Articles by Chuck Stanion | Smokingpipes Daily Reader

Edisto Joins the Low Country Lineup

January 21, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

9 Comments

Edisto is a pure Red Virginia Flake, refined in nuance and flavor, now added to the exclusive blends of Low Country Pipe and Cigar, Smokingpipes' brick-and-mortar tobacconist in Little River, SC. It's a shop to experience when visiting the Myrtle Beach area. Spacious and comfortable, it's a relaxing environment for having a cigar or pipe while lounging on the extraordinarily comfortable ... Read More

Gonzo Pipe Smoker: Hunter S. Thompson

January 14, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

18 Comments

Hunter S. Thompson was, it could be easily argued, the most talented, unique, and original journalist of the 20th century. The founder of Gonzo journalism, which is a blend of fiction, autobiography, and subjective reporting, his public persona became larger than life and a caricature of himself as he was fictionalized in films and in the famous Doonesbury cartoons, to the extent that ... Read More

Estate Pipes: Three Tales of Doom and Deliverance

January 7, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

6 Comments

Our intrepid staff know no limitations in their quest for the estate pipes that you love to see on our website, as demonstrated by three recent adventures from our files. ... Read More

The Pipe That Saved Christmas

December 24, 2021 by Chuck Stanion

22 Comments

When you're nine years old, Christmas is the main event, the holiday that every kid anticipates. Magic permeates the atmosphere; it's the culmination of a year of school and chores, homework and play, and Christmas vacation is a wide vista of possibility. My friends and I willed Christmas to be closer, but it always seemed absurdly distant. ... Read More

Ben Rapaport: Tobacco Literature and Antique Pipe Expert

December 23, 2021 by Chuck Stanion

13 Comments

For 50 years, Ben Rapaport has contributed impressively to the literature of pipe smoking and has collected pipes since 1959. He's the author of nine books and countless articles, and a collector of antique pipes, as well as a purveyor of tobacco-related books and ephemera. He's also delivered a multitude of seminars, including for the opening of museums and at the Chicago pipe show. He's advised auction houses and museums around the world. When ... Read More

The History and Dark Side of Frosty the Snowman

December 17, 2021 by Chuck Stanion

13 Comments

We all know that it was Frosty's hat that magically brought him to life, but I suspect that his pipe was his prime motivation. After all, any snowman can stand silently with a hat, eyes of coal, and a scarf, but a pipe requires ambulation. Try smoking a pipe without moving: you'll be disappointed. ... Read More

Dan Locklair, World-Class Composer and Ambassador of the Pipe

December 10, 2021 by Chuck Stanion

11 Comments

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, "Music is the universal language of mankind." It's a truism that has held since humans first expressed rhythm with sticks and hollow logs, and it may be that the vocalizing of the first simple tunes helped to develop language itself. Music is felt at such a deeply emotional level that it resonates within our beings and universally transcends all other communication. ... Read More

Peterson's 2021 Pipe of the Year: The Iconic 4AB

December 3, 2021 by Chuck Stanion

25 Comments

Some pipe shapes are so inviting and attractive that they become iconic. Peterson's 4AB is such a shape, and it's return after decades of absence as the Peterson 2021 Pipe of the year was an event to be noted.

"Iconic" is a big word to throw around. A great example of an iconic shape is the Churchwarden. It was there at the beginning of European pipe smoking, long, graceful, and attending the first generations of modern smokers. ... Read More

Pipe-Smoking Holiday Gift Guide 2021

November 26, 2021 by Chuck Stanion

1 Comment

The holiday season is a strange time of year for pipe smokers because we know the chance of our loved ones finding the right gift for us is vanishingly small. You have to know a lot about this esoteric subject to choose wisely. It's like that with every hobby or specific interest, though. How can anyone without experienced knowledge purchase the right sharpening stone for a knife ... Read More

Meet Tad Gage: Publisher, Writer, Reviewer, Collector

November 19, 2021 by Chuck Stanion