the future pipe smokers???

[loosvelt]

I am not sure if this has been discussed on here or not (and I really don't want to write a thesis on this) but I was wondering if many pipe makers have considered the future of the industry. What do you guys think? I am 27 and I really enjoy pipesmoking (and pipemaking) but pipesmokers my age seem to be few and far between. I have some middle aged friends from work who enjoy smoking and have converted some of my younger cigar smoking buddys but there doesn't seem to be many out there. I mean i'll make pipes just for myself if it ever reaches that point, but it is way more fun to give/sell them to friends and other pipesmokers.

Anyway, with potential tax hikes and the anti-smoking hysteria (thank you cigerettes) not going anywhere I was just thinking about who I will be selling (hopefully by then right ) my pipes to in another 30 years when, no offense to any of you older gents, many of my old pipesmoking buddys will have moved on to a better place?

Funny story semi related to the point, I recently had my top secret/sci security clearance renewed and my background investigator interviewed many of my friends. He asked what I do for fun and some of them said "he makes pipes". After that the guy would go off on them asking them about my drug activity and stuff. Guy didn't know people still smoked tobacco pipes let alone make them, and he was in his forties!

hopefully I end up in the same retirement community or assisted living facility as kurt, todd, jalan..etc.... and I can pester them about the good ole days...

I guess I will end my rant now, but it was just on my mind tonight.

[Leus]

I think we are living in the dusk decades of pipe smoking. If things keep going "safer" don't think we'll be around for more than thirty years or so.

On the other hand, population on earth keeps growing. Who knows, maybe pipe smoking can continue on other, less developed countries, but I doubt so. I live in a pretty undeveloped country compared with, say, USA, yet we are adopting the same inane smoking ban and laws than major economies have. Monkey see, monkey do.

Anyways, I think most of my pipes have been bought by non-smokers...

[ToddJohnson]

I have a good number of collectors in their thirties and forties, though most are still in their fifties. Smoking in general is far less popular than it was 50 years ago, but it's not going away. Many things move in cycles, and I expect pipe smoking is no different.

TJ

[J. Winton]

Personally i'm not so sure pipe smoking is going the way of the dinosaurs. Im certainly closer to the younger end of the spectrum and have only recently grasped pipe smoking and pipe crafting with a vengeance.

Cigars are still very popular with younger generations and the more time you spend in a cigar shop the more time you spend walking past all the intriguing pipes on the wall on your way back to the humidor. Eventually, as in my case, you decide to buy a pipe and some of the shop-mixed tobacco and try it out.

Tax laws on cigarettes are certainly running rampant (NY especially) and more and more States are outlawing smoking in restaurants, but at the same time the Country as a whole appears to, sometimes slowly sometimes quickly, be moving closer and closer to legalizing other things to smoke. Washington DC of all places is on the move to legalize pharmaceutical marijuana. My point being that, in my mind, tobacco has less to worry about with marijuana on the rise. So, while the government might be trying to squeeze as much tax revenue as possible out of the product the fact is people who want to smoke will continue to smoke.

As Leus said the population continues to grow so even if the % of people who smoke a pipe decreases the number of people smoking pipes can stay the same.

[loosvelt]

good points gents.

Hey Winton, where do you live in VA?

[bornagainbriar]

New to the site; First post.

Washington State is doing their best to ruin all tobacco sales of any type. Smoking is illegal in all public buildings less than 30 feet from the front door etc.

However, be encouraged. While not new to the hobby/sickness of pipe collecting, restporing etc, I find more and more people that doi smoke or collect pipes all the time. My tweo sons, 11 and 14 are now part of the crix of the reason we turned our little hobby into a business.

The internet is obviously helping. Forums like this make it easy to dispell rumors and actually assit people, but, they can be a real attractant poo-flies as well. I run a couple of other forums (firearms based), and I know it can be difficult to keep things running, civil and positive. Looks like Kurt and the gang are doing a great job here.

I think there will always be a furure for pipecrafting. Like other hobbies they wqill have their ups and downs, but from someone just really starting to dig, I'm very encouraged with what I see.

