Pipes, Tobacco & Smoking in China

[admin]

China is now the world's second largest economy. As a result, we hear more about what's going on China and how they are influencing the world than we used to.
The past few years at the Chicago Pipe Show, a noticeable population of Chinese buyers have been making substantial purchases, both in quantity and dollar amounts.
China is also quite large geographically, and the buyers that show up in Chicago do not represent the overall situation in China.
Here is our first article, on what may become a series on Pipes, Tobacco & Smoking in China

 

[lordofthepiperings]

Great read. It's always interesting to find out how things are in other countries. (Also, posted the comment on the article as well)

 

[kashmir]

So that's where all those high grade pipes are going ...

 

[lumberjakpipester]

Very interesting article!

 

[wyfbane]

The biggest plus there: Not likely to pass any form of anti-smoking legislation... Or environmental legislation... Or human rights legislation...
Ha ha!

 

[4dotsasieni]

Very interesting article. I remember seeing a couple of briar pipes for sale in a Shanghai department store about ten years ago, but I doubt most people knew what they were; and there was certainly no decent pipe tobacco available then.
But two years ago, in Guangzhou, the hotel gift shop where I was staying had a couple of pipes marked as “Savinelli” (I’m not convinced they were genuine) for upwards of a hundred US dollars each, and some MacBarens tobacco tins.
(I also posted this on the article page)

 

[hfearly]

Oooh yay! 1936 Dunhill Root Briars (made in China replica) for only 5$ a piece. I ordered a 100 box, just so I can once in a while "accidentally drop" one in front of my friends and see their shocked faces Good to see China is in the market now!

 

[ciderguy]

Wonderful article. I'd love to see its continuation as a series, or simply a series about smoking in other countries.

 

[daytonsean]

I concur on the continuation of this series. Probably one of the best articles I've read in a long time.

 

[romeowood]

Great read, and another vote for a series of the state of smoking in other countries.

I, too, found that when I was living and traveling in SEA the idea of a pipe was as foreign as Mars to the locals; when hanging out with the consulate crowd, however, my pipe was well appreciated.

 

[amiller]

glad you guys liked the article. I've been bumbling around these forums for some time, but under a different username. I suppose it's time i start to brush this off and dig in...It certainly is an interesting time to be a lunter (pipe smoker) in china. especially as prices here are already cheaper than Texas to buy tobaccos. My wife is from texas so that's usually where I go back to when I get to the states...
Anyhow. Online America still has the upper hand by a long shot, and I have yet to try many well known blends because I haven't yet found them here.... but the situation is changing... I hope to bring more to you that you enjoy in the future. It's a pleasure to be featured on a website with people I respect in a hobby I love.... Assuming Kevin keeps putting up with me, there will be more.

 

[jndyer]

I love learning about other cultures. Thank you for sharing this with us. It will be interesting to see where pipe smoking in China heads in the next five years. If a nation as big as China could have only one percent of the population take up the pipe it would be huge. It would mean a potential increase in prices in the western world, the whole supply and demand thing, but it could also mean hope for keeping blenders and pipe manufactures in business.