While I’m not too terribly keen on the subheading of their article (“Despite Risks, More Young People Light Up; 'It Looked Like the Coolest Thing Ever'”) it is a pretty good piece overall. The timing of their article coincides with International Pipe Smoking Day so hopefully you’ll all break out your pipes and smoke a bowl or two!

Early on in the article they point out that:

Friday is International Pipe-Smoking Day, when a number of puffers will unite to protest tobacco taxes and smoking bans. They will also engage in slow-smoking competitions to see who can keep a pipe going the longest. Each contestant is given just two matches. Events, which will go on all weekend, are promoted by the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association.

The resurgence of pipe smoking with young adults is something that we have long supported here at the Tobacco Barn. Tom has become a go-to source for young pipe smokers in the area; coming to the lounge to learn how to do this activity correctly and enjoyable. Howard, a long-time customer and new employee, has also been spotted teaching young pups about their new pipes and tools and tobaccos.

"They're eager to learn," says 71-year-old Vernon E. Vig, president of the New York Pipe Club and the United Pipe Clubs of America. Mr. Vig started smoking a pipe as an undergrad at Carleton College 53 years ago. "Back then, everyone smoked a pipe," Mr. Vig says. His group, which meets monthly in Manhattan, has seen a definite increase in college students and young professionals, he says.

They also point out that the increase in pipe tobacco sales, despite continued shrinkage in cigarette sales:

But sales of pipe tobacco are rising again after years of decline, and many think young smokers are the reason. U.S. sales of pipe tobacco plummeted to 4.9 million pounds in 2006, from 52 million pounds in 1970, says Norman Sharp, president of the Cigar Association of America. Sales climbed to 5.3 million pounds in 2008. Pipe tobacco and smokeless tobacco sales are on the rise, offsetting over a decade of decreases in cigarette sales.

Let’s just hope that the latest federal tax increases on tobacco products, courtesy of the SCHIPs program, won’t dampen this increase. Now is the time for pipe smokers to stock up on their favorite pipe tobacco as prices will be going up as of April 1st. Not only will tobacconists need to recoup the cost of the tax on newly purchased bulk and tin pipe tobacco, but the provisions of the bill will be collecting an as yet unspecified “floor tax” which is a retroactive tax applied to all taxes already sitting on tobacconist’s shelves. Keep an eye out for an upcoming sales on pipe tobacco to help “clear the floors” and reduce the impact of these tax increases in the coming weeks.

Check out the full article: The Latest Thing They're Smoking in Pipes on College Campuses: Tobacco

Yes, now you too have the opportunity to become one of the few, the proud, the fans of the Tobacco Barn on our newly launched FaceBook page. That’s right, the Tobacco Barn now has a presence one of the fastest growing and hottest social networking sites for adults. Yes, you must be at least 18 to become a fan but fans of all ages can come to this page and check out the latest pictures, comments, discussions and events all from the comfort of your own wall FaceBook.

Our hope is that this will become a virtual extension of our non-membership lounge where people of fine character (and a few low characters too) can network and share ideas any time of the day or night.

Not a FaceBook member yet? Not to worry, you can still visit our page and view the upcoming events and many of the other features of this page. However, you’ve got nothing to lose by joining FaceBook and “fanning” us. Who knows, you might be able find the next big business deal or reconnect with lost friends through this service.

So check us out at http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Lake-Forest-CA/Tobacco-Barn/60402654768 and become our fan!

From time to time we get people that ask us about the pipe they’ve found or that someone has handed down to them. When we get great example pipes, I’d like to share them with you all here. In this case, I’m not sure where they got it but it is a great example of a well colored pipe:

Wow Carol, I must say, this looks to be a great pipe you've got there.

This is an example of a pipe that most likely dates from the turn of the last century. It is a smooth bulldog with gold accents. Overall, it is a fairly short pipe; what we would call a "nose-warmer" today.

The meerschaum bowl and shank appear to be exceptionally well colored. It is a little hard to tell from the pictures but I'm guessing that the color or the bowl/shank are a deep, rich brown; perhaps with a slight reddish cast to it? This is the sign of a pipe that has been lovingly smoked and taken care of over a long period of time. This particular pipe started out life as white as a sheet of writing paper and took on this color over time as the meerschaum (actually the wax/oil coating on the surface of the pipe) absorbed the color from the process of smoking this great pipe.

Since it appears to still have the original stem on it and from the markings you indicated, the stem is most likely made of amber which is rare. I can see bite marks on the mouthpiece but it doesn't appear to have been adversely worn down.

Again, working from pictures, it appears that the exterior leather finish on the customer-fitted case has been worn off and is down to the wood. Is that true?

The logo on the case indicates that it is from the William Demuth Company (http://www.pipetrader.com/Wiki/Default.aspx?page=William%20Demuth%20Company), which helps date it.

Best guess is that you could probably get in excess of $2-300 for this pipe if you were able to find the right buyer on a direct sale. You might have better luck selling this via an antique auction house as it would probably have value to an antique collector than to a pipe smoker. As with many items like this, if this was handed down to you via a relative or friend, its sentimental value would far outweigh it's value to a collector.

If you were looking to sell it, your best bet would be through PipeTrader, eBay or any number of different pipe collecting forums on the web. This is the type of item that we COULD try and sell for you on consignment and Ron can give you more details on this if you'd like. Chances are good that your local tobacconist would not have the type of traffic through the store that would truly appreciate and spend top dollar for an item such as this.

Best of luck and thanks so much for sharing these images with us!

MJG