Why cigars and not pipes?

I tried, and tried, and tried to get into pipes. I have a couple nice pipes (Peterson, Nording), and some great tobacco.

1. I don't like getting my hands dirty. Rubbing, packing, etc usually results in residue all over my fingers.
2. It takes a lot of work to smoke. Constant tamping and relighting. I'm sure eventually it becomes second nature, but smoking a pipe is a "busy" activity, and I prefer the simplicity of a cigar. Light it, and you can relax and smoke for two hours.
3. The way you smoke. I like being able to take long, slow puffs from my cigar. Pipes seem to do much better with more frequent, smaller sips.
4. The quality of the smoke takes getting used to. The smoke is generally more flavorful, but also less thick in the mouth.

None of these things make cigars inherently better than pipes, they simply make cigars more preferable for me. YMMV.

I am not much of a ritualistic kind of guy and prefer simple. With a cigar it's cut, toast and light. I love how aromatic pipe tobacco is but it seems I am always futzing with trying to keep it lit, ramping, relighting. If it was as simple to smoke as a cigar, I would be a piper. Maybe after I retire I will have the patience to practice enough to learn how to smoke a pipe.

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Originally Posted by Cool Breeze

That surprises me.
I figured scraps would burn very good and consistent. I know when you light up a mixed filler cigar they tend to burn very well.

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Right, but your experience is probably with professionally rolled (or machine-made) mixed filler. Even then there's some consistency. My technique isn't exactly "Cuban," and with cigar scraps you get all different sizes and shapes.

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Originally Posted by StogieNinja

4. The quality of the smoke takes getting used to. The smoke is generally more flavorful, but also less thick in the mouth.

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Try some rope tobacco. Thickest, meatiest smoke I've ever had.

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Originally Posted by Bruck

I'm bismokual :)

Like you, @Sir Lancerolot , I once looked with dismay at the amount of perfectly good tobacco that ended up as scrap having rolled a batch of cigars. I tried "scrap" filler cigars but (1) still ended up with a lot of scrap (yes, I know it's fungible) and (2) I didn't really like the resulting cigars - didn't burn well and were inconsistent flavorwise.

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I do occasionally have burn issues with my short fillers, but no more so than with my not-fully-mastered long fillers. Flavor of the short fillers is less consistent in some of my blends, but I have some that are really simple, and the short fillers end up being a pretty good knock-off of the original concept. And I'm not too worried about flavor variance - I enjoy Quinteros and Curly Heads ...

Pipes seem to fit cold weather better to me, cigars when it's nice/comfortable.

I also find that pipes leave a certain aftertaste in general that's very distinct. Some cigars leave an aftertaste more than others, but it's an entirely different flavor.