Stokkebye 4th Generation (All 4 Blends) Mega-Review
-
Kevin Godbee - Jan 31, 2013
- 13 min read
Adam J. Smith
At the next gathering of pipe-smokers you attend, pause for a moment and look around the room. Chances are, at least one person is smoking a blend hailing from Denmark. Despite having a population of less than six-million, the role this small nation plays in the world of tobacco production is immense. Major players such as Orlik, MacBaren and the Scandinavian Tobacco Company Ltd. have taken over production of blends created in all corners of the world, producing some truly spectacular tobaccos. This is only fitting, for it isn’t a huge supposition on ones part to imagine that the first European to partake in tobacco hailed from the shores of Denmark; partaking in a ceremony in Vinland (modern day Newfoundland) with the local Micmac or Beothuk population.
However, in addition to the major production companies, Denmark has long been home to some of the more notable blenders of pipe tobaccos; none more well known than the Stokkebye family.
Kevin Godbee has written an excellent article which both introduces the four blends which launch the Fourth Generation line of pipe-tobaccos, but also has summarized the history of the Stokkebye family, at least as it concerns their connection to tobacco – so, without further ado onto the latest tobacco blends from Erik Stokkebye!
4th Generation 1855 (Erik Peter Stokkebye)
Erik Peter, his Great Grandfather founded his family’s tobacco business in Denmark and was known for his deep passion for natural tobacco flavours. Truly for the experienced pipe-smoker, 1855 is a ready-rubbed blend of exceptional golden, mature Virginia tobaccos that demonstrates the natural sweet Virginia taste and its pleasant aroma. The 1855 blend is an all-Virginia blend with very mature flue-cured tobaccos. There are a lot of natural sugars, and it is relatively a bit higher in nicotine. It’s a little bit stronger, but also has the natural sweetness of the mature Virginias. It’s not for someone just starting out smoking pipe tobacco. It’s for somebody that wants a nice full Virginia smoke.
This blend, while described as ‘ready-rubbed’ would more fit my description of a broken flake. Chocolate-browns interwoven with bright-golds and flecks of coppery-red, this blend arrived slightly moist in the pouch, and benefited from a half-hour of drying time prior to packing. The long, thick chunks of flake handle wonderfully, responding very well to an air-pocket or fold and stuff method of packing.
The pouch note brings a very mild tang of mature Virginia tobacco, with an even milder hint of cocoa deep in the background. I must note that the latter may be due to cross-contamination with another of the Four Generations blends, as it does not translate into the flavour-profile or room-note in any way.
Charring-light and true light highlight the wonderfully bright, honey-dew and cherry sweet notes of Virginia tobacco. Hints of raisin and rich caramel provide depth to the thick creamy smoke. The sweet flavours are kept grounded by a mild leathery earthy note, belying the presence of a darker leaf.
As one approaches the mid-bowl point, the cherry-sweet notes begin to diminish, allowing the caramel sweet notes to grow proportionately. In an interesting twist, the room-note also reflects this change, taking on a deep, rich note not unlike fresh brittle. In addition, slightly spicy notes of cinnamon and nutmeg join the raisineque notes. The earthy, leathery notes continue to remain in the background, providing depth and character.
Near the heel of the bowl, the transformation of the Virginias continue, with the wonderful baked-goods flavours of the first two thirds taking a back seat, this time allowing the earthy notes to grow into fruition. This comes across as a deep, rich earthy-sweetness, not unlike a candied filberts.
Applying the delayed gratification technique with this blend causes the earthy, leathery notes to grow bolder, while the fruity sweetness takes on a more muted quality. In addition, a very mild piquant nuance, which can be more felt than tasted, becomes noticeable.
The room-note of this blend is rather pleasant, with rich, sweet tones of caramelized sugars, fresh cut hay, and mild notes of the sweeter baking spices. The nicotine level is spot on for my tastes – while it doesn’t threaten to send one into sweats and spins, it doesn’t leave a cigarette smoker searching for a fix.
This blend carries the disclaimer that it is ‘not for someone just starting out smoking pipe-tobacco’, which may scare people off, expecting a dark and heavy nicotine powerhouse like the other blends that carry the descriptor. Fear not – this blend is very well behaved, extremely complex and wonderfully sweet. An exceptional all day blend, I don’t mind telling you 1855 has found a place rather high in my rotation. I can only imagine what a few years in the cellar will do to this already wonderful blend – I very highly recommend it!
4th Generation 1897 (Erik Paul Stokkebye)
Erik Paul, his Grandfather, was an entrepreneur and collector who loved to travel and experience many things. The 1897 blend is a colourful combination of light, golden Virginias, bronze Burleys and a touch of Black Cavendish. The base of rich vanilla combines with notes of mild, sweet honey for a gentle aromatic sweetness. The 1897 has more Black Cavendish in it and has more sweetness in terms of vanilla flavours, and it is a little bit milder.
