Great topic... My first pipe was a cob, bought when I was 19 or so. I think I got it so I could pick up chicks. My first briar was an estate Bari, bought from a tobacco store on Northern Lights Boulevard in Anchorage, Alaska. I think I was 21 or so. I had it for years, took it camping, commercial fishing, etc. It eventually broke, or I lost it, not sure which. I really did not know how to smoke back then -- I just thought it was cool and kind of different. Went through some more cobs, then bought a Lorenzo 1/2 bent brandy back in 2002 or so. Kind of got serious with that pipe, but broke it in half (it was in my pack) when I fell on it backcountry skiing. Then, last Spring, I got really excited about pipes and tobacco and bought a Peterson System 206 (sitter) that is a great pipe. To bring us to present: In the fall of last year I discovered this pack of jackals called the "BoB" and the rest is history!