Why pipes are for older people doesn't make sense

[SAjunidog]

Originally Posted by tazziedevil

when i smoked my pipe at college, I would always get lots of people asking "Dude, is that weed in there?" and after assuring them it wasn't, they would give me a strange look and walk off again.

I did go to the University of Oregon, though. Might explain part of it.

Certainly not unique to Oregon, I get that everywhere. Personally I don't think the pipes = grandfather image is going to change for a long time at least, because there simply aren't enough younger smokers to disprove it. As for the image it puts off I'm with DPP.

[PipesandGOP]

Originally Posted by ML1980

I don't care what pople think. LOL I love Tobacco, It don't matter in what shape are form, Chew, Cigars , Cigarettes, Pipes, I even like buying different cigarette tobacco and rolling my own. And I think alot of people here feel the same.

Amen!

I agree with what everyone's saying about the merits for cigars and pipes for sure- a cigar's always great when you're out, much easier to smoke than the pipe. My pipe's kinda like my "me" time, when I'm either doing the things I enjoy most like a good hike or riding through the country, or just unwinding after a long day.

And I just found out about the trends of yesteryear the other day. This old psychologist came in where I work the other day and I mentioned something about falling asleep under a tree with my pipe during lunch and he laughed and started talking about how he had a little dunhill billiard he got in his 20's because that was the thing to do in that proffesion, especially if you wanted to appear to be a know it all 25 year old lol.

[Mr.Lordi]

This is how I always assumed people thought of pipes.


teenage-20's with pipe=

30's-40's= intelligent professionals. (psychologist and stuff)

50+= the norm (in terms of pipes that is.)

Edit: Nothing like a broad generalization, about broad generalizations. lol


I notice when I say I smoke cigars and pipe tobacco, people disregard the last part and go "Oh, cigars?" apparently they think all young people with pipes are pot smoking hippies. I tend to take offense, cause I have never smoked pot nor intend to ever do so. It's not even older people with that stereotype either, its young people as well.

I made fun of a friend of mine once. She had a corncob pipe and I was like "Oh, I have one too" and she was like "I use mine for pot" yeah, that killed the conversation. Although I did get her to try my Frog Morton once. She said it taste like plastic. She loved MacBarren navy flake though. So the consensus is "Stoners love MacBarren" lol. I gave her a short, corn cob I had cause I didn't use it often. I can only wonder what is happing to that poor cob.

anyways, before I digress anymore from the topic, I just want to add that you do what you like, regardless of what age group the sterotype might be. If a pipe is your thing, enjoy it. I do suggest though, not to be too into stuff "older gentleman" might be into. Cause incontinence in college is definitely not cool. lol

[BigFrankMD]

I started smoking a Pipe at 23. For me, I have always been a fan of tobacco. Early years of skoal and cigarettes slowly led me into a B&M where I picked up cigars. Then after coming across this site, I was pushed down the pipe slope.

Smoking a Pipe is just another means in my endless quest to destroy all things Tobacco by means of a fiery death.

[Gambit]

I started with a pipe at around 21 years old and I was serious. I bought a book on the art of pipe smoking, saved some hard earned money, bought a couple of semi-expensive freehands and drew those strange looks from the general public.

It was something I enjoyed a great deal for a few years. Then cigars came into the picture.

There was a pipe shop in Baton Rouge in the late 70's (ancient history) where the old pipe smokers were very helpful and fostered my interest. I think it was a Tinder Box.

A big part of the pleasure was holding, maintaining and just holding the pipe. It was an 'experience' to own and care for beautiful smoking implements and the feel of smooth warm briar to the hand was fine. I think most pipe smokers enjoy the 'experience' of the pipe.

For some unknown reason, I now prefer cigars. But, that's just me.

[Arizona]

I started smoking a pipe at 18 and all thru college- a corn cob that I still have in fact. Through the years I've set my pipes aside for various periods of time over the years but I always kept them nicely packed away when not in a smoking period of life. But now in my mid-40's I enjoy my pipes more than ever and it's a part of my daily routine.

