If You’ve Never Heard of William Serad…

[rmbittner]

Whenever I think of reviewing—or even sampling—a new tobacco blend, I am always mindful of William Serad, a former reviewer for Pipes & Tobaccos magazine and one of my pipe-smoking mentors (through his writing; we’ve never met). For some reason, the tone, taste, style, and approach of his tobacco reviews have spoken more to me than any other reviewer I’ve ever encountered. (He also worked a lot with C&D in the early years, and one of his own Syrian latakia blends still stands out to me as one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever smoked: Longevity.) Many of his reviews were collected into the book Trial by Fire.

I just came across this fairly recent profile of him written by Chuck Stanion: Tobacco and Pipe Expertise: William Serad | Smokingpipes.com - https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/tobacco-and-pipe-expertise-william-serad. I highly recommend it.

Bob

 

[ThermionicScott]

By the time William started writing for P&T, he'd "tried nine billion blends. I was obsessive..."

Sounds like @JimInks has some catching up to do, after all.

 

[hauntedmyst]

William Serad is also a generous man. When I lost my Trial by Fire in a flood, he sent me a copy.

 

[Chalaw87]

William Serad is also a generous man. When I lost my Trial by Fire in a flood, he sent me a copy.

Is trial by fire still available for purchase anywhere or am I going to have to try and find a copy on ebay?

 

[rmbittner]

Is trial by fire still available for purchase anywhere or am I going to have to try and find a copy on ebay?

It’s out of print, so you’ll need to buy it from a used-book dealer, whether that’s eBay or elsewhere. If you have a complete collection of Pipes & Tobacco magazine, you’ll already have all of the review content from the book.

 

[Chalaw87]

It’s out of print, so you’ll need to buy it from a used-book dealer, whether that’s eBay or elsewhere. If you have a complete collection of Pipes & Tobacco magazine, you’ll already have all of the review content from the book.

I dont have either... so the hunt begins.

 

[mingc]

Trial by Fire was my trusted guide when I started and an invaluable education. I enjoyed his writing.

 

[kcghost]

William Serad was the first Jiminks. His reviews were in particular very good.

 

[mingc]

It’s out of print, so you’ll need to buy it from a used-book dealer, whether that’s eBay or elsewhere. If you have a complete collection of Pipes & Tobacco magazine, you’ll already have all of the review content from the book.

If I recall correctly, the book was published before the magazine shut down, so there are reviews in the newer issues that aren't in the book. Did I get that right?

 

[jpberg]

Serad was just another pipe junkie, but one who was into it enough to pimp himself into being published.
Doesn’t make him right or wrong about anything, it was just his thing.
In the old days, if you were into it enough, and put the effort in, you’d get put on paper.
I’m not pissing on cornflakes here, it’s just the way it was.

 

[jpberg]

See Neil Archer Roan.

 

[huntertrw]

I always enjoyed Mr. Serad's reviews, and found his tastes and mine to be simpatico more often than not. He would make an interesting guest for the Pipesmagazine.com Radio Show.

 

[rmbittner]

If I recall correctly, the book was published before the magazine shut down, so there are reviews in the newer issues that aren't in the book. Did I get that right?

Correct.

 

[boston]

I used to enjoy his reviews and purchased his trial by fire from him at the Chicago show (I think, but it may have been Richmond) 20ish years ago. He signed to cover with a gold marker, and over the years the sig has warn off. Still have the book, a softcover...kinda like a magazine. My wife and I had dinner one night with him, the Tarler clan, and Greg Pease. Fun personalities at the table that night. Serad was reserved and polite, Pease was his normal self (renaissance man with constant hilarious dry humor), Craig was his eternally boisterous self, and Patty as always ruled the roost ... she never missed anything, and spoke dignity and good humor. Reminiscing a bit there...

The reviews are old now, didn't cover all available blends, and I didn't agree with all of them. William had his preferences like anyone else. To him some straight Virginia blends were Nirvana. To me, the same ones would bite me.

But it was fun, and Serad was no poser; he knew his stuff in my opinion. Back then information on the net was a bit more scarce than now, so the book was fun to read, and reread for many years.

 

[B.Fee]

Googled Trial by fire. Who knew there where so many book's with that title. None that matched though.

 

[WmSerad]

Serad was just another pipe junkie, but one who was into it enough to pimp himself into being published.
Doesn’t make him right or wrong about anything, it was just his thing.
In the old days, if you were into it enough, and put the effort in, you’d get put on paper.
I’m not pissing on cornflakes here, it’s just the way it was.

You know, this is rather insulting and ill informed. I have never "pimped" myself. How did you become an expert on me or the "old days?"

 

[B.Fee]

 

[trudger]

Tobacco and Pipe Expertise: William Serad | Smokingpipes.com

Learn more about pipe and pipe tobacco expert, William Serad.

www.smokingpipes.com

 

[jpberg]

You know, this is rather insulting and ill informed. I have never "pimped" myself. How did you become an expert on me or the "old days?"

I’m sorry you take it as an insult. Maybe pimp wasn’t the right word.
And why wouldn’t I know about the old days, or how folks got themselves seen, heard, and read?

 

[WmSerad]

I’m sorry you take it as an insult. Maybe pimp wasn’t the right word.
And why wouldn’t I know about the old days, or how folks got themselves seen, heard, and read?

The course of events was: I was working with Craig Tarler on blends, originally just for me and then for commercial release. The then reviewer for P&T ("The Pipe Professor" whose name eludes me) bailed on Chuck Stanion and Craig recommended me (if that's what you mean by pimp), I had a single set of reviews to do that were time constrained. I met the high editorial standards of the magazine and was engaged. I even got to name the column "Trial By Fire." The writing standards were high, and there were a lot of people who submitted things who were not published. You make it sound like it was easy to get in print in the best and longest running pipe magazine in history, and it was not. I had partners for a while and didn't like the work product and stopped reviewing. And then I was able to write the column "Pipefuls" a name stolen from Christopher Morley, noted pipe smoker, writer, and Inspiration to Bob Runowski (who lived around the corner in South Philly from my mother) and gave our Philly pipe club the name. I was a tester for Craig along the way, and even tried the earlier Pease blends before they hit the market. I gave 38 blends to C&D (I believe) and some are still available.
So are you of the vintage to have lived through those days? Were you engaged with those people in the industry, or just a consumer and hobbyist? I am genuinely interested, because your comment was provoking to me and I would rather not have taken it the wrong way and maintain the friendly interactions that go with smoking a pipe.
I just randomly decided at this particular moment to sign up here, and this is what I found in the interest of seeing if I was remembered. I would be glad to have misinterpreted tone and intent.