Not Just 4 Men

      It may seem to new (and even older) pipe smokers, that the pipe world is kind of a "guys only" sort of club. This is not true! There have been many women who have been amazingly influential in the pipe world. We would like to share with you some of the stories of these wonderful ladies that have change industry for the better. Over the next couple of months we will be sharing with you some of the history of these women.
     Stories of some truly great high grade pipe makers like, Nana Ivarsson from Denmark.  Women like Mary McNeil who blends some of the worlds most popular tobacco for McClellands.  There will be the tails of the women who handle distribution, run brick and mortar shops and do public relations.  Stories of new and up and coming pipe artisans that are making their mark.  We will even share with you the stories of some great women in the cigar world. The more we researched this topic, the more we discovered just how many women there are involved in this business.
      There is a rich history of women in this industry, and we felt it is time that the whole world knew about them and all that they have contributed to our much loved hobby of pipes and tobacco. So stay tuned, as we explore the lives of these amazing women who have given so much to the tobacco community. It is time that their stories were told.

This Is Not Just A Man's World

     I am a woman who smokes a pipe.  I make no apologies for that.  But sadly, some people seem to think that because I am of the female sex, I should not be allowed to be a member of the amazing world of pipe smoking.  I feel blessed to be a Sister of the briar. 
     For centuries, women have enjoyed the comforts of pipe smoking and all that it has to offer.  I am not alone!  From Sir Walter Raleigh giving Queen Elizabeth a pipe to the amazing female pipe artisans and tobacco blenders of today, I stand in the company of great women.  There is nothing wrong with a woman enjoying a pipe.  And it is my hope and wish that my story will make other women out there feel more comfortable searching for a pipe they can call their own. 
      Some of you; like myself; started when my husband got into pipe smoking.  I loved the smell and the taste along with the sheer beauty of the pipes themselves.  All the artistry that goes into making these wonderful pieces of smokeable art.  I am lucky enough to belong to a pipe club (Salt Lake City Pipe Club) here in Utah (USA), that has several women members.
      This is where my mission began, to make the world of pipe smoking more acceptable and accessible to my sisters of the briar.  Thus the Facebook page and the blog you are now reading, along with the other multimedia outlets I use to foster the world of women with their own pipes was born.
     I have now become an amateur historian of the world of pipes and its wonderful and rich history.  The more I learn the more I love.  From clay pipes of years gone by, to the famous factory pipes we all know, to the hand made indie and artisan pipes of today. 
     It is my hope that as time goes on, those of you women out there will feel more comfortable sharing your love of the briar and displaying it for all to see.  Helping me create a safe haven for all of us Sisters of the Briar.  This blog and the TPC4W Facebook page are a place to ask your questions and share your thoughts.  This is my hope and dream.  In the next chapter of this story there will be a women's only Facebook page that will allow women everywhere to be able to freely share our thoughts and feelings.  And to answer any questions without judgment. Also on the website, we will have women's clothing and pipes designed specifically for a womans taste.
     It is my ongoing plan to expand and explore the world of women pipe smoking and women pipe makers, by sharing interviews with some of the most amazing female pipe makers on the planet with all women that make the pipe world go round.
    So hold on out there, Oh Sisters of the Briar... There is so much more to come!
    
     Thanks, Tracee Lancaster, Founder of TPC4W

These Are The Signs!!!

     We must warn you!  This could happen to you!!  Without warning, almost over night, you find yourself addicted to Briar.  You don't know how it happened?  There you were, owning just a couple of pipes, and have the few necessities, a czech tool, some pipe cleaners and maybe a cheap lighter...

     And then it HAPPENS!!!  What was an innocent escape is now a full fledged hobby.  You find that you are ending up at your Brick and Mortar store for one ounce of tobacco, out of the corner of your eye you see "Her"!!  Polished, shiny and new, "She" calls to you.  You know that there is nothing practical about entertaining this thought, and then it sets in.  You ask to see this pipe, you just want to hold "Her" for just a second.  "She" is just So different then all the rest of the pipes at home.  You are thinking to yourself how to justify the purchase of one more pipe. Your saying to yourself, no more going out to lunch this week or I can pay this bill a little late.  Now you leave the store with a new pipe and an ounce of your favorite tobacco.  Now comes the hardest part, hiding your new pipe from  the eyes of your spouse.  And this is how it begins.

