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Mystery Review: March 2026

March 30, 2026 by Tyler Caldwell

Welcome to another episode of Mystery Review, our monthly series in which our panel of experts attempts to identify a mystery tobacco. For March's edition, our guest Inquisitor is Steve Norse of Vermont Freehand. Will his mysterious submission leave us bewildered, or will we correctly guess the tobacco he's presented to us? Join us ... Read More

Talking Pipe-Making Materials with Steve Norse of Vermont Freehand

March 27, 2026 by Shane Ireland

Recently, we were joined at our roundtable with Steve Norse of Vermont Freehand to discuss his brand as well as his impact on the pipe-making industry through supplying artisans with key pipe-making ... Read More

Arturo Fuente's Rare and Legendary OpusX Cigars

March 27, 2026 by Alan Britt

1 Comment

OpusX by Arturo Fuente isn't just a cigar; it is a Dominican love story about perseverance. Today we're talking about OpusX cigars that are widely considered the pinnacle ... Read More

Tobacco Selections: Cornell & Diehl Palmetto Balkan 2026

March 25, 2026 by Kayla Ivan

2 Comments

Cornell & Diehl's latest Small Batch, Palmetto Balkan, returns, and Jeremy Reeves, Head Blender of C&D, shares some insights about the blend and the unique varietals utilized to achieve the experience of smoking long-lost Syrian Latakia. ... Read More

New Crafted & Curated Forbidden Fruit

March 20, 2026 by Andrew Wike

I'm here with my good friend Robert Caldwell and we're gonna talk about something very special today: the latest entry in Caldwell Cigars' Crafted & Curated line — Forbidden Fruit, as well as an overview ... Read More

Talking Pipe-Making Materials with Steve Norse of Vermont Freehand

March 27, 2026 by Shane Ireland

Recently, we were joined at our roundtable with Steve Norse of Vermont Freehand to discuss his brand as well as his impact on the pipe-making industry through supplying artisans with key pipe-making ... Read More

On the Classification of Breads and Pipes

March 20, 2026 by Sykes Wilford

3 Comments

Early one cold afternoon this past January, I found myself walking to lunch with Marzio and Gianluca Radice and our friend — and translator — Francesco Laviano. We sat down at a table at an unpretentious restaurant — La Quadrifoglio in Cantù — that I'd been to a few times ... Read More

Estate Restoration

March 18, 2026 by Shane Ireland

4 Comments

I'm here today to talk about estate pipes. Estate pipes are a big part of what we do at Smokingpipes.com and I think they're particularly useful and special for a lot of reasons for collectors and for smokers. Let's dive into the restoration process ... Read More

Briar Grading At Peterson with Shane Ireland & Glen Whelan

March 12, 2026 by Shane Ireland

5 Comments

I recently visited Peterson of Dublin in Ireland and had a chance to chat with Glen Whelan, Managing Director, about what I think is arguably the most fascinating and certainly my favorite department in the entire production area: briar grading ... Read More

The Resin Project: The New Bakelite

March 6, 2026 by Truett Smith

18 Comments

The pipe world has benefitted from several innovations in materials and techniques that have catapulted it to new heights. Perhaps the most notable example involves the discovery of briar as an ideal material in the mid- to late-1800s, revolutionizing the original paradigm of crafting pipes from cherrywood or other hardwoods and installing Saint-Claude, France, as the epicenter of industrial ... Read More

Mystery Review: March 2026

March 30, 2026 by Tyler Caldwell

Welcome to another episode of Mystery Review, our monthly series in which our panel of experts attempts to identify a mystery tobacco. For March's edition, our guest Inquisitor is Steve Norse of Vermont Freehand. Will his mysterious submission leave us bewildered, or will we correctly guess the tobacco he's presented to us? Join us ... Read More

The Barrels That Built An Industry

March 27, 2026 by Truett Smith

3 Comments

Humans have enjoyed tobacco for literal millenia — just years ago researchers found evidencethat prehistoric peoples chewed tobacco seeds. However, its trade is a comparatively much more recent venture. Native Americans were known to carry pouches of tobacco for personal consumption and bartering, but there isn't any evidence of widespread tobacco trade ... Read More

Tobacco Selections: Cornell & Diehl Palmetto Balkan 2026

March 25, 2026 by Kayla Ivan

2 Comments

Cornell & Diehl's latest Small Batch, Palmetto Balkan, returns, and Jeremy Reeves, Head Blender of C&D, shares some insights about the blend and the unique varietals utilized to achieve the experience of smoking long-lost Syrian Latakia. ... Read More

