2012 Chicagoland Pipe Collectors’ Club Show
-
Kevin Godbee - May 10, 2012
- 11 min read
The State of the Pipe Community as Reflected at Pipe Shows
Chris P. Bacon
In the fall of 2005, a post on the Pipe and Tobacco Collector’s Blog sounded an alarm about the “demise of the pipe show” which, in the context of a somewhat standard gripe session about the state of pipe shows as a whole, made a provocative and impressive claim that predicted a coming storm accurately. The post stated that pipe shows, in overemphasizing the retail aspect of their gatherings, had become mere marketplaces, and this transformation dissolved the important yet somewhat intangible communal aspect upon which, at least anecdotally, the entire pipe community was based. Aside from striking gold in the mid-2000’s with a substantial lucrative boom in high-end pipe sales brought about by an influx of artisan carvers earlier in the decade, the pipe shows had nothing to show for decades of development and were in danger of becoming unexciting flea-markets, its visitors disengaged from the fact that, beyond the buying and selling, there was something missing, something important and communal and real.
I re-read this 2005 blog post prior to attending Chicago’s 2012 show this past week and threw it against the wall all weekend as I contemplated the state of the Chicago show, and the pipe shows in general, as we enter a new era brought about by smoking banishment and the deflation of the “pipe bubble” that had sustained many an investor years ago, setting the stage for the blog post in question.
For what took place in Chicago last weekend was a genuine attempt to bring back elements of pipe shows as a whole that had somehow disappeared from view in the rush to emphasize the retail aspect of the show, as the caveat from 2005 bannered, and the successes in doing so were not solely evident from the vantage point of one single subgroup—the carver, the retailer, the pipe guy, all with their disparate interests. But if one examines the pipe show as an opportunity to engage, to bond, to fellowship with other pipe enthusiasts, it was a rousing success, unquestionably the best Chicago show in years. It wasn’t that sort of show for everyone, mind you; if you attended looking to strike gold but didn’t, or find a buyer for your such-and-such and left disappointed, then you may not agree. But the fact that such diverse agendas exist under one roof is critical: we have arrived at the point where the fragmentation and diffusion of the pipe community is so vast that it isn’t possible to label an entire gathering a “success” based upon one dimension. This diffusion is, in itself, an indication of success.
I witnessed at Chicago this year the rebirth of the pipe show in multiple ways: as a barometer of the health of something called the “pipe community”, it was apparent now there were multiple “pipe communities”—diverse yet intertwined, each relying on the other as a sort of mutual admiration society in flux, the old school (which I have come to affectionately call “The Charatan Generation”) watching as the New Pipe Community becomes fragmented into an array of subgroups. These subgroups are not infinite: they appear to be centered around many possible vortices, such as by interest in one type or shape of pipe, or a singular theme (even the phrase “retailers” appears limited in scope at this point), or political, social, or religious affiliation (there really is something called Christian Pipe Smokers, and their representative numbers are pretty impressive), and so on. It’s an exciting moment to have attended this show, subplots and all.
The pipe show as a barometer of a “pipe community”.
I don’t recall a time when I have ever thought that there was a singular thing called a “pipe community”, but that phrase has almost no validity anymore. Nowadays, there are so many pipe “communities” that are brought to rule that I don’t think you can go to the Chicago show anymore and experience it all. Diversity is key, and anything goes at Chicago, as evidenced by the almost overloaded schedule of events, workshops, meetings, and presentations which were more than window dressing. They were substantial opportunities to tune in and communicate, to believe and behold and make sense of the deeper meaning of the art that entrances us. This was the closest the Chicago (or any) show has come to a full-blown trade show in my memory, a blur of ideas and quick-tempo events stretching until well past bedtime in the tent and elsewhere, so that those preferring to smoke may not feel left out of the action because they retreated to the tent to escape and retire. It was a nice touch to use the tent as an opportunity to include people.
