Types and Brands of Pipe Tobacco used, 1920's to 1940's

[proteus]

Title edited for caps and brevity. Original:​

"Types and brands of pipe tobacco popular through three decades 1920s to 1940s"​

Looking to understand the history evolution and popularity of pipe tobacco blends and brands specifcially through the three decades comprising 1920s to 1940s, which I consider the heyday of prime pipe smoking popularity, though arguably one might consider today to be that time, except when one considers the prominence of pipe smokers, tobacco, and pipes, acceptability and common tobacco usage. I believe after the end of WW2 cigarettes started to become more popular with the younger crowd and the older folks would have continued in their tradition of pipes without much introduction of new blends. A transition from 1945 to 1975 occurs and pipe smoking becomes steady state and perhaps declines until late 20th early 21st century revitalization of today. Again this is my current perspective.

The so-called codger blends come to mind during the 1920s to 1940s early 1950s but were these brands always popular ? What came before those ? Did anyone really care about tobacco leaf, harvest years, and production methods during this time? Would folks just pick a brand and go off never knowing what was really in their can?

I suppose I could look to my own avatar Bogie or Bing or Tolkien but what of the common man? What was the choice made by the working fellow in this time?

 

[proteus]

Probably should have posted this in tobacciana. Would a moderator please move this?

Done!
John

 

[telescopes]

I can't speak to early 50's, but my dad is an example of the working man in the late 50s onward. He was retelling the stories of why he use to get Prince Albert. He didn't necessarily enjoy it - it was okay - but he bought it at the local hardware store, Grandpa Pidgeon's - because it came with two Dr. Grabow pipes. He was a working man and Pidgeon's made it practical and easy.

 

[proteus]

Probably should have posted this in tobacciana. Would a moderator please move this?

Done!
John

Thank you!

 

[condorlover1]

In the U.K much of what was kicking about in the 1920s was still about until the early 1980s. Examples of such survivors would be Bondman, St Bruno, Condor, endless varieties of plug such as Warrior, War Horse, Yachtsman, Condor Plug, Carrols Gold Bar, Mick McQuaid, Erinmore and Velvan Plug to name a few. One or two survive to this day although plugs have only become popular again recently.

 

[proteus]

Doing more investigation found Sutliff mixture 79 was produced since 1933.

 

[VDL_Piper]

I would have assumed that the Gawith boys would have featured heavily in the UK/Europe pipe smoking world, been at it since 1792. Not sure if their current iterations mirror days of yore though!?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Most men, in my area, lived too far to visit a tobacconist in a big city. So, either growing a patch of tobacco in the garden or buying a local twists was all that was available. Making up 1oz twists of tobaccos was a family endeavor, and was sold in the local General Stores, along side ears of corn, fresh veggies, etc... Ma and Pa blends that are no longer remembered.
Prince Albert first became available in 1907, as well as other OTCs, but that doesn't mean that it was available in the rural areas at that time. Even today, new products take several years to reach all areas of the market, and back then there was as much as a 20 year lag in distribution reaching all rural areas.

 

[proteus]

I can't speak to early 50's, but my dad is an example of the working man in the late 50s onward. He was retelling the stories of why he use to get Prince Albert. He didn't necessarily enjoy it - it was okay - but he bought it at the local hardware store, Grandpa Pidgeon's - because it came with two Dr. Grabow pipes. He was a working man and Pidgeon's made it practical and easy.

Prince Albert would fit the bill being started in 1907.

 

[proteus]

Carter Hall and Field & Stream might also have been around.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Carter Hall and Field & Stream might also have been around.

Field and Stream was released in 1963, and Carter Hall was a local blend in 1895, but it was bought and produced as corporate product in1950 by John Middleton co. Carter Hall was one of the first to utilize the new flu cured variety known as Virginias, but that was at a local level until bought out.

 

[PaulRVA]

Carter Hall and Field & Stream might also have been around.

