“A pipe in the mouth makes it clear that there has been no mistake–you are undoubtedly a man.” A. A. Milne

The attitude about smoking has changed enormously in my lifetime.    When I was 24 or so, I started smoking cigarettes – it seemed to be the popular thing to do in my crowd.  But I stuck to menthols and didn’t inhale.  At first I would only smoke in a social situation – so just a few a week. 

But then I noticed an addiction forming and at that time the initial health warnings started to appear in the press.  So, after only a few months of cigarette smoking, I switched to pipe smoking.  I could get the nicotine to appease the addiction and present a more unique personal sophistication.  I fell in love with the art of pipe smoking.  It had many of the hobby-forming complexities and nuances that wine has – one can choose the type of pipe (briar, meerschaum, corncob,…) and mix your own tobacco from a dozen or so commonly available basic ingredients.  .  Then there were all of the accoutrements – pipe reamer, humidor, pipe stand - that reflected your personal taste (and bank account). 

There were a couple of “store bought” blends of tobacco I could smoke but they didn’t compare in taste with what I could blend myself.  I would experiment – ¼ Cavendish, ½ Virginia and ¼ Latakia, and so on.  I eventually settled on ¾ Cavendish and ¼ Latakia.  I also found an inverse relationship between the aroma of the smoke and the taste.  Some the nicest smelling commercially available pipe tobacco – often a “cherry blend” - had, for me, a horrid taste.

With a pipe I could – and often did – quit for a couple of weeks if I got a cold or the flu.  The addiction didn’t seem as strong.

Early in my professional career, one could smoke almost anywhere – including committee meetings.  If one got asked a hard question, cleaning out your pipe, reloading it, and lighting it could buy you 5 minutes of time to think about your answer.

I generally had about 6 pipes that I regularly used.  One had to “break in” a new pipe.  Honey was used on a briar pipe to form a layer of charcoal in the pipe bowl.  A meerschaum, properly used, would gain a light golden patina on the outside.   Pipe smoking could become a religion.  I miss pipe smoking.  I quit over 30 years ago, but if I were informed that I had 6 months to live, I’d head to the nearest pipe store.  I know where it is.   During a Dr.’s visit I plan the route.

© 2014 Lester C. Welch