I developed a feeling that the show, in its efforts to be inclusive of the diversity of the New Pipe Communities, had finally acknowledged the independent, almost rebellious nature of the act of smoking that binds us as fans, and as free spirited persons. As we are confronted with social ostracism elsewhere, and an occasional feeling that pipes are possibly simultaneously “hip” and anachronistic, the CPCC answered this dilemma by crafting an event, a happening which allowed us to find and indulge and share. The fragmentation of the community has allowed for this shift in attention to detail at the show itself, and I certainly hope the other pipe shows took good notes. It appears that the CPCC has learned the lessons of the aforementioned blog post about how simply allowing for a retail exchange isn’t going to be a sufficient draw to get people to want to come to a pipe show. Chicago’s show this year upped the ante by placing these diverse communities into context: the subgroups of the New Pipe Community are not hidden from view, or simply asterisks on a show program, they are front-and-center.
The Tent.
For those who recall the first tent show at Chicago years ago, you likely remember that there was a degree of skepticism surrounding the effect of the indoor smoking ban on the pipe show itself. It’s safe to say that by now this skepticism has been replaced by an almost anticipatory expectation that the same tent which may have inspired initial ridicule has now morphed into one of the most unique social venues associated with pipe smoking anywhere. The tent has become the visible core of the entire Chicago show, where the camaraderie of the unique interest that binds us is permitted and on full display, and where the show itself is essentially formed: novices and experts, hagglers and dealers, the interested and the curious, and old friends and strangers meet, drink (quite a bit, actually), and gather. In addition to being a social venue again this year, the CPCC reaffirmed the tent as a formal opportunity for the retail aspect of the show by moving its pre-show and swap into the tent to allow for smoking. What resulted was the literal (and one imagines, from here on out, irreversible) expansion of the showcase itself into a three-day showcase with quite a bit of validation of the concept of a “smoking show”. This decision resolves the interesting problem noted by show-goers here and elsewhere as to which “type” of show they prefer, smoking or not. In Chicago 2012’s case, they’ve got both. As always, the tent provided show-goers the opportunity to make long-lasting memories. Or, you could just disconnect from even those who come to disconnect. For those who have never attended, the tent itself is one of those huge industrial jobs that takes quite a while to assemble, and as the 2012 Chicago Pipe Show crowd found out Friday, can also get pretty humid and sultry if the conditions are right. No matter—it’s endearing itself in ways that are unexpected and fun.
Beyond its utility as a place for smoking respite, the tent is a metaphor for the community itself. Given this generation’s endless opportunities to connect without actually connecting (from message boards, to Skype chats, to other rituals), the tent is a scene, a haven to combat the loneliness resulting from the inherent disconnectedness of the YouTube era. I sensed this when I randomly spent time in the tent early on Sunday morning when it was empty. It struck me as a sort of landscape; the only sounds were the distant buzz of golf course maintenance equipment and the occasional “clink” of ashtrays placed on tables by the janitorial staff. I didn’t ever think that this tent, which was such an expensive risk, could take on so much meaning, but it has become a special place. What goes on in that tent on any given day at the pipe show is an almost spiritual and communal thing, something far greater than its physical space, something far more important than an electronic communication can encapsulate. Virtual pipe communities constitute superficial attempts to replicate connectedness, a human element to what is a very human art; this is the double-edged blade of responsibility assumed by the New Pipe Community. The opportunity provided by the tent cannot be replaced by any virtual community, however important those virtual worlds may be to sustaining things in other ways. It’s up to the ones who assume the leadership role to realize the essential importance of the tent and the show which has embraced it.
The Charatan Generation welcomes The New Pipe Communities.
I guess it’s no surprise that we live in an era where a group of young college-age men and women feel excited enough about an opportunity to engage in an literal (as opposed to a virtual) communal gathering that they appear in customized t-shirts proclaiming themselves the “Collegiate Pipe Smokers” (with a Latin phrase, naturally, indecipherable as it may have been to me). Similarly, I counted no less than 6 pipe carvers who were attending their very first show, and they appeared to be doing quite well. I mean that ideologically as well as financially; some of the new pipe carvers really have something to say in their work that is challenging and exhilarating. The evolution of the pipe community into distinct but interrelated subgroups is now at its visible extreme: the Charatan Generation gives way to a group of young enthusiasts who may never smoke a Charatan at all, but are genuinely respectful of those who do, as they propel the pipe community toward the outer limits of creativity and individuality. A collegiate pipe t-shirt-wearer told me, “I’d like to join UPCA, they do a lot of cool stuff”, a somewhat blanket statement but one which was said in the most earnest enthusiasm, as if the organization itself had enough of an imagination and energy to contain this crew hell-bent on not allowing the New Pipe Community to be ignored, intent on taking the Charatan Generation on the ride with them. This realization was important and exciting to me, as I can’t recall a pipe show at Chicago in the past decade where I saw so many younger pipe enthusiasts whose hearts were in the right place.