Field & Stream was popular in the US Navy and the Vietnam war. Also with Gerald Ford. During WWII Half & Half was common.

 

[proteus]

Field and Stream was released in 1963, and Carter Hall was a local blend in 1895, but it was bought and produced as corporate product in1950 by John Middleton co. Carter Hall was one of the first to utilize the new flu cured variety known as Virginias, but that was at a local level until bought out.

Ok so F&S outside of my time period. For CH most likely not mainstream then until after 1940s.

 

[proteus]

Mixture 79 came out in 1933 it seems. Would that have been popular say in the bigger cities then?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Mixture 79 came out in 1933 it seems. Would that have been popular say in the bigger cities then?

I would say so. It wasn't until mid 1930's that corporate things like corn meal started hitting shelves of General Stores. It was the mid 1930's when radios were affordable enough for rural farmers. This was the Depression era. And, something like 60% of households had one by that time. And, it was corporate sponsorship of products that started making people ask for brands they were hearing about on the radio by name.
So, before a radio became a household thing, national distribution of products was almost non-existent. and, regional and local products reigned, especially in rural areas.

 

[makhorkasmoker]

My impression is that there used to be stronger (higher nicotine) tobaccos available.

I believe this because of things I read here and there, including what Mr. Cosmic says above.

I remember, for example, reading on some forum which no longer seems to exist (Christian Pipe Smokers, maybe?) that Five Brothers used to have numerous competitors in the strong over-the-counter burley category. Nowadays it's often said that nothing is like Five Brothers, and insofar as that is true, I believe it's because the times--and tastes--have changed. Blends like that have become rare.

Pipe sizes may also reflect this. I love small pipes, so I was reading about the Peterson "Jr.'s". Turns out these are an old style of pipe, once much more common, that has been brought back. Ropp pipes--which also tend to be small--are made from old stock. I believe that at least one of the reasons there used to be more selection in small pipes is that tobacco used to be stronger.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

My impression is that there used to be more strong (high nicotine) tobaccos available.

I believe this because of things I read here and there, including what Mr. Cosmic says above.

I remember, for example, reading on some forum which no longer seems to exist (Christian Pipe Smokers, maybe?) that Five Brothers used to have numerous competitors in the strong over-the-counter burley category. Nowadays it's often said that nothing is like Five Brothers, and insofar as that is true, I believe it's because the times--and tastes--have changed. Blends like that have become rare.

Pipe sizes may also reflect this. I love small pipes, so I was reading about the Peterson "Jr.'s". Turns out these are an old style of pipe, once much more common, that has been brought back. Ropp pipes--which also tend to be small--are made from old stock. I believe that at least one of the reasons there used to be more selection in small pipes is that tobacco used to be stronger.

Flu curing started in the late 1800's, which gave consumers the option of a lighter, sweeter tobacco. However, as I noted above, distribution for these products didn't take off until radio. So, definitely burley reigned across the country as far as tobacco went.
I also have noticed that pre 1900 pipes were very small bowled clays, and it wasn't until Virginias were produced and corporate distribution of these "weaker" sweeter blends gave way to larger bowled briar pipes.

 

[kcghost]

The great majority of pipe tobacco sold in the 20's - 40's were very much burley based.

 

[sablebrush52]

All of the usual suspects and a bunch that are now gone and forgotten. St Bruno survives, but St Julian c'est morte. Capstan, Three Nuns, Escudo, Balkan Sobranie, various Rattray blends, etc, etc. Same names, different contents in the tin today, but a name is a name.

 

[condorlover1]

Players used to do multiple pipe tobacco blends - remember the red tins with the gold lettering saying 'Players' and as mentioned earlier numerous Gawith twists, plugs but that was more a regional thing you saw 'up north' as in anything beyond Northampton. I think a lot of it started to disappear in the early 90s as companies consolidated, merged or the consumers died off. If you wanted these interesting things like the various plugs you had to visit Indewicks on Carnaby Street or Smiths Snuff on Charing Cross Road or that place on London Wall.