I have a modest collection/rotation. Maybe 20 pipes. Out of those three remain unsmoked at the moment. Not because I want them to keep their resale value, or because I display them as works of art (although they are). Rather, I am saving them for a special occasion. Not sure what the occasion(s) is/are, but when I decide to smoke 'em I anticipate being very glad that I "collected" them to eventually smoke. I guess I'm cellaring pipes...

I am more of a collector with some 200 pipes, I only smoke once a day, twice a day tops. About 20% of my collection are meerschaums, porcelains and clays from the 1800’s and vintage briars from the early 1900’s, these I do not smoke due to age and collectable value, also I don’t like to smoke pipes that were used by another person, whatever the age. The reminder of my collection is diverse and bought new for smoking.

It's impossible for me to be one without being the other.

I'm going to go with smoker, most likely 1/2 of my pipes most people would think were purely for collecting, (vintage old world styles) But I bought them to smoke, not just look at,

I have some I have not gotten around to smoking, Which was my intention when I bought them. Some need cleaning, and the unsmoked ones I want to wait till I have aquired a few stellar tobaccos before I break in a 50 to 100 year old pipe.

After returning to pipe smoking I found I had a desire for a churchwarden, went looking for one and discovered vintage european styles (damn ebay)

I have tools I never used, I am a wood worker not a tool collector. So I'll go with pipe smoker vs collector, Just like the tools I tell her I will use them one day

I've found out a few things over the years of being into this hobby.
1. There's always another pipe out there that I think I need. I guess this makes me a collector. However,
2. If it doesn't smoke well, it's not in my collection for long. Otherwise it's just a fancy paperweight, and I've never collected those. Therefore,
3. This is why I tend to gravitate to classic estate pipes. Cleaning them up and breathing new life into them takes a lot less time than breaking in a new pipe.

All my pipes are smokers, some have a value but I didnt pay that for them. All my pipes came from estate pipes on ebay. Its like a hobby. I find a old crusty pipe and bid hope fully win and I get great joy from bringing the treasure i have found back to life. After cleaning and polishing and of course sanitizing. I enjoy the smoke. All my pipes are smokers. I do get a pleasure from this, knowing they were enjoyed in the past and are enjoyed now. I do look for them to be in good shape just not used for awhile.

put me firmly in the category of smoker. The pipe has a job and that is to hold that smoldering wad of leaf and allow me to pull on it and enjoy it. That's it. Doesn't mean that if I had the money I wouldn't own a Balleby, because from all acounts they are wonderful smokers. Just means that I am rather utilitarian in my approach to pipe tobacco and pipes in general.



Probably why I like the Peterson line.

If it's a pipe, is in my house, and can hold tobacco it will get smoked !! I'm not a museum

I am a smoker of my pipes and an admirer of everyone else's pipes.

Hence, I love to look at pics of other people's pipes.

When some say a modest priced pipe, I get confused.

What is the modest price of a pipe.

Definately a pipe smoker here. But I can see how collectors are born as I recently built a tower of shelves for my pipes and baccy. It's turned into an art collage of sorts. It's easy to get lost in gazing at the pipes with their shapes and grains. A couple of my pipes I've had for 30 years and it's fun gaze at them and reminisce the good times 30 years ago. Tobacco tin art is interesting to gaze at as well. I sometimes find myself propping, arranging, and re-arranging everything so it looks just so so. It sure beats the hell out of re-arranging furniture. That sheats heavy as hell to push around.

A smoker by far. To loosely quote my old friend Bob Runowski; "A pipe is foremost a tool. You didn't go spending $500 on a tool did you?"

I'm a pipe smoker.

Surely I purchase pipes strictly on aesthetics so long I know they're from pipemakers of good repute for quality smoking pipes, but I have a personal rule to never own any more than a certain number of pipes at the same time, and they are all smoked. None are for mere show.

I think the breakdown will go something like 4 pipes each of a few different genres, VA/VaPers, Burlies, aromatics, and latakia. Each of the 4 pipes represent 1)the dedicated blend of that genre for around the house (a larger pipe), and a smaller pipe for that same blend for when I'm on the town. The other two pipes are for general blends in that genre, again one an at home pipe, and the other a travel pipe.

So for example I'll have 4 VA pipes:

- Blackwood Flake (at home)

- Blackwood Flake (OTT)

- All other VA's (at home)

- All other VA's (OTT)

In the end that'll be 16 pipes, though I don't own that many yet. Of course, if I found myself ascending up to an even 20...well I do appreciate symmetry...