VR to S.M.R. Pipe Rituals

My basic approach to preparing my beverage of choice, choosing the pipe and tobacco that calls out to me on that day. The pipe rituals and maintenance I typically follow for my piping pleasure.
Thank you Randy, a very good question for the community, and 2 very nice pipes going as well.

[@TamperJim]

Hi Gary. I agree, I think the ritual adds to the enjoyment of the pipe. The pre-smoke phase just helps to build anticipation. Tea is indeed a great paring; I usually have a green tea after a morning pipe and a black tea after an afternoon pipe. I see the after-smoke pipe cleaning as similar to cleaning and putting away tools after working on a project: both the pipe and the tools are 'friends' that deserve care and attention. Hey, that's a nifty little grinder; might have to give that some thought. Take care and happy smokes my friend. - Jim

[@oldandintheway1955]

Hiyas Jim, I am a firm rituals/process/protocol fellow, always have been. Tea and pipes are nice outlets for my personality trait. I do agree that paying proper attention to the maintenance of our pipes is important. If the pipe turns foul it's our own fault for mistreating it. That grinder is actually quite good; the more you actuate it the finer the grind. At any rate, depending when you stop, it gives you a slightly rougher and finer product. The rougher can go in first, followed by the finer cut, which works nicely for char and true lights. Thanks for dropping by my friend, always nice to hear from you. Take Care.

[@ParsimoniousPiper]

No surprise at all that your ritual is structured😂 These are always fun to see.

[@oldandintheway1955]

I stand before you, guilty as charged your honor. 😉 I do enjoy watching other pipers rituals as well. Happy Friday Ethan.

[@edwardhobbs5741]

Love the ritual Gary!

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thanks Edward, happy Friday

[@PolyporePiper]

Lovely zen video, Gary! Enjoyed watching your tea and piping process.

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you Naomi, I am a firm rituals/process/protocol type of fella. Preparing Tea and Pipes are the perfect outlets for my personality traits. Spontaneity is exciting and fun too, in it's place. 😉

[@PaladinPiper]

Great VR! Love that bing!

[@oldandintheway1955]

Hiyas Pat, thank you for watching and commenting, much appreciated. Agreed, the Merchant Services rendition is excellent.

[@swedelindstrom758]

Nice Video! Thanks Gary

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thanks Swede, much appreciated. Happy Smokes!

[@darrylweartpipingancamping]

I sure enjoy your reviews and your recommendations! Keep up the great videos & I’m a cinnamon tea man !👍👍

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you for your kind words and taking the time to watch my videos Darryl, very much appreciated. Ah yes, I put cinnamon & ginger powder with a squeeze of lemon juice into my green tea, it's delicious and it pairs well with Virginia forward tobacco.

[@porkrollpiper]

wow what a pipe and tobac collection!! beautiful

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you Jeremy! 52 years in the making 😉, talk about Slow Motion......

[@portlandpipesmoker8497]

Greetings Gary, hope you're well! Such a great video...so relaxing, and informative! Love the ritual and tradition of pipes....and tea as well! I really like the Chinese tea rituals, and I have sets in order to do them. Thanks for sharing this! Take care, Corey

[@oldandintheway1955]

Hiyas Corey, always great to hear from you my friend, I am well, thanks and I trust that though busy as usual, you are hale and hearty yourself. I have had the pleasure of attending a couple of Chinese tea rituals; they were fascinating. Take Care and happy piping.

[@SmokingCardboard]

No milk in my tea, but I love doing tea too. Nothing worse than having a rushed smoke.😂 I always disconnect when it’s warm, but I got to get that filter out of there🥴 happy smokes Gary!

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thanks for dropping by Steve, l always enjoy hearing from you. I'm thinking that you may be on to something when you mentioned the fact that 9 mm stem walls are thinner and therefore more flexible than non filtered stem walls. Perhaps that's why you can pull the stem away from the shank when they are both still warm and not suffer the consequences of a loosened fit. I wore down that nice snug fit of 2 of my very first pipes because I kept separating them when they were hot. Cheers bud, Gary

[@jespiping]

Heya Gary! Not a tea guy, but love your pre-smoke ritual. I feel like my vr will mirror yours a bit on the backend. My ritual is really in the post-smoke. To caress, clean, and care for the objects that just a moment before gave me such joy. Anyways, great VR.😊👍good luck, and take care

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you for watching and your kind comments, they are much appreciated Jesse. Indeed! a well loved and cared for pipe is a happy pipe. If they turn foul tasting; it's not their fault 😉. Serene smokes my friend.

[@SouthAlabamaPiper]

Nice video I love the routine with the pipes and tea. I do a similar cleaning except I use a paper towel in the bowl instead of a pipe cleaner. I just wad it up into a “cone” and twist a couple of times, it cleans it pretty good. Have a great weekend.

