Hello from Albuquerque, New Mexico

alpol05 · Jan 17, 2018

My name is Wiktor Kuc, and I am Polish. The pronunciation of my name is Victor Kootz – this is a phonetic spelling.

I came to the USA in 1982 as a recipient of political asylum and settles in San Diego. In 1988 I moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico to work on several projects for US National Labs. In 1996 I started my own business and was working on Internet applications, databases, etc. I retired several years ago, and since then I am involved in research and running a website dedicated to vintage hand tools. I am also helping my daughter to raise her son - Alex.

I found your forum by accident. I was searching Google for information on pipe smoking, tobacco blending, and anything else related to pipe smoking. This is how I found your forum.

My background in pipe smoking is very limited. I am 70 years old, retired, and a long time cigarette smoker (about 50 years or so). Several months ago I decided to stop smoking cigarettes. Although currently accepted opinion is that pipe smoking is just as bad as smoking cigarettes, I know that there are several aspects of pipe smoking that can help me to stop smoking cigarettes. The important factor here is that I like smoking tobacco. However, last many years smoking cigarettes became just a way to feed the habit. It affected my health and became rather an unpleasant exercise. On the other hand, I am not a type that quite cigarettes every other month and goes back to it shortly after.

The smoking pipe appears to be an alternative that has many attractive aspects not present in cigarettes smoking. First, I didn't have to divorce myself from tobacco in any radical way. I could still smell tobacco, enjoy its flavor and at the same time minimize effects of inhaling smoke from tobacco. Second, there are many interesting issues and activities of pipe smoking worth exploring. I learned more in just a few short months about tobacco, pipes, and the whole culture of pipe smoking. These aspects are very attractive to me.

I am interested in blending different tobaccos. And this is how I found your forum. There are several posts there that discuss tobacco blending and many other related and interesting issues. I would like to become a part of these discussions and at this time learn as much as possible.

I never smoked a cigarette after my visit to the tobacco shop. I walked out from that shop with a new pipe and left my last pack of cigarettes there.

Thanks for accepting me on this forum, Wiktor

BriarBeagle · Jan 17, 2018

Hello Wiktor. We are happy to have you with us. I think you will find a lot of knowledgeable people here who would be happy to share their experience with you and answer any questions you may have.

I too was a long time cigarette smoker, but quit many years ago when my daughter was born. Since that time, I became a heavy cigar smoker, which I finally gave up in favor of the pipe. I find the pipe to be much more relaxing and ritualistic, while still delivering the nicotine I crave without the need to ingest the tobacco directly into my lungs. Since picking up the pipe, my love for this hobby has grown. I love the diversity and craftsmanship in pipes, and have come to establish the foundation of a nice little collection. Additionally, there is great diversity in tobaccos and flavors that I find appealing, and have come to cultivate my pallete over time and find some favorites.

Please jump right into the discussions around here. I'm sure you will be warmly met and welcomed.

Enjoy your time on BoB!

Loren