Any Pipe Smokers? Interest in Pipe Knives?

My grandfather died in 1967 when I was 15 years old, these pipe and cigar cutter were his, the cutter is dull but the pipe is fine, I still smoke it every now and then, it brings good memories. I remember he did not have to worry about the tobacco and cigars going dry, living in humid climate in Veracruz, Mexico.

Luis

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I love a good cigar, but I'm not much of a pipe smoker. But (I work in the media industry) this plea from a reporter just came across my desk:

Whatever happened to pipes? Remember? Any male over 50 used to smoke one, usually while reading a hardcover book with a dog on the rug at the foot of his recliner as he (the man) drank a scotch, and the captain of a ship stared out at him from the oil painting next to the fireplace on whose mantle rested a pewter tankard (not to put too fine a point on it). So, what happened? How come cigars are still around, and hookahs, God help us, are hip, but the pipe is a rare thing indeed? When and why did it fall out of favor? Tell all. Contact: Lenore Skenazy, lskenazy@yahoo.com

Just thought some of you guys might want to contact the lady and enlighten her. She works for a major newspaper.
 
I'd wager a guess that jacknife could come up with something that would get published.
 
I've been a pipe smoker most of my life, as my dad and uncles, and grandad, were all pipe smokers. By reason of association I was doomed from the start. As a little kid going someplace with mom and dad, I'd be sitting in the old Hudson Hornet, smelling his pipe as he smoked going down the road.

When I was very young, like before 12, I swiped one of my dad's old pipes that was in the back of a drawer not used anymore, and a small amount of tobacco from his humidor. Going over to the woods besides the house, I loaded the pipe and tasted the wonderfull softness of an air curred burley on my toungue, and was hooked. This went on for a few years, I'd enjoy a pipe when off on some Huck Finnlike adventure, but always in secret in the woods.

On day when I was about 13 or 14, my dad handed me a full pouch of tobacco in his spare red plaid roll up, and told me since I had an income from some lawncutting jobs and other odd jobs, it was time I bought my own from here on out. How he knew I never will know, but he was never fooled.

A pipe has been a sourse of pleasure after a good meal, when a small glass of Evan Williams is sipped in good company, a soothing influence when waiting outside a hospital for news of how a loved one is doing, and sometime a tactical tool by giving you something to fiddle with while you franticly think of how you're going to react to something or what to say. But alot of time its just something that is a peasurable thing to experiance. It can make you slow down, as it takes some time to properly prepare a pipe for a good smoke.

I think thats why the pipe has sort of died out. I know I only have one friend left who is a pipe smoker, and I don't see many young guys at the pipe shows. Its a sign of the times, everything has to be fast, instant gratification. A quick smoke, a quick opening knife, a fast car so the kid can feel like he's the star of The fast And The Furious. Gone are the days of cruising up to the drive in hambuger joint in your '56 T-bird nice and slow and cool. Slow, so they can see you with the top down, and an attitude that "yeah, this is my car, yeah, thats Becky Sommers I've got my arm around!" Cool used to be slow, take your time. Ever see James Dean hurry when he walked? And James Coburn never walked, he sauntered. I guess times change. Now they drive Jappanese sardine cans with coffee can mufflers, wear pants big enought they look like they're gonna fall down any moment, and they think thier cool. And nobody takes the time to smoke a pipe anymore. The world is in too much of a hurry.

They need to slow down, enjoy a pipe, carry a slippy that makes you take a moment to think while you open it, and learn to cruise. Its not how fast you get there, but how much you enjoy the trip along the way!
 
Anybody ever smoke out of a clay pipe? My wife got me one for my birthday several years back, but it has sat on the bookcase ever since. It's made in Ireland, and supposedly you're supposed to dip the stem in a glass of Guinness before smoking it for the first time. Been thinking about trying it. Any thoughts?
 
Now when I was a teenager in the 70's we smoked pipes that made us what we thought was cool, and we slowed down a little bit too. But it wasn't meerschaum, and it wasn't a smooth burley either.:cool:
 
Our society (media, etc) worships at the alter of youth at this time.
A pipe is a symbol of genteel respectability, maturity, and is something older folks do.

You can't market it to a 17 year old, so it's not popular. That's about it.

The cigar thing was just a fad, fueled partly by the antics of a certain Philanderer-in-Chief. Sort of like the current "martini" fad. (Hint: Random fluids served in a cute little glass does not make it a "martini".)

-- Sam
 
This may sound odd but I like to smoke a pipe occasionally. The reason I say it might sound odd is because i'm still in highschool. :D

I personally like it simple because it has a great smell and has a good after taste. Also it is a fairly cheap pleasure. I'm looking forward to learning all I can about pipes and all aspects of it. Just recently I thought i was packing the right way till I read a tutorial on how to pack. Now it is much more enjoyable.

Pipes for life! :thumbup:
 
http://www.glpease.com/FAQ.html

About in the middle are a couple of FAQ about moisture. Also a huge list of really good links are there in the home page.