It dawned on me that, roughly a decade ago, a new group of exciting pipe carvers emerged who gave the pipe community a good-natured kick in the pants, which led inexorably to the highs of the mid-00’s and the inevitable letdown experienced by the author of the pipe blog post I recollected. Now, it seems the same thing is happening again: we may be in a post-something era where the Crosbys and Johnsons are the standard-bearers, and the pipe carvers and fans of the newest sort are speaking not to the conservative clang of Charatan and Parker and Radice, but to their heroes who emerged in the 2000’s. This happens a lot, and it’s interesting to see we’re at that point now. I’m reminded of the fact that there are musicians today for whom something recorded in the 1990’s represents “classic rock”.
Is there room at this table?
Saturday, I held a pipe in my hand by a pipe carver who was attending his very first show. He was eager and excited to have anyone stop by and admire his stuff—it didn’t seem to matter if I wasn’t going to make a purchase or not (although I am certain that the fact that I did was appreciated). I thought of this: his pipes weren’t “his take on a bulldog”, or “his version of so-and-so’s billiard”, or any other responsorial name-drop. In fact, he never mentioned to me who he was admiring, studying under, or biting. It seems acceptable, finally, that a “bulldog-looking pipe” can now be called whatever its craftsman wishes to call it, no matter the name of the shape it best resembles. In other words, we’re at a liberating moment, and I saw this everywhere in the past weekend at Chicago.
If we truly feel that the real cannot be removed, and that pipe shows themselves play some sort of role aside from providing a sales venue, then we should welcome the challenge posed by this year’s show at Chicago to make good on the impressive opportunity to expand the New Pipe Communities by even more diverse persons and interests. There’s a forlorn but anticipatory undercurrent at the Chicago Pipe Show that the arrival of Monday represents the closing of a door, the end of an opportunity to retreat and learn and fellowship, and the resumption of the routines of life, as it were. This year, I took something hopeful back, a sense that the pipe show and the community it drew together were both robust and headed towards new ideas while taking the older ones along. I used to gauge the show by what sort of loot I took back home, but doing so this year almost seemed inadequate in explaining how strongly the show has come back from the dualities of an economic recession and a smoking ban. It looks like those two challenges have been stared down, and the New Pipe Community that has emerged from the changes promises to keep the flame.
Written by Kevin Godbee
15 Responses
Recent Posts
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 635. Our featured interview on tonight’s show is with James Ravenwood. James is the boutique tobacco blender of Ravenwood Blends. His blending started out as a fun hobby, and he now has professionally packaged commercially available products with some great tin art. Part of his interest in pipe smoking goes back to fond memories of a retired Navy Veteran that lived on his street while he was growing up that would sit in his driveway smoking a pipe all day. Later, in 2011 he began smoking pipes and soon after started experimenting with mixing different tobaccos. His other hobby, that he has been doing for 30 years, is photography. He takes wonderful photos of outdoor spaces, and still life pictures of pipes and tobacco. You can see them on his Instagram @thebriarfellowship. At the top of the show we’ll have an Ask the Pipemaker segment with renowned pipe artisan Jeff Gracik.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 634! Our featured interview on tonight’s show is with Warren Ertle. Warren is an extremely accomplished musician with a PhD in music. He started early as a percussionist in sixth grade. Later his grandmother got him a cheap Casio keyboard which he taught himself to play. He started playing in blues bands in high school, and has been a pianist with jazz big bands for years. Even though he was already a professional musician, he took his first real piano lesson when he enrolled in college with his studies in classical music. He is of course a pipe smoker. At the top of the show we will have an Ask the Tobacco Blender segment with Jeremy Reeves. Jeremy is the Head Blender at Cornell & Diehl, which is one of the most popular boutique pipe tobacco companies in the USA.
