The Perfect Pipe [Hardcover]

Paul H. Jeffers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 1998

This celebration of the gentle art of pipe smoking starts with a history of tobacco and pipes, surveys kinds and types of pipes, how they're made, choosing them, and how to enjoy them fully.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Pipe smokers will probably find this fetchingly illustrated compendium irresistible, but readers not sold on the joys of tobacco may feel there is too much rhapsodizing about pipe lore and not enough detailed social history. Jeffers (The Good Cigar) bolsters his thesis that pipe smoking has remained an especially American phenomenon for decades with a portrait gallery of famous pipe enthusiasts?from Benjamin Franklin and Davy Crockett to Emerson, Mark Twain, Alexander Graham Bell, Einstein, Robert Frost, Norman Rockwell, Edward Teller, Neil Armstrong and George Bush. Decked out with engravings, paintings, sketches and photographs, and enlivened by nostalgic songs, ballads, ditties and memorabilia, his survey ranges from ancient Celts' smoking of aromatic herbs in iron pipes to pipe-related organizations on the Internet. At one point, Jeffers asserts that cigarette smoking doesn't cause the high incidence of cancer and other diseases attributed to it by the "health police," as he calls antismoking activists. This renders somewhat suspect his familiar argument that pipes pose greatly reduced health risks in comparison with cigarettes. But his thorough look at how to smoke pipes, the design and making of pipes, , pipe care and gadgetry, reliable vendors and convention-defying pipe-smoking women will be edifying to anyone with a penchant for the occasional puff. For an introduction to Cuban cigars, see Cubans by William P. Mara (noted below). 100 b&w illustrations and 8 pages of color photos. Agent, Jake Elwell.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Jeffers (The Good Cigar, Lyons, 1996; Colonel Roosevelt, LJ 4/1/96) has written a paean to the joys of the tobacco pipe. As such, this tribute book is divided into two parts, one being a history of the pipe, the other a guide and how-to of pipe smoking, covering how to select, use, and maintain a pipe and what types of tobacco and pipe accessories are available. While the how-to information is straightforward enough, there are some glaring errors in the historical section. Jeffers states that Pocahontas met and became "the darling of Queen Elizabeth I"?difficult, considering that her visit to England was in 1616 and Queen Elizabeth died in 1603. Also cited is the Parson's Cause, the case that started Patrick Henry's career. Jeffers suggests the date of this event was 1775 and that Henry was hired by one Reverend Maury. In fact, the date of the case was 1763 and Henry and Maury opposed each other. Buy if there's a demand.?Robert A. Curtis, Taylor Memorial P.L., Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Burford Books; 1 edition (October 6, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580800653
• ISBN-13: 978-1580800655
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,042,507 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Pipe Book Has Little New To Say and Contains Several Errors, May 11, 1999

By 

[e-mail] Pipe Smoker's Gazette (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Perfect Pipe (Hardcover)

Imagine my delight. A new book about pipes. I had to have it! Imagine my disappointment upon encountering its many errors, half-truths, and serious omissions! I have recommended it to my club only because of the generous sprinkling of anecdotes (some of which are new), poems, and historical references, and because it is an easy read for the new pipe smoker (though I fear he may receive some poor first impressions). I don't propose to list every mistake here--that would be an

unnecessary task and few would have the incentive to finish reading such a list. Really, I'm trying not to be a nit-picker. More than anything else, I suppose, I'm just perplexed. Jeffers must love pipes and pipe smoking--as I do fervently--so why not do a little better job of research? "Dan Pipe" is not a Danish firm, but German (at least all my correspondence with Holger Frickert, a co-founder of the firm, leads me to that conclusion); "PCCA" is not a club, but an internet buying service, as owner Bob Hamlin will freely admit. The most cursory glance beneath the surface of these "titles" would have lead to the truth. "Caminetto" is still in business (I bought a new one last month), though perhaps under different management, and some of the best pipe makers, such as Ser Jacopo and Ferndown are not mentioned in his list. "I can't include everything," he might say. He can and he must. And talk about advice on pipe smoking itself! No decent modern pipe

requires breaking in. My collection of several dozen pipes includes a few that required that largely outmoded practice, but they are, for the most part, cheap pipes acquired in youth (I've been at it for 40 years, now), or the odd stepchild in an otherwise quality brand. In a second edition, I hope these errors will be corrected, along with some 20 others I will not list. One last thing, from a purely personal perspective. The book has an overlay of mysticism about it that I find offensive, chiefly in the form of biblical references and that worn out saw about the magic quality of pipe smoking. Fun to talk about, but dangerous for impressionable "newbies." To include the silliness about common characteristics was almost unforgivable. Jeffers must not ever have belonged to a club? In ours, we have old and young; atheist, Jew, Baptist, and Catholic; Republican, Democrat, Marxist, and Libertarian; philosophical-minded and unthinking; happy and sad. In this, and other things, Jeffers is too much influenced by Richard Hacker, self-styled pipe guru--he quotes him often enough. Most smokers have read him--pipe books are rare and it's hard to be dismissive of even one text--but none I know respect him. The man simply doesn't know what he's talking about half the time (besides, he's moved on to cigars, his new area of expertise). Far from being the man who reintroduced the pipe to the world, he is responsible for more misinformation than anyone I can think of. Believe it or not, I wish Jeffers well. Much of pipe smoking is a matter of taste--we're all told that from the beginning. It's equally true that, for the most part, there are few absolutes in the world of pipes (no two pipesters fill their bowls the same way, it is often said), but there are a few. Certainly one of these must be the need for a high degree of accuracy in what the would-be expert puts into writing and offers the world to read.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very well written and thoroughly informative book, but...., January 30, 2002

By 

Chris Isbell "Demons who enter your circle mu... (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Perfect Pipe (Hardcover)

This is highly reccomended. It is humorously written and informative. There is much to be learned by the novice pipe smoker and I'll wager that even a few veteran pipesters will find more than a few interesting facts here. The hand drawn illustrations are elegant and beautiful. Only a few pages of high gloss color photography, though. While this is a great book and should be required reading for all pipe smokers, I dare say that I was disappointed with the way that Mr. Jeffers just breezed right through the sections dealing with the mechanics of how to smoke a pipe. I, for one, need a book that lingers on this area of pipe smoking. From proper break ins to proper packing and lighting, I need more knowledge! Otherwise, a great read, though. Perhaps I'll write the book to answer all of my questions.....

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humourous and enchanting journey, a pleasure to read!, May 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Perfect Pipe (Hardcover)

This book provides an interesting history and journey of pipe making and smoking since our forebears learned the love of tobacco. Although it never loses focus, the author presents the material in a humourous and easy to read manner. It literally uplifted me to read a chapter each day, enjoying the illustrations as i went. A sad moment when finnished, but now a showpiece I proudly display for others to journey. A must have for any pipesmoker!