Pipe Smoking
Have you ever been walking through the park and smelled the wonderful aroma of someone smoking a tobacco pipe? Have you ever considered taking up pipe smoking but didn't know where to start? In 7 short articles you can learn how to smoke a pipe!
I encourage you to take the time to read through the Not-So Boring Guide to Pipe Smoking which is written especially for pipe smoking beginners. The guide is 6 pages and will help you choose your first pipe as well as choosing your first pipe tobacco. We'll also cover which accessories are a must have for your tobacco pipe and which are just nice to have down the road. Once you've got all your pipe smoking gear we'll discuss how to pack your pipe the right way. Once it's packed it's time to light it up and puff away. All the information you need to start smoking pipes is just a click away.
Introduction to Pipe Smoking for Beginners
Smoking pipes is really all about relaxation. Since tobacco was discovered its been a favorite pastime of men and now some women find themselves smoking a tobacco pipe. There are really only 3 ways to smoke tobacco: cigarettes, cigars, and the pipe. The tobacco pipe is the only option which gives the smoker a lasting sense of pleasure and a total state of relaxation.
A pipe is similar to a fountain pen or a fine time piece. It's truly is a thing of beauty. Some even call a well-crafted pipe a work of art. It's a pleasure to hold, inspect, perhaps tell a story about, and demands a certain amount of respect.
What you'll find over time is that smoking a pipe is actually an art and a science. The first task to learn is packing your pipe. Once it is packed with your pipe tobacco of choice, lighting it evenly is the next challenge. Learning to actually smoke your pipe will also take some time. Don't be afraid though, learning these skills is not a painstakingly long process nor are they hard to learn. It just takes some understanding and patience. The rewards of properly smoked tobacco pipes is a wonderful aroma and a great taste, not to mention a relaxed state of mind.
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I am 48 years old and have smoked a pipe (falcon mostly) since I was 18 years old.
I started out as a draughtsman at RollsRoyce back in 1976 and at that time all the old guys smoked a pipe. I love it for the relaxation it provides and I will never give it up. I have a collection of old pipes and a fantastic pipe rack to show them off. I pity the anti-smoking lobby. Sure smoking is not perfect for your health – over eating fatty foods is far more dangerous though!!
I am slim and healthy and enjoy long walks (with my pipe!!) and also wind surf! I smoke a couple or three times a week when walking the dog and I am at my most relaxed – Love it!!
Keep up the good work and happy smoking to you all!
I always get the impression that smoking a pipe is “less bad” for the body than smoking a cig.
Bertrand Russell, J.B Priestly, Albert Einstein and Edward Heath were all renowned pipe smokers and they lived to ripe old ages. There was a guy in the newspaper the other day who claims to have smoked a pipe his whole adult life and he was celebrating his 100th birthday!! It just goes to show that you should believe the evidence of your own eyes and not concocted government statistics (by the way I’m British and I can’t abide the hypocrisy of the UK government that places heavy restrictions on smokers whilst turning a blind eye to the rampant drug and alcohol abuse that takes place in this country).
I swapped my 40 cigarettes a day habit for occasional pipe smoking a few years ago and I’ve never looked back.
I too am an ex-cigarette smoker. I first got addicted to dip. Then I picked up cigarettes. I also tried my hand at chew for a while too, but it messed up my mouth. After that I went back to occasional cigarettes when drinking but could no longer stand the smell, especially the next day. I started smoking cigars a few times a week and one of my good friends would often join me for a nice relaxing smoke. He mentioned that he was interested in pipe smoking so I bought him a pipe for this past Christmas. I couldn’t deal with the fact of giving that beautiful thing away without having one for myself so I bought another one. I have to say it is the most enjoyable smoking experience ever. I love to smoke mine with a nice glass of bourbon on the rocks. There is nothing more relaxing. In addition, the smell is pleasant and doesn’t make the room smell repulsive for a week like only a few cigarettes will. Best of all, my girlfriend does not mind at all. She couldn’t stand when I smoked cigarettes, but seems to be very content with my new hobby.
I am no expert, just an average citizen, but I’d like to offer my common sense view on the health effects.
I am not concerned at all!! Here’s why:
1. Pipe smoke is not directly inhaled.
2. Even the small amount that is inhaled indirectly is unremarkable when compared to the smoke inhaled, when one smokes 20 cigarettes a day.
