Anyone remember the old Edwards Pipe shops from the 70s/80s?

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monbla256

monbla256

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Any of you folks who were smoking pipes back in the late 70's into the 80's remember the chain of pipe shops named Edwards that were all across the US at that time? They were where I started my early pipe smoking after I got started while overseas. I remember that they only sold "Algerian Briar" pipes, all done in a natural finish, even the sandblasts ( they looked alot like Dunhill's Tanshells ) and had about 5/6 grades as well as they only sold their own blends in bulk. No tinned tobaccos at that time at their stores. I still have 6 of their pipes, all top grades, no fills and all with saddle bits. 2 are blasts, one bent bulldog and one straight and two others smooth and one real long Canadian ( almost a 7" shank) and another nice smooth Apple. I smoked a hell of a lot of their "Scottish Moor" blend back then in those pipes! I see they still have a shop here in Dallas but don't list any of their own blends, at least with the names they had then. Just curious if any of you remember them :p
 
There's a great Edwards here, in Colorado. It's in Englewood, a suburb south of Denver, and it is the best pipe store in Colorado. The store is a true gem, very worth a visit: excellent assortment of bulk and tinned blends, good array of pipes of all price ranges, and very friendly and helpful staff. They still have the Edwards bulk blends, and they're all good quality tobacco. Yes, I like Scottish Moor and still smoke it occasionally (Colonial and Bishop Burley are two others that I also like). I've also noticed their pipes. They look like a good deal for the price, but I never scrutinized them enough to really form a definitive opinion. I guess I'll have to do that in my next visit.
 
I remember them vaguely. There were so many b & m tobacconists at that time, at least compared to now. I used to travel all over and often made it a point to stop in at any tobacconist I could locate in the yellow pages for whatever city I was in. As I remember, they varied quite a bit in quality and inventory.
 
Didn't one of the Texas stores send out monthly glossy black/white catalogs of estate pipes? I wish I'd saved all mine. I'd love to see those scanned and blogged. There were many, many amazing pipes in those things. Big oil liked to spend big cash on top shelf pipes. At the time, you didn't see pipes like that except in private collections. Not even pipe shows had that kind of high-end pipe selection.
 
Zeno Marx":cudgtzfz said:
Didn't one of the Texas stores send out monthly glossy black/white catalogs of estate pipes? I wish I'd saved all mine. I'd love to see those scanned and blogged. There were many, many amazing pipes in those things. Big oil liked to spend big cash on top shelf pipes. At the time, you didn't see pipes like that except in private collections. Not even pipe shows had that kind of high-end pipe selection.
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I used to go to the old Preston road store back then and I remember those catalogs as well. Color printing was expensive back then so most catalogs were done in B&W, as most of us watched TV as well !! :x ( we lived deprived lives back then ! ) The only "pipe show" I ever heard anyone refer to at that time was the commercial tobacco retailing trade shows. We did'nt consider ourselves as "collectors", just guys who liked pipes and tobacco's :eek:
 
Edwards house blends are still available online at www.edwardsfc.com
out of Fort Collins, CO. ( Including Scottish Moor ). They still have pipes, but not the selection of yesteryear.
 
Edwards is still around in various cities. The original Edwards store is in Tampa, Florida. Tampa was also the headquarters of their warehouse facility where they carved their pipes and cured them. They were all oil cured back then. For a time in the 70's and perhaps into the 80's they had a facility in St. Claude France where some pipes were made.
Back in the old days they were just pipes but they have gone big time into Cigars. That's where the money is, I guess.
They had and have a tobacco bar and free coffee. I hung out there while in college with a bunch of "regulars". We solved many a world's problem around the old bar and I bet they still are. Fun times.
The Tampa store has a website though it never was very good.
There was also a franchise store in Miami run by Herb Stein ? but he retired in the 80's and the shop closed.
 
Of course im not but 26, but I bought an edwards pipe (estate), in memphis, Bout 2 months ago. It says algerian briar, edwards, and im assuming grade s. With a key, my pipe broker(lol), told me that they graded there pipes with an alphabet system and a key emblem. Its a freehand, smooth with nice straight grain, 15/16th bowl diameter, and a lfittle over 2 inches deep. Its a good 2 hr smoke. It has a red lucite stem as well.
 
