Tucked away in downtown Chicago, Iwan Ries & Co. has quietly stood the test of time as one of America’s oldest family-owned tobacconists. Founded in 1857, the shop has been…
When it comes to the world of premium tobacco and smoking accessories, few names carry as much weight as the Arango Cigar Company Co. Established in 1932, this family-owned company…
In the fall of 1999, while a student at Vanderbilt University and working part-time at a local tobacconist, Sykes Wilford discovered a profound appreciation for the pipe industry. [KK1] , With…
Originally founded in 1890 in Dresden, Germany, Lane Limited moved to the United States when Herman G. Lane, one of the founder’s grandsons, re-established the company in Manhattan, New York…
At the same time Europe embraced briar and clay, across the Atlantic a simpler, humbler pipe was taking root—the corn cob pipe. Born out of practicality on the American frontier,…
The 19th century ushered in a new era of pipe smoking with the introduction of the briar pipe. Crafted from the root burl of the Erica arborea shrub, briarwood was…
By the 17th century, pipe smoking had become a cultural phenomenon across Europe—especially in England and the Netherlands. At the center of this growing trend was the clay pipe: long-stemmed,…
When Christopher Columbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492, he expected spices, gold, and new trade routes. What he didn’t anticipate was smoke. On the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola,…
Long before cigars and cigarettes influenced modern smoking culture, the true origins of pipe smoking were deeply rooted in the sacred traditions of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Smoking…
About the Pipe Tobacco Council (PTC) For many, pipe tobacco is more than a product—it’s a lifelong passion rooted in ritual, tradition, and craftsmanship. Since its founding in 1976, the…
