The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Podcast

Tonight on The Pipes Magazine Radio Show, we begin a three-part journey through the 70-year pipe-smoking life of Dennis Cullinan of Red Bell Pipes in Lansing, Michigan. Dennis began smoking a pipe at age 15 in 1956, when he walked into a neighborhood drugstore in Benton Harbor and bought his first pipe for $1.50. A week later, he was back for a $2.95 Medico, and his lifelong fascination with pipes was underway.

In this first installment of "Storytime with Dennis," Dennis takes us back to those early years, when pipes and tobacco were sold at neighborhood drugstores and he was largely on his own in figuring out how to smoke them. He also tells the remarkable story of finding a GBD billiard in a phone booth at the University of Michigan - an encounter that would eventually lead to his lifelong interest in estate pipes.

At the top of the show, Brian reviews the tinned version of Haunted Bookshop, following his earlier review of the bulk version of this classic blend.

Tonight on The Pipes Magazine Radio Show, our featured guest is Russell Gardner, owner of Dark Arts, a unique smoking lounge and retail tobacconist in Las Vegas. A longtime veteran of the restaurant and bar business, Russell owns several themed cocktail lounges, but his latest venture took an unexpected turn when he transformed a small back room at Grey Witch into a hidden, speakeasy-style smoking lounge and tobacconist.

Dark Arts accommodates about 25 people, and getting inside is part of the experience – you actually enter through a fireplace. Russell is also a rare Las Vegas native, and his connection to pipe smoking goes back to high school, when he picked up a pipe at age 15 after starting out with cigars. Brian and Russell will talk about Dark Arts, the inspiration behind the unusual space, and the Las Vegas pipe scene.

At the top of the show, in Pipe Parts, we'll have the fifth installment of our coffee pairing series with Bo Parker of Methodical Coffee.

Tonight on The Pipes Magazine Radio Show, we welcome back pipe maker Nate King for the fifth installment of our recurring segment, "The State of Nate." Nate has been making pipes since 2005 and holds an honorary Master of Pipesdegree from the Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club. He is also a member of the prestigious Confrérie des Maîtres Pipiers de Saint-Claude. In this episode, Brian has a list of questions for Nate to answer from the perspective of both a pipe maker and a pipe smoker.

Tonight on The Pipes Magazine Radio Show, our featured interview is with pipe maker Alexander Syrma of Israel. Alexander works primarily with high-grade Mediterranean and Algerian briar, sometimes incorporating distinctive materials such as mammoth ivory and exotic woods into his designs. His pipes range from lightweight, classic shapes to more expressive freehands, including Danish eggs, Rhodesians, and sandblasted diplomats.

Brian and Alexander will talk about his approach to pipe making, the materials he works with, and the inspiration behind his distinctive designs.

At the top of the show, Brian will take a look at the history of small-batch and limited-edition pipe tobaccos, including how these special releases have become such an interesting part of the hobby. He'll also give his own take on the appeal of limited and small-batch blends.

Tonight on The Pipes Magazine Radio Show, our featured interview is with Dutch pipe maker Martin Romijn, who originally appeared on the show in October 2019 on episode #372. Martin began smoking a pipe in 1989, at the age of 20, but it would be many years before he began making pipes. He first started making tampers and other pipe accessories as a part-time pursuit, and in 2016 he began making pipes.

What started as a side project eventually became a full-time career, and Martin has developed a distinctive style of organic, freehand shapes that allow the character and grain of each piece of briar to influence the finished pipe. Brian and Martin will talk about his journey as a pipe maker, his approach to shaping briar, and the inspiration behind his work.

At the top of the show, we’ll have another installment of our Ask the Pipe Maker segment with Jeff Gracik, where Jeff answers listener questions and shares insights from the artisan pipe maker’s perspective.