Carrying Pipe and Baccy in the City...

**Blackbeard's Delight** · 04-30-2012, 03:09 PM

So this weekend I have switched from cigarettes to pipe. I expected a bit tougher transition, but so far so good.

The one issue bugging me the most is that I work in the city (Boston. Go Bruins!

) and I am used to just bringing a pack of smokes in my jacket or pants pocket. I usually smoke walking from the train to work, on smoke breaks, lunch break, etc. I brought the pipe in today, and I don't have a case or anything for it... so I wrapped it in a plastic freezer bag to contain the ash/smell when I went inside. I had the pouch of tobacco in my pocket with my wallet...

Maybe it's just newbie jitters or something, but it seemed kind of awkward unravelling a bag with a pipe in the smokers area and juggling the tobacco and stuff, etc. I don't have a travel system yet and it shows.

Anyhoo, is there a better system to bring this stuff to work? I definitely like having it there. Do I need to load up a man-purse or fanny pack with my smoking gear? Please tell me there's a good simple method that allows me to keep my man-card for a little longer!

Thanks in advance for the help!

**DeusVult** · 04-30-2012, 04:10 PM

I don't know much about it since I only smoke a pipe (a cob) occasionally. I have a little velvet bag I got somewhere in which I kept the pipe and tobacco when I went somewhere with it. It's not very manly either, but seemed more sophisticated than a Ziploc bag. Recalling what I saw my dad and uncle do was just to keep the pipe in a jacket or coat pocket, with no other carrying case. I grew up in a rural area, so many times people would be wearing overalls or similar work wear, and have an extra or larger pocket in which to carry their stuff. I also remember seeing people driving around with a pipe perched in the ashtray, I suppose until it went out and cooled and then it went in a pocket if carried elsewhere.

**haiku44** · 04-30-2012, 04:36 PM

Dear god, no fanny pack! It would work pretty well, but for the sake of your wife and kids don't do it. Haha. I've got a leather zippered pipe/tobacco pouch. It's got a pocket for each one. Give me a sec to dig it up.

**haiku44** · 04-30-2012, 04:53 PM

Here it is. It has two zippered pockets. One for tobacco that is plastic lined, and a second for the pipe. I've never actually used it but I would think the leather would keep the smoke used pipe smell in the pouch/bag pretty good.

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**jwhite** · 04-30-2012, 04:54 PM

I cut down old wine corks as caps. If it's a one pipe walking around town sort of day I just load the pipe up cork it and travel with it in my pocket with a tamper and matches. If I need to go indoors I cork it up and relight when I go back outside. I have a leather roll up tobacco pouch that I would add for extra tobacco and some cleaners if I was was going to be out all day.

**haiku44** · 04-30-2012, 04:55 PM

I have used a crown royal sack to carry my pipe and stuff in.

Originally Posted by DeusVult

I don't know much about it since I only smoke a pipe (a cob) occasionally. I have a little velvet bag I got somewhere in which I kept the pipe and tobacco when I went somewhere with it. It's not very manly either, but seemed more sophisticated than a Ziploc bag. Recalling what I saw my dad and uncle do was just to keep the pipe in a jacket or coat pocket, with no other carrying case. I grew up in a rural area, so many times people would be wearing overalls or similar work wear, and have an extra or larger pocket in which to carry their stuff. I also remember seeing people driving around with a pipe perched in the ashtray, I suppose until it went out and cooled and then it went in a pocket if carried elsewhere.

**Pescara** · 04-30-2012, 05:13 PM

I keep my works in a ziploc bag in the car. Otherwise, my pipe goes in a pants or sport jacket pocket, tobacco in an an old Captain Black pouch in another. Add book matches and 1 pipe cleaner, and I'm done.

**jdto** · 04-30-2012, 06:39 PM

I carry a satchel-type bag (ok, ok...man purse) and feel no loss of masculinity, though a great increase in convenience. I've always hated having a bunch of crap in my pockets and sitting on a wallet, so this helped with a lot o things. I can fit a pipe and a pouch or tin of tobacco in there, no problem.

**Kentos** · 04-30-2012, 11:36 PM

I also carry all my stuff in a purse too.

Maybe look into the cob nosewarmer pipes from Walker Briar. Compact enough to fit almost anywhere..

