PipeSMOKE 09/97 - Pipeline

Fall 1997
Volume I
Issue 2

WHAT'S NEW IN THE PIPE WORLD...

"In the same way as books, pipes will not disappear during this era.... They are neither ephemeral nor disposable, but they leave a lasting trace in the mind, not least because they offer another singular property which is useful in our society: to those who feel bruised by the incertitude and violence of the world, they give the comfort of being able to draw within oneself, perhaps as in a dream; if, on the contrary, one feels the pain of being alone, they provide, thanks to the knowledge and ritual that one can always share, the comfort of conviviality. All round the world, dedicated pipe smokers love to meet to share their passion."

Alexis Liebaert and Alain Maya, The Illustrated History of the Pipe
(Harold Starke Publishers, London, 1994).

Speaking of conviviality, the sort of bonhommie one finds at cigar evenings is often available at local retailers, where pipesmokers drop in for a tin or a pouchful of their favorite blend. With the right group, the shared interest in pipes and tobacco leads to some great camaraderie, and in Europe, these clubs are taken seriously and generate a lot of useful social and business contacts. Here in the U.S., clubs are surfacing strongly, representing the resurgence of the pipe. Just the other day we had a call from a very knowledgeable guy, Keith Moore at UPtown's Smoke Shop in Nashville, to praise PipeSMOKE and to talk about the local club. He offered to make info available to any reader who wants to see what's happening at a pipe club anywhere. Sounds like fun. Call Keith at 615-292-9576.

Last year, the Confrerie des Maitres Pipiers (Brotherhood of Pipe Masters) - an 800 strong fraternity of elected pipe "worthies" sponsored by the great pipe makers of St. Claude, France - celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. In honor of this celebration, each of the pipemakers commissioned a new pipe design - something that would push the envelope of tradition a bit. Some interesting and breathtaking designs emerged, and now the companies are beginning to market them. One which immediately grabbed our attention was the "Volute," designed by Claude Robin for CHACOM, one of the major St. Claude pipemakers. Flowing space-age lines and a novel use of material - the acrylic is joined to the briar bowl to form the shank and base in a seamless flow that becomes a mouthpiece so flawlessly executed that you can hardly detect the joint between shank and stem. Made of top grade briar in a gleaming finish, this is art you can smoke. High marks for Volute.

The "Old Boy" pipe lighter, made by Corona, is terrific for pipe smokers because it directs an adjustable flame at a 45 degree angle narrowly enough to avoid singeing the top of the bowl. It also has a clever built-in tamper that slides down from the bottom of the lighter. Pull it straight and the tamper comes out completely, serving as a pick to empty the bowl or to break a clog. Half a twist and the extended tamper locks into the base so that you can light and tamp and relight with one hand, and save carrying an extra pipe tool. Old Boy also has a large butane fuel capacity extended by putting the flint chamber on top so you can change a flint without letting the gas escape, and has a blessedly small flip lid that stays out of the way of the bowl at light up time. Still going strong after a year, our retro design lighter is in an elegant chrome, but there are many other finishes, including a briar casing. Whoever designed this one really thought about the pipe smoker. So let's hear it for high-quality, well-designed merchandise at reasonable prices. Imported by Savinelli.

CURRENT ISSUE	ARCHIVES	SUBSCRIBE
CONTEST	SEARCH	SHOPPING