Recent

"If everyone in town comes to my plant and takes a free sample of what I make, I'll go bankrupt. But if everyone in the world takes a free sample of one of my ideas (or at least one of my good ones), we'll all get richer." - Seth Godin ... Read More

A few days ago, Ryota Shimizu, Smokingpipes.com's representative in Japan, and I visited Kei Gotoh at his workshop in northwestern Tokyo. Gotoh makes only a few pipes a year, a pattern he's maintained since 1987, the year he stopped ... Read More

Well tobacco fans, it's that time of year again. Not only is spring upon us, if the quarter inch thick layer of pollen covering my car every morning is to be believed anyway, but the organisation-that-shall-remain-nameless-for-copyright-reasons has finished it's first round of play. ... Read More

Todd Johnson is a talented pipe maker. There's no doubt about it. He's done so much to propel the American pipe making movement in the last two decades, as well as completely change the game of the serially produced pipe. ... Read More

Straight Up English is the first installment of C&D's new Small Batch project, and it delivers exactly what the name promises: a no-frills English mixture that's simple, rustic, and immensely satisfying. This blend will show you sides of Latakia that are anything but common; there's no other condimental leaf to take ... Read More

Every year Smokingpipes.com releases a new, double-sided poster for all to enjoy. In the past, these posters have featured everything from pipe maker sketches to Ted miraculously driving his motorcycle whilst smoking a pipe. Either way, it's a fun and often educational way for us to flex our creative muscles ... Read More

​McConnell's Scottish Flake and Scottish Cake have been long-time favorites of mine. They're well-represented in my cellar, and I find myself reaching for these blends often (especially the Flake), even after years of enjoying them. But it recently occurred to me that I've never given Scottish Blend (by the same marque) a fair shake. ... Read More

Cano A. Ozgener, a Turkish native with a Master's Degree in mechanical engineering, happened across some imperfect meerschaum pipes in his late twenties. Unsatisfied with the quality, he decided to improve them in his spare time. He changed the stemwork, made modifications to the engineering, and began ... Read More

On Saturday, March 5th, Luigi Radice celebrated his 77th birthday. I got there late — almost noon — thanks to a localized snowstorm in Varese, where I'd started that morning. Luca Di Piazza, Luigi, and his sons and fellow Radice pipe makers Marzio and Giancluca were all there. ... Read More

Tomorrow, February 20th, marks the day we've long been anticipating: the 8th annual International Pipe Smoking Day, during which we as pipe smokers will "raise... pipes together to foster friendship, benevolence, and tranquility across all borders." ... Read More