Pipeworks & Wilke Carole Burns Retiring From Tobacco

[dcrguns]

Just got an email from Carole Burns. She is retiring from her tobacco part of her business. Sad to hear her getting out of the tobacco business. I have enjoyed several of her blends over the years.
Just for everyone's information, here is the email in part.
Hello My Dear Pipesmokers,
The big news here is that after over 35 years of blending & shipping tobaccos, the time has come for me to retire from the Wilke Tobacco part of my business. I will continue with the pipes, accessories, requisites, repairs, etc.
If you, or anyone you know that would be interested in continuing the time honored legacy of the Wilke family, please give me a call at 802-661-8339. I will be selling the Wilke recipes and will be more than happy to train and consult whoever takes over this rewarding vocation. Or if there is another tobacco shop you think may want to include the Wilke blends in their offering of fine tobaccos, please tell them about this rare opportunity to acquire the unique Wilke formulas.
In the unlikely chance I am unable to pass the Wilke recipes on, I strongly recommend you to stock up on your favorite blends. This will not happen overnight, I'm sure it will be a few months, but if you are a regular smoker of the Wilke blends you may want to order extra each time you place your regular orders to guarantee your enjoyment of what is probably one of your favorite pastimes.

 

[skraps]

That is sad news indeed.
I would imagine there has to be someone out there that would jump on the opportunity to purchase the Wilke recipes. Then again, with all the changes happening with the FDA, it might be a fruitless endeavor.

 

[dmcmtk]

I would imagine there has to be someone out there that would jump on the opportunity to purchase the Wilke recipes. Then again, with all the changes happening with the FDA, it might be a fruitless endeavor.

Maybe not, the Wilke blends have been around for a long time...

 

[skraps]

Honestly, if it turned enough of a profit to survive on... I would consider it. Not sure it is. I could be wrong though.

 

[texmexpipe]

Sad news. I wish I had the ability to make that purchase myself.

 

[jpmcwjr]

A sad day, not so much for Carole's retirement which may be a good thing for her- hope so!- but for lack of a pack of interested and capable buyers. If I were 25 years younger, I'd seriously consider it.

 

[ashdigger]

They've been around long enough to override the FDA, or would a new owner complicate that?

 

[woodsroad]

They've been around long enough to override the FDA, or would a new owner complicate that?

Well, no they have not. In order to continue operations, the owner would have to register with the FDA as a manufacturer, pay the application fee (large) then comply with the myriad regulations placed on a manufacturer which include, among other things, inspections, payment of fees, and infrastructure requirements.
If some of her blends existed prior to 2007, that would have to be documented (to the FDA's satisfaction), but the blends are still not out of the woods. There is still a butt-load of compliance hoops to jump through and fees to be paid on each blend. In addition, the FDA has recently made it clear that those pre 2007 blends will be regulated and are not safe.
On a small scale, it is probably not feasible.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Ugh. I fear woodsroad has spoken the truth.

 

[ashdigger]

Thanks Dan. That was my thinking not my typing. :mrgreen:

 

[woodsroad]

Ashdigger, it's all so f'd up. Just like the zealocrats at the FDA (and the smoking cessation big pharma industry that they are working for) want it to be.

 

[blendtobac]

Ashdigger, it's all so f'd up. Just like the zealocrats at the FDA (and the smoking cessation big pharma industry that they are working for) want it to be.

Let's not forget to add the life and health insurance companies and Philip Morris (Altria) in our litany of foes.
Russ

 

[skraps]

But, it's for the children...

 

[woodsroad]

What Russ said, too.

 

[crazypipe]

 

[huntertrw]

"Pipeworks & Wilke Carole Burns Retiring From Tobacco"
This is a crying shame. Ms. Burns is a master artist whose medium is some of the finest hand-blended pipe-tobaccos I have ever had the privilege of enjoying.
Stock up now, for you cannot smoke memories...