Articles by Chuck Stanion | Smokingpipes Daily Reader

The Benefits of Nicotine

June 28, 2024 by Chuck Stanion

12 Comments

Nicotine has been demonized in virtually every culture, perhaps with good reason. As every pipe smoker knows, it has some benefits. We enjoy pipe smoking for the flavors, for the relaxing aspects of smoke rising around us, for the craftsmanship and history of the pipes, for the rituals of smoking, and, it must be ... Read More

What's Happening Lately with Greg Pease

June 21, 2024 by Chuck Stanion

9 Comments

Greg Pease has garnered accolades for his blending since the inception of G.L. Pease tobaccos in 2000. Even before then, he was admired for his photography, writing, tobacco, and pipe expertise, and his reputation has continued to multiply. He's been entrenched in premium tobaccos and pipe smoking since his start at Druquer's ... Read More

A Closer Look at Peterson's Carroll of Carrollton Pipes

June 19, 2024 by Chuck Stanion

1 Comment

The Founding Fathers of the United States were many, and not all of their names are as well remembered as those of George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, or Thomas Jefferson, though their contributions were of enormous influence. Among the important names that have waned in our memories is Charles ... Read More

Bear Attacks and Pipe Smoking

June 13, 2024 by Chuck Stanion

9 Comments

Bear attacks present particular challenges for pipe smokers, especially novice smokers who may have trouble keeping a pipe lit in the best of circumstances, let alone when being juggled like a beanbag by a 900-pound grizzly. Even seasoned smokers may find that maintaining good technique is challenging during a bear ... Read More

The Semantic Discord of Tobacco Classifications

June 7, 2024 by Chuck Stanion

15 Comments

You're probably thinking, what a pretentious title for a tobacco article. It's what I'd be thinking. To be honest, it took me a while to find the term "semantic discord," but it was necessary for an economy of words. The concept takes too long to write out and titles require brevity. I found it by Googling various ... Read More

Boxwood: The Ivory of Woods

May 31, 2024 by Chuck Stanion

3 Comments

The variety of pipes available is staggering; from shapes and materials to finishes and stem colors, the choices are unending. Additionally, some of us like a pipe with an accent of some sort: silver, gold, acrylic, brass, vulcanite, stainless steel, mammoth ivory, dozens of different exotic woods, and even ... Read More

How to Ream a Pipe

May 10, 2024 by Chuck Stanion

27 Comments

Remember when we used to carry coins? They're quaint artifacts now, convenient for stabilizing table legs, but they used to be practical for things like parking meters and purchases. Now everything costs more than coins can cover, parking meters require credit cards, and debit cards are the preferred exchange ... Read More

Small Batch: Steamworks — The Culmination of 2,000 Years of Steam History

May 3, 2024 by Chuck Stanion

4 Comments

Steam has been employed for various mechanical purposes for more than two thousand years. The first steam device in recorded history was invented in 1st century Alexandria and was called Hero's engine, or the aeolipile. It had no practical use aside from entertainment and experimentation, consisting of a reservoir that ... Read More

Lighters Need Cleaning Too

April 18, 2024 by Chuck Stanion

20 Comments

I've managed to destroy a number of items by running them through the laundry in various pockets I've neglected to empty: valuable checks, essential phone numbers, flash drives, and a chocolate chip cookie I left in a shirt pocket, a cookie whose flavor was detrimentally mutated by the soap cycle. I still miss that cookie. ... Read More

The History of Mac Baren Tobacco

April 12, 2024 by Chuck Stanion

34 Comments

In Svendborg, Denmark, on the coast of the Baltic Sea, a very small tobacco factory with the name S. Bønnelyckes Tobaksfabrik opened in 1826 and did business primarily in snuff and chewing tobacco manufacturing. It continued for 50 years, never seeming to have attained much success, and in 1887 its owner lost it in a poker game. ... Read More

Chuck Stanion