My First Pipe

     In February of 2010, I saw a beautiful Dunhill looking, black sandblast ring grain pipe.  This beauty was sitting on a pipe rack, sadly un-smoked and dusty.  I was drawn to it, it was love at first pipe!  It belonged to my best friend Kenn.  I thought it was the most stunning I had ever seen,  At that point we are only 4 months into our pipe adventure, Mike was collecting only factory pipes.  The only other pipe I had ever seen that looked like the one Kenn had, was a Dunhill Shell. (That Dunhill is now in Mike's pipe case.)
     It had never crossed my mind, that I too was going to be a pipe owner and collector,  This had been Mike's adventure, I was just along for the ride.  But as each evening would come, you would find us on the deck, Pipe in hand, there was a very happy Mike, I would have my cigarette and we would enjoy the night.  But after a month or so the amazing aroma of the pipe tobacco stirred my interest.  I started taking sips of Mike's pipe, Just little tastes, But as time went on, Mike started to have to ask for his pipe back, more and more. This was no longer just a Mike adventure, I was starting one of my own. 
      It wasn't just the husband who was looking at the pipes, now I was too, These pipes started to grab my attention more and more, No longer was I looking for something for my husband, I was looking for me.  So there I was at Kenn's place one afternoon, when we found each other.  Kenn has a very nice collection of pipes, but hiding in the back was this amazing find.  Later I would learn that this work of art was a 5 dot Sasieni from England,  I demanded to know why this pipe had not been smoked! This pipe was begging to be loved. Kenn tried to explain that he had lots of pipes and that one was just to nice to smoke, I thought that was crap, This pipe was demanding to have tobacco placed in it and smoked.
      So the harassment began, Every time I was at Kenn's, I would handle this pipe and demand that someone needed to smoke it, But sadly it just sat there unloved. I just could not understand what was wrong with Kenn, Why wouldn't he smoke this pipe? 
     So one Wednesday afternoon on our weekly lunch date, Kenn hands me a box, This was odd because my birthday wasn't for two more months, I opened to find the pipe of my dreams.  Kenn made it very clear, that this pipe was for me, Not my husband, This made me cry, I now had my very own pipe, And so it began.
     Every time I smoke this pipe, the experience is incredible, Nothing tastes bad in this pipe and I can keep it lit for an amazingly long time.  It was the greatest possible first pipe ever! I was now a pipe owner and collector. 
     As time has gone on, there is now other pipes in my collection.  And I am sure there are more to come also.  But my 5 dot Sasieni was my first, and it will always have a special place in my heart.

Tracee Lancaster-Co-Founder TPC for Women