Richmond Pipe Show 2010 Report
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Kevin Godbee - Oct 22, 2010
- 8 min read
The 26th Annual CORPS Exposition & Celebration, or “The 2010 Richmond Pipe Show” as it’s commonly known, took place the first weekend of October; 1st, 2nd, &3rd 2010.
The Richmond show is one of the longest running pipe shows, and the second largest after the Chicago Pipe Show. The show attracts a semi-national crowd of pipe hobbyists, mostly from the along the entire east coast, the south and parts of the Midwest.
Pipe makers and sellers of new and collectible merchandise come from all over the US and internationally. One notable visitor that came all the way from Denmark was well-known pipe artisan Peter Heeschen.
I had the chance to visit Peter at his shop in Denmark over the summer with Sykes Wilford of SmokingPipes.com. He makes amazing pipes that are in super high demand for their excellent smoking quality and extreme beauty. You can peruse some Peter Heeschen Pipes here.
One of the great things about the Richmond Show is that it takes place in the “Tobacco Capital” and you can smoke inside the exhibit hall, at the Friday night dinner, and in the “smoking room” just outside the banquet rooms. The hotel, the Holiday Inn Select – Koger South Conference Center, has a limited number of smoking rooms as well. There is just something about Richmond that makes smoking your pipe all weekend seem even better and more enjoyable than usual. The weather in early-October is just wonderful. Last year there was a little chill in the air. The leaves were getting ready to start turning color. The beginning-of-Fall atmosphere, for some reason, just enhances the pipe smoking experience.
This year, Tropical Storm Nicole had us a little concerned. It swept up the East Coast in the days leading up to the show and caused floods in the Carolinas, Maryland, Virginia, and other Eastern states. There were travel advisories before and during the start of the show, but Nicole mostly left us alone and the show went on with all expected participants in attendance. However, disappointingly absent, through no fault of the weather was McClelland Tobacco and XYZ Distributors. It’s too bad these two major players couldn’t make the show this year.
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Friday night, we had pre-dinner drinks and smokes in the “big smoking room”. It is like a big lobby / reception area on the side of the hotel where the conference and banquet rooms are. They set up portable bars with beer, wine and liquor. This is the area where lots of us gather each evening after dinner as well to smoke and chat into the late-night. For dinner, we were happily on theme with being in the South, gorging ourselves on barbequed pork, fried chicken, peach cobbler and many other regional delights. (I had grits every morning at breakfast too.)
Cornell & Diehl traditionally introduces new blends in Richmond, and this year was no different. We headed straight to the free C&D samples so we could smoke while we “worked”. C&D puts out freshly opened tins of probably 60 – 70 different blends that all are free to sample. I always find something that becomes a new favorite. Although not new, I discovered G.L. Pease Westminster, which is an excellent English blend. The new G.L. Pease blend is Meridian, which is the newest addition to the G.L. Pease Old London Series. The two new Cornell & Diehl blends are U.S.S. Mason and Montford Point Marine. They are the two newest additions to C&D’s series that pays tribute to U.S.A.’s African-American soldiers.
C&D hit it out of the park on these two new ones. I love them both. They are each completely different from each other.
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I got a tiny little buzz from Montford Point Marine, but I am a lightweight. This one was developed personally by Craig Tarlar and has Dark-fired Burley, Perique and Latakia. It packs a punch.
U.S.S. Mason was developed by Chris Tarlar. Since this is a tribute to the sailors, it is topped off with a sprinkle of Brandy Cognac to deliver a Navy-style flavor. It is delicious and doesn’t bite at all. It tastes like the tin aroma too. It has Virginia’s, Burley and a touch of Latakia and Perique. I smoked them both right after one another in the last hours of the Richmond Show just relaxing in a chair and watching the crowds go by. It was a perfect end to the show. I give Montford Point Marine, and the U.S.S. Mason my highest recommendation. You can read more about new blends from C&D, along with a brief video interview with Chris Tarlar, in Bob’s detailed coverage here.
Jim Craig from Ashton Pipes traveled all the way from Essex England to show the latest pipes from the Ashton line. The origin of Ashton Pipes goes back to 1983 when Bill Ashton-Taylor started the company after gaining many years of experience at Dunhill. Like Dunhill, Ashton Pipes are oil-cured and handmade in England, and are very high-quality. It was just a little bit before the Richmond show last year that Bill Taylor passed away after succumbing to injuries from an automobile accident. Although he is sorely missed by many who knew him, Ashton Pipes continues to deliver handsomely designed, excellent quality pipes.
Ashton has a new line of “Chubby Pipes”, which are also commonly referred to as “Nose Warmers”. You can also see the new Paneled Sovereign in the first picture below.
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There was also a classy Calabash and some very handsome Bulldogs.
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Ashton Pipes can be purchased here.
Next we talked to Danish pipemaker Tonni Nielsen, who has pipe workshops in Denmark and Louisville, Kentucky.
