Pipes and Tobaco: A Vice as Old as Man

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Health Concerns and Benefits

 

As long as civilized man has been around there has always been the urge to smoke tobacco, and one of the most ancient ways to do so has been the tobacco pipe, so it is no surprises that this is a skill that is imbedded in the genetics of the modern day man.
Today's man tends to stay away from any use of tobacco. Given the  mountain of data to say tobacco is bad for your health, and the amounts of additives cigarettes companies but in their tobacco that cause these health issued, this is understandable. With the addictive nature of nicotine, a key component of tobacco, many who have never smoke tend to stay away. However like with many vices of man, with proper moderation comes benefit.

Like alcohol, whose properties when used in moderation help to reduce high blood pressure and heart disease, tobacco when used sparingly can also produce several health payoffs. For starters the nicotine, though the addictive component, is an effective stress relief, and some studies have also shown that tobacco when used sparingly can help to raise a low testosterone level.

I personally smoked cigarettes for 4 years and quite when I realized it was causing my childhood asthma to return, therefor, I do not condone the habit, and can speak for the health risk and addictive nature. With that said, I have not touched a cigarette or cigar in over 3 years, though I do like to indulge from time to time in a little bit of pipe smoking after a long days work. Just remember that moderation is the key and if you have an addictive personality, this might not be a skill you want to partake in. Tobacco does have dire health consequences if use in abundance.

History of Pipe Smoking 

 

Pipe smoking has been around since 500 B.C. Native Americans  have used long used pipes in religious ceremonies and to seal covenants between tribes, and in European culture the smoking of a pipe was a sign of a distinguished man who took time to enjoy the finer things in life. Pipe smoking is one of the few things that has no cultural border. It  has been seen in all seven continents, and even spread to to isolated cultures like Japan, who have their of distinct style of pipe called the Kiseru.

Pipe smoking is also important character element in many literary aspects of European culture from Sherlock Holmes, and Huck Finn to just about every character in the books of J.R.R. Tolkien. Even some depictions of Santa Claus describe him as having a pipe clenched between his teeth. Not to mention many of histories greatest gentlemen have been pipe smokers, including Douglas MacArthur, Ernest Hemmingway, and Albert Einstein who said, "I believe that pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgment in all human affairs."

Pipe Smoking 101

 

When it comes to selecting your perfect pipe its important to know what you want. Pipes are made of a variety of materials, in and an array of style. You can go to your local tobacco hut and buy a cheap pipe for as low as five dollars, however, doing so may give you a bad first experience. My first experiment with pipe smoking was when I was eighteen and involved a cheap  90 cent corn cob pipe. Needless to say I didn't attempt pipe smoking again for another five years. With that said you don't have to go out and spend eighty dollars on your first pipe. You can find a decent first pipe  for between twenty-five and forty dollars.When picking materials, it is best to stick with a synthetic pipe to start. Wood and Clay pipes are amazing and give a distinct taste to the tobacco, but they generally need to be treated and can easily be burned, cracking the inside and allowing bacteria to grow which will cause your tobacco to sour when smoking.

As for shape and style that's all up to you. The design of the pipe has no affect on the tobacco, so you can decided whether you want to look like a 1960's NASA flight control man or a distinguished Civil War Officer.

The last thing to select when it comes to your pipe is your tobacco. Now I swear by Captain Black pipe tobacco but its all up to you. Many local tobacco shops sell pipe tobacco and if possible ask if the sales clerk will let you open a pack and smell it. Tobacco is like wine in that the better it smells to you, the better its going to taste.

Now now that you have your pipe and tobacco there is one last thing to do. Before you go grab your lighter and try to light up that pipe, sit down and watch some videos on pipe smoking. There is a very specific way to smoke a pipe, and unfortunately there is no good way to give written instructions on how to smoke. The only way to learn is by watching other. I suggest the following video. The vlogger has done a whole series on beginner pipe smoking with some manly humor.

  I could write a small book on how to smoke a pipe, but you'll find out as I did that the best way to learn the skill is to watch other. Fortunately however, I have comprised of a small list of do's and dont's.

Do's

•   Use matches to light your pipe.
• This keeps you from overheating your tobacco and burning your tounge
• Clean your pipe out regularly
• If the tobacco has been in there longer than a week it can get stale or sour to the taste
•  Puff or "Sip" you tobacco
• Think of pipe smoking like wine tasting, your there to enjoy the flavor of the tobacco
• Sit and relax
• Pipe smoking is like having evening tea, your there to calm down, relax, and take time to think

Don'ts

• Use a lighter
• Lighters not only burn the tobacco but give pipe smoking a bad image. Your a gentleman not hippy
•  Pack new tobacco on old tobacco
• Not only will you get the sour taste of old tobacco, but the taste of the already burned part of the old tobacco
• Inhale the smoke
• Inhaling is just bad for your health
• Get discouraged
• You will be relighting your pipe alot as you smoke it, this is normal. Pipe smoking like any skill must be practiced.

Conclusion

In closing, Pipe smoking is trait that is at the very core of manly society, from generals to scholars. Though it does pose a health risk when over used, with moderation it can give you some  health benefits. So if your looking for a manly vice that has a long past and a more dignified look than the common "cowboy killers," pipe smoking may be up your ally.