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Out of the Humidor: The sad demise of pipe smoking

Copper

One of the Regulars
Messages
138
Location
Canada
Spitfire said:
This thread really gave me the inspiration to take up (now and again)pipesmoking again.
But then I remembered why I finally gave it up.

It was so darn complicated. You had to carry not only your pipe - or pipes - around, but also the tobacco, the pipecleaners, the lighter or matches and the stuffer....a whole bag full of smokingequipment, because there were deffinately not room for it in your jacket.
See how easy it is with cigars!
(A cigar, a cutter and a lighter/matchbox)

Any of you gents solved that problem?
Or are you only smoking pipes at home?

The fiddliness of the pipe is one of the things that attracted me to pipe smoking in the first place. It requires a bit of time, and it also requires a little forethought. I smoke my pipe rarely; usually only a couple times per month and never more than once per week, yet I cherish it.

I have a small leather pouch in which I keep two small bags of tobacco, a small rusticated Peterson military mount pipe, my lighter/pipe tool combo, and a couple pipe cleaners. From spring to fall it stays in my motorcycle jacket breast pocket so that when I am out riding it is always with me.

My last venture out in the fall was on a crisp late fall day in November and though sunny it was still just above freezing. I stopped at a nearby lake which was deserted save for one fellow running down the lake in a sailboat. I sat and lit up the pipe and spent the bowl doing nothing other than watching the sailboat on probably its last run of the year, listening to my bike's pipes tick in the cold, and enjoying the moment. I have never been able to replicate the same feeling of thoughtfulness or introspection that the pipe brings with a cigar or anything else.
 

Valhson

One of the Regulars
Messages
149
Location
Capital Region (Vienna, VA)
Maybe once a month the pipe gets some burn time. Unfortunately, the girlfriend has taken to putting the tobac in little dishes and placing it in drawers, closets etc. Or as she puts it “I love the smell, it is my potpourri.” Expensive potpourri if you ask me...
 

Mike K.

One Too Many
Messages
1,479
Location
Southwest Florida
Valhson said:
Unfortunately, the girlfriend has taken to putting the tobac in little dishes and placing it in drawers, closets etc. Or as she puts it “I love the smell, it is my potpourri.” Expensive potpourri if you ask me...
Buy her a few cheap cannisters of Captain Black and let her spread it around to her heart's content. Then you can smoke the good stuff. ;)
 

RedPop4

One Too Many
Messages
1,353
Location
Metropolitan New Orleans
Go to Altadis USA"s website.
Somewhere on the site, I forget where, you can order a free sampler of their pipe tobaccos. If you look at my photos, you'll see four pouches of 'backy in my pipe rack.

It's horrible, but through the bag, the aroma is just enough to be pleasant. Go find it and order, they send four or five random packs. I wouldn't smoke any of it, though.
 
RedPop4 said:
Go to Altadis USA"s website.
Somewhere on the site, I forget where, you can order a free sampler of their pipe tobaccos. If you look at my photos, you'll see four pouches of 'backy in my pipe rack.

It's horrible, but through the bag, the aroma is just enough to be pleasant. Go find it and order, they send four or five random packs. I wouldn't smoke any of it, though.

The main website is altadisusa.com but I could find the free stuff offer. [huh]
Gee thanks for sending me out there though. Now I am looking for a new TTT Trinidad humidor because of you. :p Costing me money again---why you. :p
 

dogsplayinpoker

New in Town
Messages
15
Location
SC
Altadis makes some quality potpourri that's for sure.
Mac Baren has many blends that are room pleasing for others. They tend to bite the smoker:eek:
As for loading the bowl, I drop a pinch in, lightly pack it...then repeat 2 more times packing a little tighter each time. Light the bowl once, then tamp it(tobacco) down and relight.
Works for me most times.
 

Copper

One of the Regulars
Messages
138
Location
Canada
dogsplayinpoker said:
Mac Baren has many blends that are room pleasing for others. They tend to bite the smoker:eek:

I quite enjoy the MacBarens blends too, but agree about their hot burning qualities. My MacBaren Plum Cake usually goes into my Falcon pipe. If you haven't seen one, they are a metal 'radiator' stemmed straight pipe with a removeable and interchangeable bowl. Between the cooling stem and a meerschaum lined bowl, the MacBarens bite is nicely tamed, and my tongue survives the experience.
 

dogsplayinpoker

New in Town
Messages
15
Location
SC
Copper said:
My MacBaren Plum Cake usually goes into my Falcon pipe. If you haven't seen one, they are a metal 'radiator' stemmed straight pipe with a removeable and interchangeable bowl. Between the cooling stem and a meerschaum lined bowl, the MacBarens bite is nicely tamed, and my tongue survives the experience.

I have toyed with buying a Kirsten or Falcon for a couple years now. Maybe ebay will give me a good deal.
 

Copper

One of the Regulars
Messages
138
Location
Canada
dogsplayinpoker said:
I have toyed with buying a Kirsten or Falcon for a couple years now. Maybe ebay will give me a good deal.


My grandfather smoked Falcons for many years but prior had to get family in England to buy him replacement bowls. I know that they are not at all popular in this neck of the woods. I talked my local pipe shop into bringing in a couple for me, and a number of others decided to get some as well. I would have bought online, but I really feel strongly about ensuring the local shop stays solvent even if it costs me a little extra. I quite like the way it smokes, and it really does cool off a hot burning blend nicely. Too bad they are so darned ugly...
 

warbird

One Too Many
Messages
1,171
Location
Northern Virginia
Altadis keeps sending me boxes of bacci, but I can't smoke but one or two blends. Most of it is just too sweet and aromatic. I like a good aromatic, but I don't like smoking candy.
 

Highlander

A-List Customer
Messages
473
Location
Missouri
Well, being a pipe smoker I have noticed the decline. I usually buy a mixture of 1Q and BCA from Lane, mixing it 1/2 and 1/2 or just adding a little BCA to the 1Q as the amount in the bag diminishes. I usually get a good supply if I am in the city at the tobaccanists. But, living in a small town, there was always a fairly good supply of various pipe tobaccos that you could get at the drug store or the grocery store. NOT ANYMORE. There are like one or two options, Capt Black and maybe one other. Used to be there'd be 3 Capt Black options,(Black, Gold and Blue)... And four or five Borkum Riffs and mixture 79 etc. NOW, just two.

As said, maybe this is good, but watching the Cigarette being the main sellint thing next to lottery tickets at the gas station leads me to believe the most people haven't given up tobacco, just pipes.

And in today's society of IMMEDIATE need for gratification, I doubt very many take the time to fill and enjoy a bowl. Sad..

Well, I am going to go fill one of my free hands and ponder this for bit.
 

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