Pipe Pub?

[rbcnet]

A few years ago I picked up a large 1/8 bent (Almost a Canadian) at a local
antique store. The pipe didn't look very old. It had been smoked a few
times. This pipe has gone in and out of my rotation several time. I find
myself coming back to it. It smokes sweet, burns the tobacco well, is well
balanced and holds a good volume of tobacco. While smoking it last night I
got to wondering just how old it is, and whether or not pipes from the same
maker are still available.

The only markings on the pipe are the words, "Pipe Pub" stamped on the
shank. The Letters "PP" are etched on the stem in script (That probably
means Pipe Pub). On the bottom of the pipe is the word "Italy."

I figure the pipe is a few years old, since the quality of the briar is
good, nice grain and no fills. I wonder if it might be a Savinilli second?

Not earth shattering, but if you have an answer, or a fairly convincing lie,
please let me know.

Blessings!

Bro. R

[Bach34]

"rbcnet" <rbc...@fastlane.net>

Blessings!

Bro. R<

Back in the 70's the mall tobacconists here in Austin, TX, were named Pipe Pub;
they became Pipe World a little later. I don't know if, then or now, these
businesses were strictly local or part of a larger chain. I'm pretty sure they
sold a store brand with their name on the pipes. Today, Pipe World's store
brand pipes *are* made by Savinelli.

Larry

[t.co...@internetmci.com]

In article <19980308181...@ladder03.news.aol.com>,
In the mid 70's My dad,thinking he would give up cigarettes, went to the new
mall in Houston and bought a store brand pipe from the Pipe Pub. It was a
straight sandblast made by Savenelli. He later gave me this pipe and
somewhere between then and now it has disappeared. Wish I had it back. There
are still, I believe two Pipe Pubs in Houston.
Thomas

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[Michael Lindner]

Here's what I found out from Jon. I forwarded this message to Bach34 and to
"Rbcnet". Please post it on alt.smokers.pipes, as I don't subscribe to the
newsgroup. Thanks! DS.

Here's the skinny on Pipe Pub, as related to me by Jon Carter, former
manager of Pipe Pub from 1983 to 1987, who isn't online as of yet.
(Messages will be relayed to him through me at: dsc...@bigfoot.com
,however.)

Pipe Pub was started in the Houston area of Texas in the early 70's with a
single downtown store. It was joined a short time later by a store located
in the Austin, TX, area, which was owned and operated by a brother-in-law of
the original founders (whose name escapes Jon for the moment). While Pipe
Pub wasn't nationwide, they owned approx. 14 stores throughout Texas,
primarily in the Houston area, and were much in competition with Tinderbox.
(Comparable to Churchill's in the S.E. Michigan area.)

The Pipe Pub pipe in question was confirmed by Jon to be a pipe from this
chain. The letters 'PP' in script on the stem indicate that the bit is
original, and you are correct in that it stands for Pipe Pub. As far as the
age, there is no definite method of dating this pipe, however; Pipe Pub only
carried their own line of 'Private Label' pipes between the early 70's and
1983 when they were phased out in favor of higher grade (and higher priced)
pipes, to coincide with the Texas oil boom of the 80's. Jon was not able to
confirm positivly that the pipe is indeed of Savinelli make (second or
otherwise), however, he did point out that Pipe Pub did have an excellent
relationship with the Savinelli company, as they were allowed to carry and
sell the rare Savinelli 0000 (Quadruple-ought) Autograph, of which only 3
have been produced in the last century. Jon also pointed out that he and
another manager sold it to a gentleman who worked for the telephone company
to complete a collection of Savinelli Autographs. (He went to the bank and
took out a $5000 loan for it. The bank, initially thought he was purchasing
'oil drilling pipe', but gave him a personal loan for the tobacco pipe
anyways. He kept it in a lock box for a while, then finally broke it out
and smoked it for the first time during the 1986 or 1987 Superbowl.)

To round out the history of Pipe Pub, the chain was bought out, save one
store, in 1985 by a family, by name of Kowalski, who turned the tobacco
chain into a chain of mall knick-knack stores. (Sound all-too familiar
Churchill's customers?) The one store, Pipe Pub in Austin, run by the
brother-in-law, was not included in the deal, but it was agreed that he
would change the name of the store. Jon commented that the lone store may
have changed it's name to Pipe World, but wasn't really privy to such
information, as it was, more or less, operated as a renegade store. The
Kowalski's opened one additional store in Louisiana, their home state, and
promptly ran the chain right into the ground after one Christmas season, due
to poor ownership and product focus. Jon pointed out, "They carried
vibrating pillows, for God's sake!" Forcing the company into bankruptcy,
the Kowalski's sold the chain back to the original owners, whom to his
knowledge, still own it today.

For more information, Jon recommends calling down to Houston and asking
information for their main office, which was on Mitchelldale. [A search of
Yahoo Yellow Pages came up empty, however there is a Carol's Pipe Pub in
Bacliff, TX, a suburb of Houston. Phone (281) 488-7300. It's unknown if
they're related.]

DS. (Don Schram.)

