United Pipe Clubs of America Greater Kansas City Pipe Club

April 2012 Newsletter

Dan Coomer — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:15:30 GMT

Here's our newsletter for April. Lots of good stuff. Our program at the April meeting revolved around Mike Sull's collection of non-briar, non-meeer pipes. Heck of a collection and quite an enjoyable program. An article on the history of meerschaum. We also had an article on the Rams Head Studio which makes really nice pewter and silver jewelry to include some nice tampers. You might want to give them a look at www.ramsheadstudio.com. We also included an article from them on Clay Pipes. We also included another of John Seiler's Emperor Leopaldo stories. This one features Nick Reardon. We also wrote about pipesmokerunleashed.com and the wonderful software that really helps a collector keep records on his pipes and tobaccos.

April Newsletter.pdf

FaceBook & the GKCPC

Dan Coomer — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:11:35 GMT

Guys, we need everyone who has a FaceBook account to go to our FaceBook presence (www,facebook.com/gkcpipeclub) and "like" us. As we approach our Pipe Show we want to get the word out to everyone all the neat things what will be going on. The show is going to be a sell-out and one thing we need is for people to know is if they want a table they really need to register for it.

An interesting story we heard at our last meeting was from a former member who now lives in Denver. He said the Denver Pipe Club has over 100 members and all the recruiting was done through FaceBook. This is a very powerful tool that is very good at reaching younger pipe smokers, but isn't limited to that. You would be surprised at how many older folks are into this social media stuff. They may be using it to keep in touch with their family that is now extended across the U.S., but they have no problem in using this tool for other things.

GKCPC 2012 Pipe Show - DoubleTree Hotel Sold Out

Dan Coomer — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 19:20:16 GMT

The DoubleTree hotel is sold out for the week end of the pipe show. This just sucks but when you have a monster convention in town the same week as your event it can happen. We knew the hotel would sell out, but had hoped people coming to the show would reserve a room early on.

Anyway, we have a very good backup plan for those that want to come to the show and need a room. The Hawthorne Suites is 3/4's of a mile west of the DoubleTree on the same street. Its has excellent rooms and amenities. To reserve a room call them at (913) 344-8100 and say you want a room in the GKCPC block. They have reserved a block of rooms for us that have king size beds. There is a shuttle running back and forth and GKCPC members will be available to take you back or pick you up as needed.

Fred Hanna's New Book

Dan Coomer — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:41:30 GMT

As they say, timing is everything. Just 6+ weeks before the Chicago Show and 13+ weeks before the GKCPC show Fred Hanna has released his new book, "The Perfect Smoke". The book is being published by the NASPC Press for $25 for U.S. residents. Just sent a PayPal to bill @naspc.org to order your copy. The book will be released in late April, but is available for pre-order.

Fred is the scheduled guest speaker at the annual banquet at the GKCPC Pipe Show.

2012 ChicagoLand Pipe Show Tobacco Throw Down

Dan Coomer — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:06:31 GMT

The CPCC capitalizing on the success of the 2011 Balkan Sobranie Throw Down at their 2011 pipe show by coming back with a new challenge. This time the "throw down" tobacco will be John Cotton Nos. 1 and 2 Medium. The contestants this year are Steven Books of the House of Calabash, Dick Silverman of Chief Catoonah, and Leonard Wortzel of Lane Limited. The judges will be Russ Ouillette (last year's winner), Neil Roan, and Marty Pulvers.

For more info go to http://www.apassionforpipes.com/neills-blog/2012/3/13/2012-throwdown-aims-to-reincarnate-john-cottons-nos-12-mediu.html

With the Chicago Show having this event and Kansas City having its Carvers Contest it will be interesting to see if other show develop a hook that will captivate the pipe smoking community.

St. Louis Pipe Show Video

Dan Coomer — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 23:23:47 GMT

Below is a link to a video report done by HEC-TV in St. Louis on the recent Pipe Show sponsored by the St. Louis Pipe Club. It's about 4.5 minutes long. The camera work is clear, but not very good. The voice over reporter knows nothing about pipes so he kind of gushes at times. Having said all that it is tremendous coverage of the show.

http://bit.ly/zRKzSo

IPSD Pipe Smoking Contest Results

Dan Coomer — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:36:27 GMT

On February 25th we hosted our International Pipe Smoking Day pipe smoking contest. Lyn Beyer of Cigar & Tabac put up the prizes for the contest. In addition, Mike and Mary McNiel of McClelland Tobacco put up some wonderful tins of tobacco.

