So, I'm Ignorant . . .

[PlateauGuy]

The other day my wife and I sat down to watch "The Hindenberg" on TMC. The first thing that surprised me was that smoking was allowed on a zeppelin filled with hydrogen.

Then, I saw Ann Bancroft light up a little metal pipe along the lines of a Falcon, but the bowl was odd looking. I was thinking that it was cool that they had a lady character smoking a pipe when my wife said that she thought it was a pot pipe. Later in the story the character said something along the lines of "it helps make things not so bad".

We looked at each other and started laughing.

 

[Puff Daddy]

Opium pipe maybe?

 

[Smokey-smokey]

While the pipe in question may or may not have been a "funny" pipe, there have been some metal pipes for tobacco use. No, I don't mean the tiny ones, I mean real full on tobacco pipes. Some of them fit the description of the pipe you saw (all metal bowl).

There were all metal pipes in the past with a briar insert for the bowl. There is someone who collects them and has a website with pictures, check out www.smokingmetal.co.uk or simply google "smoking metal."

The metal pipes seem to have had some popularity in the past, some were actually for smoking (tobacco) and others were simply show pieces. I knew of a gentleman in another forum who collected metal pipes and he had some that were just crazy looking.

These days metal pipes are still being made, but not many. There is a manufacturer in an European country (I don't recall the name, sorry) who machines them and I remember they used to get good reviews. I have never been inclined to smoke out of anything but briar or cob, so I don't know how good they actually are, but they were certainly cool looking.

Last, but not least, tobacco also makes things a little less sad, in my humble opinion.

 

[jefe1037]

To address the other issue, the smoking rooms in zeppelins were lined with lead and sealed so even an errant tinder wouldn't set the hydrogen ablaze.

 

[Smokey-smokey]

To address the other issue, the smoking rooms in zeppelins were lined with lead and sealed so even an errant tinder wouldn't set the hydrogen ablaze.

Sir, I absolutely love your avatar.

 

[SteveS]

Sir, I absolutely love your avatar.

True, it IS a cool avatar, but I absolutely love jefe's tagline ...

 

[PlateauGuy]

Ok, I've been told it's an opium pipe - now I don't feel bad about not knowing. Thanks for the info on the smoking room - amazing!

Been a Falcon fan for quite awhile now - own several.

 

[jefe1037]

full disclosure, as always, I was looking for an Allastair Cookie pic (cookie monster in a smoking jacket and ascot with a pipe lampooning Allastar Cooke of masterpiece theatre, the bit was called Monsterpiece Theatre, and cookie monster ate his pipe at the end of the sketch). I happened upon my avatar. its amazing what poorly drawn eyebrows can do!