The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Podcast

Tonight on The Pipes Magazine Radio Show, we welcome back Rich Esserman, a familiar voice in the pipe community and a longtime friend of the program. Rich has joined us many times over the years, bringing his deep knowledge, historical perspective, and enthusiasm for the hobby. On this episode, Rich will share his thoughts on past trends in pipe smoking — how tastes, styles, and culture have evolved over time, and what those shifts tell us about the hobby today. At the top of the show, in our Pipe Parts segment, we launch the first installment of a new coffee comparison series featuring Bo Parker of Methodical Coffee and the Pipe & Tamper Podcast 2.0. It’s a fresh addition to the program that pairs two timeless pleasures: pipes and coffee.

Tonight on The Pipes Magazine Radio Show, we feature Micah "Yeti" Cryder of Yeti Pipes, an artisan pipe maker based in Billings, Montana. Since beginning his craft in 2011, Micah has developed a distinctive style influenced by the American school of pipe making, with touches of modern industrial design and French Art Deco. His work is known for its bold lines, creative shaping, and meticulous finishes, reflecting both technical precision and artistic vision. In addition to his pipes, Micah has explored innovative materials through his Resin Project, expanding design possibilities with vibrant, vintage-inspired stem materials. At the top of the show in Pipe Parts, Brian will discuss his view on estate pipes.

Tonight on The Pipes Magazine Radio Show, we welcome Justin Dombrosky. Justin is the Vice President of the Indiana Pipe Club and co-host of the podcast Pipes, Pours, and Pals. He purchased his first pipe — a Missouri Meerschaum Hardwood — in 2017 and, like many of us when starting out, promptly scorched his tongue with a cherry Cavendish blend. What began as a simple curiosity quickly grew into deeper involvement in the hobby. In 2022, Justin and Nate Modlin launched their podcast, and in 2023 the Indiana Pipe Club was formed. The Indiana Pipe Show is now preparing for its second event this September. We’ll talk about all of that and more on tonight’s show. At the top of the show in Pipe Parts, we will have pipe artisan Jeff Gracik talking about the pipe making seminar at the Chicago pipe show that is coming up on April 29, 2026.

Tonight on The Pipes Magazine Radio Show, we welcome Big John. He is a micro-blender and the creator of the Niall of Nine pipe tobacco line. His journey into pipe smoking began when he inherited his great-grandfather’s pipes, an experience that sparked a lasting connection to the hobby. Today, he’s known for crafting distinctive micro-blends that often feature rare and unusual components, including Syrian Latakia and Cuban cigar leaf. Several of his blends draw inspiration from the themes and imagery of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Another notable mixture, Aberdeen Extinction, showcases an eclectic range of tobaccos: 2015 Virginias processed as Perique, 2016 McClelland Perique, 2014 Black Cavendish, 2001 medium brown Burley, and 2018 Cyprian Latakia. At the top of the show in Pipe Parts, Brian will go over an article about the iconic Connecticut shade tobacco. The industry has all but vanished as demand dwindled and land was developed, leaving Dwight Arnold — on a farm just over the Massachusetts border — as the last grower of the traditional shade-grown leaf prized for premium cigar wrappers. We also have news about nicotine pouch vending machines.

Tonight on The Pipes Magazine Radio Show, we welcome German pipe maker Sebastian Heck. Sebastian represents a new generation of highly skilled German pipe makers to emerge in recent years. Based in Heidelberg, his interest in pipe smoking — and eventually pipe making — grew out of a deliberate desire to slow down and engage more thoughtfully with the world around him. Like many artisans, Sebastian’s path into the craft began with restoring estate pipes. From that foundation, creating original pipes became a natural progression, and he began making his own pipes in 2023. His work reflects strong influences from both the Danish and German schools of pipe design, blending clean lines with a strong sense of form and balance. At the top of the show we will have an Ask the Tobacco Blender segment with Jeremy Reeves. Jeremy is the Head Blender at Cornell & Diehl, which is one of the most popular boutique pipe tobacco companies in the USA, and one of the only pipe tobacco producers making product in the US.