Despite beating the drums, holding this on a Saturday, and mentioning it at the last two club meetings the turn out for the contest was rather light. We did end up with five contestants who are all members of the club.

Clockwise From Lower Left: Brad Forster, Doug Scheffner, Bill Miller, David Scheffner, and Tom Whitlow.

The goal here was to make the contest fun and non-intimidating. The contestants could use their own pipe and for the first five minutes they could re-light their pipe as often as they liked with whatever they liked. After that five minute period they could re-light their pipe just one more time, but it had to be with a supplied match. The second match, if used, had to be used in the second five minutes of the contest.

The entry fee was a mere $10 and whether you used our pipe or you own you got to keep the pipe given to you for the contest.

With these rules all the contestants were able to last at least 30 minutes. After that thing went quick. By the forty minute mark we were done. The contest winner was David Scheffner who received a unsmoked, hand made, H. Worobiec estate pipe valued at $100.

Lyn Beyer with winner David Scheffner holding the 1st place prize!

GKCPC 2012 Pipe Carvers Contest Announcement

Dan Coomer — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:28:49 GMT

Greater Kansas City Pipe & Tobacco Show
2012 Pipe Carving Contest
Sponsored by Pipes & Tobaccos Magazine
and SmokingPipes.com

The Greater Kansas City Pipe Club is pleased to announce the 3rd Annual American Carvers Pipe Carving Contest. The judging will be held at the Kansas City Pipe Show, June 23rd & 24th, 2012. We are going to assemble a seven day set from the entries and raffle it at the end of the show.

The goal of the pipe carving contest is to support and promote American carvers. We generated a lot of interest among the carvers as well as the pipe buying public with the contests in 2010 & 2011. Pictures of all the pipes entered into the contests have been featured in Pipes and tobaccos magazine.

Smokingpipes.com has agreed to help sponsor the carvers contest and is supplying the gift certificates in the drawing. We are adding additional prizes to the drawing this year, so each ticket you buy will have 4 chances to win instead of just one.

The prizes will be:

- 7 day set, “Bulldog Family”, mounted in a custom display case made by Anthony Harris of acmepipes.com.

- $ 750.00 Gift certificate to Smokingpipes.com towards the purchase of a new pipe.

- $ 500.00 Gift certificate for an “Instant Cellar”, tobaccos of your choice from Smokingpipes.com

- The first and only Lifetime subscription to Pipes and tobaccos magazine. (Lifetime of the magazine, or the winner, whichever comes first).

Ticket Sales: Tickets for the contest are now available.

The prices are:

$25.00 Each or 5/$100. We reserve the right to limit how many tickets you can buy as there are only 400 tickets available. At least 150 tickets will be reserved for sale at the Kansas City show. The tickets will be available from the club table at the St. Louis Pipe Show (Feb 18th), the Chicago Pipe Show (May 5th & 6th) and the Kansas City Pipe Show (June 23rd & 24th). Tickets are also available from the club directly. Go to www.gkcpipeclub.com under the 2012 Show Information tab click on Register Now, and then on Raffle Tickets.

PLEASE NOTE: All proceeds of the raffle go to the carvers and the cost of the custom case. The Greater Kansas City Pipe Club does not keep any of the proceeds.

Shape: The shape selected for this year is “Bulldog Family”. This includes all the traditional Bulldog shapes as well as free form interpretations of the shape. Although difficult to spell out in words, the easiest way to say it is “if it reminds the judges of a bulldog” then it counts. This leave’s a lot of room for interpretation by the carvers. The pipe may be straight or bent. The pipe can be paneled. Rings are optional. The color, finish and all other details are up to the carver. Remember, it is not just the shape but also the execution that the judges will be looking at. Details count.

Size: Please remember that we are trying to assemble a 7 day set with a display case made ahead of time. We can allow for some variation in size, but very small or very large pipes may be difficult to fit in the case.

Eligible Carvers: If you carve pipes and live in North America, you are eligible. You do not have to attend the show to enter. Entry is limited to one pipe per carver.

