Remembering the Choices of Old Sites

[rokerdepipe]

Not an exhaustive list by any means, and I think that collectively we could all come up with more sites and forums.

I remember as a newbie back in the early 2000's combing through these sites.

Who else had fun searching Frenchy's site for that damned cannoli so they could get their discount on his already well priced pipes?

I bought many pipes from the Pipe Rack...that header is going to bring back memories for folks here.

And don't even get me started on Smokers Forums. We didn't know how good we had it.

Who remembers Mel the moderator of the forum at Pipes.org? Just try putting down his precious Penzance in public!

Enjoy fellas.

Eric

 

[sablebrush52]

I remember them all. And, Pulver’s Prior Briar is still going.
Mel was the second worst moderator on the planet. The only reason he’s second worst is that I don’t know all the moderators on the planet, so it’s possible that there might be a worse one.
Pipes.org might still be around but I haven’t visited it in years.
And let’s not forget The Smoker Ltd with its pages of Barling pipes for sale, or The Gray Fox with the Kaywoodie Conpendium, or Neil Archer Roan’s A Passion For Pipes. So many great sites with great information, gone.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[rokerdepipe]

Iceberg is a good analogy…our iceberg of vintage sites is receding just like the glaciers and blends of old…that’s why we should treasure what we have now all the more!

 

[ThermionicScott]

They say "the Internet never forgets" but in truth the Internet is happy to forget your site once you stop paying for hosting. Thank goodness for the Internet Archive, as a few of my favorite websites from the early 2000s managed to get cached there before they went poof.

"The Professor's Pipe Page" was another early great. I chose an early snapshot so that more of the links would work: The Professor's Pipe Page and Tobacco Bar - https://web.archive.org/web/20050831114657/http://pipes.priss.org/

Not related to pipes at all, but to my overall theme of this post, one of my favorite R.E.M.-related fan sites was "Buckheads". Revel in that late-90's style! Welcome to Buckheads - https://web.archive.org/web/20010404063142/http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/5582/

 

[kcghost]

I remember 4 or 5 of these sites. They were very good sites at the time. Pulver's is the only one still going.

 

[plugugly]

The Professor's Pipe Page was a fav!

 

[mingc]

I remember all these sites and still visit Marty Pulvers' current site every now and then. I feel old.

 

[username]

One missing was the political pipe. It allowed political talk and well that's why it's not around anymore. As far as forums goes it was a hot mess.

 

[JoburgB2]

Thanks I remember a few of those. It was new, and it was fun, and I learned.

 

[driftedshank1]

There was also a site called Christian Pipe Smokers or something like that. Yes, there were discussions about theology but a lot of interesting pipe and tobacco repartee as well. There was a one fellow who posted extensively on this site who identified himself as "Rusty". He did not reveal much about himself to my recollection, but I believe he was an academic, perhaps a mathematician. He regularly spurred many spirited discussions most of which pertained to challenging pipe and tobacco myths using evidence based reasoning. Somewhat ironically , I believe he was a non-believer. I join many others in wishing someone who was active on that site could put together a compendium of Rusty's posts pertaining to pipes and tobacco. Unfortunately, Rusty died unexpectedly several years ago. I miss his wisdom.

 

[JoburgB2]

. . . an academic, perhaps a mathematician. He regularly spurred many spirited discussions most of which pertained to challenging pipe and tobacco myths using evidence based reasoning . . .

That sounds interesting. Reason and evidence. How quaint. It seems not many people are interested in that anymore. Unfortunate for us that Mr. Rusty is no longer with us.

 

[sablebrush52]

One missing was the political pipe. It allowed political talk and well that's why it's not around anymore. As far as forums goes it was a hot mess.

I remember that one. I think I visited it a couple of times just to watch the circus. It really was a hot mess.

A number of years ago I financially supported a pipe forum that was a free speech forum, including politics, just to see if it was possible. Everybody who signed onboard claimed to understand the limits and the political forum was placed in a "members only" format, so that it could not be viewed in public. We were crazy, but not that crazy.
It went along fairly well for a few months and then the inevitable happened as members presented their full blown political toxic crazy. When members began expanding that crazy into other parts of the site, I knew it was time to put a pin in it by pulling my financial support. Hasta la bye bye baby!

 

[sablebrush52]

There was also a site called Christian Pipe Smokers or something like that. Yes, there were discussions about theology but a lot of interesting pipe and tobacco repartee as well. There was a one fellow who posted extensively on this site who identified himself as "Rusty". He did not reveal much about himself to my recollection, but I believe he was an academic, perhaps a mathematician. He regularly spurred many spirited discussions most of which pertained to challenging pipe and tobacco myths using evidence based reasoning. Somewhat ironically , I believe he was a non-believer. I join many others in wishing someone who was active on that site could put together a compendium of Rusty's posts pertaining to pipes and tobacco. Unfortunately, Rusty died unexpectedly several years ago. I miss his wisdom.

I think that one is still around. There are a couple of pipe forums that started as splinter groups over certain limitations that are still around.

 

[anotherbob]

I remember them all. And, Pulver’s Prior Briar is still going.
Mel was the second worst moderator on the planet. The only reason he’s second worst is that I don’t know all the moderators on the planet, so it’s possible that there might be a worse one.
Pipes.org might still be around but I haven’t visited it in years.
And let’s not forget The Smoker Ltd with its pages of Barling pipes for sale, or The Gray Fox with the Kaywoodie Conpendium, or Neil Archer Roan’s A Passion For Pipes. So many great sites with great information, gone.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

I briefly joined a pipe forum around then and quit after getting a post deleted and a stern email for talking about pipe tobacco and beverage pairing. Why because we were only supposed to talk about pipes. Oh got in trouble for warning new smokers that five brothers was strong, not allowed to mention strength.

 

[Tbaggins]

I briefly joined a pipe forum around then and quit after getting a post deleted and a stern email for talking about pipe tobacco and beverage pairing. Why because we were only supposed to talk about pipes. Oh got in trouble for warning new smokers that five brothers was strong, not allowed to mention strength.

I posted a bar of soap with a hole in it today and it got removed. So I kinda know how you feel.

 

[anotherbob]

I posted a bar of soap with a hole in it today and it got removed. So I kinda know how you feel.

you mad man. Soap? Holy soap.

 

[Tbaggins]

you mad man. Soap? Holy soap.

lol not at all. Just messing with ya!

 

[telescopes]

It’s not that hard to get banned. Just suggesting you want to create a home blend that will taste like Penzance will prep the way apparently. Or taking a photo with the pipe on the cover of the local paper. Its easy to see that just like the waves on the ocean, not all boats are ever bounced around the same, meaning you never know why someone will take offense. Or why what seemed fine one day is verboten the next. It is what it is.

 

[condorlover1]

I remember 'Political Pipe' and it was a hot mess but very amusing. It had an amusing 'Guess What This Is?' section which resulted in some pretty funny things happening.

 

[Elric]

It’s not that hard to get banned. Just suggesting you want to create a home blend that will taste like Penzance will prep the way apparently. Or taking a photo with the pipe on the cover of the local paper. Its easy to see that just like the waves on the ocean, not all boats are ever bounced around the same, meaning you never know why someone will take offense. Or why what seemed fine one day is verboten the next. It is what it is.

It doesn't help that 3/4 of the population is actively looking to be offended and is primed accordingly.