Pipe smoking, a lost art.

[Dan]

Probably out of style these days. I haven't smoked a pipe in years, until tonight. I was out in my garage and broke open the Sherlock Holmes pipe cabinet my uncle gave to my father and my father gave to me shortly before he passed away 10 years ago.

Inside is a collection of Dad's pipes, my uncle's, and mine. Some beautiful hand crafted pieces of beauty in that cabinet. Many of them are works of art and some are standard drug store pipes; my personal collection are nicely crafted briar pipes I bought or were given as presents. There is a Meerschaum Calabash in there as well, not sure if it was Dad's or my uncle's.

I felt a little nostalgic and found some old pipe tobacco in a pipe holder I built years ago and packed my Dad's favorite old pipe. I thought the tobacco would be to dry but loaded the pipe, packed it down ever so gently after the initial burn and sat down to enjoy a good smoke.

Don't think I'll be smoking much again but it was sort of nice going back in time.

 

[bob1852]

That's a neat find! I used to enjoy some good pipe tobacco. I gave up all tobacco ~5 years ago, but do still enjoy the aroma of good pipe tobacco. Amazing what memories can be triggered by a taste or smell, eh?

 

[Dan]

Yep, absolutely. Sense of smell has to be one of the strongest triggers.

 

[JeffoC6]

I have a churchwarden, and smoke it often. Awesome thread!

 

[Dan]

Thank you!

I've always wanted to get one. They smoke very cool right?

 

[bob1852]

True story. In college, I bought my pipe tobacco from the shop that's visible in the movie "Forrest Gump" when Tom Hanks is running by...

I miss the good ol' McGaugh's newsstand.

 

[JeffoC6]

Thank you!

I've always wanted to get one. They smoke very cool right?

Yes sir. Best smoked while sitting on a hilltop with your best gal.

 

[Dan]

That's pretty cool. Bet ol Forrest didn't stop to get some good tobacco. If he did that would be righteous!

 

[Dan]

The good old days, I've owned many pipes, do bongs count also?

Hmm... nope

 

[bob1852]

I used to go northern pike fishing early in the mornings and take the pipe and some cherry/vanilla tobacco along. Those were fun mornings. All alone in nature; great aroma/flavor; and pretty darn good fishing.

 

[Dan]

Yes sir. Best smoked while sitting on a hilltop with your best gal.

You are a classic man my friend.

 

[Dan]

I used to go northern pike fishing early in the mornings and take the pipe and some cherry/vanilla tobacco along. Those were fun mornings. All alone in nature; great aroma/flavor; and pretty darn good fishing.

I here you brother.

 

[SittingDuck]

I am also smoking my pipe tonight at our neighborhood poker night.

 

[DarthMalt]

Pipe smoking is certainly something I deem to call "One of the finer things in life." Unfortunately, I quit smoking tobacco almost 4 years ago. I was a heavy cigarette smoker and occassionaly lit up a pipe to relax around a campfire while backpacking with friends.

I often still think about smoking a pipe, but I'm a little nervous if I packed one up it wouldn't be the last...

 

[snccoulter]

I hear you there. It is easy to fall back into the habit. Trying to kill mine but keep slipping back here and there. The last pipe i enjoyed was with my wife up in Fresno at a hookah bar. it was actually a lot of fun that evening.
Dan I agree it is a lost art. The whole idea of tobacco is taboo now in America, but I do love the smell of a good pipe or cigar.

 

[Dan]

Fired up an old briar pipe tonight. Reminds me of better days. My wife bought me a few of my pipes, one is a thick bowled 1/4 bent briar. I have sat with it more than once on a few evenings close to Hawaii shores.. Cool trade winds blowing in, a moonlit sky that rivals all others. Just me with a beer and a very nice pipe, aromatic tobacco. Got to admit, almost as good as a great cigar.

Miss those days.

 

[FastAndy]

Cheers Dan. I recently bought some CAO pipe tobacco and dusted off an old Grabow pipe I had. I'm a cigar and sometimes a pipe is a nice change in scenery. I don't know that I'll ever by a frequent pipe smoker but I can really appreciate an evening on the patio with it.

 

[Dan]

I'm the same way. Cigars mostly, although got to admit haven't smoked many of those recently either. But man, a good smoking pipe is not something that happens overnight.

I was reading a story by John Wayne, he was a young man. Said Francis Ford used to give him a pipe to smoke and break in. Cause they do take some breaking in. My dad and uncle's briars had a nice burned in layer of carbon(?). What ever it is they are the coolest smokes in the collection. Seasoned well.

