Eight reasons pipe smoking will catch on

[Sir Humpsalot]

This is just a little essay I'm working on for no real reason at all. I'm thinking there's more than 8 reasons, that's just what I've come up with so far. I just kind of sat down at the computer and pounded it out, can't say I really put a lot of thought into it.

What do you all think? Any thoughts?



EIGHT REASONS PIPE SMOKING WILL MAKE A COMEBACK


The image. Cigarettes are becoming less fashionable. Having been banned from restaurants and within 15 feet of any public building in Illinois, what is the future image of cigarette smokers going to be? Huddled in the corners, cast off to the dark shadows, relegated to distant designated areas, like lepers, where no one will see them.
Pipe smoking no longer really has an image in America. Nobody with children has grown up with pipe smoke in the house. I'm 30 years old and the only people who seem to have any memory of growing up with pipers are at least 20 years my elder. They are no longer of child-bearing age. And this is significant because the younger generation today (which I still consider myself to be a part of) don't associate pipe smoking with their parents, or even their grandparents. Think about that! Only a child's grandparent would have much of a chance of remembering someone who regularly smoked a pipe. This means that it's largely a clear canvas, as far as our culture is concerned. The image, whatever it turns out to be, has very little baggage from living adults outside of nursing homes. It gives the image of hipness and creativity. “Oh wow man! That dude has a pipe! That's crazy! He's like smoking it in public, man!!!! He could put some wacky tobaccy in there!!! He could smoke ANYTHING, any time, any where, dude!” It's got image potential.




The cost. Pipe smoking is cheap. Here in Chicago, a pack of cigarettes sells for more than $7 a pack in many places. A week's worth of pipe tobacco costs half the cost of a pack of cigarettes.


The time. It takes little time to load a pipe. You can load it with as much, or as little tobacco as desired. Anything from a quick 2 minute puff to a 20 minute session is feasible and within your control. Compare that to cigarettes which tend to last for a set and limited amount of time. In this modern american culture where we are always in a hurry, are pressed to stay on schedule, what could be better than a pipe?


The history. We all know that culture goes in cycles. Cigarettes didn't really catch on until the 30's and 40's. Prior to that, cigars and pipes were the two dominant nicotine-delivery devices. Well, about 20-25 years ago, cigars started making a comeback. What's left?


Rebelliousness. Smoking will always have a social image. I think of it as sometimes rebellious, sometimes hip, oftentimes today, it is also anti-mainstream. All the stop-smoking campaigns make it clear that the smoker is always the person going against what society says is best. There's something very appealing about that to certain people. Well, If you're going to smell like smoke, why not good smoke? And if you can't smoke anywhere in doors, why not have a pipe out, a visible symbol of your rebelliousness and hipness.


Social Aspect. When I used to smoke cigarettes, there was no question in my mind that smoke breaks are a great way to meet people and be social. Even as a non-smoker, I would often enjoy some time with the smokers, standing around, shooting the bull. With the pipe, it gives you a way to join in. It makes you one of the smokers. I imagine as well that a group of pipe smokers together would also provide an interesting social experience. I can't imagine enjoying a good bowl without having a chat with another person doing the same. Simply put, smoking won't disappear from America.


The aroma. Variable, for different times and different places, pipe smoking offers a diversity of scents for the considerate and social piper to provide others with something that isn't as distasteful as cigarette smoke. In that sense, it's sort of like smoking an Acid cigar. It's something I have done from time to time, not for the sake of my own pleasure, but in consideration of the people around me who, I knew, tolerated the smoke, but weren't necessarily inclined to appreciate it. Let's face it... most real cigar smokers will never be seen smoking a flavored and fruity cigar. It is contrary, IMHO, to what a real cigar is. But the world of pipe tobaccos is far less rigid, far less judgmental. There is even a category, aromatics, which are built around many of the same tastes and smells as incense. It's unique and has been long gone from the public perception of tobacco and what it smells like.


Hookahs. Increasingly popular today, hookah bars are popping up here and there. And why not? With alcohol restricted to the age of 21 in America, and with the under-21 crowd somewhat limited in what they are permitted to enjoy, the hookah bar provides the opportunity for socializing without fear of being arrested. It will also undoubtedly increase the desire for and interest in flavored tobaccos. How long do you really think it will be before the kids smoking hookahs at hookah bars, the hipsters and whatever they call themselves, start looking for a somewhat more portable smoke? Till they start looking for something they can carry around with them? And from there, it shouldn't be long before they outgrow the fruit-flavored cigarettes and mini cigarillos. What's next? The pipe.