[KurtHuhn]

I just got off a 50 minute phone call with a 38 year old customer. An awful lot of my customers are near my age, though I have customers who are older as well. I don't think that pipe smoking is going to hit the skids any time soon. I *do* think, however, that cigarettes are going to become far less commonplace. And folks that would never think of smoking a cigarette are very interested in pipes and pipe tobacco. They may be interested in the aromatic blends, and eschew the stronger stuff, but that's great in my opinion.

[Pooka]

And I wonder what that will do to the industry, should the coffin-nail crowd lean toward pipes and cigars. I can see the pipes getting more popular. Good news for the pipe biz until the hammer drops. I can sorta see tobacco companies "rediscovering" the pipe. Marlboro Billiards with matching tamper and lighter. Camel Light Pipe Tobacco. Which, in my pessimistic lens, means the Gov will be turning its hydra-head of nannyism and money-grubbing toward the rebel base hidden deep in space.

[Sully]

As far as the future of pipe smokers; I am doing what got me started A buddy of mind a pipe smoker the only one person I knew that smoked a pipe, gave me a pipe and some tobacco. And now been smoking a pipe for 10 years and I have given some my old pipes and tobacco to friends and some younger guys that just asked about smoking a pipe and helped them get started and talk up going to a show a meet some of the people, sending them links to web sites. And it's working I have help start 5 guys and one lady start smoking pipes
And now they can enjoy Like I do the world of pipe smoker I think it a great little world to be in.

[TimGeorge]

Personally, I think pipes should be considered much differently from other forms of smoking, and might actually be seen as a more healthy alternative. I, for example, have never smoked cigarettes and, although I smoke pipes regularly (and now also make and sell them), I still do not consider myself a "smoker" in the sense of addiction, etc. I can and do go many days at a time without lighting up a bowl, but really enjoy it when I do and appreciate the fact that pipe tobacco is not loaded with additives. What we need is an effective lobby to make these distinctions clear.

[loosvelt]

Which, in my pessimistic lens, means the Gov will be turning its hydra-head of nannyism and money-grubbing toward the rebel base hidden deep in space.

Haha that's funny. Well I mean your prose, not your point.

[loosvelt]

Personally, I think pipes should be considered much differently from other forms of smoking, and might actually be seen as a more healthy alternative. I, for example, have never smoked cigarettes and, although I smoke pipes regularly (and now also make and sell them), I still do not consider myself a "smoker" in the sense of addiction, etc. I can and do go many days at a time without lighting up a bowl, but really enjoy it when I do and appreciate the fact that pipe tobacco is not loaded with additives. What we need is an effective lobby to make these distinctions clear.

Couldn't agree more. I actually hate filling out my gov medical packet each year where they want me to check the smoker box that equates pipesmoking to cigerette smoking. I said when they have a box that you check if you eat red meat, drink cola, drink beer..etc. I will check a pipesmoking box. Much more along the lines of something like that then cigerette smoking.

Anyway, this big brother knows better then you movement pisses me off and I work for the government (and before I am labeled a hypocrite I work for the defense department, which I and every politicial theorist can justify as one, if not the, main existence of government. Which is to provide for the common defense.) People you don't want the gov running your lives!!!!

Life is about choices. What ever happened to personel responsibility in this country?

[EBK]

Here is an interesting read regarding pipe smoking from the WSJ last yr.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123509294170728733.html

[Skip]

I have run our store for 36 years this August. We have survived some pretty crappy economic situations. We even opened during the recession in 1974. The S-CHIP hit us a little over a year ago and after a few slow months the business bounced back. None of these minor issues are real problems. Want to talk problems? How about this. We can no longer ship smoke less tobacco, cigarettes, or roll your own any where. If we do and ship USPS we must apply a sticker that says the tobacco type that is inside. We have to pay the same cost as shipping express. My favorite part is that if we ship out of state we must contact that state and pay the state taxes. It sounds like once that is done we must file a report every month in every state that we ship to. It allows each state to collect the revenue that they have been missing. That part I understand but don`t like. We can only sell that tobacco directly to the customer. This creates a problem. We have a 84 year old man in Texas that does not drive. He lives 60 miles from Abaline which is the closest town of any size. He wants his chew and we want to sell it. We both are screwed.

You can bet your last dollar that pipe tobacco and cigars are next. If you want any you will have to go to your brick and morter. You say you don`t have one, tough cookies. Here in Alabama we are one of two stores that are serious about pipes. I feel shure that we will gain a few local customers that had been ordering theirs but we will lose all our mail order business as well as the people that live too far away within the state.