IPSD Pipe Smoking Contest

Dan Coomer — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:55:20 GMT

For IPSD the GKCPC is going to host a Pipe Smoking Contest. Yes, we are doing it on the Saturday after IPSD, but it's the thought that counts. Instead of using the proscribed rules for serious pipe smoking contests we are going to gear our whole event for the beginning Smoker. We will be offering some nice prizes for the first, second, and third place finishers. Take a look at the attached flyer to see the rules and other activities we will have.

IPSD Smoking Contest Flyer.pdf

January 2012 Newsletter

Dan Coomer — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:57:22 GMT

Below is a link to the January 2012 Newsletter of the GKCPC. It is quite long so be patient. Probably of most significance is John Cermak's Annual Report to the Club. John is our President and he is required by the club by-laws to deliver a report that reviews the club activities and results for the prior year. John went well beyond to give a report that is just tremendous in describing the club's activities in 2011.

GKCPC News January 2012 Meeting.pdf

IPSD Update

Dan Coomer — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:03:02 GMT

The GKCPC IPSD Celebration will be held at Cigar & Tabac in Overland Park, KS, from 12PM - 4Pm on February 25, 2012. The Pipe Smoking contest will begin at 1PM and be rather informal. We want to encourage beginning smokers to enter the contest so we aren't going to overwhelm them with rules. We will have a dozen or so pipes for people to use. If more than a dozen show up then they can use their own pipe provided we approve it. We will have dowels for tampers but if somebody wants to use their own that's fine. We will supply the matches and the tobacco. Entry fee is $10 and you get to keep the pipe you used. First prize is a nice estate pipe. Second prize is a pound of tobacco, Third prize is a half-pound of tobacco.

We will have seminars on how to load, tamp and light your pipe. Also how to do daily maintenance on your pipe. And how to buy estate pipes.

First ten people who join the GKCPC at this session will be given a free tin of club tobacco ($10 value).

International Pipe Smoking Day

Dan Coomer — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:53:14 GMT

I have asked the GKCPC if they think holding a pipe smoking contest at the local B&M (our sponsor) on the Saturday before IPSD is a good idea. Maybe be even setup up a couple tables to offer guidance to new pipe smokers such as how to load, light, maintain his pipe and how to select entry level pipes. Maybe some general information on the different types of tobaccos.

Anybody else think this is a good idea??

December News

Dan Coomer — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:25:18 GMT

Another great month for the GKCPC. We are now up to 79 paid members. We had our annual Pot Luck Supper in December. A grand time was had by one and all and no one left hungry.

We are hard at work getting ready for the 2012 Show at the DoubleTree Hotel. People planning on attending need to get their reservations at the Hotel as soon as they can as there is another convention in the city that week-end. Be sure to mention the GKCPC when registering to get the $89 room rate.

Read all the news at the link below.

GKCPC News December 2011 Meeting.pdf

It's Christmas!!

Dan Coomer — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:14:07 GMT

The Members of the Greater Kansas City Pipe Club Wish You & Your Family a Joyous Holiday Season

Looking forward to seeing you at the GKCPC Pipe & Tobacco Show on June 23-24, 2012, in Overland Park, Kansas, at the “Destination DoubleTree”. Our wonderful new venue is going to permit us to put on our best show ever. Our banquet speaker will be the distinguished writer and collector of pipes Fred Hanna. And you sure won’t want to miss our 3rd Annual North American Carvers Contest.

GKCPC November News

Dan Coomer — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:42:00 GMT

We really had a busy month at the GKCPC. We have given next year's pipe show the marketing brand of "Destination DoubleTree" to hammer home our change in venue as well as all the other amenites of that location. We have decided on the program for Friday night at the 2012 show: BBQ Buffet, a table with vintage tobaccos to be sampled, a cigar roller for those who wish one, a cash bar, and a Burr-King demonstration. The Burr-King is a grinder/shaper that carvers are just going to drool over.

We noted with great sadness the passing of Jay Jones of Hermit Tobaccos. Jay and Louise have always been great supporters of our show and he will be greatly missed.

