I'll probably never understand....

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Brewdude

Brewdude

Broken Pipe
B of B Supporter
Joined
May 4, 2011
Messages
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Location
Arid-zona
.....how some of us here can smoke multiple bowls/day......day after day.

Jim, Ted, AJ, and others seem to go through a dozen bowls/day on a regular basis. This frankly is beyond my ken.

My average during the week is 2 bowls/day. One after coming home from work, and one after supper. Don't want/can't handle more than that. During my work week I have enough time to rise, throw a couple cups strong black coffee down my throat and push off for the day. And there is no chance of a bowl during the day.

On the weekend when I don't have to work this can rise to 3/day. But after that my palate gets beat up and I don't enjoy it like I should. I know now not to push it as I can get burned out the next day. And then nothing tastes of anything.

My late Pap smoked a pipe, and he was a one brand man - Uhles 255 and no other. But he didn't constantly have a pipe in his mouth either.

All to say, it amazes me that some of us can burn multiple bowls/day. I see Jim usually lists his beverage, and perhaps that keeps to keep his palate cool and neutral. And maybe he smokes smaller bowls than I do.

In any event there's no way I can go beyond say 3 bowls/day without suffering palate fatigue, even on my days off. Guess it's just in our biological makeup!

And hey, I'm not complaining here.  :!:


Cheers,

RR
 
I have often thought the same thing. I usually have about 5 bowls a WEEK! But I know a lot of that comes from this time in my life. I have a 7 year old and a 1 year old so I don't get a lot of free time. When I get even older and grayer I am sure I will ramp it up. :D
 
Yeah, well, that's one of the benefits (few) of getting older. I can sleep in a lot and smoke a lot. On the other hand, what I used to do all night now takes me all night. :shock:
 
Brewdude,
    When I was younger I also smoked many cigars in a day, 6 to 8 everyday. Always chewed on them for a while towards the end of each smoke.
 Now that I'm older and being retired/disabled I have plenty of time on hand. Everyone's Ph in their saliva can be different, some pipers get tongue burn more often than others, me rarely unless it's a blend that's NOT been aged at all and has above 16% moisture level. Last year I smoked a Smokingpipes Low Country blend, with the third puff I scorched my tongue so severely I could not smoke a pipe for a few days. Once I dried the blend in the oven @ 200 degrees for 12 minutes and let it rest in a Mason jar a few months, the blend was extremely enjoyable. Also liked the blend because of the cigar leaf that was added.

  Yup, I can smoke over a dozen pipes in a day, don't sleep much and smoking a pipe relaxes me and helps keep my stress level down. Also helps lower my blood pressure, most likely due to the nicotine levels lowering my stress. I don't post all the time on the beverage beside me at the time, sometimes I do. Use to have a Southern Comfort at night, but rarely. Now at times a fresh ground Mug of coffee, but always have ice cold water next to me. Never suffered from palate issues due too keeping my mouth moist. Take notice JimInks usually posts what he drinks...wether it's coffee, juice, a good soda and always ice water and Bergs, he's keeping his palate moist.

 I can easily smoke 1.25 to 1.75 oz. in any given day. So, figure I smoke anywhere from 45oz. to 50oz. Per month. That's allot of TOBACCO!!
You know what, I still look forward to my next pipeful every time. Much like a child in a candy store.

 A matter of fact, it's time for me to decide what blend is next, most likely in the mood for a John Patton blend. So, with that said.....

KEEP ON PUFFING

PS
Forgot to mention, last year when I could not smoke a pipe for a few days due to scorched tongue my blood pressure was out of control and needed to raise my dose of Lopressor. Now back down to one pill in the morning opposed to three per day!
 
My activities are severely limited. I hardly do anything but sit in my chair all day if I'm able to be up. My diet is so limited that eating brings no pleasure so I do the only thing I can do to get a bit of pleasure. I smoke my pipe almost continuously from the time I get up until I go back to bed. I've got loads of tobacco and a host of nice pipes so I enjoy them. Being retired I've got tons of time on my hands. Man needs to do something so I smoke. Sometimes I listen to music and smoke, or I'll read and smoke, watch TV and smoke, and a lot of the time I just sit and smoke while deciding what blend and pipe I want to smoke next. :)

AJ
 
Rande,

I used to smoke a lot more because time allowed for it. Now that my schedule is tighter & I am smoking a lot less, I found that I have less tolerance for multiple bowls in a day. My palate becomes fatigued and my body doesn't know what to do with the nicotine.

Honestly I think my having to scale back is for the best. Not only am I smoking at a level that truly could be considered "in moderation", I am also enjoying the tobacco that I do smoke a lot more. Plus I am not busting the budget with tobacco buying, & my cellar is actually aging rather than turning to ash. ;)

I do miss my nightly smokes on the porch, but if I took the time for it, it would would be at the expense of much needed sleep which only leads to stress & anxiety the following day. Everything in balance, I guess.
 