3. The anti-tobacco crowd will say and do ANYTHING to stop tobacco use. Look at the hysteria over second hand smoke. I am 26 years old. My parents, aunts, uncles, their friends, were raised at a time when everyone smoked; and it was inside, unlike today. Not to mention they all smoked themselves, most of them starting in their early teens. The constant exposure to second hand smoke from the time they were born, combined with their own cigarette smoking from an early age, should have been enough to kill them off by their forties. However, they all seem to be doing just fine. Granted they no longer smoke, but that’s not the point. The point is that the anti tobacco crowd will lie, especially about the dangers of second hand smoke, to get you to quit. They will never admit that the “dangers” of pipe smoking are negligible when compared to other activities like crossing the street, going to McDonald’s or smoking 20 cigarettes a day.
totally agree with all the above.
Ignorance is bliss, right?
Don’t worry that surgeons regularly have to cut tumours from the tips of pipe smokers tongues, it’s all just anti-smoking lies and propaganda.
So, none of your relatives have died yet from smoking despite being in their forties?!! OMG! That’s statistical proof of anti-smoking conspiracies and lies!
I implore you to smoke more. Take one for the planet, chief.
Just wanted to give people a heads up that I am starting a bog and web site dedicated to my love of Pipe smoking. Come on over and join us!!
http://www.pipes-smoker.net
hey guys i was wondering if anyone knew about old pipes, i inherited one from an old uncle and it says 1776 on the front with an eagle holding 3 arrows and a grapevine. it has a sheild on it with 13 diamond shapes and 11 stripes. on the bottom it says “Tavern Schooner” with a USA mark and a patent pending mark that has four boxes with letters inside. C, M, T, X are the letters. ANYONE KNOW WHAT IT IS AND WORTH?
The pipe smoker’s guide has been a good read. I started pipe smoking a couple weeks ago and his tips on selecting a pipe and tobacco have been very helpful. Got my eyes set on a good Nordig or Butz.
Excellent, excellent article. I an going to try and link it to my Facebook. I enjoy cigars and pipes. What an incredible experience on one of those perfect spring days or summer evenings where you sit on the porch, with a pipe or cigar, a nice bottle of Scotch and enjoy the world through your thoughts, memories, and the present. Anti Smokers and their lobby just need to just go away. I am an American and I admit I was an adamant anti-smoker and thought all tobacco was evil. But soon I realized America was and should be based on individual freedom. That freedom is under constant attack now from the far left and the political landscape is perfect for them. Be aware and get involved. Support those businesses who buck the system and proudly proclaim their individual rights and the free market economy. Don’t let Nancy Pelosi (sp?) and the current crew dictate to you their far left views of what is right. To all who read this, smoke well, smoke in peace!
hello,
is there any one on here that has been smoking pipe for at least oohh lets say 35 years? and if so do you have any health problems related to pipe smoking? is it better to smoke pipe then cigaretts or cigars?
Yes, Matt. I’m 67 and started smoking a pipe at 14. That’s 53 years and they’ve been good years. No problem. I smoke a pipe and cigars, usually about 6 or 7 times a week , if I can find the time. No point in smoking while you work; its a bother and you can’t smoke properly and enjoy it to the full. I’ve done a little study of some famous pipe and cigar smokers and the only ones who died from it were President Grant, of throat cancer at age 63. He smoked 20 cigars a day during the war. And Sigmund Freud was a “heavy” cigar smoker who had oral cancer which resulted in his suicide, assisted, at age 83.
But consider George Burns, Churchill, Edison, Twain, Groucho Marx, Einstein, and Lord Russell: they lived long lives and died of causes unrelated to tobacco, so far as we can know.
The key, it seems to me, is moderation, as it is in anything involving reasonable people. Don’t be scared of tobacco; use it sensibly and enjoy it. That’s what its there for.
Hey Colin,
I am 61 and have been smoking cigarettes since I was 16. That’s 45 years. I have had to quit for surgery three times now but I keep going back to smoking. I have no health problems from smoking as of yet but you never know. I am looking for an alternative to cigarettes and was thnking about a pipe and I don’t have a clue where to start. Any words of wisdom??? One thing that seems to be problematic is that I am a female and I have never seen another woman with a pipe. HELP
Hi Jo,
I am a female and I smoke a pipe. There doesnt seem to be that many female pipe smokers. Still, lose your inhibitions and go for it.
good answer. I smoked comm cig from the age of 13 – quit when I was 20 and pregnant with my son. Went back to tobacco 13 years later during divorce, this time roll-your-own by mail, suppossidly organic. I quit with Chantix in 2007 and never regret or EVER consider buying commercial garbage to smoke.
