When I was a kid, I loved being around my uncle as he always had his pipe glowing with that Prince Albert. By the time I was 13, I had a pipe stashed out behind the shed, as smoking was taboo in Dad's house. I worked in a warehouse (at 13) and the laws were different then so getting tobacco was no problem. Didn't like smoking Prince Albert, at that age. It was too strong for me. I tried cherry blend, and stayed with it until I was 16, when I switched over to Edgeworths' Blend 11. I really liked that. When I got overseas, I switched to Heather Honey. In that humidity, it was about like smoking candy - wet and sweet. Getting back home, I traversed back to Blend 11, but it was hard to locate and I went to Capt Black until 14years ago. I was getting married again and, though my wife's dad smoked a pipe that she liked, I knew she didn't like kissing an ashtray (in her words). So, unknown to her, I put the pipes in a Zip-lock bag and stashed them amongst my treasures in the garage. Several years later, wife was on a visit back home and I took a hankering for my pipe. Found my stuff and opened the bag, and just about gagged on the smell of that stale tobacco. I had put the pipes away wet and dirty and how they had turned!! I zipped the bag and trashed it. Never since have had another hankering.
FWIW - I went back home in '96, yup, 14 years ago, just after I had gotten married (for the last time) and visited my Uncle. He had quit his pipes about 5 years earlier (I'd been gone 11 years) and thrown his collection away, man he had some nice stuff in that rack! My aunt had come down with emphasema? and they both had to quit as she was on oxygen. She had since passed away, but he never went back to his pipes. Smoking in general is way down in popularity, and pipes and cigars (I think) are part of a dying generation.
Regards,
Sweetwater