Forget the tweed coat and golden retriever. Think Armani jacket and long-legged blonde. We're talking about the cutting edge of future smoke. This is the new image of the pipe the once fashionable symbol of masculinity that is makign a comeback as a stylish way to fire up. But this time around it's nothing like MacArthur's corncob. What's different about pipe puffing today is the attitude of the smoker. Most of pipe smoking's newest converts are stogie lovers--and with good reason. Neither cigar nor pipe smokers inhale, and only pure tobacco is used in quality cigars and piep mixtures. What do you need to get started? Pipes made of unlacquered wood that can breathe to help cool the smoke. Look for well-established brands. such as Dunhill, Nørding and Butz-Choquin, as well as a hot newcomer to the American pipe scene, the Italian manufacturer Don Carlos. The latest styles feature contrasting woods and acrylic or metal trim. Buying several pipes allows your favorite briar to relax between smokes. Like your house after a party, pipe needs a day or so to air out. You'll want to experiment with various tobaccos, just as you smoke different brands of cigars. There are a lot of different blends, but the two main categories are English, which uses a variety of unadulterated tobaccos to create different tastes, and aromatic, in which a number of natural essences are added to the tobaccos, including cherry, chocolate, even bourbon. Of course, a pipe must be cleaned after it's smoked, and you'll need plenty of pipe cleaners to do the job right, along with a tamper to keep your tobacco compressed and a soft a leather pounch in which to tote your favorite mixture, Later you'll want to invest in a pipe reamer for removing excess carbon cake buildup in the pipe bowl. Any good tobacconist can recommend what to buy. The process of filling and packing the bowl takes longer than clipping and torching a fine stogie. But this ritual forces you to relax and bask in the moment. That explains why some of the world's greatest businessmen, philosophers and original thinkers are pipe smokers. After all, look what it did for Hef.
Lighten up, Tobaccophobes, putting fire to the briar is back in style
