What I have learned about me and my pipes.

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leftover421

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I am very picky about my pipes, they have to smoke great and at the same time be
elegant. I keep my pipes in top notch condition at all times because they are
works of art. My stems get polished once a month just to ensure I keep the
oxidization monster at bay as well as most of my pipes get a turn on the buffing
wheel with some wax at the B&M once a month or more. I carefully scrub the
loose bits of gunk in the bowl out to ensure a slow building even cake. I use a
special B&M brand pipe scrub on the draft hole and inside the stem once a
month. I try to let my pipes dry as long as possible between each smoke and I
buff them with a microfiber shine cloth, also purchased from my B&M, before
the go back into the rack and before I load them up. I do my best to be kind to
the pipe during a smoke as well. I avoid rim char with a carefully controlled
lighting using my handy Zippo Pipe Lighter. I mop up any moisture with a pipe
cleaner as soon as I notice it and I smoke gently for the most part. I must
have influenced the owner of my B&M with my OCD behavior because he has
started polishing his old workhorse pipes again. All it took was a “tisk tisk,
that stem has seen better days” and he was trying to scrub the thick day-glow
green color off his stems.


All that might seem like a lot of work just to have a smoke but admiring the beauty
of the pipe I am smoking out of has become a large part of my pipe smoking
experience/pleasure. I like a simple shaped pipe and I’m not much into the hand
carved art pipe. (Too much art not enough pipe IMO) Although I do like a small
band of gold, silver, or anything shiny to catch the eye of my simple mind.
Fancy stems are nice (Cumberland, GBD Perspex stem are cool on the right pipe,
Gold stem on a Sav Unfinished, etc, etc) but a black as sin on a moonless night
stem has a very classy appeal. I also don’t like stems with rosettes, knobs,
bumps or any fancy carving work that is usually only there to detract from the
badly crooked bent drilling IMO. If the stem is shaped in a way that is
supposed to be for grip like military mount stems are then that’s fine as a
functioning part of the pipe. I’m a busy guy so I don’t really have time for a
huge bowl from a monster pipe. I tend to lean towards the smaller bowled pipes
for that reason but I understand the want for a great big pipe with a great big
bowl. My favorite shape is the classic strait billiard ripped right from the
mouth of a 50’s era dad but any strait shape appeals to me. On the flip side I
also have an enjoyment for a full bent pipe because it hangs well and is out of
the way while doing chores. Although I have also come to figure out that the
pipe shape doesn’t affect the smoke that much as long as it’s well made with
attention paid to proper drilling.


Anyways, I just wanted to share my minimal pipe smoking experiences with you
all.


Thanks for reading this if you made it all the way through and thanks for trying if ya
didn’t, can’t say that I blame you though.
 
I can appreciate your thoughtful self analysis, pipe wise, and I can find much to relate to. Cheers!
Pipes can be cherished items, and not wanting to burn or otherwise damage them is understandable. If you ever tire of buffing and polishing stems, come over to the Italian side, where the the best briar is consolidated, and acrylic stems stay shiny and black, all year 'round!
 
I understand your philosophy on this - especially the pipe maintenance. Keeping the pipes clean becomes an enjoyable part of the pipe smoking ritual.

Fraternally

Jers
 
Well there ya go. As long as you're happy, a little declaration isn't a bad thing.

8)
 
Aaaaah !! Brings back memories of my youth when I to was enamered with the "romance of the pipe" . I just smoke 'em these days :twisted: :twisted:
 
Great post, leftover.

I find my tastes are fairly similar to yours: smaller pipes, simple shapes, a focus on grain, ect. I really like some crazy freehands as art, but ultimately they won't get smoked much by me. Form follows function. All these reasons are why I'm drawn to brands like Dunhill and Ashton, unfotunately the price/quality on those brands are way off IMO.

It's good to know what you like. Keep chugging along, brother.
 