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. Or the wild turkeys gobbling in the backwoods or all the fuss and feathers over the big one—Christmas. No, it is that we might need to take note of all the little things that mean so much to us. Like a good sunrise (seriously, Pundit has not gone all Pollyanna.) Mayhaps we need to appreciate more of what we have than what we have not. Or something like that. Like, a good pipe in the morning with coffee as the dawn brings us coolish weather now that we have flipped the calendar to autumn. But it also brings beautiful leaves that have become a spectacle of technicolor in the wind. It is the little things. The rereading of an enjoyable book and finding something you did not see or learn in the first go-round. Or a stunning phrase you commit to memory with the re-read, while smoking that favorite pipe. And you notice a superior puff that just seems to be different. It’s in the air and the seasons of meaningful little things. It’s aromatic! Or perhaps it is that sense of satisfaction knowing and appreciating you made it to another day. With the world in a kind of rinse-and-repeat history, reminiscent of a Shakespearean play, it is perhaps a good moment to remember some of Pipedom’s philosophers whose cogent thoughts brought light to clear a path in the mists of confusion and confounding opinions. Ok. No gloom and doom. Just some down-home thoughts. Think of times in the past when history was running off the rails. It took our pipe-smoking thinkers (the mind workers of the world) to speak of better pathways to more light. Think for a moment, with a pipe in hand, these wizards of the world and word: Albert Einstein, J. R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edwin Hubble, Bertrand Russell, C. S. Lewis, and Jean-Paul Sartre. All learned and enlightened. They offered wisdom instead of storms of meaningless roads to nowhere. All while smoking their pipes! Maybe especially with the help of their pipes in the art of thinking and philosophy. Recall the words of Mr. E=MC2 when he said, “I believe that pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgment in all human affairs.” Amen and amen! Dealing with world-rattling events takes a calm and objective view of things, to the Pundit’s way of summing it up. You just don’t go messing around with quantum physics without a calm and objective approach, methinks. Or as the extraordinary physicist Robert Oppenheimer said after he and a team in the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos Labs developed a way to split atoms into bombs during World War II. “I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds,” said Oppenheimer referring to the development of the first nuclear bombs dropped on Japan. It must be pointed out that Oppenheimer was more of a cigarette smoker than a pipe smoker. Nonetheless, pipes were part of his personality. Now, if you have read some of the great authors of the past and present, their pipes were always nearby. Reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle can be a three-pipe problem at times. S. Lewis and Jean-Paul Sartre require time with your pipes to reflect on the existential problems and solutions these authors provide in learned novels and other narratives. Or take Edwin Hubble and Bertrand Russell, philosophers of another world. Pipes are required for reading. The quantum lode of ideas Pundit is attempting to sort out is that our pipes are relaxing and stimulate our thoughts and creativity. Especially in these last months of the year. Many times Pundit has had that light bulb flick on while smoking my beloved pipes. And friends in Pipedom, it ain’t easy to turn on the lights in Pundit’s rock pit head. Now it’s time for a quote from a Pipe Smoker of the Past. Shelby Foote was born Nov. 17, 1916, in Greenville, Miss., and died June 27, 2005, in Memphis, Tenn. A fact is not a truth until you love it—Shelby Foote. A parting thought: It is said that famed Southern author William Faulkner carried a packed pipe in a coat pocket wherever he went. That’s one effective way to deal with workday conflicts and confusion. A calm and objective judgment in our everyday human affairs, as the quantum man said.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 633. Our featured guest tonight is Jon David Cole. JD is the Owner/Tobacconist at The Country Squire in Jackson, MS, and the accompanying online store. We’ll have JD and Brian talking about what’s new at the store and in the business in general. At the top of the show, Brian will discuss tobacco growing, what happens to the leaf, and provide updated information on where tobacco is being gown today. Tobacco production originated in the United States and we were once the #1 producer. It’s quite different now.
