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Kevin Godbee - Apr 24, 2009
- 3 min read
If I were a selfish man, I would never write this article as I would like to keep Edward’s Pipe & Tobacco my own little secret … just for me. You see they have so many beautiful one-of-a-kind pipes and I want to buy them all for myself. However, the secret was out a long time ago. The flagship location of Edward’s Pipe & Tobacco in Tampa is not a huge store, but they have been in business for 50 years and they really know pipes and tobacco. I am writing this as I am smoking my new Smitty hand-made Algerian briar bent with Acrylic mouthpiece. It smokes as beautiful as it looks.
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| This is my first pipe with a translucent Acrylic stem. It looks neat when the pipe cleaner goes through. | Smitty is the President and co-founder of Edward’s. This is one of his hand-made pipes from Algerian briar. |
This was my second visit to Edward’s Pipe & Tobacco in Tampa. I first visited during the Ybor City Cigar Heritage festival in November 2008. Now that we’ve launched Pipes Magazine, I decided they would make a great first feature for the Pipe Manufacturer & Retailer Spotlight. One of the things I’ve learned in my experience working on the media side of the cigar business for the last four years is that everyone is extremely friendly and accommodating. This was certainly true of Edward’s Pipe & Tobacco.
I made my second visit to the store on Thursday, April 23, 2009. This was an impromptu visit. I had other business in Tampa that day and at the last minute got the idea to "kill two birds with one stone" and pop into Edward’s for an interview. I found out that "the boss" was at a different location, the wholesale and manufacturing division, FGT Enterprises, so I would have to go there for the interview.
With no advance notice whatsoever, Gordon Smith, "Smitty’s" son, and Vice President of FGT & Edwards granted me an interview. He spent all the time we needed to talk and gave me quite an interesting tour of the pipe finishing equipment and warehouse. But first, the store.
I spent time shopping (drooling over many pipes) and buying the Smitty Pipe shown above along with a couple of store blends and other assorted pipe accessories.
Bret Hart, the Assistant Manager was quite knowledgeable and friendly. He served coffee and espresso to patrons and was able to answer several questions about cigars and pipes that came up while I was there. Smoking is allowed in the store and several people were enjoying the privilege.
Bret Hart – Assistant Manager of Edward’s Pipe & Tobacco in Tampa
After I chose my new pipe, Bret prepared it by running brandy through the stem and bowl, and then polished it on a buffing wheel. I’ve purchased several pipes before, and this was the first time I was offered this service of preparing my new pipe.
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| Edward’s Pipe & Tobacco Storefront | |
As soon as you step into the store you will be delighted with all kinds of treats for the premium pipe smoker.
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| There are several varieties of pipe tobacco including many of Edwards own blends as well as national brands and well over 100 pipes to choose from. | |
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| There are all types of pipes with a good range of prices. | I chose my new pipe from amongst these hand-made Algerian briar pipes. |
| (Click Images for Larger View – Opens in New Window) | |
 Fifty years of blending experience goes into each one of the over 25 different tobacco blends |
 Don’t these pipes just look delicious? |
If you are in the Tampa Bay area, be sure to visit Edward’s Pipe & Tobacco and say hello to Bret. They open early at 8:00 am and many people stop by for their free morning coffee. Find them on the web at: http://www.edwardstampa.com
There are also 19 Edward’s Pipe & Tobacco franchises around the country, including Fort Collins & Englewood, CO; Los Altos, CA; Atlanta, GA; San Francisco Bay area and more, so check your local listings for the Edward’s Pipe & Tobacco franchise near you. Feel free to post in the comment box if you have been to Edward’s Pipe & Tobacco.
Watch for Part II where we tour the factory and talk to Gordon Smith, Vice President of FGT Enterprises and Edward’s Pipe & Tobacco.
