the smoke off of pipe tobacco is just much more pleasing to the senses than the smoke off of other tobacco.
Well, personally, I must admit to prefer cigars. Pipes, however, are a bit cheaper. That is, assuming you go for better quality ones in both. After all, you don't want to be smoking because you have to, but because it tastes good. Personally, I don't even smoke a pipe a day... just one every few days. The occassional cigar.
Then again, you've gotta be careful. Some people just have a natural bent to being addicted to smoking. I'm fortunate in that I'm not (ie. I can smoke a bit, then not for a week or two, and so on, without any adverse effects or cravings.) For me, it's just a matter of relaxation and enjoyment. From what most studies would show, there are no health drawbacks from such moderation (I myself would argue there are benefits, as the psychological effects of the relaxation are not usually accounted for.)
Of course, you don't usually get told that in regards to tobacco products. This is because cigarrettes are most certainly NOT good (after all, what's the point in smoking them? They don't even taste good.) They're cheap and dirty and really worthless. It's quite different if you smoke a nice tobacconist blend of pipe tobacco, or a nice Domincan cigar. So it's a shame that the stigma has extended to pipes and cigars, both of which are very excellent in moderation.
There's my frustration: the anti-smoking Fascism that has come down so heavily in recent years that they've dismissed some of life's best pleasures. Namely, a cigar/pipe, a Guinness, alongside some intellectual discussion with one's closest compatriots. Nothing better in all of life in my opinion.
