A History of Smoking Accessories From Traditional Pipes to Modern Gadgets

The process of burning tobacco for the sole purpose of inhaling smoke – only to coat your lungs with black tar and potentially prime your cells for cancer – is not just a modern absurdity. Our ancestors were also dragging themselves to an early grave by smoking tobacco. 

The thing is, our ancestors at least made themselves unhealthy in style by using interesting-looking pipes, hookahs, and various other smoking paraphernalia to do so. 

Whereas the modern smoker mostly prefers cigarettes – those dull tubes of white paper stuffed with dried tobacco – our ancestors preferred much more imaginative, glamorous, and sometimes even decadent ways to partake in a habit that will cost the average participant 15 years of life.

Interesting Contraptions 

The nature of smoking isn’t particularly complicated. You just suck in the smoke and exhale it out again. But the method of doing so has been quite varied over the years, even ceremonial at times. 

With tobacco smoking stretching back over three millennia to the ancient Americas and Middle Eastern regions, the different contraptions used have taken some interesting twists and turns over those three thousand years.

Through this blog post, we are going to blaze (pun intended) through the timeline of smoking accessories, starting with the very first pipes used by the Incas. 

Ancient Americas, 1500 BC

After a hard morning of repeatedly sending decapitated heads tumbling down stone temple stairs, what better way to recoup your energy than to kick back with a well-earned, post-decapitation smoke? To do so, you need a pipe – and not just any old pipe, either. 

Long before you could grab a 20-pack from the corner shop, ancient American and Inca civilizations were enjoying dried tobacco with intricate wood pipes. As you might imagine, these contraptions were quite stunning to behold, with ornately decorated markings and depictions that represented the culture and artistry of the time. 

Used in various rituals and enjoyed by everyone attending (apart from the unfortunate few who were now divorced from their heads, of course), these early pipes were the very beginning of what would be a long, ill-conceived relationship with tobacco smoking.

Egypt, 800 BC – The Hookah

Skip forward a few hundred years, where we find ourselves in ancient Egypt and the arrival of the hookah. This elegant contraption first became popular among the elite as a more dignified way to smoke.

The hookah, which remains completely unchanged and extremely popular to this very day, consists of a water-filled base, a long hose, and a bowl to hold the tobacco, which cools and filters the smoke through water. Its intricate design often included beautiful glass work and precious metals and was a symbol of sophistication. 

Louis Vuitton may not have existed in ancient Egypt, but Hookahs certainly did, and there was no better way of saying, “Look at me, I’m loaded and classy” than blasting away on one in a public setting. These days, they are used commonly in the Middle East, parts of Africa, and wide swathes of Asia – along with a spattering of various Western hipster bars.

The Middle Ages, 500 AD – The Rise of the Chillum

Simple yet effective, the chillum is a straight, conical pipe traditionally made from clay. It was often used in religious ceremonies and social gatherings and by the first century, it was a common accessory for people of all social status. 

The chillum’s design allowed for a direct and apparently quite intense smoking experience and was enjoyed by everyone from humble farmers to spiritual gurus. It seems that ancient Indians couldn’t resist the charm of a device that made you look like you were communing with the gods above while unceremoniously coughing up a lung.

Europe, 16th Century – the Tobacco Pipe

When tobacco finally made its grand entrance into Europe, it didn’t take long for the classic tobacco pipe to become the default smoking accessory of the masses. Handmade from materials like wood, clay, and sepiolite (whatever that is), European smoking pipes were all about function and fashion.

Over the next 200 years, nothing much changed. Pipes remained the standard smoking device, becoming a staple among the aristocracy and common folk, with each one often a unique piece of art or a simple wooden tube. The pipe-smoking culture in Europe boomed, with intricate designs and shapes becoming commonplace. 

By the early 20th century, pipes were everywhere. While anything tobacco-related is frowned upon these days, it would be considered odd, in some way, to go about your day without chuffing away on a pipe in 18th-century Europe. 

19th Century – The Cigar

The 19th century saw the rise of the cigar, with neatly rolled tobacco leaves providing a richer and more earthy smoking experience compared to pipes. The construction of a cigar, with its various finely balanced layers of leaves, offered a richer flavour profile that appealed to connoisseurs. 

In what has become a common theme over the years, smoking continued to reflect status, with the cigar becoming a symbol of sophistication and leisure. By the same token, pipes were now seen as a working-class practice – unless you used an expensive, ornate pipe. 

20th Century – Cigarettes

The 20th century birthed the cigarette, now considered the ultimate symbol of modern smoking. Mass production techniques made cigarettes cheap and accessible, and while ‘big tobacco’ made fortunes, smoking became a widespread addiction. The convenience of pre-rolled tobacco made them incredibly popular, supported by clever marketing campaigns that glamorised cigarette smoking.

Despite their smaller size, cigarettes packed a punch in terms of nicotine delivery, which kept users firmly addicted and coming back for more. Health risks grew owing to the nefarious practices of the manufacturers who were determined to make cigarettes even more addictive. 

Gone were the good old days of crushing fresh leaves into a ceremonial pipe before doing a funny little dance around an open fire – smoking now had a sinister edge owing to the inhalation of several thousand chemicals with each puff and the inevitable health issues that followed for most long-term smokers.

Vapes and E-Cigarettes

E-cigarettes have taken the smoking world by storm, offering a new way to satisfy nicotine cravings through heated vapour. With a wide variety of flavours and sleek designs, vaping has, regrettably, become popular among younger smokers – although the imminent disposable vape ban will help reduce the numbers. 

Vaping promises (somewhat controversially) a cleaner alternative to traditional smoking, free from tar and many harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. Despite the ongoing debates about their safety, vapes and e-cigarettes continue to grow in popularity.

Final Thoughts

While many of the inventions and contraptions used throughout the history of smoking are interesting and fun, let’s face it: smoking tobacco is the most pointless habit in existence. We get so little out of smoking, yet the health cost is staggeringly high.

The problem is that up until now, there has been no better alternative. Vaping offered a glimmer of hope but still didn’t come close to the oddly satisfying feeling of inhaling actual tobacco smoke. The ideal solution would be a device that allows smokers to indulge their nicotine cravings without compromising on the feeling of smoking. 

If you are a smoker, you will be happy to know that a device just like that already exists.

The NEAFS Solution

It’s time to say good riddance to tobacco and quit smoking forever. Just as we no longer send young boys up chimneys to sweep, insulate our homes with asbestos, or use lead-based paint in our homes, we really should stop entertaining the awful habit of traditional smoking. 

With a far better, healthier alternative delivering a similar experience, there is simply no need to use cigars, pipes, or cigarettes anymore. Our plant-based, smokeless NEAFS nicotine sticks deliver the same satisfaction as tobacco cigarettes without harmful smoke, ash, or tar. 

Just pop a NEAFS stick into our elegant TEO device and enjoy it like a cigarette. It really is that straightforward. No smoking device has ever replicated the sensation of smoking as closely as NEAFS. This is smoking without actually smoking.

Interested in making the jump to NEAFS? Check out our starter kits for a smooth transition from traditional smoking and vaping today! It could be the best decision you have made in years!