To smoke or not to smoke?

[milanotom]

I'm sure that this topic has been covered in the past, but here goes....

What's the consensus on what to do with older, unsmoked pipes. Are they to be smoked or left unmolested for prosperity? I've got a few for which I'm on the fence. There's nothing particularly exotic, but each is still somewhat cool in its own way: CAO Bekler "Dice" (I searched for quite a while to find one), Kaywoodie Relief Grain large pot (shape 69) from the early 1960s, and a Linkman's Dr. Grabow from the 1930s. I don't smoke that much (a few bowls a month), so it would take forever to break in the briars or color the meer.

Anyway, what say ye?

Regards,
Tom

 

[Ocelot55]

What's your overall goal? Are you a smoker or a collector?

In my personal opinion, pipes were made to be smoked, not sit on some shelf. If it has certain historical or personal significance you would obviously want to limit how often you smoke it and how rough you are when handling it. Other than that, I vote to smoke away!

If you don't abuse them, they'll outlast you anyway.Then they'll be someone elses' problem.

 

[Rob_In_MO]

I agree with Ocelot, pipes are made to be smoked.

 

[osci]

I have got 2 Paronelli pipes, an old woodstock from 1960 with horn mouthpiece and a billiard with amber mouthpiece from 1950. I am a smoker and not a collector, so i use to smoke both and treat them same as the other pipes in my piperack.
I vote to smoke away too!

 

[kaiser83]

Smoke 'em and love 'em. No matter how many pipes I have I will smoke each and every one of them eventually. You never know when you will have that epiphany of a smoke where everything just comes together between pipe, tobacco, and technique and one of those pipes might just give you that smoke.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Then again, there's the fear of picking up a pipe you spent $350 on that smokes like crap. :lol:

Not to make anyone paranoid. :twisted:

8)

 

[kaiser83]

Way to go Kyle

 

[Gumball]

A pipe unsmoked is just a block of carved briar. :evil:

 

[George Kaplan]

I'm a bit disdainful of people who keep pristine pipes and deny them their purpose. Having said that, I must admit to owning a couple which I'm eternally waiting for the right occasion to break in.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I'm a bit disdainful of people who keep pristine pipes and deny them their purpose. Having said that, I must admit to owning a couple which I'm eternally waiting for the right occasion to break in.

I'm well-known for "saving" new pipes, but their fate has only been postponed...

 

[Slartibartfast]

To Wipe or not To Wipe? :scratch:

 

[George Kaplan]

To Wipe or not To Wipe? :scratch:

Please wipe.

 

[George Kaplan]

I'm a bit disdainful of people who keep pristine pipes and deny them their purpose. Having said that, I must admit to owning a couple which I'm eternally waiting for the right occasion to break in.

I'm well-known for "saving" new pipes, but their fate has only been postponed...

I kept an un-smoked Grabow cob for so many years I eventually just gave it to GMF. I hope he's smoking it.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I didn't waste any time smoking that diamond-shank cob you gave me; it's one of my favorites, now!

 

[monbla256]

Smoke 'em that's what their made for ! :twisted:

 

[Slide]

Smoke them.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Please wipe.

Exactly. :cherry:

 

[Hermit]

I have one un-smoked pipe.
I just can't bring myself to fire it up.

 

[monbla256]

I have one un-smoked pipe.
I just can't bring myself to fire it up.

Just send it to me and I'll do the honors for you. Give it a good break-in with some Royal Yacht, should take about 2 months :twisted:

 

[Harlock999]

I don't think there's anything wrong with saving a few in unsmoked, pristine condition, especially vintage pipes.
There is no shortage of good new pipes to smoke. Will a vintage unsmoked pipe raise your smoking game to a degree unattainable with a new pipe?
Doubtful.
Having said that, I do prefer having pipes that I smoke, so I simply avoid buying ones that I know I won't... 8)