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. Naturally a Virginia-Perique, it is enhanced with a traditional core of black Cavendish. In the tin it holds much promise, with a lightly bready and very woody, if ever-so-slightly sour, aroma. After some time acclimating to air, the bouquet softens further and offers hints of the burley with some chocolaty notes wafting through the more dominant dry grassy aspect. The tin art is of a coin-style bas-relief bust, presumably of a founding Sutliff brother, à la The Old Boss On the reverse of the tin we find the blend’s description: Reflecting on Sutliffs 175 years of tobacco excellence, we came across a brand that embodies true value, SILVER QUARTER. This name pays homage to Sutliffs roots, the legacy of two brothers who popularized pipe smoking in the burgeoning mining society of San Francisco. We celebrate this heritage with a coin cut composed of the finest African Virginias, complemented by a core of Perique and Black Cavendish. The tin notes are, forgive the pun, on the nose for a good VaPer blend: mild tart sweetness peeking out from behind dried hay and slight chocolate undertones, with a lightly tannic finish of weathered oak. It is always a joy to prepare a coin cut, my preference being to put a few in my palm and vigorously warm my hands together to fully break them apart. These well-formed discs pack and light easily, and smoke with little prodding to the end of the bowl. For technical points it scores well—it smokes light, and it’s easy to tend the ember. While it gets sharp after a few quick bowls, pacing should be heeded to easily smoke down to the heel without inviting bite. Of the flavor, though, I am left a bit wanting. There are tart and high notes aplenty, but very little of the lemony citrus I would anticipate, as well as scant midtones; they tend more toward the red wine-vinegary and sour. The flavors are muted, also, lacking the sweetness and piquancy of other marques—the small measure of Perique tickles the nose now and again with peppery hints, and there is a smidge of a deeper sweetness to be found in the Cavendish from puff to puff, but overall it lacks some dynamism. The Virginias, to my palate, come off a bit on the dry side, and here they dominate the blend. The aftertaste and mouthfeel are neutral, again evincing more of the dry, woody, tartly tannic end of the spectrum. The blend has plenty of polish, but not enough depth or richness (*yet) to make it a standout. Here, comparisons are inevitable: Luxury Bullseye Flake has more sweetness, both from its Virginia as well as its Cavendish, and a better finish; Davidoff is similar but with a pronounced umami that is absent here; as for Escudo, I haven’t had any fresh tins lately so it would be unfair to compare. While it rates as a solid, fairly mild smoke, particularly to lovers of the genre, it does not surprise with any exceptional flavors. To be fair, all the boxes have been checked for the blend to benefit from some real aging, and it would be worth checking in on this after a couple of years sealed away. I’ve set half my tin aside to sample again in a month or two, in case I’m merely suffering from the lingering effects of parosmia, and will amend this review in that case. Maple Shadows II, on the other hand, made up for the weeks of sniffling and sneezing I’d endured. Offered in a full 8 ounce tin with delightfully spooky Halloween art, it’s (hopefully) enough to last through the season. Somehow I had missed this last year, so it’s a real pleasure to get some in my candy bucket this year. As the chilling winds of autumn draw eerie prattle from contorted, deciduous limbs, we find ourselves possessed by the spirit of the season. Bewitched by a dissonant charm, we’ve created Maple Shadows. In a season that is defined by the unlikely harmony of treats and frights, we’ve joined the enchanting sweetness of maple with the earthy spice of Dark Fired Kentucky for a smoking experience that captures the senses with an otherworldly fusion of flavor. This may be the best aromatic blend Sutliff’s ever made—and they make a ton of them. First off, it’s not overbearing in the least—quite the opposite, it is also one of the more restrained aromatics they’ve ever made, with a clear but very light topping that melds oh-so-well with their choice Kentucky added to the mix. Opening the tin, the sweet maple is up front and center, but so too is the must of fallen leaves, bready pie crusts, and a crackling fire in the hearth—a perfect invocation of Herbstdüfte in a can. Packing best in an open and capacious bowl, the flavoring is subtle, and recedes to the background while puffing. With a sweet coffee or tea to accompany, the aftertaste of the maple is reinvigorated on the palate […]
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 632. Our featured guest on tonight’s show is the host of the Pipe & Tamper Podcast, Mike Murphy. Brian and Mike will have an extended chat revolving around the days before, during and after the Las Vegas International Pipe Show. We will hear about their travels to the show and the anxiety of Hurricane Milton bearing down on Florida at the same time while running a show and not knowing if your house is going to be there when you get home. In the end, the show went great and our homes survived, although many others in Florida were not so lucky. We’ll have clips from the show, and shoutouts to other podcasts and vlogs that were broadcasting from the pipe show.
