[RevSmoke]

A number of good responses here.

Buying a pipe: Cobs are cheap and smoke cool. Pull off the stem and throw away the filter inside, all it does is gunk up - and once something has been smoked through it, it will forever flavor anything else. Also, if you do not like smoking a pipe, you have not invested much. Finally, get a number of them for the different "genres" (my own term) of tobacco; English, Virginia, Virginia w/Perique, Burley, Orientals, Aromatic (anything with flavoring added).

If you'd like to get a pipe other than a cob, then the other advice works well, get one that looks nice to you, or, if you can hold it in your hand before purchasing, one that looks nice and feels good in your hand. If you don't like it, you won't smoke it.

Not also that not everything that smells wonderful in the room while smoked, tastes as good. In fact, often times the aromatics with flavors added smell great to others, but do nasty things to the smokers tongue and often tasty like camel dung.

Tobaccos: Some good advice there. Another might be to offer up a trade on here - cigars for a tobacco sampler. That way you will get a few different things to try and all you are out is a few cigars. I'd offer, but the only thing I really have to smoke is Virginias and VaPers - usually not the type of things for beginning pipesters to smoke, especially cigars smokers. Why? Cigar smokers are used to big flavors and lots of smoke. Virginias have subtle flavors which are best tasted when "sipped," that is, when the amount of smoke produced is not copious. Puffing these to get lots of smoke and/or flavor can ruin a person's tongue because a person is puffing hard as they try producing more smoke.

Tools: You will need something to produce a flame, either matches or lighter. If you have a local tobacconist, get a pipe nail (flat on one end, what looks like almost like a spoon on the other end. And finally, pipe cleaners - if you hear a gurgle, insert a pipe cleaner (do not take the stem out of the pipe to do so).

Finally, know this, not everybody like smoking a pipe! It may or may not be for you.