Some early uses of the pipe as demonstrated by Pooh Bear
When clipper
ships were as prevalent as muskets, there was a captain who
gained some fame for successfully fighting off pirates of
many treacherous waters. Captain Aderman (said to be a
descendant of none other than Sven Aderman) was a man who
loved his pipe. The Captain was later promoted to Poobah, a
title that is now known as Admiral. On a side note, Poobah
Aderman was also a rather eccentric man as he had penchant
for honey and rarely wore any clothing below the waist.
Depictions of Poobah Aderman were often ones with his pipe
in his mouth while holding a pot of honey wearing (some)
clothes befitting a tough Captain of the sea. Those closest
to Aderman lovingly called him "Pooh Bear" a play on
"Poobah." Some historians claim there to be a connection
between Poobah Aderman and the lovable character Winnie the
Pooh which came along many years later sans pipe, however,
I believe any similarities to be purely coincidental.
Back to the subject of Poobah Aderman and his uses for
pipes...One of his favorite pipes, nicknamed "Gigante"
(pronounced Hee-ghan-tay) had a massive bowl in a shape
closely resembling what we might call a Zulu today. The
stem was custom made to be a tapered round end with only a
slight lip. It has been noted in ship digests that Captain
Aderman used this pipe, or one very much like it, in the
following ways:
- "...he threw his pipe at me in the same fashion I have
seen Mohawk Indians throw a styled ax. This pipe, it did
stick, mouthpiece first, into the wood of the door just
next to my ear. In shock I looked over to not only smell
the burning tobacco, but see it's embers burning bright as
if it were the heart of the thing. I was not ever late for
deck duty again."
- "I have heard men say that he carries no weapon on his
belt because he has no belt, but the truth is that he
carries his weapon in his teeth. I have seen Poobah Aderman
take the eye from a man using only his pipe and from a
distance of no less than a mature beluga."
- "I had never seen a war hammer but had only heard of
them. But when I saw Pooh Bear Aderman unleash the fury of
his pipe upon the head of a would-be mutineer, I knew that
a war hammer I had finally seen. The heavy portion of the
pipe came down and made that massive man a fine lunch for
the locals of the water."
And now you surely know, Poobah Aderman showed us that
there are many other uses besides the obvious for our
dearly beloved pipes.
—Olie Sylvester
Baron,
International Oom Paul Society of Non-Typicals