The Gentleman's Pipe Smoking forum

Churchwarden wrote: »

Hello everyone. Lets talk pipes and pipe tobaccos. My name is Churchwarden and I am a keen pipe smoker and pipe collector.

This forum is for the experienced and novice piper. Pipe smoking is an growing hobby, again, and I would like to hear from people sharing their experiences with various pipe models, tobaccos, social stigma and acceptance and other general pipe related topics.
Also if you are new to pipe smoking, don't be afraid to ask for advice or help in starting your new hobby. Remember, there are no such things as stupid questions Mod Snip. Eventually I am to organize a regular Pipe Club when we have enough interest online. So stay tuned.

Tomorrow I will be collecting 3 new 10" Churchwardens and a brand new 6" bent. No markings or branding as they were hand crafted by a local Dublin craftsman. So really looking forward to carbonizing those bad boys and also trying the Peterson's 2012 Christmas blend.

So what pipes do you have and what do you fill them with?

Hi Churchwarden. Glad to see a another pipe smoker/collector. I was surprised to hear that we have a pipe carver in Ireland (other than Petersons). What kind of a pipe was it?

He must have some amazing talent creating 4 pipes. I am glad you you got your pipes from him as it may encourage him to make some more. Never had a wooden stem myself (most of mine were bakelite or acrylic). Have you tried the retort method of sterilizing them? That might help you with the wooden stems.

Aside from Petersons, I know there is a clay pipe maker in Ireland. I forgot the place where she makes it. yes, I used to have Nording's designs before. Beautiful lines on those.

I used to have a number of pipes when but gave them all away. I am currently not in Ireland, so I miss smoking my pipes. Once I get back to Ireland, I will start smoking my pipes again. Churchwardens really provide a cool smoke but I am too shy to smoke them outside. I personally prefer to smoke half bents and straights. As for bacca, Old Dublin is my staple. What blend do you go for Churchwarden?

Churchwarden wrote: »

Maybe try a longer pipe or a softer tobacco. Some heavy English tobaccos can give a bite but it is also a thing of trial and error. I also suffered bite at the start but soon vanished when I found the right tobacco to condition the tongue.

Thanks Churchwarden! Unfortunately my bank account somewhat limits my ability to buy more pipes/too many new tobaccos. I'm going to go with researching different tobaccos as much as possible before buying. That, or win the euromillions! :P

I think Emmet might have a point there. I would love to see a show or documentary on traditional crafts with pipe making included. But I know it can be tough as anyone who gives backing to such a show can have a lot of bad publicity. Sad world we live in. I heard that they wanted to take away the iconic pipes in Santa Claus and Sherlock Holmes pictures. No problem about not being able tio give more information on the art exhibit. I am sure when the time comes, you can always give me links to the show with pictures.

That is indeed a modern and sleek looking pipe in that link. It reminds me of pipes by Vauen. I know there was another sleek pipe by Porsche design. You might be stopped more often by the Garda too asking what you got in the pipe! I am kind of old fashioned when it comes to pipe though. I stick to the classic shapes. When I get really brave, I might try to get a Danish freehand but thats about as modern as my backwards mind will go. As far as pipe making is concerned, I think handmade freehand pipes might be the way to go instead of starting a factory. I know there is a demand for them with a good profit margin for the pipe maker to make a living. I was thinking about making going through the latter route which will allow me to release a bit of my creativity and love in the Arts. I wish there was an old time pipe maker in Ireland who can teach me ropes in pipe crafting. The pipes I made were done from what I learned from the internet. I didn't have a proper pipe maker to teach me the craft.

Not a problem about the exhibition Churchwarden. I will wait till the exhibition is on. I have had plenty of my ships sunk due to loose and I perfectly understand.

I would be grateful if your feelers can get some information about folks being able to teach pipe crafting. I know a few folks in America who were willing to teach me. I was doing some refurbishing of pipes for free for some when I was in Eire. I learned quite bit aboure the engineering of the pipes through that experience. I can't wait to get back to Ireland to get back into the pipe world.

Another aspect to consider is starting a small pipe tobacco enterprise. A lot of old recepies have been lost and I hope to gather them and start making them in small batches. Additionally, I think ropes and twists made the old fashioned way might create a demand for these bacca. Although currently, a well know company makes them, they are almost all machine made. I think there is a museum in Germany that shows how they used to do it those days. Might be something I might get into later on if I see there is a market for it.

Does anyone know of any decent tobacconists/pipe shops in Athlone?

Are there any pipe smoking clubs in Ireland? I've seen quite a few online and i think they are a good idea, it would be a great way to meet new people with similar interests.