OK, you asked for it. I dug this out of hiding. It is basically my pipe smoking bio. It may be a bit dated since I originally wrote it in the late 1990's but updated it last year. Hope it doesn't bore anyone...
The Pipe Smoking Bio of Lou Carbone
July 2008
Looking back on it now, at 47 years old, I could say that ever since I could remember, my Dad smoked a pipe. My earliest memories of him consist of him smoking his pipe on a Sunday afternoon. At about the age of 5, I used to join my father for his ritual "Sunday Drive" in his 1960 Chevy Impala. He loved that car and I surmise that his ritual began long before I was. One of his rituals was smoking his pipe while taking that long drive on the Long Island Expressway on a trip to nowhere. You see, he worked two jobs and even on Saturday, so he was never able to use the car during the week – there simply was no time. He was a firm believer in the idea that if you did not use the car much you should take it on a long ride when the opportunity arrived. I don't know the validity of this idea but it worked for him. So, after we got out of church, as Mom cooked her marinara sauce at home, Dad and I would embark on a trip to really, nowhere. We would just drive for about an hour and then turn around and head back. I think he just loved the idea that he could "get away" for a bit and smoke his pipe and drive his car. I can still picture him sitting behind the wheel, smoking his pipe filled with Holiday Tobacco, the aroma of the tobacco blowing around me in the passenger seat, it smelled great. I loved that time we spent together, actually for two reasons; I didn't get to see much of him during the week and I loved the smell of his pipe.
As for his collection, he had about three circular racks of twelve with the glass humidor in the middle. One humidor lid even had two horses heads carved out of the wood. The racks were filled with various pipes. I don't believe he owned any that would be considered a high grade. He must have bought them anywhere from the late 1950's to early 1960's. I don't remember him ever buying a pipe during the times that I could remember. I remember many with a white shamrock logo - Kaywoodies, others were from E.A. Carey's as I would come to know later on. As for the humidors, they were always filled with Holiday or, later, Capt. Black. He smoked these blends exclusively. He was content with his modest collection and along with some pipe cleaners and a pipe tool, he was happy.
These are my earliest memories of pipe smoking and I think it laid the foundation to my own passion that followed in my adult life. I would say that life went on pretty much the same until my teen years, when teens try to detach themselves from their parents and establish their own identities. The Sunday drives continued for my dad but unfortunately, without me. At the age of fifteen, I got bold. I would go downstairs to the basement to the shelves where my father's pipes were, select one that appealed to me, fill it with Holiday and then go to the back door, light up and blow the smoke into the alley behind the house. This went on for a while and I enjoyed it. Once, I asked my mother when she thought it would be appropriate for me to take up the pipe and she said, "When you get a little older, Louis". As far as I was concerned, that wasn't a "no", so at the age of sixteen I was able to scrape up $15.00 and with that I went down to Arnold's Tobacco Shop located in Queens Center Mall and purchased my first pipe, an Italian second. To me, it was the greatest pipe I had ever seen. Though it was loaded with fills, it was my own. So, with that, a couple of ounces of an aromatic called "Cake Box", some new pipe cleaners and a brand spankin' new three in one pipe tool, I was well on my way into the world of Kapnismology. Kinda' weird to be smoking a pipe at the age of sixteen. I was the only one of my friends to do so. Everyone else smoked cigarettes, but I loved it. Even more to my delight was to find out that the Hobbits loved to smoke pipes. That's right, I found my way to some great reading by Tolkien and could not believe that the Hobbits smoked pipes. This was great, I would light up in my room, open a window and read The Lord of the Rings into the night. At sixteen this was heavy duty. It was around this time that I met my good friend Fred Alvarez. We met at a teen club that was held in my old grammar school in Middle Village. We shared similar interests and started hanging out. You would not believe this but Fred, who was two years older, also happened to be a pipe smoker. He smoked cigarettes too but he loved his pipe. We could not believe this. There was nobody our age who smoked pipes. So, we shared tobacco and how to's on pipe smoking.
