What led us to pipes?

[user 6310]

I was intrigued with pipes ever since I could remember. When I was a little shaver in the late 50's I had a cousin who smoked a billiard, and I was enthralled with every puff of billowing smoke, so cool. Then Popeye was the next role model for corn cobs,an uncle ,who said nothing but smoked a metal Radiator pipe, a brother in law , school teacher was a bulldog smoker, and various codgers that I worked with and for
Pipes have never been very far from my site line. I still love them today! Broke in on Half and Half.

 

[Singed]

My first pipe was my father's last. My father smoked pipes until he got dentures at 40. After snapping a tooth out of his upper plate on two separate occasions, he gave it up - too expensive to repair his dentures and he couldn't clench without his teeth. Eight years later I rifled through his junk drawer and lifted his Brigham straight apple when I went off to University.

I lived on campus and there were four or five pipe smokers living in residence there. We would meet regularly to watch Star Trek reruns in the common room on Sunday mornings and ********. I burned that pipe to a cinder.

The first pipe I bought was a big BC bent bulldog from Hudson's Bay Company, in downtown Winnipeg. There was a tobacco shop on the second floor, it was where my father went most regularly. All that is closed now.

When my father passed in 2015 I buried a pipe with him, a Brigham straight apple.

I bought this one to remember him.

 

[JimInks]

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 bitch Steve out if I hated it, which I obviously didn't. Btw, the tobacco he handed was Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey, which was half decent in those days if you puffed slowly.

Steve wanted me to try the batch, and 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 bitch Steve out after high school when he quit smoking, and I was a lone smoker. I never let him forget it to this day.

 

[user 6310]

My first pipe was my father's last. My father smoked pipes until he got dentures at 40. After snapping a tooth out of his upper plate on two separate occasions, he gave it up - too expensive to repair his dentures and he couldn't clench without his teeth. Eight years later I rifled through his junk drawer and lifted his Brigham straight apple when I went off to University.

I lived on campus and there were four or five pipe smokers living in residence there. We would meet regularly to watch Star Trek reruns in the common room on Sunday mornings and ********. I burned that pipe to a cinder.

The first pipe I bought was a big BC bent bulldog from Hudson's Bay Company, in downtown Winnipeg. There was a tobacco shop on the second floor, it was where my father went most regularly. All that is closed now.

When my father passed in 2015 I buried a pipe with him, a Brigham straight apple.

I bought this one to remember him.

A fitting tribute to your dad!

 

[Aussiemike]

I first saw a man breath smoke and fire from his mouth like a dragon when I was about 5yo and was in awe. And every man I saw smoking a pipe after that was a real hero, mans man, but took me prob 20 years to take it up myself. Dads mate Mark Davidson ,Z force,prospector,big game hunter and dad to Robyn Davidson the lady that the "tracks" movie was made about. And old Vic a prospector and mate dad would buy plug tobacco and supplies for and take down to him when he could. I still remember dad commenting back in the 1970s how expensive the backy was. I have pictures of dad and vic smoking pipes but couldnt find them atm.

Mark Davidson africa 1930s

Old Vics, hut me left dad right

Vic , me to the right of photo

 

[lgoldberg]

I just started piping in December 2022, and have dragged you all through my growing pains already. But I did try a pipe once as a freshman or sophomore in high school. I was already smoking cigarettes on the sly every chance I got, and I thought it would be cool to try a pipe. I went to a local liquor store on my bike and bought probably a Dr. Grabow, and some codger blend. I had no idea what I was doing, and didn't know enough to not inhale. It was disgusting, and I went out on the street and shoved it all in a neighbor's trash can. More money than sense back then, lol.
I remember that store had a spinner rack (kind of like the ones they sold comic books on) with all the Skoal, Copenhagen, etc. just right out on the floor. Fifty cents a can!

 

[ftrplt]

I just started piping in December 2022, and have dragged you all through my growing pains already. But I did try a pipe once as a freshman or sophomore in high school. I was already smoking cigarettes on the sly every chance I got, and I thought it would be cool to try a pipe. I went to a local liquor store on my bike and bought probably a Dr. Grabow, and some codger blend. I had no idea what I was doing, and didn't know enough to not inhale. It was disgusting, and I went out on the street and shoved it all in a neighbor's trash can. More money than sense back then, lol.
I remember that store had a spinner rack (kind of like the ones they sold comic books on) with all the Skoal, Copenhagen, etc. just right out on the floor. Fifty cents a can!