This f…. world right now gets to me. I want to smoke something and I am going to go find some kind of reasonable smoke!
Hey – you find an answer please let me know because I am going out of my mind. Really want a smoke right now and I’m presently on chantix and it’s not working for me.
I quit smoking cigarettes after 20 years and picked up the pipe a few months ago. Your article was very helpful in selecting a starter pipe and tobacco. Are there any quality pipe tobacco cigars out there?
I thank you for the article it helped me alot. As for those who chastise the rest of us for smoking. Perhaps you should chastise politicians and big business for inducing so much stress in the world. If there was no stress then there would be no need for us to relax with a nice pipe of tobacco or a fine scotch (smile) Yes my other vice. I have looked around for quite a number of years I have traveled to various parts of the world and here is what I have discovered…. NOBODY LIVES FOREVER! So I have adopted this philosphy on life,“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away” I for one happen to love enjoying a fine pipe and a scotch as the sun sets each evening. May you all find the same peace I have in those moments….
yes! I believe you are right – today is April 15 2009 – my husband and I just paid beyond our withholding $2500 to the federal govmt. I gave up my home rolled Santa Fe Tobacco in 2007 and now crave the calm that tobacco brings. Don’t have a connection for anything around here and guess I will go take up a pipe soon.
Amen, brother.
Very nice article. Really enjoyed it. I am a cigarette smoker for 17 years now since the age of 14. I now and then quit for a month or so. This time i just didn’t want to stat again so i bought an expensive pipe (
not sure if its the correct thing i did). I always wanted to start smoking pipe and give up the cig’s. Waiting for my pipe to arrive this week. Do you believe i should buy a cheaper one also as a beginer?
It’s best to buy a cheap pipe as a beginner. It’s easy to torch the bowl rim or overheat the pipe when you begin puffing. It takes time to get the pattern right. Corn cobs, Medicos, or Dr Grabows are good choices. Prince Albert is a good tobacco to begin with. It is mellow, tasty, pleasant smelling, and contains nicotene which will curb your cig craving. Captain Black is another good one.
GOOD MAN. this is my story to. im finding the pipe are more than suitable replacement. within 3 days i now prefer the much cheaper and more healthy non inhalation pipe. my home smells much better. i save a fortune and will live longer than when i smoked 40 a day. i use my pipe on those moments when i wish to relax. first coffee. post food. evening tv news. its much better. please push on. and DO NOT INHALE. just smoke !!
Hello all. What an interesting article. I came on here to find out how to actually smoke a pipe. I just bought a pipe yesterday so haven’t tried it yet. I have always been a fan of smelling pipe tobacco but sadly it is a dying art and you now have to wander past an old chap smoking a pipe on a park bench to savour it’s marvellous aroma. It looks so relaxing. Also I feel I need to smoke it in private as I am a woman. Are there any other lady pipe smokers out there?
There ARE women pipe smokers out there. I remember reading an magazine article about 10 years ago by a leading U.K. businesswoman who was a pipe smoker. She smoked lovely, elegant pipes, I think specially designed for women. A bit of Googling would undoubtedly reward you here.
There is a woman pipe smoker posting on the Puff.com forum if you haven’t been there.
http://www.puff.com/forums/vb/general-pipe-forum/
If you feel you need to smoke in private because you’re a woman, you might consider something in dazzling colors like a Butz Choquin Astral. Click through this site to find them.
http://www.frenchyspipes.com/index.php?crn=203&start=5
http://www.tobaccoreviews.com is a brilliant site packed full of pipe tobacco reviews (including a few from me, my name there is ‘Contemplative’)
I started smoking a pipe at age 41, having not smoked anything for the previous 12 years, and having hardly smoked anything but the occasional cigarette or cigarillo before then. I’m 63 now, and smoking my variety of pipes has been a very enriching experience. It’s also undoubtedly stress-reducing. In fact I don’t know how I’d have got through those last 22 years without my pipes and baccy.
I love that you are spreading the love of the leaf. I have been a cigar and pipe smoker for years. I have a blog with reviews of tobacco and info about tobacco pipes here.
I agree just chill sit back and relax and smoke a pipe or bong for that matter!
