Rare Smoke: The Ultimate Guide to Pipe Collecting by Richard Carleton Hacker (1999-12-01) Hardcover – January 1, 1863

Excellent information - I especially liked the Chapter 7 - the Collector's Compendium of Pipe Brands.

Great

I have found this book to be very interesting to say the least, it is very explanatory on what to look for in the world pipe collecting. One cannot read this book once and gain the knowledge about pipe collecting, as each pipe has it's own characteristics to compliment the personality of the pipe smoker. I find myself having to revert to this book when interested in a certain pipe, a couple of helpful areas of expertise are the hallmarks and the discriptions of the individual pipes and how they have changed througout the history of 20th century pipe collecting. This is a must have book for anyone interested in pipes, even if you are not a collector.

Yes, very good read and it will remain in my library along with the great books by Rick Newcombe... these are special.

good book

RARE SMOKE The Ultimate Guide To Pipe Collecting sounds like a reference book for pipe collecting. I have reference books on other subjects for collectors. Compared to these other books, I have the following comments on RARE SMOKE. First, this is a reference book that DOES NOT HAVE AN INDEX. The photographs are of low quality. There are photos that are so blurred that one cannot see the detail that they were included to illustrate. The content is very limited. Many manufacturers and models are not included. And dating and pricing most of the limited number of pipes that are included is not possible.

I bought this book, and within 6 hours had to read it cover to cover. Do not venture into estate-pipe collecting without first informing yourself with books like these. I now own ALL of Hackers' books, and while not perfect, they are pretty close to it. They are all interestingly written, and educational in almost every way. There is simply no better book out there on pipe collecting. Accurate pipe dating guide for most collectible brands of pipe. As a side note, this book is a collectible in itself, and was limited to 2500 copies produced total. Hard to find, and increasing in value!

This exceptional book "Rare Smoke" allows me to have the information at my finger tips when I need to find out facts regarding rare pipes that I might otherwise of not known.For the serious collector, or even novice, the information is priceless. The format is as usual, and easy read, in the classic author "RCH" Richard Carleton Hacker style. Highly recommended.Joe Hamilton