Would you believe that this year was my first year to ever attend a Chicago Pipe Show? It was. Most of the time, the Chicago show overlapped other conferences that I had to attend for my day job so I couldn’t fly out and buy pipes. So year after year, I gawked at pictures and wished I could be there. This year though, I managed to make it out, which was a good thing, as you’ll see later.
This was the second year at the show’s new location, the Lincolnshire Marriot Resort, and as far as attendance went, it seemed like a success as there were many more people there this year than last. The trip from the airport (O’Hare) is about a 20-minute taxi or Uber ride down the road. Like previous shows, this show featured a climate-controlled smoking tent and not one, but two show floor rooms with tables galore.
Many of you have been to the show year after year, so you’re used to these show summation articles written by me and my fellow compadres. So this year, I’ll focus on the new and interesting, and a slight slant on it since it was my first year attending. And this year was a doozy as we had the first ever “Reality TV Style” Battle of the Briar, which was the brainchild of Jeff Gracik (J Alan Pipes) .
“The whole thing was Jeff’s brainchild. When he first pitched it to me I thought he was crazy. Turns out I was the one who was crazy!” – Steve Fallon
I circled with Jeff and asked him how he conceptualized this new program:
Jeff Gracik
Jeff Gracik:
I’m sure many pipe makers have had a similar idea—essentially the Iron Chef or Forged in Fire but with pipe making. The problem is the equipment required to make it happen. Last year, I revamped and led the show’s pipe-making seminar. The show committee was receptive to the changes I wanted to make, and the reviews afterward were positive. It dawned on me that we had all the needed equipment, and I felt like I had a little extra confidence to propose the idea to the show committee after the seminar went so well. After pitching it and receiving very positive feedback, I worked with Tim Garrity (the president of the CPCC) and Allan Boyd (head of pipe-making events) to make it happen.
Everything fell into place as more people volunteered to support the event, with Steve Fallon generously offering to sponsor and co-host the Battle, Hasan Abid heading up the IT side, making sure that we could be heard and seen outside the room, Jeffthechef live-streaming the event on YouTube, and Adam and Nick from the GetPiped podcast filming everything for a documentary to be published in the future. It was a group effort that wouldn’t have been as successful without everyone pitching in to get us across the finish line.
Each of the pipe makers brought their A-games to the event and, despite the “pressure-cooker feel” imposed by the 60-minute time limit, made really, really good pipes. Everyone watching, whether in person or by video in the smoking tent, was on the edges of their seats as the clock ticked down and Scottie rushed to get her pipe turned in with one second to spare! It was a blast! I’m so proud of everyone involved for what we created together, and I am looking forward to doing it again next year.
Next, I chatted with the contestants Scottie Piersel, Jared Coles, and Tommaso “Tommi” Ascorti, asking them two questions – what was the most interesting or fun thing, and what was the most challenging thing about doing this contest?
The most interesting thing about the competition was that it existed at all! Pipe making isn’t one of those things where you can just throw down in the street. It takes a well-thought-out workshop, and to have three pipe makers together takes a VERY well-thought-out workshop. On top of that, it’s very rare that three pipe makers are in the same place at the same time, except at a pipe show. It also took a huge support staff to pull this off, Jeff Gracik and Steve Fallon, and all the rest of the guys from the Chicago pipe club.
Jared Coles
Chicago is basically the only show where this can happen because they have the equipment for the pipe-making seminars. It’s such a cool idea, and despite the difficulties of organizing and executing, I feel like it came off really well. Everyone I talked to at the show was jazzed about it, and everyone seemed appreciative that I participated. I feel very honored to have competed, and I hope that it will be an ongoing thing.
Scottie, Jared, Tommi
The most difficult thing about the competition was balancing the quality of the pipe against the time. Technically it was a functional pipe at the very beginning, it had all the holes drilled, and it had a working stem. So the task of the pipe makers was to get an ATTRACTIVE, symmetrical pipe done in an hour. Normally I would spend more time really fine-tuning the shape, staining, etc. So I leaned in that direction, trying to execute the best shape while still finishing before the Bell. I’m amazed that all three of us completed a beautiful pipe in the time allotted: Tommy is a beast; he’s got incredible speed and is a helluva pipe maker. Scotty usually does her pipes on a lathe, and is more classic, but I was really impressed that she got out a very attractive pipe in a freehand environment. I had to leave the show a little early, but I left instructions for someone to bid on her pipe in the silent auction.
