Even though the Chicago Pipe Show officially starts today, on Saturday, May 1st, lots of things have already happened. The Chicago Pipe Show is in it’s 15th year. It has long ago become the largest, most prominent pipe show in the world.
It has grown so large that even though the official show is on the weekend, there is a “pre-show” that starts on Wednesday. After the official show ends, there is a “post-show” on Monday. We arrived on Tuesday, and spent 10 hours on Wednesday inspecting and logging 515 Estate Pipes, but more on that later.
Here are photos of various aspects and activities from the pre-show days.
For more of our coverage of the 2010 Chicago Pipe Show, Click on the following links:

The Conference Room Table in Our Suite
This article sponsored by PipeTobacco.com. Please give them some consideration for your next tobacco or pipe purchase. They have a great selection and great prices - PipeTobacco.com
We needed a “sweet suite” to accommodate the sale of 515 estate pipes from a prominent Hollywood celebrity. PipesMagazine.com was chosen by his estate to broker the sale since we have contacts in the industry. We are not at liberty to name the celebrity at this point.
Here’s some more pictures of our two-story suite at the beautiful Pheasant Run Resort.

The Living Room

The King Size Bed

The Whirlpool Tub

Pipesmagazine.com Sexy Secretary

Looking Upstairs from the Conference Room

The Library

More of the Library in the Resort

Pheaston Run has a Replica of Bourbon Street in New Orleans

Bourbon Street

The Participants in the Pipe Making Workshop

The Participants in the Pipe Making Workshop

Pipe Making Workshop Pipe

I Wonder What This One Will Look Like When it is Done?

Sand Blast Machine

Alex Florov, Brian Ruthenberg, Rex Poggenpohl, Jeff Gracik

Dunhill Estate Pipes in our Room

We Inspected Hundreds of Dunhill Pipes

It was a lot of work, but still fun dealing with hundreds of Dunhills

Brian Levine & Sykes Wilford of SmokingPipes.com Logging Pipes
We spent 10 hours sorting and logging pipes into spreadsheets. We started at 1:30 pm and went straight until 7:30 pm. Then we took a three hour break for dinner and smoking. We resumed our work at 10:30 and finished at 1:00 am.

It's a Tough Job, But Somebody's Got to Do It

Welcome to the Chicago Pipe Show 2010

Bob Tate & Kevin Godbee in Our PipesMagazine.com Shirts

Kevin Godbee, Mike "Doc" Garr, Bob Tate

Pre-Show Pipes for Sale

Beautiful Grain on this Pipe

Gorgeous Bird's Eye

Try Not to Drool

Bob Tate Inspecting Pipes

Joel Shurtleff of TheBriarPipe.com

We are in Pipe Heaven

Bob Gilbert aka Staffwalker on PM.com

I Feel Like a Kid in a Candy Store

Bob Tate & John Tolle - Everyone Should have a NASPC Membership

More and more Pipes!

Russ Ouellette & Bob Tate

Laurita Bonita Had to Go Home for the weekend and let the boys play

Headin' Home in PipesMagazine.com Style

Bob Gilbert's Pipes

The Smoking Tent

A Haze of Smoke

Jeff A. Burt-Gracik's Pipes

Jeff Gracik
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Linwood said:
Kevin,
I know that she’s taken, but that secretary!
Phooey on pipes!
May 1st, 2010 at 2:07 pm
yarekim said:
The Show looks fantastic ! Wish I were there ! Thanks Guys for letting us share in what went on . Thanks Again .
May 1st, 2010 at 2:23 pm
yachtexplorer said:
Thanks for the vicarious peek.
May 1st, 2010 at 2:52 pm
Marcin said:
Wow, wow and wow. Looks great and wish I could be there too. Thank you for sharing.
May 1st, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Gary N said:
Thank you for sharing the pics! Cool stuff and good times
May 1st, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Bob Gilbert said:
Thanks guys, that Bob Gilbert makes some really beautiful pipes, doesn’t he? For what it’s worth, you guys do a hell’va job covering the various shows and it’s appreciated!!
May 1st, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Robert E. Connors said:
Someday I’ll make it to the show. Lived in N. Chicago from 1984 to 1987, wherein my ex threw out my pipe collection. Never made it to the show then, either, if it existed. Anyway, I have now rebuilt my pipe collection to 35 pipes, and will start to post them on my new web site, http://the-pure-epicurean.com
May 1st, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Joe Golich said:
Very cool preview to the show. I lived about 5 miles from the Pheasant Run and now i’m down here in Fla drooling at all that pipe euphoria LOL!!!
May 1st, 2010 at 9:25 pm
Joe Kamari said:
what an amazing show..i’m so impressed with what pipe magazine have done.i hope one day i’ll be there.
May 2nd, 2010 at 1:29 am
birdseye said:
Hey Guys,Thanks for keeping everyone updated on what’s going on in the pipe smoking world. Now if we could just get you to do a weekly podcast that won’t die in 6 months or a year that would be great.
Seriously, thanks for all your hard work.
Nelson
SHPC Boston
May 2nd, 2010 at 8:48 am
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May 10th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Besim Aktas said:
Very nice
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