This is the best idea anyone has
come up with
for pipe smokers on the go!
Open the little pack, drop it in
the pipe and start puffin'!
No fuss, no muss and the 'backy is good! This will be anin store promotion only...
Call
888-574-5404 or 561-391-1372 to order. Until stock lasts....

South Florida 2011 Slow Smoking Pipe Competition

Once a year the Boca Raton Pipe Guild has the pleasure of hosting the South Florida Pipe Slow Smoking Competition. Each year its a fun surprise to see who will be the winners. The Boca Pipe Guild is sponsored by Bennington's, the UPCA and Altadis Pipe Tobacco.
The Boca Pipe Guild meets every 2 months and has the pleasure of having met the great icons of pipe carving, national and international and pipe tobacco blending, Peter Stokkebye. May 2011 guest
Call 561-391-1372 for more information

Curing a Hard to Draw Cigar

This is a demonstration of a gadget called the drawpoker. Designed to relieve the cigar smoker of a hard draw smoke, Enjoy!

The 21st Century Pipe Smokers

Smoking a pipe has always been rather romantic for someone who is starting. Many do it as they revisit their memories of a favorite uncle or grandfather. Today many who start young, are starting in College. They don’t come from any specific group. Some are artists, other mathematicians, some are getting degrees in weather science and others will become teachers.

Over 90% are men; women will occasionally become puffers, but not like men. Cigars go down the same road. It seems the taste is not something women like too much.

I’ve seen cigar smokers who switched over to pipes because of the cost of cigars.

I’ve seen cigarette smokers who switched over because of the cost of cigarettes.

I’ve even asked why they started… Because of my uncle, father, grandfather, great grandfather…etc. Because, “I look cool”, “intelligent”, “because it commands respect”.

“Because no one complains of pipe smoking.” That was different!

In fact, certain pipe tobaccos; the aromatics and certain mild English, have aromas that are true head turners. Fruity, nutty, sugary, chocolaty… It elicits memories, warm memories, some from childhood, some from a mentoring teacher or a favorite movie. Yes, a movie! Old Black and white movies always have someone smoking a pipe or lighting up a cigar. “it’s a wonderful life” with Jimmy Stuart, has a great scene at a Barbershop, with an old lighter.

Its also noticeable that a definite increase of College students and young professionals are looking to add a pipe to the baggy pants, tats and piercing. I haven’t seen anyone tracking the number of new young smokers, but sales from pipe tobacco and briar pipes are definitely on the rise.

We will find the 21^st century young pipe smokers with a pipe in one hand and an iphone on the other. Or a pipe held tightly between their teeth as they struggle through a “Prince of Persia” or “Avatar” video game.

Even though the pipe has its origins over 2000 years ago if not more, it has adapted to the times, culture and technology. Even though we can buy pipes entirely made by hand, (these are pieces of art), there are many brands where the smoker can get an excellent pipe made partially by machine and finished by hand or entirely made by machine and smokes amazingly well. As long as the briar is of good quality a fairly well made pipe is a keeper.

Today there are attempts to make pipes out of metal, plastic, glass and who knows what else…many people have tried to reinvent the pipe…but since the advent of the briarwood, there is no other material, except for meerschaum that will produce a decent smoke with any type of tobacco; from Aromatics to heavy English.

I wonder, as I fill my pipe with a new batch of Cherry-Chocolate tobacco…will the pipe smoker of the future look like a Will Robinson in a silver space suit sitting outside his home after a full day trying to catch a comet? Hmmmm….. Sounds fun….

Smokers Bad Breath

For the pipe and cigar smoker, social interaction outside the smoking community, can be rather demanding when it comes to clean breath and palates. Although smokers swear that among themselves, tobacco breath isn’t noticeable. Baloney! We smokers still sense the tobacco breath in each other, but not as strong. So what should we do? Stop smoking? No, we need to find a way to be able to live in both worlds. As a cigar or pipe smoker and as a non smoker too and without going nuts.
Many smokers use Coke ( Coke-Cola) or sparkling water, while there have been those who will use a glass of “Bitter Lemon”. The best is really the sparkling water because its neutral. It will not leave any residual taste.

Based on the tradition of formal dinner and fine dining, guests will be served the famous tangy lemon or lime sorbet. That or a tonic water with a splash of Lime Juice will also do the trick, especially if the pipe or cigar smoker will be tasting different blends. For this particular purpose,
Mouth wash, mints and toothpaste will leave a lingering after taste that can ruin the enjoyment of a good cigar or tobacco blend. The idea is to find something neutral and powerful enough to eradicate that 'backy aroma and/or taste and not create a minty or alcoholic taste in your mouth.
Therefore creamy cheeses, like Camembert, Brie, Blue Cheese, Rockford or Stilton with French bread, is also a great way to cleanse the palate, and its neutral. Its the lactose in the cheeses that will eat up the bacteria causing the funky 'backy taste in your mouth. Will a cup of coffee with milk, like a cappuccino help? Yes, it has milk. What about ice cream? Absolutely! The creamier the better.

But if the purpose is a movie and a dinner, and a some smooching afterwards, brushing your teeth or a swig of mouth wash would completely eradicate the tobacco taste and breath.
Remember, non smokers get turned off by the tobacco breath, or mouth. So do take care of your other half. If they do appreciate your cigar or pipe tobacco smoking, appreciate their non smoking.
And finally here are some home grown suggestions from a few smokers:
- A slice of fresh ginger (like at the sushi bar)
- Any kind of berry or apple will also be quite powerful.
- A few grapes ( the green one)
- anything with a high percentage of alcohol, like Scotch, Brandy, Calvados (made of apple), also
Known as a Normand hole because it burns through whatever the guest may have consumed.
- Peroxide, but don’t swallow, it can induce vomiting.
- Listerine
- A glass of Port
- Biotene mouth wash
- Cigar Clear, made by Altadis. A breath cleanser not a freshener. Created by a dentist.