3-4 bowls a day was my max, and to be realistic, it was very rarely four. That's when I was writing papers all night long (which is originally why I started smoking a pipe) or while in a smoke shop and basically around it 24/7. As others are saying, it is highly situational as much as physical capabilities. I don't like to be busy with other things. I don't like a lot of commotion around me. I don't care for it in the middle of a cluster of other tasks. It's more of a bookend; at the beginning of a day or at the end. I've always been a finicky, situational smoker, so smoking a lot never worked for me. Now, I smoke one bowl a day, almost every night of the week, while on my nightly walk to finish the day.

I've known guys who smoke from morning until night, rolling through pipes and tobacco. One ends, and another gets lit. It's more habitual. It's interesting. But they don't seem to enjoy it any less than me or anyone else.
 
Zeno Marx":erky0ssp said:
It's more habitual
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Not at all for me, it's something I enjoy with passion.  I've never smoked cigarettes, drank much alcohol and never EVER smoked marijuana. Also, I'm very much like Bill Clinton, I don't inhale...lol. I don't have an addictive personality and I have total control over my lifestyle.

Smoking a pipe relaxes me to a point of tranquility. I'm sure JimInks understands the feeling.

When ill again recently I went for a couple of months without a pipe. I did not suffer any type of withdrawal or cravings. If needed due to serious health issues I can stop smoking a pipe immediately. Thank God as of right now I don't have to, because it's one of my pleasures in life, other than spending time with my grandchildren. So for now.....


I WILL KEEP ON PUFFING ALONG OFTEN
 
Lonecoyote":4q1e4sh4 said:
Zeno Marx":4q1e4sh4 said:
It's more habitual
Click to expand...
Not at all for me, it's something I enjoy with passion.  I've never smoked cigarettes, drank much alcohol and never EVER smoked marijuana. Also, I'm very much like Bill Clinton, I don't inhale...lol. I don't have an addictive personality and I have total control over my lifestyle.

Smoking a pipe relaxes me to a point of tranquility. I'm sure JimInks understands the feeling.

When ill again recently I went for a couple of months without a pipe. I did not suffer any type of withdrawal or cravings. If needed due to serious health issues I can stop smoking a pipe immediately. Thank God as of right now I don't have to, because it's one of my pleasures in life, other than spending time with my grandchildren. So for now.....
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Habitual ≠ addictive. Just to make that clear. There's all kinds of chemical stuff going on with smoking and our bodies, so I'm sure some people are addicted either physically or psychologically, but that isn't what I meant. I realize addiction is a sensitive topic, and I purposely avoided it.

When I think of the morning 'til nighters, I think of a few specific customers at the smoke shop. I know they enjoyed it. It was part of them and their identity (another subject all together). But I also strongly believe this was a habit. I can't say whether they were addicted or not, but I do believe this was a habit like any other habit. The ritual of it. The ceremony of it. It was all part of the repetition and process.

EDIT: and to apply this to myself, I don't much like to take my walks (if windy or rainy) without the pipe in my left hand (I can't smoke with my right hand because it feels awkward). The pipe is part of my walk is part of that habit.
 
Started smoking a pipe back in '69 when I was attending the University of Vietnam and am still smoking! Smoked in between classes back then and mostly at home when I got back. During the '70s, when I was working for Architectural firms we could smoke in the drafting room so I began smoking more and now that I'm retired I smoke most of the day starting after breakfast till my last pipe I have before I go to bed. That' usually about 8 to 10 bowls a day and sometimes a few more. Is it a habit? I'd say so but one I enjoy thouroughly! :twisted:
 
monbla256":kvoyzsi7 said:
Started smoking a pipe back in '69 when I was attending the University of Vietnam and am still smoking! Smoked in between classes back then and mostly at home when I got back. During the '70s, when I was working for Architectural firms we could smoke in the drafting room so I began smoking more and now that I'm retired I smoke most of the day starting after breakfast till my last pipe I have before I go to bed. That' usually about 8 to 10 bowls a day and sometimes a few more. Is it a habit? I'd say so but one I enjoy thouroughly! :twisted:
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Coincidentally, I started pipe smoking at the same university. And, still have my favorite pipes I bought in the PX at MCAS Cherry Point, NC in 1968. And I do the same as you do now.best smoke is after breakfast.
 
Slowroll ":qti4frvp said:
Coincidentally, I started pipe smoking at the same university. And, still have my favorite pipes I bought in the PX at MCAS Cherry Point, NC in 1968. And I do the same as you do now.best smoke is after breakfast.
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Well, I guess I'm having my breakfast pipe now, can not sleep AGAIN. Hopefully by my third pipe I will be able too see clearer!!
Oh, a pipeful is usually my breakfast... :bounce: :bounce:



KEEP ON PUFFING!!!
 
