What are the absolute must-see B&Ms in the USA?

[jonasclark]

I live in Washington State. There's not much here. When I'm on vacation, it's usually Vegas, and there's not much there. I really want to take a vacation, and I want to go somewhere with a truly amazing B&M that has a really grand selection of pipes. What places should be under consideration?
So far, I only know of Iwan Ries and Paul's Pipe Shop, neither of which I've visited. I typically don't buy new $200+ name-brand briars. I buy meerschaums, unusual briars, and estate pipes. And the few places I have gone just end up having 50-60 $2-400 briars of the biggest brand names.

 

[cigrmaster]

LJ Peretti in Boston is 145 years old and Leavitt & Peirce in Cambridge which is 137 years old.

 

[jackswilling]

-- IN BUSINESS SINCE 1928 ---
Pipes, Tobacco, Cigars and Accessories
Home of the Cayuga Pipe

& Paul's Pipe Museum
Featuring the largest and

most varied selection of

pipes and tobaccos anywhere!
http://www.paulspipeshop.com/

 

[jackswilling]

--- FOUNDED IN 1928 BY ---
Paul T. Spaniola
6-Time World's Pipe Smoking Champion
1/29/1913 - 8/27/2013
http://www.paulspipeshop.com/

 

[mso489]

In Manhattan, Nat Sherman, with the huge clock above its door, and smoking areas, and tasteful bulk blends, bring your own pipe.
In the Research Triangle Park N.C., area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) Pipes by George, in Raleigh on Hillsborough Street just east of the NCSU campus, the ultimate old time pipe shop with wide plank floors and a good selection of pipes, tins, and bulk tobacco
In Chicago, as already mentioned, Iwan Ries (pronounced Ivan Reese) on Wabash; they sell moderately priced pouch tobacco of their own, and pipes at all price levels, and have a pipe lounge for not-bad admission fee for the day
smokingpipes.com has a B&M store outside Myrtle Beach, S.C.; check their site for the address

 

[allan]

In Manhattan, Nat Sherman, with the huge clock above its door, and smoking areas, and tasteful bulk blends, bring your own pipe.

As Mso stated
The NYC pipe club is celebrating nat Sherman's 85 th anniversary on Sunday July 26ty starting at 12:00 pm till 6:00 pm
They usually provide the downstairs room for us
All are welcome

 

[derfatdutchman]

If your travels take you to Gettysburg, PA its worth the drive to Boswells Pipe shop in Chambersburg, PA. They only carry their own handmade pipes, their own bulk blends, but also have a good selections of tins. The Boswell's are also very nice people to deal with.

 

[huntertrw]

In Charlotte, North Carolina it has to be:
McCranie's Pipe and Tobacco Shop

4143 Park Road (in the Park Road Shopping Center)

Charlotte, North Carolina 28209

888.523.8554
Friendly, knowledgeable people; fine pipes; and excellent tobaccos - what more could a pipe-smoker ask for?

 

[huntertrw]

In Overland Park, Kansas (Kansas City area) you've got to visit:
Cigar & Tabac ltd.

6898 West 105th Street

Overland Park, Kansas

913.381.5587
This is the home of the Greater Kansas City Pipe Club, and their smoking lounge is a delightful place to wile away an hour or an afternoon or evening.

 

[gphenry]

If your travels ever bring you to Connecticut, the Tobacco Shop on Pratt Street in Hartford is a good stop. It is about the people, and the shop is run by a very good bunch of guys. You will find it a nice place to get off the street and relax for a bit and enjoy a smoke and good conversation. In New Haven, The Owl Shop on College Street is a must. It is Connecticut's only bar which allows smoking. Today it is much more a bar than a tobacco shop, but it has a long history, and very comfortable place to light up. They still have their long respected house blends, and some Owl Shop branded pipes on the wall for sale. It is surrounded by Yale University, and New Haven's club and entertainment district. Great restaurants, museums and night life.

 

[jonasclark]

What a great flood of responses! Anything must-see on the West Coast?

 

[beefeater33]

jonasclark-

Quite a few mentioned here:

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/very-little-west-coast-pipe-community

 

[jonasclark]

Thanks.
Wish there was a West Coast shop with a really, really big selection of pipes. I'm both a collector and a smoker, but far more a collector.

 

[jackswilling]

Not saying it is a "must see" but it do have some history and a place in our world
"The Tobacco Barn has been proudly serving the needs of cigar and pipe smokers since 1929. The Tobacco Barn has been serving the online community since 2003.
In mid 2006, we completed the acquisition of IK Meerschaum and Lighters Galore Plus, two wildly popular electronic commerce sites specializing in the sales of all types of lighters and meerschaum pipes. This has proven to be a natural combination as we've been able to provide a much larger base of products to the combined customers of all three properties. These sales include retail and wholesale accounts as IK Meershaum is one of the largest importers of Meerschaum pipes from Turkey in the US.
The our company continues to grow and now includes other internet properties such as PipeTrader community and auction site, Let's Talk Cigars blog site, MeerschaumPipes.com informational site and No More Tobacco Taxes blog."
Tobacco Barn

23532 El toro Road

Suite 13

Lake Forest, CA 92630

(949) 830-7110

www.tobacco-barn.com

 

[jonasclark]

I should add, not just a collection of pipes, but... which shop in the country has a lot of meerschaum pipes? A lot of shops have all manner of high-end briars... and maybe two or three meers.

 

[ssjones]

My list:
Maryland

- Faders (3 locations, 2 Baltimore, 1 Annapois)
VA

- JB Hayes (2) - Winchester & Fair Oaks
PA

- Boswells (Chamberburg)

- Wingenroths (Lebanon)

- Cigars International (Hamburg, but multiple locations, the big one is beside the giant Cabella's)
NY

- Cup-O-Joes (near Lake George, Queensbury)

- Park Lane (just down South of Lake George, North Albany)

 

[lestrout]

Yo jonas - a definite must-see in North America is in the Bay Area: Telford's in Marin County, with lots of tins, new pipes and especially estates. The Golden Gate Pipe Club meets there monthly and owners Brian and Susan are most welcoming.
hp

les

 

[jonasclark]

That looks like a great shop, lestrout! Ooh, look, they have a photo of a Butera coloring bowl in a folding case!

 

[plugugly]

You should check out The Cigar Monkey in Merced. Much more than just Cigars! A great you tube video on it is at

"Cigar Monkey Tour and Hangout with Jaime Oliva Jr in Merced". Wish I could link that.

Warning! You Will Be Jealous If You Watch That Video.

I want to see it in person but I only got some great vintage tins mail order a few years ago.

They were super to deal with!

 

[loborx]

In San Diego, check out Racine & Laramie in Old Town. It's a mix of pipe museum, tobacconist and cigar lounge. The place is housed in an adobe "barn" on the fringe of Old Town Square. LOTS of pipes, tins, bulk, house blends and giant cigar humidor. Old glass display cases filled with ancient meerschaums, briars and even some Native American stone pipes. I always visit there when in SD and I always walk out with something pretty cool.