The December meeting is our annual Pot Luck Supper and will be held on the second Thursday (December 8th) rather than the 3rd Thursday. If you can bring a something to be shared with the group. As you know we have a number of great cooks in this outfit so you will want to be sure to attend.

In the very latest issue of Pipes & Tobacco magazine member Anthony Harris is featured prominently. He has a lengthy article on how to make double-chambered pipes. The photos for the article were taken by member David Birkmann. One of these photos was used as the cover photo for the issue. There was also a letter to the editor praising the 2011 Carvers Contest at the last GKCPC Pipe Show. And there was an article on Andy Peterson in which the author mentioned that Andy's entry in the 2010 Carvers Contest was select as one of the seven winners.

In January Mike & Mary McNiel, McClelland Tobaccos, will be announcing a new line of pipe tobacco. They will be bringing samples to taste. Many of you may recall the great time we had a few years ago when they brought in their new Grand Oriental series of tobaccos for us to try.

Hit the link below for our monthly newsletter. There area number of great articles by members Anthony Harris, George Dibos, Steve Butler, and Fred Hanna.

GKCPC News November 2011 Meeting.pdf

November Meeting

Dan Coomer — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 23:29:55 GMT

This Thursday (11/17/11) is our regularly scheduled meting at Cigar & Tabac. Lots of reports on the 2012 Pipe Show, a program and tasting on Barley Wine, and club pipes and tobaccos available for sale. After the program we will have our usual smoke and schmooze session!

GKCPC October News

Dan Coomer — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:30:19 GMT

We really had a busy month at the GKCPC. We have already begun our planning for the 2012 Show and its move to the DoubleTree Hotel in Overland Park. In our monthly newsletter we cover all the news in regards to the show (the BBQ is back!!), a preliminary announcement on the 2012 Carvers Contest (Go Bulldogs!!), a great article by member Dustin Babitzke on truly unique traveling pipe he had made by Maigur Knets, some more great pictures from the 2011 Carvers Contest. a night at the Opera, a CoRPS Report, etc.

GKCPC News October 2011 Meeting.pdf

GKCPC 2012 Pipe & Tobacco Show Flyer

Dan Coomer — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:42:54 GMT

Our first flyer announcing the 2012 GKCPC Pipe & Tobacco Show and its new location can be accessed by clicking this image >>>.

Our shows continue to draw rave reviews, so we hope you will plan to attend.

And don't forget that we will be hosting the 3rd Annual Pipe Carving Contest open to all North American Pipe Makers.

GKCPC September News

Dan Coomer — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:17:00 GMT

News from the September 2011 Meeting

Our last meeting had 27 members in attendance as well as 2 guests. We are now up to 70 paid members. Our newest member is George Dibos. George is one of the premier pipe restorers working today.

Mike Sull Program

All I can tell you guys who couldn’t come to our last meeting is that those of us who did stood in the presence of greatness.

I guess to say that Mike Sull gave us the best program most of us can recall would be an understatement. You would think handwriting would be the dullest subject on the planet, but not in the hands of a master.

And Mike is the most soft spoken guy in the entire club. I thought for sure that we wouldn’t be able to hear him over the usual noise that goes on during a program.

He went through the early history of American handwriting and the major impact that Platt Rogers Spencer had on American handwriting. Those of us who are Civil War buffs are very familiar with this style of handwriting without being aware that it has an actual name.

Mike described how this field can only be entered by becoming apprenticed under a master. He was able to study under a man who studied under Rogers.

Mike brought out some fascinating examples of his work. He was Ronald Reagan’s official calligrapher for a number of years while he was president. He also wrote the Academy Awards nominations letters for a dozen years.
As you know Mike does all the special documents for the club. Whenever we want to honor someone with a Certificate of Appreciation it is Mike who does the work. There are numerous examples of his work at Cigar & Tabac hanging on the wall.

At the last pipe show we had Mike create a beautiful document with the poem “A Book and a Pipe”. He then reproduced enough of this document so that each vendor at the show could get one. And after the reproduction process he handwrote in their name or business name. We had the documents framed and our President, John Cermak, went around and hand delivered them. The recipients were truly blown away by this.

Without getting too gushy about this Mike is considered the “greatest living American Master Penman”. The Japanese revere his work and usually refer to him as “Sensei” which is the Japanese honorific for master.

