EWA Pipes, An Anecdote

EWA pipes, sold by Iwan Ries, and made in St. Claude, the home church of the briar pipe, are smaller pipes, around Group 2, in short churchwardens as well as an array of other configurations, and sold at excellent prices for quality French pipes, many under or just over forty bucks. I've promoted these for years on Forums, but have had no takers as far as I know. Great little pipes, and everyone should have a few small pipes for full-length smokes with flake/plug/coin/rope, for sampling, and extra strong blends in small doses, etc. Years ago, I ordered a green stained churchwarden, about 7" long, and it's been a sturdy good smoker. I was surprised to notice, some months after it arrived, that is is stamped EWA Lady's; I'd never encountered a pipe stamped specifically for the female pipe smoker, and so far I have detected no difference in smoking it. If the stamping would be an annoyance to guys, I think most of their pipes are not gender designated, but this one don't bother me none. Likewise, some women might like the stamping, and others might be offended, as "lady" is heard as a prejudicial term by some. Right now I'm finishing a bowl of C&D Dreams of Kadath in mine.

As an amateur "student" of marketing, in this day and time, I'd advise pipe makers to make a wide array of sizes, designs, and colors of pipes, and let the gambit of humanity select whatever speaks to them individually. Small pipes certainly have good use for the traditionally male smoker, so labeling them gender-specific seems like a misstep. If a guy has the cash, he ought to feel like the pipe is all his.

mike, I've been trying to figure out if the brand is rendered in all upper case or upper and lower case. In the IR catalog, it's all upper, and the stamping is all upper, but yes, I think Ewa and EWA denote the same brand.