TAPS 14th Pipe and Tobacciana Expo

The Triangle Area Pipe Smokers (TAPS) had its 14th Pipe and Tobacciana Expo. on Saturday, April 14th and it was a resounding success, by all accounts. Follow up with the vendors afterward showed most had a very good show.
Despite the formidable anti-smoking sentiment in N.C., the Expo. had a “walk-in” crowd in excess of 200. Plans are already underway for our 15th Expo. next year.

The winner of the “Best Professionally Carved Pipe” was Bob Hayes of Bob Hayes Pipes.

IPSD in Poland

Similar to other countries Poland also celebrated International Day for the pipe-smokers (IPSD). The main event was a conference in city Gdansk. Other clubs, Śląski Klub Fajki Katowice (Silesia Pipe Club Katowice) and Klub Kolekcjonerów Fajki – Poznań (The Pipe Collector Club Poznań) made also celebrations. Below are summary reports.

Gdańsk, February 19, 2011
The central ceremony was held in Gdansk. The main event was a conference on the theme of pipe and tobacco, entitled “Education and Traditional Medicine,” and a competition-tasting blend of herbal tobacco substitutes. About 60 people attended the lecture, and some of them (38 competitors) took part in contest.

Katowice, February 20, 2011
In Katowice (Silesia) , Snorkel Club celebrated the feast of the world’s pipe-smokers (IPSD) meeting at Tucher’s Pub. During the meeting a pipe smoking contest was held. The meeting was attended by 10 people. Full information with pictures can be found at the SKF – Katowice club web here.

Poznan, February 20, 2011
Members of The Pipe Collectors Club Poznan met at a ceremonial meeting. We listened to the text appeal of the Vancouver Pipe Club about IPSD, and then raised a toast. Next we lighted a pipes with one common candle. 17 people attended the meeting. Participants of the meeting are immortalized on a commemorative photograph. The festive atmosphere of the meeting can be seen in the pictures here.

Fresno Pipe Club March Newsletter

Message from President Dennis:
The subject of last month’s “show and tell” time was ‘Getting Started.’ We had a new Sutliff Tobacco Blend that the members sampled as we sat around the circle and listened to each attendee share a fond memory from days gone by about how he or she got started smoking a pipe. It was enjoyable to hear from many whose Dads actually helped get them started, some who had traded in cigarettes for a pipe, and some who just picked up an inexpensive pipe at some point in life and found that they really enjoyed smoking it. Several people brought either their first pipe or one they had procured early on in their smoking careers, and the accounts of Amphora, Sir Walter Raleigh, Borkum Riff, Field and Stream, Mixture 79 and other Drug Store blends from years ago were amusing and nostalgic. It was also good to hear from about a half-dozen men who had just started pipe smoking within the last six years and are thoroughly enjoying both smoking and collecting pipes. Everyone enjoyed the casual time, and I hope to see you all there this Sunday at Cigars Ltd. at 6 pm.

St. Patrick’s Meeting
As we often do this time of year, we will celebrate the “wearin’ o’ the green” by bringing and displaying our pipes of Irish origin at our March meeting. Irish pipe tobacco is also welcome for comment or for sharing (hint, hint). An added feature, and one that fits the Irish theme, will be for members and guests to show off any clay pipes they have, old or new.

A further step will be to wear any Irish togs one might have lying about. That Dublin Rangers rugby shirt in the back of the closet or wool cable sweater in the cedar chest would be just the thing! (As for me, my Donegal tweed newsboy hat will do nicely.)

Next Meeting: Sunday, March 20th at 6:00 P.M. at Cigars Ltd., Fresno

Seattle Pipe Club’s 10th Anniversary

See story and pictures at pipesmagazine.com.

5th Annual Southeast Regional Pipe Smoking Contest

On March 24th at 8:00 PM, the Boca Raton Pipe Guild will be holding the fifth annual Southeast Regional Pipe Smoking contest. It is open to all. The entrance fee is $15.00. This fee is waived for members of the Boca Raton Pipe Guild. The event will be held at the West Boca Moose Lodge, 131 N. Powerline Rd and Deerfield Beach Blvd. For more information call 561-391-1372 or email chris@bocaratonpipeguild.com

New York Pipe Club March Newsletter

Please attend our March meeting, where we’ll be tasting two Solani tobaccos, courtesy of our friend Steve Monjure of Monjure International. Blend 633 – A classic flake with bright Virginias and perique. This cool, slow burning blend has a natural sweetness and a wonderful room aroma. Solani Aged Burley Flake – Blend 656- A skillful mixture of three aged Burley’s – dark brown Burley from Kentucky, light Burley from Brazil, and white Burley from Malawi – Southeast Africa. A very natural blend with absolutely no additives or flavors – a true Burley blend.

Our own club celebration of International Pipe Smoking Day was held on February 19th at De La Concha. Pictures are in the Photos section, thanks to Patrick. There are also shots from our February meeting, so please check them out.

Of course, coming right up is the next New York Pipe Show, the 18th (or is it 19th?) Annual Pipe Convention, set for March 12, 2011 in Newark, NJ. Read all about it in our News section, and the Calendar even has a map to the location. We’re very fortunate to have two pipe shows in our area annually, so please come out to the show. See you there!

Please join us at the next meeting, March 8th, at Florio’s Restaurant, 192 Grand Street, Manhattan (212-226-7610). Further details and a map to the location are available on the club website.

Announcing the CORPS 27th Annual Exposition

October 7-9, 2011 (Columbus Day weekend holiday – which allows a lot of people to be off from work on Monday – which will allow more people to come to the show)! It is in a new place – a new Hilton hotel (with a spa and Shula’s Steakhouse) – and YES you can smoke in the Expo hall, as ever in Virginia! The hotel is in the new, huge, shopping area west of Richmond – so the ladies will love being able to go to the upscale mall/shopping centers!

You can get the information on our web site here:

Registration forms are at the bottom of the page and there is a link tomake your room reservations on-line!!!

We hope to see you there!

Briar Club News

The Briar Club of North Texas is alive and well. We had our IPSD celebration a week late due to schedule conflicts, but it was fun anyway. The focus tobacco was the new Jack Knife Plug by GLP. I think we all walked away with a dizzy head, but it was tasty.

The club eagerly awaits out club pipes from Kaywoodie due to arrive by 3/15, the next regular club meeting. We will have a slow smoking contest that evening, featuring the new pipes and the interesting pipe blend Rambak Balkan.

Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club March On-Line Gazette

The March edition of the SHPC Gazette is now online here.

IPSD 2011 in Japan