We all made a mistake or two when we started out!!! Welcome to the club!!!!! FTRPLT

 

[ralphmcculley]

My first time is when I was 12. My buddy's mom was a hippie from the late 60s to the 70s so she had a different way of raising children then how my mother was, which was with a belt lol. My buddy Lenny came over my house and said "hey, my mom got me some pipe tobacco and a corn cob pipe, wanna come down my house and try it?" This was in 1985. I went down his house and his mom handed him the pouch, Captain Black original and the corn cob pipe. We went out back and started to smoke it. It made me sick but he was fine. We were both trying to figure out why it didn't smell like our older family members pipes while we were smoking it. The second time was in the 90s when I was in my 20s. I was a state warrant officer so I had long hours doing surveillance. I bought two pipes, Dr. Grabows, a bent and a billiard and a pouch of CB cherry. I smoked it for a few weeks then stopped. I kept getting tongue bite. I didn't start up again until 13 years ago. I bought a Dr. Grabow bulldog and a box of Carter Hall. From there I got serious with it. I reached out to John Harden, I was one of the few that had his number so he helped me through a trial period with finding the right pipe and tobacco I would enjoy.

 

[user 6310]

My first time is when I was 12. My buddy's mom was a hippie from the late 60s to the 70s so she had a different way of raising children then how my mother was, which was with a belt lol. My buddy Lenny came over my house and said "hey, my mom got me some pipe tobacco and a corn cob pipe, wanna come down my house and try it?" This was in 1985. I went down his house and his mom handed him the pouch, Captain Black original and the corn cob pipe. We went out back and started to smoke it. It made me sick but he was fine. We were both trying to figure out why it didn't smell like our older family members pipes while we were smoking it. The second time was in the 90s when I was in my 20s. I was a state warrant officer so I had long hours doing surveillance. I bought two pipes, Dr. Grabows, a bent and a billiard and a pouch of CB cherry. I smoked it for a few weeks then stopped. I kept getting tongue bite. I didn't start up again until 13 years ago. I bought a Dr. Grabow bulldog and a box of Carter Hall. From there I got serious with it. I reached out to John Harden, I was one of the few that had his number so he helped me through a trial period with finding the right pipe and tobacco I would enjoy.

sounds like quite a journey , pipe smoking is also a journey, half the fun is getting there. Good luck on your travels!

 

[Aussiemike]

Really great thread Ukulele well done. I feel I have got to know the posters so much better on their amazing heart felt reminiscing and on reading a few I must have got some dust in my eyes as they were irritated and got a bit wet weird.

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[UkuleleDude67]

Really great thread Ukulele well done. I feel I have got to know the posters so much better on their amazing heart felt reminiscing and on reading a few I must have got some dust in my eyes as they were irritated and got a bit wet weird.

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Im not crying, I was cutting onions.

I am just in awe of the knowledge, dedication, COLLECTIONS and palates of the great members of this community. We get to see and hear what they are doing and enjoying now. I feel at times I have so far to go. However at one point and time we all were equal. We were about to light that first match. I wanted to learn about the very start before people had Dunhills, Petersons and custom made pipes. We all had a pipe, some tobacco, fire and curiosity.

Take care my friend.

 

[Pippin Took]

My first pipe was had about 4 weeks ago at the age of 51 [ me, not the pipe ]. I was perusing the internet and came across a website filled with interesting oddballs who were pipe enthusiasts; brothers of the-something-or-other.

I started reading about all these delicious sounding tobaccos, and looking at pictures of their interesting looking pipes, and I decided to try it. I ordered a briar style pipe, and some black cavendish from Sutliffs and fired away.

I find when I am relaxing on the porch and enjoying the day, a pipe is just the thing. My wife always complains "you're just sitting there staring out the window"...[ well now I'm not just staring out the window, am I? Im smoking my pipe...and thats something. ]

 

[user 6310]

Im not crying, I was cutting onions.

I am just in awe of the knowledge, dedication, COLLECTIONS and palates of the great members of this community. We get to see and hear what they are doing and enjoying now. I feel at times I have so far to go. However at one point and time we all were equal. We were about to light that first match. I wanted to learn about the very start before people had Dunhills, Petersons and custom made pipes. We all had a pipe, some tobacco, fire and curiosity.

Take care my friend.

well said sir, well said! this is why I love this forum ,this is why the brotherhood is so important. so many individuals sharing the same passion and on the same journey!

 

[Ol'Dawg]

When I got the tractor hay (14 years old) to fill up and saw a small pipe a SWR. A dad some a uncles I never saw the end. I did to 18 years old to the sly.