Things went on like this for some time. I was in high school and didn't work so new pipes didn't come by so easy. I managed to obtain a few more pipes from Arnold's, nothing to mention but I loved all of them, about five in all. Years passed all the while smoking when I could, through high school and college. I never met anyone else who enjoyed the pipe beside Fred, even at Queens College. He too obtained a few non descript pipes for his collection. Once I did start working, at Maspeth Federal S & L Assoc. things picked up. I remember going to Arnold's one day and I bought my first meerschaum. It was the head of a Viking. I am a Minnesota Vikings fan so this pipe was a must buy. It was carved by Yunis, have you heard of him? It is a beautiful pipe; colored great in 23 years of on - off smoking. Also around this time, 1985, I received a catalog from Wally Frank, since their main distributor/warehouse was located in the neighboring town of Middle Village, I lived in Maspeth. BTW, Wally Frank is now somebody else and is located in Texas. I also received a catalog from E.A. Carey's, a company I remember seeing on the shanks of some of my father's pipes. He BTW, still smoked his pipes throughout these years as well. He didn't seem too interested when I told him I started smoking pipes and he was not the talkative type. Anyway, I bought some pipes from both of these companies, turned Fred on to their phone numbers and the both of us started to amass a collection. I bought some Savinelli's, some GBD's and some tobaccos. At this time I also started seeking out tobacconists in the area. Besides Arnold's in Queens Center Mall, the only place to find tobacconists was Manhattan, so I visited Pipeworks at Wilke, De La Concha, Arnold's Manhattan and Barclay Rex. There was a Wally Frank's store in Roosevelt Field Mall were I bought a few pipes like Micloi, Butz-Choquin and some seconds as well as tobacco and supplies. But it was the Manhattan stores that I got my first look at "high grades". WOW!!! Pipes like Dunhill, Ashton, Jacapo, Peterson, etc... All of these pipes were out of my range for sure. However, one day in the mail I struck gold. I was somehow, by the magic of mailing lists, found by the late Barry Levin of then Levin Pipes. BINGO, he sold pipes that were already smoked, sounded gross but could you believe those prices!!! Now I could conceivably afford the high grades that I could only drool over in the stores. So it was that I began my second life in Kapnismology. Of course, Fred learned of Barry Levin also. I bought as many pipes as I could afford and even when I couldn't. I amassed a great collection of assorted brands and artisans. I also learned of Hacker's book, The Ultimate Pipe Book, and an instant "ultimate" education ensued. Other mailers followed like Bob Hamlin of Pipe Collectors Club of America, Edwards Tobacco Shop and others. I also had the privilege, via Hacker's book, of finding out about Tom Dunn and the Pipe Smokers Ephemeris, who, by this publication has done more for our hobby in the last 30+ years than anyone. By it I have received countless amounts of information to feed my passion. So, over the last 37+ years I have delved deeply into the fine art of pipe smoking. I have attended many of the N.Y. Pipe Club Shows, attend NY Pipe Club meetings, and have met a great number of fine fellows and friends. A sad note to all of this was finding out about the passing of Barry Levin when I attended the Second Annual N.Y. Pipe Show. It was sudden and tragic and it sent a shock wave throughout the world of pipe smoking. I have him to thank for teaching me the finer points and the refinements of our hobby.
I must say that if you can find a local tobacconist, and I mean tobacconist, he/she is overwhelmingly deserving of our support. My "local" tobacconist happens to be located about 20 miles from my house but he has my support. I am speaking of one of the kindest friends I also have the privilege of knowing and that is Joe Nastri of Trinity East Tobacco Shop located on the Sunrise Highway in Rockville Center, Long Island. He is "the" premier tobacconist this side of the East River. He will never fail to go out of his way to help you find just the right pipe and tobacco. Too many shops are closing their doors and it seems that the tobacconist is a dying breed. This is a shame. We can prevent it by supporting our local tobacconist. Getting back to my
likes, I smoke either English blends of assorted kinds and Tinned Virginias and Matured Virginias, the kind that McClelland's puts out. My Favorite pipes are whatever catches my eye as my collection is diversified with many different brands and artisans. I must say that I smoke exclusively bents or semi-bents as I really don't think I am comfortable with straight pipes. My favorite pipes would be those made in England; Ashton and Dunhill, Charatan, Barling and Italy; Castello, Radice, Jacapo, and old Caminetto's, but I will smoke any and all in between. As long as the pipe has no fills and I like what it looks like I would consider adding it to my collection. I have about 142 pipes of Briar and Meerschaum.
So, basically this is my pipe story take it or leave it. I hope that some can relate and I hope it didn't bore anyone, sorry if it did. I smoke about a pipeful a day during the week and about two to three on Sat. and Sun. My friend Fred has moved away but still enjoys his pipes as well and we enjoy chatting about our experiences with them. My Dad has since passed away, in 1997, and unfortunately I never had the privilege of sharing a bowl with him – I can only do it in his “honor” now. I am still trying to re-claim his pipes back from my uncle, his brother, who says that he has them for me – hopefully he will deliver. I still work for Maspeth Federal Savings , 23 years later. I’m married to a wonderful wife who supports my pipe enthusiasm and have three children: 2 boys and a girl. I try to stay as informed as I could and am proud of my pipe related reading material collection of books and magazines, including P&T Magazine, The Pipe Collector, Pipe Friendly, Pipe Magazine, and many old photograph and mailers from days gone by. Of course no collection would be complete without copies of the Pipe Smokers Ephemeris by Tom Dunn. Electronically there is alt.smokers.pipes newsgroup, P&T Foundations, www.pipes.org and many, many other forums and discussion groups who through their contribution provide a forum for us to share our knowledge, ask questions and learn. A most noble effort on that part of these fine folk, for sure.
So, I hope you enjoyed a look into my world.
Stay Well and Happy Smoking,
Lou, NY
![[3-Size Set] Copper Pipe Cleaner for Drill, Clean 1/2, 3/4, 1-in Copper Pipes & Tubes for Soldering, 3 Tube Cleaning Brushes, Model InerLok050, 075, 100, w/ Stainless-Steel Wire Bristles & 1/4” Shank](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41QVxunlqML._SL500_.jpg)
ipe: on brothers!
