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Princes Street Mixture from Chief Catoonah Tobacconist
Dick Silverman won the 2012 John Cotton Throwdown judging at the Chicago Pipe Show a few weeks ago, and he now his award winning blend is available for purchase.
Dick has been a retail tobacconist and tobacco blender for over 30-years. His store is Chief Catoonah Tobacconist.
Dick tells how he chose the name for what was entered in the contest as "Blend Y".
"John Cotton, born in 1801, established his famous Scottish tobacco shop in 1826. While the store moved around Edinburgh many times over the following years, the most famous address by far was on Princes Street. By the time of his death in 1868, John Cotton tobacco blends were sold all over Scotland. In the decades that followed, John Cotton’s wonderful smoking mixtures became available throughout the world.
So, fill your pipe, carefully light the tobacco, sit back and slowly smoke this mixture. Perhaps, if you close your eyes for a moment, you can see the streets of 19th century Edinburgh and let you mind wander into John Cotton’s Tobacconists shop."
Order Princes Street Mixture here.
Dick Silverman, Chief Catoonah
Kevin Godbee
Gregory L. Pease is best known for his wonderful pipe tobacco concoctions, but he is actually a man of many talents. He is a gourmet chef, wine connoisseur, professional photographer, lead guitarist, cigar aficionado, marshal arts expert, and ballroom dancer. Ok, I made up the ballroom dancer part, but the rest is true. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had some other talents I didn’t know about yet, but the guy is definitely a Renaissance Man. As it turns out, he is actually pretty good at Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator as well, and has turned his interest in pipes into some great original graphic designs—which are now available on t-shirts and mugs.
Here are two new graphics created by Greg "Renaissance Man" Pease -
Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired - Hot Pressed Pipe Tobacco
Kevin Godbee
PipesMagazine.com has been given the exclusive sneak-peek at the new Mac Baren pipe tobacco that will be introduced at the up-coming Chicagoland Int’l Pipe & Tobacciana Show. Mac Baren traditionally makes their big debut of new tobacco blends at the "Chicago Pipe Show" every year. (This year’s show is May 5 & 6 at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, IL.) For 2012, Mac Baren will be introducing: HH Old Dark Fired - Hot Pressed Pipe Tobacco.
Kevin Godbee
Gregory L. Pease
I must be one of the luckiest people alive!
Everything is great! Business is great! The weather is great! The view is great! I have a smokin’ hot girlfriend, great staff working on PipesMagazine.com with me … and most importantly - I have great friends.
I am so lucky that, not only does Greg Pease write two columns for PipesMagazine.com, and is the Associate Editor of our sister site, CigarChronicles.com, but we have become friends as well. We have common interests outside of pipes, tobacco and cigars … but this post is about pipe tobacco … and … uh … how damn lucky I am.
I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the few taste testers of the soon to be released, G.L. Pease Sextant.
Don’t hate me.
This stuff is really awesome, and I am not just saying that, although I’m sure there will be a few cynics in the audience rolling their eyes and thinking I’m just pimping out my friend’s new product.
Hint: That was my full disclosure, so don’t give me any grief. These are my real impressions.
My initial email to Greg after the first bowl was as follows -
Via Email from Pieter Potmeer
PipesMagazine.com received the below email this morning from Pieter Potmeer, who is a member of the Dutch Pipe Forums: http://www.pijprokersforum.nl/.
Some sad news was released today. The last pipe factory in the Netherlands, Koninklijke Gubbels en Zn., recently filed for bankruptcy. Gubbels was the manufacturer of the Big Ben, Porsche Design and Hilson pipe brands, among others.
Here’s a translation of an article placed in ‘De Limburger’, a local newspaper:
– start quote –
PIPE FACTORY GUBBELS BANKRUPT
The Roermond-based pipe factory Koninklijke Pijpen Elbert Gubbels & Zn. (Royal Pipes Elbert Gubbels & son) has gone bankrupt. This was confirmed by company lawyer Wim Vondenhoff on behalf of the company’s board of directors. Gubbels employs 26 people.
