WHen did you start smoking pipes and why?

[lbowles2]

As others have said I decided to get a pipe about a year ago to try for a change of pace. Also it was a little cheaper than buying cigars once you've made the initial investment of the pipe and lighter. My first go around didn't go well and I ended up selling the two pipes and everything to go with it thinking I wasn't going to try again.

Fast forward to about a month ago and here I am buying a new meerschaum pipe, corncob, lighter etc. My local B&M had a Fonseca tasting and I was chatting with the reps and we got to talking about pipes. I told them about my earlier experience and the fact that I just didn't really care for the taste of it. They had already talked to me about what I liked in cigars and suggested that I didn't try the right tobaccos. After talking about what I tried we found that they were all aromatics and on the light side so now I am trying fuller bodied tobaccos and really enjoying them. I am REALLY enjoying a flake tobacco my B&M carries called Bulls Eye... mmmm... tasty. Now I'm just working on figuring out the fine art of properly packing the bowl so I don't have to continually relight but that will come in time