      The addiction was evolving into every aspect of our lives, we got a new cat, the first names that came to mind for the feline??  Dunhill, Nording and Ascorti, but the one that stuck was Savinelli. We haven't bought furniture for the house in 3 years.  Then we noticed that there was no more room for our pipes in the one small case that we had.  We respect them and love them like we love our children.we couldn't imagine setting our pipes on top of each other or hiding them in a drawer.  So we had to buy them a new home.  Our collection, to be perfectly honest was out of control.  Two years of collecting and a 130 pipes later we had to buy them another home. So we found a beautiful, dark wood glass case. And now the factory are together and the Indies have a new home. '

     We thought that this hobby was so innocent and now it has turned into a beast. Then we realized that we are truly obsessed. At first it was just pipes, but that lead us down a one way street.  Now we needed pipe stands, and tampers.  There was carrying cases and tobacco jars. Then to the world of lighters. It couldn't just be any lighter.It had to be one of the best.. Which lead us to the Cadillac of pipe lighters that is im Corona old boy lighters.

    The other part of the addiction is pipe tobacco.  Where do we begin? We started out in bulk tobacco, an ounce here and an ounce there.  Trying to find what we liked.  After we found out what we liked, instead of an ounce, it would be two or three.  Then we noticed the tins of tobacco. At first it was one here and one there.  We thought we were safe until.... cellering was explained to us. We were in deep. Buying four or five tins at a time. The addiction was getting worst. Now we were buying snuff tobacco.  We promised ourselves that we would not get into cigars but that went down the toilet.  We started off with one small humidor, that didn't work out.  We got another humidor as a wonderful gift, it was 3 times the size of the first one.  We filled that up with in a month. The next solution to our cigar problem was to buy another humidor even bigger then the last. 

     Our a Achilles heel to all of  our tobacco obsession is that our best friends own the only brick and mortar store in town.  That has lead to our downfall. They call us and send us pictures of new pipes and new tins.  Sometimes we even get the family discount.  That is how we justify buying even more.  After all we are their best customers, we are in deep.  Now there should be a P.A. (Pipes Anonymous) for people like us.

     Knowing the pipe community has shown us that we are not the only ones with this addiction.  But there is no cure. We are taking it one paycheck at a time. We decided to come out to let others know that they are not alone.  We are here for support.  Lets be honest, briar addiction is the best.  Our brothers and sisters out there I am sure will agree.  And if we all have to be addicted to something, we should thank the pipe Gods its Briar!!

One of the reason's why I smoke...

     There are many reasons why I love smoking my pipes.  From the tobacco, to the pipes, to the craftsmanship, to connecting to something that is timeless. I could go on and on about the reasons I love the briar and all that's connected to it.  But to be truly honest, the number one reason I smoke my pipes is because it saved my sanity!!
     My sanity is in constant jeopardy. At Casa de Lancaster, we have two sons, an 18 year old and a 13 year old along with a beautiful 4 year old daughter and my sister who is 34 and has Downs Syndrome.  As if this wasn't enough, we took in a 24 year old kid.  Yes, that's right, 7 people all living under one roof.  It truly is the house of chaos!
    Since the birth of my second child, I have had to deal with anxiety issues.  There was a time that I was medicated.  One night we had to rush the youngest to the to the ER, which just set off my anxiety even more.  I hate the feeling of having to rely on medication but at that moment I had no choice.  Being medicated made me feel as if there was something horribly wrong with me.  Lucky for me my husband stumbled into the magical world of the briar. 
     After several months of watching my husband find relaxation and a calming influence by the simple ritual of putting flame to bowl I decided to try it for myself first hand.  As time passed Mike and I developed a daily routine of selecting our nightly pipes and blends of tobaccos.  Before we begin smoking we arrange our pipes to take pictures of what we are enjoying that evening to post to all of our friends around the world. As the beautiful white smoke rolls up from the briar we allow ourselves to relax and enjoy time for ourselves discussing what may have happened throughout the day.
     I light my pipe and I can instantly feel the anxiety and stress of the day floating away with the smoke from my briar friend.  When the end of my bowl arrives I find that I am soothed, in a peaceful state of mind and wishing my bowl was endless.
     With time I grew as a pipe smoker and my appreciation of the leaf heightened.  I realized that I had not been taking my anxiety medication.  An awareness was born in me that when I am smoking my pipes I find true tranquility.  Even when I am not smoking I have found that the anxiety that existed within me still is not half as bad as it once was.
     I would like to bear my testimony that the world of briar and tobacco is a godsend in my life!

