Recent Articles | Smokingpipes Daily Reader

Pipe Smoking Desktop Backgrounds: March 2023

March 1, 2023 by Andrew Wike

It's time for another round of beautiful pipe smoking desktop backgrounds! As in previous months, we've compiled some of our favorite shots and artwork to share with you. Below you'll find eight unique images, split between desktop and mobile orientations and available for download in two high-resolution ... Read More

Bo Nordh: Swedish Pipe Making Master

February 24, 2023 by John McElheny

5 Comments

In the lengthy canon of contemporary artisan pipe making, Discussion is often centered around the Danish masters and their revolutionary reinterpretation of the centuries-old art. There's no question as to the impact and importance of these individuals, especially with regard to Sixten Ivarsson, whom many credit with kickstarting the artisan pipe-making movement, though those who came after him ... Read More

James Brown Visits Low Country Pipe & Cigar

February 23, 2023 by John McElheny

Black Label Trading Company has become phenomena in the cigar industry since the brand's inception in 2013, with scores of devoted enthusiasts following the company's progression, myself included, and last month the founder of Black Label, James Brown, attended a special event at Smokingpipes' brick-and-mortar store, Low Country Pipe & Cigar. ... Read More

Mystery Cigar Review: February 2023

February 22, 2023 by Alan Britt

Welcome back to the Mystery Cigar Review. For this month's episode, we switched things up and asked Mr. Caleb McBee, Associate Blender at Cornell & Diehl Pipe Tobacco Company, to select one cigar for Shane, Truett, Tyler, and me to review in a blind taste test. Caleb may be an expert at blending pipe tobacco, but ... Read More

Techniques for Smoking Extra-Large Pipes

February 17, 2023 by Chuck Stanion

16 Comments

There are pipes large and small, and both can be artfully rendered and enjoyably smoked. Some of us like smaller pipes because they're light, easy to carry and clench, and manifest a pleasing footprint and lightness in hand. Others prefer large pipes because of their reassuring mass and large surface area highlighting grain and texture, and for their large tobacco chamber requiring infrequent refilling. ... Read More

Mystery Tobacco Review: February 2023

February 16, 2023 by Shane Ireland

1 Comment

Welcome back, everyone, to the Mystery Tobacco Review. For our second episode of 2023, we were honored to host a very special guest: Mr. Erik Stokkebye. Building on three generations of tobacco experience, Erik continues his family's tradition with the 4th Generation brand, whose portfolio ranges from beautifully made briar pipes ... Read More

Dayton Matlick: Lifelong Tobacco Man

February 15, 2023 by Chuck Stanion

9 Comments

Dayton Matlick has passed at age 88. He was far more influential than most suspect, and no one can estimate his full contributions to our hobby. He was a quiet man who did not talk about his accomplishments, but I often lunched with him and heard some stories. ... Read More

Delayed Gratification Technique

February 10, 2023 by Chuck Stanion

15 Comments

We pipe smokers have abundant options for modifying the smoking characteristics of our tobaccos. We can transform a single tobacco blend by altering its humidity, aging it, rubbing it out to different consistencies, or by loading the pipe with different compressions or modifying our smoking cadence. ... Read More

All Pipes Considered: New Savinelli Pipes for 2023

February 9, 2023 by Andrew Wike

4 Comments

In today's episode of All Pipes Considered, we're taking a closer look at Savinelli's fantastic new pipe releases for 2023. And to make things interesting, I asked my old friend Kaz Walters — National Account Manager at Laudisi Distribution Group, the exclusive US distributor of Savinelli pipes ... Read More

Top 10 Connecticut Shade Cigars

February 8, 2023 by Gabriel Bass