What is a "Pipe Club"

[Rossi320]

A pipe club is just a of buds hanging out...get some of your friends or others that smoke and enjoy a pipe

 

[PipeIT]

Now this looks like an adventure, hang out in an ole Bothy in the boonies of Scotland.

Kearvaig Pipe Club – The place for Chaps who like a smoke on the wild side…

kearvaigpipeclub.co.uk

 

[Pipke]

I read this forum in the evening while enjoying a bowl. It's not as good as a face-to-face, but this forum brings people together. It's kind of like a club.

 

[chilllucky]

Now this looks like an adventure, hang out in an ole Bothy in the boonies of Scotland.

Kearvaig Pipe Club – The place for Chaps who like a smoke on the wild side…

kearvaigpipeclub.co.uk

Aye, son. It's great. Really great.

-member since 2018

 

[kcghost]

You just need a reliable place to meet with enough seating for everybody, liquid refreshments (to be provided by the location or brought in by members), and if desired a program of some kind. Programs do not have to be tobacco oriented.

 

[bullet08]

Just remember to say "I have a leak at house" if you get pulled over.

 

[tobakenist]

I was a member of the International Peterson Pipe Club that was just a online club, it once had thousands of members all over the world, nobody wanted to take on the running of it after the deaths of the 2 founding members, Chuck Wilson and Jim Lilly. I am also a member of the London Pipe Club and we have members all over the world, anyone is welcome to join, they have a Virtual section for overseas members, they have meets here in England several times a year and being a member we get discounts from a few online tobacconists and also some pipe makers, a great modern club that has been going for many years.

 

[pylorns]

I feel like I captured the essence of our pipe club on our website Home - Austin Texas Pipe Club - https://www.austinpipeclub.com/

Join us for our 2nd Thursday of the Month Pipe Club Meeting.​

This meeting is our business meeting, where we cover any club-related items, vote on agenda items if necessary, and cover any updates about the Texas Pipe Show. Additionally, if we have specific tobacco to share that was donated to the club, we may smoke a sample and do a review onsite.

Most club meetings are relaxed though and we're not voting on any primary topics.

Join the relaxed Austin atmosphere where our members are laid back and happy to share a bowl with you and chat and educate.

These Thursday Meetings​

are also where we may schedule trunk shows where a vendor may stop by with tobacco, pipes or both. We usually spend time talking to the distributors and resellers ahead of time and provide ample information and time to make sure you can schedule to attend.

We list out topics as well for our meetings:

Education

One of the primary items that the Austin Pipe Club does is provide pipe education in the form of pre-planned seminars where newcomers can learn all there is to know about pipes and pipe tobacco.

Some examples of future seminars are:

Pipe restoration
Meers
Cobs
Regional Pipes (American, Danish, Italian, English)
Specific carver/factory (Pete’s, Savinelli, Briarworks)
Pipe Shapes
Pipe Finishes (Rusticated, Sandblast, Smooth)
Button styles (fishtail, P-lip, the killer button from Silver Grey that you have)
Stem styles (push tenon, stinger, screw tenon, army mount, etc.)
Stem materials (Acrylic, vulcanite, horn, amber,etc.)
Pipe Collecting Strategies


Tobacco Themes

Varietals (Virginia, Burley, Oriental, Dark Fired, Latakia, Cavendish)
Cuts (Flake, rope, plug, shag, coin,etc.)
Blend regions (US, Danish, England/Lakeland, German)
Blending factories vs. Brands (STG, K&K, C&D, G&H/Sam Gawith)
Specific Brand discussions
Specific Blend discussions
Comparisons (Battle of the blends/brands/factories)
Cellaring
Speed aging methods
Home-Blending
Boutique blender theme to the list, (Ken Byron's, Emerson Southern Forged, Briar Fellowship, etc.)

Misc. Themes

Lighters
Tampers
Pipe Bags
Books
Online Resources
Pipe Shows

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I never thought to have separate business meetings, which every organization that I have been on the board for is required to do. I guess my thinking was that the club was free, there was no budget, and I couldn't get out of the role as president, so I ran it like a dictatorship, ha ha. I was a nice dictator... no one wanted my job and membership kept growing till I quit.

I bet if we had of started taking up dues and having a budget, people would have been more willing to take over the club.
I would suggest that all clubs start taking up dues, for maybe buying aged blends from Pipestud, or paying for pipemakers to visit your club or whatnot, instead of just paying out of my own pocket. It might prevent someone from being stuck with leadership responsibilities for years.

 

[pylorns]

I never thought to have separate business meetings, which every organization that I have been on the board for is required to do. I guess my thinking was that the club was free, there was no budget, and I couldn't get out of the role as president, so I ran it like a dictatorship, ha ha. I was a nice dictator... no one wanted my job and membership kept growing till I quit.

I bet if we had of started taking up dues and having a budget, people would have been more willing to take over the club.
I would suggest that all clubs start taking up dues, for maybe buying aged blends from Pipestud, or paying for pipemakers to visit your club or whatnot, instead of just paying out of my own pocket. It might prevent someone from being stuck with leadership responsibilities for years.

We do $10 a year, it covers our website, our UPCA dues, and a couple other things as well as help fund the Texas Pipe Show.

 

[chilllucky]

Chicago does $10 from everyone attending a meeting. Most of it goes right back out as they also do a drawing for three gift cards from the host shop (most often Arlington Pipe and Cigar). The balance goes into the club coffers for food and drink at meetings and a big, catered holiday party.

