Pipe Shows

  PSA THE TEXAS PIPE SHOW IS ALMOST HERE! Friday and Saturday, November 14th Peterson Pipe Notes will have a table this year with books, tintackers, estate Petes from Ken Sigel, Gary Hamilton, and myself, all under the supervision of our resident den mother Gigi. See Texaspipeshow.com for more info. THE 2025 LAS VEGAS INTERNATIONAL PIPE SHOW (Part 1) “…the most remarkable gathering of vintage and historic Peterson pipes since the 2019 Chicago Show.” The 2025 Las Vegas International Pipe Show (LVIPS) took place last weekend at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino. It’s the first time I’ve been back since launching the Peterson bible in 2019 and while the hotel hadn’t changed, the show has. It’s been under the aegis of Dave Peterson and Brian Levine for a few years now and I’ve gotta hand it to them that organizing and conducting a show of this size with just the two of them and a few slaveys is flat out amazing. Friday afternoon we rallied around Dan Chasin CPG, the chief administrator of Pipe Smokers of Ireland on Facebook (PSOI) to see his ab-so-lutely amazing collection of Sherlock Holmes Squire pipes: Dan Chasin's SH Squires It's much smaller than Chicago (the world’s biggest) but it was big enough to hold my interest and attention from our Thursday night arrival to a mid-Monday afternoon departure. That was due in good measure to the Pete Geeks and PSOI who attended, but also to the vendors, artisans, and other pipemen. The show’s particular charm has always been that smoking is allowed.  There’s also a smoker’s lounge that occupies an open area off the side of the show, allowing everyone to take a seat, get a drink, smoke and socialize. I love the smoking tent at Chicago, but somehow the Vegas smoker’s lounge seems more open, and perhaps being smaller, things seemed to slowed down to facilitate more socialization. That evening those who could make it went for a commencement PG dinner at McMullan’s Irish Pub, which not only served a “perfect pint” of Guinness, but had the added attraction of serving Guinness Foreign Extra Stout and Most Excellent fish & chips (sob, no mashy peas!). The pub food and décor was exceptional, as was our hostess, who allowed us to smoke our pipes out on the patio after dinner. K. T. Prasad, from Hyderabad in southern India (right) and his nephew Ranga, an engineer living in Vegas. The main event—the Saturday show—is nearly impossible to describe to someone who’s never been to a pipe show.  While a few of the big vendors like Smokingpipes.com and Pipes & Cigars were there, what really makes a show a pipe community event is that most tables are hosted by artisans, part-time artisans, estate dealers, and hobbyists all there to sell, of course, but also to share their stories and their lives. No PBFs (phony business friends) among them—every single one pursuing the passion of pipes. PETE GEEK MEET Thanks CPGs Lance Dahl, James Walsh, and…