[DubintheDam]

Nice essay...you make some good observations. I do think pipes are due a comeback and there is some evidence to suggest this is already happening. Many cigar smokers are turning to the pipe, pipe sales on the internet are growing etc. The pipe is a cool thing for sure. I think smoking in general will continue to decline...but the pipe with gain more fans amongst this dwindling market.

For me I do like the two-fingers it gives to people's concept of what smoking is. The pipe says smoking 'actually' is pretty cool and health issue's are being thrown around without any broad-minded bases.

There are two studies done that found pipe-smokers live longer than NON-smokers. The studies concluded that although there is still a risk of throat and mouth cancers from pipe-smoking, the pipe smoker in general was a meditative kind of person who spent a lot of time relaxing and was not prone to fast or dangerous lifestyles. Hence the end result with the statistics.

With the globalism, inter-connectedness and saturation of mass media and communications today, there is a much bigger pressure and tendency on us to conform to generic and politically correct opinions on all sorts of subjects and issues. We are 'informed' what is cool and not cool, what is to be 'middle-class', what is 'good' and 'bad'. As a man who has worked many years in media and advertising - it's all about selling bullshit.

I think the old saying, "It's not what you do, but how you do it that counts" applies very much to the pipe smoker.

To conclude, I think we could make the comparison with smoking today and the days of prohibition in the 1920's. Drinking was bad for people's health and the nations prosperity - so they banned it, but as time went by they realized it wasn't going to eradicate it's consumption. Today the drinking of a fine glass of vintage wine is considered both good for your health and the height of cultural pursuit. Who knows how pipe smoking will be regarded in 50 years time...but I do know one thing...50 years on it will be the least of our problems on planet earth.

[SAjunidog]

I like it overall, but I have to disagree with your first reason. Pipe smoking does not offer a clean slate image-wise. While it is true that basically no one alive today has ever known a piper people have still seen plenty of representations of pipes, be it pictures, movies, or books. Pipe smoking currently has an image heavy in tweedy intellectualism, archaic-ness and occasionally aristocratic snobbery. While the image may change given time, currently that is what most people think of when they see a pipe, and thats going to hamper piping growth for a long time to come, I'm afraid.

[hyper_dermic]

Nice essay, some interesting points made.

Im sort of torn between pipes becoming popular, and pipes staying in the shadows.

On the one hand, pipes becoming popular means increased demand, which should give rise to more carvers, more tobacco, and higher quality tobacco products. Increased demand would make sure the art of pipe smoking doesnt die off.

On the other hand, i sort of like being unique. Pipe smoking hasnt been popular for quite some time. If everyone started smoking pipes again, we wouldnt be unique anymore.. we would be just like everyone else.

I know it sounds petty.. but im not sure how i would feel if every dumbass was tooling around while smoking a pipe.

There is an image that goes along wiht pipe smokers.. like Junidog stated.. pipe smoking has an air of sophistication, perhaps even snobbery attached to it. Its NOT "pop-culture". If pipe smoking became part of pop-culture, it would quickly lose its luster in my eyes.

I suppose i would like something in the middle. Just enough popularity to ensure that i can still get fantastic briars from talented artists. Along with high quality tobaccos from several different blenders/tobacco distributers.
But not so much popularity that pipe smoking becomes a "fad".

Am i alone in this line of thinking? How do all of you feel about pipesmokings popularity?
Do you think it could use a boost? Do you think it should move even further into the shadows? Or is it fine just the way it is?




-hyp

[perogee]

Personally I am a little torn as well.

I think that smoking in general is getting a bad rap and therefore would like to see pipe smoking become more popular to help re-gentrify smoking to some degree, make it a little more acceptable to the general public as a whole.
That being said, I do find I like the "aristocratic" appeal of smoking a pipe and therefore do not want it to become too main stream. That is likely just my snobbish side coming out though .

[solafid3]

Not to be a asshat, but alot of your reasons are kinda weak for instance:

Image. Pipes are definitely not a clear canvas, but almost associated with something that's outdated and left behind. Whenever I'm smoking briar, I get the "My grandfather smoked pipes all the time, I didn't know people still did that." While I'm smoking a cob, people say, "Who do you think you are, Popeye the sailor man?" With a meerschaum in my mouth people ask, "Can you put weed in that?" I've got comments from the whole spectrum except, "Hey man, it's cool that you smoke a pipe."