The company has existed since 1870 and is run by the fourth generation of the Gubbels family. According to Vondenhoff, the company curator is currently exploring possibilities for relaunching the company on a smaller scale. There would be room for 18 employees in such an event.
Vondenhoff points to expansive debts accumulated by the company as the cause for its bankruptcy. These debts are the result of a large stock and decreasing sales as a result of the economic crisis. "Pipes are a luxury product. Demand for them has simply decreased." says Vondenhoff.
– end quote –
Source: http://www.limburger.nl/article/20120306/REGIONIEUWS03/120309756#Pijpenfabriek_Gubbels_failliet
In a sudden, surprise announcement, Pipes Magazine just learned that Erik Stokkebye has resigned as President of Villiger-Stokkebye International, effective immediately. Roy MacLaren is the new President of the company. Mr. MacLaren has previously worked for Gurkha Cigars, and has over 30 years of experience in the tobacco industry. Stokkebye’s resignation comes on the heels of Lane Limited taking over distribution of the Stokkebye and other pipe tobacco lines. MacLaren’s entry to the leadership role of the company is seen as a move to have the company steered towards a greater presence in the cigar market. Villiger-Stokkebye has been more of a pipe tobacco company that also sells cigars, but now it appears they will working towards the reverse of that.
At this point, it is unknown where Erik Stokkebye will resurface, but Pipes Magazine will strive to stay on top of this news.
Following are two separate letters received from Villiger-Stokkebye International with the news.
Arango Cigar Co. is now the exclusive U.S. distributor for Mastro de Paja products. Mastro de Paja is the world-renowned Italian creator of upscale artistic briar pipes and cigar humidors. Arango acquired the inventory and distribution rights to Mastro de Paja in 2011, from XYZ Direct, Ltd.
Mastro de Paja was formed in 1972 … but not for profit. Its founders, a consortium of Italian pipe lovers, only sought world recognition for their high-value briar pipe styles. The company resides in the Adriatic city of Pesaro, home of many Italian artisans and pipe craftsmen. Many world-renowned Italian pipe masters learned the craft of pipe-making in the Mastro de Paja factory. Since 1994, ownership of the company has been in the hands of Sr. Alberto Montini.
Arango is spotlighting two outstanding Mastro de Paja products for both pipe and cigar smokers. Just introduced, and created exclusively for Arango, the "Brugo" line of pipes retail for $120. Arango’s president, Michael Gold states, "No Mastro de Paja pipe has ever been offered in the U.S. at this price. Now anyone can afford a Mastro de Paja." Brugo is available in six classic shapes, as interpreted by Sr. Montini and the individual artisans, and is offered only as a rusticated model. All Brugos have black Lucite stems, exclusive to each pipe.
ALBANY - The New York Association of Convenience Stores issued a press release yesterday strongly opposing changes in cigar and loose tobacco taxes being recommended by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in his proposed state budget.
In testimony prepared for a budget hearing yesterday, NYACS President James Calvin said that while the budget document refers to them as "loophole closing actions," they would actually raise taxes with the following negative consequences:
- Resulting higher prices would divert customers away from licensed, tax-collecting New York stores to easily accessible tax-free outlets.
- New York State would lose all the excise tax revenue – and the sales tax revenue – from those diverted transactions.
The current excise tax on cigars in New York is 75% of wholesale value. Cuomo’s budget would instead tax them at 50% of retail value, with the wholesale distributor pre-paying a portion of that tax (20 cents per cigar) and the retailer remitting the balance. According to NYACS, this entails an additional tax reconciliation to perform, and another tax return to file, periodically.
You may recall the sad news that we reported in mid-November of the passing of Jay Jones, of Hermit TobaccoWorks.
We received a letter today from his widow, Louise Pavonetti Jones, that she requested be posted as an open letter to the pipe community.