AMEN
    
    

The Moment...

     Mike called me one afternoon with surprise.  We had an opportunity to now attend the 2012 West Coast Pipe Show in Las Vegas.  Steve Liskey (a Indie Pipe Maker) and his future bride Jamie, had purchased a hotel room for us so that we could attend.  This sounded fantastic, one small issue, This event was happening in less then two weeks.  In a mad dash to make this happen, we called Mike's parents, who conveniently live in St George UT, which is on the way to Vegas. 

     So with the children safely left with the grandparents, we were on our way to our first pipe show ever.  I did not know what to expect and Mike was more wound up then a child before Christmas.  Since Mike had started TPC, a whole new universe had open up to him.  At first it was factory pipes.  But then....then he delved into the lesser known world of independent pipe makers.  His first indie pipe was an Arley Curtz, and then another, and then a Balkovec.  Suddenly TPC had a focus, the indie pipe maker.  This trip was a quest to meet these idols of briar.  Mike had brought TPC hats to give to all his heroes. 

     The show was at Palace Station. I was going to be totally lost!  I knew little to nothing about the world of Indie pipe makers or who these people even were.  Once again I was riding the ride Mike had put me on.  We arrived and went right on into a life changing experience!  I thought Mike was going to explode!  He had no idea where to start, so many pipes, all in one room!  And for the man who has decided that he must own one of every pipe ever made... This was HEAVEN!

     Right off the bat, we meet Rad Davis and Mark Tinsky.  I had heard the names many times by this point but really had never seen their work.  Mike stopped and happily began a conversation.  I looked around the room in the hopes of finding some other women to hang with but it seemed there were very few.  The next table was another legend, Steve Morrisette.  As I stood there, I was amazed at these pieces of smokeable art that had been crafted by this man in front of me.  He told Mike to pull up a seat, and the pipe talk began. Steve explained that there was a whole mass of people waiting for Mike, Mr TPC,  to show up.  

     There was this young guy making a bee line to Mike.  This was Steve Liskey in the flesh.  Right off the bat it was like they had known each other for years.  We thanked Steve for giving us this opportunity of a life time.   He took us back to his table to meet his fiance, Jamie.  Sitting at the the next table was gentleman named Grant Batson.  Once again I was blown away by the work of both Steve and Grant.  Something was beginning to spark within me.  After all the traveling I was a tired and ready to relax while Mike went off to play.

     Jamie and I were hungry and so were the boys, so off we went to find some food.  This gave us girls a chance to get to know one another.  Jamie was this beautiful, soft spoken and polite young lady, who I was very impressed by the level of maturity she had.  We both felt an instant connection to each other.  This was the beginning of a growing friendship.

     We returned with food, and we girls guarded the table while the boys were "networking" with all the other indies.  After 3 hours of talking and bonding, I was hoping to be able to spend even more time with our new friends but they had a dinner to attend.  Mike and I were planning on trying to meet up with Mike Wotman, the Ashton/Peterson rep that we had met the week before at a Cigar/Pipe event at Tinder Box in Utah.  We invited Grant to come with us and accepted our invitation.