Cost. Albeit that pipe tobacco doesn't cost anything, Pipes definitely do. A decent briar is going to set you back at least 40 bucks which is roughly about 6-7 packs of cigs. If you do decide to smoke a cob, you're gonna get the Popeye jokes... alot, which isn't really good for the image aspect. On top of that, you have to maintain your briars, and if you lose it, you've gotta drop another 40 dollars at least to get your smoke on.

Time: Pipes require maintenance to smoke well, which equals time. It may take 5 minutes to pack a pipe but it takes a hell of a long time to smoke it well. Cigs are take out of the box and light. People generally still smoke cigs the same way they did when they were 18 years old. People on the rush would definitely like cigs better.

History: I could agree with this cause there's examples of this because of the way fashion dictates itself. Except for one thing, there is no Surgeon General in fashion, and every doctor in the world isn't telling you not to wear slim cut shirts cause it causes cancer. And although there is a cigar boom right now, it was never as big as it was back in the day.

Rebelliousness: This is related to the image point you made. Pipes are the smoking tool of the fathers of the baby boomers. As a result, pipes are often overlooked in terms of rebellion to those who are anti-smokers, because it just so happens that you remind them of their grandfathers.

Social Aspect: Smoking usually turns into a social party so you got good reasoning there. But I doubt it's a strong reason for someone to pick up a pipe.

Aroma: Like you said, variable. I normally don't sit next to people smoking Nightcap. But if you're smoking 1-Q I'm your best friend.

Hookah: that's a pretty big assumption there. In Miami, the town I come from, Hookah bars are everywhere, but there's not one pipe store. Likewise, in Chattanooga, where I am now, there a handful of pipe smokers, but seeing as I work in the only tobacconist in town; I have yet to meet a pipe smoker who started by smoking a hookah. From what I see, Club Stogie is better at recruiting cigar smokers to the pipe than the hookah is to recruiting people to the pipe.

That all being said, I would love to see more people smoking a pipe. Cause as it stands, it sucks being the only one who does.

[hyper_dermic]

wow, where do you live solafid?

Ive NEVER had anyone make a negative remark to my pipe smoking.. cobs or otherwise..

Usually people are very curious about it. They ask.. "wow, do you really smoke a pipe?" "how long have you been smoking it?" and then its usually followed by.. "thats really cool!"


As for smoking on the go, you can pack a pipe.. smoke some, then let it go out and set it down for a while, then pick it back up and smoke it later..

I normally pack a cob for my drive to work which takes 30min. I let it go out when i punch in and get ready for shift change, then when i go outside to check my rig, i light it back up and finish my bowl..
I find it just as convienent as a quick cigg...

[solafid3]

Well, I live in Chattanooga, TN.

And happen to work in a Bar/B&M in which one of my tasks (when I'm not selling cigars) is being a door greeter, so I get to see hundreds of people a night, hence where my experience and comments come from. The only positive comments I get are usually related to how my meerschaum is carved followed by the can you put weed in that question, which get's pretty annoying after the 30th time.

And as for the pack a pipe, smoke some later. You still need to pack it and run a cleaner, and then find a convenient place for your pipe so that ash doesn't get anywhere. A cigg is light and throw the butt somewhere.

Don't get me wrong, I love pipes, and I would never trade pipes for ciggs ever. But from what I saw those 8 reasons aren't good enough for pipes to be fashionable. Especially with the super-efficent rush rush anti-smoking society that we're in today.

[SAjunidog]

Originally Posted by hyper_dermic

wow, where do you live solafid?

Ive NEVER had anyone make a negative remark to my pipe smoking.. cobs or otherwise..

Usually people are very curious about it. They ask.. "wow, do you really smoke a pipe?" "how long have you been smoking it?" and then its usually followed by.. "thats really cool!"


As for smoking on the go, you can pack a pipe.. smoke some, then let it go out and set it down for a while, then pick it back up and smoke it later..

I normally pack a cob for my drive to work which takes 30min. I let it go out when i punch in and get ready for shift change, then when i go outside to check my rig, i light it back up and finish my bowl..
I find it just as convienent as a quick cigg...

Personally I get a large mix of comments. If I'm at a party pretty much all I get is people asking me if its weed. Walking down the street its mostly odd looks, quite a bit of "hey, nice pipe!" (seem to get this one regardless of briar/cob) and the very occasional derrogatory hurf blurf comment (usually only with a cob), including one b*tchy lady walking up to me and shouting "wow, you look like a hick!" and then looking all confused when I wasn't laughing with her.

