Blog by Steve Laug

The end of May came and went without fanfare. I received an email from WordPress on May 31^st reminding me that rebornpipes was 11 years old and congratulating me for that. That made me stop and think about the blog. When I started it 11 years ago I established it with two objectives.

1. To create a repository of my written reports on my work on pipe restoration and trace not only my development but also my growth and progress in restoration.
2. To create a community of restorers who share their experience and methodology with each other. The community would create a challenge and an encouragement to each other.

Eleven years has shown the development of both of these objectives. The first objective has been met and continues. It is a large collection of articles that I have written about my work on each pipe that has crossed my work table. If you have followed for long you can see both the minute and large changes that have been part of my development in restoration.

The second objective has grown much greater than I ever imagined. The community of restorers includes people from around the globe who are working restorers who have joined me in writing about their work. The other piece of this that was unforeseen was the many who have worked on their own pipes or started restoring pipes they have collected. I receive emails every day with thanks and questions about restoration. It has been and encouragement to see this happen.

Another surprise for me was an email I received from a fellow named Anuj Agarwal. He started and maintains a blog called Feedspot about an entry he had written on the Top 30 Smoking Pipe Blogs. Here is a copy of his email.

Hi Steve,

My name is Anuj Agarwal, I’m the Founder of Feedspot.

I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog Rebornpipes has been selected by our panelists as one of the Top 30 Smoking Pipe Blogs on the web.

https://blog.feedspot.com/smoking_pipe_blogs/

…I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of Top 30 Smoking Pipe Blogs on the internet and I’m honored to have you as part of this!

We’d be grateful if you can help us spread the word by briefly mentioning about the Top 30 Smoking Pipe Blogs list in any of your upcoming post.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Best, Anuj

Here is a screen capture of the listing on his blog. The wording is taken from the blog itself and I was given a link on how to edit it if I chose to do so.I never know what to do with this kind of email and usually wonder about the validity of the nomination to the Top 30 Smoking Pipe Blogs. It always feel like it is being nominated to Who’s Who so that the selling company can use your information for their own use. It may well be an honest site but I am a skeptic. Still it is great to receive this nonetheless.

For me it is interesting to see the two original objectives are met and will continue to be met over the years ahead as I keep working on pipes. Looking around my work area I realize that I have more than enough pipes to carry me through the rest of my working life.

As I reflect further there is a side benefit that has developed on the blog – the rebornpipes store. It allows me to move on the pipes that I work on, passing them onto to new pipe men or women who will carry on the trust of the pipe before passing them onto he next one who will enjoy the pipe. I love the fact that the pipes I work on come to me with stories and that those stories will continue to grow over time as the pipe outlives each of us who enjoy them.

I also want to say thank you for your ongoing support as contributors and readers. I look forward to enjoying the journey together as we walk ahead through the years. Enjoy a bowl and a pipe you have restored or purchased! Remember the trust we share with the briar we hold.

Cheers

Steve