Jim's 50th Pipe Smoking Anniversary.

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JimInks

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Enjoyed a tasty lunch, and am celebrating my fiftieth anniversary as a pipe smoker with a bowl of pre-2014 Edward G. Robinson's Pipe Blend in the very first pipe I ever smoked (which was my father’s pipe), a late 1950s smooth with etched grooves straight Willard long stem adjustomatic Canadian with a black vulcanite stem. The last of this bag of Gold Star mmmMocha, neat, is my drink. Going to smoke the first few pipes I bought this afternoon.
Williard.jpg


Back when I was a teenager, my buddy Steve Parsons was trying for weeks to get me to try pipe smoking, knowing I had my father’s old pipe. He wanted someone to enjoy smoking with. Finally, he said, “Just try it, and if you don’t like it, I’ll never bug you again about it.” I said, “Anything to shut you up, Steve.” On June 20, 1974, he had a small still which was brewing his alcohol, and we were checking it about that time. The reason I remember the day is obvious. The reason I know the exact time I had my first bowl of pipe tobacco (1:30 p.m) is because I'm an infamous clock watcher, and when I lit up for the first time, I looked at my watch as I often do, and in this case, to record the moment so I could ***** Steve out if I hated it, which I obviously didn't. Btw, the tobacco he handed me was Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey, which was half decent in those days if you puffed slowly.

Steve said the batch was ready to drink, and he wanted me to try it. I said, "You are out of your freakin' mind, buddy. You made it, you try it." He wouldn't. He fed a sample to a mouse, and the mouse died. That ended that experiment. But, I enjoyed that tobacco, and was forever hooked on pipe smoking. I did ***** Steve out after high school when he quit smoking, and I was a lone smoker. I never let him forget it to this day.

Here's another story:
I was 16 and it was a very hot summer day as I was driving down the busiest street in town, smoking my pipe. The air conditioner in my car didn't work, so I had the windows down. Next thing I know, a cop stops me. He walks to my side of the car, sticks his head in the car, and has a funny look on his face. I asked why he stopped me. He said, "Aren't you smoking marijuana?" I told him I wasn't, and showed him the pouch of Skandinavik Regular. I said, "You thought I was smoking dope? If I was, would I be doing it in broad daylight in the middle of Church Street with my windows down?" "Well, I'm not used to seeing a kid smoking a pipe with pipe tobacco," as he apologized for bothering me, and walked away with a "I'm the dumbest cop in Alamance County" look on his face. I expect he graduated to policing school crosswalks after that.
 
This is the very first pipe I ever bought ($2.49) in 1974; a smooth three quarter bend Dr. Grabow Omega military mount with a nickel band and a black vulcanite p-lip stem. This was the closest I could get to a 4AB in a small town.
Dr.Grabow_Omega_1974.jpg
 
A friend and I did some math on how much I have smoked in fifty years. These are approximate numbers:
1,296,000 grams which equals 2,857.19 pounds. This does not include several thousand cigars.
 
These are approximate numbers:
1,296,000 grams which equals 2,857.19 pounds.
These are my approximate numbers:
200 grams which equals 0.44 pounds (7 ounces)

Even though I definitely do not have fifty years left, my competitive nature prohibits me from conceding victory to someone before the clock runs out.

Can we call it a draw?
 
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My pipe smoking journey started over 50 years ago so I do not recall the exact day or time. I do know it was in the early months of 1970 in my first semester of college, maybe February or March. Bought my first pipe in a pipe store in campus town. A Guildhall Canadian, which I believe was a Comoys second. Don't remember what I paid for it, but probably under 20 bucks. Also don't remember exactly which tobacco I chose but I do know it wasn't a codger blend. Most likely a McBaren. Scottish Mixture maybe? From there I graduated to BSOSM, my go to smoke for most of my college days, along with McBaren and Rattrays. Oh so long ago.
 
Happy anniversary Jim, and thank you for sharing those memories. I had been reading your reviews for years before I joined BoB and assumed, based on shear volume, that "JimInks" was a nome-de-pipe used by multiple pipe smokers to post reviews under, what a pleasant surprise to find out there was actually a man behind the legend lol ! Thanks for everything you've done, and continue to do, for the pipe community!
 
Happy anniversary Jim and thank goodness you did start as I have found your reviews invaluable to my pipe smoking journey. You are a real legend in my books mate amazing helpful body of work good job(y)(y)
Happy anniversary Jim, and thank you for sharing those memories. I had been reading your reviews for years before I joined BoB and assumed, based on shear volume, that "JimInks" was a nome-de-pipe used by multiple pipe smokers to post reviews under, what a pleasant surprise to find out there was actually a man behind the legend lol ! Thanks for everything you've done, and continue to do, for the pipe community!
Thanks for all the kind words, fellas.

@mosin1932 , as busy as I am, I sometimes wish I was two people. M'lady doesn't because she claims one of me is too much as it is. ;)
 
I like to win but not as much as I hate losing.
@Bill (w/eoPd) the great cyclist, Eddie Merckx, would has agreed. He was often quoted saying the same thing.

1719145789956.jpeg


I can only lay claim to 30+ years enjoying this hobby, but I will continue until I can't draw breath.
 

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