The relaxation and those moments of contemplation and peacefullness of smoking a favorite old pipe are some of life's greatest...

[Some Dark Holler]

It's strange, I never had that reservation about breaking my puffer out in public. When I got my first pipe I was just thinking about how awesome it was that I actually had a pipe. I always kind of idolized the pipe, I guess you can idolize on object... Anyway, I think my personality just prevented me from having that reservation, I was ready to rebuke anyone who called me grandpa for smoking it.

I have gotten the weed smoking question, and, remarkably, I've had people ardently deny that I actually just use it for tobacco. However, I have also had a lot of good experiences with it. I've made friends with people who come up and say, "Whoa, you're smoking a pipe? That's so cool." Then I usually give 'em a little puff and explain some of the nuances of it.

I've also noticed a surprising number of other young pipe smokers around campus. Obviously it doesn't compare to the number of people smoking cigarettes or cheap cigars, but there are more than I would've guessed. In fact, just the other night I met a chap who inherited 6 pipes from his grandfather but had barely messed with them because he didn't really know how to go about the whole process. He's going to break them out and I'm going to help give them a good cleaning, then I'll share my 'baccy and we'll have a jolly good time.

[RJpuffs]

Originally Posted by Some Dark Holler

...I have gotten the weed smoking question, and, remarkably, I've had people ardently deny that I actually just use it for tobacco. ...

I get really irritated with those inane questions "whaddya smokin in that thing?" - I usually snap back with equally idiotic responses:
"Mayonnaise"
"Chicken"
"Toothpaste"
or whatever comes to mind. Works wonders.

[dls]

I'm 19, and I've been smoking a pipe and cigars since right after I turned 18. I agree that the stereotype is a little off, but it appears to be on its way out. I've encountered nothing but warm welcomes to the pipe community from all of the older pipers, who seem to be more concerned with the preservation of this hobby, dare I say art, than they do the age bracket of the practitioner.

[Cruiscin90]

I started smoking pipe in high schoool. I noticed the exact same thing you did: it's so cheap, and you can get good stuff for cheap as well.

As cigarette prices continue to rise, pipe will gain momentum, just as cigarillos have. I enjoy my pipe very much, although I'd always prefer a cigar. Still, when I'm strapped for cash (which is often!) I'll definitely pack a pipe.

I don't know when pipe became the elderly thing to do. Maybe it's always been like that. It seems like something that would have started around the civil war. Of course, that's just conjecture, and nothing else

Anyway, I totally agree with you.

[dkbmusic]

Out of all of the pipe smokes that I know IRL, all but TWO are under 30 years old (and one of those two is me!). I agree that there is a new pipe boom that is starting.

[OldCode]

I believe I was 19 or 20 when I picked up a pipe. I have smoked one off and on ever since. I think all the pipe smokers need to puff more in public. The reason that it’s an “old man” hobby is because it went out of favor for a while with the “anti-smoking” movement and our culture got in a dang hurry.
Like many of you I have been surprised at the people I meet that have smoked a pipe or have been thinking about it. I have met lots of people that may be opposed to cigarettes but have no problem with pipes. I think that for us young guys the pipe is has a curious intrigue about it and could become popular again. And for some of the older generations the pipe may remind them of “old men” but also of times in the past when sitting on the front porch with a pipe and chatting with your neighbor was the norm. I really hope that a great deal of the “anti-smoking” movement was driven by the typical push of young people that want to buck the establishment. If this is so then we could be blessed with the same push but with a fresh generation that want the establishment to stop putting up “no smoking” signs and let us do what we please…and enjoy a nice bowl of tobac.

[DubintheDam]

Life doesn't make sense...dub!

[volum]

Originally Posted by parris001

I'm a pipe smoker because of the price and the fact that I find the baccy selection more flavorful.

That about sums it up for me as well.

[dkbmusic]

You know, over the last couple of months that I've been hanging out in my local B&M, I'd say easily 50% of the people that come in to the shop are looking at pipes and they are all in their twenties. I think it's a good sign for the future...