     So we checked in and dropped off the luggage in the room.  Mike received a text from Grant asking if it was all right if Steve Morrisette joined us.  Mike was stunned, one of his favorite pipe makers wanted to come and hang out with us.  So a little while later all 4 of us were packed into our truck, on our way to Casa De Fuente.  Walking through the mall I came to see I was dealing with a real southern gentleman in Mr Morrisette.  Upon arriving Steve bought me a cigar and Grant got me a drink.  So after a smoke and a few cocktails it was time to find some food, so off to dinner we went.  This was unbelievable that we had the opportunity to spend such quality time with these wonderful artisans.  Then it was back to the hotel to have dessert with Jamie and Steve and then off to bed to prepare for yet another day of indie pipe madness.

     Mike was in such a hurry to get back in the morning to the land of pipes, that we were actually early.  But this gave us the chance to sit and have a conversation with Scott Klein.  Then off into the show we went.  We met Sally the Pipe Tart, and Mr. Lawdog.  Jamie and I lit up our pipes and went exploring, coming across such great people as Dr. Bob, Alex Florov and the guys from JNJ pipes.  The more people I met, the more I realized what a big family this all was.  Here was an unique and caring community that I want to be a part of.
      As the day wound to an end there was a touch of sadness that we would all be feeling, to have to say our goodbyes.  Something inside me sparked.  This was no longer just my husband's ride, this was now our ride together.  I wanted to have a voice.  It had seemed, to me at least, that there was not enough women here.  That a woman smoking a great pipe was some how taboo.  I wanted to change that.  I now had a deeper understanding of why it was that Mike was so involved and a little obsessed with the pipe world.  So at last it ended, and tears were shed as we said our goodbyes to all these new and wonderful friends.
      No sooner had we left did the idea of TPC for Women start stirring in my head.  I first started talking to Mike about it on the drive out of Vegas.  And then to Jamie, who I was now talking to everyday.  Back in Salt Lake I was discussing it with my best friend Kenn.  I felt that Jamie and I could be a voice for all females who were involved in the tobacco pipe world, whether they wanted to be there or not.  We wanted a safe haven for those just starting out with pipes but inclusive enough for the lady pipe maker.  First would be our own blog and then maybe even a facebook page.
     So after 3 months of planning and talking and brainstorming and pipe smoking we were ready to conquer the world of women pipe smokers.  The blog was up and running when out of the blue... Mike couldn't sleep, got up at 3:30 in the morning and surprised me with a TPC for Women facebook page!  Ready or not, we were off and moving forward. 
    So here we are over one month in.  Amber was brought on to add another facet of women pipers and a voice from the YouTube community.  So along with Jamie's insights about knowing first hand of being on the pipe makers end.  And with me being the wife of a crazed pipe collector and the rock star of TPC, we had covered a lot of angles.  Our on going mission is to assist all and anyone who is interested in this amazing and diverse world of pipes and tobacco.  Already this has been an incredible experience and we are amazingly grateful for all the love and support this community has shown us.  We only hope that we can live up to your expectations.  Thanks again pipe world and you will be hearing again from us soon.  
     Puff on my piper friends
     -Tracee, Co-founder of TPC for Women

