Well back from the Richmond Pipe Show and it was excellent. It was well attended both by vendors and walk in traffic. There was a nice balance of pipes, both estate and pipe crafters, and tobacco. I am a member of the International Charatan Pipe Collectors and we had our forum where just Charatan collectors exhibited there pipes and what a collection. Here is a gathering of the finest Charatan pipes one can see, ranging from Distinctions to Crown Achievements. Bobby Eichorn is our new president and showed his spectacular collection. Fred Goldring was our featured speaker and did a great job of reviewing his involvement with this great pipe and also spoke of his love of Balkan Sobreni tobacco and of course has a huge collection of this old wonderful tobacco. I had the privilege of meeting Rick Patton, also a Charatan collector, who has a military history and has a passion for the history of black men in the military and has specialized in the Buffalo company and what a wealth of knowledge he possesses. Cornell and Diel have developed 4 special blends in honor of these wonderful men. As usual I loved the pipe show for the terrific friendships and comradeship that always can be found at these shows. Come to Las Vegas!!!!!
PICS from left to right 1 the show floor 2 rows of pipes 3 proof I was there!! 4 enjoying each other and a bowlfull 5 Charatan forum 6 Cup and Saucer Supreme S from Goldrings collection 7 very high end Charatans from Eichorn collection 8 large collection Hawkbills (note my 3 pipes lower right)
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FIGHTING THE CRUSADERS
Check out a website called The Pipe Smoker’s Intelligencer. Fred Brown and Craig Tarler have beefed up the counter to the anti-smoking nonsense. Fred is a newspaper man and does a great job with a newspaper format featuring as much fact as possible. I have contributed and will be a regular (as much as I can) as “Dr Bob’s Diagnosis” which will come from the medical information side. It is found at www.pipesmokersintelligencer.org To win this battle against the crusaders, be informed!!!!
Winter presses on here in Vermont but we are all bummed out as there is no snow. I see brown out there and this is not winter in Vermont. Someone recently told me they may take their snowmobile to Washington!!!
Dr Bob
CHANGES IN KIESS PIPES
I have changed the name of Kiess Pipes to DR BOB PIPES. As a pipe maker and a doctor who smokes, I want to make a statement about the relative safety of pipe smoking. Also I want to make a statement against the onerous anti smoking laws that are omnipresent in this nation. Please see some changes in nomenclature in the PIPES section and in the STAMPING section.
Las Vegas Show
I recently attended the West Coast Pipe Show at the Palace Station Casino in Vegas. This was the first show there and it was great. The show was created by Mary Pulvers and Steve O’Neal and they a wonderful job for a first show. The venue was great as it provided lots to do. The rooms at the Palace were very nice with great views of town and were smoking. The show was well attended with over 100 vendors and about 200 walk-ins. You can visit the website at www.westcoastpipeshow.com as this was a great site that was well crafted by David Migdal and had interviews of the vendors providing the history of the collectors and pipe makers. While the show room on Sat and Sun was no smoking, the state rescinded the no smoking law to allow the casino to make their own decision on smoking and will probably be smoking next year. Being close to the Strip was great as we could visit all the grand casinos and they were all magnificent. Of course you could drop lots of cash if you were so inclined. Eating was terrific with so many venues to choose from. I will be back next year and I encourage you to attend.
