What is a "Pipe Club"

[ClassicKehler]

This may be an odd question, but what better place to ask it. I'm trying to start a pipe club in my local area and I am curious as to what constitutes an official pipe club vs just a meet up. I'm not sure how to bring it from a casual meet up to an actually club. I kind of have an idea in my head of what I want but I'm short on info to get there. The rest of the guys in the group are not as into the pipe community as I am so they don't really have any information that I wouldn't have. Suggestions and advice would be welcome!

 

[proteus]

All you need is people, tobacco, pipes, fire source, good conversation and liquid refreshments. And of course a good location friendly to smoke.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I was the president of the Magic City Pipe Club for years. All you need is to just call it an actual club. Easy as that. You could register with the UPCA if you wanted, but its not necessary. We were registered.

For a few years before I became (was forced into) president, we just hung out and smoked. But, as we got larger (over 100 people) I started contacting pipe makers, blenders, tobacco companies to get reps to talk to our club. It helps if you have a pipe shop that is willing to give you the contact numbers.

But, when you start to get huge numbers, and everyone starts emailing you for information, decisions and shit, it starts to suck, ha ha. I couldn't get anyone to take over club leadership, so I quit. Just stopped showing up. So, I suggest, just keep it small and fun. But, word of warning, if you make your club known to the public, people will come out of the woodwork to join.

 

[Briarcutter]

And of course a good location friendly to smoke.

Yes! Very important.

 

[AroEnglish]

Becoming a pipe club just requires a person to declare that it is. It's just like bankruptcy.

 

[warren]

If you have multiple-personalities you've got a club without the nuisance of having to put on pants.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I suggest that you make pants a rule. Sometimes, if something goes unsaid, you'll find yourself in a room full of men without your pants. And, that seems to make everyone uncomfortable.

 

[bullet08]

It depends on the local pipe smoking folks. Could be like a public library, or a busy coffee shop. Except, everyone's smoking.

 

[ClassicKehler]

It seems more casual than I thought. Which is fine. But whenever I hear of another club it always sounds so official. A name, events, giveaways, merch? Maybe it's just whatever the groups wants.

 

[ClassicKehler]

If you have multiple-personalities you've got a club without the nuisance of having to put on pants.

Believe me, most times this is plenty enough socializing for me.

 

[huntertrw]

What is a "Pipe Club"​

A "pipe-club" can refer to any of a variety of very long, unusually heavy smoking pipes that can double as weapons when needed. Think of them as short smokable shillelaghs. This one is 14-inches long:

 

[TheIronMonkey]

A "pipe-club" can refer to any of a variety of very long, unusually heavy smoking pipes that can double as weapons when needed. Think of them as short smokable shillelaghs. This one is 14-inches long:

View attachment 333088

“That’s not a pipe-club!”



“That’s a pipe-club!”

 

[xrundog]

Spanky and Alfalfa formed the He-Man Woman Hater’s Club by acclamation. Sanctioning is nice, but not necessary. The idea is to include people who share your enthusiasm. And to exclude people who do not. Clubs are exclusionary by their very nature. Mike’s Wife, who hates smoking of any sort, is definitely not invited !

 

[TakeThisCobAndStuffIt]

Um, the First Rule About Pipe Club is...

 

[chilllucky]

We have an actual board and a charter and such. The Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club is a registered "educational non-profit". I think the tax designation is 501c3 or something. Don't quote me on that. So there are a bunch of seminars at our annual show as part of fulfilling that.

But from my position out in the stands - it's just a once a month thing to smoke with others.

 

[Sig]

I sort of belonged to a pipe club for awhile. It was 1.5 hours away from me, so I only went a few times.
There were about 15 guys and one lady who met at the home of several members. They would rotate who was hosting. They met once a month, 2x in the Summer.
The host would have snacks and refreshments, play some tunes, and just be good hosts.
Some people would bring a tin to pass. Usually something old, rare, or hard to find. Being the new guy I brought a tin of GLP "Ravens Wing" one time, a tin of original "Balkan Sobraine" another time and a tin of original "Kingfischer" and "Old Ironsides" the third time.
Oddly enough, I was invited back wholeheartedly.
In my mind those blends were better to be shared than horded another decade.
Guys would bring vinyl albums, CDs or used Bluetooth to share their musical preference.
Some brought alcohol, again, usually something special.
Mostly just people who had something in common where they could talk to a live human about pipes and tobacco.
Politics and opinions varied wildly, but the pipe brought them together and everyone got along.
I'm not sure if this is how other clubs work, but this group had been meeting for a decade when I attended.

 

[huntertrw]

Perhaps the youngest (and smallest, in terms of total members) pipe club was comprised of Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver and Lawrence "Larry" Mondello. Despite their youth and inexperience they were savvy enough to smoke a large, carved meerschaum in a failed attempt to help it achieve the "rubescent chromaticity" so glowingly described by Fred Rutherford...

 

[huntertrw]

“That’s not a pipe-club!”

“That’s a pipe-club!”

Yes, it is!

 

[woodsroad]

I was the president of the Magic City Pipe Club for years. All you need is to just call it an actual club. Easy as that. You could register with the UPCA if you wanted, but its not necessary. We were registered.

For a few years before I became (was forced into) president, we just hung out and smoked. But, as we got larger (over 100 people) I started contacting pipe makers, blenders, tobacco companies to get reps to talk to our club. It helps if you have a pipe shop that is willing to give you the contact numbers.

But, when you start to get huge numbers, and everyone starts emailing you for information, decisions and shit, it starts to suck, ha ha. I couldn't get anyone to take over club leadership, so I quit. Just stopped showing up. So, I suggest, just keep it small and fun. But, word of warning, if you make your club known to the public, people will come out of the woodwork to join.

The Lehigh Valley Pipe Club’ public-facing contact is on Facebook. We only approve new members that are local and state that they plan to attend our “meetings”. That keeps it all manageable.

 

[georged]

What is a pipe club?

This is a pipe club: