Kyle Weiss
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2011
- Messages
- 11,988
- Reaction score
- 7
You've heard them all. Often empty, sometimes stupid, nonsense "rules" about how to pack your pipe, how many lights it should take, how wet (or how dry, depending on your vantage point) your tobacco should be, the shape of pipe versus the shape of your face, jars or cans, match or lighter, Aro or English, cheap or expensive, up or down, black or white...
...it's enough to make people's friggin heads spin, and not just the new folk trying this stuff out, but the older guys pulling out what little hair they might have left, trying to simplify and clarify amid a volley of pipe legend, myth and rhetoric.
I like writing overall thoughts and views, because I typically find myself "between worlds," quite frequently. I get a satellite, third-party and objective point of view naturally. At this stage in the game, I've gotten a few tickets from the pipe carival's skiball table, and can cash in a few prizes once in a while. I would like to say that no, I'm of no consequence in regard to time and effort put in as some guys, but I am dedicated, I observe, I learn quickly, and this is a great subject for me to ponder open-ended.
There's two types of "old stagers" that I've noticed, not just in the pipe world, but pretty much any area that has been around longer than three months that could allow for some expertise to be had. One, is the staunch traditionalist, even if those traditions are just his own, and there's simply only one way to do things, and doing otherwise is a waste of time. The other, is the simple, experienced, confident and successful-in-their-realm realist, who's been there, done that, and prefers to keep things less complicated. Fortunately, for BoB here, there's an abundance of the latter, which is better for most of us as new members overall.
The newbie, which needs no introduction--we've all been one, we're often still one someplace, somehow, which often encounters the exact same set of chin-scratching problems. Pesky, irritating problems--lighting, packing, tobacco choice, pipe choice, etc. Natually, if they have any sense (or nerve endings in the tongue, eyes to see, or taste buds, in the case of pipe collecting/smoking) they're going to find a place (like BoB) to get questions answered.
Enter these contentious methods in question. The new piper has nothing more than these awkward, perpetuated and complicated methods in which to use, or even, not to use. If the newbie is also the decent, patient type (not a know-it-all or a jaded cur), they have a dilemma now on top of their original, pesky problem.
The real issue comes up, among sorting out the information, is back to the two types of folks giving advice, the experienced ones: "Do it this way," or "Don't bother with any of that, just keep it simple." I know I have been confused many times, because I have a specific question, and sometimes receive a specific answer, and other times receive almost blunt answers such as, "Don't worry about it, just do it."
I'm not bringing this up as criticism, because every pipe smoker in particular, is entitled to the smoke he deserves, either through practice, instruction or trial-and-error. The goal of all of us, I'd like to think, is a pleasant smoke, and the repeating of this process. I suppose my only real thought is for the newbies, to whom I'm probably closer to than anything, and wondering how they might deal with methods that might only work for the adviser, and to what degree of simplicity is necessary beyond at least a little simple suggestion--which is at times, omitted.
If it were me, as I even try to do in vain with what little information I have by comparison to others, I give out , with no warranty implied, that which works for me. No "rules," and no zen-like enigma. Even as I learn, it's my own experience and mistakes, as are my successes and revelations. Sometimes they're obvious, sometimes they sound like tired mantra. I often take tidbits that may work here and there, combine them, decompile them, study them, and try and refine my answer when no other is clear.
I'd like to think others are like me, but I don't really know. I know very few pipe smokers outside this place. As a future "expert" (I say that very loosely) I even wonder how my attitude might change in the future once I've figured a lot of this out.
What are your thoughts? Newbies? Intermediates? Old guard?
(Side note: Many times I get considered "stressed" or "upset" because of the length of posts (and not just here, but the many places of the Internet in which I haunt) and this is very much not the case--really, only observations and notes of my own. If this were a blog, a disclaimer wouldn't even be considered, but forums are an open place for discussion--I'm just a wordy em-effer...which is why I have blogs, just not one for this subject...) 8)
...it's enough to make people's friggin heads spin, and not just the new folk trying this stuff out, but the older guys pulling out what little hair they might have left, trying to simplify and clarify amid a volley of pipe legend, myth and rhetoric.
