•By Ben Rapaport • Pipes from the Dr. Sarunas Peckus collection; photography by Darius Peckus• There are good pipes … and there are great pipes! Personally, I get great satisfaction in a story told, a case argued, a puzzle untangled. This is one of those occasions. As a student of pipe history, I have a [...]
The singular purpose in writing this article is to encourage every pipe aficionado—smoker, collector, historian, researcher and tradesman—to consider making a written contribution to pipe lore. Ben Rapaport Through the years I have met some pretty savvy pipe experts and enthusiasts who have the intelligence, knowledge, know-how and passion for this hobby, and I know [...]
Ben Rapaport examines a phenomenon in the collecting hobby. Ben Rapaport In Rudy Koshar’s Histories of Leisure (2002), Dr. Matthew Hilton of the University of Birmingham, England, argues that in the 20th century, “Smokers became public collectors, of literary anecdotes, of pipes, tobacco boxes, cigars, ornamental snuff boxes, and later cigarette cards.” I have the [...]
19th century pipe designs, inventions and contrivances not destined for prime time Ben Rapaport Twenty years ago, longtime clay tobacco pipe collector and close friend, S. Paul Jung Jr., and I collaborated on a two-year research endeavor that resulted in the publication in 1987 of the limited-edition (250 copies) 19th Century Patents, Designs and Trademarks [...]
Auction houses are not often considered as viable places to buy and sell tobacco-related items, but they should be. Ben Rapaport “A pipe is a relatively uncommon object in the habits of most people, and it can be considered an example of niche behaviour. This elitist character makes a pipe a ‘cult’ object able to [...]
Why the Age of Steal? The measure of U.S. economic power in the last quarter of the 19th century was steel, the miracle metal. That very distinctive era was known as the steel age, the gilded age or, as a few historians characterized the period, “when America came of age.” It was also a notorious [...]
Before you begin to read, know that this is not another self-serving “how-to-get-more-fun-from-your-briar-pipe” tutorial, nor a testimonial for which pipes and tobaccos are the best buys, nor my personal opinion of that popular blog, “Take a look at this outstanding briar that I just bought on eBay!” I’ve been around this hobby for slightly more [...]
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