me, the pros are that a pipe helps me relax, and reduces the amount of cigarettes I smoke. I generally do not inhale pipe smoke.

 

[michiganlover]

Pros:

-gives you "me" time
-helps one to unwind after a long day
-gives one time to slow down and contemplate things.
-Like wet shaving is a tie to the past before life became too crazy, and hectic.
-A whole new hobby to explore.
-Unlike wet shaving, you can enjoy your new hobby for multiple hours a day.
-Smells great, unlike cigarettes
-Can cause the room to smell wonderful to those around you.

Cons:

-New acquisition disorders
-Pretty steep learning curve
-People might view you as being a smoker
-You might have to view yourself as a smoker

 

[sychodelix]

It's peaceful and relaxing to me, puffing on a pipe. I smoke away from my kids, so I only have the chance to once a day, but it's great. I use snus/snuff in between.

 

[Fkread]

I am not a smoker. I try to lead a health life -- eat right, limit my alcohol, and exercise regularly (road cycling and an eventual marathon). However, I do like an occasional cigar and a pipe once or twice a week. I have a small collection of 6 pipes and about that many jars/tins of tobacco. Like everything else, there is the possibility for addiction, but if you take that into account as part of your decision I think that will help inform your decision. I find the pipe to be relaxing. I tend to have a problem sitting in one place for too long. The pipe forces me to slow down.

Kelly

 

[brother cavefish]

i think you need to make your own mind up, be accountable to yourself- for someone to tell you it is great would be foolish, it is smoke and other things in your lungs---------you need to make up your own mind

 

[Price]

Pros:

-gives you "me" time
-helps one to unwind after a long day
-gives one time to slow down and contemplate things.
-Like wet shaving is a tie to the past before life became too crazy, and hectic.
-A whole new hobby to explore.
-Unlike wet shaving, you can enjoy your new hobby for multiple hours a day.
-Smells great, unlike cigarettes
-Can cause the room to smell wonderful to those around you.

Cons:

-New acquisition disorders
-Pretty steep learning curve
-People might view you as being a smoker
-You might have to view yourself as a smoker

This is a pretty good list for you, Cheng. I wouldn't be too concerned about the learning curve, though. It's not like learning to shave with a straight razor or anything.

I find it to be a very relaxing way to unwind at the end of my day.

 

[oc_in_fw]

I am not a smoker. I try to lead a health life -- eat right, limit my alcohol, and exercise regularly (road cycling and an eventual marathon). However, I do like an occasional cigar and a pipe once or twice a week. I have a small collection of 6 pipes and about that many jars/tins of tobacco. Like everything else, there is the possibility for addiction, but if you take that into account as part of your decision I think that will help inform your decision. I find the pipe to be relaxing. I tend to have a problem sitting in one place for too long. The pipe forces me to slow down.

Kelly

And unlike cigarette tobacco, pipe tobacco manufacturers do not add extra nicotine to hook you.

 

[Tim_McD]

The biggest potential downside to adopting pipe smoking has to be the aquisition disorder. Sure, you can buy a Missouri Meercham pipe for less than $5 and learn to smoke OTC drugstore tobacco in it within a couple of tries - no problem.

Then the sneaking thought....wow, those briars sure look nice and projects the mental image of "pipe smoker". Then you add some of those fancy tins of tobacco that you keep hearing about - just to get the free shipping of course. Then that basket briar doesnt look as nice as that Peterson or Dunhill or Tinsky......

Next thing you know you are rocking a dozen pipes, 10 tins of tobacco, an Old Boy lighter and you have 300 pipe cleaners - all the while you are getting happier and happier

 

[the_edski]

What the deuce happened with all the deleted posts? I agree with the comments calling it relaxing. It can be a fun hobby like anything else, spend as much $ as you feel comfortable doing so. You are a reasonable man I'm sure, so you can weigh any health questions in your own mind. Don't let others sour you to it.

 

[The Dean]

The positives are many and have already been stated.

