Welcome from central North Carolina, U.S. What is the availability of pipes and tobacco there? Do you buy online or at a shop?
Welcome!
In Hungary, we have so-called "national tobbaco shops" or "national tobbaconists" - this means that you can buy tobacco nowhere, but in these shops. So, it's not possible to order any kind of tobacco from the internet inland. Of course you have the chance to purchase from other countries (e.g. via SmokingPipes), but in most of the cases you have to pay the duty/custom fees if you do so. Obviously it increases the final price so I don't really like this solution. I think the best way to get any kind of pipe tobacco or cigar is to consult with the shopkeepers at the tobacconists and they can find almost any type for you. Then, you have to wait a few days while your order arrives and after this, you can buy it in the local shop.
Concerning the pipe itself, it is easier to get one, as it is not a tobacco product ("just" a tool which helps to smoke
) There are few shops, specialized for pipes in the bigger cities, but basically a situation is similar like in case of tobacco: you can ask a catalogue at the shop, choose a pipe and wait for your order.
As for me, I prefer to see and touch what I buy, so I rarely purchase via internet or catalogue.
By the way, the most popular European pipe brands are available here (e.g. Peterson, Savinelli, Vauen, Capitello) What I really regret, that it's pretty difficult to get an original Missouri Meerschaum here... (I'd really like to have a McArthur-stlye cob).