[ATTACH=CONFIG]http://www.walkerbriarworks.com/assets/images/autogen/a_PG-Nosewarmer1.jpg[/ATTACH]

**Artistik** · 05-01-2012, 02:57 AM

I have a variation of the man purse and I think you can still have your man card. I am handicapped and have a nylon bag attached to my wheel chair that carries pipe, tobacco and accesories with no problem.

**Garlisk** · 05-01-2012, 05:41 AM

Satchels, man-purses, and bags of all sorts are amazing, and I advocate them 100%. Um...not a fanny pack though. I sometimes carry my pipe and accessories in a small Maxpedition case that fits into my cargo pockets.

**jdto** · 05-01-2012, 05:57 AM

This is my bag: http://www.just4leather.co.uk/jost/j...yle-8344-black

I can carry my wallet, keys, Zippo, pouch of tobacco, pipe, iPad, pens and other stuff in there and it all fits comfortably. It almost has too many pockets, but when we went travelling, it was great to have a place to put my passport and important documents with a zipper close to the body.

**Commander Quan** · 05-01-2012, 08:53 AM

Another thing that may help is to familiarize yourself with the Frank Method of filling a pipe, as opposed to the 3 levels or 3 bears method. Once your understand the frank method, it's a lot easier to fill a pipe with one hand. Basically you can use the pipe to scoop a bowl of tobacco out of pouch, and then use your thumb to pack it in. That saves a lot of hassle, especially if you have nowhere to set anything down.

**legrandfromage** · 05-01-2012, 10:12 AM

I stopped smoking a pipe years ago and almost never took one to work, so I can't help you. For whatever it is worth , an old boss of mine, watching someone fumble around with a pipe, turned to me and said, "don't ever hire a guy that smokes a pipe". When I asked why, he said "because they spend all of their time screwing around with the pipe and don't do any work". He didn't know that I smoked (at home) a pipe.

**Uncle Jackie** · 05-01-2012, 01:37 PM

If I'm only carrying the one pipe, typically I just use a pipe sock for the pipe and cleaners and keep my baccy in a freezer bag. Both of which are stuffed in my back pocket.

**Blackbeard's Delight** · 05-01-2012, 03:48 PM

A lot of good tips here... I like the idea of the small pipe, that's a good idea. I do want to have some kind of carrier/bag/case for the pipe anyway, just to contain the aroma from the pipe. I work in an office setting and I don't want to gross out my coworkers with ye ol' ashtray smell. I may try to pop in to a tobacconist shop tomorrow after work and see if there are any good solutions there. I hear Leavitt and Peirce in Cambridge, MA also carries wet-shaving gear... :)

**73mountaineer** · 05-01-2012, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by jwhite

I cut down old wine corks as caps. If it's a one pipe walking around town sort of day I just load the pipe up cork it and travel with it in my pocket with a tamper and matches. If I need to go indoors I cork it up and relight when I go back outside. I have a leather roll up tobacco pouch that I would add for extra tobacco and some cleaners if I was was going to be out all day.

Still one of the most brilliantly simple solutions that I have ever heard

**cb91710** · 05-01-2012, 06:11 PM

Out of stock right now, but this is what I use:
http://pipesandcigars.com/clsnov2picop.html

Holds two pipes, lined pocket for the leaf (I still keep it in it's own zip-lock), plus a zippered compartment for accessories such as your lighter, tool, etc...

Just keep in mind that with a pipe, a "smoke break" is going to become a thing of the past.
At 30-90 minutes for a bowl, it's something to relax doing.
That's not to say that you can't have some now and later, but lighting it and doing more than packing the ash at the top can result in excessive drying and tongue bite on subsequent smokes.

If I end up being unable to finish a bowl, I just dump the unsmoked portion.

**Uncle Jackie** · 05-01-2012, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by Blackbeard's Delight

...I work in an office setting and I don't want to gross out my coworkers with ye ol' ashtray smell. ...

Might just be me but I find there is a HUGE difference between the smell of a pipe and a dirty ol' ashtray. Nobody has ever complained about the smell of my pipe, but god help me if I smoke a cigarette.

**cb91710** · 05-01-2012, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by Uncle Jackie

Might just be me but I find there is a HUGE difference between the smell of a pipe and a dirty ol' ashtray. Nobody has ever complained about the smell of my pipe, but god help me if I smoke a cigarette.

+1

I've never had anyone comment on the smell... and these are people that comment about others that smoke cigs.