has anyone seen "the last polka"? It's an HBO movie that John Candy made years ago, absolutely worth looking up. Hilarious. The opening scene has this pipe smoking scene. 😂
I can relate to the dinosaur. I often feel like the last of a breed. It is nice to have TPL to let us know that we are part of an ever growing fraternity of pipe smokers.
@thebadgerpiper Fantastic, thanks for sharing, love that stuff and LIFE mag in general.
@RockyMountainBriar Yes I noticed most were straight pipes as well, and while I prefer bent pipes it makes me wonder if it was a style thing or that straight pipes were just more available back in the day.
I could be off base, but straight stemmed pipes, especially in the 50s and 60s, were in vogue. The bents, at that time, carried with them a stigma of an "old man" pipe. Most of the actors and entertainers wanted to convey a youthful image... Obviously other factors could come into play, but I'm pretty sure that's one of them...
@Zouave I've done some research into churchwardens and other types of long stemmed pipes in history. From what I've read, the stem comes out of the bowl. Easier to pack and carry. Some of those stems were actually two pieces.
I'll see if I can find the source and post it here if I can find it.
Wildly popular today, thanks to the Lord of the Rings series of films, the Churchwarden’s actual origin dates back to well before Tolkien’s masterpiece was scribed. Churchwarden pipes had their debut in Europe thanks to the Austrian light cavalry who brought them to England and France during the Napoleonic Wars. One of the primary advantages (and indeed the defining feature) of the Churchwarden is the distance between the bowl and the bit. Churchwardens are very long on account of stems that reach nine inches in length or more. The smoke must travel this great distance, and so it has more time and surface area in which to cool, resulting in what many consider to be a more pleasurable smoke. This advantage, however, is met by its respective drawbacks. Churchwardens are notoriously inconvenient to carry around, and their small bowls only allow for a brief smoke. In the proper setting, however, all these drawbacks are quite easily forgotten.
Since Churchwardens are defined by the stem length rather than the bowl shape, their bowls can theoretically assume any shape. We challenge you, however, to show us an experienced pipe maker who would dangle an Oom paul or a Volcano off the end of a slender 9” stem. Prince, Dublin, and Cutty-style Churchwardens are much more sensible. Churchwardens have also been called “reading pipes,” since the extended length prevents the bowl from obstructing a reader’s view.>>
Comments
http://www.angelfire.com/music5/mahlerfan/famous.html
I mean, this is genuine Americana, after all......
"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors." ~ also Mark Twain.
What a great find. Thanks for the post!
Leonard
@RockyMountainBriar I wasn't aware of it at first, but you're right. Straight pipes are a bit easier to handle on the go, so maybe that's why?
@Londy3 Nice find! I love that Nemoy picture.
Obviously other factors could come into play, but I'm pretty sure that's one of them...
I've done some research into churchwardens and other types of long stemmed pipes in history. From what I've read, the stem comes out of the bowl. Easier to pack and carry. Some of those stems were actually two pieces.
I'll see if I can find the source and post it here if I can find it.
https://pipedia.org/wiki/Churchwarden_Pipes
https://pipesmagazine.com/forums/threads/a-question-for-our-european-pipe-historians.65326/
https://rebornpipes.com/2015/04/25/concerning-the-rising-popularity-of-churchwardens-in-general-a-little-about-their-history-and-the-cleanup-of-a-barely-smoked-savinelli-rustic-aged-briar/
https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/all-pipes-considered-churchwardens
https://www.tobaccopipes.com/a-complete-guide-to-tobacco-pipe-shapes-almost/#Churchwarden
According to https://thepipeguys.com/smoking-pipe-shapes-guide/
<<Churchwarden
Wildly popular today, thanks to the Lord of the Rings series of films, the Churchwarden’s actual origin dates back to well before Tolkien’s masterpiece was scribed. Churchwarden pipes had their debut in Europe thanks to the Austrian light cavalry who brought them to England and France during the Napoleonic Wars. One of the primary advantages (and indeed the defining feature) of the Churchwarden is the distance between the bowl and the bit. Churchwardens are very long on account of stems that reach nine inches in length or more. The smoke must travel this great distance, and so it has more time and surface area in which to cool, resulting in what many consider to be a more pleasurable smoke. This advantage, however, is met by its respective drawbacks. Churchwardens are notoriously inconvenient to carry around, and their small bowls only allow for a brief smoke. In the proper setting, however, all these drawbacks are quite easily forgotten.
Since Churchwardens are defined by the stem length rather than the bowl shape, their bowls can theoretically assume any shape. We challenge you, however, to show us an experienced pipe maker who would dangle an Oom paul or a Volcano off the end of a slender 9” stem. Prince, Dublin, and Cutty-style Churchwardens are much more sensible. Churchwardens have also been called “reading pipes,” since the extended length prevents the bowl from obstructing a reader’s view.>>