My First Pipe

     In February of 2010, I saw a beautiful Dunhill looking, black sandblast ring grain pipe.  This beauty was sitting on a pipe rack, sadly un-smoked and dusty.  I was drawn to it, it was love at first pipe!  It belonged to my best friend Kenn.  I thought it was the most stunning I had ever seen,  At that point we are only 4 months into our pipe adventure, Mike was collecting only factory pipes.  The only other pipe I had ever seen that looked like the one Kenn had, was a Dunhill Shell. (That Dunhill is now in Mike's pipe case.)
     It had never crossed my mind, that I too was going to be a pipe owner and collector,  This had been Mike's adventure, I was just along for the ride.  But as each evening would come, you would find us on the deck, Pipe in hand, there was a very happy Mike, I would have my cigarette and we would enjoy the night.  But after a month or so the amazing aroma of the pipe tobacco stirred my interest.  I started taking sips of Mike's pipe, Just little tastes, But as time went on, Mike started to have to ask for his pipe back, more and more. This was no longer just a Mike adventure, I was starting one of my own. 
      It wasn't just the husband who was looking at the pipes, now I was too, These pipes started to grab my attention more and more, No longer was I looking for something for my husband, I was looking for me.  So there I was at Kenn's place one afternoon, when we found each other.  Kenn has a very nice collection of pipes, but hiding in the back was this amazing find.  Later I would learn that this work of art was a 5 dot Sasieni from England,  I demanded to know why this pipe had not been smoked! This pipe was begging to be loved. Kenn tried to explain that he had lots of pipes and that one was just to nice to smoke, I thought that was crap, This pipe was demanding to have tobacco placed in it and smoked.
      So the harassment began, Every time I was at Kenn's, I would handle this pipe and demand that someone needed to smoke it, But sadly it just sat there unloved. I just could not understand what was wrong with Kenn, Why wouldn't he smoke this pipe? 
     So one Wednesday afternoon on our weekly lunch date, Kenn hands me a box, This was odd because my birthday wasn't for two more months, I opened to find the pipe of my dreams.  Kenn made it very clear, that this pipe was for me, Not my husband, This made me cry, I now had my very own pipe, And so it began.
     Every time I smoke this pipe, the experience is incredible, Nothing tastes bad in this pipe and I can keep it lit for an amazingly long time.  It was the greatest possible first pipe ever! I was now a pipe owner and collector. 
     As time has gone on, there is now other pipes in my collection.  And I am sure there are more to come also.  But my 5 dot Sasieni was my first, and it will always have a special place in my heart.

Tracee Lancaster-Co-Founder TPC for Women

January 10, 2013

All Or Nothing!

Where to begin………..I can begin with the day I smoked my first pipe, or I can begin with attending my first pipe show! I think the best way for me to start out this blog is with an observation. A dear friend of ours From Denmark when confronted with the question of what he thought about American culture stated that he thought we were people of extreme. For example everything we eat and drink until recently had huge amounts of sugar and salt. That is until we found out it was bad for us, now everything is bland and tasteless. After he made this comment, I was rather puzzled. Is it true? Are we really all or nothing?

Then it dawned on me not only is my culture all or nothing, but I happen to be living with the prime example of go big or go home! My fiancé has always been a bit obsessive compulsive with his hobbies, so when he began smoking a pipe I thought to myself oh boy here we go! The sad part is it went far beyond my expectations. Smoking a pipe was no longer enough he wanted to start making them.

This did not come without its complications. We had no workshop and no room for shop equipment. A lot of you ladies may be in shock when I say this but……I gave up my closet. That’s right I removed all of my clothes, shoes, and accessories and replaced them with a drill press, scary looking files, and a band saw.  I thought I must have lost my mind! At least if I didn't lose it already the dust it created and the random hideous sounds the equipment made would pretty much finish the job. Let’s just say I was over being a cool girlfriend and he got the okay to build a workshop.

When Steve finally got his stuff out of our closet and began working in the shop it was amazing! No dust, no noise, just me my book and I. Now there comes a time in every woman’s life where she has to get out of the bath. I found that though I had my room back I lost him. I began going into his shop more often sometimes to chat, other times to read a book while he worked. Naturally, I became curious. All of this noise, dust and sacrifice, for what?

I decided to make the leap and smoke a pipe with Steve. I had a lot to learn, and being an ex cigarette smoker made it rather difficult, but I eventually got the hang of it. Now I will go into Steve’s shop around the loud equipment I once despised to have a bowl with him. A lot of you ladies may find this to be blasphemous but here goes. I find smoking a pipe to be more relaxing then soaking in a hot bath, but that’s not where it ends.

 I have found not only a piece but a bonding agent between my fiancé and I. His love has now become mine. Pipe smoking to me is not just a social activity or the accumulation of objects. It has opened so many doors and has been the foundation of many amazing friendships. In fact that is how Tracee and I met, and as a result I now write this blog and join her in supporting the growth of woman pipe smokers. I started this blog out with an observation, so I feel it is necessary to end this blog with one. One I found for myself and my own experience. I was against it at every turn I didn't understand the hype, but as I started to ease up and work my way into it, I found that not only do I like it, I've become obsessed with it. I have the bug! Maybe our friend from Denmark was right. 

I hope you enjoyed my very first blog as much as I enjoyed creating and sharing it! Happy smoking! 

-Jamie