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I'd never heard of today's mystery tobacco until I stumbled upon it while searching for something else. That may seem a little odd, since (as you'll see, eventually) the maker is far from obscure; in my defense, though, let me just point out that we do have a hell of a lot of tobacco around here. ... Read More

"It's called Chenet's Cake," John announced, as he tossed a little brownie of tobacco onto my desk. Fresh from a trip to C&D's former operation in Morganton, NC, the Smokingpipes delegation returned bearing gifts ... Read More

With summertime and BBQ season in full swing, many of you might be thinking about smoking some cigars. They're great companions for grilling out and warm summer days. But which should you choose? Well, much like our Top 10 Trending Bulk Tobaccos, we've compiled a list of our current, best-selling stogies. ... Read More

Meet the Cornell and Diehl team as they take you through the meticulous and time-consuming process of making G.L. Pease's Union Square. In this exclusive video, head blender and production manager Jeremy Reeves will walk you through each step — from blending to pressing to slicing into delicate flakes — in making this popular ... Read More

I decided to revisit this classic Irish-style flake after many years. Since it had been so long, I didn't know quite what to expect. Popping the tin for the first time unleashed an "in-your-face" fruity aroma and very dark, neatly-stacked flakes. ... Read More

For us all-day pipe smokers, choosing which tobaccos to smoke can sometimes be a daunting and slightly overwhelming task. We have certain blends we prefer in the morning, some we save for after lunch, and those specifically reserved for the wee evening and late night hours. Think of it as a batting line-up. ... Read More

We pipe smokers can be a ritualistic lot at the best of times, observing methods of packing and lighting passed down from smoker to smoker in order to elicit the absolute coolest, driest, most pleasurable smoke possible. Luckily most of us draw short of donning robes or ceremonial garb...anymore anyway. ... Read More

Dunhill devotees have been patiently waiting for quite some time for the return of this classic. Baby's Bottom is a mixture of Virginias and Latakia — stout and flavorful. In all honesty, I wasn't nearly as excited for the revival of this blend of legendary smoothness as I have been for others. At least not until I smoked my first bowl... ... Read More

If you have a spare moment, go and Google "Gungfu ceremony". The leaves being prepared are different, but there's some commonality there too. Much like our everyday ritual of preparing and smoking a pipe, the Gongfu ceremony serves both to aid in proper preparation and to ease the drinker into a proper mindset to enjoy the tea.

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I like smaller pipes for a few reasons: they are handy, lightweight, and easy to clench. Smaller chambers also afford me shorter smokes and more bowls throughout the day, which I greatly prefer to one or two smokes lasting two hours each. I can sample more blends and have a nice variety in my daily rotation. ... Read More