Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 577
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Kevin Godbee - Oct 3, 2023
- 1 min read
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 577. Our featured interview tonight is with Tom Kuhn. Tom is a retired band director and a “professional pipe enthusiast”. He is the co-host of the weekly Pipes, Tobacco & Whiskey show on YouTube, which is described as “Impressions and helpful information on affordable and readily available pipes, pipe tobacco and whiskey from a perspective of multiple backgrounds and types of pipe enthusiasts.” They currently have 3.88K subscribers and 230 videos. At the top of the show, we’ll have an “Ask the Pipe Maker” segment with pipe artisan Jeff Gracik.
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Pipes, Tobacco & Whiskey on YouTube
The Pipes Magazine Radio Show features interviews with pipe makers, tobacco blenders, pipe and tobacco aficionados, collectors, and more. Episodes air every Tuesday.
Our show is sponsored by SmokingPipes.com, Cornell & Diehl, Missouri Meerschaum, Savinelli Pipes and Tobaccos, Peterson Pipes and TinBids. Please give them some consideration when making your next pipe or tobacco purchase.
We hope you enjoy our 1-hour show produced just for you—the pipe smoker and collector.
Written by Kevin Godbee
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Ok, so it’s that time of year, as we all know. Family feasts, houses, yards, and big trees festooned with lights and dangling ornaments, just high enough to keep the cats from reaching a paw into the greenery. It’s also the time of year when your pipe-smoking-significant other makes vast hints about a new pipe. That’s to be expected since he or she was a good boy or girl during the year. Yes, ladies smoke pipes, too. Oh, you want an example? Okay, try Actress Greta Garbo, Millicent Fenwick, Mary Frith, and my late grandmother (who died when she was 93) dipped snuff and smoked a cob occasionally. So now that we have settled that the gentler side of life will puff a pipe too, let’s move on to the upcoming biggest holiday of all. Of course, that huge event is brought to us by the hefty fellow in a red suit, puffing his pipe all the way in a sled filled with presents, being led by a reindeer with a red nose. Or some such. That’s Santa Claus, of course. Becoming a bit more serious, Christmas is such a wonderful time for families and friends. It’s also quite special for pipe puffers. For many of us, this brings up a nostalgic look back to our pipe-smoking or cigar-smoking friends who have died during the current year. A great journalist pal whom I often joined in a local brick-and-mortar pipe and cigar shop. I puffed my pipe, and occasional cigar, as he enjoyed a cigar. He died in October and will be missed. On the happier side of things, Christmas is also a time when mind workers of the world renew their collections with fresh additions. Pundit included. A French passion has overtaken Pundit, from reading more Albert Camus, a heavy cigarette smoker, as were many French intellectuals of a certain time. Instead of cigarettes many of us prefer the more relaxed enjoyment of pipes for that “calm and objective judgment” in the comings and goings of the world. This brings me to French pipes. While visiting France once in the long ago, I happened by a “Tabac” shop in Paris, Tabac Des Vosges. I purchased a beauty of a Chacom bent. I also later bought a Ropp made from ancient briar. To learn more about the dawn of briar pipes and beginnings, take a peek at a well-done piece by Davin Hylton in Pipe Line on April 12, 2023, on Saint-Claude, France, the birthplace of briar. Also in the long back when, on a cold Christmas afternoon, Pundit wandered into an Atlanta bricks and mortar pipe shop to look around. There, resting in an enclosed glass counter was an exquisite Comoy. An older gent, smoking a beautiful bent, asked me if I wanted to look at that pipe. It had a $100 price tag. A college student working for a grocery store chain to help with college tuition at the time, Pundit didn’t have one hundred cents, let alone a C note! I declined and found a $5 basket pipe. A Christmas tradition had just begun. Since that early time, Pundit has made it a holiday ritual to either reward himself, or a special friend, with pipe or tobacco. A Claudio Cavicchi would be nice. Just sayin.’ And now for a couple of December-born Pipe Smokers of the Past: Joseph Rudyard Kipling was born on Dec. 30, 1865, and died on Jan. 18, 1936. I always prefer to believe the best of everybody; it saves so much trouble—Rudyard Kipling. Martin Van Buren, born Dec. 5, 1782, and died July 24, 1862, U.S. President, 1837-1841 As to the presidency, the two happiest days of my life were those of my entrance upon the office and my surrender of it—Martin Van Buren. And one more note to recall a deceased World War II veteran who loved William Somerset Maugham, the author. Maugham, a pipe smoker, was born in Paris, France, on Jan. 25, 1874, and died on Dec. 16, 1965. One cool afternoon as the veteran and I talked while sitting in his backyard patio, he looked off into the distance as if studying something. Nothing in particular. Just looking. He turned to me and said if I wanted to learn about life, “read Somerset Maugham.” I did. It wasn’t until late in life that I discovered how easy it is to say, ‘I don’t know’ –W. Somerset Maugham And now a Parting Shot: Any day with an old friend with pipes and tobacco is a good day.
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Funny stories from Jeff! And yes, Jeff, you can’t fix stupid.
Tom’s musical backstory was terrific, with great trumpet mentors and influencers.
His introduction to pipe smoking shows how beneficial having a good “guru” early on saves one from many of the pitfalls and wasted time and money new smokers face. Some interesting whiskey talk, suggestions, and pairings.
A great Frank classic tune from a magnificent swinging live in Vegas album. Thanks for the shout-out.
Good “hot rant.”
Another always entertaining show, thanks.
Dino
Jeff had some nice stories about pipe smokers who think nothing is their fault. The extra mile jeff went for these guys was amazing. I would have told them to go suck eggs. I would lose customers but at least those fools might learn something.
I used to listen to Tom when he first started his podcast show. I kind of liked the show at first but then I quickly noticed one or the other son was missing. It became apparent they just weren’t near as interested as he was. As their attendance waned so did my interest. Glad to see he’s doing well at it, though.
Dino and Basie are a hard combo to beat. Truly a magnificent tune.
About that home repairs rant of yours. You have to have at least 10% of the home value at the start of each year. I have been in my house 15 years, and I put on a new roof and a furnace when I moved in. Any year now I expect to hear the heating guy say I need a new furnace. Yowza!!!