[mappress]
Written by Kevin Godbee
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Soon now, supposedly, our neighborhoods will shift from grinning pumpkins, skeletons in various assortments, and zombies dashing about to pretty reindeer, angels, and flashing lights illuminating homes with sparkling stars and laughing, scurrying Santas. But, lest we forget, there is the turkey season, fancy pie aromas wafting from kitchens, and a national pardon of a big Tom Turkey. Remember, now, that only one of these holiday personalities is a pipe smoker. And that is the hefty, bearded fellow in a bright red suit sitting in a sleigh with a herd of deer hitched up and ready to streak across the globe, bringing tidings of joy and many presents. Ok, the scene is set for the next couple of months, right? So, before we get too far off the beaten path, let’s just take a deep breath of fresh autumn air, shall we? Ahh. That’s better, isn’t it? What’s got the Pundit in a snit is not all the Halloween spooks who came a-jostling for candy. 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Well there’s nothing like a touch of the plague to usher in the changing season. Leaving the airport just when the first advertisements for all things pumpkin spice began to appear—lattes, muffins, shampoos, trash bags, and myriad other concoctions—so, too, my ability to breathe freely disappeared. The unfortunate side effect of losing one’s sense of taste and smell for weeks is the utter inability to enjoy tobacco. Not that I consider myself an expert on anything but my own tastes, but be forewarned that this review was made with mildly impugned sensory equipment. Just when a comforting pipe was most needed, its comfort was denied. Be that as it may, the road to recovery found me limping along on one lung this past month, trying to wrest the particulars of two blends on offer from Sutliff: the latest 175th Anniversary blend, Silver Quarter, as well as their spooky seasonal Maple Shadows II. Silver Quarter is a new style on offer from Sutliff, their first coin-cut blend. 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Chris said he was able to use this to slow down his cadence, which, of course, could mean you could get a slow-smoke training pipe to teach yourself to perform better. If you’re interested in learning more or want to check one out, you can contact him on Instagram: Copper Beard Pipe Works The Negative Space The show was buzzing about one specific pipe, which had everyone guessing how it was made. I chatted with Adam Davidson briefly about it. James: How did this idea come to fruition? Adam Davidson: Smokingpipes.com had an expo back in August open to all of the makers they carry. The theme was to make a pipe utilizing bamboo. Given that the last time we had the expo I made a smooth Almond with three bamboo shanks, […]
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 631. Our featured interview on tonight’s show is with pipe maker Dan Keller from Good Made Better. Dan is from South Dakota. Growing up working in the family hardware store where he was always finding solutions to fixing things, he ended up always wanting to make things. He now makes elegant handmade pens, pen holders, portable desks, blotters, blotting paper, book carry cases, and of course artisan pipes. At the top of the show we are continuing the virtual tour of Brian’s pipes with his “f#@k you pipes”.
Kevin – what a beautiful pipe! And what a beautiful, well-stocked establishment! I live in Miami, but since I travel to different places in Florida to take photographs (my second hobby) I will try to make it to Tampa soon and visit Edwards. Thanks for the invaluable info!
Let me know when you are coming and I will meet you there.
Deal. BTW, don’t smoke that pipe! It’s a work of art, with the translucent amber bit… Keep it pristine, so you can continue to say “translucent amber,” whenever you are in a Shakespearean mood.
LMAO! Too late. I already smoked it. I guess I have to keep smoking it now.
Great review. I am over in Plant City and getting ready to head over there now. Tomorrow is my birthday so I thought I would treat myself to a new pipe.
Mr. Kevin,
Thanks for the more than complete post. I’ve heard a bit of chitter chat in regards to Edwards just wasn’t sure if it was worth going out of my way when I get to Tampa.
Looks like its worth taking a lil extra time to scope out. Brevrd County has one mildly decent pipe and cigar shop. Its more like a closet in the merrit island mall than anything. Pipe prices are 3 times than on the net and they might cary 3-4 savinelli’s and about the same in stanwell and thats it. They’re pretty much buried under cigar assessories so you pretty much have to ask for them. They only sell ashton pipe toby and their own blends which I won’t touch either after snorting a all of them. Thanks 40 miles from my home and its just not worth it.
Can you recall if Edwards offered a decent variety of brand name pipes/toby ? I just can’t find much info on their website.
I suppose next time I’m at the V.A. Hospital in Tampa for my Cochlear implant check up I’ll have to pay them a visit too. Doesn’t seem that far from the V.A.