General

[Robertsr]

Meerschaum smokes very cool. It also doesn't impart any other flavor to your tobacco. When you smoke a briar, even with a good cake, you get a bit of burning wood flavor with your smoke. It's not bad, and it's not particularly noticeable, and in fact some people miss it when they smoke a meerschaum.

The niftiest bit about meerschaums is that they change color over time while you smoke them. They all start out brilliant white, and slowly change to amber and brown depending on how much you smoke, how well you maintain the pipe, and what blends of tobacco you smoke. So you get even more of the "fiddly" fun of pipes. I much prefer the smoking experience from a meerschaum myself, and have cut down from over 30 pipes to just this one. I ended up giving away all my briars to a friend.

[Sir Brass]

Well, I don't want to get into collecting pipes (paintball is enough of a money pit), but there are 2 more pipes I'd like beyond my simple, yet nice and tasteful briar I do have: one that's like the one gandalf smokes (gotta love that long stem ), and now a meerschaum as well.

I'll oggle a few next time I'm at the tobaccanist. Though that may be a while. I'm really trying to cut down on how often I smoke. I enjoy smoking a pipe, but I'm wary on becoming hooked to the nicotine (and if I ever find out that that happens, I'm quitting....completely).

[mustangii]

pipe smoking is a hobby not a habit. The way pipe tobacco is aged reduces nicotine content. Don't inhale, just enjoy the taste. I have over 50 pipes most are estate pipes. bleach the stem and then clean and polish, ream the cake and enjoy. Most are allready broken in. Bought most of mine on ebay. bought a few new ones.
edm

[Sir Brass]

Ya, I don't inhale (unless accidentally, which sets me into a coughing fit, like I'd just taken in a lung-full of campfire smoke due to wind shift).

I guess the culture is kind of putting pressure on me saying, "There's still nicotine", or "You can still get cancer of the mouth", etc. I guess that gets to me some since I'm the only person in my circle of friends who smokes anything at all.

[DeTrevni]

^^^ It's the same way with me, but I've always been fascinated with it. But I also made sure I did my research. I bought my first pipe along with some cheap tobacco at Walgreens about 2 weeks after my 18th birthday, I've been reading about the health problems (and indeed benefits) that coincide with pipe-smoking since I was about 17. And while lip and mouth or whatever cancer is possible, you have to consider, that a bowl of pipe tobacco is SIGNIFICANTLY less than a cigar, which is often compared to pipes, and smoked comparatively as often.

With the exception of one other, I'm also the only one of my friends that smokes anything (I'll NEVER touch cigarettes or chewing tobacco/dip/snuff [hate that stuff]). I'm also the only one in my family that smokes. It's kind of a "me" thing. But the best part is, my mom actually encouraged the activity (my dad thought it was silly, but never really protested) and my friends think it's "cool." You'd be surprised how things work out.

All-in-all, I definitely don't regret picking up a nice pipe last summer. And if there's anyone out there curious about tobacco use, I'd encourage pipe-smoking before anything else.

PS: I want a nice meerschaum now.

[Sir Brass]

Eh, I won't encourage tobacco use, but I won't discourage it either (unless it's cigarettes or dip......EEEE-YUCK, straight road to cancer and nicotine addiction).

Funny, I like smoking cigars sometimes, and when I did smoke only cigars I only smoked them rarely (like one about every 6 mo.'s or so), since they do cost a good deal.

But, now that I've started smoking a pipe, cigar smoking feels almost cheap in a way. An occasional one is still good, especially when you don't have the time to really carefully load a pipe, but otherwise I think I'll stick with pipe smoking.

Btw, how is it exactly that pipe tobacco has less nicotine content/delivery than cigars, let alone cigarettes and hookahs (I smoked a hookah once, and that was the only time I've ever gotten a tobacco buzz.....didn't care to smoke one again....once again.....the flavoring felt cheap, and only reason to do it rather than drink a similarly flavored soda was for the buzz)? I'm curious to know. Makes for a good argument as to why moderate pipe smoking isn't going to kill me anytime soon or in the future.

[HurtCow]

Ya'll have piqued my interest. I've only tried cigars a few times (halfway thru started tasting nasty and I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth) and my son smokes cig's (YYEECCCHHH) but pipe smoking intrigues me.

My grand-dad used to smoke pipes. My sisters and I always thought it smelled good, as opposed to cigars/cigs.

Any good 'how-to' sites?

[DeTrevni]

Sir Brass: I wasn't suggesting smoking, I was just saying if you were already curious about tobacco, a pipe would probably be the best choice. The whole "less nicotine" argument stems mainly from the amount of tobacco smoked. Many cigarette smokers smoke a pack a day, and may dippers dip a lot as well. Cigars and pipes are sometimes smoked on a daily basis, but for many (if not most) they are enjoyed simply a couple times a week. Now, since we're comparing cigars and pipes, think about the size of a pipe's bowl. Generally, you pack enough tobacco to maybe fill the palm of your hand. On a cigar, there is almost 5 times (that was a guess, but I'm almost willing to bet there's more) tobacco than with a pipe, and many cigar smokers smoke the entire cigar. So, by physical use, the pipe incorporates the least amount of nicotine. Of course, as I believe someone mentioned, there is also a difference in the way the tobacco is processed, but I can't say for sure exactly what differences that makes.

Hurt Cow: I've actually found a few good sites. This one is just a general guide, and it covers care to tobacco packing techniques. This site, while not pretty, is basically the hub for pipe smoking. A good place to mill about.

[Sir Brass]

Hurtcow, I'll show you how-to when I fly up for POG weekend. And I'll make sure to have some bought-yesterday-fresh aromatic tobacco with me. It's something you really can only learn by doing. Some initial reading is good (I've got a pamphlet with me that I got when I bought my pipe back in December that explains alot about briar pipes, how to smoke them, etc.), but you only really get the best smoking by doing it and learning the art (which it pretty much is. if it were a science, I'd have it mastered by now ).

I'm not sure about how wide their chain goes, but I get my tobacco (and got my pipe) from a place called The Tinder Box. They really know their pipes (and a place at the mall right by where I live called "Holy Smokes" really knows their cigars). If there's one near where you live, I suggest dropping by and asking questions. Tobacconists (I had no idea there was such a title/occupation till a few months ago) there know their stuff and don't mind answering at all.

[DeTrevni]

Bump for those interested!