A 1946 Perspective on Pipe Smoking

[rmbittner]

I’ve been going back and browsing issues of the old Pipe Lovers Magazine from 1946 that have been scanned/uploaded to the Internet Archive.

The articles aren’t great. And whoever scanned it was not careful about getting all of the gutter text. But I did enjoy the time-capsule look into American pipesmoking during the 1940s…

For example:

In the February 1946 issue, the editor writes: “There are lots of reasons why there’s no secondhand market for pipes… A favorite meerschaum or briar is the last thing a fellow would part with—for any reason. And rather than see a favorite companion fall into the hands of a stranger, he would sooner break it himself and discard the pieces.”

In response to an article explaining perique, a reader writes in to say: “With all the work required in making a tobacco such as perique, I can readily understand why the better tobaccos cost $2 or $3 a pound.” [June 1946]

Perhaps not surprisingly for a title that proclaims itself ”The Magazine for Men Who Enjoy a Pipe,” each issue features a full-page glamour photo of a rising Hollywood starlet—a “Pipe Dream”—without making any actual pipe connection whatsoever.

I do wish the ads were better. Almost all of the pipe ads are for gimmicky pipes (Kirsten is the only brand I recognized), and the tobacco ads are for OTC blends or obscure blends from local shops (“A new thrill awaits you in Brown Crock Mixture! Available in one-half pound cartons only. Shipped anywhere in the US…for $1.45, which includes postage, insurance, and handling.”). [At $1.45 for one-half pound of tobacco, plus postage, insurance, and handling, I guess Brown Crock Mixture wasn’t one of the “better tobaccos.”]

If you’d like to check these out: Pipe Lovers Magazine 1946 all numbers : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive - https://archive.org/details/pipe-lovers-magazine-1946-7/Pipe%20Lovers%20Magazine%201946-10/mode/1up.

 

[Briar Lee]

In Pipe Lovers issue of January 1949 a Briarlee pipe, value $2.50, was included free with a $3 total order ($2.79 plus 21 cents postage) for
Spec’s Mixture.



Early Lee advertisements had Briarlee pipes at $1, $1.50, and $2.50, Lee’s choice of pipe, not yours, so Paul’s Pipe Shop and Hospital could have received a wholesale discount on a large order.

The gubbermint’s official inflation calculator guesstimates that $3 in January 1949 is worth $37.10 in December 2022, which is near $40 a pound cost of the PS Luxury Navy Flake I love if ordered in six pound lots, and a bit more than the typical aromatics offered online.

A dollar wholesale pipe in 1949 would be about $12.37 today, likely not much difference than a cheaper Dr. Grabow.


The good old days, are today.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

In Pipe Lovers issue of January 1949 a Briarlee pipe, value $2.50, was included free with a $3 total order ($2.79 plus 21 cents postage) for
Spec’s Mixture.

View attachment 201045

Early Lee advertisements had Briarlee pipes at $1, $1.50, and $2.50, Lee’s choice of pipe, not yours, so Paul’s Pipe Shop and Hospital could have received a wholesale discount on a large order.

The gubbermint’s official inflation calculator guesstimates that $3 in January 1949 is worth $37.10 in December 2022, which is near $40 a pound cost of the PS Luxury Navy Flake I love if ordered in six pound lots, and a bit more than the typical aromatics offered online.

A dollar wholesale pipe in 1949 would be about $12.37 today, likely not much difference than a cheaper Dr. Grabow.


The good old days, are today.

Sooooo.... you get a discounted pipe with the purchase of tobacco. Think about what it would say to the quality of a pipe, if today... hypothetically... if someone would sell you a Nording pipe for $50 with a purchase of one pound of Carter Hall.

That doesn't exactly sing the praises of a quality pipe to me.

 

[Briar Lee]

Sooooo.... you get a discounted pipe with the purchase of tobacco. Think about what it would say to the quality of a pipe, if today... hypothetically... if someone would sell you a Nording pipe for $50 with a purchase of one pound of Carter Hall.

That doesn't exactly sing the praises of a quality pipe to me.

To further differentiate a Briarlee from a top of the line Star Grade, a cheaper Kaywoodie type screw fitting was used on the seconds line, and I think a lower grade of vulcanite.