[t.co...@internetmci.com]

In addition to the Pipe Pub in Baycliff TX, there is also one on 290 in NW
Houston.
Thomas

[Irwin Friedman]

The information posted about the Pipe Pub is essentially correct. The
company was originally owned by Bill Cockrell and Sam Bowman. Bill ran it
and Sam was a banker. They sold out to Kowalski, who did a crash and burn
in no time flat and they subsequently wound up taking the company back. A
source of mine, Latakia Louie (not to be confused with Deep Bowl), told me
that there was a falling out between Bowman and Cockrell, bankruptcy
reorganization and the like which led to the chain shuttering most of the
stores. The current owner of the chain is a woman named Carol, whose last
name is not known to me, bought the remains of the chain several years
ago and has managed to keep the stores alive, to what extent I do not know
since I shop other stores on my Houston trips.

Irwin

[dah...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, March 8, 1998 3:00:00 AM UTC-5, rbcnet wrote:
> A few years ago I picked up a large 1/8 bent (Almost a Canadian) at a local
> antique store. The pipe didn't look very old. It had been smoked a few
> times. This pipe has gone in and out of my rotation several time. I find
> myself coming back to it. It smokes sweet, burns the tobacco well, is well
> balanced and holds a good volume of tobacco. While smoking it last night I
> got to wondering just how old it is, and whether or not pipes from the same
> maker are still available.
>
> The only markings on the pipe are the words, "Pipe Pub" stamped on the
> shank. The Letters "PP" are etched on the stem in script (That probably
> means Pipe Pub). On the bottom of the pipe is the word "Italy."
>
> I figure the pipe is a few years old, since the quality of the briar is
> good, nice grain and no fills. I wonder if it might be a Savinilli second?
>
> Not earth shattering, but if you have an answer, or a fairly convincing lie,
> please let me know.
>
> Blessings!
>
> Bro. R

hi...am about to try the numbers for the possible Pipe Pub....
DH received some in the 70s and used to order their #1 blend.... but that has been years ago. He found an empty bag from the Alameda Mall store recently and wondered if I could still get that blend for him...so I did a Google search and found your post, as well as a number for a shop in NWHouston... but no website was given. One of your replies mentioned Carol's PP with anumber, so will probably try both nos. to see if one is the "old" PP and if they still have that blend. Thanks for the info on the "old" PP!

[geoff...@gmail.com]

This used to be one of my favorite stores. I frequented the Almeda Mall store. There was a primary counterman, who was endearing, and there was another gentleman, I believe he was called John. One day, I came in to visit and buy, and John came out from the back. He'd been saving for me a special pipe that had come in. You could see the veins of the briar root, at the outside bottom of the bowl. The pipe was beautiful. I still regret that after it was saved for me, I could not afford a $200 pipe on a salary of $10.50 hourly. John, or the other special gentleman counterman, if you are reading this, thank you. We had a nice relationship, I loved your store, the smell, the products and that I was one of your appreciated and recognized customers....

One day, I was there to buy some Old Holborn handrolling tobacco, and of course, the papers to go with it. (Great smoke, if you find it, buy it). Some drug heads walked in to buy some rolling papers, and were told that they(the Pipe Pub) did not sell rolling papers. Not a true statement, but rue to the idea of a tobacconist over a drug head.

[John Fury]

Great story. This is one of many, many subjects that one will discover only at ASP!

[claud...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, March 8, 1998 at 3:00:00 AM UTC-5, rbcnet wrote:
> A few years ago I picked up a large 1/8 bent (Almost a Canadian) at a local
> antique store. The pipe didn't look very old. It had been smoked a few
> times. This pipe has gone in and out of my rotation several time. I find
> myself coming back to it. It smokes sweet, burns the tobacco well, is well
> balanced and holds a good volume of tobacco. While smoking it last night I
> got to wondering just how old it is, and whether or not pipes from the same
> maker are still available.
>
> The only markings on the pipe are the words, "Pipe Pub" stamped on the
> shank. The Letters "PP" are etched on the stem in script (That probably
> means Pipe Pub). On the bottom of the pipe is the word "Italy."
>
> I figure the pipe is a few years old, since the quality of the briar is
> good, nice grain and no fills. I wonder if it might be a Savinilli second?
>
> Not earth shattering, but if you have an answer, or a fairly convincing lie,
> please let me know.
>
> Blessings!
>
> Bro. R

Pipe Pub was a chain of pipe stores in the malls around town..There may have been stores in other Texas cities but don't recall their history........Carried a nice selection of name pipe plus some of their own creations..and tobaccos, name brands plus their own mixes......IIRC they also carried cigars........I spent a lot of time $$$$$at the Almeda Mall shop.......They lasted until the 80's.......As far as I know they went out of business

[claud...@gmail.com]

[claud...@gmail.com]

Pipe Pub were a chain (Houston Tx) of shops in the 1970's and early 1980's IIRC....Shops were in the malls around town.........Had large selection of pipes (major brands), Accessories, tabacco's (they were tobaccoist)....could blend your own......had cigars too I recall........great place........

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