Visit to local tobacco shop.

[Liberty_2112]

Sadly there are two types of shops out there; Tobacco Outlets and then you have true Tobacconists. Tobacconists are still around, you just have to search them out, whomever said "look for cigar shops" is right, find a premium cigar shop and normally you also find a good supply of pipes and piping supplies.

My salespeople sell to both of these channels, and the differences in the two types of shop's management styles is dramatic. The thing is, both the tobacco outlet and tobacconist serve a viable market in the US. Many tobacco outlets are moving to more of a head shop feel, which I hate, but there's money in it. These guys are so heavily regulated by the FDA now that they are looking for every angle to make money, so sadly the add **** like water pipes, etc to replace lost revenues in smoking tobacco.

If you can give me an idea of where you are in CT...I can probably recommend a nice shop for you to visit ;-)

I completely understand your point. I understand that the owners of the shops that I went into are just trying to run a business and support themselves. I don't have a problem with that.

I just pointed it out because I had this vision of myself meeting a nice old "mentor" type in a shop smelling of rich tobacco etc.

I live in Litchfield County in CT, but I work in Fairfield County, so I traverse the state on a daily basis. I travel the length of Route 8 daily as well as I95 from Bridgeport to Greenwich.

I know there's got to be a shop with what I'm lookin for in CT, I just haven't found it yet.

I am hoping to check out a shop in a neighboring town. The shop is called Laria's in Torrington, CT. It's about 15/20 minutes from me and I pass it on my way to the highway.

 

[Turk Kahvesi]

I know it's far out of your area, but my favorite tobacconist is The Briary, in Homewood, Alabama. The owner, Skip, is a 2nd or 3rd generation tobacconist and also a pipemaker. The other staff, Mark and John, are avid cigar and pipe smokers. The place is a dream - in an old farmhouse, complete with front porch rocking chairs, a walk in humidor, and a smoking room with TV and leather sofas. You can order over the phone. http://www.thebriary.com/ Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in the place, I just love it.

 

[rickcharles606]

http://www.haveacigarct.com/home.htm

http://www.buttheadstobacco.com/

both of these shops have multiple locations, so find the one closest to you. They both have pipes, tobacco and supplies. Good luck

 

[Liberty_2112]

http://www.haveacigarct.com/home.htm

http://www.buttheadstobacco.com/

both of these shops have multiple locations, so find the one closest to you. They both have pipes, tobacco and supplies. Good luck

Thanks. I'll look into these.

 

[galopede]

Reading this makes me think how lucky I am living in Cheltenham, England. It's quite a small town and we have TWO very good proper tobacconists shops here! One is a newsagent type shop with a large selection of quality pipes, tobacco and havanas run by a very knowledgeable Indian couple and the other is an out and out tobacconist selling everything you could wish for.

Neither sell that other paraphernalia! Strange that it's easier to buy drug equipment that ordinary tobacco products over there!

 

[Liberty_2112]

Stopped into local shop today.

When I walked in, there was a gentleman in a rocking chair. He immediately shouted out, "Hello sir. I've never seen you in here before. What's your name?"

I was on the right track.

We had a great conversation.

Purchased a pipe, a pipe tool, a small tin of McClelland's tobacco and some pipe cleaners (soft & bristle).

Hopefully I'll get a smoke in this weekend.

 

[Rockminer]

That's what I'm talking about......Glad you were able to find a quality store. You know we need pics right?

 

[Liberty_2112]

 

[Rockminer]

That's purdy

 

[Liberty_2112]

That's purdy

Thanks!

 

[Blade Boy]

Stopped into local shop today.

When I walked in, there was a gentleman in a rocking chair. He immediately shouted out, "Hello sir. I've never seen you in here before. What's your name?"

I was on the right track.

We had a great conversation.

Purchased a pipe, a pipe tool, a small tin of McClelland's tobacco and some pipe cleaners (soft & bristle).

Hopefully I'll get a smoke in this weekend.

Glad you found a nice shop, good looking pipe too.

 

[Hunter]

Awesome glad you finally was able to get started! Happy Smoking!

 

[Domminigan]

Stopped into local shop today.
When I walked in, there was a gentleman in a rocking chair. He immediately shouted out, "Hello sir. I've never seen you in here before. What's your name?"
I was on the right track.
We had a great conversation.
Purchased a pipe, a pipe tool, a small tin of McClelland's tobacco and some pipe cleaners (soft & bristle).
Hopefully I'll get a smoke in this weekend.

Had I had your experiences, I'd likely have hugged the guy.