No inlaid jeweler’s gold stars on a Briarlee, there may be fills, the buttons aren’t as well made, and usually (not always) the Star Grade has prettier grain,

There were grades of Brairlees, at least at first. You sent Lee a dollar, or dollar and a half, or two and a half dollars and he’d send you back a Briarlee. The top ones were likely Four or Five Star grades with a fill or two.

 

[MCJ]

I’ve been going back and browsing issues of the old Pipe Lovers Magazine from 1946 that have been scanned/uploaded to the Internet Archive.

The articles aren’t great. And whoever scanned it was not careful about getting all of the gutter text. But I did enjoy the time-capsule look into American pipesmoking during the 1940s…

For example:

In the February 1946 issue, the editor writes: “There are lots of reasons why there’s no secondhand market for pipes… A favorite meerschaum or briar is the last thing a fellow would part with—for any reason. And rather than see a favorite companion fall into the hands of a stranger, he would sooner break it himself and discard the pieces.”

In response to an article explaining perique, a reader writes in to say: “With all the work required in making a tobacco such as perique, I can readily understand why the better tobaccos cost $2 or $3 a pound.” [June 1946]

Perhaps not surprisingly for a title that proclaims itself ”The Magazine for Men Who Enjoy a Pipe,” each issue features a full-page glamour photo of a rising Hollywood starlet—a “Pipe Dream”—without making any actual pipe connection whatsoever.

I do wish the ads were better. Almost all of the pipe ads are for gimmicky pipes (Kirsten is the only brand I recognized), and the tobacco ads are for OTC blends or obscure blends from local shops (“A new thrill awaits you in Brown Crock Mixture! Available in one-half pound cartons only. Shipped anywhere in the US…for $1.45, which includes postage, insurance, and handling.”). [At $1.45 for one-half pound of tobacco, plus postage, insurance, and handling, I guess Brown Crock Mixture wasn’t one of the “better tobaccos.”]

If you’d like to check these out: Pipe Lovers Magazine 1946 all numbers : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive - https://archive.org/details/pipe-lovers-magazine-1946-7/Pipe%20Lovers%20Magazine%201946-10/mode/1up.

Thanks for posting that link -- I love copies of old magazines like those. Really fun reading!

 

[rmbittner]

In Pipe Lovers issue of January 1949 a Briarlee pipe, value $2.50, was included free with a $3 total order ($2.79 plus 21 cents postage) for
Spec’s Mixture.

View attachment 201045

Early Lee advertisements had Briarlee pipes at $1, $1.50, and $2.50, Lee’s choice of pipe, not yours, so Paul’s Pipe Shop and Hospital could have received a wholesale discount on a large order.

The gubbermint’s official inflation calculator guesstimates that $3 in January 1949 is worth $37.10 in December 2022, which is near $40 a pound cost of the PS Luxury Navy Flake I love if ordered in six pound lots, and a bit more than the typical aromatics offered online.

A dollar wholesale pipe in 1949 would be about $12.37 today, likely not much difference than a cheaper Dr. Grabow.


The good old days, are today.

Just FYI: Paul’s Pipe Shop is still in operation in Flint, Michigan. I‘d guess it’s the only Pipe Lovers advertiser that’s still in business in 2023.

But, honestly, whoever came up with the name “Speg’s Mixture” just wasn’t giving it their all.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

Just FYI: Paul’s Pipe Shop is still in operation in Flint, Michigan. I‘d guess it’s the only Pipe Lovers advertiser that’s still in business in 2023.

But, honestly, whoever came up with the name “Speg’s Mixture” just wasn’t giving it their all.

I love going to Paul's whenever I'm near flint, I've bought some of my favorite pipes from Paul's, I always look for Oil Cured Cayuga Blasts when I'm there.

 

[craig61a]

Sooooo.... you get a discounted pipe with the purchase of tobacco. Think about what it would say to the quality of a pipe, if today... hypothetically... if someone would sell you a Nording pipe for $50 with a purchase of one pound of Carter Hall.

That doesn't exactly sing the praises of a quality pipe to me.

Nowadays somebody will sell you Esoterica if you purchase a pipe…

 

[Briar Lee]

A fascinating fact mentioned in more than one issue of Pipe Lovers is how scarce imported Mediterranean briar was after the war.

There’s mention of a Congressional hearing about 1942, that determined the pre war annual pipe USA production was 30 million briar pipes a year, three new pipes for the ten million pipe smokers.

