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Brandon told a very nice story about his grandfather, a special pipe, and his journey to learn of and smoke the heir loom.
It really is a touching story, and very similar to the stories one often hears when a cigar or pipe lover describes how they came to the “hobby”.

My grandfather was also a pipe smoker.
I loved that smell. And being a novice pipe lover myself I truly enjoyed the article.

Brandon even quotes one of the studies out there that indicates the “second hand smoke” issue is less a health issue than a political one.

The article ends questioning the wisdom of blanket smoking bans that go so far as to outlaw smoking… in tobacco shops.
I’m 100% with you Brandon.

But Brandon gets a bit off course when he starts comparing the risks associated with various tobacco products.

Brandon you’re right about cigarettes.
What makes them REALLY dangerous are all the additives that are added. Far from pure tobacco there’s all sorts of chemicals and evil things put in there.
That’s one of the reasons cigarettes need no humidification unlike cigars and pipe tobacco.

But from there I think I have to raise my hand a bit.
For instance did you know that Cigars are generally NOT inhaled?!

It is very rare that a cigar aficionado inhales the smoke. The cigar smoke is meant to be rolled around and tasted.. not inhaled.
Much like the pipe you are learning about. In fact I’d say the percentage of “inhalers” is probably about the same for pipe and cigar smokers.

I’m curious… as an admitted new comer to pipes, and with no experience with cigars… how many cigar smokers did you talk to before writing this? I’m not trying to denounce your process at all but as a writer with an audience I can’t help but feel there was a missed opportunity to address a wider set of misconceptions.

I mean putting cigars any closer to cigarettes than pipes is a disservice to anyone who appreciates tobacco as a hobby vs. a habit.
To us cigars, and pipes, are like a fine wine.
Cigarettes would be…. Malt liquor… or… Mad Dog 20/20… or anything available in a “forty”.

My only other criticism (and I mean all of this as constructive criticism) is that MOST of the time pipes do NOT act as a filter. I’m the first to admit that I am a novice when it comes to pipes, but my “teachers” in this arena as well as my own experience indicates that while it is true filters are available for some pipes… most of the time the shaft of the pipe doesn’t have one. It’s not any more filtered than a straw.

I’m not sure if his article accepts trackbacks but if not I’ll email Brandon and ask him to chime in here.
I think he wrote a great article, and it’s not at all surprising that he had some misconceptions about cigars as a new comer to the world of fine tobacco. But I think it’s important that anyone making a “hey this is different than all those other things!” type statement take a moment to understand those other things.

And Brandon if you do read this…
Enjoy that pipe it sounds like one of those rare and special heir looms that is meant to be used, and loved.
Sitting down with a nice blend and thinking of your Grandfather sounds like a much better tribute than looking at a pipe under glass.

Hey, thanks for the comments about the article. I have smoked cigars before and realize that they are not inhaled. My editor, however, must not have realized that, and she edited my bit about cigars to give it the connotation that they are nearly on par with cigarettes, which was not my intention at all. You can read my unedited article here:

http://cameraoftruth.blogspot.com/2007/02/smoking-lepers.html

Hope that clears things up. And actually, the pipe itself does act as a filter. Some pipes, like Carey Magic-Inch pipes, come with a place to put replaceable filters. But the actual briar wood of a pipe absorbs tar, nicotine and other aspects of the tobacco.

Test it out for yourself. Go to eBay and buy a cheap used estate pipe. Then when you get it, give it the S&A cleaning treatment. Clean all visible tobacco residue. Then fill the bowl to the rim with salt (plug the shank and any other drainage openings). Then fill the bowl with 150 proof alcohol. Let it set for a few hours. Then dump the bowl. Look at all that gunk that comes out. Then repeat the process. Do this as many times as is necessary until no black gunk comes out when you dump the bowl. It will then be clean.

All that stuff is what the pipe has absorbed over the years. Meerschaum pipes absorb even more–being a pure white color when new and turning a dark ebony over time, due to the amount of tar it absorbs. Kirsten pipes, like my grandfather’s, even have a “radiator” in the bottom of the shank that collects all this nasty juice.

It is for these reasons among others that pipes are considered to be one of the safest forms of tobacco use, far safer than cigarettes, and even much safer than cigars.

Posted by: Brandon Dennis on February 15, 2007 at 6:59 am

Cigars Vs. Pipes Vs. Cigarettes

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