Pipe Line

Meerschaums have been popular for far longer than briar pipes and maintain an enthusiastic following. Briar wasn't introduced as an accepted and durable material for pipes until the late 1800s, after all, and previous to that meerschaum was king. It's a remarkably neutral material, and many profess that it is an accurate medium ... Read More

My wife innocently asked if there were any pipes in my collection that were of particular value to me and if I might point them out to her. I'm no fool, so I naturally responded that I had nothing worth more than $10 and that all my pipes were virtually valueless. Then I started searching the house for lethal traps. ... Read More

A few months ago, an old pipe came across my desk. A weathered French estate, it was carved with the names of French cities in a loose, awkward hand, as if done with a pocket knife. It was a trench pipe — a piece carried by a soldier in WWI, when the war took young men to fight in places they had only ever heard of before. ... Read More

Tobacco was first used by humans about 18,000 years ago, according to the accepted scientific canon. The Mayan civilization was the most likely to have first cultivated the plants, however, beginning about 5,000 years ago. ... Read More

Except for the beginning of pipe sandblasting more than 100 years ago, when curing techniques, softer Algerian briar (if that story is not a fable) and early, unsophisticated procedures launched deeply craggy sandblasts, sandblasted pipes have been mainly low profile in texture. Even today, in Denmark, the heart of artisan pipemaking ... Read More

You won't find it marked on any calendars, and there are no site-wide discounts to celebrate it's arrival, but September 3rd is still an important date for pipe smokers, and more specifically for fans of the storied Peterson marque. To find out a bit more on why it's such an important day, we asked the man who literally wrote the book on Peterson pipes: Mark Irwin. ... Read More

On this episode of All Pipes Considered, Shane and Kaz have a seat in the lounge as they discuss the work of skilled craftsman Alex Florov. ... Read More

Welcome to another episode of All Pipes Considered! On this episode, Andy and Truett have a seat in the lounge to discuss the work of Polish Carver Wojtek Pastuch. ... Read More

No discussion of pipe sandblasting is complete without referencing J.T. Cooke. I've referred to J.T. in the past as the Thomas Edison of pipe sandblasting, but I think that's unfair. Edison was a jerk, and J.T. Cooke is the opposite. He's intelligent, warm, and rational in all the right proportions. ... Read More

On this episode of All Pipes Considered, Kaz and Rachel have a seat in the lounge as the highlight the work of Taiwanese artisan Jerry Zen. ... Read More