I have to admit that on some level, this was the blend I was the least excited about. Reading the blend description, and smelling the strong vanilla pouch-note leaves one with little doubt that this is most definitely an aromatic type of blend. However as I applied flame to my first bowl, my fears were assuaged; this isn’t a run of the mill goopy vanilla blend, but rather a well composed, mildly flavoured tobacco with a room-note that will sway even the most delicate of noses.
This ribbon-cut tobacco features a mix of chocolate browns and glossy blacks flecked with coppery reds and tans. Slightly moist out of the tin, this blend does have the slightly slick feeling that denotes the presence of propylene glycol as a humectant. I found that it would burn when packed directly out of the tin, but really does benefit from a half-hour to hour of drying time. As with most aromatics, I found that this blend responds best to the looser packing methods; three-stage or codger pinch specifically.
From first light, this blend offers something of a surprise in it’s flavour profile. Certainly, vanilla plays a main-role, however one also gets strong, sweet honey-like notes, the mild woody flavour of Burleys, and a wonderful fruity note; somewhere between honeydew and Rainier cherry.
As you pass through the mid-point, the flavours begin to take an earthier turn, with the honey notes transitioning into a caramel/brown sugar note, while the woody Burleys grow slightly more pronounced. A very mild spice nuance develops in the final third; while the fruity sweetness grows extremely pronounced as you reach the heel of the bowl.
Applying the delayed gratification technique to this blend provides surprisingly good results. A marked caramel sweetness mixes with the woody notes of the Burleys to provide the main body of the flavour profile, while slightly piquant and fruity notes reveals themselves.
This blend is definitely not a nicotine powerhouse – I found myself craving more ‘oomph’, and as such found it difficult to remain in a nice relaxed cadence. Due to this, I discovered that this blend is very forgiving, and while it will bite eventually, you have to push very hard to get there. The room-note is nothing short of spectacular. Rich, creamy notes of vanilla and caramel with hints of the sweet spice seem to draw people in – on the occasions I have taken this blend out in public, I’ve had several complete strangers wander over to compliment the wonderful aroma.
This mild and well behaved pipe tobacco will likely be scorned by many pipe-smokers in favour of the more natural blends, however I found this to be extremely complex with enough tobacco flavour to keep my interest. Aromatic smokers will find this blend to be exceptionally well composed and well worth the investment. Neophytes to the pipe will find that it is very forgiving, making it a perfect introduction blend. I recommend it.
4th Generation 1931 (Erik Peter Stokkebye)
Erik Peter, his Father, was a larger than life person, full of energy and passion for his craft. His favourite tobacco was navy flake, and this full-bodied smoke is a perfect example of his passion. It strikes a natural balance in the distinct characteristic of superior Burleys and mature Virginias by using a small measure of Black Cavendish to please true flake lovers. The 1931 flake is primarily U.S. Burley, U.S. Mature Virginias and a little bit of Black Cavendish. It’s an all-natural blend that offers a dry, natural smoke without additives in terms of flavouring.
Of the four, 1931 was the blend that most excited me. I love flakes; mature Virginias excite me, and I am learning to love Burleys…but I also must admit that I was a little concerned about the presence of Cavendish.
Presented as a smaller flake of dark and chocolate browns liberally mixed with golden and black hues, this blend requires a little thought as to smoking. For the purposes of this review, I sampled it fully and partially rubbed out, folded and stuffed, and cubed – what follows in a compilation of my experiences with each. Although it is slightly moist on arrival, I would recommend smoking these directly out of the tin – they are not wet like some flakes, and although more difficult to light, you will be well rewarded for your effort.
The tin-note on this blend is quite mild, with hints of fresh-cut hay and moist earth, with underlying nuances of aged leather. The first thing that strikes me every time I light this tobacco is just how prevalent the deep, rich earthy and leathery notes of the dark-fired tobaccos are; indeed, I find they all but overwhelm the palate initially. However, after a couple of puffs, the flavour profile settles down, revealing the full complexity of this stout blend in all it’s glory.
Subtle, sweet notes of honey combine with the earthy richness of the dark-fired tobaccos to provide a black-tea like flavour, while a note similar to the peppery taste of bergamot make up the main body of the flavour profile, while the fruity and grassy notes can be detected in the background.
As you pass through the mid-way point with this blend, the honeyed sweetness begins to grow deeper and more complex, transitioning to more of a caramel flavour. The rich earthy notes take on a pronounced leathery mustiness while the peppery flavour continues to provide depth. The grassy and fruity notes detected on initially lighting remain, but slide deeper yet into the background. I also begin to detect a mildly woody flavour at this point, which I can only attribute to the Burleys making themselves known. This all combines to create a flavour profile not dissimilar to Earl Grey Tea, sweetened with honey and milk.
