More on the Chicago Pipe Show

This is from Allan via Illinois Smoker’s Rights:

Hi guys! Here are my thoughts on the Chicago Pipe Show, 2008

I attended my first “Chicago Show” for pipe-smokers this year, worried of course about the prohibitions this nanny-state has imposed, but anxious to see what brings people from all over the world to St. Charles, IL. And I do mean all over the world. There were famous pipe carvers from Japan, from Denmark, from Canada, from Italy, England, the list goes on and on and on. The “Chicago Show” is one of the largest. There are also very very famous names in pipe-tobacco blending who come. Sam Gawith from England (founded in 1792) even had a special blend from the 1920’s made in limited numbered tins for the Chicago show. They even offered antique 1920 tobacco tins for sale of their famous Squadron Leader blend, made for a famous Squadron leader of “The Great War”.

That leads me to one of the major problems, and in my opinion what will likely spell the death-knell for the Chicago show in the future… the inability to smoke samples of the blends for sale while on the convention floor. There are wonderful pipes galore, and wonderful tobaccos galore, but when one can’t sample the tobaccos in one’s own pipe, the ability to buy 5 lbs to cellar and age becomes very difficult. At least difficult to buy a serious amount without serious effort at tasting. [It's much like wine- if you can't drink some of it, how can you buy a case?] Since there was so much to see, it would be extremely natural for us pipe-smokers to have a sample of a new blend in one’s pipe to walk around with while looking at various pipes for sale.
Instead, we have to take samples either in our pipe or in a baggie out to the side-walk outside and smoke out there, or in the tent (I’ll get to the tent in a second), and then come back into the show, and find the
blend again (assuming you didn’t forget which one it was out of the 50 the blender offers), then complete a sale. [I'm still unsure about one blend that is in my pipe I smoked last night- that most likely is a lost- sale... I enjoyed it a lot, but can't for the life of me remember which one it was.]

Of course it’s not impossible, don’t get me wrong… but I can clearly see in my mind’s eye (having experienced the show floor), what the show *can* be like when sampling a blend. Even just passing a fellow
pipe-smoker, one might smell in the air the blend, and stop him, asking what wonderful mixture he’s trying out, and befriend him at the same time.

Onto The Tent- it was fabulous. A huge wonderful tent. There was some sort of floor covering, tables, bars, and even a buffet you could purchase if you wished. In fact, some older fellows mentioned the tent was a wonderful new thing that enabled them much more space than previous to meet and discuss various things with fellow smokers over a beer and pipe. I myself met 6 world famous pipe-makers, who make pipes so expensive that I’d have to sell my car 4 times over to purchase one of their pipes.

But, what I miss is the ability to enjoy my hobby in the midst of other enthusiasts. We all signed up to be members of the Chicago Pipe club, all got pipe-club membership cards and rights therein for 1 year. Everyone in the convention center was officially a CPCC member. CPCC members also volunteered to take care of trash, take care of coffee machines, etc. etc. etc. They did it all, so that the letter of the law could be followed. Every single person in that convention center was there legally and all of them wished to smoke a pipe and be amongst pipe-smoke.

We all would have been smoking if he cops weren’t patrolling. They were originally there for security of the high-grade pipes and all the merchandise, but they were also sniffing the air and eeking out smokers. I joked with a few of them and they were quite stern- one comment was: “Lawyers don’t scare me at all.” With a stern face suggesting I should try to light up. It was absurd. The cops became a force against you, rather than a force to protect our property. To my knowledge not a single pipe-smoker rebelled. We generally are a peaceful lot.

From what I hear, when they couldn’t say we were breaking the law, they ended up saying that we would cause toxins in the room to stay there for months afterwards, potentially causing health issues for future
conferences. [This is from the nanies' comments in the newspapers.] There was a poster with copies of the letters obtained by club officials that spewed forth various death statistics etc., it was absurd.

But, was it worth going? Yes. I met many friends I have corresponded with for years now, and many many well respected artisans. That was a joyous thing… camaraderie amongst enthusiasts. I even drove a young fellow (19) who aspires to be a pipe-carver (and has befriended a world-renown carver in his home-state) out to have his first taste of a “Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich” from Portillos. Wonderful time.

So, even amidst idiots in this state, we can enjoy ourselves. The tent was a huge boon, and I think even by some grace of God the ban is repealed, they’ll likely have one again… but there was a whole lot of talk about Las Vegas at the show. A few big wigs asked me if I’d attend a show in Vegas… I said whole-heartedly I would gladly, if it was as nice an event as this one, but allowed smoking on the convention floor. So, we’ll see if the show continues, or dies. I can’t even imagine how much money was spent on hotels or in the area because of the huge international influx of guests… but, if I were a St. Charles’ politician, I’d be fighting this tooth and nail. It’s on edge as to whether this can continue the way it is now.

I just enjoyed a few samples that I took back home this evening (I didn’t leave the center to smoke any of the samples). Wonderful blends.

Wishing you all a great week!
-Allen