I have done it all. I used to smoke cigarettes (pack and a half a day)for a few years and even tried smoking a pipe a few times. I enjoyed pipe smoking the few times I did it because of the novelty of it and the aroma. I think I enjoyed smelling the pipe tobacco tin more than I enjoyed actually smoking the stuff. I have also smoked through a water bong that gave a cool, pleasant quality to the smoke. Anyway, I quit smoking several years ago for one reason and one reason only. My friends told me it was bad for my health, but I ignored them. One of my college professors gave a chilling lecture on the dangers of smoking, I ignored him too. The reason I quit is my mother – she said it plainly – I looked like hell and always smelled of smoke. That really stuck with me and I quit, cold turkey. True story! I don’t regret it and here’s why – another true story – I was in the hospital recently for a test and in the bed next to me was a man who was 59 years old, with his wife sitting next to him. He had a tube in his throat that went into his stomach- I know, gross, and you know what’s coming, but please read on. His wife was in there with him and talked with me about his condition – because he couldn’t talk. He had cancer of the throat and esophagus (sp?) and the only way he could eat was through that tube. (I noticed he also had some breakfast powder in a travel bag that his wife probably mixed for him when he was hungry – I guess she had to inject in in the tube?) Anyway, she went on to say he had smoked, and that’s what caused the cancer. She then said that he had grandchildren who wanted to come from another state and visit him, but she didn’t think he’d be around long enough to see them. (This is true – I am not being rude or making this up, I wish I was!) I thought hard about what she had just said – she didn’t think he’d be around long enough to see his grandchildren come visit. Imagine that for a moment -you have children (or child), your whole life ahead of you, and you live just long enough to see your children have children, and then suddenly you are given a death sentence of massive metastatic cancer (self-imposed no less). His grandchildren probably loved him dearly, and he probably had so much to share with them, but he probably won’t live long enough to see them on their next visit – and he knows this. HE KNOWS THIS…… Devastating is too mild a term. If there is any worse horror story to witness, I cannot think of it. I will never forget my brief time in that hospital room a couple years ago, it will haunt me forever. Especially so since I have a young daughter I want to see grow up and I want to see her children, too. I don’t want a death sentence imposed by smoking. You don’t need this. You want relaxation? Drink hot tea every night – endless flavors to choose from, great aroma, decaf or not. Sort of like pipe smoking in liquid form, right? Take it from me, please – I have seen the results of smoking – you have a healthy body to enjoy life on Earth with – don’t screw it up and die a very horrible death because you want to look like Sherlock Holmes or some other fictional character. I hope I have convinced at least one or two people to quit – because remember – it is NEVER too late to quit – your body will thank you for it immediately! It is only too late when they insert the tube in your throat, and then…..
my sister died at 39 of ovarian cancer. she never smoked anything in her entire life. cancer is the killer. not smoking. diet and exercise are the issues and the avoidance of food additives. carbon from fuel exhaust is a far bigger conduit of throat and lung cancers. you have an argument that can only stand upon the shoulders of giants to be viable. good sir, i bid thee goodnight and safe passage throughout this night.
Bravo. Well stated. To quote Malcolm Forbes’ headstone, which he ordered four words engraved: “While Alive, He Lived.”
Some of these posters say that pipe tobacco is safer because it doesn’t have a lot of additives like cigarettes do. Maybe those mysterious additives cause cancer? Pure tobacco is safer? False! False! False! The cancer causing stuff is in the tobacco leaf itself, and comes out in the complex chemicals and “tar” that is caused from smoking it. Nicotene does not cause cancer, additives don’t cause cancer, the complex chemicals that result in smoking the pure leaf itself is what kills you. So, basically, smoking “pure” tobacco is actually be worse than smoking tobacco with artificial additives.
Some posters say pipe smoking is safer because you don’t inhale, or don’t inhale as much. False! Lip, throat, tongue, bladder, and stomach cancer are commonly caused by pipe or bong smoking. Remeber, bongs or other filters don’t take out any of the complex chemicals or bad stuff that causes cancer.
you contradict yourself many times in your statement. firstly claiming the chemical additives do not cause cancer, yet later state that bongs or filters do not take out the complex chemicals that cause cancer. if you do not wish to smoke a pipe yourself due to ill informed beliefs, thats your choice to make. a personal choice, sir do not attempt to choose mine. or i shall spear yee cleanly with my foil like a common pig, and thrust thy soul into thy makers arms. i bid thee farewell good sir…
Here, here! St. Crispin’s, indeed! Smite thusly fond upon thine pate!
Saint Crispin Day; William Shakespeare; King Henry V, Act IV, Scene III; 25 October 1415, Battle of Agincourt.