10 Blends for the Spring Season

March 20, 2026 by Kayla Ivan

6 Comments

t's that wonderful time of the year where the weather starts to mellow and nature begins to bloom — that's right, it's spring! For the dedicated pipe smoker, warmer weather also means more comfortable outdoor smoking in the yard or on your patio. With that in mind, it's time for another edition ... Read More

Smoking 100-Year-Old Pipe Tobacco with Steve Norse

March 13, 2026 by Shane Ireland

13 Comments

In today's special episode, we have a once-in-a-lifetime experience to share with you: Steve Norse of Vermont Freehand joined us in our roundtable and opened an over 100-year-old tin of Cope's Bond of Union for us to smoke. Join us as we dive into this ultra-aged tobacco and share our thoughts on the oldest tin of tobacco ... Read More

Arturo Fuente's Rare and Legendary OpusX Cigars

March 27, 2026 by Alan Britt

1 Comment

OpusX by Arturo Fuente isn't just a cigar; it is a Dominican love story about perseverance. Today we're talking about OpusX cigars that are widely considered the pinnacle ... Read More

New Crafted & Curated Forbidden Fruit

March 20, 2026 by Andrew Wike

I'm here with my good friend Robert Caldwell and we're gonna talk about something very special today: the latest entry in Caldwell Cigars' Crafted & Curated line — Forbidden Fruit, as well as an overview ... Read More

Curivari Cigars: Our Staff Picks

March 13, 2026 by Tyler Caldwell

Today I'm gonna talk about one of the best kept secrets in the cigar industry. I'm gonna expose that to you. This is a brand known as Curivari.

Curivari was founded by Andreas Throuvalas in 2003 in Europe. Where they really made their statement was through entering the United States in 2010 and offering cigars that were very much different ... Read More

My Father The Judge

March 5, 2026 by Chris Herath

Today Tyler Caldwell and I will be discussing one of our top-selling cigars here at Smokingpipes, and what makes it so dynamic. Strong and smoky, this cigar is one of My Father's most full-bodied: My Father's The Judge. ... Read More

Everything You Need To Know About Padrón 1964 & 1926 Cigars

February 12, 2026 by Tyler Caldwell

I recently had the chance to chat with Chris Herath, Social Media Manager here at Smokingpipes, about Padrón Cigars, particularly their 1964 Anniversary and Serie 1926 Series, commemorating important milestones within the brand. Learn more about what makes Padrón ... Read More

What Makes A Great Beginner Pipe?

September 5, 2025 by Kayla Ivan

7 Comments

When you're just beginning your pipe-smoking journey, it's easy to become overwhelmed by the myriad brands, sizes, shapes, and styles of pipes available. Do you start with a straight or bent pipe? Briar or meer? And which stem material? While selecting your first pipe ... Read More

Summer and the Pipe Smoker: Conquering the Hobby in the Heat

May 22, 2025 by Kayla Ivan

4 Comments

As Memorial Day approaches, remembering and honoring the sacrifices of the bravest among us in the United States Military and unofficially commemorating the beginning of the summer season in the U.S., we'd like to describe a few ways your summer smokes can hopefully ... Read More

A Pipe-Smoker's Guide to Everyday Carry (EDC)

March 21, 2025 by Truett Smith

8 Comments

Today we're going to be talking about pipe smoking EDC, or everyday carry. EDC is a theme across numerous industries, but it's especially applicable to pipe smoking for those of us who like to smoke a pipe every day; We need a setup that allows us to do that as easily as possible. These are my essential tips ... Read More

Words Every Pipe Smoker Should Know: Pipe Terms

March 13, 2025 by Kayla Ivan

15 Comments

If you're new to pipe smoking, you've probably already noticed we have some pretty unique jargon. When we write our pipe descriptions, blog posts, and newsletters, we try to describe the pipes as accurately as possible; often that means using a specific set of terms recognized by the pipe community to mean very ... Read More

How to Care for Vulcanite Stems

March 7, 2025 by Rose Kiser

53 Comments

Pipes are deceptively simple. They're blocks of wood, for the most part, carved into a bowl with a stem. That's the simplest description of a pipe, it may even be the description you used when you started smoking. But as we begin to learn about the technical parts ... Read More