I love this time of year.  Any day now, the oppressive southern Summer heat will break and make way for my favorite time of year, Fall!  The crispness in the air, light breezes, and cooler weather all encourage me to smoke more out of doors.  Nashville gets this weather a bit earlier than we do along the Gulf Coast, so I can't wait to get to Music City, USA for the 2016 Nashville Pipe Gathering!

Rising from the ashes of the Nashville Pipe Show which was unfortunately cancelled this year, many of us in the Pipe Community have decided that fellowship is more important than consumerism, and have chosen to still use that weekend (9/22-9/24) to have a good old fashioned pipe meetup! But don't worry: There will still be plenty of pipes and tobaccos available as we visit a few of the local smoke shops. Nashville's own Southern Fried Pipe Club has taken on the planning and scheduling duties, and we have quite the itinerary!  As of this posting, here is what is currently on the books: 

Thursday, 9/22 - 6-11 PM - Smoker's Abbey
Friday, 9/23 -  AM (tbd) - Caffeine Crawl -  local Nashville coffee shops
Friday, 9/23 - 12-5 PM - Briarworks - Pipe Shop Tour - including free lunch while it lasts
Friday, 9/23 - 5:30-9 PM - UPtown's Smoke Shop - Special Ticketed Event (tbd)
Saturday, 9/24 - 10 AM - 5 PM - UPtown's Smoke Shop - Nashville Pipe Gathering
Saturday, 9/24 - 6-11 PM - Smokey Cigar 2 - After Party

Please keep in mind that places and times are subject to change, so be sure to check the following official webpage for updates: 
​http://www.southernfriedpipeclub.com/nashvillepipegathering.html

I attended the Nashville Pipe Show in 2014 and again in 2015, and it was a highlight of those years for me.  And while the Pipe Show was always fun, it was really just an excuse to drive several hours to Nashville to hang out with like-minded pipe smokers, which is something I rarely get to do in my neck of the woods.  Sharing tobaccos, swapping stories, having some laughs, and just being together is what makes this weekend special to me.  If you're able to make it for any or all of these dates, I strongly encourage you to do so!  Seek me out and shake my hand--I'd be honored to meet you!  And I just may have a little Pipe Nook Swag to give away...

Keep 'em lit,

Eddie Gray

It's no secret that I love my cobs.  I'm a proud member of the Corn Cob Nation, as well as the recently formed Cob Mob. And while only about 10% of my personal pipe collection is comprised of corn cob pipes, I find I reach for a cob about half the time I smoke.  Why?  There are many reasons, but they boil down to this: Cobs are easy.  Easy to smoke and easy to maintain, without losing any of the taste that my briars offer. And if I lose one, well...I would be saddened, but it's just a cob.  They're inexpensive and easy to replace. 

It's also no secret that many pipe smokers look down on the humble corn cob pipe.  Most of them aren't going to win any beauty awards or high praise for fit and finish.  But what if there were slightly more pricey cob models with better appointments, yet still much cheaper than the average briar? 

The Pipe Nook is pleased to introduce the Dagner Cob Poker, and the Cobbit series! 

Designed by Jayson Dagner of Dagner Pipes, the Cob Poker is a beauty as well as a workhorse. Designed to be an excellent travel companion, its compact dimensions allow for stowage in a shirt pocket or saddlebag, while at the same time providing for a medium-length smoke. It's a sitter, allowing for you to set it down if necessary without the need for a pipe stand. And it has a few appointments new to the Missouri Meerschaum company, including a nickel accent band, a Custom Cob stamp on the bottom, and a comfortable, Italian-made Acrylic push bit.  With the advent of the Dagner Cob Poker, anyone can afford a Dagner designed pipe!

The Cobbit series takes a different approach, and introduces cob smokers to another type of pipe for their cob collection: The Churchwarden.  Themed after the greatly loved books set in Middle Earth by J.R.R. Tolkien, these are the kinds of pipes to enjoy a leisurely smoke on your favorite hilltop in the Shire, or your backyard.  The Dwarf is more of a semi-churchwarden and sports the smallest bowl, while the Shire and Elf pipes are a bit longer with larger bowls. Like the Dagner cob, all three of these models feature a dark stained finish and a hardwood insert at the bottom of the bowl.  What sets these apart the most, however, are the long, Italian-made Vulcanite stems.

With such exciting new models, it truly is a wonderful time to be a cob smoker! If you've never smoked a cob, check one out and see what you've been missing!