Smoke it or shelf it?

**bluenoser** · 02-09-2016, 05:58 PM

A little back story, little long winded so I apologize.

My grandfather on my mother's side passed away in September of last year after a pretty nasty battle with dementia and Alzheimer's. I remember when I was a kid he was a pipe smoker and I always loved the smell. He gave it up long ago but that memory of seeing him in his chair, pipe in hand, and the smell of it is why I smoke a pipe now. Kind of feel like when I'm out on the deck relaxing with a pipe, he's there with me. When he passed away last fall I went home to be with the family. I was really hoping that we'd be able to find his old pipe, not sure if it would just be a keep sake or if I'd actually use it but sadly we couldn't find it. My grandmother thinks they may have thrown it out when he quite. I did find out his tobacco of choice was Amphora but they couldn't remember if it was red or brown.

While I was home I was given a gift though. I don't remember my grandfather on my father's side as he passed when I was about 2 but apparently he was a pipe smoker too. I was given his old cob, which has seen it's fair share of use. I put some pictures at the bottom of my ramblings, the sticker fell off the bottom of the bowl, says Mild and Mellow -Washington MO U.S.A. I was told that he too was an Amphora smoker and they're pretty certain he liked brown. I just received a pack of both red and brown today from 4noggins and am planning a bowl of some tonight.

The pipe hasn't been used in about 30 years, just sitting in storage as a memento. It's quite charred around the top but looks surprisingly good inside. Seems to have good air flow. I don't want to put it into my regular rotation but was thinking it would be cool to enjoy a bowl of both of my grandfather's favorite tobacco in one's old pipe. My question here is would you dare smoke it? Or is it best left as a keepsake? Any special treatment when using an old pipe like this that has been sitting for so long?