Paul's Pipe Shop in the News

[The Amish Tyrant]

Paul's Pipe Shop in Flint is an institution. Combination of pipe shop and pipe hospital, with oil cured Cayuga pipes and its own tobacco blends (Arrowhead is my favorite aromatic, a kitchen sink blend of tobaccos and flavors), Paul's sits between two condemned buildings.

A recent article is below, along with a link to Paul's website. While you cannot order online, Paul's will accept phone orders.

This forum is full of great comments and stories about Paul's. Perhaps we can share them here, along with your favorite blend and a photo of your Cayuga pipe.

Historic pipe shop stuck between two condemned buildings

Part of the building to their north crumbled on a customer's car.

www.abc12.com

About Paul's Pipe Shop and Pipe Hospital | Flint, Michigan

Home of the Cayuga Pipe. Featuring the largest and most varied selection of pipes and tobaccos anywhere!

www.iapsc.net

 

[K.E. Powell]

I literally just ordered a pipe from them online earlier today. Had no clue they were going through this! I never had a Cayuga pipe before, so I'm looking forward to trying one. I do sympathize with his situation; my own hometown has a lot of condemned buildings that just sit and atrophy because they are privately owned by absentee shitheels. City council has (finally) taken several steps to correct it, as well as using federal monies from the IRA, to make much needed infrastructure improvements. I hope Paul's gets some much needed help!

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

I literally just ordered a pipe from them online earlier today. Had no clue they were going through this! I never had a Cayuga pipe before, so I'm looking forward to trying one. I do sympathize with his situation; my own hometown has a lot of condemned buildings that just sit and atrophy because they are privately owned by absentee shitheels. City council has (finally) taken several steps to correct it, as well as using federal monies from the IRA, to make much needed infrastructure improvements. I hope Paul's gets some much needed help!

Thanks for sharing.

For those that don't know, Cayuga pipes are "exclusive" to Paul's. Oil cured and treated with a "miracle cake", the break-in process is supposedly made easier.

A Cayuga was my first brar pipe that wasn't a basket pipe and the break-in process was easy. My Cayuga has generally just seen vanilla based aromatics (like Arrowhead) and is very seasoned with vanilla as a result (which goes great with a cup of coffee first thing in the morning).

 

[avail]

Last time there I saw the fencing, not uncommon for a city block, had no idea.

 

[ChippewaAce]

This is terrible. Been going to Paul's for 15 years or so. Even more reason to frequent after we move back to the Mitten this year. Hopefully Dan can hold out and see a positive result out of this mess

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

My Oil Cured Cayuga is one of my
favorite pipes.

 

[isaac]

View attachment 216091
My Oil Cured Cayuga is one of my
favorite pipes.

None of the Cayuga pipes on their site look anything nearly as great as this pipe looks.

 

[avail]

None of the Cayuga pipes on their site look anything nearly as great as this pipe looks.

Not sure, but their store inventory may be larger than what is listed online.

 

[mso489]

Some years ago an author wrote a book about retail neighborhoods and what tends to congregate with what other businesses. It sounds a little nerdy, but an interview I heard on the subject made it interesting.

So this is picturesque, about Paul's situated between two condemned buildings.

I have always savored the fact that my local pipe shop, Pipes by George, is near a campus between a bicycle shop and a tattoo parlor. It just seems thematic.

It used to be clustered in front of old frame houses that rented rooms to students, but for the past ten years or so, it has been much gentrified and upgraded by replacing the old houses with up-market apartments, which I hope has been good for business.

However, like much about campuses, I think the apartments further crowd out affordable housing, including student housing, once again pumping up the already prohibitive expenses of going to school. I guess the working students are huddled elsewhere, some five to a room.

The whole student costs and student debt issue is a huge subject. When I was in school the states were highly generous with state universities. The schools kept the dorms and facilities pretty spartan, and that helped too. Now most schools over-build the amenities, and that further raises the prices, and pretty soon forty year olds are still paying student loans, putting off marriage and parenthood, and buying a house. It's not working.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

None of the Cayuga pipes on their site look anything nearly as great as this pipe looks.

Agreed, last time I looked at the website I didn't see any Cayuga's that I liked. But I agree with @avail that they definitely don't have thier full inventory on the website.

 

[avail]

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

None of the Cayuga pipes on their site look anything nearly as great as this pipe looks.

Not sure, but their store inventory may be larger than what is listed online.

Correct, the store inventory is much larger than the online offerings.

 

[isaac]

Correct, the store inventory is much larger than the online offerings.

Thats a shame but understandable

 

[kcghost]

This is a problem in modest sized towns such as Flint. So much blight that the city can't afford to fix anything. The Spagniola family is either forced to move or pay for the whole project themselves.

 

[K.E. Powell]

Thanks for sharing.

For those that don't know, Cayuga pipes are "exclusive" to Paul's. Oil cured and treated with a "miracle cake", the break-in process is supposedly made easier.

A Cayuga was my first brar pipe that wasn't a basket pipe and the break-in process was easy. My Cayuga has generally just seen vanilla based aromatics (like Arrowhead) and is very seasoned with vanilla as a result (which goes great with a cup of coffee first thing in the morning).

Just got my Cayuga yesterday. The first few bowls have so far been good. Nice draw, looks decent for the price, and fairly light-weight and clenches well. Pretty happy with it. I hope Paul's can keep on trucking.

I've been trying to limit my SP purchases and buy stuff more from the small B&Ms, even if it is just matches and other supplies. But man, a lot of these stores, IF they have a website, it is absolute dog shit. The customer service with Paul's I had was solid, but I felt like I was taking a shot in the dark while shopping on his online site; it is laid out like an old Geocites webpage, and the pictures of the pipes being sold are pretty crappy. If not for word of mouth from places like this, I may not have had pulled the trigger and bought a pipe from there. I'm glad I did.

 

[judcole]

Just got my Cayuga yesterday. The first few bowls have so far been good. Nice draw, looks decent for the price, and fairly light-weight and clenches well. Pretty happy with it. I hope Paul's can keep on trucking.

I've been trying to limit my SP purchases and buy stuff more from the small B&Ms, even if it is just matches and other supplies. But man, a lot of these stores, IF they have a website, it is absolute dog shit. The customer service with Paul's I had was solid, but I felt like I was taking a shot in the dark while shopping on his online site; it is laid out like an old Geocites webpage, and the pictures of the pipes being sold are pretty crappy. If not for word of mouth from places like this, I may not have had pulled the trigger and bought a pipe from there. I'm glad I did.

I own several Cayugas. Never bought one from the website yet.

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

Paul's is trying to stand the weather with. 25% of all pipes construction zone sale.

If you were curious about a Cayuga pipe, now is the time.

Welcome to Paul's Pipe Shop Online Store!

Home of the Cayuga Pipe. Featuring the largest and most varied selection of pipes and tobaccos anywhere!

www.iapsc.net

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

Here is a recent photo of Paul's from their Facebook page. The 25% off pipes is still going on. Hopefully they make it as construction can often be the final nail in any business's coffin.

 

[OverMountain]

They will do phone orders. Hope to see this venerable store continue strong into the future. Hope the road gets fixed quickly!

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

Show some love to Paul's Pipe Shop. They survived the summer and are offering 20% off pipes $100 and below, 30% off up pipes to $210, and 40% off all more expensive pipes.

My Cayuga pipe was a great smoker out of the display case and is now dedicated to aromatics, especially Paul's Arrowhead, which is a kitchen sink blend.

Paul's Pipe Shop

Home of the Cayuga Pipe. Featuring the largest and most varied selection of pipes and tobaccos anywhere!

paulspipeshop.com