Out of the Ashes

The Virtue of Persistence

G. L. Pease
It’s an absolutely gorgeous morning. Spring is sprouting all round, with wildflowers of all sizes and colours punctuating the green and gold of the open field across the street, and the weeds in the back yard have effortlessly achieved dog-camouflaging heights. The air is clean and fresh from recent rains, the delicate blue of the sky is veiled with a few soft, wispy clouds, and I’ve just enjoyed an absolutely, and somewhat unexpectedly brilliant smoke from a pipe with which I’ve had a very rocky relationship for a couple of years.
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Put That in Your Pipe

The 2012 Chicago Pipe Show Report

Ethan Brandt
How to describe the Chicago Pipe Show? A lot of different words come to mind: pipes, of course, but great times with friends, some that you never even knew before you arrived, wonderful conversation, and one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I was warned by Brad Pohlmann before I even attended the show that it would be Sunday night before I knew it. He was right, but after looking forward to the show for months, I enjoyed every moment of it and formed some memories that I know will last a lifetime, not to mention acquiring some really gorgeous "memorabilia".

Pipe Manufacturer & Retailer Spotlight

2012 Chicagoland Pipe Collectors’ Club Show

The State of the Pipe Community as Reflected at Pipe Shows

Chris P. Bacon
In the fall of 2005, a post on the Pipe and Tobacco Collector’s Blog sounded an alarm about the “demise of the pipe show” which, in the context of a somewhat standard gripe session about the state of pipe shows as a whole, made a provocative and impressive claim that predicted a coming storm accurately. The post stated that pipe shows, in overemphasizing the retail aspect of their gatherings, had become mere marketplaces, and this transformation dissolved the important yet somewhat intangible communal aspect upon which, at least anecdotally, the entire pipe community was based. Aside from striking gold in the mid-2000’s with a substantial lucrative boom in high-end pipe sales brought about by an influx of artisan carvers earlier in the decade, the pipe shows had nothing to show for decades of development and were in danger of becoming unexciting flea-markets, its visitors disengaged from the fact that, beyond the buying and selling, there was something missing, something important and communal and real.

Pipe & Tobacco Reviews

Samuel Gawith Chocolate Flake Pipe Tobacco Review

Adam J. Smith
Liner Notes: A product of the House of Samuel Gawith & Co. Ltd - Kendal, Cumbria, England. From the Website: The first of a collection dedicated to Samuel Gawith the First, Chocolate Flake is a luxury blend of Virginias, Burley and long-leaf Latakias. To complete the luxury a rich, dark chocolate has been added after cutting. Excellent smoking qualities with a good smoke and a delicious room note. Medium strength.

Normally when I set out to review a tobacco, I choose a blend that is new to me. The reason for this is two-fold. First and foremost, I like to approach the blend with no pre-conceived notions or ideas…or, at least as few as possible. The other reason is that I take a clinical, almost sterile approach to reviewing tobaccos; something that doesn’t lend itself readily to the peaceful bliss I seek when smoking an "old friend" as it were. That said, blends that I review often do end up finding a home either in my active rotation or in my cellar - however there are a few blends that I smoke regularly that I keep for just that - smoking.

Tobacco Policies & Legislation

Much Ado About Flavoring: Part Two

C. R. S. Lyles
From the Editor: The opening photograph to this article is meant to be sarcastic parody. I’m sure our primary audience knows this, but with the anti-tobacco lunacy spiraling ever higher, I am forced to give an explanation up front to avoid a potential crucifixion.

New York City banned all flavored tobacco without an exemption for pipe tobacco. Effectively, almost all pipe tobacco will now be illegal there. The FDA is now considering following suit on a national level. The supposed reasoning is to save the children from the evils of tobacco. Ok, fine, but why not exempt pipe tobacco (and cigars)? Find me one “child” that actually smokes pipe tobacco in a briar pipe and I’ll give you a million dollars.

They are potentially solving a problem that doesn’t exist while putting an entire industry out of business. - Kevin Godbee

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Ask G. L. Pease

Ask G. L. Pease May 2012 (Volume 13)

G. L. Pease
In many cultures, the number 13 is considered an unlucky one, and there are fascinating tales of how this digit pair, the sixth prime, the "Baker's Dozen," has come to be an omen of grave and imminent portent, and to this day, many buildings don't have a 13th floor, but, we're not a superstitious lot, right? So, go ahead and grab your black cat, break a mirror, sit under a ladder, and read on. On the other hand, if you're truly cursed with a debilitating case of triskaidekaphobia, you'd probably better just close the window now and move on to something else, onaccounta this is the thirteenth edition of this column, and I don't want to be responsible for any consternation you may be caused as a result of its appearing on your screen for too long. For the rest of you, without further rambling ado, let's get on with things.

Featured Tobacco Review

Smooth Sailing with Borkum Riff

E. Roberts
The Borkum Riff line of tobaccos has a pedigree that dates back to the early 1960s. It was formerly produced in the Mac Baren factory on an exclusive production line for Swedish Match. Now it is produced in-house at STG’s Orlik factory after the two companies merged in October 2010. Burley-forward Cavendish blends, they still enjoy prominence in the mass-market, or "OTC", pipe tobacco category, and with good reason. Five blends were sampled for this review, and all of them offered smooth and consistent smoking, genuine tobacco flavor, and varied Danish-style aromatic casings that distinguished them well.

From the Editor: With the change in production of Borkum Riff now being produced in Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s own Orlik factory, a few items are note-worthy.