Dost thou non-pipe smoking lout, thinkest us crude, whilst ye conjure thought of harming our custom? Then bleed ye, to thine own death and whimper, for thou lackest bravado and will sufficient to master thine self, so be gone cowardly knave and mind ye nay, everst tread upon our Goodly brotherhood of the pipe.
Havamal:
Only fools
hope to live forever
by escaping enemies.
Age promises
no peace
though the spears spare them.
i bought a pipe for a £1!!!!
Any thoughts on smoking rolling tobacco through pipes? Being a newbie myself, I thought I’d just go out and buy a pipe without doing any research.
I prefer using the pipe to rolling, but it is any more harmful?
Why does pipe tobacco have a different flavor?
Cheers
Wow what an ignorant post! Of course those chemicals they add cause cancer. Almost any complex chemical you inhale into your lungs can cause cancer and can promote bad cell health in general. Of course tobacco causes cancer as well, but filtering the smoke the water most certainly reduces the amount of tar. Tar contributes to cancer, pure and simple. Scare tactics are not a good way to get people off of tobacco. What we need is responsible and filtered (through water not fiberglass) tobacco use…
Just enjoyed my first bowl. Amazing. Many more to come.
Great article. Thanks!
I always read about the characters in Tolkiens novels, smoking pipes and all, and it seems quite good…
I was curious if rolling pipe tobacco will give the same effect as smoking it from a pipe. I’m not a cigarette smoker or anything, I just thought it would be a fun experiment to have different methods.
no. its very rough to smoke like a cigarette. but if you dont inhale and mellow it around your mouth, probably fine.
I enjoy smoking pipe. Perhaps someone can comment on the following or try it. I decided to try cigarette filters (for rollies, yuck) instead of pipe filters in my pipe once and haven’t looked back. It makes the smoking very smooth without interfering with the aroma. I only use a filter once and it doesn’t allow any liquid through, ever! It also allows me to enjoy smoking the bulk of the barrel as it cuts the bite out of the last bit of tobacco. Try it!
I experimented with smoking cigars over the summer and it only lasted a month because I had gotten sick off of one particular session and lost my taste for them. However, I’ve always love the smell of pipe smoke and wanted to try it out. I’ve read the article here from top to bottom and I was just wondering: Would it be a good idea to go into a local smoke shop and ask them for recommendations of pipes, tobacco, etc.?
YES JUST DO IT . STARTED SMOKING A PIPE 8 WEEKS AGO , LOST ALL THE DESIRE TO SMOKE CIGARETTES , NEVER WILL I GO BACK TO THOSE THINGS , JUST GO TO YOUR TOBACCONIST TRY SOME PIPES TO SEE WHICH ONE SUITS YOU , GO FOR A MILD TOBACCO , MAKE SURE YOU GET PIPE CLEANERS & A PIPE TOOL .VERY IMPORTANT ,READ THE INSTRUCTIONS ,LIKE I DID .ON THE WEB SITE .AND JUST SIT BACK AND ENJOY.BEST THING I EVER DID , LOVE IT
Ron, your words are all true and correct. I will have to say, the major difference in pipe smoking over the years is that older men, observed a time in history when previous generations did in fact know, how to relax. Most, had gone through terrible things such as the Great Depression, War(s) of any conflict of WW2 or since. We understand newspapers, pencils, puzzles, to name a few. The younger people, have the luxury of having “time”, due to their age. We used to muse over questions like, “What would you do, if you had a million dollars?”, when people’s salaries were under $200.00 a week, before taxes. Today, we would need to be multi-billionaires. My point, is that when things are properly understood, the advantage of knowing the value of relaxation is greatly leveraged in favor of today’s younger people. Generally speaking, as a fraternity of pipe smokers, we tend to be listeners and thinkers. We do not blurt comments or speak negatively which years ago.., any grown up would give the kid a good smack. For all the newer persons to pipe smoking, it’s great to have everyone onboard. All of us understands inherent risks, but I have never seen a death certificate that said, “died of nothing”. Shame on them if it did.