Then for the grand finale Mike sat for over an hour writing little notes for each of us. My wife has a particularly lovely name so I had him do her full maiden name. She just loved it. She told me she was going to send Mike a handwritten thank you note. I thought “No pressure there”.

Mike’s latest book, American Cursive Handwriting, has been very well received and can be ordered at his website. (www.spencerian.com)

If there was ever a program we should have video taped it was this one.

At the end of this will be a photo of one of his true works of art.

Next Meeting

Our next meeting will be Thursday, October 20, 2011 at Cigar & Tabac. The time will be 8PM. We have a real change of pace program lined up for you. John Johan will be doing a standup comedy routine centered on his “Rural Genius” routine.

We will also have our club tobaccos for sale as well as taking deposits on the 2012 Pipe of the Year.

Carvers 7-Day Set

With the publication of the Seven-Day Set from the 2011 Carvers Contest in Pipes & Tobacco Magazine we can now show pictures of the pipes and Anthony Harris’s magnificent case. First, a big thanks to Chuck Stanion and the rest of the P&T staff for the wonderful job they did presenting the pipes in their magazine.

I am going to show you the case and the seven winners, but if you want to see the rest just go to www.gkcpipeclub.com and at the bottom of the page you will see
2011 Pipe Carver Entries. Just click on it and you will see all the submitted pipes. And there are some real beauties.

Our photos simply don’t do these pipes justice. You should really go buy a copy of Pipes & Tobacco magazine to see them properly.

Seven Day Set in Case Without Cover

Seven Day Set With Cover

Adam Davidson

Jack Howell

Michael Parks

Joe Skoda

Lee Von Erck

Quinton Wells

2011 Club Tobaccos

We have two different club tobaccos left over from the show that we are selling for $10 a tin. These tobaccos were blended, tinned, and donated to the Club by McClelland Tobacco. They are limited editions of only 50 tins each.

If you would like to have them shipped to you just add $5 if you live in the contiguous 48 states. If you buy four tins the shipping is free. Email me for a shipping quote if you live elsewhere.

Both tins have the classic “Smokin’ Joe” logo on the front.

The Virginia is very robust and satisfying. It is a blend that should cellar well.

The other tobacco is a rich Oriental tobacco with a mixture of Cyprian and Syrian Latakia blended with some Basma and mature Virginia. Very rich and satisfying.

You can pay by PayPal, check or cash. If you use PayPal just send it to admin@gkcpipeclub.com and list what you want. Be sure the shipping address is correct.

Next Meeting

Our next meeting will be Thursday, October 20, 2011 at Cigar & Tabac. The time will be 8PM. We have a real change of pace program lined up for you. John Johan will be doing a standup comedy routine centered on his “Rural Genius” routine.

We will also have our club tobaccos for sale as well as taking deposits on the 2012 Pipe of the Year.

Secondhand Smoke
By Joe Ketcherside

Our hobby is engaging because it touches us in so many ways. Sometimes it’s about the pipe. Sometimes it’s the carver. Sometimes it’s how long we keep the tobacco burning.

Other times it’s the mood we create when we relax with our pipe. I’m sure all of us have a favorite chair for a smoke, or a time when we light up regularly.

I made my first trip to Bennett Spring State Park when I was 14, over 42 years ago. I had fished for bluegill and catfish many times, but this was my first introduction to something very special. This is a trout park, where a 2-mile stream branch is regularly stocked with Rainbows. You have special lures, and if you are really into it you learn to fish with a fly rod instead of a spinning rod.

The stream runs through a deep valley to the Niangua River. Until recently there was only one TV channel with signal, no cell phone service, and the only pay phone in the parking lot had no data jack. Pagers didn’t even reach there. It was just us and the fish.

In the early years as we returned regularly, I got up at the crack of dark with all the other go-getters, stood shoulder to shoulder along the best fishing holes, and rigged my spinning rod with marabou jigs or spinners. Caught them like crazy when I wasn’t tangled up in someone else’s line. Jostling for a spot in the semi-dark, freezing in the cold water.

I started smoking a pipe my first year of college. The ritual was relaxing and forced one to adopt a measured pace. And I kept making the trip back to Bennett at least once a year for nearly every year that has passed. But my style of fishing changed.