2:30am here as I write this, with insomnia courtesy of the side effects of my medications. Would probably have a pipe on the go if I smoked indoors or if I had the energy to haul the laptop to the patio. Maybe it's best I don't! :)

I'm still on the disabled list here, 7 months after surgery. Very frustrating not being able to do what I was doing this time last year, but I know if I push things, it will take longer to recover completely. I find a pipe in the evening helps me deal with the stresses and frustrations of convalescing heaped on top of those of parenting teens. When does school start again?!? :lol!:
 
OP

YOU HAVE TEENS, and only smoke a pipe in the evening. GOD BLESS YOU! One or two more bowls a day will definitely lower your stress level.
For me not only does it help the stress I've been through since 2011, it also lowers and maintains my blood pressure, to where one of my doctors finally admitted... " smoking a pipe helps him deal with stress on a daily basis "! A doctor with total honesty and integrity, where do you find that today :lol!: :lol!:

Hope your back on your feet real soon, feeling like your old self. All the best to you.


KEEP ON PUFFING!!!
 
BD, there's all types of smokers no matter what one smokes, there's chainsmokers among cig smokers and pipe smokers as well as casual smokers. I for one consider myself as a normal smoker, smoking a bowl in the morn, at noon and after supper and sometimes before bed or at another time of the day. Don't usually smoke more then 4 bowls a day just because I don't feel I need to and I feel I don't need to spend anymore on tobacco then I already have. ;)
 
Lonecoyote":fdipg2f2 said:
OP

YOU HAVE TEENS, and only smoke a pipe in the evening. GOD BLESS YOU!  One or two more bowls a day will definitely lower your stress level.
For me not only does it help the stress I've been through since 2011, it also lowers and maintains my blood pressure, to where one of my doctors finally admitted... " smoking a pipe helps him deal with stress on a daily basis "! A doctor with total honesty and integrity, where do you find that today :lol!: :lol!:

Hope your back on your feet real soon, feeling like your old self. All the best to you.


KEEP ON PUFFING!!!
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Thanks Coyote. I keep reminding myself that I'm doing worlds better than the alternative! :D
 
Here's a poser for ya': I've never been able to smoke anything before lunch, even in my heaviest smoking days of yore. Gives me headaches and assorted ailments. Weird. After lunch and all the way to 2 a.m., anything goes. I mention this because I understand that the first pipe right after breakfast is ecstasy for many pipe smokers here and elsewhere.

As far as number of bowls, I vary widely, but nowadays it's a matter of constraints imposed by both time and current social restrictions. One thing I have noticed, when given free rein, is that I can smoke a lot more bowls if I pack the pipes properly. I tend to pack too tightly, apparently thinking this will make the smoke last longer by "getting more in," one might say. Every time I slow down and pack the pipe properly, I amaze myself by how little effort it takes to keep the thing going, and how easy it is on your tongue and palate. Been amazing myself like this for 50 years or so, like some kind of moron! My point is that sucking on an even slightly overpacked pipe will take its toll on your tongue after three or four bowls. Just thought I'd mention it in case it's applicable, Rande, and you aspire to legendary status.
 
Richard Burley":ns18i3vu said:
I amaze myself by how little effort it takes to keep the thing going, and how easy it is on your tongue and palate. Been amazing myself like this for 50 years or so, like some kind of moron! My point is that sucking on an even slightly overpacked pipe will take its toll on your tongue after three or four bowls. Just thought I'd mention it in case it's applicable, Rande, and you aspire to legendary status.
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RB
Excellent point, how you pack a pipe or how tight you press or tamp the tobacco makes a BIG difference how cool the tobacco smokes. Improper packing or over packing can cause severe tongue and palate issues.
I basically do a gravity drop and a light press to the tobacco with a finger once the chamber is roughly 3/4 full. I never over stuff a pipe, no reason to, can always have another.
Some pipers use the Frank method, consisting of 3 separate packs to a pipe. First is a gravity drop, second would be another gravity drop with a medium press/tamp and the third is topping off the pipe with tobacco and a medium firm press/tamp. To much of a hassle for me, my way works fine and has for years. But packing a pipe tight has never worked for me, and I know a few pipers that still do and wonder why they get a tongue bite and burnt gritty palate.
Now, let's add too this thread...HOW DO YOU PACK YOUR PIPE this should be interesting.



KEEP ON PUFFING!!!
 
I do one or two bowls a day, and when I smoke I'm usually doing nothing else but that. I smoke outside 99.9% of the time. The other .1% is on a breezy day when I light the pipe before going outside. I'm sometimes also reading a book, but more often I'm just enjoying a slow smoke, chatting with whoever might happen by and pretending I can't hear various calls to help with tedious chores d:) I've had many of my pipes for decades and remember the people I knew and what I was doing when I acquired them. The rabbits are so used to me out there they sometimes hop to within ten feet or so. Since I smoke slow, I often enjoy one match smokes. If a bowl gets bitter I dump it. So my tobacco hoard should last quite a while. I don't feel addicted to The Noxious Weed at all and, in Winter, have gone for weeks without smoking. My doc hollers, "If you can stop and do without so easily, why do you start up again!?" Because I like it. Also, relaxation has a health value.
 
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