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This weekend I showed my wife a 110-year-old Barling, a pipe in pristine condition, one dressed in a few lovely silver adornments, which is something I like in a pipe right now. The pipe didn't belong to me, and to the best of my appraisal it appeared unsmoked. "If that were mine, I'd smoke the hell out of it!" I shouted ... Read More

When I was a boy in a little farm village in upstate New York, my grandfather and the 10 Tobys (all of his dogs were named Toby) were unceremoniously and permanently expelled from church, much to my grandfather's vexation. He cared nothing for his own religious instruction, but, because he wasn't particularly expert in the ... Read More

In this episode of All Pipes Considered, Sykes and Shane sit down to discuss Claudio Cavicchi's limited edition 2018 Bologna line, the Italian craftsman's first foray into pipe sets. Learn more about the masterpieces today. ... Read More

In this episode of Mystery Review, Shane Ireland once again assumed his role as High Inquisitor, putting our palates to the test against a mysterious blend of his choosing. ... Read More

Among the first things we did after I joined Pipes and tobaccos in 1996 was to start publishing a tobacco review column in the magazine. I tried writing the reviews myself at first but, because I didn't like the results, my attempts never made it into the publication. The reason I didn't like them was that they sucked. ... Read More

My admiration for the creativity and beauty of pipes drifts into related categories. Lighters, for example. I like an attractive, reliable lighter, and I have more than I can justify, though I wouldn't categorize them as a collection. I also seem to have assembled more tobacco humidors than I need, especially considering ... Read More

Today, February 20th, is the best day of the year: International Pipe Smoking Day (IPSD). Pipe smokers around the world will pause to raise a bowl in honor of our community of enthusiasts. Our activity is most often a solitary pursuit, but on this day we acknowledge the history and tradition of pipes ... Read More

My tobacco is disappearing, and after exhaustive investigation, I now know why: Tobacco vampires. It was difficult to believe at first, but my research has provided hard data sets that are impossible to interpret otherwise. The results may be frightening, but the fact remains that tobacco vampires are rampaging through the ... Read More

Savinelli's shape chart is expansive. It encompasses all the classics, from the traditional Billiard to even the Yachtsman, as well as a range of intriguing renditions you won't find anywhere else. If you're unfamiliar with Savs, even perusing through our currently available pipes can be daunting, and finding a favorite ... Read More

William "Cliff" Nelson, editor of Pipes and tobaccos magazine, phoned me a couple of days ago. "The new owners are discontinuing the magazine," he said. "I have two weeks to finish this issue and that's the end." ... Read More