As I became more skilled with a fly rod, I realized I could catch fish just fine in the middle of the day when they “weren’t biting”. It took a little more patience, but there were fewer people on the river so I could move around as I wanted. With a pipe smoldering and the water rushing over the rocks, life was serene. Time slipped by with the stream and the only thing on my mind was the drift of a dry fly and the split-second when it taken.

When I was young these were usually family trips. As my own family grew, all 4 boys became proficient with a fly. We spent many summer vacations stalking Rainbows. Before the older ones married, their future brides accompanied us on these trips to prove their mettle. And yes, the missus is as sharp with a rod as any of the men in the family though she insists “Momma don’t clean fish”.

A few years ago, well after the older boys had married and our lives got so busy that we didn’t travel together anymore, we managed to get the whole group together for a few days at Bennett. I had long-since switched from aromatic tobaccos to the Virginia/Perique blends I now favor. But for some reason I grabbed a few grams of my old favorite, Diebel’s Black and Gold.

As we stood below the dam with the boys just downstream from me, I packed an old fishing pipe with the aged aromatic and lit it up. I cast a few times, then looked to the left where son number two was fishing. He had a big smile. He leaned over and said “Dad that smells great. It brings back memories of all the times we have been here. I always remember smelling your pipe, hearing the water rushing, and being together.”

Funny how little things that become a part of us are so significant to those around us. I guess that not all second-hand smoke is bad.

2012 Pipe of the Year

We are taking reservations for the 2012 Pipe of the Year from Thomas James.

The dimensions of the pipe are:

Length: 5 inches
Width: 2 inches at widest point
Height: 2.15 inches at point (highest point on the pipe)
Chamber .75 x 1.50
All measurements are approximate and will vary from pipe to pipe.

This is a sensational pipe from a great young carver at an attractive price. If you are interested in one of these let me know. A $100 deposit would be appreciated.

I need to make a correction from the last newsletter. I had mentioned that Jerry Crisswell and Carl Staudenmyer would like to be relieved of the duty of finding us a Pipe of the Year. Can’t swear to exactly what I was smoking that day but I was wrong in that statement. What I really should have said was that if any of you know of a carver you think we should consider for 2013 be sure to let Carl and/or Jerry know who it is.

Lampe Berger

I am not sure how many of you have heard of these devices but that are absolutely marvelous at dispersing scents through an enclosed area. They are especially good at removing/covering the smell of tobacco.

A Frenchman, Maurice Berger, patented this device in 1897 and his company still exists today. It consists of a jar, a wick, a catalytic burner, a snuffer cap and an ornamental cap.

As you can see below they can be quite attractive and women generally adore them.

They can get somewhat large as in the first picture below or very small as in the second. They can be very plain or very ornate. They can be cheap ($20) or really expensive ($$$).

The real big expense with these gizmos is the fuel. It can run $20 a liter. Fortunately you can make your own fuel at about $2 a liter provided you follow one simple rule: You have to buy 91% alcohol. Anything else won’t work. 91% alcohol is not every where but it isn’t hard to find either.

To keep your home or office smelling great you really should get one of these things. They are amazing.

Pipe Show Online
by Cam Schutte

The initial version of www.PipeShowOnline.com was launched early in 2005. The goal was twofold:

1. Give the thousands of pipe enthusiasts who aren’t able to attend a pipe show the opportunity to experience one “virtually”.
2. Give the vendors participating in the site a boost in market awareness and increased traffic to their sites (and hopefully increased sales as well).

Since then, there have been several versions as technology advanced and my skills in website development improved. But, with hindsight, my past “enhancements” actually made the visitor experience for both consumers and vendors far too complex.

That is not to say that the site has not been successful. Through Google Analytics I have tracked consistent page view traffic in the thousands each month, with over 15,000 opt-in’s for updates collected to date. For Altadis USA the site has offered free samples of pipe tobacco for over 5 years. Response to this offer continues to run about 1,200 requests per month! For McClelland Tobacco Company, the site provides an online catalog of products. Views of their pages run about 2,500 per month and this promotion has turned out to be less expensive than mailing printed brochures.

Other clients have included: Peterson of Dublin, McBaren Tobacco, Iwan Ries in Chicago, and a number of pipe makers, dealers, and stores (both retail and online).

