Thank you, Carl Weber!

[rmbittner]

I never hear his name mentioned in pipe circles, but I just thought it was time to give a shout-out to Carl Weber, a pipe manufacturer and author from the 1950s-1960s, whose book The Pleasures of Pipe Smoking literally changed my life. I had been attracted to pipe smoking before I discovered this in a used-bookstore in the early 80s, but his wisdom, sense of humor, and thorough explanation of pipes, tobaccos, etiquette, etc. led me to turn that initial attraction into a lifelong passion. I was thrilled several years ago when I found a Weber pipe on eBay and added it to my collection. (They were basic, factory-produced pipes. But it smokes great.)
Anyway, thank you, Carl Weber! You made an impact on me far beyond anything you could probably imagine. (And that cover image still remains one of the most romantic, nostalgic images of pipe smoking I can imagine.)

Bob

 

[tjameson]

I have a different edition of that book and its great! I hope to add a weber to my collection some day.

 

[rmbittner]

He is also the author of Weber's Guide to Pipes and Pipe Smoking, but that's a much different, more basic kind of book.
Bob

 

[lestrout]

If you want a treat of Weber memorabilia, go visit Boswell's and ask for the tour of the upstairs, which is a museum of Weber stuff. Mrs.B used to live in Jersey City, and her aunt used to work at the factory. She has a lot of nice stories about them good ole days.
hp

les

 

[jah76]

I have a beat Weber Rhodesian I literally found in the trash. I stripped it, sanded it, and left it unstained. I always enjoy smoking it. It's very light and seems to smoke dry.
It looks like it was made to use with a big filter.

 

[fnord]

Weber and Ehrlich pipes are some of the best estate values on eBay. I have several of each and they're excellent burners. Most of us aren't old enough to remember when they had tremendous market share of the mid range pipe sales in the U.S.

 

[cigrmaster]

I would also add Peretti to that list of great valued estate pipes. I have one of their older straight grain billiards that is a very good smoker.

 

[lestrout]

roth - cool - wifey'n I were both Boston-colleged. My first pipes were from L&P (Cakebox), Ehrlich and LJP. Old man Peretti carved pipes in the old days. Now they are outsourced, but there are some very good values in their pipes on the wall cabinets. One of my Ehrlich's has an 'F' stamped on it.
hp

les

 

[docwatson]

Roth said "On the house made Ehrlich pipes, the carver stamped his initial(s) on the shank -- they're very rare now and those still out there are cherished by their owners."
Yes, they were made by George Busee and he did put the GB stamp on them, also they usually had a large briar dot logo.

 

[progger]

Walked into my local bookstore (a mom & pop!) and found a hardcover print of The Pleasures of Pipe Smoking. Was quite excited to read and have a nice pipe. Enjoyable read with a nice pipe indeed. :puffpipe: Thanks for shedding light on this great find. Carl has a great way of writing. Cheers!

 

[ravkesef]

Just read read Weber's The Pleasures of Pipe Smoking which I bought new when it came out in 1965. A fine trip down memory lane, and a book that should be in everyone's library. Too bad both Weber's pipes and books are no longer on the current scene.

 

[rmbittner]

Too bad both Weber's pipes . . .are no longer on the current scene.

Not at retail, certainly, but there are almost always some Weber pipes available on eBay (although one particular seller seems to believe these pipes should be priced like estate Dunhills). I found a very plain lovat that way, just to have a keepsake from this man.
Bob

 

[numbersix]

Thanks for the post Bob. You inspired me to find a copy. I just ordered a copy through Alibris.com.

 

[john218]

I bought the book when it first came out in 1965 and found it well written and a good source of pipe knowledge.
Another excellent book is "The Book of Pipes and Tobacco" by Carl Ewha, published in 1973 by Random House.

Unfortunately, they only did one printing because it concerned smoking. Copies are available on Ebay an Amazon, but they are selling for $65 and up.
What I've noticed in rereading Weber's book and the other books of that era is that they didn't put as much emphasis on the engineering of a pipe as everyone does nowadays. It seems to me that much more attention is paid nowadays to the engineering of the airway of a pipe by both pipe makers and pipe smokers.

 

[sparroa]

I only have a recent reprinting of Weber's Book of Pipes and Pipe Smoking...
Would I benefit from the Pleasures of Pipe Smoking? Are they sufficiently different to justify another purchase?

 

[tjameson]

Ive always wanted a Weber pipe after reading his book and I found this unsmoked beauty. I'm seriously thinking about pullin the trigger, but hoping for some birthday money on Sunday