284. The Pete Geek CHICAGO PIPE SHOW Meet
The Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Show reconvened last weekend for the first time since 2019. The show has been held at the huge, majestic and nostalgia-infused Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois since 2002. It closed in early 2020, making it necessary to find a new venue, the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort, an easy 30 minute drive north of O’Hare International Airport. * Boy Scout motto: “Be Prepared.” You never know how many pipes & tins you might bring back from a pipe show. For US pipe smokers, Chicago is the big one. We have been extremely blessed to have several other great shows up and running for many years now: the Las Vegas West Coast show, the Kansas City Show, the Richmond CORPS show and the NASPC show in Columbus, OH. But Chicago is the one by which all the rest are measured. It didn’t seem like there were as many folks attending or as many tables this year, which seems inevitable given COVID and the situation in Europe. Among hobbyists I didn’t see anyone wearing a mask, although one well-known collector was really worried about picking up the virus, insisting on fist bumps and distancing, which I can understand. I also didn’t see any of my wonderful Chinese, Thai and Japanese friends, who for me always give the show its global flavor. This was the first pipe show I’ve attended where I didn’t have some kind of Pete business to transact—whether making a presentation or sitting at a table selling books. My wife thought I wouldn’t have a good time without the opportunity to get up and talk about Petes, but honestly it was more fun than any of my previous shows. As a borederline introvert, I always find it challenging to sit down in the smoking tent and talk to whoever is there, but this time I did. And it was—delightful. I struck up a number of great conversations and over the course of the show made several new pipe friends. Chip Frederick, Chris Tarman, Unknown & Gary Hamilton One of best things about the smoking tent is sharing the joy of pipes—seeing what another smoker has found and sharing what you’ve found. Chip Frederick—on the far left—is one of the Chicago club members responsible for seeing everything runs on the rails. He had some dating questions about a couple of his Petes and Chris Tarman CPG (next to Chip), Gary Hamilton CPG (far right) and I had a lot of fun helping him out as we got to know each other. Gene Umberger with his Peterson 4AB POY It's also really good to see old friends again, like Gene Umberger, Doctor of Pipes and author of Tobacco and Its Use. Pete Geek Fred Heim in burgundy polo shirt. Scott Thile, artisan pipe maker and genius who runs the invaluable wiki Pipedia.org, in baseball cap at middle. One rule of etiquette when attending a show occurs to me here from that well-known pipeman, the Apostle Paul: “rejoice with…