Recent Articles | Smokingpipes Daily Reader

Tasting Notes: Sillem's Black

May 5, 2021 by Shane Ireland

6 Comments

Welcome back to another episode of Tasting Notes. Today marks the first episode in a new mini-installment. Over the next several videos, I will be reviewing the entire Sillem's portfolio, starting with Sillem's Black. I've been a fan of Sillem's mixtures for a long time, but honestly, I haven't explored everything that the blending house has to offer. ... Read More

Oriental Tobaccos and Their Characteristics

April 30, 2021 by Chuck Stanion

21 Comments

Oriental tobaccos differ from other tobaccos in size, character, and blending applications. These plants are small in comparison to the tobacco plants we see growing in the mid-Atlantic south. Those plants grow tall, up to 10 feet, while the plants that produce Orientals are only about three or four feet tall, and although Virginias and Burleys have large, broad leaves, Oriental leaves are small. They are also sun-cured as opposed to the fire, air, and flue curing that we're most accustomed to. ... Read More

Mystery Cigar Review: April 2021

April 29, 2021 by Andrew Wike

Welcome back to another episode of the Mystery Cigar Review, a stogie-focused spinoff series of our long-standing Mystery Tobacco Review! For this month's installment, we were honored to host a special guest Inquisitor: Head blender of Cornell & Diehl, Mr. Jeremy Reeves. Which cigar did this tobacco maestro select for the team to review? ... Read More

Pipe Smoking Desktop Backgrounds: May 2021

April 28, 2021 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. Below you'll find eight unique images, split between desktop and mobile orientations and available for download in two high-resolution formats. ... Read More

Introducing Alexander Hasty

April 22, 2021 by Truett Smith

3 Comments

One does not simply ease into artisan pipe making; it's an all-or-nothing endeavor. The start-up cost is a hurdle in and of itself, even a simple design requiring specific tools and machines, not to mention the time invested in learning to safely and skillfully operate said instruments. ... Read More

Mystery Tobacco Review: April 2021

April 21, 2021 by Andrew Wike

6 Comments

Welcome back to another episode of the Mystery Tobacco Review! For this month's installment, we're back with a very special guest Inquisitor: Mr. Glen Whelan, Director of Sales at Kapp & Peterson. Glen got his start as a part-time retail associate in the Peterson store at the age of 16, and today he leads Peterson's sales efforts ... Read More

Italian Leatherwork at its Best: Claudio Albieri

April 16, 2021 by Chuck Stanion

7 Comments

Pipes are of relative insignificance to the bustling world at large, and the number of pipe enthusiasts is unlikely ever to rival the fans of, say, mountain unicycling, cheese rolling, or, and this is real, bog snorkeling. Basically, our hobby is almost unknown except by those who learn to understand it and graduate the initial learning curve to achieve pipe smoking's contemplative benefits. ... Read More

How World War II American POWs Grew, Cured, and Smoked Pipe Tobacco in Captivity

April 15, 2021 by Jeffery Sitts

9 Comments

In a previous blog we explored how American POWs crafted their own pipes while held captive in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines. In the November, 1946 issue of Pipe Lovers magazine, Captain Frank Schaf, Jr. recounted his experience as a POW and the greath lengths he and fellow pipe smokers went to make their own pipes from local hardwoods and ... Read More

The Perfect Pipe Rim Cleaning Solution

April 14, 2021 by Chuck Stanion

22 Comments

We're all irritated by the unsightly buildup of carbon on our pipe rims. It's basically the same thing that makes up the cake on the walls of our tobacco chambers. Carried by the smoke we so enjoy, it drifts over the rim and deposits a tarrey, hard discoloration. It's easy to recognize on smooth rims, but on dark sandblasted or rusticated rims, it can go unnoticed until we find ourselves with smooth rims whose texture has been filled in with gunk. When it reaches that stage, it will take some work to get it clean. ... Read More

Jared Coles: From Pipe Kits to Artisan Masterpieces

April 9, 2021 by Chuck Stanion

6 Comments

Maybe there's something about working with three-dimensional forms that attracts brilliant minds. Or maybe three-dimensional forms generate brilliance in those who work with them. Either way, smart people think in three dimensions. Look at Michelangelo. Look at Leonardo da Vinci. Smart guys. ... Read More

Recent

Tasting Notes: Sillem's Black

Oriental Tobaccos and Their Characteristics

Mystery Cigar Review: April 2021

Pipe Smoking Desktop Backgrounds: May 2021

Introducing Alexander Hasty

Mystery Tobacco Review: April 2021

Italian Leatherwork at its Best: Claudio Albieri

How World War II American POWs Grew, Cured, and Smoked Pipe Tobacco in Captivity

The Perfect Pipe Rim Cleaning Solution

Jared Coles: From Pipe Kits to Artisan Masterpieces

Smokingpipes.com