Nat Sherman, First Visit

On a recent whirlwind trip to NYC and Long Island, my wife and I stopped in

at the Nat Sherman shop at 12 East 42nd Street, an elegant storefront

with a big clock with gold numerals above the front door, and a wood-lined

interior with a full array of pipe tobacco in extra large jars to your left as you

walk in the door. The staff is all in suits and ties, as are some of their clientele.

I only had on a jacket, no suit and no tie. I was helped by Lead Sales Associate

Cliff Gold, CRT, who introduced me to a perfectly balanced medium strength

English Blend 536. While my wife went to a nearby coffee shop and had an

espresso, and scouted out a second tobacco shop, I pulled out my N.C. artisan

Jerry Perry bent billiard Group 3 and sampled my tobacco in one of their

comfortable chairs. Various groups were around mostly smoking cigars.

The tobacco is multi-leveled, robust flavored, and a pleasing discovery.

When in New York City, if time permits, check out Nat Sherman on 42nd. You'll

be satisfied with the experience if it is anything like mine.

rothnh, the second tobacco shop was the Barclay-Rex on 42nd, but as you likely know, this is

just a satellite shop to their flagship downtown, so there are not chairs or other facilities for

smoking. I had my pipe at Nat Sherman's. There must have been a dozen other people smoking

in groups or on their own, but I think entirely cigars and a cigarette or two (accompanying wives).

The Nat Sherman atmosphere is grand, in a pleasant way. I didn't feel like my pipe or me were being

evaluated; it was all for the comfort of the smoker. I didn't price the pipes. I think it is entirely

upper level pipes. Now I will see if I can enter this post only once!

Since I have mixed emotions about the cultural impact of technology, I am glad to have a high

quality tobacconist that can only be reached by phone ... not that that's not a technology! I

suspect it is generational. Those born before 1960 seem to be firmly in charge at Nat Sherman

and don't want to delegate online sales to a band of Young Turks who would make the brand

their own. Chicago's Iwan Ries has passed the torch to a younger generation and therefore keeps

its historical status and yet still manages a sophisticated presence online. Some tobacconists sell

online but the sites aren't updated and tended the way they should; I'm glad they're there, but

the sites are limited. All it will take at Nat Sherman is one young staffer who can earn the trust

of management and show them what can be done. It would be one person that makes that happen.