The most challenging thing for me was using those buffing wheels because I don’t buff that way. I never have. When I started out, I didn’t have a grinder. I didn’t have a buffing motor. So the only thing I had was a drill press. I didn’t even have a lathe. So I buffed on my drill press sideways, like holding the pipe up and down. I still do. So anytime I run across true buffing wheels, it like takes me a minute to adjust like it would almost be better if I did it, you know, bent over like that. So that was the most challenging part because I really thought since I’m not used to how that the pipe was gonna grab. Yes. You can do it with pencil shank. See how that works out for you. It’s scary. This is a deadly projectile. It’s useless, right? I was actually really kind of worried about that.
For the most fun, I’m a competition junkie and grew up playing sports; I love to compete. It does not matter what it is; I will throw down with anybody. I don’t care if I’m playing basketball with Lebron James and winning the game. Like that’s just my confidence. So competing against the guys was really fun, but being able to like glance over and see where they were at and where I was at, not free for not doing any freehand shaping. Because I really don’t; everything is drill first. You know, and I’m just basically shaping the bottom of the bowl. Everything else is done on the lathe to be able to keep up with those guys. That was nice to know that I have that ability.
The funniest thing was making a pipe in a Marriott Hotel. So, of course, it was funny and crazy and very nice. And I enjoy all the process, you know, staying in front of people. And I knew, I knew that there was a big screen in the tent so all the people outside could see all the situation and I think the feelings for the other people was nice.
The challenging part was working without my tools outside of my company. What I feel that I’m sorry, but my English is not so perfect. So I don’t know other words in English, but to use a blocks of Briar drilled by somebody else… for me, it’s really important that I decide the shape, look at the briar and the grain, and I make the design, and then I drill and follow my lines. So using a block of briar with drilling by somebody else was a bit difficult for me.
But the hardest thing was, of course, the tools, the tools, and the sandpaper. I work in another way, you know, the lathe, but of course, we knew that before and I’m not so happy about the pipe I made because I want to do better and the case of my brand. I spent a lot of time on the details. So the sandpaper inside the bowl and the drill the mouthpiece and this and that so this is difficult for Pipe Maker. The time was not so long. I think that with my tools, one hour was more than enough, but in another place in another place and with other tools, one hour it’s very hard to make.
The results from The Battle of the Briar were:
1st Tommi Ascorti
2nd Jared Coles
3rd Scottie Piersel
The Joy of Aged Tobacco
Any seasoned pipe smoker knows that at a pipe show, the old tins will get popped. This year I had the privilege to sample some amazing tobacco – one tin of which was not popped but cut open with a can opener.
Mcclelland No. 14 from 1979
This particular tin was from 1979. What I didn’t know is until 1981 or ’82 the McClelland cans required a can opener. You’d think I would know these things, but it just goes to show you that you can always learn new things at a pipe show.
Open Tin
Mixture No. 14 is a medium English blend with Latakia, Orientals, and Virgina. I did not get the typical vinegar/catsup smell off of it – only subtle smokey plum and raisins. I also had not had this blend before, so I don’t know if it had it in newer tins I’m sure someone will educate me though in the comment section. With this much age, it was very mellow but amazingly pleasant. Many agreed on Tobacco Reviews that this specific blend needed to be cellared to be truly appreciated – I think 44 years did the trick.
UPCA National Slow Smoking Championship
The Annual National Slow Smoking Championship brought together many of the country’s best slow-smokers to challenge each other to see who will represent the US at the World Championships. The pipes this year were made by Chacom and purchased by the UPCA. The contest blend was created by Quinn of the Country Squire.
Chacom Pipe
The contest pipe is a sandblast billiard (shape 342) made by Chacom with a brass military mount and an acrylic bit. It is stamped “UPCA Chicago 2023”.
Country Squire Contest Blend
The blend: The Country Squire designed a Virginia Burley mixture that offers a naturally sweet smoke with tasting notes that are bready, oaky, citrusy, vinegary, vegetal, and savory.
Components: Red Virginia, Burley, and Stoved Virginia
Winners:
1st: Lester Young 1:06:40
2nd: John Warner 1:06:00
3rd: Allan Boyd 00:57:03
International Champion: Turker Sezgin 00:45:14
Women’s Champion: Tiara Thayer 00:33:20
Lester Young, US Champion
At the UPCA meeting the previous day the clubs discussed how we attend the International Pipe Smoking Championships, last year because we only sent one person representing the USA we did not have an actual “team” and sat with the UK. This year the goal is to have 2 more Americans fly out with Lester to represent us as TEAM USA. If you’re not already, please get involved with your local pipe clubs, and in turn, encourage them to help the UPCA so they can help in sending a full team.
Doctor of Pipes and Master of Pipes
Every Chicago Pipe Show, there are two awards given out for Doctor of Pipes and for Master of Pipes, awarded to those in the industry and hobby that exemplify the spirit of the pipe community. The fellows over at Smokingpipes.com did a great write-up about the program:
“Candidates must have at least 20 years in the hobby and demonstrated commitment to the advancement and support of pipe smoking. Current Doctors propose candidates by writing summaries of their achievements and submitting them for consideration to all of the living Doctors, who vote to determine the next Doctors. It is among the most prestigious awards that our community offers; if pipes were as mainstream as Hollywood, a Doctor of Pipes award would be equivalent to an Oscar.