Nearing the heel of the bowl, the woody notes of the Burleys continue to grow in strength, moving from the background into the main-body of the flavour profile. The earthy leathery notes also grow in strength, while the caramel notes continue to provide a sweet base. I find the grassy and fruity notes all but disappear at this point – although they seem to return with a vengeance as one reaches the final puffs in the bowl.
The room-note of this blend is pleasant, with the sweeter notes coming through providing that ‘classic pipe-smoke’ aroma (please note: my training is with food tasting – pipe-smoke is one of the flavours we are taught to identify, rather than describe). The burning qualities are very good, however I did find that when folded and stuffed, I had to really work through the heel to smoke the entire bowl. The nicotine level, while not through the roof is certainly high, and as such care should be paid to this blend.
All in all, this unique and exceptional blend is nothing short of spectacular in my opinion, with a highly complex flavour profile that keeps one engaged throughout the smoke. Erik Michael notes that the 1855 blend is not for the new-smoker, but rather the more experienced – however I feel that that descriptor would fit in this case as well. If you like dark-fired, full-bodied tobaccos, then this blend should be right up your alley. I do – and therefore I must say I very highly recommend this blend!
4th Generation 1957 (Erik Michael Stokkebye)
Erik Stokkebye’s personal favourite. Bright Virginias, light brown Burleys and a touch of Black Cavendish combined to create perfect harmony. A naturally sweet tasting blend, the soft, creamy vanilla adds to the elegant room notes. Perfect for a relaxing moment any time of the day. The 1957 has more Virginia tobaccos which makes it a little more creamy.
When I first read the description of this blend, I was expecting it to be similar to the vaunted ‘over the counter’ drugstore blends. This seemed to be backed up by the tin-note, with it’s caramel-sweet and vanilla notes supported by cocoa and nut – and while it is certainly similar in flavour to the ‘OTC’ blends, it is so much more.
Like the 1897, this blend is presented as a ribbon-cut which is rather moist directly out of the tin. It also features the slightly slick feel that denotes the use of Propylene Glycol as a humectant, however that is where the similarities end. This melange of coppery reds and nutty browns responds well to both three-stage and air-pocket packing methods.
Upon lighting, I was rather surprised at the rich and creamy smoke, with a mild yet complex flavour profile, featuring base notes of nuts and cocoa, with undertones of brown sugar and vanilla. This is rounded out by a very subtle sweet-spice not unlike cinnamon. This remains very stable through the first two-thirds of the bowl, then begins to undergo a series of minor changes.
Towards the heel of the bowl, the nut and cocoa notes begin to slip into the background, allowing the natural woodiness of the Burleys to develop. The sweet brown-sugar notes take on a more caramel flavouring, while the nuanced vanilla notes remain omni-present. In addition to these background notes, a mild buttery flavour begins to develop; providing an overall flavour profile similar to a nutty sweet-pudding (English pudding, not the heavily flavoured custard we in North America associate with pudding).
This blend burns very well, leaving a minimal amount of dottle to contend with. The room-note will please all but the most vehement anti-smokers, with hints of caramel and vanilla intertwining to provide olfactory pleasure. I would not recommend this blend for the delayed gratification technique, as I have found on relights that it takes on a slightly bitter quality.
The nicotine level in the blend is a touch on the low-side for my liking (but I am a self-admitted nicotine fiend), which when combined with the mild flavours and excellent behaviour in the bowl make this an excellent smoke for both neophytes to the pipe, and for experienced smokers looking for a mild, gentle smoke that doesn’t command constant attention.A very good blend – all that the so-called OTC’s have to offer and more – I recommend it!
Although Erik Michael Stokkebye resides in North Carolina, one of the major American tobacco areas, one can certainly taste the Danish influence on these four blends, and he has definitely met the high standards for which his family is known. Truly an international project over one-hundred-and-fifty years in the making, created in North Carolina, produced in Denmark, and imported by Phillips and King, these four blends should have a very wide distribution…and with the four blends presented at launch, almost every pipe-smoker should find at least one of these blends suit their personal tastes.
With the promise of the addition of blends containing Latakia in the future, I expect the Four Generations branding will win a place in the hearts of many a pipe-smoker – if the initial four blends are any indicator, we will be talking about the Fourth Generation line for years to come.
SPONSORED LINK: Stokkebye 4th Generation Tobaccos – Click Here to Order Now!
Written by Kevin Godbee
More Pipes and Tobaccos Articles
3 Responses
Smokingpipes.com Updates
6 Fresh White Elephant Pipes |
4 Fresh Luiz Lavos Pipes |
New Accessories |
12 Fresh Ashton Pipes |
132 Fresh Peterson Pipes |
Recent Posts
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, Ă 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 HerbstdĂĽfte 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.
