I put in a small order with these folks Friday afternoon.
The order arrived in Monday's mail. Couldn't ask for anything faster than that.
The order arrived in Monday's mail. Couldn't ask for anything faster than that.
Shout Out to Iwan Ries For Great Service
- Thread starter judcole
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That's incredible. The only way to get it faster would be to pick it up yourself. I've never ordered from them, but will have to give them some business in the future.
Iwan Ries is great! It's always a must visit whenever I'm in Chicago. I've never bought from them online, but I'm not surprised that they are great that way, too.
Due to Michigan regulations on selling tobacco, I call them up, and pay their taxes. They are not licensed to sell tobacco in Michigan, so if I order online, the Michigan Treasury Dept finds out, and I get a letter informing me of this fact. I got such a letter last time I ordered online. I am not eager to find out what happens if I am in violation of the law.
If it ever got to the point that I could not order by mail, it would be easy trips to Paul's in Flint, or slightly more complicated trips to Chicago...probably by train. At my age, I am well past the point of driving 9 hours in one day.
I've been a customer of Iwan Ries since forever. They used to be a sponsor on Forums. For some reason, they featured Savinelli pipes specifically, though their inventory of about 15,000 pipes covers hundreds of brands. I like their Three Star Blue classic codger aromatic, though it took me a second pouch to figure it out and enjoy it. I bought IR house pipes back when Edwards/Benton was their source, with good oil cured Algerian briar; they're still smoking strong. I recently bought a cigar sampler from them of twelve "dog walker" cigars, not cigarillos but small, one for the first of each month, which would be today, in a variety of brands. I used to walk right past Iwan Ries when I wasn't smoking a pipe, and I never went upstairs to the store. Wabash Avenue in Chicago.
Nothing but praise for Iwan Ries here. If you put an out of stock blend on your wishlist and your name comes up in the queue, they don't just send you a lame notice that's likely unhelpful by the time you receive it, they actually hold the tobacco you want for several days so that you can actually buy it. THAT'S actual real customer service!
Iwan Reis is just a top notch purveyor of tobacco products.
Cannot agree more. Top notch folks. I used to walk there from my office in the Loop at lunchtime for a break and conversation. Never failed to come away with a little extra bacco to try and the sense that I was well taken care of.
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It's a long trip via air but, they are the closest, well stocked, brick and mortar. But, easy to order from and quick to ship. I first met up with them when attending The Traffic Institute, Northwestern University back in the late '60's. The history, posted on their site, is fascinating, worth the read. Generations keeping up with all of the changes, telephones, internet, intercontinental trains, The War of the Rebellion, airplanes (UPS, FedEx), etc. is mind blowing. One would think one generation would have failed but, nothing but growth and/or at least, keeping pace.
Always enjoy a trip to Paul's Pipe Shop and picking up some Arrowhead.
Are there any other house blends you enjoy at Paul's?
No trip to Chicago for a pipe smoker is complete without visiting Iwan Reis. It's a throwback to bygone era, in a good way. Chuck Levi and Company are wonderful folks. They were the Smokingpipes of the catalog era, but they've outlasted other Chicago catalog stalwarts like Sears and Montgomery Ward.
I haven't really explored the rest of the line that much. I recall smoking a pouch of Darwin Asa a number of years back, and enjoying it, I have not tried for a revisit. Arrowhead is always around, though.
I used to enjoy a blend at Paul's called Irish & Italian Blend but I know it's been since renamed. If memory serves, it was sort of a mild Aro like BLWB.
yeah i order from them all the time and being on their list for specific blends has been a big help lately (hes called me with some good stuff).
meanwhile my KBV order from two weeks ago hasn't even left TN yet...
meanwhile my KBV order from two weeks ago hasn't even left TN yet...
I love Iwan Reis. It's one of the many, many things I miss about living in Chicago.
Yeah, uh same here...I might cancel if it drags on much longer.
Yeah, uh same here...I might cancel if it drags on much longer.