Tonight on The Pipes Magazine Radio Show, we welcome back Jay Furman, a long-time and well-respected member of the pipe community. Jay is the co-host of the Pipe and Tamper podcast, where he regularly discusses pipes, tobacco, and the people who make the hobby what it is. He also serves as a board member of the Chicago International Pipe Show, one of the premier pipe events in the world. Brian and Jay will spend the show talking about the upcoming Chicago show, including what attendees can expect this year, how the event continues to evolve, and why it remains such an important gathering for pipe smokers, collectors, and artisans alike. With his deep involvement behind the scenes, Jay offers a unique perspective on what goes into organizing a major pipe show and what makes the Chicago event so special. At the top of the show we will have a tobacco review of Cornell & Diehl's Briar Fox.

Tonight on the Pipes Magazine Radio Show, we're joined by a truly fascinating guest: Dr. Cayman T. Unterborn — a researcher, data analyst, and planetary scientist whose work explores the nature and diversity of planets beyond our solar system. His academic path includes an undergraduate degree in physics and astronomy and a PhD in geology. Unlike many pipe smokers, he didn't begin with aromatics — instead, his early life in Ohio put him literally across the street from Smoker's Haven. In his own words, he was "a pretentious nerd that thought pipe smoking was cool."

Tonight on the Pipes Magazine Radio Show we’re rolling out two brand-new recurring features. Our guest is pipe maker Nate King - a familiar voice who has joined us many times before. This time, we kick off a new series with him called "The State of Nate," where Brian and Nate dive into the pipe world from the maker's perspective. In this first installment, they'll talk about the dynamics between pipe makers and pipe collectors. Nate has been making pipes since 2005, holds an honorary Master of Pipes degree from the Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club, and is a member of the esteemed Confrérie des Maîtres Pipiers de Saint-Claude. At the start of the show, we're also launching a recurring Pipe News segment, beginning with updates and changes surrounding the Las Vegas International Pipe Show.

Our featured guest tonight is Jon David Cole. Jon David is the Owner/Tobacconist at The Country Squire in Jackson, MS, and the accompanying online store. Brian and Jon David will talk about their favorite customer interactions, and after 55 years, The Country Squire is moving to a new location that will include a full cocktail lounge. This is a colossal undertaking that is quite interesting to hear about. They will be expanding their shipping, blending, and smoking lounge. They are moving into a standalone building which will ensure against complaints of smoking from neighbors. The soft opening is expected in February 2026.

Our featured guest tonight is longstanding pipe collector Tom Pfaeffle. Tom is a long-time member of the pipe collecting community and enthusiast whose experience spans decades of engagement with briar pipes, tobacco culture, and pipe show attendance. His great-grandfather smoked a corncob pipe, and he started smoking and collecting pipes in the 1970s. Pipe shows were quite different then with few to no pipe makers, and lots of hobbyist showing their collections that weren't for sale. At the top of the show in Pipe Parts, Brian will discuss what are referred to as "magic pipes". This is in response to a question sent in by one of our listeners.

Our featured guest tonight is Austrian pipe maker Chris Ruetz. He is an artisan pipe maker from Tyrol, Austria, who discovered his love for pipes at 16 and later crafted his first one from cherrywood on his living room table, sparking a lifelong dedication to the craft. Since 2021 he has been a full-time maker under the name Ruetz Pipes. His work is known for its organic forms, and creative surface combinations, making each piece a unique smoking experience and artistic expression. At the top of the show we will have an Ask the Tobacco Blender segment with Jeremy Reeves. Jeremy is the Head Blender at Cornell & Diehl, which is one of the most popular boutique pipe tobacco companies in the USA, and one of the only pipe tobacco producers making product in the US.

On tonight’s Pipes Magazine Radio Show Rick Newcombe reminisces about Danish pipe making legend Jess Chonowitsch. Jess passed away on November 28, 2025. The impact he had on artisan pipe making is immeasurable. Rick is likely one of the first American pipe collectors to meet Jess going back to the year 1995. He has also been one of the biggest promoters of Jess’s work over several decades and has tons of great stories to celebrate the life of this “Great Dane” pipe artisan. Chuck Stanion does a great job of telling Jess Chonowitsch’s story: https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/monumental-loss-jess-chonowitsch-passes At the top of the show in Pipe Parts, Brian will discuss the pipes he acquired this past year.