Frenchy is a great guy!!! He is one of the nicest and most dependable about getting back to ASAP for any questions from his shop. He's sends all tracking and reciepts to you in triplicate;) no kidding!
 
smiling-knife said:
I'm not a smoker but I couldn't help posting this one again. Sorry for the repetition.
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No need to apologize. Don't believe anyone would get tired of that pic. I'm not a pipe smoker, but my grandfather was & it's one of those childhood memories that will always be with me. So I gotta ask about the function of that tool on the bottom left. It looks like it would be used to tamp the tobacco in the bowl, but that's strictly a guess. And what about the bottom part of the knife (in the pic) that's funny shaped. What functions does it serve, other than the tool on the bottom left closing onto it?
 
I suspect that the knife is not strickly a smokers pocket knife, but a "gentlemans" knife. I see what I think is a button hook on the top left, and there appears to be a nail file or some other specialized blade just under it. The long spiky thing in right of the pic looks like a stem reamer to clear a clogged pipe stem. But I wonder at the length of the button hook. It looks longer to me than the regular button hook, more like the button hook used on folding knives used by bird hunters.

Mayhaps this could be a general use gentlemans knife, say for a day afield with the side by side Purdy, and a brandy and slow pipe at the hunting lodge that evening?

Is there a cigar tool someplace there on the bottom right?

Or I could be completely off base.
 
Thanks for your replies. The bottom end in the photo is a cigar cutter. There is a pincer that one pushes through to nip the end of the cigar. IMO the button hook is neither large nor sturdy enough for bird use. The attachment below the button hook is a nail file. A brandy, smoke and tales of the day's hunting certainly seem most appropriate.
 
smiling-knife said:
Thanks for your replies. The bottom end in the photo is a cigar cutter. There is a pincer that one pushes through to nip the end of the cigar. IMO the button hook is neither large nor sturdy enough for bird use. The attachment below the button hook is a nail file. A brandy, smoke and tales of the day's hunting certainly seem most appropriate.
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Interesting. Thank you.
 
Vic Classics can work alright. The flathead screwdriver tip of the nail file can mash the pipe contents down or scrape the walls for a cleaning. Gives you a small blade and scissors for cutting up your smoke, and the toothpick can be handy for unclogging a pipe.
 
I think Jackknife and some others hit the nail on the head. Pipes take time. They take time to prepare and to maintain. Pipes take time and a bit of attention to smoke. And to save your tongue and get any enjoyment, they take time, practice, and discipline to learn how to smoke correctly. That's just the opposite of our "on demand world." Society is a 24/7/365 constant stream of instant flow. So much flow we can't even make sense of most of it.

Pipes by their nature are instruments of relaxation, introspection, and contemplation. They are for reliving a day or a moment, cherishing a time that in all likelihood was spent at a slower pace. A quiet day on the stream or lake. A bird hunt that included plenty of time to appreciate your surroundings. A pipe or two was surely savored during those times too. Naturally then, a pipe will add a bit more solidity to those memories.

Growing up and as an adult I associated pipes with outdoorsmen, thinking men, or even that old farmer who gave things just a little more consideration and thought. Pipes seemed to me to be the province of men who were just a little more refined, a little more genteel, even if they were common as an old shoe and lived in a shack in the woods.

Today our society is about hard, fast, and excessive. Even fishing has become an extreme sport. The fishing shows I used to watch were about the journey and the experience. Time was taken to enjoy the surroundings, to be thankful for being there, and to enjoy playing a fish as the ultimate reward. A good fight was a fine thing. And that's how I went about my fishing. Now it's all about tournament style fishing. So many shows are about tournament fishing where the guy uses gear that lets him rip a fish out of the water as soon as it bites so he can toss it into the live well and get back out there to rip out the next pounds and ounces of fish needed to win. That's the stuff a dip of snuff in your lip so you don't have to bother with handling anything while you do your best to rip fish out of the water way.

Let's see, slower pace, time invested in learning how to do it right, thoughtfulness and contemplation, gentleness. Nope, sorry, those don't really fit with general society these days. You might even say such attitudes might be considered improper by the mainstream these days.

I have noticed however, that just like with traditional knives, there are the uncommon young fellows who take to the pipe. Not a lot, but there are some who seem to be drawn to many of the attributes of the pipe and who seem to enjoy experiencing and learning about the different tobaccos and blends, and their history. I say good for them.

As far as a pipe tool. A fellow on here remembered I smoked a pipe and tossed in a neat little tool when sending me a knife once. It's in a box with some other knives at another desk at the moment so I don't know what brand it is. However, it is a well made, nifty thing that could almost pass for a peanut sized harness jack. The blade is good enough you could actually carry the thing in place of your peanut. When I take it out and handle it and maybe cut a little with it, I'm reminded that someone thought enough of me to pass it my way. Someone who was quite helpful in getting my collection started with some quality stuff when I wasn't able to get much of anything. Of course, it did start a fever that seemed to burn for a few months when I had some extra dollars to enlarge my modest collection with. Hmmm, I don't think my wife would be as grateful as I am. ;)

Here's a thought. You even see someone road racing with a lit pipe in hand? (Tobacco pipe that is.)
 
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