Vegas Baby The show started out strong on the 14th floor hospitality suites hosted by the Vegas Pipe Show and Smoking Pipes as well as room hopping to carvers, estate sellers, and vendors to pre-game for the festivities. If you’re interested in what that looks like I’ll refer you to last years pipe show round up. I circled with Brian Levine to get the totals in comparison to last year: This year’s show numbers: 108 Exhibitor tables, 445 attendees, 3,250 Raffle Tickets, 100ish dinners, 172 Rooms in the Hotel. Last year, by comparison, 107 exhibitor tables, 425 attendees, 2,200 raffle tickets, 104 dinners, and 175 rooms on Friday and Saturday nights. We were at capacity, basically, when it came to vendor tables and the dinner, so there is no physical room for growth at this point except for attendees. That said, we filled that smoking lounge to the brim. New Carvers Spotlight Garret Woo (Pipes by Woo) How long have you been carving? Garret: I’ve been carving since 2021, and I’m guessing your next question is probably how’d you get started carving? James: Yes. Garret: In 2021 I took a break from my full time job – that included machining and assembly work and I thought maybe it was time I made something that I would like and I started looking at youtube and Instagram and putting together my shop. I did struggle on the stems to start and there was a lot of failure at the beginning. James: How many pipes have you made so far? Garret: I number my pipes, so I just finished up 186. James: What is your favorite shape you’ve been making? Garret: I really dig Canadians and pipes with longer shanks and lovat Canadian blends. I like to play with different shapes of stems on the longer shanked pipes. The billiard would be my go-to shape but I want to learn more techniques on freehanded shapes. I like to put brass and copper adornments on my pipes with my machining background it helps. James: What is the craziest thing you’ve seen at this show? Garret: The first thing that comes to mind is the table over there with C-Pipes with the shapes and the size and petiteness and the intricate details they did. You can check out what Garret is working on by going to his Instagram. Stefan Cashwell James: how long have you been carving? Stefan: about 3 years. James: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen at the show? Stefan: The Adam Davidson pipe with the clear shape and the bamboo—I don’t know if it’s 3D printed or what, but it’s amazing. James: What’s your favorite shape to do? Stefan: That’s a tough question. I think they’re all the same shape, but what’s fascinating is that Dublin, volcano, and blowfish are all the same depending on how you turn them. Playing with that, with all its variations, is a lot of fun. My favorite accent to use is also horn; it’s finicky, but it’s a great accent on pipes. You can check out Stefan’s work on his Instagram. Science: Meet Pipes I chatted with Chris from the San Diego Pipe Club; he started off doing stem replacements for estate pipes but also improved the airflow. James: How are you doing 3d printing? What is the thought process? Chris: It’s a 3D-printed pipe with a briar insert. The design is a calabash meets a Peterson system meets a metal Falcon/Kirsten radiator style. It is a bottom draft smoking bowl like a radiator like those metal pipes. The inside chamber is a calabash. The stummel and accent rings in the stems are all 3d printed. The insert is briar, olive wood, or I have the potential to use meerschaum as well. This idea came about through the San Diego Pipe Club, wanting to see if we could 3D print a pipe and being curious about the technology; I have a printer and design ability, so here we are. James: What’s the type of plastic you’re using? Chris: It’s all PLA plastic, a renewable potato starch plastic that is food-safe. The stummels are printed with a plastic that has wood in it 40% wood fiber, bamboo, rosewood, ebony, redwood, and walnut are the woods I’m printing. For the accent rings I just got a new material that I’m printing that has 40% copper, so its real metal that you can sand, and polish the same as wood filament. The stems are 3d printed as well. The concept is renewable and cheap from a production standpoint, with the ability to make a very high quality smoking pipe based on the experience. By combining the calabash system pipe and bottom draft hole and using 3d simulations to see airflow, I can see where I’m having eddies and ripples in my current, and see where my moisture and all the particles are dropping back out from a vapor to a liquid. Most people who have tried these say the stems are clean, and they don’t even have to run a pipe cleaner afterward because everything collects at the bottom. Chris has also been experimenting with color-changing plastics so you can see the hotspots. 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, […]
Fantastic reviews. Now I have to try each one out. Thanks for enabling…
-J
I have tried the 1855, and love it! Great review, I may have to pick up a couple of the others
Thanks for another tour de force review! I’ve sampled 1855 and found your observations very close to my own — except that you articulate them more artfully 🙂 It has quickly become my favorite Virginia — which says a lot since I smoke little else these days. There’s a tin of 1931 on the shelf waiting for me to dig in, and your review has me psyched-up. Thanks for the excellent writing and informative illustrations. As always, a nice job.