First pipe bought

Glfjunke

I was 15 and a friend drove us downtown St.Louis to Jost Pipe Shoppe, where Harvey sold us each a pipe and a pouch of their best blend. I remember it was https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1295/7985/files/General_Repair_Form103116.pdf?4228960122075201858 ribbon cut and very light in color,probably a Virginia .

JosiahWN

Mine was a Dr. Grabow Savoy textured pipe that I actually got from an antique store. I probably spent too much on it because I knew nothing about pipes when I got it. I then picked up a bulk bag of a cheap virginia blend that was not very flavorful. So from there everything only got better.

TtWmIATA

A straight, amber stemmed Missouri Meerschaum Legend and a pouch of Half & Half.  More than thirty years later I've only ever bought two pouches of Half & Half and wasn't able to finish either, but cob pipes are another matter entirely. I still have that first Legend, which has adorned many a snowman made by my kids, and have purchased many other cobs since.   

frushour007

I first got into the pipe hobby a few years ago when my younger brother gave all of his groomsmen pipes.  He had them all custom engraved with something special for each.  Mine had a chessboard etching, his friend moving to Hawaii had a pineapple on it, etc.  The first one I bought for myself was a Dr. Grabow Grand Duke.  I loved it and have bought at least 4 other Dr. Grabows since (among many, many others #PAD), with my last 2 being a Dr. Grabow Royalton and a Royal Duke.  Hard to beat them for the price.

armando

I bought a Missouri Meerschaum Washington cob at a CVS. I used it for a video comedy sketch and never smoked it. 5 years later when my pastor invited me to pipe and cigar night. I saw one guy smoking a pipe and thought, "that looks awesome." So I lit it up within the next few days once I sourced some tobacco, shortly after got a Peterson for Christmas. It's coming up on 1&1/2 years.

Gordon

Mine was a Kaywoodie Tricorn shape. (I sawed off the metal "filter). 

Hitz53

A Medico in 1970. Bought from the Sav-On drugstore.

Kmhartle

My first pipe was a made in Italy, no-name, rusticated, straight apple purchased from a seconds basket in Anchorage, Alaska nearly 30 years ago. It remains one of my favorite pipes and best smokers.

xDutchx

My first pipe was a rusticated L'Anatra sitter. Little did I know, what a slippery slope it would become.....

Rshey1

Missouri meerschaum cob and black Cavendish I was hooked never looked never looked back. Although I don't smoke Cavendish. By itself anymore

motie2

@xDutchx -- I've never seen a pipe like that. Very nice, especially for a first pipe!!!

xDutchx

@motie2, thanks, I have been told before that it is a unique shape. Surprisingly, the pipe is still in good shape, considering the abuse it took while I learned to smoke a pipe.

ghostsofpompeii

I guess you would call my first pipe more of a novelty than a real smoking man's pipe. I was 13 at the time and was looking for something really cool. And for a 13 year old ... something really cool happened to be a cheap basket pipe in a drug store shaped like a skull with two ruby red eyes. Of course the rubies were cut glass, but still gave it a devilish glare. I actually had that pipe well into my Senior year in high school when I ended up losing it to or from the beach one afternoon. 

Bonanzadriver

Neat thread.

My first pipe was given to my by a dear friend and mentor Jim, a retired Marine General that set me on the path of good cigars, pipes & Scotch back in the early 80's.  We were out sailing his sloop from Milton down to Ft. Walton Beach.  After we anchored for the night and had finished dinner he came up topside with a small box in one hand and some round tins in the other.  He handed me the box saying "hey, I picked this up for you", it was a Dr. Grabow Bent Bulldog.  I don't recall what the tobacco was that night, but it was an unforgettable evening with a great friend, playing our guitars, drinking single malt and smoking pipes. 

motie2

I was in Rite-Aid pharmacy today. SWMBO was shopping for sundries, and I was looking for pipe cleaners. But lo and behold, I spot two Dr. Grabow pipes. One was $42 and the other $38.

It may be left over prejudice from my pipe smoking days in the 60's, but why on earth would anyone pay that kind of money for a Dr. Grabow, when, say on eBay, one could get a much finer used/estate pipe (IMHO) for approximately the same cost? (I bought two beautifully grained name brand pipes for $15.00 a piece. A good cleaning and away we go. Of course, I did get one with a Latakia ghost that I'm trying to exorcise for a second time. The damn thing won't die....) 

I've perused http://www.tobaccopipes.com/dr-grabow-pipes/ and noted the prices are in line with what I saw in the drugstore, and I found http://www.tobaccopipes.com/yello-bole-pipes/ to be more realistic, taking into account the passage of decades, but still.....

In my mind a MM cob is a good pipe, but Dr. Grabow and Yello-Bole? Pass.

Or am I wrong, and I'm living in the past?

TeCarp

My first pipe was a Dr Grabow Duke bent apple.  My parents gave it and a tin of Sir Walter Raleigh to me for Christmas when I was 14.  Sadly, that pipe disappeared years ago.  The first pipe I bought myself was a Whitehall Saratoga slightly bent dublin.  It's also gone the way of all flesh, but the memories remain.

piperdave

First pipe was a GDB Rhodesian from a Tinder Box store in a local mall. Store is all gone now; I bought that with an ounce of their house peaches-n-crème blend. Oh what a fun time I had trying to keep that lit.

Fuel52

This is my first post here, BTW.  Howdy!  Only 3 months into the hobby...LOVE it!

The first pipe I bought was a MM Country Gentleman, ordered from pipesandcigars.com.  The shipment was delayed a couple weeks and I couldn't wait, so I got a MM Legend from Amazon that was here in 2 days!  Went to my local tobacconist and got some of their VBC.  Not a bad start!  It has progressed from there...

Cheers!

motie2

@Fuel52 -- We heartily welcome you to our ranks and look forward to your comments. You'll find a real pipe brotherhood here. 

thebadgerpiper

My first pipe was purchased from smokingpipes.com five years ago. It was a Peterson 408 (Author shape) Aran. I remember agonizing over my decision before settling on that one. I'm smoking it now, actually, and it's still a great pipe.

Bonanzadriver

@motie,

I think you're definitely missin out.

Since getting back into pipes, back in October, I've not bot any new pipes, they've all been estates.  I have gone from 1 pipe back then to 40 or more now.

I have been fortunate enough to pick up some great deals on 2 Dunhills, 2 Savanelli's, 2 Petersons and many other Yelloboles, Keyclubs, Marxman, Rahm and Dr. Grabow  just to name a few.

One of the very best smoking pipes I have is an absolutely gorgeous YelloBole Apple with a saddle bit that is so excuisitely thin that it's almost like having no stem at all.  It is my dedicated Peach pipe.  Only smoke Peach Cobbler or Peaches & Cream in it.

One of my other great smokers is a Dr. Grabow Bent Bulldog.  It too has a thin bit that clenches very easily.  It's one of my favorite briars for smokin MM 965.

To be fair, I've purchased all of these smokers in pretty poor shape, grunged up and cake in some of the bowls so thick that it took me untold hours to clean em up.  After cleanin, shinin, sometimes refinishin, I've grown pretty attached to them.

I'd recommend you give em a try.

dbh1950

First pipe was a Savory's Argyll, a bulldog. I was asked to do some carpentry work for a pipe and tobacco store owner. When finished, he paid me and said pick out a pipe, a little bonus. I still have the pipe which I am holding now, quite a few memories with that. Appreciate reading all the first pipe stories.

Woodsman

1st pipe was a Kaywoodie Straight Bull Dog sadly destroyed 5 years later in the Judo Pit at Fort Gordon, GA