NOW in 2011, the site has been greatly simplified. It is built around the concept of a Business Card Directory. By displaying images of Business Cards that click to the vendor’s website, my original goals are achieved better than ever. The cards are displayed by category, which can be likened to an area of an exhibit hall of a show. The individual cards simulate display tables at the show where the products of the vendor are available at the click of a mouse.

Another improvement is the way vendor promotions are priced. To grow this Directory quickly, any legitimate vendor to the industry gets 1 listing for FREE. There are additional paid promotional services available to:

 provide listings in multiple categories
 improve positioning within a category
 have a separate promotional page that can be search engine optimized
 include a presence on the home page (includes all of the options)

Comments from visitors have been very positive. They really like the ease of finding and exploring so many resources. I invite every reader of this article to visit the new Pipe Show Online. Likewise, all vendors are encouraged to take a look and evaluate how this functionality might enhance their marketing plan.

Mike Sull Masterpiece

GKCPC August News

Dan Coomer — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:46:38 GMT

Our last meeting had 27 members in attendance as well as 8 guests. We are now up to 69 paid members. Our newest member is Bill Larmer of Lenexa, KS.

Tobacco Blending Program

We had a real treat at the last meeting as Mike and Mary McNiel of McClelland Tobacco gave a presentation on how you create a tobacco blend.

They brought in eleven of their tobaccos that they use for blending. This included burleys, cavendish’s, virginias, latakias and a perique.

I think many of our newer members were surprised that Mike and Mary are team when it comes to tobacco blending. This may be a male dominated business but Mary is a player and has a phenomenal palate.

Mike discussed how they went about creating the blend Mike submitted at the Chicago Pipe Show for the Balkan Sobranie 759 Throwdown. This included the meticulous task of taking a tin of the original Balkan Sobranie blend and using tweezers to separate the tobacco into its constituent components and weighing them to get the ratios of the different tobaccos.

They both echoed the thought that to create successful tobacco blends you have to understand you going to have a lot failures and accept this and to just keep trying.

GKCPC PIPE TOBACCO

We have two different club tobaccos left over from the show that we are selling for $10 a tin. These tobaccos were blended, tinned, and donated to the Club by McClelland Tobacco. They are limited editions of only 50 tins each.

If you would like to have them shipped to you just add $5 if you live in the contiguous 48 states. If you buy four tins the shipping is free. Email me for a shipping quote if you live elsewhere.

Both tins have the classic “Smokin’ Joe” logo on the front.

The Virginia is very robust and satisfying. It is a blend that should cellar well.

The other tobacco is a rich Oriental tobacco with a mixture of Cyprian and Syrian Latakia blended with some Basma and mature Virginia. Very rich and satisfying.

You can pay by PayPal, check or cash. If you use PayPal just send it to admin@gkcpipeclub.com and list what you want. Be sure the shipping address is correct.

GKCPC PIPE SHOW VENUE

As you heard at the last meeting we will not be returning to the KCI Expo Center for our 2012 show as they sold our dates to someone else. Whether that’s fair or not isn’t really the issue. We have to take the show elsewhere.

After much effort and mountain moving the steering committee recommended to the club that we move the 2012 Show to the DoubleTree Hotel in Overland Park. The selection of the DoubleTree was driven by two factors. First, it is an outstanding venue and second, it answers the call to move the show to the southern part of KC.

I have always been shocked at the number of fellow pipe smokers who look upon a once year drive to the airport as a major inconvenience. Nonetheless we have heard this complaint for years.

Once again smoking will not he permitted in the exhibit hall. We will have a tent just out side the exhibit hall that should be just fabulous. Those of us familiar with the tent scenario at the KCI Expo Center are thrilled at this new location. The place for the tent is in a shaded area that has a large wooden patio.

We hope this new location will be attractive to out of town visitors. To them the airport location was a good thing. They didn’t have to get a rental car and could catch a shuttle that would have them to the Expo Center in five minutes.

What the new venue does offer the out-of-towners is something for them to do beside go to the show. This means they can bring their wives or companions and they can easily go do other things besides hang around a hotel in the middle of no place.

This being a new venue means we will all have to work harder to make the show a success.

2011 Club Pipe

We have received our final ten club pipes for 2011 from Scott Thile. These are wonderful little rusticated billiards.

We have 3 of these pipes still available at $235 (non-members add $25). If you would like one of these pipes but can’t afford to pay for it in one fell swoop we can do a layaway plan for you. If you would like one of these pipes email me at admin@gkcpipeclub.com.

Next Meeting

Our next meeting will be Thursday, September 15, 2011 at Cigar & Tabac. The time will be 8PM. We have a great program lined up for you. Mike Sull will be doing a presentation on calligraphy. As most of you know Mike is one of premier practitioners of cursive handwriting in the country.

His recent book on “American Cursive Handwriting” was the subject of a recent article in the KC Star. This is a program you will not want to miss.

Carvers 7-Day Set

As most of you know we cannot publish any pictures of the pipes that were submitted for the Carvers Contest at the 2011 GKCPC Pipe Show until they are published in Pipes & Tobacco magazine It looks like our wait is about over.

I have seen the final draft of the article featuring photos of all 40+ pipes as well as close ups of the winners. The magazine should be published by mid-September or so. Assuming that is done we will include a major write up in the next newsletter.

By the way, if you do not subscribe to P&T magazine you should consider doing so. If for no other reason than showing them respect for being such strong supporters of our show.

2012 Pipe of the Year

I know this is awfully early but an opportunity presented itself that couldn’t be passed up. Carl Staudenmyer was talking to Michael Parks about who we should approach to make our club pipe for next year. Michael told Carl that if he could swing it we should get Thomas James Richards to do the pipe. Tom sells his pipes under the name Thomas James to avoid confusion with another carver of similar name.

A recommendation from Michael Parks is pretty high praise. Michael’s pipes have been selected to the GKCPC Carver’s Contest 7-Day each of the last two years. He is the only carver to achieve that distinction.

Carl called Tom to discuss if he would be available next year to do such a thing. It turns out that it would be more suitable to contract Tom now rather than wait until next year. The problem with waiting until the year you want the pipe is that the carver usually has a consider portion of his time already blocked out to make pipes for upcoming shows (St. Louis, Chicago, GKCPC, Vegas, etc).

So we have contracted with Tom to do our Club Pipe for 2012. It will be his well-known Ace of Spades design. The cost to members will be $235.

The dimensions of the pipe are:

Length: 5 inches
Width: 2 inches at widest point
Height: 2.15 inches at point (highest point on the pipe)
Chamber .75 x 1.50

All measurements are approximate and will vary from pipe to pipe.

There are a number of you who would like a bigger pipe but that is very hard (real hard) to pull off in our price range from a well know carver.

This is a sensational pipe from a great young carver at an attractive price. If you are interested in one of these let me know. A $100 deposit would be appreciated.

If you would like to see more of Tom’s work you can go to his web site at www.thomasjamespipes.com.

A Theory on Pipe Buying

Not being a collector of high-end pipes I often give thought to how many pipes a club member should buy every year. To my mind if your aren’t buying an occasional pipe you aren’t supporting the hobby. And it doesn’t matter whether it is an estate pipe or a brand new one.

The biggest factor in my thinking is that we all have different amounts that we are willing to cough up for a pipe. I wondered if a guideline could be espoused that might meet all levels of pipe smokers.

After some thought I came to the obvious conclusion that the best guideline might be one that suggests the minimum number of pipes a hobbyist should buy and where he should get them.

I think that number is three pipes per year.

You should buy at least one pipe from a local brick-and-mortar. Why? These are the guys who are really the foundation of pipe smoking. Without the ability to have a place where you can congregate with other pipe smokers the hobby would soon be gone. And the nice thing is this guy will have pipes in virtually every range from $5 to $2,000 or more. Certainly something to fit every budget.

Secondly, I think everyone should buy a pipe at the club show. Without buyers these shows will go the way of the dinosaur. And again you will find pipes in virtually every price range. Personally I like to find a new American carver at our show and buy a pipe from him. The nice thing about a new carver is that the price is much more reasonable than an established one.

Third, I think a person should consider buying the annual club Pipe of the Year. The price of club pipes is not trivial and may be out of the price range of some members.

These are my thoughts on buying pipes to support the hobby. I would be interested in hearing yours.