This will help the government collect more tax and at the same time cut back on consumers.

Stock up on your tobacco!

[J. Winton]

I was under the impression (perhaps wrongfully) that internet sales allow people to get around all kinds of issues, including tax issues. If you sold that gentleman his chew over eBay instead of out of your shop does that save you any hassle?

[KurtHuhn]

The Internet is only a means for customers and businesses to find each other, not necessarily a method for getting around taxes. I mean, you can - but you're not supposed to.

Recently most states here in the U.S. have enacted legislation requiring taxpayers to account for any and all purchases made out of state for which they did not pay taxes, and then pay those taxes at the time they file in April. This includes purchases made on eBay, Internet retailers (like Skip or Amazon.com), between individuals (like any of the pipe makers here), and even the old "mail order" catalogs. And as Skip said, a lot of states have enacted legislation requiring the seller to notify the state of the customer of the transaction and the dollar amount.

I'm in danger of going into a Libertarian rant, so I'll stop there. Suffice to say, however, if you ever get a chance I suggest you read all the laws you're supposed to be following as a non-violent member of society. I think you'll find a common thread in most of them - the protection of the governments' income stream.

And that, gents, seems to be the theme of the day for some reason....

[loosvelt]

I'm in danger of going into a Libertarian rant, so I'll stop there.

I get closer to embracing the porcupine party every day.....

[ToddJohnson]

Recently most states here in the U.S. have enacted legislation requiring taxpayers to account for any and all purchases made out of state for which they did not pay taxes, and then pay those taxes at the time they file in April. This includes purchases made on eBay, Internet retailers (like Skip or Amazon.com), between individuals (like any of the pipe makers here), and even the old "mail order" catalogs. And as Skip said, a lot of states have enacted legislation requiring the seller to notify the state of the customer of the transaction and the dollar amount.

That's not really a "recent" thing. It's is called "use tax," and you're supposed to self-report it and pay it on everything you buy tax free. In other words, if you live in Tennessee and buy a pair of shoes online from a store in Alabama, they are unlikely to charge you tax since you are out of state. If the shoes cost $100, then you are supposed to tell the state of Tennessee that you owe them $9.25 for a pair of shoes that you bought in Alabama, but used in Tennessee. They get it every way they can. I wouldn't have a problem with it if I thought taxes were put to good and noble use, but let's face it, they're not. This is one reason it makes sense to be incorporated in Nevada . . . as I am.

TJ

[KurtHuhn]

That's not really a "recent" thing. It's is called "use tax," and you're supposed to self-report it and pay it on everything you buy tax free. In other words, if you live in Tennessee and buy a pair of shoes online from a store in Alabama, they are unlikely to charge you tax since you are out of state. If the shoes cost $100, then you are supposed to tell the state of Tennessee that you owe them $9.25 for a pair of shoes that you bought in Alabama, but used in Tennessee. They get it every way they can. I wouldn't have a problem with it if I thought taxes were put to good and noble use, but let's face it, they're not. This is one reason it makes sense to be incorporated in Nevada . . . as I am.

True it's not new - but what is new (and upsetting) is the hardline method states are using to collect. One state (I forget which) actually requires you pay, without proof that you actually made out of state or tax-free purchases, based on your income level. And then there's the Streamlined Sales Tax Project that Rhode Island is a member of. A lot of folks, my parents included, were unaware of use tax until recently - particularly when the economy started to circle the drain, and states realized they were missing out on a lot of income. If the economy continues like this, I think we'll see greater efforts by individual states to collect on that missing income.

And I agree - I wouldn't have a problem paying taxes if I knew that the money I contribute would be used with the same wisdom and economy that I employ to run my own household. However, I know that isn't the case.

[mredmond]

I, like tradhunter, work for the DoD (as an IT contractor) and I wish I was half as skilled at anything, as the government is at wasting money. It's hard not to go on Libertarian rants, when you see this waste daily. I suppose the good side is that local, state, and federal governments really on tax revenue, including those imposed on tobacco, so a full on ban seems less likely, especially with the economic downturn. Tobacco will likely get more expensive, but I doubt we will see a full on ban. Here's hoping, anyway/

- Micah