The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Podcast

Tonight on The Pipes Magazine Radio Show, we welcome back Jay Furman, a long-time and well-respected member of the pipe community. Jay is the co-host of the Pipe and Tamper podcast, where he regularly discusses pipes, tobacco, and the people who make the hobby what it is. He also serves as a board member of the Chicago International Pipe Show, one of the premier pipe events in the world.

Brian and Jay will spend the show talking about the upcoming Chicago show, including what attendees can expect this year, how the event continues to evolve, and why it remains such an important gathering for pipe smokers, collectors, and artisans alike. With his deep involvement behind the scenes, Jay offers a unique perspective on what goes into organizing a major pipe show and what makes the Chicago event so special. At the top of the show we will have a tobacco review of Cornell & Diehl's Briar Fox.

Tonight on the Pipes Magazine Radio Show, we're joined by a truly fascinating guest: Dr. Cayman T. Unterborn — a researcher, data analyst, and planetary scientist whose work explores the nature and diversity of planets beyond our solar system. His academic path includes an undergraduate degree in physics and astronomy and a PhD in geology. Unlike many pipe smokers, he didn't begin with aromatics — instead, his early life in Ohio put him literally across the street from Smoker's Haven. In his own words, he was "a pretentious nerd that thought pipe smoking was cool." At the top of the show in Pipe Parts, we will get caught up on listener questions.

Tonight on the Pipes Magazine Radio Show we’re rolling out two brand-new recurring features. Our guest is pipe maker Nate King - a familiar voice who has joined us many times before. This time, we kick off a new series with him called "The State of Nate," where Brian and Nate dive into the pipe world from the maker's perspective. In this first installment, they'll talk about the dynamics between pipe makers and pipe collectors. Nate has been making pipes since 2005, holds an honorary Master of Pipes degree from the Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club, and is a member of the esteemed Confrérie des Maîtres Pipiers de Saint-Claude. At the start of the show, we're also launching a recurring Pipe News segment, beginning with updates and changes surrounding the Las Vegas International Pipe Show.

Our featured guest tonight is Jon David Cole. Jon David is the Owner/Tobacconist at The Country Squire in Jackson, MS, and the accompanying online store. Brian and Jon David will talk about their favorite customer interactions, and after 55 years, The Country Squire is moving to a new location that will include a full cocktail lounge. This is a colossal undertaking that is quite interesting to hear about. They will be expanding their shipping, blending, and smoking lounge. They are moving into a standalone building which will ensure against complaints of smoking from neighbors. The soft opening is expected in February 2026.

Our featured guest tonight is longstanding pipe collector Tom Pfaeffle. Tom is a long-time member of the pipe collecting community and enthusiast whose experience spans decades of engagement with briar pipes, tobacco culture, and pipe show attendance. His great-grandfather smoked a corncob pipe, and he started smoking and collecting pipes in the 1970s. Pipe shows were quite different then with few to no pipe makers, and lots of hobbyist showing their collections that weren't for sale. At the top of the show in Pipe Parts, Brian will discuss what are referred to as "magic pipes". This is in response to a question sent in by one of our listeners.