What a fantastic show. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones. Our’s is a small yet worldwide community full of wonderful people from all walks of life. Made it home and now it is time to decompress and get back to the real world.
I fully agree with you about the symbolic nature of the tent. Despite the diversity that you point out the tent acts as a unifying umbrella under which the disparate parts come together, although not as cohesively as some may have liked. Witness our own Kevin Godbee trying to inform an audience in the tent about tobacco legislation with the din coming from the rest of the tent.
Also the smoking contest was held under the tent in a lightning storm!
Thank you for your unique observations from the Chicago Pipe Show. I am glad that this show has evolved from what it was. I say this only from reading both articles. I hope someday to be able to attend!
It is very good to see people gathering to celebrate a tradition, that is by all rights an art form of the modern era with roots deep in the past. I hope I am able to attend next year!
I couldn’t make this show, but hopefully in the next few years I’ll be there with a wad of cash in my pocket!!! Also glad to hear that the pipers in attendance like to get thier drink on. Haha. I can only imagine all the stories being told there every year. Thank you for the article. A great read.
Excellent article! Thanks Chris!
-J
This was my first Show but certainly not my last… I found the smoking tent to be a great place to hang out and meet new and old friends!!! If there is one positive from the smoking ban it’s that the tent forces everyone to congregate in a centralized area thereby fostering a more lively gathering place during the Show.
This was my first Chicago show and it was something. I wish I had gotten there in time to attend the UPCA meeting.
The GKCPC had 20 members in attendance which I thought was pretty special. I thing most of the them that had tables did really well.
To me the highlight of the show was meeting Olie Sylvester. This young man is an absolute delight. If you aren’t listening to his podcasts over at oompaul.com you missing out.
And the Doctor of Pipes Award was pretty special too.
Outstanding article Chris! I too felt this year’s show really was extra special. It was also the first Chicago show that my wife attended as a somewhat new pipe smoker herself! Yes, times are changing and that’s OK!
Before I start with the sour grapes, I’d like to say I’m glad everybody had a good time. I’m a pipe smoker, not really a collector and I’m not much of a traveler either. I’ve never been to a pipe show. If I did splurge and fly off to a show, it would probably be like the one in Las Vegas where they still allow smoking in the hotel and not where they shunt the smokers off into a tent. The tent is a symbol of society’s marginalization and demonization of smoking and I think I would be made to feel like a second-class citizen for spreading a little second-hand smoke around.
You have a point Jimbo about the marginalization and demonization of smoking. Luckily, symbols can have multiple meanings. And when the tent was first introduced, I think most people thought like you. But it has worked out marvelously. So I…ready for this?…know why the caged bird smokes!
Great article! The show was excellent and it was nice to meet, network, and smoke with pipe smokers from around the nation and the world. Aside from all of the beautiful pipes and interesting people, something I was reall yimpressed with was Kevin’s discussion on tobacco legislation and what’s coming down the pipeline. It’s great to know that we have so many fantastic people representing us on many levels!
Much thanks to all involved!
Very nice article. I had to chime about the Latin motto on the college students tee shirts. It translates as: “With Smoke there is Truth.” And wasn’t it just grand to have those young people attend with such enthusiasm!
Thanks Mitch! We had a great time at the show!
Well, going to the Chicago show is still a great way to spend the weekend, but not if you actually want to smoke. The tent is so full of people smoking so many different kinds of blends that it is hard enough to breath in there let alone enjoy an aged VA blend. The reason I go to this show is to see my friends and to check out what is new in the world of pipes. Usually I buy pipes there, not sell them, but each year is different. Kudos to the whole Chicagoland Pipe club for their continuing efforts to keep this show of shows alive! If the economy were not so slow still we would see growth of our hobby I am certain.
I am somewhat worried about the new trend of taking roll-your-own cigarette tobacco and labeling them as pipe tobacco to avoid taxes. This has brought new awareness of this issue to the feds and state tax authorities and they are now poised to pounce on pipe tobacco for increased taxes once again. To the RYO tobacco makers I say – thank for nothing.
Chicago is the best place for young carvers to showcase their talents. I saw some new faces this year and hope to continue seeing new guys each year – so that there will be pipe makers long into the future.