For me, the biggest negatives (and why I ultimately stopped with the pipe) were:

1. If you are going to smoke regularly, you need an assortment of pipes. You can't smoke one pipe over and over, it needs to rest. Not a huge problem except for #2

2. Finding pipes you like can be exasperating--or better put: For me, finding pipes I actually wanted to smoke was exasperating. For every 4-5 pipes I bought, I might like one long term. I suppose I could have simply returned and bought several of the pipes I liked--I didn't. Looking back, I'm not sure if that didn't occur to me, or if I simply liked to have different pipes. Another issue may have been the pipes I typically ended up liking were the most expensive pipes. I was a college student and I couldn't afford to plunk down that kind of cash every time I wanted/needed a new pipe.

I don't necessarily think you should use cost as a decision point. And in retrospect, pipe smoking is probably quite a bit less expensive than cigar smoking--once you have acquired a nice assortment of pipes. But for me, buying pipe after pipe that I ended up really not liking became discouraging.

Big Caveat: I was pretty young and impatient. I think my experience would be much different now, which is why I am considering picking up the pipe again. Also, the idea of trading/selling pipes never even occurred to me. Things were a big different in the 70's and early 80's. There weren't easily accessible Internet communities like this for advice, trades, etc.

 

[Black Adder]

I loved the smell of a good pipe tobacco, even at a young age, and an older sister bought me one for Christmas when I was 16.

The only drawback I had, and I think I'm still respecting the original poster's question and Alacrity59's caveat, was that I took up cigarettes at 18, and it took me 20 years to kick that habit.

Good luck with whatever you decide, and I still like the smell of a good pipe tobacco.

Don

 

[brother cavefish]

I loved the smell of a good pipe tobacco, even at a young age, and an older sister bought me one for Christmas when I was 16.

The only drawback I had, and I think I'm still respecting the original poster's question and Alacrity59's caveat, was that I took up cigarettes at 18, and it took me 20 years to kick that habit.

Good luck with whatever you decide, and I still like the smell of a good pipe tobacco.

Don

it does smell good

 

[luvmysuper]

Gents - just for the record, and for what it's worth;

It's much easier to clean up a thread if people report the stupid post, and then ignore it.
That way, only the stupid post needs to be deleted. When people quote the stupid post, then the new post quoting the stupid post also has to be deleted.

Report the post and ignore the guy. I promise we will deal with it.

Just sayin'

 

[Commander Quan]

You're adult and I'll assume you know the dangers of smoking so I'll leave it up to you whether or not you want to accept the risks.

In your particular situation, pipe smoking does require a certain amount of technique to be able to fill the pipe properly, puff, tamp, and maintain the fire. Walking and trying to learn all this can be a difficult while on the go. Once you get the basics down it won't be as big a deal, but in the beginning it could be frustrating.

Once you learn to maintain the pipe it is a nice way to pass some time.

 

[nortac]

The health risks are pretty well known, but so are the "exceptions to the rule". There are many famous persons who lived to be in their 90's or even 100's who smoked cigars and pipes. I have worked as an ICU nurse for 27 years and am well aware of the downside of smoking and the vast majority of these were due to cigarettes. In addition to the cancer risk, there is the fact that nicotine causes vasoconstriction, so if you have narrowed or clogged arteries, your risk of a heart attack is increased. That being said, I decided to take up pipe smoking a couple of months before my 57 th birthday. I am and will be an occasional pipe smoker, not a several bowls a day pipe smoker. You certainly have to do a mental risk/benefit analysis. In my case I believe the benefits are worth the risk. Only you can do your own, what is your family history of cancer or heart disease? Do you have an addictive personality? Do you have other health issues? Pipe smoking is certainly better than cigarette smoking and has helped many cut back or quit their use of cigs. In my work we ask patients if they smoke and are they ready to quit, and provide them with information to stop smoking. I have as late asked them if they have ever tried pipe smoking as a way to reduce their use of cigarettes. This is very politically incorrect and not at all sanctioned by my hospital, but I throw it out there for their consideration, but I don't outright suggest doing it, just plant the seed. As always, YMMV. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Argonaut]

Gentlemen, the purpose of The Brown Leaf is not to convince others to take up what may be a hazardous hobby. The OP, or anyone else that is on the fence about it, needs to make up their own mind about it, and then feel free to ask for advice here should they decide to take up the hobby. Obviously this topic brings unwelcomed and redundant "just say no" advice in a subforum devoted to the enjoyment of tobacco. After having said that, we're all done here.