I have never been a cigarette smoker or any other kind of smoker, ever. But pipes and pipe tobacco sparked my interest about 3 years ago at a family BBQ. The father of a family friend was visiting from Europe, and was at the BBQ. After dinner he took out his little leather pipe pouch and prepared his pipe for smoking with outmost care. When he lit the pipe, my entire childhood, and my old family flashed right before my eyes. It was great!
A bit of back history… My uncle and my grandfather used to smoke pipe, and I was around the smell and room note of pipe tobacco most of the day. To me it smelled like a bakery slash candy shop rolled into one.
Since then, every time I smell aromatic pipe tobacco it reminds me of my childhood, and the good times.
So like many other pipe beginners I got myself a corn cob pipe and some Captain Black, but I did not smoke it right away. In the first few month I was just smelling the tobacco bag. The aroma was incredible. Towards the end of the two months I mustered the courage to light up…. I hated it!
I must mention that in those first few months I was so into it that I had purchased about a 100 tins of the most popular tobaccos, according to YouTube, and Tobacco Reviews, and about 15 mid prices Savinelli briar pipes. All without even lighting up first to see if I liked it. Needless to say I was panicking that I had spent the money on a hobby that I was not going to enjoy.
So, I tried to sell the tobacco and the pipes. But to my dismay no one wanted to buy it, something having to do with "tobacco taxes" and a license to sell tobacco.
Anyhow… A few more months passed, and I though I will give it a go again to see if anything changed. So I tried Captain Black again and it was utterly disgusting. But I did not give up, I tried a few bulk aromatics, and it was not as bad. I had read articles and watched videos on how beginners should not try heavy English and Latakia blends until they are more used to pipe smoking, but I did not care and jumped right into it. I loved it! The smell of Latakia was like burning tires at first, and the 8 ounces of Larry's blend I had purchased 4 month prior was so stinky to me that I had double bagged and sealed it in a mason jar.
Lo and behold, latakia smelled and tasted great. It was huge relief that I did have to throw away all that great tobacco.
Well since then, I have amassed over 50 purchased pipes, 45 or so pipes that I made, and over 200 tins of tobacco, and maybe around 30 pounds of bulk blends. Loving every minute of it.
Happy puffin, and don't forget to buy a pipe, or two.
; )