Edit: also a fair bit of "I didn't realize people still smoked pipes" and a few looks of a sort of nostalgia coming from the older middle-aged and up crowd.

Oh, and pipes might not be a huge hassle, but there still nowhere near the convenience of a cigarette. It takes me maybe 30 seconds to pack, then another 30-60 (depending on the damn wind) to get it lit, tamped, and relit properly, plus you have to carry the pipe, some baccy, a lighter, and a tool. Compare that to 10 seconds whipping out a pack and lighting a cig up, and carrying only a pack and a lighter.

[weetone]

I want a pipe...I think they're bitchin'...next paycheck perhaps

Even before I started smoking, if I ever saw someone with a pipe I'd track them down and have a chat with them about the art.

I think smoking in general is going to make a comeback, because in many ways it's an image thing. For that reason, cigarettes will never die out; kids are always going to smoke them because of the rebelliousness. Then, as they get older, it seems logical to get into cigars and pipes.

Will it get more popular? I doubt it. Why? Because I think the price of smoking is only going to go up in the coming years. And as much as I support the Democrats in the election...they're going to pass that health bill...and bail out of NAFTA. But, that's another story. Point being, as was referenced with the wine, I think that smoking is going to, more and more, be like that, an activity for the privileged. And that's a crying shame.

But, on the other hand, people who smoke are quite passionate about what they do, and are willing to pass their knowledge onto others. Hopefully, that will be enough to keep cigar and pipe smoking alive, and bring new members into the vibrant, worldwide group that we form.

[paperairplane]

Smoking is absolutely not going to get more popular. I don't care what form of tobacco. I see at the least a cost prohibition, if not a legal prohibition in the next 20 years.

Image-wise, if anything the pipe is negative and in no way rebellious. I see it more as a comformist symbol - a throwback to the 40's and 50's ultra-conservatism.

I intend to continue stockpiling tobacco and firearms and smoking in my garage.

[Cheeto]

I tend to agree more along Solafid3's line of reasoning than the ones pointed out in your first 8 reasons. While all the points are valid on some level, it doesn't matter as long as the other options hold the same traits. You could say pipe smoking can be done quickly when you don't have a lot of time, but compared to cigarettes pipes smoke like a snail.

The only way I see pipe smoking catching on to a larger market would be if consumers decided they want to find a way to smoke that's more concrete than cigs. Stemming in with the fashionable aspect you mentioned, there may be a move way from the "just throw it away and grab another" lifestyle that's current right now, into a more eco-friendly mindset in the future. As consumers look to buy items that can last a long time/are durable/can be recycled pipe smoking may pop its head out a little more in public.

All in all I doubt it though, just a pipe dream really

[SAjunidog]

Yeah, I have to agree that the one way they can ever come back is through fashion. Having a unique pipe/aroma is a strong draw. Of course, the two problems with this is that a) it needs something to kick start the trend, like famous celebrities taking it up, or important world figures even and b) with the current anti smoking hysteria thats basically never going to happen again. Smoking could catch on earlier because it was popular in movies etc. and the health risks weren't well known at all. And before anyone mentions it, I know pipes are less risky than ciggs, but there is still certainly some risk, and most people don't know that, and associate any kind of smoking with cigarett risks.

[derbaff]

Originally Posted by SAjunidog

a) it needs something to kick start the trend, like famous celebrities taking it up, or important world figures even and b) with the current anti smoking hysteria thats basically never going to happen again. Smoking could catch on earlier because it was popular in movies etc. and the health risks weren't well known at all.

You're right, the celebs will just stick to more publicly acceptable habits; pot, cocaine... but tobacco, noooo way, that's bad for you.

Will it get more popular? I doubt it. Why? Because I think the price of smoking is only going to go up in the coming years. And as much as I support the Democrats in the election...they're going to pass that health bill...and bail out of NAFTA. But, that's another story. Point being, as was referenced with the wine, I think that smoking is going to, more and more, be like that, an activity for the privileged. And that's a crying shame.

Speaking of socialized health care, over Christmas I witnessed my aunt's borther's wife, a staunch democrat very much in favor of socialized health who JUST had a baby (1 mo old at the time) whom she was breast feeding, smoking pot with my cousins. She's also against cigarettes. go figure.

sigh.

[weetone]

That's just bad parenting oh my. I'm totally in favour of public health care, but raising tobacco taxes isn't the answer.