Show Report by Bob Palermo

The 15th Edition of the March 'New York' show was held in beautiful Newark, NJ on March 10th, at the Ramada Airport Hotel. Seems like just the other day that the first show took place at New York's Pennsylvania Hotel in 1993.  A lot has changed since then -- not only were we thrown out of New York after 1994, but New Jersey has now passed smoking restrictions similar to those in NYC (effective since the June '05 event), and show attendees can no longer smoke in the hall, restaurant, or any other public areas. This did not stop a decent crowd of 80 pipe fans from showing up and having fun buying, trading, and looking at pipes. Co-directors Sam Barnett and Rich Esserman did a great job, as usual, in putting this show on.

Rich Esserman

It was a great weekend for me personally, beginning on Thursday night when I drove down to the hotel to have dinner with Chuck Rio and Jerry Torrance of Chicago, whom I had not seen since last March. I was sharing a table with Chuck on Saturday and sold several pipes, generating enough funds to enable me to make a few acquisitions. Rather than dwell on my own activities during the weekend, I'd like to give my general impressions of the show itself; although any report such as this is bound to reflect personal tastes and interests.

Bob & Harold with Tom Colwell's Pipes

Although a few exhibitors who traditionally attend in March were absent, enough did come to make it worthwhile. As usual, there was an eclectic mix of dealers, pipe-makers, and collectors. Besides Sam and Rich, NYPC member Art Goldfeder also had pipes for sale; and Ron Colter came up from Virginia with a large and varied selection of used wood. Harold Suretsky was manning two tables full of the late Tom Colwell's boxes of pipes, and brought many more pieces than in December.

Bill and Louise - Somebody call Jay!

Jay and Louise Jones were there as always with many great vintage pipes, in addition to showing what's left of the Tom Dunn Collection. Much of Tom's holdings have already been sold, but there is still some material remaining of considerable historical interest to collectors; including original artwork for some of the features in The Pipe Smoker's Ephemeris. David Field and Janice Peverly had a marvelous display of Radice Becker, Joura, Il Ceppo, and Don Carlos pipes.

David Field & Janice Peverly

The other 'regulars' in attendance were Premal Chedda of Smokers Haven in Ohio, who always brings avariety of new and used pipes in addition to those GREAT tobaccos that they sell (long live 'Exotique'!); Don Seatter of James Island Piper (more on this later); and Matt Hayes of John B. Hayes Tobacconists of Virginia, whose tables are always a highlight of the Newark show.In addition to his usual fascinating display of pre-smoked pipes, I was particularly impressed by the selection of pieces from Tonino Jacono of Italy. First-rate stuff!

I'm sure that everyone who was present was pleased by the return of Bob Hamlin, who came back to Newark in December and was there again in March.In the early-to-mid 1990s, Bob offered an amazing selection of pipes through his monthly mailers; including an unparalleled choice of Castello’s at great prices.The Castello pipe still seems to be his mainstay, at least so far; although he also brought a nice variety of estate pipes including Charatan, Becker, and Dunhill.

The Habana Premium shop of Albany, NY, came with a bunch of affordable pre-smoked pipes, and also had samples of their "Hearth & Home" tobacco blends which are now available in tins. If you haven't tried their "Sunjammer" mixture, you should.Also, you should consider attending the show they are putting on in Albany on April 21st. Unfortunately, I cannot be there because of work commitments; but I did go to their FIRST show back in April of 2000, and had a great time.If this year's show is half as much fun, it will be well worth the trip.

Dr. Phil Brown & Steve Monjure

Steve Monjure brought along his usual tables-full of Ardor and Rinaldo pipes, including a HUGE Ardor saucer that I could barely get my hand around, and the top of this pipe was literally covered with birds-eye. We've all seen great birds-eye on smaller pipes; but in something of this size the effect was stunning. I'd like to mention how much fun I am having with the custom tamper that Steve had Dorelio Rovera make for me - a figural head of the American author H. P. Loveraft. I also want to say something about the tobacco brands that Monjure International sells; which I feel are largely overlooked. Everyone knows about the rich and complex J.J. Fox "The Bankers" blend; but the Brebbia "Preludio" and the Solani "Blend 779" are also fine English mixtures, which are flavorful and satisfying without being overwhelming. The Robert Lewis "Tree Mixture" and "123" blend are very good as well.

Maxim Engel came down from Toronto with some interesting new Ferndowns, and a nice grouping of the new "Northern Briar" brand. These latter pipes are made in England and feature traditional English styling and shapes, in smooth or rusticated finishes. There was a tan carved panel pipe that caught my eye, and a nicely-grained smooth billiard with a silver band. Figural carver extraordinaire Bart Antoniewski was represented by Mr. Mark, who in addition was displaying an interesting collection of freehand Kaywoodies with the "thumbhole" style carving that utilizes an entire eubachon and maintains most of the plateaux.

Tom Hynick

Pipemaker Tim Hynick came down from Massachusets. Mike Lindner was showing a gorgeous bent that combined elements of both the old and new Danish styles, one of the highlights of the show; and Neil Flancbaum (Smokin’ Holsters) featured examples of his well-made and handsome leather pipe cases. He also had a stack of those marvelous and inexpensive ($10) leather pipe sleeves that he makes.I picked up a few as I always do, and am hoping eventually to get most of my collection into them -- although this will probably involve a couple of custom orders from Neil. I know that there were other exhibitors that I've missed here; but as usual I was in 'pipe overload' for the entire day and my notes are no doubt incomplete.

As mentioned earlier, perennial show supporter Don Seatter was there, and in addition to his usual little-bit-of-everything displays, he was also showing the pipes of Danish makers Benni Jorgensen and his son, Lasse Skovgaard. I first became aware of the then-21-year-old Lasse's work at the CORPS show in 2005. His pipes were impressive and, given Danish pricing standards, surprisingly affordable.In a report on that show for The Pipe Collector, I told folks that they should buy his pipes now, because he would only get better and the price would go up. After meeting Lasse in Don's room on Friday night, and looking closely the pipes he had brought, I began to think that this might be a good time to take my own advice. I'm not sorry I did. Not only does this young man have real talent, but his style incorporates several features that are appreciated by American smokers. For one thing, his pipes have a chamber which is always proportional to the size of the bowl and thickness of the walls. Also, he offers a variety of size choices.And prices ran the gamut: from a small blasted bent for $185, to an LX-size smooth 'ballerina' at $1650.

Don Seatter & Dave Bull

On Saturday I chose one of Lasse's pipes for myself; and the real revelation came when I fired it up at the 'after party' that evening. Smoking this pipe was as easy as breathing101. And while the cost was a bit more than I usually spend on a pipe, had it come from one of the better-known Danish makers one could expect to pay 4 or 5 times as much, for a piece of this size and quality. I reiterate what I said back in 2005 -- check Lasse's work out now. Even if the prices stay reasonable (which they still are), in a few years he will be swamped with orders!

As usual, the fun ended all too soon. The anti-smoking rules were bothersome to some but not critical, as there was plenty of smoking and socializing in various rooms on Friday and Saturday evenings. As long as we don't let the B@#$%&*s get us down, the next show in September will be just as enjoyable. See you all then.