It was a typical Saturday. I’d been meandering through the house smoking a pipe and carrying a toolbox, trying to look like I was accomplishing something with door hinges or stair rails so my wife wouldn’t give me a real assignment, like digging out the driveway’s drainage pipe or doing battle with the Screaming Peruvian […]
by Neill Archer Roan I thought I knew Jeff Gracik. I met him when he was still in graduate school and just starting out as a pipemaker. I’ve bought pipes from him over the years, shared meals with him and watched his development. But nearly twelve hours together convinced me I was mistaken. Not only […]
by Regis McCafferty It was raining—a November, Kentucky rain that threatened snow—not heavy, but steady, and the layer of cinders on the road was mixing in the mud underneath. He slogged on through it, water squishing in and out of his boots with each step, finally reaching the wooden steps that led up to the […]
If you’re an American pipe smoker, there’s a good chance you might not have heard Karsten Tarp’s name before. A pipemaker for almost 40 years, Tarp is one of the best-kept secrets of European pipemakers. Part of his relative anonymity stems from Tarp’s own somewhat shy and humble demeanor. The 57-year-old Dane is clearly uncomfortable […]
Often, by way of an introduction, I like to refer to stories that have appeared in previous issues of Pipes and tobaccos magazine, especially if my essay parallels, augments or complements an earlier article with a similar theme. This is one of those occasions. “Art Pipes,” John Scotello’s illustrated article in the fall 2002 issue, […]
If Alex Florov had been a professional boxer, he could be compared to Muhammad Ali. That’s not to say that Florov is the greatest pipemaker of all time—who could make such a claim? However, Florov’s pipes are as graceful as Ali’s boxing skills. As Ali easily glided around the boxing ring mesmerizing opponents and spectators […]
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