I like writing overall thoughts and views, because I typically find myself "between worlds," quite frequently. I get a satellite, third-party and objective point of view naturally. At this stage in the game, I've gotten a few tickets from the pipe carival's skiball table, and can cash in a few prizes once in a while. I would like to say that no, I'm of no consequence in regard to time and effort put in as some guys, but I am dedicated, I observe, I learn quickly, and this is a great subject for me to ponder open-ended.
There's two types of "old stagers" that I've noticed, not just in the pipe world, but pretty much any area that has been around longer than three months that could allow for some expertise to be had. One, is the staunch traditionalist, even if those traditions are just his own, and there's simply only one way to do things, and doing otherwise is a waste of time. The other, is the simple, experienced, confident and successful-in-their-realm realist, who's been there, done that, and prefers to keep things less complicated. Fortunately, for BoB here, there's an abundance of the latter, which is better for most of us as new members overall.
The newbie, which needs no introduction--we've all been one, we're often still one someplace, somehow, which often encounters the exact same set of chin-scratching problems. Pesky, irritating problems--lighting, packing, tobacco choice, pipe choice, etc. Natually, if they have any sense (or nerve endings in the tongue, eyes to see, or taste buds, in the case of pipe collecting/smoking) they're going to find a place (like BoB) to get questions answered.
Enter these contentious methods in question. The new piper has nothing more than these awkward, perpetuated and complicated methods in which to use, or even, not to use. If the newbie is also the decent, patient type (not a know-it-all or a jaded cur), they have a dilemma now on top of their original, pesky problem.
The real issue comes up, among sorting out the information, is back to the two types of folks giving advice, the experienced ones: "Do it this way," or "Don't bother with any of that, just keep it simple." I know I have been confused many times, because I have a specific question, and sometimes receive a specific answer, and other times receive almost blunt answers such as, "Don't worry about it, just do it."
I'm not bringing this up as criticism, because every pipe smoker in particular, is entitled to the smoke he deserves, either through practice, instruction or trial-and-error. The goal of all of us, I'd like to think, is a pleasant smoke, and the repeating of this process. I suppose my only real thought is for the newbies, to whom I'm probably closer to than anything, and wondering how they might deal with methods that might only work for the adviser, and to what degree of simplicity is necessary beyond at least a little simple suggestion--which is at times, omitted.
If it were me, as I even try to do in vain with what little information I have by comparison to others, I give out , with no warranty implied, that which works for me. No "rules," and no zen-like enigma. Even as I learn, it's my own experience and mistakes, as are my successes and revelations. Sometimes they're obvious, sometimes they sound like tired mantra. I often take tidbits that may work here and there, combine them, decompile them, study them, and try and refine my answer when no other is clear.
I'd like to think others are like me, but I don't really know. I know very few pipe smokers outside this place. As a future "expert" (I say that very loosely) I even wonder how my attitude might change in the future once I've figured a lot of this out.
What are your thoughts? Newbies? Intermediates? Old guard?
(Side note: Many times I get considered "stressed" or "upset" because of the length of posts (and not just here, but the many places of the Internet in which I haunt) and this is very much not the case--really, only observations and notes of my own. If this were a blog, a disclaimer wouldn't even be considered, but forums are an open place for discussion--I'm just a wordy em-effer...which is why I have blogs, just not one for this subject...) 8)
![[3-Size Set] Copper Pipe Cleaner for Drill, Clean 1/2, 3/4, 1-in Copper Pipes & Tubes for Soldering, 3 Tube Cleaning Brushes, Model InerLok050, 075, 100, w/ Stainless-Steel Wire Bristles & 1/4” Shank](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41FEqUv4rNL._SL500_.jpg)
