PipeCulture
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2011
- Messages
- 53
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...Let me preface the intro with this………. I've perused the "accessible-to-outsiders" areas of this site off and on for about 1-2 years (prior to joining yesterday). In fact, it was through BoB that I discovered BriarBlues.com. A search for info on someone referred to as "Frenchy" led me to a thread on “Frenchy alternatives” and Briar Blues was mentioned. So, with that stated, here's my story:
My interest in pipes has gone through the following four waves or periods of change:
1) "Merely for kicks" (circa 1994 - 1996). This was the era of a single $15 briar (courtesy of a tobacco wagon in a L.I. mall) and a not-so-memorable pouch of "something" bearing the Borkum Riff name---purchased at a local Te Amo. Perhaps I smoked that pipe a total of five times in those two years.
2) "Better Firsts" (1996 - 2004). The first corporate job. The first time in a B&M. The first whiff of a cherry house blend. The first double-digit raise. My first quality piece. I bought a $90 Calabresi quarter bent and swore I was big time. Though my rotation grew to 4 or 5 pieces, I never once ran a pipe cleaner through or reamed any of them, and I never once got through a whole four ounce pouch of my favorite aromatic. If it was dry I assumed it was stale and would throw it out
I smoked four times a month at most during this wave.
3) "A hiatus, a return, and my first tin" (2008 - 2010). The last time I discarded 75% of a 4 oz pouch of De La Concha's Dubloon (because it sat for months and I assumed it was stale), I simply never got around to replacing it. Before I knew it, several years had passed and I hadn't picked up a pipe in that long. Believe it or not, I don't recall much of what brought me back other than happening upon HCPS's site one day. I purchased another couple of inexpensive pieces for the collection, several 1 oz bulk pouches, and my first tin---McClelland's Tastemaster. I'd read an opinion somewhere that "11" was a good number for a pipe rotation so I semi-aggressively sought out another few pipes to complete my rotation. All were machine made and under $90: two Savs, two Petersons, and a Stanwell.
4) "From Machine-made's to Hand-made's to Best Practices" (2010 - Present). I neglected to mention that during the 2nd and 3rd waves I made a commitment to not exceed $100 for a piece---and I never did Since ’07 there have been a number of raises at work and I’ve been able to bend my under $100 rule considerably. Granted, I won’t be bending it to the price of a choice S Bang, Dunhill, Joura King, or Chonowitsch, BUT I have managed to build up a nice, small collection of pipes bearing the Ardor, Bari, Boswell, Lewis, and Tinsky nomenclatures. Today, I follow as many of the best practices for pipe care as I can (e.g., regular cleaning, proper handling, rotation, caking, etc) which I never did prior to wave 3. The way I see it, the better care I take of my investment, regardless of how small, the longer I’ll have it to enjoy---and the better chance I’ll have of reselling it if ever necessary. This 4th wave has also seen me open up to buying estate pipes. All of my Bari’s, half of my Ardor’s, and five of my Boswell’s are estate finds and finding them is what has finally made this little crusade a hobby.
Hello to everyone out there and kind regards to Mike (Briar Blues), Steve (Monjure Internat’l), and everyone at 4noggins, Boswell Pipes & Repair, Cupojoes.com, P&W in Vermont, Sir Toms in Spartanburg, and Smokingpipes.com!!!
My interest in pipes has gone through the following four waves or periods of change:
1) "Merely for kicks" (circa 1994 - 1996). This was the era of a single $15 briar (courtesy of a tobacco wagon in a L.I. mall) and a not-so-memorable pouch of "something" bearing the Borkum Riff name---purchased at a local Te Amo. Perhaps I smoked that pipe a total of five times in those two years.
2) "Better Firsts" (1996 - 2004). The first corporate job. The first time in a B&M. The first whiff of a cherry house blend. The first double-digit raise. My first quality piece. I bought a $90 Calabresi quarter bent and swore I was big time. Though my rotation grew to 4 or 5 pieces, I never once ran a pipe cleaner through or reamed any of them, and I never once got through a whole four ounce pouch of my favorite aromatic. If it was dry I assumed it was stale and would throw it out
I smoked four times a month at most during this wave.3) "A hiatus, a return, and my first tin" (2008 - 2010). The last time I discarded 75% of a 4 oz pouch of De La Concha's Dubloon (because it sat for months and I assumed it was stale), I simply never got around to replacing it. Before I knew it, several years had passed and I hadn't picked up a pipe in that long. Believe it or not, I don't recall much of what brought me back other than happening upon HCPS's site one day. I purchased another couple of inexpensive pieces for the collection, several 1 oz bulk pouches, and my first tin---McClelland's Tastemaster. I'd read an opinion somewhere that "11" was a good number for a pipe rotation so I semi-aggressively sought out another few pipes to complete my rotation. All were machine made and under $90: two Savs, two Petersons, and a Stanwell.
4) "From Machine-made's to Hand-made's to Best Practices" (2010 - Present). I neglected to mention that during the 2nd and 3rd waves I made a commitment to not exceed $100 for a piece---and I never did
Since ’07 there have been a number of raises at work and I’ve been able to bend my under $100 rule considerably. Granted, I won’t be bending it to the price of a choice S Bang, Dunhill, Joura King, or Chonowitsch, BUT I have managed to build up a nice, small collection of pipes bearing the Ardor, Bari, Boswell, Lewis, and Tinsky nomenclatures. Today, I follow as many of the best practices for pipe care as I can (e.g., regular cleaning, proper handling, rotation, caking, etc) which I never did prior to wave 3. The way I see it, the better care I take of my investment, regardless of how small, the longer I’ll have it to enjoy---and the better chance I’ll have of reselling it if ever necessary. This 4th wave has also seen me open up to buying estate pipes. All of my Bari’s, half of my Ardor’s, and five of my Boswell’s are estate finds and finding them is what has finally made this little crusade a hobby.Hello to everyone out there and kind regards to Mike (Briar Blues), Steve (Monjure Internat’l), and everyone at 4noggins, Boswell Pipes & Repair, Cupojoes.com, P&W in Vermont, Sir Toms in Spartanburg, and Smokingpipes.com!!!