I feel you on this! Each and every one of my pipes has a "Birthday," marked on my calendar, which is the day it came into my possession. When a particular pipes birthday rolls around, I always shower the pipe with several blends of premium tobacco, pipe cleaners, and a nice bottle of whiskey.

It's no secret that most pipes love to be pampered and smell nice, and this is just one of many secrets, to make your pipe happy, and keep your pipe happy! :face:
 
Thanks everyone for the replies!
I know I haven't posted much lately but I really wanted to share my simple thoughts. I just kind of randomly threw that post together in Word over a couple of days so I hope it wasn't too hard to follow, being random.

Anyways, thanks again for reading:D

Dan
 
Dutch":w728gwg2 said:
I feel you on this! Each and every one of my pipes has a "Birthday," marked on my calendar, which is the day it came into my possession. When a particular pipes birthday rolls around, I always shower the pipe with several blends of premium tobacco, pipe cleaners, and a nice bottle of whiskey.

It's no secret that most pipes love to be pampered and smell nice, and this is just one of many secrets, to make your pipe happy, and keep your pipe happy! :face:
I have the strangest desire to be one of your pipes now. Okay that sounds wrong. Maybe you could just add my birthday to your calendar too? :face:
 
Trifecta13":584299rs said:
Dutch":584299rs said:
I feel you on this! Each and every one of my pipes has a "Birthday," marked on my calendar, which is the day it came into my possession. When a particular pipes birthday rolls around, I always shower the pipe with several blends of premium tobacco, pipe cleaners, and a nice bottle of whiskey.

It's no secret that most pipes love to be pampered and smell nice, and this is just one of many secrets, to make your pipe happy, and keep your pipe happy! :face:
I have the strangest desire to be one of your pipes now. Okay that sounds wrong. Maybe you could just add my birthday to your calendar too? :face:
Trifecta, if you have a nice rack, maybe we can work something out! :geek:
 
monbla256":xtxen1lq said:
Aaaaah !! Brings back memories of my youth when I to was enamered with the "romance of the pipe" . I just smoke 'em these days :twisted: :twisted:
Ah-yup. Many of my pipes are lit while holding a shotgun or a fly rod; it's hard to be too careful of the pipe at those times.
 
Yep. That's part n parcel of smoking a pipe. Job ain't done till the paper work is finished! Still, after 30 yrs., I enjoy visitin' with my pipes for the cleanings. I'll often smoke one while I clean the other. Keeps yer hands busy whilst smoking, and promotes a zen state of peaceful bliss. I don't turn in till the last of my boys has been cleaned n racked.
 
I have to many pipes (52) to go about proper cleaning. I used to be VERY neat on all my piping equipment up till about 3 years ago. Now I just smoke and enjoy them. I do clean them out with surgical spirits from time to time but that's about it. No polish, no buffing, no stem cleaning. Call me sloppy if you like but that's where I am at this stage of my life.

I'm getting married in about 2 months time and there are millions of things we've still got to do. My wife-to-be is giving up her house which is PACKED with stuff accumulated over many years. I live in my retirement house, much smaller than her's. I must make room for stuff she wants to retain, so I must also get rid of some of my stuff. Where to?

I do not have time for cleaning pipes now. I hardly even smoke anymore!!! No time for that.

In about 1 year's time we will be settled (I hope) and them I will be back on track with my pipes (maybe).
 
That's a keenly observed and well expressed pipester declaration. I think pipers generally find a kind of solace in their maintenance ritual, though there's a wide variation as to what's adequate. Unlike cigs and cigars, a man's pipe will tell you something about the man.
 
I was giving some advice to a newbie on another forum recently, and the conversation rolled around to the point where I was explaining to him that no matter what truisms I or anyone else spouted, in time, he would develop his own habits and style of smoking based on what makes him a happy pipe smoker. This is exactly what I was talking about. I should point him over here to see what a master pipe man learns from years of experience. Great post!
 
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