My understanding (again, I'm just a general member/hanger-on) is that the Chicago Pipe Show has it's own budget and board within the club.

For anyone organizing a new club, I would advise that you start with a location in mind. If it's your garage, great. If it's a local lounge - arrange a business meeting with the owner and talk about what you can do for each other. Don't just show up with 2-12 other smokers and start acting like you own the place.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

For anyone organizing a new club, I would advise that you start with a location in mind. If it's your garage, great. If it's a local lounge - arrange a business meeting with the owner and talk about what you can do for each other. Don't just show up with 2-12 other smokers and start acting like you own the place.

Good point... When we started the MCPC, we did it with the owner of The Briary. He supplied the place and gave us all a discount, like 20% off of anything storewide. Then after a few years we grew insanely large. The owner then complained that he had to stay late, and that no one was buying. We urged member to buy at least a tin of tobacco. I have a whole plethora of stories about how cheap assed this bunch was. But, they weren't buying much, and I could only buy so many new Becker pipes each month. So, he kicked us out after someone started talking about how buying online was such a great thing, and he started passing out samples of bulk he had bought. Skip kicked us out pronto. We met at coffee shops and cigar stores for a while till Skip calmed down. Then we made a new agreement with him.

It is unbelievable how cheap assed pipesmokers can be, compared to cigar smokers. Cigar smokers seem to be more willing to drop $50 on a single smoke, whereas pipesmoker will embarrass the hell out of themself complaining about the price of a whole tin. But, that is neither here nor there. You can probably keep the cheapskates out by charging a fee for each meeting.

 

[PipeIT]

Aye, son. It's great. Really great.

-member since 2018

You’ve been to that Bothy in Scotland?

 

[Choatecav]

a) Charge dues
b) Elect officers
c) Talk politics & religion
d) Piss somebody off....

you'll know you have arrived.

 

[chilllucky]

You’ve been to that Bothy in Scotland?

I have! I've actually been to a handful of them, but Kearvaig was easily the greatest experience.

The story is in Volume 7 Issue 2 of the magazine (the second from 2018) in the article "A Distinctly Foreign Affair".

 

[AreBee]

I attended a pipe club meeting and then realized that I couldn't belong to a club that would have me as a member. BA, DUM, BUMP! Thanks to Groucho for that one.

I joined our local club back in March and it has been great fun. As a new member and pipe smoker, I was welcomed in and have learned a great deal from some really knowledgeable people. I've been a part of several amazing conversations on both pipe-related and non-pipe topics.

The club does have a name (Hartford Reading Society) and a cool plaque with the club's initials on it. We meet at the same shop once a month. As far as reading goes, I was told "we read tobacco tins and liquor bottles."

I have to say that in general, pipe smokers are the most welcoming and giving people in any community that I have ever belonged to, and there have been a lot of them! I marvel at the number of new members joining the Pipes Magazine forum and at the overwhelming generosity of the members here.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

c) Talk politics & religion

This is the worst thing that can happen in any social club. In general, it is always someone who brings this shit up that ends up offended. Pipe smokers are NOT as like minded on these things as you'd think. When we started, we were a Christian pipesmokers club, and I quickly was schooled that every denomination had such differing opinions on almost every thing that each meeting was an argument. So, we dropped the Christian part.
We also banned football talk. This is Alabama, so...
Keep it pipes and tobacco centered, is my advice. Take it or leave it, but soon you'll learn why almost every club bans these conversations.

 

[telescopes]

It is unbelievable how cheap assed pipesmokers can be, compared to cigar smokers. Cigar smokers seem to be more willing to drop $50 on a single smoke, whereas pipesmoker will embarrass the hell out of themself complaining about the price of a whole tin. But, that is neither here nor there. You can probably keep the cheapskates out by charging a fee for each meeting.

Good point. I wonder if this is because we get use to paying less "per smoke" and psychologically it changes something about being frugal. Cigars are definitely NOT a frugal pursuit.

 

[Choatecav]

This is the worst thing that can happen in any social club. In general, it is always someone who brings this shit up that ends up offended. Pipe smokers are NOT as like minded on these things as you'd think. When we started, we were a Christian pipesmokers club, and I quickly was schooled that every denomination had such differing opinions on almost every thing that each meeting was an argument. So, we dropped the Christian part.
We also banned football talk. This is Alabama, so...
Keep it pipes and tobacco centered, is my advice. Take it or leave it, but soon you'll learn why almost every club bans these conversations.

You are spot on correct, cosmic. Only thing I've seen rival that topic for causing trouble was on a forum on the Civil War (American) and what caused it...... Brutal.

Oh, and I hope you know that when I listed those topics, it was "dripping" with sarcasm.....

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Good point. I wonder if this is because we get use to paying less "per smoke" and psychologically it changes something about being frugal. Cigars are definitely NOT a frugal pursuit.

I really am not sure. There is actually a mix. Some guys will only buy $1000+ pipes and spend enormous amounts of time tracking down aged and rare tobaccos, and some will only buy cheap pipes and smoke only bulks or OTCs. And, this is not just rich verses poor, because I know lots of people who drive vehicles that didn't even cost as much as their pipes, and some guys will drive expensive cars and only smoke Prince Albert.
Personalities, maybe?

In all fairness, I am in the middle. I like my expensive pipes as much as my estate pipes. Sometimes I crave SWR and sometimes I like to break into my cellar for the oldest thing I have set back.

Pipe clubs are neat in that they bring together guys in old overalls with guys in Brogue & Cuff suits. Policemen, gangbangers, artists, and truck drivers. It makes for an interesting mix of conversations.