To see over 300 tables filled with pipes is an amazing thing. It was hard to even focus and it could give you moments of feeling overwhelmed at the sheer volume of pipes so that you couldn't even really see what you were looking at. There were old, estate pipes that had weathered the test of time. There were new pipes from established "factories" such as Peterson, Savinelli, and Dunhill. There were pipes from individual makers. Some were beautiful. Some were hideous. They came from all over and no one pipe really looked the same. There were cobs for under 5 dollars and pipes that ranged into the thousands. Meerschaums, Mortas, Briars, Cobs, Olivewood, you name it - they were all there. Yet they all shared the same thing in common - they were pipes. They were made to be smoked, to be enjoyed, to be treasured by whoever's hands they were in. It didn't matter how ugly or cheap or beautiful or what they were made out of. They were made to be smoked, to be loved, to be cared for, and cherished. And they were. All of them were admired. All of them had care in their creation. All of them were gingerly handled as though they were precious. I found myself wishing there were more pipe smokers in the world - more people that understood the care and love that went into creating something and could appreciate the value of something that maybe wasn't for them, but that someone else may love and appreciate it. Imagine... Just imagine how different, how wonderful, how amazing life would be if everyone treated people the way pipe smokers treat pipes...
