Dwelling in the Land of Pipe Smokers: Part II

(Part Two in a four-part series on one of my favorite hobbies: pipe smoking.)

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A quantum leap in my education occurred when I stumbled upon alt.smokers.pipes, a pipe smoker's group and chat room. The chat room offered real-time fellowship with pipe smokers and connections with fellows literally across the globe who revere the briar and the sacred weed. I learned that there are indeed many more pipe smokers out there--people dedicated to keeping the art of pipes and everything pipe-centric alive. Many of these fellows were PhDs, whilst I was just beginning work on my Bachelor’s degree in Pipery. However, it was a friendly place, full of camaraderie, and upon arriving, I knew I belonged.
Pipe smoking, I found, was relaxing. It reminded me of fishing. I realize that is not a logical link, but for me the similarities lie in that while I am either fishing or smoking a pipe, I am thinking of little else. My mind disengages from the outside world and all that exists at the time is within the circle including me, my pipe and my pipe gadgets. For fishing, the circle is a little bigger, as it has to include the lure/bait and the 30-or-so feet of monofilament between us both.
I began buying new pipes, new tobaccos and the gadgetry of pipe smoking. I began educating myself on the things I needed to know to avoid tongue bite, the plague of all new pipe smokers and the one thing that turns most novices against the hobby. I began to learn the differences in tobaccos and blends, finding some I liked and some I didn't like so much.
Eventually, I built myself a pipe cabinet, based on my own original design. It remains one of  the woodworking projects of which I'm most proud. My pipe collection has grown over the years, now consisting of 40-or-so different pipes. Some are in my regular rotation, some slip in on rare occasions, and others I never smoke yet don't want to get rid of. I bought some new and some used, some online and others from brick-and-mortar locales. I have my favorites, for sure. Some are sentimental favorites. Others smoke well. Yet others I like because of their looks. Many of my favorites exist in two or more of these categories.
Pipes have an interesting history, reaching back hundreds of years, yet they still have a modern appeal for many, myself included. What can I say? I love pipes!
(Pictured: Savinelli #611 Sandblast; another from my collection)
(To be continued.)