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you for watching and commenting, very much appreciated. I like the paper towel idea, before you wad it up to swab out the chamber, you could wipe down the outside surfaces of the pipe as well. I like that idea.

[@SouthAlabamaPiper]

I do if it’s a smooth pipe, not so much with a rusticated pipe.

[@jbafternoonpiper404]

That was a real nice video Gary. Great preperation in getting ( I assume your first smoke of the day) your pipe ready to go, but with that presentation there's not enough hours in the day to catch up with John's 4-5 pipes a day.😂 . See ya next week😊💨💨

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thanks JB, I hope yer hand therapy goes well tomorrow. Yes, my first pipe of the day, I hit 19 for the month as of today. A very poor showing. You are correct, John has already surpassed my future compounded totals through April! See yas next Thursday

[@subaquagene608]

Evening Gary, what a pleasure to see your pipe ritual and engagement process. very well thought out and nicely structured. I thought at times mine process was too structured but as like you, it all encompasses the total experience. And it is truly worth taking the time to savor the enjoyment. I'm not a tea drinker but a bean drinker, but you opened a window of curiosity for me and I may give tea a try. I'm normally a dark roast coffee sipper, would you recommend a tea or two for me to try to start. My knowledge of tea is zero and some guidance would be of value. It's so wonderful to see your care and finesse' in your ritual and to know that others share the same passion as I have for this wonderful past time. Take care, Stay Well and God Bless.

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you for watching and your kind words, they are very much appreciated. I am a firm rituals/process/protocol personality, it is my comfort zone; taking the time to savor and enjoy the total experience is my goal. If I rush it, I find that the experience just isn't as rewarding. I too prefer dark roast/ French Roast coffee. I don't add cream or sugar to my coffee. As far as tea is concerned; I prefer black teas, English or Irish Breakfast tea. Yorkshire and Twinings are solid brands. In the summer months I also enjoy Green Tea with some fresh squeezed lemon; served hot or cold. I hope these recommendations serve you well, if you decide to "step up with your cup, it's tea time" Happy Piping! Gary

[@spikeherbert391]

Gary, I suspect most of us have a ritual, and mine now includes a cup of tea (which until recently I didn’t much care for) with my early afternoon and evening pipes. I love my beer ( but not Blatz); just not with my pipes. Got my reservations at the Hyatt Regency for the Chicago show and am looking forward to seeing you there.

[@oldandintheway1955]

Hiyas Spike, thanks for watching and commenting, my friend, it's always great to hear from you. I'm with you, I really prefer tea or coffee with my pipes. It is a rare occasion when I have a beer or whisky with my pipe, I like to keep those wonder flavor profiles separate. Is Blatz actually beer? 😳 I'm looking forward to the upcoming Chicago show and hopefully having a pipe with your good self. New venue this year, one large room instead of the 2 room layout. From everything I've heard about how it's coming together; it should be an epic experience. Happy piping! Gary

[@yusufsayed1583]

Good Evening 😊 Awesome VR👌🏽 Thanks for sharing your ritual 👏🏼 WOW , amazing pipe collection 💯 Good pipe and tobacco 👍🏼 Have a great day & Greetings From South Africa 🇿🇦

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you Yusuf! I appreciate you watching and stopping by, much appreciated. Serene smokes, Gary

[@DecinergyAt]

👍🏻👍🏻☺️🎉😊😉✌🏻🇦🇹🇪🇺

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you for watching, much appreciated.

[@JMZ56]

Very nice video.

[@oldandintheway1955]

Cheers John, I'm disappointed that tomorrows get together won't work, see yas next week.

[@The-man-with-the-many-pipes]

Hello very nice video end pipe, thanks for sharing 👋🔥☁️☁️🇦🇹

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you for the kind words my friend, they are appreciated.

[@The-man-with-the-many-pipes]

Thanks 👋🔥☁️​@@oldandintheway1955

[@ronaldpoppe3774]

Hi Gary. Just found your channel. Looks like we have the same taste in tea. I retired last April and have been having a blast. Great content. I hit the subscribe button. Looking forward to more great videos. Cheers Ron

[@oldandintheway1955]

Hiyas Ron, Thank you so much for watching, commenting and subscribing! Very much appreciated. Yorkshire tea is a firm favorite, for me it pairs really well with Virginia, VaPer, English and Balkan blends. I'm entering my 3rd year of retirement and I have to say that I'm loving it. I have no problem staying busy and contented with the things I enjoy doing. Happy Piping my friend.

[@aromatix5741]

Very cool, love the old school Yamaha reciever. I'd like to set up an old school stereo and vinyl setup sometime. Great mug too.

