
I've never been a smoker, either. Cigarettes smell terrible, they make your clothing smell terrible, they taste terrible, they're addictive, and quite, quite, expensive. Pipes, on the other hand, have to be purchases just once, and if you're a casual smoker, like me, it costs next to nothing. Also, pipe tobacco smells delicious, and it makes your clothing smell nice. Also also, one doesn't inhale pipe smoke, but puff it into the mouth for the flavour...then you can blow smoke rings like billio. Or magic ships, if you have Gandalf-level skills. All of mine are wood, briar and others, but someday in the near future I plan on getting some clay and also Meerschaum pipes. If they're good enough for Sherlock Holmes, then I'm in good company.
Here are some pipe-related works by Ernst_Müller, Abraham Teniers, Josef Wagner, Carl Spitzweg, Wilhelm Benz, Eduard von Grützner, Emile Jean Horace & others.