Recent Articles | Smokingpipes Daily Reader

A Brief History of the Culebra Cigar

November 16, 2022 by John McElheny

2 Comments

The history of cigars stretches back as far as the Mayan empire, though their existence in the greater consciousness of humans dates to only around the early 18th century. It was then when cigars as we know them today, as neatly rolled bundles of tobacco made up of layers that each served specific purposes, comprising the wrapper, binder, and filler tobacco. In the nearly three centuries of modern cigar making leading to the present, this basic ... Read More

Top 10 Strongest Cigars

November 10, 2022 by John McElheny

1 Comment

Cigars are bountiful and it's a great time to take up the hobby, but this cigar renaissance isn't exclusively beneficial to beginners. As the influx of blends and brands has increased, the variety of strong, full-bodied cigars has as well — perfect for experienced aficionados who seek further realms of strength. ... Read More

Aerating a Bowl of Tobacco

November 9, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

11 Comments

We've all experienced the frustration of an improperly packed bowl of tobacco. It doesn't matter how experienced we are; it doesn't matter how much we've read about pipe smoking or practiced our technique; it's irrelevant how expert we've become with various cuts of tobacco or different-sized bowls ... Read More

Introducing Bankside, the Inaugural Blend of G.L. Pease's Zeitgeist Collection

November 4, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

18 Comments

The Kansas City pipe show used to annually host a remarkable pipe-carving competition that created seven-day sets of North American pipes. It was good for the carvers, whose pipes were all pictured in Pipes and tobaccos magazine, which photographed each entry and published its image with the carver's contact information along with an article about the contest and the show. ... Read More

Pipe Smoking Desktop Backgrounds: November 2022

November 1, 2022 by Andrew Wike

3 Comments

It's time for another round of beautiful pipe smoking desktop backgrounds! As in previous months, we've compiled some of our favorite shots and artwork to share with you. ... Read More

The Devil's Pipe

October 28, 2022 by Chuck Stanion

24 Comments

Kenan was a neighbor, but I didn't know him well or like him much. We'd mutually attended a couple of neighborhood barbecues, and this was the second time I'd been in his house. The first time, I decided not to make it habitual because Kenan was a little too weird. He was a professor specializing in medieval artifacts who collected occult items and displayed them in his home, and they were disturbing: ugly dolls, ouija boards, ... Read More

The Spookiest Pipes, Tobaccos, and Cigars Available This Halloween

October 27, 2022 by Davin Hylton

1 Comment

Halloween: that time of the year when the witches, ghosts, ghouls, and haunts are at the forefront of everyone's mind. We here at Smokingpipes are fans of the macabre, sinister, and altogether frightening, making Halloween something of an event around the office. As such, we thought it'd be appropriate to highlight some of the spooky offerings on our site for those who share our collective admiration for the unnerving. ... Read More

Mystery Tobacco Review: October 2022

October 26, 2022 by Shane Ireland

9 Comments

We filmed this month's episode live at the Las Vegas International Pipe Show, where Truett and I reviewed multiple blends submitted by convention attendees alongside our special guest panelist, head blender of Cornell & Diehl, Mr. Jeremy Reeves! With multiple, rapid-fire rounds and no takebacksies, this was probably our ... Read More

The Kiseru: An Overview of the Traditional Japanese Smoking Pipe

October 21, 2022 by Gabriel Bass

6 Comments

While Japanese artisan pipes are world-famous for their innovative design and smoking quality, there is a long tradition of pipe culture in the island nation that stretches back over four centuries. Tobacco was introduced to Japan by Portuguese traders in the 1570s and quickly became popular among the wealthy merchant and feudal classes. ... Read More

Mystery Cigar Review: October 2022

October 20, 2022 by Shane Ireland

1 Comment

Welcome back to the Mystery Cigar Review! This month is special — very special — because of Halloween, yes, but also for our inquisitor this month. In the past we've had Rocky Patel on the show as a brand, but today, our guest inquisitor is none other than the man himself: Mr. Rocky Patel! Born in 1961, Rocky was an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles ... Read More

Recent

A Brief History of the Culebra Cigar

Top 10 Strongest Cigars

Aerating a Bowl of Tobacco

Introducing Bankside, the Inaugural Blend of G.L. Pease's Zeitgeist Collection

Pipe Smoking Desktop Backgrounds: November 2022

The Devil's Pipe

The Spookiest Pipes, Tobaccos, and Cigars Available This Halloween

Mystery Tobacco Review: October 2022

The Kiseru: An Overview of the Traditional Japanese Smoking Pipe

Mystery Cigar Review: October 2022

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