Pipe Smoking and the Internet

Intro: This is a golden age of pipe smoking! Today there are hundreds of companies and independent artisan pipemakers producing pipes each year with more cropping up regularly. There are thousands of tobacco blends of every variety available along with a steady influx of new blends being introduced. One is no longer limited to the stock of one's local tobacconist's shop because the internet has provided access to unlimited resources for pipes and tobacco. In this age where brick-and-mortar shops are becoming scarce, online retailers (or "e-tailers" as they are sometimes called) are flourishing. Without a doubt, the internet has been a key factor in the evolution of pipe smoking.

Pre-Internet Years ago pipe smokers purchased their pipes and tobaccos at a local shop or through a mail-order catalog. Choices were usually very limited according to what was being carried at that time by the shops. There was not a large variety of brands, shapes and sizes of pipes. Tobacco choices consisted of some premium brands like Dunhill, "drugstore" brands and house blends of local shops. Some of these local shops made some wonderful blends but were virtually unknown outside of the local area.

Information about pipes was not easy to find. New pipe smokers wishing to learn the basics of the gentle art usually had to find a mentor to teach them how to properly pack, light, smoke and care for the pipe. More than a few tobacconists gave crash courses to new customers making their first purchase. Most new pipe smokers were taught the standard "three-level" packing technique, given a bag of aromatic tobacco and sent along their way.

Early Internet Age With the implementation of the internet into the public mainstream came the Usenet group "alt.smokers.pipes". This newsgroup hosted a virtual community sharing a plethora of knowledge and experience in pipe smoking. New smokers could ask questions to seasoned veterans from the comfort of their own sofas. Information about various brands of pipes and tobaccos were shared between people all over the world. Some members traded pipes and tobaccos, discovered new blends and brands, learned new ways to pack a pipe and invented better ways to maintain a pipe. Eventually, the old myths were exposed as just that...myths.

As a result of having access to such a large pool of pipe lore, smokers began to enjoy the gentle art more than they had prior to joining the newsgroup. Several commercial web sites were created as "virtual smoke shops" and soon one could purchase those pipes and blends discussed online. Imagine the feeling of discovering that no-name pipe you thought was a high quality briar was just mediocre once experiencing a true high-grade! The gentle art of pipe smoking was virtually re-invented and re-discovered much to the delight of new smokers and veterans alike.

Present Day Today the internet hosts hundreds, if not thousands, of pipe-related sites. Online retailers have vast inventories and diverse selections. New artisan pipemakers create works of art in their homes and sell them on their own web sites. Some pipemakers and tobacco blenders have participated in the online pipe community giving smokers direct interaction with the creators of their favorite blends and pipes. It is a tight-knit community, a "Brotherhood of the Briar", that continues to support the gentle art and keeps it alive.

Through the internet we have a much better understanding of our pipes. Pipemakers teach us how pipes work and what makes them great and what makes them firewood. We know more about tobacco and how blends come together because we have master blenders sharing their expertise about the Leaf. Having a better understanding of the intricities allows us to appreciate that much more all of the work that is put into our beloved tools of tranquility.

Future Anti-smoking groups are hard at work to make all tobacco illegal. Political pressure has been placed on retailers, e-tailers and credit card companies to cripple the online commerce by taking away online payment processing. Countless smoking bans have been placed all over the world and they keep getting more restrictive each time around. The fear that tobacco will indeed become illegal and our pipes will be merely legends is a legitimate one.

Despite the smoking bans and other attempts to reduce tobacco consumption, pipe-related commerce shows no signs of slowing down. People are still buying new pipes, tobaccos and accessories. New blends are still being produced with more to come. In this golden age of pipe smoking we are keeping the art alive and growing. Many new pipe smokers are picking up their first briars each day. There is much available for everyone and it is our duty to enjoy it all.

New Acquisition for 05/23/08

Ok...so several weeks ago Boswell Pipes had an update that included a gorgeous canadian with a natural finish and a cumberland stem. I wanted this pipe big time so I immediately called the shop to order it. After 20 minutes of busy signals I finally got through only to hear that the pipe had just been sold to the caller before me.

Fast forward to today, after waiting anxiously for the updates to be posted what do I happen to see but this beauty? Much nicer than the one I missed out on for sure! This pipe is huge but was made from one block of briar! There are no glued extensions on this piece! I called Boswells to order expecting to hear that it was sold. Imagine my surprise when I heard it was still available! No more it's not...MINE!!!

