The received ideas about pipe smokers

When we picture a pipe smoker, we immediately imagine a bearded man of a certain age, settled in his rocking chair and gazing into the distance. What if we told you that this is a myth? Here are the received ideas about pipe smokers.

No, pipe smokers are not all elderly

Forget the image of the pipe smoker in his sixties in his armchair. Today many smokers are very young. They generally start out with the family pipes used by their forebears before buying one of their own.

Pipe smokers are men

As in the world of the cigar, that of the pipe was long reserved for men. But plenty of women have been seen with a pipe in their mouth. Even today, many women smoke a pipe, though without making it public.

Pipe smokers are budding philosophers or detectives

Forget that idea straight away. The fact that they are portrayed like this in films, series and books does not make it true. Pipe smokers are perfectly ordinary people, and they come from every walk of life.

Smoking a pipe is an art

Once again, this is entirely theoretical. In practice, looking at some pipes, it is clear that those days are well and truly over. Between pipes of questionable design and those their owners fail to look after, can we still talk about art? Some, of course, do see the pipe as a ritual.

Pipe smokers are given to putting the world to rights

Here again is a fine piece of received wisdom. When a smoker settles down with a pipe, it is not to put the world to rights but rather to take a quiet break. Just as others would do an exercise session, take a hot bath, go shopping or have a coffee with friends, the pipe smoker turns to his pipe.