Oh, damn! I didn't know Steve had died. I haven't been in Oakland in a year or so, and your description brought back good memories. May he rest in peace.
Best B&M Tobacco Stores in America
- Thread starter ChuHiGuy
- Start date
Born in Flint, 1970. Moved in 1979 to California. I think my dad had some pipes back in the day, must have come from Paul’s. Those early memories and smells of pipe tobacco got me interested in my late 40’s.Paul's Pipe Shop in downtown Flint is certainly worth a visit. Old-timey is the word. Ask if you can see the museum.
This picture is part of the regular display in the store. Scroll down on the web page, and click on the museum link for a virtual tour.
http://www.paulspipeshop.com/
Wow. I lived in the Bay Area until last summer. I had no idea they had a pipe shop there. I also had never heard of Telford’s.
The Tinder Box South Coast Plaza has been there for 40 years or more. One of the longest running stores at the mall, although the store moved to a different part of the mall maybe 20 years ago. When did the Tinder Box at the Brea Mall close? I had no idea there was one there, although I’m from South Orange County so I never really went there.
Yeah, the part of Washington I live in is a pretty dismal place to be a pipe smoker, but fortunately Cigar Daddies in Lacey and Tinder Box in Tacoma have been helpful to me. They’re both more cigar-heavy in terms of inventory because cigars are only taxed at 37% of wholesale price, while pipe tobaccos are taxed at 95%, so cigars are where the money is.
Cigar Daddies helped me get my grubby hands on the Stokkebye blends and Prince Albert that I couldn’t find locally, and Tinder Box repackages bulk tobacco, so if you know what you’re interested in, it’s an okay place to try out new stuff by the ounce.
Cigar Daddies has a modest but well-considered selection of pipe stuff, basically a little bit of everything you’d need to get started and take care of your pipes, plus a small selection of pipe tobaccos. The shop is nice and has a decent lounge, which isn’t currently in use because of the cootievirus lockdown stuff going on lately. If you’re into cigars, it’s like a Toys R Us for cigar smokers.
Tinder Box has an interesting selection of estate pipes including some nicely colored meerschaum specimens, but their new pipe inventory is fairly small and conservative. Lots of lighters. Some EDC stuff like knives, some tchotchkes, novelty humidors, and hookahs on the back wall, so the atmosphere is kind of eclectic.
The people at both places are really nice and a pleasure to do business with. I think up north closer to Seattle, there’s more options, but I haven’t personally visited any of them.
Cigar Daddies helped me get my grubby hands on the Stokkebye blends and Prince Albert that I couldn’t find locally, and Tinder Box repackages bulk tobacco, so if you know what you’re interested in, it’s an okay place to try out new stuff by the ounce.
Cigar Daddies has a modest but well-considered selection of pipe stuff, basically a little bit of everything you’d need to get started and take care of your pipes, plus a small selection of pipe tobaccos. The shop is nice and has a decent lounge, which isn’t currently in use because of the cootievirus lockdown stuff going on lately. If you’re into cigars, it’s like a Toys R Us for cigar smokers.
Tinder Box has an interesting selection of estate pipes including some nicely colored meerschaum specimens, but their new pipe inventory is fairly small and conservative. Lots of lighters. Some EDC stuff like knives, some tchotchkes, novelty humidors, and hookahs on the back wall, so the atmosphere is kind of eclectic.
The people at both places are really nice and a pleasure to do business with. I think up north closer to Seattle, there’s more options, but I haven’t personally visited any of them.
My favorite - Uhles in Milwaukee. Honorable mention - Swan Serv-U Pharmacy in Wauwatosa since they carry all the Uhle blends.
Also worth a visit:
Peretti - Boston
Milan Tobacconist - Roanoke
Straus Tobacco - Cincinnati
Rich’s Cigar Store - Portland
There are a number of old school bricks and mortar tobacconists in the U.S. I’d love to visit...
I hate to say it- but you won't be getting any good deals in Florida shops. There's an 85% sales tax!
Lowcountry Tobacco in Little River, SC (N. Myrtle Beach). It is the home of SmokingPipes.com, and they can run to the werehouse to get you anything the online store has available that is not in the B&M. Its nice to find a pipe smoker oriented tobacco shop.
Although I have never gotten the chance to go there, I have heard great things about Anstead's Tobacco Company in Fayetteville, NC as well.
Although I have never gotten the chance to go there, I have heard great things about Anstead's Tobacco Company in Fayetteville, NC as well.
Mason-
Memories of Steve are some nice chats. History of Esotericas, tobacco storage, trying new blends. Just enjoying being in a real pipe shop. He was always a gentleman. I helped him uncover a box of Penzance, hidden away in the back of a closet. I still have the half pound, ca. 20 years old. Not sure what he did with the rest, but it's the only one I got my hands on.
Memories of Steve are some nice chats. History of Esotericas, tobacco storage, trying new blends. Just enjoying being in a real pipe shop. He was always a gentleman. I helped him uncover a box of Penzance, hidden away in the back of a closet. I still have the half pound, ca. 20 years old. Not sure what he did with the rest, but it's the only one I got my hands on.
The Pipe and Pint, 3716 Spring Garden St, Greensboro, NC 27407. Mostly cigars and wine, adequate number of pipes. Helpful staff. Smoking lounge.
He had so many fascinating stories, and, yes, I do remember him rummaging about and finding all sorts of gems he himself had forgotten. His office in the back was an Aladdin's cave of tobacco.
Pauls Pipe Shop in Flint, Michigan (near my hometown)
Uhle's Tobacco Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (visited for the first time over the weekend!)
Uhle's Tobacco Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (visited for the first time over the weekend!)
The other B&M in Portland, OR, is 82nd Avenue Tobacco & Pipes. These days, its selection of tins and blends is as good as, or maybe better than, Rich's, though not so much on the pipes.
Two pages in and not one mention of Boswells in Chambersburg, PA?
Great shop, great lounge, cool museum, great selection of tobacco, pipes, cigars and just all around nice people with excellent customer service.
What else do you want?
Great shop, great lounge, cool museum, great selection of tobacco, pipes, cigars and just all around nice people with excellent customer service.
What else do you want?
I'll be up in Portland this coming Christmas. I'll have to check them out.
One of the stores mentioned in this thread sold me 12 bags of Stonehaven, the last time I called them. He also offered me 15 bags of Penzance. I don't smoke Penzance so I told a buddy of mine who bought them all. This store is a real honey hole. I no longer buy pipe tobacco but I am not going to name them here. It took me a long time and many phone calls to fined this place