695: Pipe Collector Mark Berman. Ask the Pipemaker with Jeff Gracik.

Tonight on The Pipes Magazine Radio Show, we welcome longtime pipe smoker and collector Mark Berman. Mark began smoking a pipe in the late 1960s while studying engineering at Kansas State University, starting—as many did—with aromatic tobaccos before moving on to Virginias, VaPers, and classic English blends. His first brand-name pipe was a Savinelli, followed by a Dunhill, and by 1999–2000 he attended his first pipe show. Today, Mark owns an extraordinary collection of roughly 1,500 pipes, focusing primarily on American makers. His collection is so impressive that he has exhibited pipes at shows simply to share them, not sell them. At the top of the show we’ll have an Ask the Pipemaker segment with renowned pipe artisan Jeff Gracik.