Recent

Greetings punters, and welcome to the preliminary finals of our Spring Showdown. We're down to the final four now, and our judges ... Read More

We get used to things sometimes, even though somewhere deep down inside, we know we shouldn't. I know, because I've done it. And I know others do it too, because I've seen their pipes. ... Read More

When I got serious about smoking premium tobaccos four or five years ago, I had a pretty small collection of pipes. There were three briars on my shelf: my first pipe, a simple Bent Brandy from a lesser-known factory, a full Bent Billiard from a marque that I'd never heard of before and haven't heard of since ... Read More

Ernie Markle is a great example of the new movement in American artisanal pipes. Now working full-time from his home in Pheonix, AZ, he's really cultivated his craft over the last few years. But what separates Ernie from other modern American carvers? ... Read More

We all love our vulcanite stems. They're softer than acrylic and just feel more natural in the jaw, but they do have a tendency to build stubborn oxidation over time. There are several ways to combat this, one of which is by using obsidian oil regularly in your rotation. ... Read More

We spend a fair bit of time focusing on what's popular. Tautological as it is, well-liked things are well liked, and thus they get talked about, written about, explored in greater detail with more enthusiasm and more care, frequently, than those things that are not so well liked. ... Read More

Recently we announced the contenders and first round match ups for our Spring Showdown, a battle to decide which tobacco reigns supreme on the battlefield of best spring tobacco. We've had a week to deliberate and we're ready to announce our round one winners. ... Read More

If you read about Syke's recent visit to the Savinelli factory, you know about some of the old, discontinued Punto Oro sandblasts he managed to acquire. What Sykes didn't want to talk about at the time was another lot of Punto Oros he picked up during the same trip, unseen by us before now — even as estates, and discontinued for at least a decade. Yep, Punto Oro Churchwardens. ... Read More

When Smokingpipes.com was founded, 15 years ago, it was hard to imagine people purchasing pipes online. It seems Sykes was the only one at the time who could realize the juxtaposition of the technical, digital world with the highly personal and detailed process of buying a pipe, but it has only gotten easier. ... Read More

Let's face it: we've seen a lot of Dunhills over the years. We've handled everything from dainty little Group 1 Apples to giant Magnums, and almost everything in between. Almost. ... Read More