Some of Tonni’s pipes are made in his workshop in Denmark, and some are made in his workshop in America, but these are all Danish pipes. They are all handmade pipes, made by Danish hands. Tonni has been making pipes for 43 years and he makes about 150 pipes a year, all of them handmade. The briar comes from the Mediterranean – Greece, Morocco and Italy and he hand-selects each individual briar block personally, traveling to the sources each summer. All of Tonni Nielsen’s pipes are Freehand shapes starting in price from $450 and up.
Here are some of the pipes Tonni Nielsen had on display at the show.
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Tonni Nielsen’s Pipes Can Be Purchased Here.
Joe Nelson of Old Nellie Pipes was showing some extremely beautiful pipes. (He also crafts one of our other favorite wood products – custom-made guitars.) We talked to him about his pipes and guitars, and have a detailed interview with him here.
Here are some of the gorgeous Old Nellie pipes that were on display.
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Old Nellie Pipes can be purchased at OldNelliepipes.com
Bob Gilbert of Denton, TX was showing several new pipes. He has been making hand-made one-of-a-kind pipes for 4-years now, and you can really see how he has grown in his craft. Here are some of the Gilbert Pipes that were for sale at the Richmond show. For more information on Bob Gilbert, click here.
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Taking a break from looking at pipes, after the show on Saturday, we were quite pleased to take Linwood Hines recommendation for a restaurant that is an actual smoking establishment. Our Contributing Editor, Bob Tate and myself went to dinner with Vernon Vig and Mike “Doc” Garr.
Vernon is the President of both the New York Pipe Club and the United Pipe Clubs of America. Mike Garr is the President of the Pocono Intermountain Pipe Enthusiasts (PIPE) club, and Vice President of the United Pipe Clubs of America. Vernon is a total crack-up and Mike just has that calming college professor air about him. I had an excellent steak, martinis and greatly enjoyed smoking my pipe at the dinner table.
If you’re ever in the Richmond area and want some good food in a sports bar atmosphere where you can smoke, check out Bailey’s Pub & Grille.
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Saturday night after dinner we relaxed in the big smoking room, smoked pipes, had some drinks and smoked past midnight. On Sunday we did a little video interview with pipe maker Bob Hayes, which you can see here.
After having busy days and nights on Friday and Saturday, we decided to slow our pace, chat and smoke on Sunday. Wrapping up our wonderful time in Richmond, here’s a few more highlights.
PipesMagazine.com contributor, and blender of the Hearth & Home tobaccos, Russ Ouellette was in attendance.
Jeff Gracik of J. Alan Pipes is always a pleasure to talk to. He is young, energetic, full of enthusiasm and makes pipes that will just make you drool. You have to check out the J. Alan Pipes for sale here.
John Seiler won the Best Collector’s Display for his Hawkbill Collection which included pipes from Rinaldo, Castello, Radice, Ser Jacopo and more. Here are some pictures of his award winning collection.
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John also had the above antique pipe tobacco tin which seems to be from 1910.
We’ll end with pictures of a few of the members of PipesMagazine.com that we got to meet for the first time at the show.
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You can see some more highlights from Friday night at the Richmond pipe show when we spent time in the SmokingPipes.com hospitality suite here.
The show is put on by the Conclave of Richmond Pipe Smokers club or C.O.R.P.S. and they did a great job. We can’t wait to go back next year, Sept 30 – Oct 2, 2011.
[mappress]
Written by Kevin Godbee
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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! 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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.
As always, great coverage guys. bob gilbert
What an extravaganza. Thankyou again for the exceptional coverage and some of the highlight’s of this event. I sure hope to attend next year’s show.
This was a fantastic report about the Richmond show — well organized, interesting and great photos. I normally attend the Richmond show but was unable to this year, but I feel caught up after reading this report. Thanks, Kevin.
Love this report on the show , i was there and it was a great time for all.
can’t wait until next year.
Teddy
Great photo essay of the show!
Great article! My wife passed through Richmond on our way back from our vacation at Williamsburg. I was sorely tempted to stop on Sunday for a short visit but was too eager to get home and crash. Someday……
It’s great to see that Peter Heeschen made the effort to be at the show. He must have enjoyed a comforting sense of reunion with you and Wilford. Having a smoking-permitted show is “the way to go” for the convenience of attendees, and it looks like everyone was having a ball! Thanks for the excellent article.
Why wasn’t McClelland at CORPS?
Great coverage of the show gentlemen! Thanks to y’all I have to go back into the Witness protection program!
Thank you again for all your hard work and expertice with the show. I really look forward to more reviews, and, hopefully more videos !!
Joe N.
Barrie,Ontario,CANADA
HOPE to see many of you at the WEST COAST PIPE SHOW in Las Vegas next weekend. nov. 6,7
its a really fun time and lots of cool pipes and tobacco’s . dont miss it
JGW