Dear Fellow Pipe Smokers,
"Another day in Paradise" is how we started each new day. On November 16, 2011 Jay Jones ascended to a Paradise like no other. With serene grace and dignity Jay died peacefully in the comfort of his home, embraced in love and devotion. Truly a reflection of all he believed in.
Jay also believed in Hermit Tobacco Works Company. Together, with a simple pipe originally owned by Captain Earle, Jay and I envisioned and built our company over the years. Attending pipe shows, designing our website, and blending some of the finest tobacco blends ever. Jay was a Master of them all.
We would end each day with "Live life to the fullest" and this is what I wish to share with you all. Hermit Tobacco will continue to be part of the Briar Brotherhood. To honor our gentle art of smoking, to appreciate all the uniqueness we have as pipe smokers and to relish each moment we have with our pipes, our tobacco and our friends.
Thank you all for your kind words and sincere condolences. Thank you for your continued support of Hermit Tobacco Works Company.
Sincerely,
Louise Pavonetti Jones
Online tobacconist overcomes poor economy, product shipping restrictions, high taxes and stiff competition to achieve their most successful year of sales of cigars, pipes and pipe tobacco.
Albany, NY - PipesandCigars.com is pleased to announce a 10% increase in orders from 2010 to 2011, making their 17th year in business their most successful to date. This increase in sales of cigars, pipes, pipe tobacco and accessories has necessitated a number of changes within the company including significant increases to the production staff and expanding the corporate workspace to include a brand-new office dedicated to the sales and customer service call center.
When completing the year-end sales totals, PipesandCigars.com reported sales of over 20 tons of bulk pipe tobacco, which is sold in increments as small as one ounce. The bulk tobacco represents just a portion of the online tobacconist’s total sales, which also include boxes of the best cigars on the market, pipes and pre-packaged tins of pipe tobacco as well as a variety of accessories. The company estimates using over 160 miles worth of packing tape to safely secure all their packages for shipping, and has increased efficiency to the rate where one package is processed and shipped every 1.36 minutes.
"2011 was a banner year for PipesandCigars.com," said the company’s owner Scott Bendett. "Being in the tobacco industry is more difficult than ever. Since I started in this business 17 years ago, New York State’s tobacco tax has risen from 37% to 75%. Additional exorbitant federal taxes on both cigars and pipe tobacco have been implemented. The different kinds of tobacco products we are allowed to ship via mail-order has been repeatedly restricted, and the competition from other online tobacconists to offer the lowest online cigar prices is more fierce than ever. With the recession economy keeping people from spending on luxury goods like cigars and pipe tobacco, the industry is in a very difficult place. It gives me a real feeling of pride and satisfaction to overcome all of those hurdles and have had a year as successful as we did in 2011."
When asked why PipesandCigars.com is succeeding despite so many obstacles, Marketing Director Travis Lord stated, "With the cigar industry in its current state, you can’t make any mistakes. Operating efficiently with a low mark-up is essential, as well as exceeding the customer’s high expectations when it comes to product selection and customer service. Having a well-optimized website that is easy to use is also a key point in attracting new customers and keeping them coming back. Our goal is to use current technology to provide our customers with the experience of shopping with a small tobacconist like they remember from years past, but with added convenience and the ability to visit from anywhere in the world. We truly care about providing the best cigars and the premier overall tobacco experience from start to finish and I think that sets us apart from many companies who just want to push out a box of cigars and call it a day."
The company began humbly in 1994 with just owner Scott Bendett, 15 boxes of cigars, and kiosk in the local mall. The business quickly expanded to a mall storefront, and then eventually its own building, which is when Bendett took his tobacco to the Internet. Increasing sales forced the company to relocate again in 2006, and continued growth facilitated the most recent move in 2010 to the company’s current home, the state-of-the-art PipeandCigars.com headquarters that also houses the company’s destination tobacco shop and smoking lounge. A true small business success story, Bendett employs over 30 Albany area residents and maintains an active presence in the community, contributing to a wide variety of local charities.
For more information, please contact PipesandCigars.com
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