I’m a smoker. Actually, sometimes I find smoking is such a great thing and many times I find it a bad habit that harms my body. I know the end will be horrible If I go on. And I know many people died because of smoking. So, Let’s do something good once in lifetime, let’s Get rid of cigarettes then we’ll be fine. I found many People who have a good health always talk ’bout smoking and they consider it a good thing w/o knowing what smokin’ can leave later in their bodies. Take off smokin’ right now to save your life and live longer.
with love,
CM
Who says you’ll live longer? I don’t know the date of my death, do you? I’m an ex ambulance technician dealing with on average 3 or 4 deaths a week over 10 years. I’m sure the dead children never smoked.
i was a bad smoker of cigarettes. 40 a day. it was killing me with the inhalation of the smoke. what i find about pipe smoking is the relaxation and satisfaction of a smoke break, but without the need in inhale deeply. after a couple of weeks my breathing became easier and i felt a lot better by not smoking.
also i am enjoying not paying £7 per day per 20. the much lower costs and lesser amount spent lighting up saves not only money, but time. also my house is much less dusty and yellow. granted, not perfect yet, but the smell of a pipe is far better and acceptable than that of cigarettes. which are a puritan sin. so great, it as if created only to taunt the almighty in fury on earth.
pipes rock !!
I have just tried to give up smoking 30 cigarettes a day … and failed
I enjoy smoking.. its that simple. 30 cigarettes a day is considered a heavy smoker so for those who smoke a pipe.. what would be considered a heavy smoker??
Great articles btw
I too am a cigarette smoker (rollups) about to give pipes a try (on order) as a less unhealthy and smelly alternative. I have a question though…:
I am used to doing things while smoking and am wondering what I will do with a pipe. They don’t seem to be designed for putting down (no legs). Do they roll over, go out or misbehave if you put them on the table while lit?
Get a cob pipe, it has a flat bottom.
Very good and useful topics.
if you are interesting to buy meeshauem pipe, contact us or visit our page: http://www.cafeartin.com
Regards
Artin
Today may be the day I resume smoking my pipe.
It’s been four years since I had anything to smoke.
I’m almost 54 and smoked a pipe since I ws 15 until I was almost 50. Do I miss it? Uh, yeah! Do I feel better since I quit? No, not really. I don’t clear my throat as much, but my mood was much (MUCH) better when I smoked my pipe. I bought good, smoke shop tobacco (Dunhill in the tins, and others).
By the way, I didn’t gain any weight when I quit. But I miss sitting outside my front porch early in the morning with a large cup of coffee and my pipe. That is the most enjoyable and peaceful place to be.
I have to agree with everyone here who says how relaxing pipe smoking is. I find it easy to believe that it could improve health due to the mental/emotional aspect of RELAXATION. Always being anxious can destroy your health faster than evan cigarrettes. Some people worry so much about their long life span, that they forget to enjoy it. Well, smoker spooks, put that in your pipe and smoke it(lol)!
I agree with T-Train. Even though it may be bad for you in the long term, I really savor the time in my day spent drinking really good coffee, eating really good food, and yes, smoking a bowl of really great tobacco.
I even wrote a blog post about why I like smoking. Check it out and tell me what you guys think!
I read your blog and visited the site with geo-something. The blog is not bad. Forget the youthful “guilt/shame” factor instilled upon you. Pipes have always been macho/manly. Reading your name, as ethnically Hispanic it appears, I will venture this comment: I enjoy experimenting which flavors of pipe tobacco compliment Spanish cooking, as I love goat meat, ox tails, pernil (roasted succulent pork). I cannot find foods of my youth anymore since Italians have gone so “elegant” of late, so you will find me chowing down at Spanish food places [...and I don't give a rat's ass, what other Italian-Americans think of this Sicilian kid]. Your blog, as a thought, should include flavors which accentuate the culinary pleasures of delight.
Finally, I am a direct decendant (so says many, and I refused to accept it, until I started researching on the web, for myself) of Brittius. He was a General, and Consul, of the Roman Empire. He was famous for saying: “Qui obviam ire mihi in pugna, pereo.” Be couragous about your pipe. Oh, what did my Latin ancestor say? “Those who oppose me in conflict, perish.” The guy had “a set of Horns”, and knew how, to use them.
I once had a younger brother, now deceased. He was a health and exercise fanatic. He used to rant that I will die soon, and horribly. Overweight, drinker of distilled spirit, consumer of red meat, combat veteran, non-exerciser, and smoker. I am still here. My poor, and truly beloved younger brother passed away, two weeks past his 41st birthday; Major heart attack, dead before he hit the floor. I miss him terribly, and think of him often, when I smoke my pipe. Nobody knows how much time we are alotted in this life. A bit of moderation, okay. Never forget to live. If I may suggest, everyone should stick that in their pipe, and smoke it.