My first experience shortly after my 18th birthday was just flat out lucky. Walked into a small shop in the mall called "The Bright Leaf - Tobacconist". Not a item of paraphernalia to be found, just a modest sized walk-in humidor in the back, Case of mass-market cigars, premium chewing tobacco and ultra premium cigarettes supporting the register, accessories and high priced pipes in the case on the back wall, with a nice arrangement of unusually high grade "Basket Pipes" bracing up the register. The wall facing the register, however, had the most glorious glass display of all. Dozens of glass amphora showcased the store's specialty pipe tobacco selections. Each amphora was filled with bulk tobacco of most tasty blend, encouraging the customer to admire the earthen tones of the shredded leaf, remove the lids and inhale their glorious aromas! The owners were the best feature of the store. Though neither of them had the heartwarming glow of a seasoned tobacconist resting comfortably in a rocking chair, both the husband and wife who mainly staffed the place were deeply knowledgeable about their products. They helped me choose not only a pipe that I adore to this day, but also the right blends of tobacco to bring me back again and again.
Sadly, the company moved from the mall to avoid massive overhead rental fees that were threatening to drive them out of business, and did not send out a mailer to their old customers. I didn't find their new shop until nearly two years after they moved, by which time the business was only months away from shutting their doors.

Now, in my town, there are a bunch of seedy little tobacco shops that keep costs for cigarettes cheap by never cleaning anything. The only things without dust on them are the cigarettes. Small amounts of one use glass pipes and such also have high velocity through the store, but proper "Pipe" tobacco is often dusty, though extremely cheap. I've picked up a few well aged tins and a pouch or two of pipe tobacco, but the overwhelmingly trashy vibe and total lack of sanitation of most of the shops is such that I really can't stand being there for more than a few minutes. On my last trip into one that didn't have me rushing for the door outright, I picked up a pouch of Captain Black. When I handed the clerk the pouch, he tells me "That isn't the right pipe tobacco for rolling cigarettes." Fortunately there are a couple cigar stores that have recently opened, but their selection of pipe supplies leaves something to be desired.

We do have one shop in town that does prevent most of the other tobacco shops from going the "Spiral glass water pipe" route. It's an honest to goodness head shop. The outside of the store is vibrantly colored with psychedelic pictures of aliens. Other bizarre scenes outside grab the moniker "Head Shop" while the products for sale inside secure the title. When I was last in there perhaps six years ago, there were only a couple brands of cigarette rolling tobacco kept in stock. The rest was case after case of non-traditional pipes alongside an entire armada of lifestyle accessories.

I'm so thankful that my job takes me places where proper Tobacconists still keep shop.

 

[Liberty_2112]

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for other shops, both locally and when I travel.

One thing that was not available at my local shop is samples of any of the tobaccos. Being new, I just picked one I thought I would like. At the current price for tins in CT, "sampling" will get pretty expensive.

 

[Hunter]

Tomorrow I'm going to meet some like minded fellows and trade a few bowls, hopefully you will be lucky enough to find some pipe smokers to hang out with and sample some of what they have.

 

[boogieman_]

Glad you found a local pipe. Pipesandcigars.com has always treated me well, and even started carrying a tobacco I wanted to try.

If you do go there, or if your local shop can special order, try Hearth and Home Anniversary Kake. It is amazing stuff! I have 3 pounds of it aging! And I only smoke about one or two bowls a month, pretty much covered for life on this!

 

[sychodelix]

My local tobacconist is much like what you describe. He's known my family since I moved to TN (and longer for my wife). He's got comfortable cushy chairs and ashtrays, cigar cutters, matches around the room. Theres a BIG walk in humidor in the back. Shelves have everything from prince albert to jars of hand blended pipe tobacco and racks of pipes. Theres even a small selection of nasal snuff. It's a heck of a place. Him and his wife even own a BBQ restaurant next door that you can actually still smoke in!!!

What more could you ask for?!

 

[Liberty_2112]

My local tobacconist is much like what you describe. He's known my family since I moved to TN (and longer for my wife). He's got comfortable cushy chairs and ashtrays, cigar cutters, matches around the room. Theres a BIG walk in humidor in the back. Shelves have everything from prince albert to jars of hand blended pipe tobacco and racks of pipes. Theres even a small selection of nasal snuff. It's a heck of a place. Him and his wife even own a BBQ restaurant next door that you can actually still smoke in!!!

What more could you ask for?!

Hmm. Where in TN are you located. I'll be traveling to Memphis in a few months. I'd love to stop in to the shop you mentioned.

 

[Toothpick]

Stopped into local shop today.

When I walked in, there was a gentleman in a rocking chair. He immediately shouted out, "Hello sir. I've never seen you in here before. What's your name?"

I was on the right track.

We had a great conversation.

Purchased a pipe, a pipe tool, a small tin of McClelland's tobacco and some pipe cleaners (soft & bristle).

Hopefully I'll get a smoke in this weekend.

BOOM! gentleman in a rocking chair. thats my kind of shop.

My shop is in a strip mall. I hope he is still there i havent been for bout 2 years. last google search said he was tho. he has one whole room dedicated to sofa's, chairs, TV's, a Hookah bar. You can walk in the one side pick out your cigar/tobacco then relax in the other side.

I've never sat down and enjoyed a smoke but there have always been several folks relaxing. I plan to make a trip this month and I'll ask him if its ok if i take a few pics.

 

[sychodelix]

Hmm. Where in TN are you located. I'll be traveling to Memphis in a few months. I'd love to stop in to the shop you mentioned.

Kingsport, but I'm at the EXTREME other end of Tennessee from Memphis. The store is called Tobacco Road for anybody ever in that area though.