If you've been seduced by the thought of kicking back and relaxing with a tobacco pipe in your spare time, you're not alone. Anyone that already does will tell you just how enjoyable it can be to watch the world go by while smoking a bowl of your favorite blend. Many people believe that this pastime actually died out decades ago, but they are very much mistaken, with an increasing number of people taking up this 'hobby' every single year. Take a few seconds to do an online search and you'll come across dozens of communities dedicated to pipe smoking, some with thousands of members. Anyway, back to the point of this article. If you're looking to make your first foray into pipe smoking, there's more to it than buying any old pipe, loading it with tobacco and lighting up. Of course you could do that, but you probably won't enjoy the experience as much as you could due to not having the 'right' pipe.

If you walk into any pipe store or browse for pipes online you'll soon realize that there are more pipes available than you could ever have possibly imagined. So just how do you narrow down a nearly infinite number of options to just one? We're going to provide you with a few pointers below that should help you on your way.

Food For Thought: A Few Tips When Buying Your First Pipe

The first time you lay your eyes on a pipe display, you may very well feel like that kid you once were, standing in a candy shop. Plain pipes, beautifully crafted decorative pipes, pipes that you can just picture Gandalf smoking...the list goes on. Follow these tips to narrow down your options and get a step closer to smoking your very first bowl.

• Be Aware That You Get What You Pay For - One of the single biggest mistakes that pipe smoking 'newbies' make when buying their first pipes is erring on the side of caution in a financial sense. Many budget very little for the purchase, just in case they find out that pipe smoking isn't for them after all. This will likely end badly. Sure you can get pipes on eBay for just a few dollars, but they only cost a few dollars for a reason (they're most likely pretty crap, for want of a better way of putting it). A good piece of advice is to buy the best pipe that you can realistically afford, and try to avoid spending under $50.00. A pipe should not be judged by its financial worth, it should be judged by how well it smokes, and ultimately, the more you pay, the more likely you are to get one that smokes well.
• You Have to Be Attracted to It In an Aesthetic Sense - Pipes are a little bit like cars in that you'll find you absolutely love the appearance of some, while others you find to be hideous. You, of course, should choose one that you love the appearance of. This is an extremely important part of selecting your pipe, because no matter how well it smokes, if you don't like the look and feel of it, it'll most likely spend a lot more time on the shelf than in your hands. Browse through hundreds of pipes and find out which particular styles, sizes and shapes appeal to you the most. Then decide on a finish, of which there are three main options. The smooth surface finish, which is gentle to the touch and has a classy aesthetic, a sandblasted exterior, which looks a little more 'edgy,' and a pitted finish, which is rough when you run your hand over it, but that can lead to a cooler smoke if the pipe is of good quality (this is because of the greater surface area the pipe boasts). Anyway, with the aesthetics of the pipe, it's really just a personal choice and not one that we or anyone else can make for you, so just let your eyes guide you!
• Sound Construction is Key! - The last of the 'big three' considerations is the actual quality of the construction, which you should always assess carefully when considering a pipe purchase. Veterans of this gentlemanly hobby will likely be able to tell you woeful tales of friends that failed to check a pipe properly and got landed with a dud. Sometimes simple design flaws can prevent you from actually enjoying your smoke. A few things to watch out for in particular when you have the pipe in your hands are misaligned parts (if the smokes path is in any way disrupted, the pipe will likely be very wet to smoke and make a lot of noise), amateur repairs (notice any filling putty? This will detract from the pipe's appearance and if the damage is serious enough, may also affect your smoking experience) and cracks (these tend to get worse as the heat causes the material to expand and contract). These points are especially important if you're interested in buying a second hand pipe. Any reputable vender should make you aware of any 'defects' before you make your decision.

While this is merely an introduction to pipe smoking and selecting a pipe, if you implement these tips during your search, your chances of success are certainly a lot higher. We wish you luck!