Shout-outs
Here are a few good folks/links I'd like to highlight... Whether it's pipe tobacco, coffee, artwork, or just general pipe knowledge, they'll help you get your groove on.
Department of Brewology - This is where coffee, science and art collide.
If you need to know anything about how to obtain the best coffee experience, I guarantee David Salinas will be your best resource.
Here's a blurb from his site:
"Everyday we strive to create new and innovative ideas that help to foster a love and enthusiasm for brewing coffee. We relentlessly aim to curate an absolutely unique product line celebrating all facets of Specialty Coffee. "
Where I get most of my bulk pipe tobacco...
Pipes and Cigars has been my one-stop-shop for pipe tobacco. They always have a deal and take good care of their customers. I'm not getting any kick backs from this plug, I just like to support folks that do me a good.
Here's a blurb from his site:
"Pipes and Cigars, the best dang tobacco shop in the world! We’ve been around the block and we know our pipes inside and out, but it's our passion for tobacco and commitment to our customers that has made us the number one online retailer of pipes and pipe tobacco. Our colossal portfolio provides the young bucks in the pipe world with a perfect start while satisfying any seasoned pipe guru as well. So sift through all the sought after pipe brands like Peterson, Savinelli, Captain Black, and Hearth & Home or marvel at our long list of premium cigars like Cohiba, Montecristo, Acid Cigars, and tons more. Our selection is through the roof, our pricing hits the floor and it’s all bound together by an expert crew of passionate tobacconists who aren’t afraid to tell it to you like it is."
If you're in the Austin area drop in and say hello to The Austin Pipe Club .
The Austin Pipe Club formed in October of 2013 out of necessity as there was not a club already in existence in the Austin area. The goal is to promote comradere, share tobacco, pipes, and knowledge and encourage growth. Our meetings usually consist of discussing industry news, sharing of tobacco, sampling local offerings, and occasional slow smoke competitions. They currently meet the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at Habana House North, and Pipe World at 5PM until close. Everyone is welcome, it’s free to come and attend our meetings! Come and learn how to smoke a pipe!
Get everything you need to make your own pipe at Vermont Freehand/PIMO Pipecraft
the world’s largest selection of pipe making supplies Vermont Freehand
Guide to Tobacco Pipes & Pipe Smoking
This article has pretty much everything you need to know about pipe smoking culture.
Pipes and thoughtful contemplation have been good companions to each other, and Man, for many centuries. I love pipes and pipe smoking and find little to rival the sublime experience of sitting, smoking and thinking. Indeed, some of my fondest memories are of sitting at a sidewalk cafe, smoking a good blend and being “present” to experience life unfolding all around me. I have done this on four continents and never tire of it, nor will I ever lose my enthusiasm for time spent with a clan of pipe smokers, invariably engaged in a fine conversation. These small, ancient, and revered objects, thus employed, have fostered great friendships, delighted the senses and soothed souls for millennia. Currently, and much to my delight, pipe smoking is enjoying a resurgence of popularity."...
Read More: gentlemansgazette.com
A Brief History of Tobacco Pipes & Pipe Collecting
Since history began man has attempted to smoke various burning herbs in different ways, but the first appearance of the pipe, functioning on the principle of the familiar briar, is a matter for conjecture.
The earliest known pipes have been discovered in the neolithic barrows of the Mississippi valley, and were made of porphyritic and other hard stone, tubular in shape or consisting of a tube with a central bowl. Many of these pipes, which are over 5000 years old, are elaborately carved with representations of animals, and from that time to this day, a lot of care and artistry has gone into the making of pipes all over the world."... Read More: worldcollectorsnet.com
History of pipes - by Alan Kerslake
A short video of the history of pipe smoking. And the recommendation of a book to help the neophyte to the delights of the pipe.Here is the book mentioned in the video, you can pick it up at amazon.
Another good book is "The Pipe Book".
Here's the synopsis: "As a successful London tobacconist in the early 1900s, Alfred Dunhill’s passion for his field led him to begin collecting pipes from all over the world. From his collection he created The Pipe Book, which was first printed in 1924 and has rarely been out of print since. The book is a thorough exploration of every type of pipe—primitive mounds and earthen pipes; more elegant models of ivory, clay, and porcelain; and of course modern briers, cobs, and meerschaums—with in-depth explanations of their uses, structures, and origins, as well as fascinating anthropological discussions on smoking in various cultures." Also available at amazon