Kilts & Pipe Smoking

[mddock58]

But then this the "Off-Topic" Forum

[MacMullen]

Interestingly, after smoking a batch I'm often asked, "Where did you buy that cologne, I want some for my husband/boyfriend/father" by women even anti-smoking women. They get flustered when I tell them that I'm not wearing cologne, they're smelling the remnants of pipe smoke. I've had a few ask me to prove it, so I've happily lit a new bowl and they've all discovered that they love the scent of the blend. It is the only non-aromatic blend I've ever tried where 100% of people like the scent. And some even think it smells better than aromatic blends that smelled.

Thanks again for putting your lungs on the line for your fellow man!

On the cologne topic, I've had the same experience with my cigar smoke, especially if I'm wearing a leather jacket. Fine tobacco leaves behind a fine aroma.

[Graham]

It is well known by anyone who wears a kilt that they are associated with pipes (the musical kind).

The day they become associated with smoking pipes will be the day I will throw my kilts away.
thankfully, I can see neither happening.

[Nick]

Funny, I was thinking about starting a pipe thread the other day. Beat me to it!

I love pipes, and pipe tobaccos. I always knew I wanted to smoke a pipe, and have been since I turned 18.

I have a small and rather eccletic collection on pipes. A Dr. Grabow Grand Duke bent, Duke straight, and Omega with a terrible draw that I can't keep lit. I've also got a Doc G Duke bent that was my favorite until I stepped on it I've also got a full bent that I think was made by Peterson, it's sandblasted only about a third of the bowl, but there were to many flaws. It's stamped "Irish Seconds" which is the Peterson low grade, I think. A generic briar with a beautiful shape I bought in the street market in Tournai (which needs a new stem, it broke in my luggage :-x) A 16" clay, which is a very nice smoke, and a Pioneer calabash, aka "Sherlock Holmes pipe." My one and only meer is a small one in the shape of an eagle's talons holding the bowl (I swore I'd never smoke out of a guy's head ;)). The Grabow GD bent and Duke straight are my usuals.

I just finished off a tin of Mac Baren virginia roll cake, but my favorite is the Mac Baren Scottish Blend (Mixture). Finances may force me to fill up with Captain Black.

I don't smoke very often, maybe a couple times a month, sometimes more, sometimes less. I make sure I don't get addicted to the tobacco, and if I feel anything like a craving I set aside my pipes for a month or two. I'm lucky enough to have someone who tolerates my smoking. In fact, she likes the smell of pipe smoke and thinks pipes are sexy. She won't tolerate cigarettes, which is fine because I'll never smoke them.

I've had a few cigars, but they aren't something I'm going to smoke on a regular basis. Mostly I smoke them celebratorily, such as at the end of a play or semester (speaking of which, I should go get one tonight!) I've encountered cigars that are filled with pipe tobacco, and I like them, but again, not something that will become regular. For one thing, I don't like the plastic bits. But more importantly they remove the ritual from pipe smoking that is what makes it an art.

[Steeplechase]

I haven't smoked a pipe since college, still got them somewhere in the ol' attic. Still have a cigar every now and then, But I don't miss the cigs at all (did while quitting 15 years ago). Course, the cigs ruled me instead of me ruling them. Not to mention they smelled something terrible. I still have a chew everyday, but I never "lived" with a consant chew like my Father in Law does. Also it pays to brush the teeth after every chew, or no kisses!

[GlassMan]

I never have quite understood chew. The flavor is a bit too intense. I tried once and spit it out almost immediately.

And Graham, I respect your opinion and I hope that the day never comes that you feel the need to abandon kilts. You are far to nice and cool a kilt wearer to lose you.

And besides, if pipe smoking ever became that common the prices would increase and I don't need that happening!

[Verlyn]

Glassman, hope you have your fire retardant kilt on with the postings of the pipe/cigars findings. I long ago gave up arguing with anyone on those points. One of the young sailors on my last ship asked me why I smoked a pipe since it took time to fiddle with it and keep it lit. I said, tongue in cheek, "Would you rather I fiddle with my pipe/cigar when someone brings me information that is less than desireable or choke the unlucky messenger?" Is it bad for me? To an extent, but there are calming affects for me and my doctors says he can't argue with my physical condition, pulse, BP and blood counts.

To the point of the topic, I am partial to Danish freehand style pipes and have a collection of about 60 pipes. I also collect odd pipes I find when I'm out and about. I developed my own English style blend when I worked in a tobacco shop while in college several years ago and smoke it to this day. My wife and I were at a Christmas party and the folks there ranged in age from early twenties to upper 60s (excluding the kids) and were all impressed with the kilt. When I got out my pipe, I was a hit since it was not the smelly cigarettes that others were smoking. Interesting reactions. One older gentleman said, "You look great in that kilt and the pipe just adds to it; maybe I should get a kilt and give up cigarettes for the pipe." His wife said, "Would you?"

Sav, please PM me with some information about the Boswell shop. I've heard of it but never found it. I need to know if he does repairs.

[Nick]

I've seen some really nice Danish freehands, but they're almost always out of my price range. I keep looking, though! You never know when you'll stumble on a deal. I got my calabash for fairly inexpensive on eBay, it was less than the average for them was on eBay at the time. Unfortunately, the freehands never seem to slip by unnoticed on eBay.

Another type I'd like, speaking of 'bashes, is a wooden calabash. I've seen a couple different types of briar calabashes, one that's pretty much a regular pipe with a distinctive bowl, and another that has the characteristic bend in the wood that looks like a gourd and makes you wonder just how the heck they drilled the hole. I've only seen a couple, but boy are they nice! A bit smaller than one of those big old Wellingtons, but larger than your average bent briar.

Ah well, a man can dream.

[GlassMan]

Next year you should drive south and hit the Chicago Pipe Show. I get my best deals at the Richmond and DC pipe shows. At the shows is one of the few times that us regular folk get to buy at a STEEP discount.

What's really cool is that I'm something of a local celebrity at these two shows. Everyone knows who I am even if we've never met before because they've heard about the disabled 9-11 firefighter who always comes in a kilt!

Most of the pipe carvers and distributors there just love that I'm kilted and I get even bigger discounts than most folk. There are definitely benefits to being kilted. At the last Richmond show I was given some free Scottish Blend tobacco by a vendor because he liked the kilt so much.

One of my favorite online vendors is Maxim Engel over at http://www.pipes2smoke.com/ and he attends all of the shows. He has a great variety of pipes at really good prices (made even better by his location in Canada and the still slightly favorable exchange rate, although it has worsened of late for US). If you visit his site or call him up, tell him that Phil McKee the kilted guy from DC sent you over there. I'm sure he'll cut you a great deal. He's also really big on customer service. I liked one of the pipes that he designed and had SJ make for his shop. I told him the style I liked and he hand picked one that he knew would meet my tastes right down to the ring grain on the sandblasting and the color of the stain.

[Nick]

Here's a beauty of a pipe. I'd love one like this, if I had a couple hundred to drop on a pipe. I'd try my hand at carving it myself, but I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out just how to drill it. That's got to be one tricky operation!

I'd prefer it in either sandblast OR smooth, but if I got it I wouldn't complain ;) There are some similar ones at www.smokingpipes.com, along with several other very nice pipes.