Our featured guest on tonight’s show is artisan pipe maker JD Wolf. JD just started smoking pipes a little over a year ago, and he started making them at about the same time. His impetus for becoming a pipe maker came from the problem that his preferences in artistic handmade pipes were out the reach of his budget. He strives to make precise smoking instruments that are also a handcrafted piece of art that the "average workingman" can afford. At the top of the show in Pipe Parts, Brian will have a holiday gift giving guide for pipe smokers.

Our featured guest on tonight’s show is artisan pipe maker Patrick Kehler from Marchand, Manitoba Canada. He grew up in a strict religious environment where his behavior was restricted and smoking (and drinking) were frowned upon. One day, when he was older and in the process of providing himself more freedoms, a co-worker showed him a pipe. He was captivated. Hear the whole story on tonight's show. At the top of the show in Pipe Parts, Brian will have a review of four different brands of pipe cleaners.

Our featured guest on tonight’s show is Texas-based artisan pipe maker Ryan McCawley from Smokin' Barrels Briars. Like many of us, Ryan was attracted to the scent of aromatic tobaccos. Also, like many new pipe smokers, he burned the heck out of his tongue. That was a long time ago. Now he is a regular pipe smoker and he has been making his own pipes for five years now. He started with classic shapes, but now he is more interested in Danish-style freehands. At the top of the show Brian will discuss cake. Not the cake that you eat, but the cake that builds up in your pipe bowl. This is based on a question sent in by a listener.

Our featured guest on tonight’s show is Canadian pipe maker Evan Wiseman. Evan has been making pipes for ten years (minus a two year break) and is quite well-known and respected in the field. His path started with cigars in college, but they became too expensive, so he switched to smoking pipes, and then decided to make them. At the top of the show we will have an Ask the Tobacco Blender segment with Jeremy Reeves. Jeremy is the Head Blender at Cornell & Diehl, which is one of the most popular boutique pipe tobacco companies in the USA.

Our featured guest on tonight’s show is the founder of the Pipe & Tamper Podcast, Mike Murphy. Mike started his podcast in 2018 and turned over the show to new co-hosts Bo Parker and Jay Furman in January 2025. Now that Mike hasn't been doing the podcast, he has even more time for pipe smoking, collecting and going to pipe shows. Brian and Mike will have an extended chat revolving around the Las Vegas International Pipe Show that just occurred the last weekend in October.

Our featured interview tonight is with pipe maker Garret Woo. He has an undergraduate degree in Classics from UC Santa Barbara. He was a teacher for a while, and then a private investigator working with his dad that is a former FBI agent. Now he is a durometer technician and pipemaker living in West LA. He started smoking pipes when he was 18 years old. At the top of the show in Pipe Parts, Brian answers a listener's question on how to smooth down a blend.

Our featured interview tonight is with Skeet Stribling from The Story Teller's Pipe online pipe and tobacco shop. Skeet first took up pipe smoking in college. In later years, his friend Sean blended tobaccos for him, and he was the original owner of The Story Teller's Pipe. When Sean decided to retire, Skeet, also in retirement took over the online store which he runs with his wife Cindi. He is continuing Sean's blends and has added some new ones. Check out their store if you're looking for some new unique tobaccos to try. At the top of the show we’ll have an Ask the Pipemaker segment with renowned pipe artisan Jeff Gracik.

Our featured interview tonight is with Eugene Falco from The Uncanny! Material and the Greywoodie Podcast. Eugene is super creative in the world of pipes, art, and podcasting. His creative output spans beyond pipes, including his tobacco tin art and his role as co-host of the Greywoodie podcast alongside Nathan Davis of Kaywoodie. In addition, he helps organize the Capitaland Pipe Show. His pipe making style is characterized by a balance of traditional forms and his own quirky twist—often through bold, colorful stems and unconventional rustication techniques. At the top of the show in Pipe Parts, Brian will answer two listener's questions by taking a deep dive into the size of the pipe bowl and what it means for your smoking experience.