These are just my thoughts about why I choose not to take up smoking a pipe. I'm not trying to sway anyone else.

I admit that sometimes it seems tempting to buy a pipe - especially when I finish rolling a batch of cigars and see all the leftovers. However, I just roll them into a short-filler and move along.

I do admire the artistry of pipe-making. There are some wonderful pieces of art out there. However, for my money, I prefer the artistry of 100% smokeables. I love the fact that the cigar I'm smoking is itself a work of art. A work of art that will vanish as I experience it. A one-off every time. It's the ultimate enjoyment of art - full consumption according to its purpose, and never again to be experienced. That makes every smoking experience a part of the artwork. The weather, the conversation, the setting, the beverage ... it all is part of the composition.

The artistry of the farmer who keeps the land and grows the crops, and the processor who cures it, and the roller who makes the cigar. The art of the cigar band. And then the art at my end when I enjoy it. It's a long, winding connection of people who never meet.

Or, the art of rolling my own and smoking them. Another facet - another avenue of experience.

More pipes for everyone else, right?