Once again the greatest pipe show on earth has come and gone. Chicago 2013 was the place to see old friends and meet new ones alike. Quite unfortunately, yours truly was unable to attend the event this year but after looking at these pictures and speaking to several people who attended, it really feels like [...]
All pipe-makers and their work naturally evolve over time. Things change within their work and sometimes you can literally see the step by step, natural transitions that such an idea takes and you can watch as it slowly evolves and goes from one place to another & then another. The evolution expresses itself in all [...]
Its nice to know that if a pipe maker ever becomes flustered with difficult thoughts related to what type of shape they should make next, they can always breath at least a small sigh of relief knowing that we also have the pipe’s exterior, or it’s skin to experiment and play with as well. It [...]
Dear Readers, The site has clearly been on a temporary break for some time. Clearly for good reason though. Some of the reasons are connected to the new business venture I am involved in, coupled with a full blown move down to Los Angeles for said business and finally there are some additional personal reasons [...]
I found my way to the joy of pipe tobacco after many years as a self described cigar aficionado. Rather than starting out as many new pipe smokers do in the world of aromatics, it was a natural progression for me to jump right into the world of English blends. I soon found [...]
If you have had the opportunity to attend a pipe show here in North America over the past couple of years, it would be hard not to notice the classical revival of young, enthusiastic new pipe makers that are making their...
It sure isn’t me. I picked mine up a while ago. I can however imagine that a good few of you may have not done the same, yet. Seeing as how we all need calendars for the full year coming up, now is a good a time as any to...
The Russian pipe community is going strong, both in their incredible surge of new and exciting carvers, as well as within their pipe smoking & pipe collecting community. Russia is a country that has always been in many ways...
Sorry about the delay in getting this up here everyone. It was much more work than I anticipated, mainly because when you are in Las Vegas and living ‘Las Vegas’ hours, well…you can imagine. To give you a roug...
We are now at the end. This is the last of the 3 interviews done in honor of the West Coast Pipe Show happening in Las Vegas this coming weekend. All of the 3 interviews and the work connected to them started more than 4 months...
Not going to the West Coast Pipe Show this weekend? Feeling a little left out? Kinda wishing you could be there? Well don’t get too upset if you can’t make it because if you like, you can now get as close to the sho...
Jeff Gracik has realized his goal of becoming a ‘top of his class’ pipe maker. The target of his one track mind has always been to perfect each and every shape in the chart and making sure he executes them as faithf...
Michael Parks is one of the most talented North American pipe makers working today. His work vibrates with an aura of unique customized authenticity. He represents the classical side of pipes with a calm and confident yet very ...
Now that our friends in Richmond have completed their always successful show, it is time to start talking about the next pipe show on all of our calendar’s, the West Coast Pipe Show in Las Vegas on November 5th & 6th. The...
In my mind, the pipe absolutely and positively, does not at all start & stop with the briar. For me the pipe starts with the briar and ends with the stem. The importance of the stem both as our main sensory/tactile connecti...
As a collector, my general pipe buying habit can be summarized as follows. I see a pipe I like, I know I want to have it and I go about the process of making it mine. Sometimes though, the pipe that I want is not available. Som...
NASPC was founded in 1993. Since then we have grown to over 1,000 members who live in nearly every state in the U.S. and in Canada and Europe.
NASPC produces a major swap/sell pipe show at the end of August in Columbus, OH.
Our major effort however, is The Pipe Collector, our bi-monthly (6x a year) newsletter, which is available in printed form or in a PDF email version. All Pipe Collector copy is written by the members, who write articles covering any and all aspects of pipe smoking and pipe collecting. Recent member articles have been written by the likes of Fred Hanna, Rick Newcombe, Marty Pulvers, Regis McCafferty, Richard Esserman and many more. In addition, each issue of The Pipe Collector contains a list of pipe shops and businesses that offer discounts to NASPC members.
NASPC yearly dues are $18 for US members, $22 for Canadian members and $37 for overseas members. If you would rather read The Pipe Collector on your computer, we offer the same 6 issues a year in PDF format for only $10. Paypal (bill@naspc.org) is accepted for quick sign-up convenience, but you must add $1 for PayPal fees.
Please visit our website at www.naspc.org to learn how to order and also learn about the many other NASPC member advantages. We thank you for your support.