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thanks for stopping by Jeff, much appreciated. Of course my son snagged my Yamaha turntable. 😳 He's picking through my vinyl collection too. He's got good taste in music 🎶

[@CentralCalPiper]

Great VR!

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you David, much appreciated.

[@Pipemonkey]

Good luck in the draw gary 👍🤝

[@oldandintheway1955]

Cheers Gary pal, thanks for stopping by, much appreciated.

[@s.m.r.1202]

Thanks so much for this great VR, Gary! It was a joy to watch. I hope Mr. Peanuts 🥜 nuts are ok after.😂 Some great advice and tips in there. I shall barrow a few. Have yourself a great day and evening. You're In!!

[@oldandintheway1955]

My absolute pleasure Randy, it was a fun one to do. Yeah, fortunately Mr. Peanut's got pewter nuts, they may get a little hot but that's okay. 😉 I was hoping that some of my advice might be helpful, I certainly didn't want to "preach to the choir". Whoever wins is going to get a super nice pipe and baccy. Well done bro.

[@PiperX1X]

Hey up, it’s grand to see thou’s using proper tea lad, Yorkshires favourite and proper brew.

[@oldandintheway1955]

Cheers Jonathan, it is a tasty brew! Step up with your cup, it's tea time.☕

[@ThePipeSmokingKnifeMaker]

I enjoyed seeing ur pipe smoking ritual 👍

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thanks for watching and commenting Dwight, much appreciated.

[@SoCal-Piper]

Hey, Gary! Excellent VR, brother! Boy... You're certainly a gentleman of structure and discipline - a wonderful encouragement to those of us who lack either/or! Best wishes on your entry, and may God continue to bless you!!! 🙏

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you Israel, I have a personality that is totally content and comfortable with ritual and protocol. Tea and pipes fit nicely into the realm. Spontaneity is fun and exciting in it's place, but it does tend to make me a little nervous. 😉😀 It's always good to hear from you my friend. Peace!

[@pipeonthemountain]

Hello Gary. I very much enjoyed watching your detailed process for enjoying a pipe. Also, appreciate the care you give to your pipes when your finished.

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you Don, I definitely have a ritual/process/protocol type of personality. Tea and Pipes lend themselves to ritual. A clean, well cared for pipe, is a happy pipe.😉 Always good to hear from you, take care and serene smokes

[@wrkane]

Excellent V.R. Gary. Yes, new toys are fun ☺️. Good luck in the GAW! All the Best, William (Hugin and Munin send their best as well!)

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you William! Indeed, new toys are fun, I do like the way it cuts up the flake as well. Please return my best to those two lovely ravens , and to Odin as well, if you happen to run across him......when he's in a good mood of course 😳

[@DryFlyFisher11]

Hey Gary! I enjoyed everything about this video. Knowing your preference in tea, seeing your cellar and pipe collection, and learning more about your routine, all just fantastic! I agree, waiting to enjoy a bowl until you can truly enjoy it is mission critical to me as well, not rushed, and allowing yourself to go through your proper routine. Maybe that’s why I don’t have a pipe as much as I would otherwise prefer. Cheers! -Alex

[@oldandintheway1955]

Hiyas Alex my friend, I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. In the past I've broken my rule and forced a pipe for one reason or the other. You know, those are never are good piping sessions. It is better to pass on it than to have a disappointing pipe. I hope you are finding the time to enjoy a pipe. Have you had the chance to try Squadron Leader? I hope it passed muster with you.

[@TinFoilHatPipeDude]

Dear Gary, so nice to see your ritual. Tea goes so well with most kinds of tobacco, it is my favored daytime drink with a pipe. Inless Im smoking a burley, in which case I go for coffee. I applaud you for taking such good care of your pipes, Im a messy person. BBF is a big favorite of mine too. Be well my friend! Emil

[@oldandintheway1955]

My dear Emil! I am definitely a ritual/process/protocol type of personality. My comfort zone. I tend to drive my poor Rita crazy at times owing to my need to be organized and have things be just so. Tea and Pipes are a good outlet for my tendency to ritualize, I reckon. My friend in Iceland told me that I am very "Swedish" in that regard. My late Father, my Mother and Sister share my need to organize and keep things tidy, so it runs in the family. Thank you for dropping by, it's always a pleasure to hear from you dear friend.

[@crazy-legged-piper]

Evening Gary. That was a nice video. I wish I could say I was as organised as you, but sadly not. I presume you got the tea whilst on your recent travels, or can you get it in the U.S.? That's a good tea. The pot really brings back memories. That type used to be very common in cafes, guest houses etc. here, but I realise now that I haven't seen one in ages. Tea is becoming my favourite pipe companion, except that I tend to drink it very quickly, so require a bigger mug to avoid having to make another pot mid-pipe. Thanks, and take care.

