Tobacco Manufacturers & Pipe Smokers In The USA.

[mawnansmiff]

Having been a member of this forum for just over a year now and having read a good many threads, some going back to the formation of the group, I think I may have misunderstood certain facts.
With an overall population of ~ 325,000 I wonder what percentage are pipe smokers? I can't put my assumed guesstimate into figures but I got the impression it was proportionally a fair bit higher than here in the UK. This may not be the case I now realise.
Also, regards tobacco manufacturers, how many are there in the US? I assumed there would be very many and that they would all be huge affairs, but after reading some recent posts (particularly on threads I started myself) I am having my doubts about that too.
We have Samuel Gawith and Gawith & Hoggarth plus Germain's of the Channel Islands still in business (with very many lost by the wayside) but that is pretty much it. Many of the old UK favourites now being made abroad I have not included obviously.
You on the other hand have McClelland, Cornell & Diehl and Greg Pease, all of which I assumed to be huge businesses but apparently are not. Of course the STC of Pennsylvania is still in its infancy but fingers crossed they will grow into major players in the market in spite of FDA regulations.
So what is the situation in the States regards pipe smokers and (pipe) tobacco manufacturers?
Anyone got any figures I might understand?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[woodsroad]

I have been told that Germain's tinned blends are now made in Berlin by Planta. This comes from a gentlemen who worked for several of the once-large British tobacco companies, and now works for one of the large retailers. He says that all the Germain tins that they stock are made by Planta. Not sure about the Arango/Esoterica line.

 

[mawnansmiff]

EDIT: 325,000 should read 325 million
Regards,
Jay.

 

[sablebrush52]

Pease blends are tinned by C&D. Besides C&D there are Lane Ltd, Sutliff - who produce blends for other Marques, and McClelland. And let's not forget Big Tobacco - RJ Reynolds, etc. There are smaller houses, like Daughters & Ryan, and tobacconist blenders like Wilke. Pipe tobacco is pretty much a small business.
I especially appreciate Sutliff, who produce some of the best blends for other names, in part because of the ignorant posers here who love to excoriate Sufliff while extolling their personal favored blends, unaware that their favorites are made by Sutliff. The ignorant posers here are very amusing when not boring.

 

[mackeson]

I wonder what percentage are pipe smokers? ...I got the impression it was proportionally a fair bit higher than here in the UK

Funny. I always thought of England, Ireland, and Scotland as having many more pipe smokers.

Cigarettes and, to a lesser extent, flavored gas station cigars are the largest market share here in the US, so I think that's where the large companies focus.

 

[woodsroad]

Russ has the good stats on pipe smokers in the US. It's a tiny fraction of the overall tobacco consumer's market, with premium pipe tobacco smokers being an equally small subset of all pipe smokers. I think that there are about 42 of us all together.

 

[sablebrush52]

I think that there are about 42 of us all together.

The answer is always 42.

 

[woodsroad]

The answer is always 42.

It's the question that takes a bit longer to figure out.

 

[jackswilling]

In 2010 it was 1.1% based on NHI statistics. Figure about 3.7 million plus as pipe smoking has been increasing steadily for the past few years.
Here is a demographic breakdown
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3477973/table/tbl1/

 

[mawnansmiff]

"It's a tiny fraction of the overall tobacco consumer's market, with premium pipe tobacco smokers being an equally small subset of all pipe smokers."
Thanks Dan, so there is my answer. I really don't know why I thought there was a huge amount of pipe smokers in the US, perhaps it's a mind trick based upon my perceptions.
As for manufacturers, I have heard of Sutliff but know nothing of their products. I only have (meagre) experience with G Pease and C&D. Of the four C&D blends I have, I cannot fault them at all, lovely smokes ::
Regards,
Jay.

 

[woodsroad]

You need to try some McClellands.
Especially their flakes.

 

[aldecaker]

"Gas station cigars". Mmmm, sounds every bit as tasty as the proverbial gas station sushi.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Some great stats there Jack, thanks for the link.
"pipe smoking has been increasing steadily for the past few years."
Well that is positive news ::
Dan, each time I cliked on your McClelland links my Kindle froze up! I have however checked them out elsewhere so thanks.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

I really don't know why I thought there was a huge amount of pipe smokers in the US

Bigfoot is less elusive than the fellow pipe smoker in the U.S.

 

[deathmetal]

I especially appreciate Sutliff, who produce some of the best blends for other names, in part because of the ignorant posers here who love to excoriate Sufliff while extolling their personal favored blends, unaware that their favorites are made by Sutliff.

One caveat here is that Sutliff is not necessarily the creator of those blends, as in the person who discovered the recipe, but merely the manufacturer.
I have not yet understood the anti-Sutliff feeling, but have not yet discovered anything by that manufacturer that I consider essential. Which are the best to try?

 

[woodsroad]

Jay, it was just a link to all of the McClelland's blends available at P&C in the USA.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Thanks Dan, the links took me to where they should have, it's just that for some reason each link froze the Kindle. I did however have success via the Google route.
After a little digging I was rather shocked to discover that Cornell & Diehl are a relatively recently formed business (granted built upon an older business or three) and that McClelland have only been trading since 1977!
I say shocked as I have always regarded the US (rightly or wrongly) to be the natural home of smoking tobacco as we understand it today. Here in the UK, both Gawith houses go back to the 18th c. so does the US not have any 'historic' blending houses still producing? We are only a tiny island after all and as far as I am aware we don't grow tobacco.
It just seems odd to me that a country with such a rich tobacco heritage would only have 'modern' producers of our much loved product. What happened and when?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[davet]

I have not yet understood the anti-Sutliff feeling, but have not yet discovered anything by that manufacturer that I consider essential. Which are the best to try?

My two favorites from Sutliff, Old San Francisco and Balkan Luxury Blend are both no longer in production so I haven't ordered much of theirs. I've tried others, all were good but not enough for me to cellar and have others that I've yet to open. Not a thing wrong with Sutliff im my opinion

 

[Chasing Embers]

I enjoy a few of Sutliff's offerings, and other than a few people that I have tutored in pipesmoking, I personally only know of two or three pipe enthusiasts. And yes, I agree, the answer is always 42. :wink:

 

[mso489]

...one year it was 47, but then after a severe flu season, it was 42 again.