Pipe Tobacco business

[Scottmi]

had the occasion to browse through Scandianavian Tobacco Group's 2021 Annual Report and was rather taken aback to see the relative size of the pipe tobacco business. 2021 Net Sales breakdown for North America + Retail :
80 % handrolled cigars
6 % machine cigars
3 % pipe tobacco
11 % accessories...
the NA business represents 32% of global sales. This 3% includes Captain Black, Borkum Riff, Clan, Colts, Erinmore, Stanwell, Talon, W.Ø. Laresen, (do they still have Orlik, Escudo?)... This strikes me as kinda tiny. And cigars are BIG BUSINESS!

 

[warren]

This strikes me as kinda tiny.

Not very many people smoke pipes in the grand scheme of things. And, think about it, you only have percentages not sales numbers. 3% could be a lot of pipe blends ... if we only had the numbers.

 

[sablebrush52]

We prefer to think of it as exclusive, rather than tiny. Much better in so many ways.

 

[cigrmaster]

There are few who are able to enjoy the art of pipe smoking. A gorilla can smoke a cigar.

 

[bullet08]

There are very few select individuals with good enough taste to smoke pipe. Consider yourself elite among elites, including that dung smoking dude.

 

[Ahi Ka]

We prefer to think of it as exclusive, rather than tiny. Much better in so many ways.

But “we” do you mean you and your girlfriend?

Sorry I had to. We have all heard the rumours of Jesse’s magnum

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Some people smoke 2 to 4 Cigars per day. That's equivalent to 1 to 2 tins of tobacco revenue wise. Way more people smoke cigars than pipes. The 3% number makes sense.

 

[Buffalo]

Well, when you consider that STG owns CAO, Cohiba, La Glorida Cubana, Macanudo and Partagas here in the states, it doesn't really surprise me too much that 80% of their company profile are cigars.

 

[Chaukisch]

Would be neat if a handmade pipe tobacco was appreciated the same way a handrolled cigar is.
All the big pipe tobacco brands and blends are processed by machines, but if it's handmade than that little tin would involve a whole lot of thought and work.
I'm not sayingt that the big ones don't have thought, finesse and love behind them. But when you work it by hand it kinda goes a step further. When you carefully rub up every little flake out of those seven ounces, or even press it
yourself. That personal human work just gives it something, in my humble opinion.
Just that sweet little whiff of thought behind the smoke that makes the whole experience just that little bit sweeter.

 

[fireground_piper]

Define what you consider “big” brands? A lot of pipe tobacco is made mostly by hand outside of machinery used for plugs/flakes/ropes/coins.

 

[alaskanpiper]

The Tobacco Pipe is a dog shit nicotine delivery system that is harder to master than any other, with pretty subtle flavor nuances once you do. Not surprising at all that the vast majority prefer the simplicity of a cigar. Hell, sometimes I do myself.

 

[ThermionicScott]

3% sounds about right. I'm amazed but grateful that companies even continue to bother with our market segment.

 

[sablebrush52]

But “we” do you mean you and your girlfriend?

Sorry I had to. We have all heard the rumours of Jesse’s magnum

You are a man of keen observation...

 

[Chaukisch]

Define what you consider “big” brands? A lot of pipe tobacco is made mostly by hand outside of machinery used for plugs/flakes/ropes/coins.

I assume that you're referring to my post.
By "big" brands I mean all the OTC (Over The Counter) brands, pipe tobaccos that are sold in any shop that also offers a bigger selection of cigarette brands. But hey, the most expensive pipe tobacco I ever tasted is a
MacBaren Scottish Blend out of an old pouch. I prefer to make my tobacco products out of raw leaf and the process behind a more sophisticated pipe tobacco involves a lot of work and thought,
especially when you don't have any kind of machinery to help you. And the result is something that can compare with those OTC's, even blow them out of the stadium.

All in all, nevermind. They get their presses delivered while I had to carry the weights (concrete pavement slabs) halfway across town by myself, one by one. Of course I see more value in all of it, I sweat and bleed for it.
And of course there's more value behind the tobacco that comes out of it, at least to me.
It's certainly no Haunted Bookshelf or other tobacco that people buy pounds of to store in their cellar.
But it's special to me, so I ramble on and on about it without getting to the point.

As I said: All in all, nevermind.

 

[Ahi Ka]

You are a man of keen observation...

I learn from the best. Just following the britwood eBay thread is an education for a simpleton like me.

 

[cigrmaster]

I built my main pipe tobacco cellar in one year back in 2012-2013 for around 18K. I used to spend 20K plus per year smoking 6 or so Cuban and highline Fuente and Padron cigars a day .I have saved over 180,000.00 switching from cigars to pipes in the last decade if my math is correct.

 

[Terry Lennox]

3% sounds about right. I'm amazed but grateful that companies even continue to bother with our market segment.

Totally agree with this. We are very lucky that STG is, at least for now, committed to continuing the pipe tobacco business because it really is not material to them in the grand scheme of things. We could have easily lost all the Dunhill, Orlik, Escudo, Peterson etc blends years ago if not for their decision to keep going.

 

[Scottmi]

I built my main pipe tobacco cellar in one year back in 2012-2013 for around 18K. I used to spend 20K plus per year smoking 6 or so Cuban and highline Fuente and Padron cigars a day .I have saved over 180,000.00 switching from cigars to pipes in the last decade if my math is correct.

You might save even more if you learn to like those mexican cigars?

 

[kcghost]

The savings you are citing is a common thing we see when cutting back on cigars. Be sure to keep your pipe buying under control.

 

[anotherbob]

There are few who are able to enjoy the art of pipe smoking. A gorilla can smoke a cigar.

although orangutans really prefer pipes. Though they're more into the pad side of things then the tad.