So last night, after watching the most exciting/frustrating football game of my life (UW vs Baylor), I went outside with my future brother-in-law/former college roommate and smoked my first pipe. He asked me to be the best man in his wedding (so pumped for it!) and got me a wood pipe as a gift.
I smoked — well if you consider two or three puffs “smoking”– my first cigar earlier this month with my dad in Las Vegas. I hated it. I’ve always thought pipes were “classy”, not to mention I love the smell of pipe smoke (reminds me of my Grandpa), so I was excited about the gift.
I was pretty nervous to smoke the pipe, however. If it was anywhere near as nasty as the cigar, I knew it would become nothing more than a sexy paperweight.
While smoking a pipe definitely takes a lot of finesse/skill/patience/matches, I was surprised at how mild the cherry tobacco flavor actually was. I mean, I hate alcohol, chocolate, and coffee because the flavor is just too much for me, but I could hardly taste or feel anything as I drew from the pipe. Kinda neat.
I still don’t really know what I’m doing, but I look forward to spending time with my future bro-in-law again as we sit out on the porch, smoking pipes and pondering life.
Here’s a shot I took as we were about to go outside….
Have you ever smoked anything before? Why does smoking a pipe seem so much cooler than a cigarette or a cigar? Any pipe smokers have any tips or advice for me? Or is it really that old school already since I have observed most people now use those vaping gadgets that seems to be becoming the trend now. I have seen one last week, it’s the photo below and seems interesting.
Photo by www.davincivaporizer.com
p.s. I’ve never smoked a cigarette. Only taken three puffs of a cigar one time, three weeks ago. And will probably smoke from my pipe once every two or three months.
p.p.s. I also took Engagement pictures for them on Wednesday. It was the first time I’ve taken anyone’s engagement pics. It was really rainy but we had a lot of fun. Here are a few of my favorite shots….
Smoking is smoking, tobacco is tobacco. I honestly hope you don’t pick this up as a habit, and despite your good intentions, there’s no way of knowing that you can confine your usage to once every few months. I still remember my co-worker Stu G. from 20 years ago, who gave up cigarettes years before I met hm but still died of lung cancer at 53. Please take up chocolate or coffee instead; even the occasional glass of red wine is better for your health.
“there’s no way of knowing that you can confine your usage to once every few months”
Yes there is a way of knowing. Don’t do it more than once every few months. It would be like saying “there’s no way of knowing that you can continue to eat fast food only once every few months.”
You do understand that tobacco leaves (used in pipe smoking) is different than the tobacco, tar, rat poison, etc used in a cigarette, right? You also know that you don’t inhale pipe smoke. You suck from the pipe like you would a straw, and almost immediately push the smoke out of your mouth. You don’t directly breathe it in to your lungs like cigarette smokers do.
Obviously not trying to say that pipe smoking is good for your health, but in moderation, when using tobacco leaves, and considering you don’t inhale, it’s not the worst decision I’ve ever made.
Start setting money aside for your cancer-related medical bills now…
See above.
I’m with the first two, I sure hope you don’t pick it up as a habit. I think that pipe will do better as a sexy paperweight than as a smoking device. Have to say though, those are some really nice photos you took. They look very professional and so very sweet. Congrats to the couple!
Calm down guys, pipe tobacco isnt the same stuff as whats in a cigarette. There are tons of chemical additives in cigarettes and pipe tobacco, correct me if i am wrong, is just the dried/flavored leaves. Cigarettes are the devil and should not be used ever, i think the pipe is okay. i have never smoked from a tobacco pipe but i bet it would be fun and way less dangerous than a cigarette. on a side note my father is a respitory therapist and he said that one cigarette is worse than two hours of smoking marijuana… take that as you will but, cigarettes are the Devil for sure.
Debonair is how you look. My grandfather smoked a pipe – used to love to watch him fill it with tobacco and the smell was so different. What does Ninja girl think of it? Nothing wrong with smoking it a couple times a year – my hubby smokes cigars a couple times a year too.
oooo fancy pipe! also, fantastic job on those photos!
I don’t like cigarettes, but I used to smoke hookah every few weeks. I gave it up because the amount of smoking you do (since a bowl lasts about an hour) is ridiculous. Now I’ll have a puff or two if someone else has one going, so maybe like… two puffs a month. haha
Cigarettes are the worst; I don’t think smoking hookah or a pipe once a month or so is going to kill you. Just limit the amount of time/puffs you do as well as the frequency. Smoking can be a nice social activity if done in moderation.
I can’t say I remember being around anyone smoking a pipe, but I hate the smell of cigarettes, pot, and cigars so much I can’t say I’m intrigued by the prospect. And I like the engagement pictures – take them with that DSLR you got awhile ago? They look great.
Have to say nice job on the photography. Great posing, comp, and exposures maybe you should take it up professionally 😉
On the pipe health question: I found a study that had a large enough sample size for me to support:
http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/96/11/853.full.pdf
“These risks” (increased risk of death from cancers of the lung,oropharynx, esophagus, colorectum, pancreas, and larynx, and from coronary heart disease , cerebrovascular disease , and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) “were generally smaller than those associated with cigarette smoking and similar to or larger than those associated with cigar smoking.”
“Conclusion: Results from this large prospective study suggest that pipe smoking confers a risk of
tobacco-associated disease similar to cigar smoking”
That study said it took in to consideration number of pipes smoked per day as well as depth of inhalation.
Considering I’ll smoke once every couple months and I don’t inhale, I think the associated risks are significantly reduced.
I’d never try and argue that smoking anything on a consistent and frequent basis is a healthy choice.
Nothing is ever risk free. Regardless of how often you smoke, you are increasing your odds of getting cancer. If you don’t smoke very often the risk is small, but even if it only doubles your risk of dying of disease (from 1 in a million to 2 in a million) is it worth the risk? ALL types of smoking carry much higher risk factors than nearly every other activity that we choose to participate in.
The odds may be small, but is the risk of 10 or 20 years or retired bliss with GN worth smoking anything even a few times? To me the answer is clear.
My (older) brother smoked a pipe, but I have no desire. It looks better than it is. The only attractive part may be the aromatic nature of the smoke, but candles work too.
I have a pipe! It takes patience — that’s for sure! I got my pipe as a gift. It cost $200! I have only smoked it 5 times in the last two years. Thinking about selling it and tossing that into the IRA. What do you think?
If you don’t use it. Get rid of it. That’s my motto at least.
I think this may be the first time I’ve heard of a single person saying they like to smoke (occasionally, but smoke nonetheless), but hate alcohol.
I’ve never smoked ANYTHING; cigarettes, cigars, pot…. nothing at all… my sister’s been smoking since she was about 10 or 11 (about 31 years now)…. I figure she smokes enough for the both of us. It was never my thing, never felt pressured to doing it, and very few (if any) of my close friends smoked… my Dad, my sister, and my Bro-in-law are the only smokers in the family.
The pics look amazing! The 2nd one’s my favourite.
HAPPY NEW YEAR NINJA ANd GN!!!
I’m glad you’ve never smoked. Cigarettes are so not worth it! Pipes are probably not much better…
I don’t smoke, never have. I know you’re not a habitual smoker, but my dad passed away from lung cancer a couple of years ago.
And great pictures!