The story of two pipes – Video
Today I depart from my general rule about sticking to talking about pipe tobacco write about a pipe in my collection. I am a pipe smoker not a pipe collector. That requires a collection of pipes. This can become confusing.
I admire the collections of the "real" collectors - the ones that go for the grain, the names, the perfection in every detail. I've observed the serious pipe collector from afar enough to understand there is a lot that goes into the collection value of a pipe. I respect that aspect of the hobby we share, its just not my cup o' tea.
Admittedly, my tastes in pipes has crept up over the years. I've burned my tongue and fingers on a basket pipe or two early on. These days I'm willing to spend a lot more for confidence a pipe will smoke well - I just haven't hit the point where I want to pay for much else.
Tobacco on the other hand - that is where I am a nut. I buy, open, and sample far too much tobacco - too much because I often don't get around to smoking it all. That's my compulsion and I'm keeping it. I could go the rest of my life without buying another pipe, but I don't think I could refrain from buying new tobaccos. I tried to go a year and only made it six months.
That in mind, here is the story. I was deployed to Iraq. I had not brought my pipes with me. I had wasted too many tins on an earlier deployment to Afghanistan to an extremely dry climate and dust. That just wasn't good smoking weather and wasn't good for the tobacco.
I spent a good amount of my free time in Iraq window shopping on the internet. A pipe collector would have been looking at pipes, I was reading about tobacco. I made a list of all the tobaccos that caught my interest, prioritized them, and when I was almost done put in an order for them to be delivered to my home in time for my arrival. I ordered a crazy amount of tobacco and felt like the order wouldn't be complete without a pipe so I went for a "cheapie."
It was one of those lower end Savinellis with the balsa insert. No grain, factory cut, but I did and do like the shape. When I arrived home and settled down, I tore into my tobacco order. I had a lot of catching up to do. Here and there I'd throw a bowl in the new Sav and before long realized I was reaching for it a lot.
That pipe saw a lot of use in the following months. Eventually, it began creeping to the back of my rotation as I continued to add more pipes but its never been forgotten and every time I pull it off the rack I am surprised how well it smokes, how nice it feels in my hand or clenched comfortably in my jaw.
As good as it smokes, this will also always be my "Iraq pipe." That ended up being my last deployment. I never had the chance to treat myself to a better pipe at the end of a deployment because I never got to go back before I retired. If I had to thin the herd down to my favorite dozen, that pipe would remain in my collection and I'd say goodbye to pipes I'd spent much more on.
One of the pipes to go would be my birth year Dunhill. This one is the exception to the rule. It smokes horribly - like a basket pipe. I keep it only for the fact it was made in my birth year and I wouldn't want to push off a crappy smoker on someone else. Bad pipe purchases stop here.
If I could only keep 12, I'd keep the dozen that give me the best smokes. There may even be some tilt for pipes that have a story, that were given me by someone special etc. But the Dunhill has to go.
Tell me in the comments below about any pipes you have a special attachment to.
Eric, another quality video. I appreciate your insight. On a personal note, thanks so much for serving our country in the armed forces. I salute all who have served the greatest nation on earth, you are all true American heroes.
As always, this time also I have enjoyed the story as well a video you made Eric. All those pipes in connection with sentiment for them are always playing a big role to us.
I haven’t have such story as yours, but I still have some sentimental pipes I smoke, mainly those that were gifted to me by friends, of which I am thinking warmly each time I smoke the pipe.
I got also one pipe made of pear wood, which was my first pipe I bought in about October 2004 when I started this great adventure with pipe smoking. It always reminds me that tongue bite, my dad who was giving me the best advices on pipe smoking as he could[being not not a pipe smoker]. Well, when my dad passed away this pipe is connected to those sentiments about him, and reminds me him. Being a sentimental chap I think, I might have some stories ahead
with Regards,
Marcin_Pro
I had started off pipe smoking with a ten dollar Dublin shaped pipe made in France. It suited me well because I was a poor college student with a family. I had used that for a couple years before I purchased an eighty-eight dollar Larsen double black bent billiard. I have acquired a few more during the years but that little ten dollar pipe smokes just as well as some of the more expensive ones. My first two will always be special to me due to the events that were taking place in my life. it was not easy going through school with a family and those two pipes remind me how far I have come since then. Thanks for sharing your story. I too served in the military. Six years as a Navy Corpsman and two years in the National Guard as a combat medic. Thanks for your service.
Great story, and thank you for your service as well. I wish I had hung on to my first pipe. It was exposed to a lot of moisture for an extended period and I thought it was ruined. Knowing what I know now, it could have easily been refinished. It was a saddle bit GBD – sort of a pot shape.
Thanks for commenting Marcin. The pipes can really pick up a lot of sentimental value.
Wes, I truly appreciate that. Serving was an honor and privilege and I don’t regret a minute of it.
If the house was burning down I would grab a stubby, pint sized pipe that belonged to my father-in-law, Robert K. Caswell.
Bob was in the 511th PIR, 11th Airborne Division, the only airborne division to fight in the Pacific Theater. They landed at Layte, and jumped into Luzon, Los Banos, and Aparri.
Before shipping out of the U.S.,Bob had a pipe made for him by Ed Kolpin of Ed’s Original Tinderbox in Santa Monica. At the time, Ed’s pipe shop was just a local business located in an old house on Wilshire boulevard. The pipe was made to Bob’s specifications: it was short to fit in the breast pocket of his jump suit. It had a small bowl for a 10 minute smoke, like a cigarette. It was very stocky – if it broke it couldn’t be replaced.
Bob had the pipe in his pocket all the way through Okinawa and onto the occupation of Japan. He had at the surrender ceremony on the U.S.S. Missourri when he was part of General Swing’s staff.
He still took it with him whenever he went out to dinner so he could have a quick smoke.
I’ve been taking care of it since Bob died in 1994. Every year on May 28th, which is both our birthdays, I light it up. His favorite Balkan Sobranie is no more, so I make due with Nightcap.