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Yes indeed another great pipe maker as well as a super guy. I visited his shop a few times. Rich was also a great musician. He will be missed.

Hugh was a great guy. He told me he was originally from Philadelphia. I am not sure how long this shop had been there but it was stocked with some wonderful pipes. Hugh also smoked his pipe as we spoke and of course I asked him what blend he was smoking. He responded back "Hackers" one of...

It's the early 90's and I am in LA on business. I have an appointment in Beverly Hills. I had read about Kramer's pipe shop. This was the pipe shop that all the famous Hollywood stars of stage and screen had frequented. This was a shop I could not miss. It is a small quant shop on Santa...

My timeline is fuzzy for sure so we jump back to NJ where I search out a pipe carver In Jersey City or was it Union City, can't remember. His name is Andre Mermet. Andre's pipe factory is like a small two story building in the middle of an industrial area. It actually looked like an old house...

As you may be able to tell from my posts, I enjoyed visiting shops but also tobacco blenders and pipe makers. It is the mid eighties and I hear of a pipe show on the west coast. This is the first time I ever heard of a pipe show. One of the pipe stores that was involved with the show was...

It's funny ( or not ) that when you get a little older it is easier to remember things pretty clearly from the past like way back. So, I will continue in the 80's, I may take a stab at what year exactly, but my accuracy is circumspect. I find myself in Englewood NJ visiting potential clients...

The late 70's brought my first two daughters into my life. I also changed careers and joined a family business. The extent of my traveling was to the store to purchase diapers and formula. I worked long hours to build the business and spend time with my girls...all three. It was at this time...

I think it was 1974 ( it is hard to remember the exact year ) I had been purchasing pipes and tobaccos from Smoker's Haven in Columbus. I find out about a small pipe producer in Vermont called The Briar Workshop. This was a small group of pipe carvers that hand made pipes with a Danish flair...

I have seen what you described too many times. However, I was never witness to this behavior in a pipe shop. I have seen this in clothing stores and antique stores, to name a few. Every hobby seams to have an elite group of "know it alls". If I can't learn from them ( and most have nothing...

In 1973 my wife and I went to London. BOAC airlines had a special price $750.00 for 2 people for two weeks. Air, hotel, breakfast and 3 tickets to London's Broadway shows. It was a great trip. I bought only one pipe from Astleys on Jermyn Street. It was a freehand I can't remember the price...

Peretti I understand makes pipes downstairs I would guess some of their pipes are made elsewhere. Tashkent is wonderful and I alternate between Omega, Tashkent and #8 Slices . Cambridge Flake is still a good smoke but I enjoyed it more when it was made by McClellands. Peretti's is a great shop.

Iwan Reis is Chuck Levi not Chuck Levin.......my apology

Before I discuss Barry Levin, I wanted to take you on a side trip to Chicago and Iwan Reis. It was the mid 70's and when I visited this great old shop, I was again in wonder of all the pipes in this store. The pipes on display were all beautiful and the owner Mr Levin was very knowledgable. I...

To clarify, I really never made it out to Columbus to visit Smoker's Haven. I can't tell you how much I regret not going. Upon my return to NJ after the factory manager handed me his tin of "Pure Pleasure" I called Smoker's Haven. I was curious as to the other house blends they offered as...

Rudy It is unfortunate that so many great pipe shops are now history. I have visited Boswells fine shop many times and I have enjoyed their pipes and house blends. I like Railroad Station which is a very nice medium light english. I do know of Mission Pipe Shop but unfortunately when I was...

We had purchased our first house in 1973. My pipe and tobacco collection fit in 4 shoe boxes. Anyway my Father in-law was an accountant and an attorney. He work for the IRS ( Yup ) well, he a friend who was also an attorney. He comes over the house one day and says " I have a friend that...

My first real job required me to visit prospective clients to review their financial statements in order for my company to grant them a line of credit One one occasion, I found myself in Brooklyn New York visiting such a client to be. For some reason I remembered that there was a briar pipe...

NYC was a treasure trove of pipe shops. One of the most unusual shops I visited was Connoisseur Pipe Shop. As I remember, all of the pipes were natural. There were traditional shapes as well as many that were signature pieces of this shop. Although the pipes were unique, many had flaws in the...

A quick Balkan Sobranie story and my first encounter with this blend. It was 1970 and my girlfriend was coming up to my college for a visit. I went to town ( the big city ) which had a Rexall Drug store. I thought I may need what guys carried in their wallets, so I proceed to get a pack of...

Although Schulte's was my go to shop when I was home, I had visited Jelling Pipe Shop in Newark as well as Schoenleber's Pipe Shop also in Newark. Jelling had a nice assortment of pipes many with private label stamps. Some were standard shapes and many of the higher priced pieces had a Danish...