Articles by Chuck Stanion | Smokingpipes Daily Reader

Grandpa and the Christmas Ice Storm

December 16, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

31 Comments

Grandpa and the 10 Tobys (all of his dogs were named Toby) had been preparing for Christmas all year, just as they always did. Grandpa was a fan of Christmas and believed in fulfilling all the details to make it magical, and the Tobys were willing to do anything asked of them, except to stop barking at the wind, which was cold and harsh that year of 1966 ... Read More

In Celebration of Mark Twain's Birthday

December 7, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

7 Comments

One hundred and twelve years ago this week, Mark Twain delivered his 70th birthday speech at Delmonico's in New York. The dinner was held on December 5, 1905, a few days after his November 30 birthday. It's an interesting coincidence that another world-class satirist, Jonathan Swift, shares that birthday with Twain. Swift, sadly, did not smoke a pipe, but Twain smoked enough for both of them and more. ... Read More

A Comprehensive Guide to Aging and Cellaring Pipe Tobaccos

November 18, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

18 Comments

The first time I smoked Beacon, I hated it. Beacon is a McClelland tobacco that became a favorite many years ago and accounted for the bulk of my smoking budget, but it didn't start that way. I was transitioning at the time from English blends to Virginias because my wife disliked the scent of Latakia. I wanted to smoke indoors ... Read More

Aerating a Bowl of Tobacco

November 9, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

11 Comments

We've all experienced the frustration of an improperly packed bowl of tobacco. It doesn't matter how experienced we are; it doesn't matter how much we've read about pipe smoking or practiced our technique; it's irrelevant how expert we've become with various cuts of tobacco or different-sized bowls ... Read More

Introducing Bankside, the Inaugural Blend of G.L. Pease's Zeitgeist Collection

November 4, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

18 Comments

The Kansas City pipe show used to annually host a remarkable pipe-carving competition that created seven-day sets of North American pipes. It was good for the carvers, whose pipes were all pictured in Pipes and tobaccos magazine, which photographed each entry and published its image with the carver's contact information along with an article about the contest and the show. ... Read More

The Devil's Pipe

October 28, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

24 Comments

Kenan was a neighbor, but I didn't know him well or like him much. We'd mutually attended a couple of neighborhood barbecues, and this was the second time I'd been in his house. The first time, I decided not to make it habitual because Kenan was a little too weird. He was a professor specializing in medieval artifacts who collected occult items and displayed them in his home, and they were disturbing: ugly dolls, ouija boards, ... Read More

Low Country Atalaya: Blending The Familiar And The Exotic

October 14, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

6 Comments

Great pipe shops through the years have furnished their clientele with proprietary smoking mixtures of impressive quality. Consider, for example, Drucquer & Sons, Astley's, Kramer's, or W.Ø. Larsen, whose blends have maintained legendary popularity long after the originating shops closed their doors. ... Read More

Airflow in Peterson System Pipes: A Conversation with Dr. Dunn

September 23, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

15 Comments

In physics and engineering, fluid dynamics is the field that describes and measures the flow of fluids, including air and other gasses, as they move through various environments. One such environment is that found inside of a tobacco pipe. Air must move efficiently from the bowl, through the shank and stem, and out of ... Read More

The Many Shapes and Styles of Tobacco Pipes

September 9, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

18 Comments

You may have noticed that pipes appear in a large number of different shapes. One might even say that the number is infinite, especially when accounting for variations. Most traditional shapes, for example, can be straight or bent, with varying proportions, different stem configurations, different capacities, different balance, rounded or flat rims, varying curvature of bowl, length of stem ... Read More

Joe Lankford Passes, Blender of Seattle Pipe Club Tobaccos

September 8, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

14 Comments

There are people in our hobby who may seem like ordinary folks but whose quiet contributions provide influential advancements. Joe Lankford was such an individual. He passed away on September 3, leaving behind many appreciative pipe smokers who will continue enjoying the pipe tobaccos that he originated for the Seattle Pipe Club, tobaccos like Plum Pudding and Mississippi River, two particular favorites among pipe smokers. ... Read More

Chuck Stanion

Grandpa and the Christmas Ice Storm

In Celebration of Mark Twain's Birthday

A Comprehensive Guide to Aging and Cellaring Pipe Tobaccos

Aerating a Bowl of Tobacco

Introducing Bankside, the Inaugural Blend of G.L. Pease's Zeitgeist Collection

The Devil's Pipe

Low Country Atalaya: Blending The Familiar And The Exotic

Airflow in Peterson System Pipes: A Conversation with Dr. Dunn

The Many Shapes and Styles of Tobacco Pipes

Joe Lankford Passes, Blender of Seattle Pipe Club Tobaccos

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