Doctors of Pipes tend to be older folks because of the requirement that decades of commitment be demonstrated, and in 2017, a new classification was launched to recognize and encourage younger enthusiasts who have been doing great work. In keeping with the academic theme, this award is named the Master of Pipes. Nominations require that candidates be no older than 45 and have demonstrated at least 10 years of dedication to the pipe community.”
This year we congratulate the following inductions:
Award Winners L-R: Nate King, James Foster, Scott Thile
Doctor of Pipes
Tom Eltang (not in attendance)
Scott ThileMaster of Pipes
Nate King
James Foster
Interesting Tid-Bits
It wouldn’t be a pipe show without some interesting product releases and announcements. It looks like we can expect a collaboration with Peterson and LJ Peretti with multiple-shaped pipes, a silver band, and a unique stain that will only be available at LJ Peretti.
Sutliff has a series of new blends coming out in 2023-2024 paired with challenge coins and an adventure. They had samples available at the show, and like many of their pressed tobacco, it was awesome. Pipe Force series is a series of tobacco that celebrates pipe smoking by showing innovation isn’t just a thing of the past, there are still “frontiers” to explore. The first batch will be available on July 7th 2023, with Episode I “Maj O’Mera” a latakia-forward English mixture with fire-cured leaf harmonized with stoved rustica. Katerini, the sole Oriental component, offers herb and spice notes bringing complexity and nuance to the flavor profile.
Episode I: Maj O’Mera: 1-17-24
Episode II: Sergeant Kimble: 3-13-24
Episode III: Lieutenant General Marshall: 5-15-24
Episode IV: First Sergeant Deckard: 7-12-23
Episode V: Captain Ryan: 9-13-23
Episode VI: Specialist Falfa:11-25-23
Summing it all up, it was a great show filled with an action-packed agenda, so much so that I couldn’t even make it to all the talks and events. As long as the show made its goal of fundraising, we can look forward to a great show next year. Remember gang, these events are expensive and require large outlays of cash from pipe clubs, sponsors, and vendors to make them a success.
Many thanks to Craig Hairrell for sharing his photos for this article.
Here are several additional photos from the Chicago Pipe Show 2023.
Master of Pipes , Certified Salesforce Tobacconist #2145 from tobacconistuniversity.org , President of the Austin Pipe Club, and Author at Pipesmagazine, James is also the owner of thepipetool.com. James has written numerous articles on the industry and interviewed some of the greats over the years.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 669. Our featured interview tonight is with Kirk Keener aka “Kaptain_Kirk32”. Kirk is a member of the Indiana Pipe Club. We’ll be talking about their upcoming pipe show in Gas City, IN on September 20th. Kirk has worked as a machinist, and played guitar in bands in the past, and he has a YouTube Channel with 985 subscribers and 346 videos devoted to pipe smoking and tobacco reviews. At the top of the show, Brian will have a tobacco review of Cornell & Diehl’s Haunted Bookshop.
Just to cop a great line for the return of Pundit, here is one of my favorites from “The Shining,” when actor Jack Nicholson scares the life out of everyone with the spooky, “Here’s Johnny.” So, Here’s Pundit! It is so good to return to PipesMagazine. In the interim, I have moved to a smaller apartment. I found out the long-cared-for pipe herd and tobacco cellar were a monumental chore to move. Boxes upon boxes, tobacco jars by the ton. Seriously. The late Bill Unger of The North American Society of Pipe Collectors (NASPC) said if you have one pipe you are a pipe smoker. If you have two pipes, you are a pipe collector. I followed that path like a yellow brick road. Pundit advice No. 1: Trim the pipe herd often without replacing too many. Pundit advice No. 2: Smoke the tins, except for vintage blends, and store as few jars of bulk tobacco as possible. I know, this is easier said than done. It is difficult to part with pipes and a precious and babied tobacco cellar. In the interim, I have been cataloging pipes and tobacco to come to a better understanding of this collection. Yes, Unger’s theory swamped me like a tsunami. What we have here is a perfect storm, a boutique of pipes and tobacco. And my old friends, and many vintage tobacco blends no longer available, make life quite a bit more enjoyable and relaxing. Along with perplexing decisions: What to smoke up and what to continue the aging process. Like adolescents. They will mature at some age. Right. But one never knows. Here is to the future and to your collecting and cellaring. It is a wonderful hobby and enterprise. Before I launch into Pipe Smokers of the Past or in Quotable Pipe Quotes (a new Pundit feature), there is a solid ground rule that you, dear readers, can count on from Pundit. As long as I am writing Pundit for your entertainment and hopefully a bit of education on the art and love of pipe smoking, you will never have to be concerned that Pundit has resorted to letting AI handle the writing. Pundit does not believe in allowing some sort of artificial intelligence to write copy for me. In fact, Pundit is concerned that writing, creative