I grew up around pipes. My Grandfather was a pipe smoker and you would always see him with a pipe. He probably would have smoked one in his sleep if he could. Naturally Pop smoked pipes as we grew up. But when money was tight, he had to lay down the pipe and use that money for food and what not.
I was always fascinated with the pipes. It had nothing to do with like "it looked cool." I never broke under peer pressure either. I got my first pipe back in April 1997 after a tour at NTC California for the Time Magazine article they did on our unit. I've never looked back. While I attended the University, I would go down to the local Tobacco shop which specialized in pipes and I would learn all I could from the good ole boys. I then had some extra money and got my first Peterson pipe. I never bught myself a Corn cob pipe. I always do things big when I do it. I try not to settle for 3rd best when I can have 1st right off the bat. That is if I can afford it and if I can't, I just don't sink down and settle.
I will probably splurge this year and get me a Dunhill pipe. Just to have a nice pipe in the collection that I have. But reading that article closely makes me wonder what the hell some of these kids thinking. Smoking a pipe doesn't make you cool. :laugh: Sure it is relaxing and pretty stressful in the beginning stages of learning to smoke a pipe. I can pack a bowl and have it burn 3 hours without relighting. That all came with time and how 12 years have passed since I bought my first pipe. :thumbs: