Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much is shipping at The Pipe Nook?
Shipping is a flat $7 fee within the United States (Exclusions apply - See #2 below in regards to tobacco sales exclusions to Florida, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington. See #3 in regards to how I manage International Orders). If shipping for your order is more than $7 (which is often the case), I cover the rest. The more you purchase, the more you'll save on shipping, and larger orders often get upgraded from First Class to Priority Mail, so be sure to stuff that cart full! :)
2. What about orders to Florida, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington State?
I live in the state of Florida, and if I were to sell tobacco to my fellow Floridians, I would have to charge an 85% pipe tobacco surtax that applies to in-state tobacco sales. I refuse to do this, so I've made the decision to not sell tobacco to Florida residents. In addition, due to South Dakota, Utah, and Washington state regulations, I cannot ship tobacco to those states. However, I can and do ship pipes and accessories to residents of these four states. Please send me an email with your address and what you would like to order using my contact page, and I will send you an invoice. I implement manual invoicing for these states because my site is not sophisticated enough to allow some product sales (pipes and accessories) and not allow others (tobacco) to specific locations. I know this is a nuisance to have this extra step, and I truly appreciate those of you who decide to reach out to me!
3. Do you ship internationally?
At this time, the site is not set up to accept orders from customers outside of the US. However, I can and do ship internationally. Please send me an email with your address, a snapshot of your photo ID (if ordering tobacco), and what you would like to order using my contact page, and I will send you an invoice. My shipping fee for international orders is a flat $25 US. Please understand that any customs charges that may be imposed on your order are the responsibility of you, the buyer. I am not responsible for lost or "held by customs" international packages. Please research the possibilities before you email me with your order, so that you are aware of the risks.
4. What methods of payment do you accept?
You can pay using most major credit and debit cards, or your Paypal Account. All payments are processed by Paypal, but you do not need a Paypal account to pay with your credit card, since Paypal can accept credit card payments like any other merchant services company.
5. When will you get more of _______ in stock?
Since I'm a small operation, I sometimes sell out of certain things. I try my best to place re-orders at least monthly, so stay tuned, and be sure to sign up for my email newsletter for updates!
6. I'm interested in something you don't seem to carry. Will you do special orders?
I realize my selection is a bit limited for more seasoned pipe smokers, although I do believe there's something for everyone here at The Pipe Nook! However, if you are interested in something I don't normally carry, I will do my best to accommodate your request! If it falls within any of the brands I carry, I'm confident I can obtain it. Special orders require prepayment, so please request an invoice using the form on my contact page. I truly appreciate those of you who go out of your way like this to support The Pipe Nook!
7. What pipe would you recommend for a new pipe smoker?
Anything you see on my site! The Pipe Nook is designed to be a highly curated selection for the new and nearly new pipe smoker. I only carry brands that I personally use and recommend to friends and family. As such, every brand I carry is what I consider to be "gold standard" products, brands that I feel every collector would do well to have represented in their collection. There's not a pipe on my site that would be "bad" for a new pipe smoker. However, there are two guidelines I would recommend. I would get a filtered pipe first, as filters help alleviate tongue bite for many, which is the biggest reason people give up on pipe smoking before they really learn how to smoke a pipe. Also, I would recommend that you not spend too much on your first pipe (say, $65 or less), so that if you decide it's not for you at the moment, you can hang onto the pipe and perhaps try again in the future. And if you decide pipe smoking is absolutely not for you, you're not out too much money. A great many pipes on my site fall in line with these two recommendations, including many pipes by Missouri Meerschaum, Rossi, and Savinelli.
8. What tobaccos would you recommend for a new pipe smoker?
This one is a bit trickier, as it depends upon whether you personally like Aromatics, Virginias, Burleys, Latakia, Perique, etc. Also, are you coming from cigars, cigarettes, or have you never smoked anything before? I'd say that if you really want to get to know what your personal tastes are, you'll need to start with at least 5 different kinds of blends to get your bearings. I wrote a blog titled "What Pipe Tobaccos Should I Smoke?" which can be found here. I go back and update this particular blog from time to time, to include new blends I add to the site. Keep in mind that if a particular kind of blend bites you more than others, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it. For me personally, certain Virginias tend to nip to varying degrees. Try using a pipe filter to see if it helps; pipe filters (particularly charcoal filters) make a world of difference for me!
9. I'm completely new to pipe smoking, and have no idea how to do this! Can you help?
I wrote a blog titled "Pipe Smoking 101: How to Smoke a Pipe." This is a 1-Page reference guide that you can print out to help get you started, which you can find here. For those who want to go a bit more in-depth, I created a 25-Part video series on YouTube, which you can find here. It's pretty conversational and low-tech, but I planned it out to be easy to understand and in an order of importance that makes sense, at least to me. I hope you find it helpful!
10. How do I become a pipe smoking expert?
You're definitely asking the wrong guy! It took me nearly 20 years to finally "get it," which is why I've created blogs and videos to help you on your way and not waste the kind of time I did. Beyond that, however, I would say that while there are certain universal tips, pipe smoking is a very personal thing, and what works for one person may not work for another. In addition, pipe smoking is a multi-faceted interest, and I don't think anyone ever truly stops learning. Keep in mind that mistakes are part of the learning process. With pipe smoking, as with many of the best things in life, I strongly believe that the journey is more important than the destination. To me, the middle of the bowl is much more enjoyable than the top or bottom of the bowl. I hope you find as much fulfillment in your times of quiet reflection with your pipe as I do!
Shipping is a flat $7 fee within the United States (Exclusions apply - See #2 below in regards to tobacco sales exclusions to Florida, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington. See #3 in regards to how I manage International Orders). If shipping for your order is more than $7 (which is often the case), I cover the rest. The more you purchase, the more you'll save on shipping, and larger orders often get upgraded from First Class to Priority Mail, so be sure to stuff that cart full! :)
2. What about orders to Florida, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington State?
I live in the state of Florida, and if I were to sell tobacco to my fellow Floridians, I would have to charge an 85% pipe tobacco surtax that applies to in-state tobacco sales. I refuse to do this, so I've made the decision to not sell tobacco to Florida residents. In addition, due to South Dakota, Utah, and Washington state regulations, I cannot ship tobacco to those states. However, I can and do ship pipes and accessories to residents of these four states. Please send me an email with your address and what you would like to order using my contact page, and I will send you an invoice. I implement manual invoicing for these states because my site is not sophisticated enough to allow some product sales (pipes and accessories) and not allow others (tobacco) to specific locations. I know this is a nuisance to have this extra step, and I truly appreciate those of you who decide to reach out to me!
3. Do you ship internationally?
At this time, the site is not set up to accept orders from customers outside of the US. However, I can and do ship internationally. Please send me an email with your address, a snapshot of your photo ID (if ordering tobacco), and what you would like to order using my contact page, and I will send you an invoice. My shipping fee for international orders is a flat $25 US. Please understand that any customs charges that may be imposed on your order are the responsibility of you, the buyer. I am not responsible for lost or "held by customs" international packages. Please research the possibilities before you email me with your order, so that you are aware of the risks.
4. What methods of payment do you accept?
You can pay using most major credit and debit cards, or your Paypal Account. All payments are processed by Paypal, but you do not need a Paypal account to pay with your credit card, since Paypal can accept credit card payments like any other merchant services company.
5. When will you get more of _______ in stock?
Since I'm a small operation, I sometimes sell out of certain things. I try my best to place re-orders at least monthly, so stay tuned, and be sure to sign up for my email newsletter for updates!
6. I'm interested in something you don't seem to carry. Will you do special orders?
I realize my selection is a bit limited for more seasoned pipe smokers, although I do believe there's something for everyone here at The Pipe Nook! However, if you are interested in something I don't normally carry, I will do my best to accommodate your request! If it falls within any of the brands I carry, I'm confident I can obtain it. Special orders require prepayment, so please request an invoice using the form on my contact page. I truly appreciate those of you who go out of your way like this to support The Pipe Nook!
7. What pipe would you recommend for a new pipe smoker?
Anything you see on my site! The Pipe Nook is designed to be a highly curated selection for the new and nearly new pipe smoker. I only carry brands that I personally use and recommend to friends and family. As such, every brand I carry is what I consider to be "gold standard" products, brands that I feel every collector would do well to have represented in their collection. There's not a pipe on my site that would be "bad" for a new pipe smoker. However, there are two guidelines I would recommend. I would get a filtered pipe first, as filters help alleviate tongue bite for many, which is the biggest reason people give up on pipe smoking before they really learn how to smoke a pipe. Also, I would recommend that you not spend too much on your first pipe (say, $65 or less), so that if you decide it's not for you at the moment, you can hang onto the pipe and perhaps try again in the future. And if you decide pipe smoking is absolutely not for you, you're not out too much money. A great many pipes on my site fall in line with these two recommendations, including many pipes by Missouri Meerschaum, Rossi, and Savinelli.
8. What tobaccos would you recommend for a new pipe smoker?
This one is a bit trickier, as it depends upon whether you personally like Aromatics, Virginias, Burleys, Latakia, Perique, etc. Also, are you coming from cigars, cigarettes, or have you never smoked anything before? I'd say that if you really want to get to know what your personal tastes are, you'll need to start with at least 5 different kinds of blends to get your bearings. I wrote a blog titled "What Pipe Tobaccos Should I Smoke?" which can be found here. I go back and update this particular blog from time to time, to include new blends I add to the site. Keep in mind that if a particular kind of blend bites you more than others, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it. For me personally, certain Virginias tend to nip to varying degrees. Try using a pipe filter to see if it helps; pipe filters (particularly charcoal filters) make a world of difference for me!
9. I'm completely new to pipe smoking, and have no idea how to do this! Can you help?
I wrote a blog titled "Pipe Smoking 101: How to Smoke a Pipe." This is a 1-Page reference guide that you can print out to help get you started, which you can find here. For those who want to go a bit more in-depth, I created a 25-Part video series on YouTube, which you can find here. It's pretty conversational and low-tech, but I planned it out to be easy to understand and in an order of importance that makes sense, at least to me. I hope you find it helpful!
10. How do I become a pipe smoking expert?
You're definitely asking the wrong guy! It took me nearly 20 years to finally "get it," which is why I've created blogs and videos to help you on your way and not waste the kind of time I did. Beyond that, however, I would say that while there are certain universal tips, pipe smoking is a very personal thing, and what works for one person may not work for another. In addition, pipe smoking is a multi-faceted interest, and I don't think anyone ever truly stops learning. Keep in mind that mistakes are part of the learning process. With pipe smoking, as with many of the best things in life, I strongly believe that the journey is more important than the destination. To me, the middle of the bowl is much more enjoyable than the top or bottom of the bowl. I hope you find as much fulfillment in your times of quiet reflection with your pipe as I do!