My Review of "Lamb Cake Slices"

Preface: This past April Fools Day some of us reviewers at tobaccoreviews.com submitted reviews for a fictional blend that was made with lamb. While the joke was initially lost on some, most people got the joke and followed up accordingly. Here is my submission:

The first thing I noticed upon opening the tin was the mint. Truly a testament to the master blender's use of a restrained hand. I also detected something else in the scent...similar to the McClelland "ketchup" smell but this was more like KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce. Spicy goodness! The moisture content was more than I am used to as the slices seemed wet. Once I removed a couple of the slices I saw that the cause of the excess moisture was the beige water-like substance pooled at the bottom of the tin. This is more than likely the lamb juice. What a grand presentation! The flakes are easy to compress and fill the pipe with. I used some of the juice to put on the top of the bowl for "kindling". At first match the lamb introduced itself (its name was "Lambchop") and soon the mint joined in. The room note was pleasant and my wife commented that she kept thinking it was Easter Sunday. This is definitely not your drugstore variety, but very top shelf USDA Grade-A lamb! The bowl ended in a small pile of grey ash with no dottle or bone fragments. Very nice smoke but certainly not an all-day as I was too full after smoking one pipe that I skipped dinner and went to bed. On a side note, I understand that Greg Pease is working on a lamb blend as well but his will incorporate Cyprian Latakia, some dark rum, Latakia and more Latakia. It is to be the first in the new "Muttons and Maidens" series.

My Review of McClelland's Drama Reserve

McClelland's Drama Reserve is a blend of ribbon-cut Virginias with Drama leaf added to the mix. Upon opening the tin you can smell the spice immediately. Due to the cut it packs easily and burns well. It is a bit moist out of the tin but a few minutes of drying time brings it to a better moisture level for smoking.

The flavor at first light is a slightly sweet spiciness. It is not a peppery spice like that of Perique but a more exotic one like saffron. As the bowl progresses the sweetness increases slightly and the spice moves to the background playing a supporting role to the VAs. Towards the end of the bowl there is a good base of sweetness with the spice coming through now and then. The blend gets more full at the end but it never gets harsh.

Drama Reserve is a cool-burning blend that leaves the pipe and palate clean. If pushed it can bite but that is a given considering the ingredients. Not a blend to be puffed like a locomotive but slowly sipped and savored like a fine wine.

New Acquisition for 5/4/08

This is a beautiful nosewarmer pipe from Luigi Viprati. It is a one-clover grade and has some impressive silverwork.

New Acquisition for 04/23/08

Yes, it's ANOTHER Boswell! My favorite shape and finish, this stubby billiard sports a brown pearlized acrylic stem.

The Pipe At Sea

Many years ago before international travel was accomplished primarily via flight, great ships carried travellers across the globe over the seas. Pipes were smoked by many seafaring gentlemen during those times. Classic verses of prose have been composed under the influence of the romance of the sea and the pipe. From pirates to poets, the pipe has been a fine and faithful companion.

In this present modern age of travel, emphasis on speed and convenience are the fore. Running to the airport terminal to catch a flight, making connections, catching a shuttle, airport security, etc, has made travelling more stressful than anything else.

I recently took a trip on a cruise ship which inspired me to make a brief visit to those older times when men took to the seas for adventure and profit. While sailing out of the port of New York City I brought out the pipe. In celebration and tribute to that ancient tradition I smoked by sunset on the sea. For a brief time I was not on a cruise ship but instead was a gnarly pirate keeping watch over the deck in search of treasure and adventure.

The winds proved too fierce for me to enjoy a long slow smoke so I resolved to enjoy the pipe inside of my stateroom while watching television. Not as romantic or dramatic as facing the ocean breeze but certainly more condusive to a man built more for comfort than speed.

New Acquisition for 04/15/08

Today was "Update Day" at Boswells and guess what I found?

Talk about perfect timing, last year around this time I saw an author at Boswells with this same finish and an amber stem that I fell in love with. I got that pipe as my birthday gift and it has become a big favorite of mine. Now here it is a year later and I see this pipe! Needless to say, "Happy Birthday to me"!

Starting the Day

This morning we actually had some warm Spring weather so I had my morning pipe and coffee on the deck. I was feeling a bit artistic so I captured the moment to share with all of you. The pipe is a Stanwell Boa which is a very hard shape to find and usually only available in Denmark.

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