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you for watching and your kind words Jamie, much appreciated. Fortunately, I can purchase "Yorkshire" tea here in the states. My "Pound" pot works out great for me; that was a nice find at one of the open air markets in Southwark. The following Christmas, my London friends visited us and brought me a 3x larger version; it was duly named "the weekender"

[@chillaxe9603]

Snap on the pipe cleaner ritual! Nice Denis the menace jumper. Have you ever gave a tour of the pipe racks?! Good luck in the give away!

[@RedcoatsReturn]

A great VR about rituals 😊👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 A wonderful collection of pipe racks…that gives a great immediate choice of the pipe for the day 😄 Thanks for using a RR tea mug my’ol Gary 😄 Its the nicest shoutout I‘ve ever got 😄😄👍👍

[@oldandintheway1955]

Hahaha, My wife certainly thinks I'm Dennis the Menace; the real one is incensed because I nicked his shirt. I haven't given a tour of my pipe racks, perhaps I should. Glad you like the pipe cleaner hack; frugal is not necessarily cheap.

[@oldandintheway1955]

My Dear Lester mate, Thank you for the kind words, much appreciated. I treasure my RR Cup old friend, it's a keeper.

[@PipeAndAPour]

Great video Gary! Love that Bing, great advice and appreciate your thoughts in SG Best Brown flake! I’m really trying to enjoy straight VA blends and will have to check this one out as your comments re: it having some deeper, richer flavors! Cheers!

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you for watching and your kind words Donnie. Merchant Services make a great rendition of the Bing pipe. You may also enjoy Rattray's "Marlin Flake", Old Gowrie and Hal O' the Wynd. They are all very tasty dark, rich Virginia forward blends. They do also have varying amounts of perique in them. The dark fruit variety, not the pepper/spice. Ken Byron Ventures "Brown Flek" is outstanding for a pure, mature Virginia. Happy piping.

[@PipeAndAPour]

@@oldandintheway1955 After waiting for almost 2 years, I was finally able to grab a Bing from MS back in Dec! And I’ve recently acquired both Marlin Flake and Hal O’ Wynd, will have to include Old Gowrie on the next purchase! Thanks for the endorsement of those!

[@thepipesmokingbeekeeper8917]

Hi Gary Great video loved it but........milk in tea first 😮

[@oldandintheway1955]

Hahaha 🥛☕ I hoped that one of my friends from the UK would bring up the MIF or TIF question. After my Mother retired, she went to work part time in a friend's tea shop. The English ladies that worked with her were all MIF. Something about preventing the fragile, rather delicate tea cups from cracking when they poured hot tea straight into them. Back in the late 90's when my buddy and I visited London; I was told again by his Mother there, that MIF was the preferred method. I'll be honest with yas; sometimes I'm MIF and sometimes I'm TIF, it depends on which side of the bed I wake up on.....🤔

[@TruckinPiperBob]

Absolutely mif if made in a pot, if a quick cup tea bag mil,,, I hate teabags it tastes wrong and takes away the relaxing process of tea. Yeeeeees Yorkshire tea Gary I’m so proud of you 😊

[@oldandintheway1955]

Hiyas Bob, I must settle for bags if I wish to enjoy a cuppa of Yorkshire tea. I love it. "Step up with your cup, it's tea time"!!☕

[@TruckinPiperBob]

@@oldandintheway1955 we do use them Gary as well The convenience Think hate was a little strong word, doesn’t quite taste the same should have put

[@oldandintheway1955]

Well then, I agree with you, I do prefer loose tea because I can control the strength and I have to believe that the quality of the leaf is better. Happy Friday Bob!

[@brianquilty687]

Hey Gary, nice morning ritual you have. Can you give me some more info on that grinder .... I think it's a great idea.

[@oldandintheway1955]

Thank you Brian, I sometimes drive my dear Rita crazy with my need to be organized and tidy. I definitely have a ritual/process/protocol type of personality. I will send you the grinder info via email. I really like it.

[@howardberger2226]

Why can't you just feel like smoking a pipe and just smoke it? I asked while scratching my head. HB

[@oldandintheway1955]

Hiyas Howard, thank you for dropping by and commenting, much appreciated. Of course, if you feel like smoking your pipe, just stuff it and puff it! There are many ways to enjoy a pipe, different smokes for different folks. I have learned from my 52 years of piping, that I prefer taking my time and preparing as I have shared with you all. I find that if I rush through it; the experience isn't consistently as rewarding or pleasant as when I follow my tried and true ritual. It works for me. Take Care and happy piping!