You can still buy their pipes at EDWARDSTOBACCO.COM they are reasonably priced and if they still smoke like the almost 40 year old that I have they are a good value.

Bob H
 
McCranie's in Charlotte when they first started out back in 1979 was an Edward's store. They still carry the Edward's tobaccos. Also they still carry the pipes and I can vouch for their great smoking qualities as I have 9 of the pipes in question. For the money they are a hidden gem.
 
I just aquired an Edwards pipe 6" slight bent kinda tomato shape flat bottom with a ridge in the front, very faint on the bit near the tenon says "France" kind odd but simple design. good size bowl I can put my thumb in it.

I'm gonna guess it may be one of the St Claude made Edwards mentioned in the reply by Contrarian. I just got it cleaned and polished this eve, Maybe I should hunt down some Edwards tobacco for the first smoke in it.

That would be grand bringing an old pipe back into service with tobacco from the same company that put it to service years back, Like a reunion of old friends.

So I reckon I need to order some Edwards.. Scottish Moor eh? :scratch:
 
R.A.":0u2whe7h said:
I just aquired an Edwards pipe 6" slight bent kinda tomato shape flat bottom with a ridge in the front, very faint on the bit near the tenon says "France" kind odd but simple design. good size bowl I can put my thumb in it.

I'm gonna guess it may be one of the St Claude made Edwards mentioned in the reply by Contrarian. I just got it cleaned and polished this eve, Maybe I should hunt down some Edwards tobacco for the first smoke in it.

That would be grand bringing an old pipe back into service with tobacco from the same company that put it to service years back, Like a reunion of old friends.

So I reckon I need to order some Edwards.. Scottish Moor eh? :scratch:
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I remember that shape well. It was in their upper priced lines and like all of their pipes it was made from Algerian briar. They also made a Balkan style blend which was BETTER than the Scottish Moor and I'm given to understand they still make it. Let us know what you think about your pipe. I have 6 of 'em and they ALL are GREAT smoking pipes :D
 
As was mentioned by a couple of people. There are a few in Colorado. One is about a mile from my house in Fort Collins, CO. It's a nice shop. They are bigger into cigars now but the pipe section at the one here has grown quit a bit in the past few months. I was in there the other day as they were unloading a bunch of new petersons's and savinelli's. It was had not to pick any of them up but I had just bought a new churchwarden and some of their house blend tobacco's. Some of their house blends are very good. They have one called "Pirates Den" that I like a lot as well as "Collins Comfort" (named for Fort Collins, don't know if you can get it from any of their other stores.)

If you ever feel like you need some of the Scottish Moor or anything let me know and I can take the couple minutes it takes to go down to the shop. I haven't tried the Scottish Moor, may give me something new to try.

 
I've an Edwards full bent that I got from a bud back in Mil, WI when he gave up pipes in the 90s. It's stamped "Algerian Briar" and I don't know much more about it, except it smoke well.


Cheers,

RR
 
I know Edward's more by their blend, 'Blue Ridge', than anything...it's a very, very good Burley blend. I've also had a pipe or two of theirs from time to time...all having been very good performers.
 
Blackhorse":x4gobec0 said:
I know Edward's more by their blend, 'Blue Ridge', than anything...it's a very, very good Burley blend.
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Thanks for the suggestion. I don't think the local Edwards shop carries it, but I'll be sure to ask about it next time I go there.
 
I dont remember them but I do have one in my collection...I will post a pic tomorrow.
 
anyone know the Edward's pipe grading system? what symbols mean. what the numbers mean. is a "1" the best?
 
Zeno Marx":c3u5p74g said:
anyone know the Edward's pipe grading system? what symbols mean. what the numbers mean. is a "1" the best?
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I bought all mine back in the mid '70s and as I recall, their grading went up numericaly. Out of mine I have 2 that are numbered 8 and the others are 5s and all are nice cross grains and none have fills . I'm not knowledgeable about what they do today. As to what any other stampings other than the shape # which was usually stamped under the ALGERIAN BRIAR I don't know. I've got one on my desk right now a nice cross grain SB Bulldog with lots of birds eye that is stamped 720-L for style # and 5 on the bottom and I know I bought this one back in '72 when my daughter was born. No fills and is probably one of my top 10 smoking pipes I own.
 
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