Switching to the Pipe... Again....

My pipe posts have been somewhat sparse lately because Madame Nicotine dug her claws into me and hasn't easily let go. So I really hate cigarettes. Really hate them. They smell disgusting they are taxed out the wazoo now, and they are doing me no favors at all. So I decided to attempt and drop the dirty fags for a pipe once again.

I thought about using the drugs commonly available, but honestly, I have had bad luck with them and the side effects are not particularly worth it. In other words, the fraking nicotine/cigarette dreams I get are insanely annoying.

So I recently read an article, you can read it here at Pipedia, in a past issue of the NASPC that detailed how the author was able to finally give up smoking cigarettes and smoke only a pipe. The main premise of the article is basically nicotine content. Most people do not realize it, but one cigarette has about as much nicotine in it as three bowls of pipe tobacco. So by smoking a cigarette I am getting a massive dose of nicotine in a relatively short period off time. As opposed to the hours it would smoke to get the same from my pipe.

So conditioning yourself to deal with the smaller amounts of nicotine is essential. To start the author, Steve Fallon, says to be extremely cognizant of the nicotine content of the pipe blends that you are smoking. And then goes even further to recommend Dunhill's Royal Yacht mixture as a good starting point. Royal Yacht is got a bit of a reputation for turning inexperienced pipe smoker's a little green, something also noted by Mr. Fallon.

Another suggestion is to do something anathema to many pipe smokers out there, inhale. Yes, this can get that bum rush of nicotine into your system faster, which is what we want, but only once or twice at the beginning of the bowl. Then just force yourself to puff slowly as normal.

The rest of the article goes into some other ideas and methods of forcing yourself to slow down and enjoy your pipe. All mainly re-associating your cigarette habit with the much more enjoyable pipe.

Anyway, today was my first day with the pipe primarily. I don't expect to give up the little rolled nicotine sticks just yet, but hopefully I will be able to severely curb my growing habit over the coming weeks.

I wanted to thank Lou Paoletta a Google+ friend for sharing the article with the masses. I hope you have been able to stop Lou, and you prompted me to join the NASPC. So thanks for that as well.

Some obligatory pics of me and the first bowl of Dunhill's Royal Yacht in my old Comoy Guild Hall follow.

Opening the tin for the first time.

Dunhill's Tin Plate

The smell hits here and it is really nice!

Really packed in there. That Dunhill ribbon cut likes sticking to the plate.

Letting it sit for a few minutes before loading. It wasn't too moist in the tin, but needed some time to dry.

Loaded into my Comoy Guild Hall and ready to go.

The first real puff!