Pipe Culture

Smokers, Light Your Pipes!

March 15, 2023 by Davin Hylton

1 Comment

Pipe-smoking competitions, sometimes referred to as long-smoking competitions, have been an integral part of the pipe-smoking community for over 100 years, offering hobbyists and enthusiasts an opportunity to test their skill, versatility, and lung capacity. These events are typically held at pipe-smoking conventions, or ... Read More

Techniques for Smoking Extra-Large Pipes

February 17, 2023 by Chuck Stanion

13 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

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

14 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

Top Resources For Pipe Smokers

January 18, 2023 by Gabriel Bass

37 Comments

Pipe smoking, though quite traditional in some ways, is still an ever-changing hobby. From new tobaccos, to ultra-rare stampings or shapes, to the latest up-and-coming carvers, there's quite a lot to keep track of. How do we juggle it all? ... Read More

2023 Pipe-Smoking Resolutions

December 28, 2022 by Davin Hylton

At the closing of every year, it's common practice for people from all walks of life to reflect on the accomplishments and improvements they would like achieve. Of course, pipe smokers are no different, and we can all agree that, no matter how long we've smoked a pipe, there is always more ... Read More

Introducing Glenn Tinsky Pipes

December 9, 2022 by Truett Smith

1 Comment

The "breakfast-table" effect is a sociological phenomenon that helps explain why many children follow the same career paths as their parents. It regards the significance of at-home conversations about job details and work life, making them more likely to pursue a similar field. The New York Times reported in 2017 that children are up to nearly three ... Read More

Joe Bussard: The Pipe Smoking King of the Record Collectors

November 24, 2022 by Gabriel Bass

5 Comments

For most people, the name Joe Bussard is unlikely to be familiar, though many of us have been affected by his work. Anyone with an appreciation for early country and blues artists like Jimmie Rodgers, Charley Patton, and the Carter Family, has benefited from Bussard's obsessive passion for music. That passion led him to ... Read More

A Comprehensive Guide to Aging and Cellaring Pipe Tobaccos

November 18, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

17 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

Employee Spotlight: Favorite Peterson Shapes

November 11, 2022 by Davin Hylton

16 Comments

Peterson is the oldest continuously operating pipe factory in the world, and over the course of its many years of operation, the Irish firm has produced some of the most iconic pipes in the medium. Having appeared in various films, television shows, and exhibitions, Peterson's pipes boast a prestigious reputation, their tubular shaping and muscular proportions making them immediately recognizable. ... Read More