non-fiction, and narratives of other genre in general, will succumb to this rage for AI in our lives. Can you imagine legendary pipe-smoking novelist William Faulkner’s prose style being AI’d? Or are Shelby Foote, John Steinbeck, Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, and any of the past great writers and pipe-smokers to be ripped off by AI? This is not for pipe smokers. Our writers were the contemplative authors, who penned magical works while puffing their pipes and special blends. AI is not a pipe smoker. It is a thief of words and styles that were honed by years of toil over pen and paper, typewriters, and eventually the computer. Sure, writing is easy. Just listen to the legendary New York Times sports columnist on how effortless writing can be: “There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at the typewriter and open a vein.” This is not a rant. Pundit is worried that our wonderful pipe-smoking authors, and those of us who write about it today, will be haunted by the shadowy AI, ready to strike at the heart of what is so important to the pipe smoker: authenticity. Good writing doesn’t come at the push of a button in a remote office somewhere. It takes dedication and years of learning to devote time to detail and intense observation. That’s not exactly a talent everyone has, let alone a machine. Becoming immersed in writing about pipes and tobacco takes time, learning and listening to and reading the masters of pipe making and tobacco blending. And pipe writers and storytellers. It takes years to craft a readable style about the briar and leaf. The sermon is over, but this is just to let you know Pundit will never, ever resort to using AI to write this column monthly. It is a privilege and an honor and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the community of pipe smokers. A favorite pipe-smoking quote: One of the best pieces of advice comes from Albert Einstein, Mr. Relativity himself, who is reported to have said: “Before answering a question you should always light your pipe first.” And that first spark of fire, curling leaf in the bowl; that first sip and taste leads to a more contemplative endeavor as Mr. E=MC2 once explained. Now for a July birthday of note is Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist and the father of analytical psychology. Jung was born July 26, 1875, and died June 6, 1961. For an in-depth read, check out Chuck Stanion’s Carl Gustav Jung: Pipe-Smoking Founder of Analytical Psychology in SmokingPipes.com, Feb. 11, 2022, Pipe Line. A Parting thought: Pipes new and old brim with mystery and art, heart and soul. It’s a natural wonder, from earth to hearth.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 668. Our featured interview tonight is with Paul Greenwood. Paul is the pipemaker behind Grunewald Pipes. He started smoking pipes in his late-20s and then stopped for almost 30 years. He started smoking pipes again in February 2022. Two months later he went to the Chicago pipe show and signed up for the pipe making seminar. He noticed that there weren’t any pipes at the show resembling the pipes from The Lord of the Rings and decided to do something about it. He launched his Instagram in April 2023 and produces handmade pipes inspired by LOTR pipes. At the top of the show we will continue the tour of Brian’s personal pipe collection with four Danish or Danish-inspired pipes.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 667. Our featured interview tonight is with pipe maker Yosef Zehnder. Yosef grew up in a family of artists and artisans. As a child he enjoyed painting, drawing, writing songs/poems, pottery, photography and more. In 2012, he decided to try pipe smoking and quite enjoyed it. In 2019, he started making pipes and has become quite the artisan creating high quality pipes in both standard and freehand shapes. At the top of the show in “Pipe Parts”, Brian will express his verbal essay titled, “How and Why I am a Pipe Smoker”.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 666. Our featured interview tonight is with Bobby Eichorn. Bobby is the newly appointed leader of the International Charatan Collectors Society. He has been smoking and collecting Charatan pipes for decades and has one of the largest collections in the world. He has won awards for his collection at past Chicago pipe shows. His initial influence for pipe smoking was from is grandfather. He is a retired educator with a MEd in education and doctorate an EdD in Neuroscience. He resides in Virginia. At the top of the show in Pipe Parts, Brian will have a review of Cornell & Diehl’s Cap’s Blend Tobacco.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 665. Our featured interview tonight is with Jody Davis. Jody is a renowned pipe artisan, and the lead guitar player for the Grammy-nominated Christian rock band, The Newsboys. His pipes are extremely high quality with Danish style designs, and they are not easy to come by. Jody will take on two “Ask the Pipemaker” questions from listeners as well as chat a bit with Brian. At the top of the show in our Pipe Parts segment, we will have a Pipe Smoker Gift Giving Guide for Father’s Day this weekend.
Congratulations James on your new title. Or, should I say Dr. Jim?
Love the show pictures as well!