Of course during the war, there wasn’t any briar imported from the usual suppliers (Hitler’s U boats had a lot to do with it) and after old briar stocks were depleted, then manzanita (mission briar), mountain laurel, and fruit woods (from old orchards) were about all they had to use.

During the war most of the Camels, Luckies and Chesterfields and other famous brands of cigarettes went to Uncle Sam for the military. But although metal cans were discontinued for the duration, pipe tobaccos were still available and price controlled. A lot of men on the home front took up pipe smoking.

After the war Pipes Lovers estimated 15 million pipe smokers in the USA, and the greatest growth was returning military going to college on the GI Bill.

They thought Mission Briar, would remain viable for cheap pipes.

 

[bullet08]

Maybe pipe was just a way sell tobacco. Then when tobacco was selling well and became recession proof, someone figured they can charge shitload for fancy pipes that people are willing to buy.

 

[shermnatman]

I just love reading those old issues of Pipe Lovers Magazine! Such a simpler time, no self-elected, special interest do-gooder groups inserting themselves into something they do not partake in themselves, no money-grubbing government groups pushing their extortion in the name of health, just lots of easy-going writing about the joys of tobacco, pipes, and being Brothers-of-the-Briar. Someone build me a Time-Machine, please! - Sherm Natman

 

[Briar Lee]

Maybe pipe was just a way sell tobacco. Then when tobacco was selling well and became recession proof, someone figured they can charge shitload for fancy pipes that people are willing to buy.

During and after the war, a 1 3/4 ounce tin of the popular drug store blends was fifteen cents. A one pound can was likely a dollar or so.

Cigarettes were 15 cents a package and likely also about a dollar or so a carton.

Prince Albert advertised during the war there were 50 pipefuls (but that would only be one gram a pipe) and 70 hand rolled cigarettes per package.



To get your nicotine ration, a pipe was cheaper. And pipe tobacco wasn’t rationed. A lot of the growth of pipe smoking during the war was substituting a pipe for packaged cigarettes.

 

[fMf Piper]

Very cool. Love reading at historical publications. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Winnipeger]

During and after the war, a 1 3/4 ounce tin of the popular drug store blends was fifteen cents. A one pound can was likely a dollar or so.

Cigarettes were 15 cents a package and likely also about a dollar or so a carton.

Prince Albert advertised during the war there were 50 pipefuls (but that would only be one gram a pipe) and 70 hand rolled cigarettes per package.

View attachment 201091

To get your nicotine ration, a pipe was cheaper. And pipe tobacco wasn’t rationed. A lot of the growth of pipe smoking during the war was substituting a pipe for packaged cigarettes.

View attachment 201118

What's with the under-lighting on that dude's face? The guy looks psychotic. Does he look relaxed, or like he's enjoying that smoke? He looks like he's struggling to pinch a loaf. I don't understand what advertisers were thinking in those days. That ad does not make me want to try Bond Street or Revelation, even if they are "Two Pipe Tobaccos You Can Inhale".

 

[telescopes]

What's with the under-lighting on that dude's face? The guy looks psychotic. Does he look relaxed, or like he's enjoying that smoke? He looks like he's struggling to pinch a loaf. I don't understand what advertisers were thinking in those days. That ad does not make me want to try Bond Street or Revelation, even if they are "Two Pipe Tobaccos You Can Inhale".

Film Noir? Mysterious?

 

[Winnipeger]

Film Noir? Mysterious?

Yeah maybe Hitchcock was really in vogue. I just thought the photo was incongruous with the add. Made me laugh.

 

[Searock Fan]

1946 is a little early for me. I didn't get my first pipe until about a year later. Besides, in 1946 I didn't know how to read yet.

 

[AJL67]

Sooooo.... you get a discounted pipe with the purchase of tobacco. Think about what it would say to the quality of a pipe, if today... hypothetically... if someone would sell you a Nording pipe for $50 with a purchase of one pound of Carter Hall.

That doesn't exactly sing the praises of a quality pipe to me.

You just had to go there didn't ya ..

 

[Searock Fan]

You just had to go there didn't ya ..

I think I may have mentioned it before... 1964, bought a pipe and 2 pouches of SWR for $1.25.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I always enjoying seeing the old adds for the different pipes and tobaccos. I think it's hilarious how they tell the woman of the house what tobacco to buy their husbands, or that she won't mind her husband smoking in the house with the aroma the tobacco gives off.