JackTales » pipes

Kids…Have a Smoke…

Jack — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:12:58 +0000

Poor Joe Camel. Victim of the times, and the thought that our kids are easily hypnotized because we can’t teach them ideas on our own.

That in mind, I’d like to share these classic moments…

Buying A Pipe Online

Jack — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:02:36 +0000

There is no substitute for buying a pipe in the real world. You get to feel it’s heft, how the bowl fits in your hand, see how deep the pipe is, how wide, the texture of the pipe.

Online pictures don’t necessarily give you a good clue as to any of these things. When I saw the Halloween skull pipe, it looked like a normal sized pipe. When I got it, the bowl was as big as my fist. It could be used as a blunt weapon. Since I just wanted it for display, it worked out, but wow, that thing is huge!

By the same extent, I bought a Peterson pipe, again it looked normal sized in the picture. When I got it, it was the size of your finger. I had to send it back. Considering how I smoke, a bowl for me would last about 3 minutes at best.

I like my pipe stem, bowl, and bowl depth to be in a specific range. So how do I know for sure what I’m getting online?

Take a look at the image on the right. How big is that pipe? There’s two ways to try to get a better idea of how the pipe actually is sized. The first is to call or write the website. Look for the contact link on the site. E.A. Carey and Outwest Tobacco, as two examples, don’t list their dimensions on the website, but you can always contact them for details on any specific pipe. Gene, over at Outwest Tobacco, was terrific at answering my questions about a specific pipe. This is their contact page.

The second is to buy from a site that offers you exact measurements if possible. I’m going to show you a few examples of what I mean. The Pipe Den & Cigars and Fine Pipes International, are two examples, gives you a comparison to a ruler. This does give you length, and you can estimate how big the bowl is, but it doesn’t give you the depth. I’ve had pipes with large bowls with a very shallow depth.

AAA Meerschaum and Smoking Pipes.com are two examples of sites that give you very detailed information about the pipes. Clicking the pipe on the right side of this paragraph should give you an example of what I mean.

Another way that some shops show their pipe sizes is to use 1 inch graphic squares for dimensions. This really helps when looking for a pipe with a seriously bent stem. PipesandCigars.com and Cup O’ Joes are examples of sites that use this method. This Kirsten is from PipesandCigars.com, and uses the square inch method. Click on the link to see a bigger picture.

As I said, there is no substitute for buying a pipe in the real world. Whenever I go to Chicago, I have to visit Iwan Ries. Somewhat hidden in the back is a small elevator that takes you up to Pipe Heaven. It’s like a secret passage, only not secret. They keep “you can touch them” pipes in drawers, and when you find one you like, they go trotting off to get you a new one in a box.

If that isn’t enough, they also have their own smokers lounge, called The Front Room.

Iwan Reis does sell online, and it’s a huge selection! They currently have over 12,000 pipes in stock. While they don’t give detailed information about the size of the pipes, they do send out a catalog, with a special ruler. Each photo is set to the same scale, and by using the ruler, you can get basic dimensional information. And they have, of course, their own contact page.

So, summary: If you aren’t sure of what you’re getting, contact the seller. Some pipe sites provide very detailed dimensions. And it’s extremely important to know what the seller’s return policy is, in case you still end up with a pipe you don’t want.

A Movement to Pipes: It’s the Economy

Jack — Sun, 10 May 2009 18:18:33 +0000

A Movement to Pipes: It’s the Economy

Posted May 5th 2009 3:02PM by Tom Johansmeyer
Filed under: Cigars

Cigar smoking is a lifestyle commitment … and investment. Unless you’re smoking low-end cigars, your daily spend is at least $5 and could reasonably reach $10. If you truly go upscale, you’re looking at $20 a day or more, with boxes starting at $450. It becomes expensive quickly, and today, people are reconsidering how they use their “fun money.” Unsurprisingly, pipes are gaining popularity as a cost-effective smoking alternative without forcing you into the nasty world of cigarettes.

At first, pipe smoking appears to be pricey. To enter the world of briar, you could lay out hundreds of dollars – even thousands. And, since you can’t buy just one pipe, the cost multiplies. Once you get past the initial purchase, though, pipe smoking is quite affordable. Top pipe tobacco brands cost less than $15 a tin … roughly the cost of a cigar.

Like cigars, pipes range from garbage to entry level to high-end. Generally, quality follows price. A $5 corn cob is what you would expect, and hand-crafted Dunhills – which can sell for more than $1,000 – may be a bit much for someone testing the waters.

Gallery: Dunhill Pipe Dinner

I started with a $160 Savinelli, a machine-made pipe which smokes quite well. It was sufficient for experimenting with different pipe tobaccos and learning the rituals of packing, lighting, smoking and cleaning. For a bit more, you can start with a Radice pipe (which Law & Order SVU actor Richard Belzer enjoys), adding a touch of luxury even to a novice smoker.

The attraction of pipe smoking in this economic climate is the satisfaction f smoking without the high cost of cigars. a $200 pipe and a $10 tin of tobacco offers as much smoking time as a box of cigars at roughly the same price. But, when you buy that next tin of tobacco, you don’t have to buy another pipe. Even a $150 pipe is designed to last a lifetime.

After you select a pipe, you’re faced with a dizzying array of tobaccos from which to choose. It’s natural to worry that you’ll pull from the shelves that won’t suit you. Michael Bowman, the resident pipe expert at De La Concha, and the man who initiated me into pipe smoking, advises that mistakes aren’t a big deal. “If you buy a tobacco that you don’t like, you’ve only spent $10 or $11.” He continues, “Have you ever bought a cigar you don’t like? It’s the same amount.” He suggests that you give a tin that doesn’t agree with you to a pipe smoker, as goodwill is rarely forgotten.

Pipe smoking may be a substitute for cigars, but the experience is not the same. The feel, flavors and physical involvement are much different. If you wind up enjoying a pipe, it will become an alternative … and a less expensive one. For others, it may be a way to stem the outflow of cash for a bit, at least through the recession.

Whether pipes will work for you is, of course, a personal decision. The increase in pipe sales is showing that many cigar smokers are open to the possibility.