As with a one hand ear candles relieve spasms of the head.
So does, a bottle of Bourbon! If it is a head spasm, you can simply chew half-a-stick, or one tiny piece of chewing gum. We did that when the “slicks” took off (UH-1H Huey Helicopters) and our ears locked, then painfully popped. No gum, a bit of chewing tobacco, snuff, or cigar “flag”, will help relieve same. Stay away from candles unless your motives are something else involving the opposite gender. Maybe I’m too old to understand New Age stuff, but I try. That’s why I give “Old School” knowledge to pass along to the younger generation.
***HEADS UP!***
Everybody, get over to: meerschaumstore.com, and read the article, “Pipe Smoking and Health”, by Mark Beale, MD.
Fantastic piece of writing, Doc! Finally, I found a Good doctor. You, Sir, are a credit to the medical profession! I commend you.
I started smoking a pipe about two months ago.I LOVE IT !! I was a moderate to occcasional cigar smoker and have all but given them up thanks to the Pipe. I have an extremely stressful job and as mentioned in the above posts I do believe the benefits i am receiving from the relaxation I get from smoking a pipe will probably counter the health risks. For those of you who find this funny..think Im crazy…feel I should quit smoking a pipe …i can’t help but wonder why you are even reading my post so BUUUUUZZZZZ OFFFF SKEEETER!!!!!!!
Jimmy.., Look above this post of yours…
Get over to meerschaumstore.com and read Dr. Marc Beale’s great article. It’s right up your alley!
Good on you,congratulations and welcome to the world of pipe smoking ,it’s the best thing I ever did.
If you are looking for advice and support then check out “PIPE SMOKING ” youtube you will find thousands of other pipe smokers just like yourself new and old .its a great community.keep smoking.
Tell him, brother.
Good for you, Jimmy Z.
Ron, you just hit an infield double. Nice work.
i started smoking a pipe when i was 60, iam 62 now, never smoked till then. i dont smoke much, a heavy week i will smoke once or twice a day for 3-4 days. i havnt measured the amount of tobacco, but i think its less than 3-4 cigarettes. i am sure i enjoy a pipe much more than i would cigarettes.
I was just over at pipedia.org, and Mark Beale, MD, has written a paperback book: Secrets of Enjoyable Pipe Smoking. It is $9.95 plus $3.00 shipping. Self published (843) 856-3146.
Hey, Doc.., could we get an autographed edition?
How about maybe a discount on a “Check up, from the neck, up”?
Everyone says we’re nuts for smoking a pipe.
I am.., so am I.
I’m 55 and completely new to smoking. I told my wife I’d take up smoking a pipe if she didn’t quit cigarettes! I bought a briar pipe and some Marc Baren Vanilla Cream. I was and still am getting tongue bite with it and a bitter after taste, so I took your advice and got a cob pipe and a milder Alsbo Cherry. That seemed ok in the cob pipe, so I switched tobacco to the different pipes. I still get tongue bite with the briar and a lot less with the cob. Smoking time is 20 to 30 minutes I think, although I haven’t timed it. Initially there was some bubbling sounds from the briar, but less so now. How can I get rid of the tongue bite, that is ruining the experience?
Mel: Welcome to the pipe smoking fraternity, and slow it down!
Hot, gurggly briar can mean first and foremost, that your pipe is nowhere broken in. It can also mean the tobacco is too moist. It too, can indicate a shellac finish or finish completely sealing the briar pores. MacBaren, is delicious stuff. I have smoked everything they offer and it’s certainly not that. As far as your liking cherry flavored casings or toppings, that’s part of what the pipe smoking world is all about. Maybe I should write an article on breaking in pipes?
Cobs are extremely user friendly, and a good choice but don’t give up on the briar.
If you are smoking aromatics,don’t.I can’t smoke them .If you go to Youtube type in tongue bite .there is heaps of videos on the subject .
I found aromatic tobacco gave me tongue bite .Cleaning your teeth and tongue with tooth paste .give smoking a rest for a few hours and it should fix it.
the good news is . that it does pass .
I only smoke English blends .don’t get tongue bite anymore
Hey Mystic Mouse, I’d like to interview you if you’re interested. I”m working on a pipe story and you’ve got a good thing going. Let me know!
“Mystic Mouse”?? Who you calling that, you old dried up biddy? If it’s me, I wouldn’t let you interview me, after that comment, stupid.
As we enter the Holiday Season, the time is now, to begin stocking a few of your favorite tobaccos and accessories such as pipe cleaners, etc.
Relax with your favorite chamber pipe and blends that are old friends. Try to enjoy a new blend or two, which you have never before had. If you are fortunate to have a friend or more, perhaps you might coordinate tobacco purchases and share amongst yourselves to broaden your taste samplings.
Don’t forget to give some business to the pipe makers and tobacconists, who truly appreciate your business, especially in today’s current economic situation the world currently is experiencing.
May your briar be sweet, and your smokes, mellow. Wishing everyone a Joyous Holiday Season, which many Faiths share in common, and may you and your Family have a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year. Remember those less fortunate than yourselves. Don’t forget to keep your pipe clean, and.., relax.
[I am currently busy job hunting and with my little WebLog: brittius.com, over at wordpress.com]
I grew this giant white beard and dug a red sweatshirt from the attic. This pipe will do splendidly! A Peterson Rusticated XL315. Hmmm.., Ah! Some Latakia. Hope nobody turns me in, to the Union…
“Ho, Ho, Ho!” {I think I’m onto something!}
I inherited my grandfather’s pipes and am actually holding one of them now. It makes me think of that great smell of tobacco and the methodical way my grampa would pack his pipe, light it, and settle in to his favorite part of the couch. Golf always seemed to be on the TV and hed tell me about this player and that player and we’d have a great time. I was a wee kid, maybe 7 or 8 years old, but I still remember those days fondly.
I’ve considered going down to the tobacco shop and getting something to put into this old pipe and see if I enjoy it as much as he did. As a former cigarette smoker – I quite smoking 15 years ago – I can appreciate what tobacco can do.
And then I think about my dad. He’s at the VA right now. He goes once a month so they can keep an eye on his COPD, which, really, is emphysema, directly attributed to his smoking for so many years. He started in his teens and, ironically, quit 12 years ago. That doesn’t seem to have mattered, though, because he still has one lung that doesn’t do a damned thing and another that’s struggling to provide him with oxygen.
Many of you have correctly observed that cancer can come in a variety of ways and can effect folks who’ve never smoked. Very true. However, smoking increases – dramatically – the likelihood that you will get cancer. After reading about the guy in the hospital who won’t live long enough to see he grandchildren and after considering the horrible misery my dad goes through just to breathe,I think I’ll just stick to holding the pipe and remembering how good it smelled.
I have been smokng Medico pipes for 60 years. I started when I was 19 and will be 79 in January 2011 with no health problems. I enjoy Medico pipes due to the paper filter which is discarded when it turns brown. I have always tried to smoke a tobacco with a pleasing
aroma so people didn’t object. For the last 10-15 years I have smoking ” BLACK CAVENDISH ” pipe tobacco because it provides a mild cool smoke without any bite. I buy it at any Tobacco & Cigar store. For first time pipe smokers if you stay with it you will need another pipe…you smoke one and rest the other. My pipes and pipe rack did four years in the U.S.A.F. with me..of course those pipes have been replaced many times.
A perfect evening for me is watching T.V. or reading a book with a scotch & water and smoking one of my many pipes. ENJOY LIFE IT’S TOO SHORT TO UNHAPPY.
Good day,
I appreciate the article and the information. Ironically I stumbled upon this site while researching tobaccos for my pipes. I tried a pipe 20 yrs ago, but was not patient enough to enjoy it. I have now found it to be quite a mind relaxing time. I do truly enjoy it,
I have a couple of inquires if I may:
When I smoke and entire bowl, or so I assume, I am left with a small amount of unburnt tabbaco in the base of the bowl. Is this normal, or am I not burning it deep enough into the bowl ?
I live where the weather can be quite severe. Do I need to worry about the ambiant temperature being too cold for my pipe and the heat it produces ? I also have rainy days, but I work outside and smoke my pipe to relax on my break. Is this bad for my pipes ?
Lastly, I seek a tobacco with a very pleasing room filling aroma. One pleasant to those around me.
Thank you in advance for helping me expand my knowledge.
I love smoking my Captain Black for the past 5 years, relaxing watching my favorite TV westerns as they’re being released by Amazon and I too grew up with a family of smokers but just recently I thought about all my favorite actors that I’m watching Richard Boone ‘Have Gun Will Travel’ Chuck Connors ‘Rifleman’ just to name a couple have all died from a smoking related cancer, even though I admire their manly portrayals I don’t want to end up like them, I’m at two minds should I or shouldn’t I give up, that is the question?