 

[FastAndy]

Yeah I was always told to "clean" but not scrape a new pipe because you want that cake layer to build up and act as insulation. No one in my family smoked cigars or pipes but they still always made my feel "at home" for some reason.

 

[Dan]

Not sure how old you are but when I was young many men smoked pipes. It's gone out of style now. Seemed like man smoked a pipe. The luxurious odor of pipe smoke filled the air. I guess nobody knew or cared about second hand smoke back then. Hell, my dad was a physician and all his physician friends smoked pipes.

All I remember was man it smelled good. Aromatics mainly, cherry, vanilla, vanilla-cherry. I think part of the smell was the briar smoldering. Really funny difference between smoking and smelling somebody elses pipe tobacco. In my experience, except from smoking my dad's seasoned pipes. Most pipes smell better than they taste. Most, not all.

 

[FastAndy]

I'm the oldest 28 year old ever. I've always appreciated things that were well before my time.

 

[Dan]

I'm sort of the same way. My wife and I love Big Band music. For a long time that's all we listened to. Probably would still now but we weren't smart enough to back all our music. Computers and hard drives die over time. I know differently now.

 

[FastAndy]

That's a scary thought. I back up all my photos online and an external hard rive. Sadly, music which varies from punk to bluegrass is all just on the hard drive and iPhone.

 

[Dan]

Peice of now, obvious hind sight. Back up anything you value important on one of those online sites. I used an external hardrive. Thought because I use it rarely it would last forever. Then one day I turned it on and heard nothing but a sick clicking sound. Took it to work and asked a friend if he could recover the data (He is very adept with computers) His off hand comment.. "sure, if I had access to CIA forensic equipment."

Man!

 

[Jacob_Marley]

I'm sort of the same way. My wife and I love Big Band music. For a long time that's all we listened to. Probably would still now but we weren't smart enough to back all our music. Computers and hard drives die over time. I know differently now.

I hear ya on appreciating the old stuff Dan. I’m still keepin my beer in the icebox and percolating my coffee.

I’m a *huge* fan of Big Band music too. Went so far as to put on a Big Band Concert a couple years ago with a 17 piece band from the Detroit area.

One of my absolutely favorite recorded Big Band pieces is from the movie "Sun Valley Serenade" ... this is “Kalamazoo” by the Glenn Miller band.

btw: check out none other than The Great One - a very young Jackie Gleason, killin it on the upright base.

Definitely worth Fullscreen and turning up the volume ...

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fFv_PoZ2iP0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Zuljin]

The good old days, I've owned many pipes, do bongs count also?

I'm thinking Dan does not have a 20 oz Mt Dew bottle with pen body and 3/4" socket pipe in his collection.

 

[Subsailor]

I grew up around pipes and tobacco and still enjoy my pipes. Nothing better than sitting outside with a good pipe, good tobacco and good sipping single malt scotch.

 

[kh54s10]

I'm glad I never got started with tobacco.

But, I like the smell of pipes. The smell of cigars is acceptable for the most part. And the smell of cigarettes is disgusting!

 

[Jacob_Marley]

And while I&#8217;m on this little swing fest ... here&#8217;s another piece from Sun Valley Serenade ... Chattanooga Choo Choo

Seriously swingin hard. Turn this up and fullscreen too. It don't get no cooler than this ...

btw that guy at the beginning and elsewhere is a very young Milton Berle (I know, I know ... I say that like everyone knows who the hell I&#8217;m talking about ... just humor me ;-)

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/V2aj0zhXlLA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Dan]

I'm thinking Dan does not have a 20 oz Mt Dew bottle with pen body and 3/4" socket pipe in his collection.

Yep you're correct there Zuljin. A career with mandatory testing has a tendency to discourages that kind of smoking.

I hear ya on appreciating the old stuff Dan. I&#8217;m still keepin my beer in the icebox and percolating my coffee.

I&#8217;m a *huge* fan of Big Band music too. Went so far as to put on a Big Band Concert a couple years ago with a 17 piece band from the Detroit area.

One of my absolutely favorite recorded Big Band pieces is from the movie "Sun Valley Serenade" ... this is &#8220;Kalamazoo&#8221; by the Glenn Miller band.

btw: check out none other than The Great One - a very young Jackie Gleason, killin it on the upright base.

Definitely worth Fullscreen and turning up the volume ...

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fFv_PoZ2iP0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Great post Jacob. My wife and my favorite is probably from the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Moonlight Serenade. I suppose it&#8217;s time to start rebuilding my collection of that music.

On a different subject. I miss the Block Buster and other large video rental places. They always had a decent collection of old movies. Now with RedBox and BlockBuster kiosks the selection is very limited.