# Pipe Smoke: Repulsive or oddly appealing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 18, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838 "2003-12-18T20:23:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/1 "2003-12-18T20:23:29Z")
Over in **GQ Enola Straight** started a thread about pipe smoke. Regular pipe smoke, not _Maui Wowy_, just regular pipe smoke, and it got me thinking. I smoke a pipe on occasion in the late autumn when I go fishing, and there are still some mosquito’s floating around. I never smoke it at home because Mrs.Phlosphr can not stand it. Seriously though, I really like the smell of it, and I rarely smell it in public lately (last decade). The raw spice/cherry/roughly-sweet smell, I love it. I remember as a child my uncle used to smoke a pipe quite often. He’d walk into our house with it in his mouth, then stick it into his leather jacket pocket…I always presumed it wasn’t lit until one thanksgiving when the _coat room_ started to smell a little funky:) So dopers, do you like the smell of pipe smoke when you smell it, or are you utterly repulsed by it? **British Dopers** - is it more common where you are? ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/2 "2003-12-18T20:45:14Z")
I’ll tell you this: it’s sure a lot better than the acrid stench of cigarette smoke. I think it depends on the tobacco used. My dad smoked a pipe on occasion and I remember liking the smell sometimes. But other times it seems to have a repulsive, sickly-sweet smell to it. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/3 "2003-12-18T20:51:52Z")
Well, I vote for oddly appealing, but then I feel that way about regular cigarette smoke too (and yes, I know _nobody_ else does). ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/4 "2003-12-18T20:55:43Z")
Yeah, cigarette smoke drives me up a wall! Only because I used to be a smoker. Now Blagh! yuck ---
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/5 "2003-12-18T20:59:22Z")
My dad’s smoked a pipe for as long as I can remember. He quit cigs just before or after I was born, and a pipe was his compromise, I think. All my friends say my parents’ house smelled just like pipe tobacco, although I never noticed. I’ve never liked smoke of any sort in my face, so I’ll have to take the “no smoking, period” line, but pipe smoke is much less offensive than cigs and certainly preferable to cigars. My son’s asthma reacts quite strongly to any smoke at all, so we don’t see much smoking in the family any more. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/6 "2003-12-18T21:15:29Z")
I have, at times, smoked a pipe when I’m certain no one is looking. I like good tobacco, from a real tobacconist, no drug-store pouch for Mudd. I don’t know if the anecdotal account of one woman’s reaction counts for anything, but a girlfriend from whom I was at pains to conceal my shameful indulgence once detected a lingering aroma in a sweater and did that burrow and coo thing. I can’t imagine Player’s Special Blend inspiring that sort of reaction. Appy-polly-logies if I’ve sickened anyone. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/7 "2003-12-18T21:19:36Z")
Oddly appealing. At least for the first coupla breaths, anyway. And I really dislike smoke generally. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/8 "2003-12-18T21:53:08Z")
I rather like it. But then, I smoke a pipe anyway. I will add that my wife likes it too–she has said many times that she’d rather me smoke a pipe than cigarettes, and has gone so far to encourage me this way as to get me some fine (and expensive) pipe tobaccos from a tobacconist friend. Like you, **Larry Mudd** , we find that we both prefer the good stuff that the corner store would never sell–me to smoke it, and she to enjoy the room aroma. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/9 "2003-12-18T22:55:18Z")
Mmm, pipe smoke. I haven’t smoked one in a while, but it used to be one of my preferred nicotine delivery methods. I used to know a girl who reacted very badly to cigarette smoke (coughing, eyes tearing up, etc.), but had no problems with pipe smoke. Good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Frankenbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c0e974/32.png) [@Frankenbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frankenbear)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/10 "2003-12-19T00:54:07Z")
I love the smell of pipe smoke. I can’t really explain why, I just do. I’m one of those women who would burrow and coo if my SO smoked a pipe. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/11 "2003-12-19T01:26:53Z")
I like it,unless its blown in my face. I hate cigarette smoke. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/12 "2003-12-19T01:35:22Z")
I really like it if it’s vanilla-y or fruity, but not if it’s perfume-y. My father smoked a pipe for years, and he always said that the ones that smelled like perfume tasted like perfume (yuk!), but many times, he’d be smoking something with a lot of vanilla and someone just coming into the house would think my mom was baking or something. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/13 "2003-12-19T01:39:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by norinew \* > \*\*I really like it if it’s vanilla-y . \*\* 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@Age\_Quod\_Agis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Age_Quod_Agis)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/14 "2003-12-19T02:16:44Z")
Love it. My parents used to smoke pipes. (They both quit.) I think it must remind me of them because I smile every time I smell pipe smoke. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/15 "2003-12-19T02:48:44Z")
I like brief whiffs of pipe or cigar smoke – a lingering few seconds is enough. I also like brief whiffs of gasoline fumes. Any more of either is enough to make me sick. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/16 "2003-12-19T02:56:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minor7flat5 \* > \*\*I like brief whiffs of pipe or cigar smoke – a lingering few seconds is enough. > I also like brief whiffs of gasoline fumes. > > Any more of either is enough to make me sick. \*\* I was just going to post the same thing. I’ve found my soulmate! ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/17 "2003-12-19T05:14:06Z")
I don’t smoke, never have, and I have asthma that reacts pretty severly to smoke. However, pipe and cigar smoke don’t set it off as quickly or badly, and as long as it is not strong, I enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![peritrochoid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peritrochoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peritrochoid)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/18 "2003-12-19T12:14:04Z")
I’ve been known to smoke a pipe from time to time, and I like the smell of pipe smoke and the smell of fresh pipe tobacco. I have to agree with **Larry Mudd** on smoking tobacco from a tobaccanist rather than the drugstore stuff. An added bonus; pipe smoke seems to be appealing to many females here, so my guilty pleasure is also a great prop and icebreaker. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![yola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/48db29/32.png) [@yola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yola)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/19 "2003-12-19T12:52:17Z")
My great-grandfather smoked a pipe (he was also chief of police) and he had one of those round pipe holders made of wood where the pipes of different sizes could rest straight up. Very nice smell and more of a thought out ritual habit than the easy bic lights of cigarettes. Smoking a pipe on the porch looking at the stars after dinner before bed is appealing in an odd way. ---
**Author:** ![HDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/bb73d2/32.png) [@HDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HDS)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838/20 "2003-12-19T14:14:19Z")
Mmmmm, pipes. Very appealing. Reminds me of Gandalf. I’d do the burrow and coo thing too 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-smoke-repulsive-or-oddly-appealing/219838.md?page=2)