Oh, yes! One month left. That’s right. You do know what I’m talking about, right?

The Chicago Pipe Show, of course!

For those of you who have never been to a Chicago Pipe Show — oh, wait, that’s me! — the show is put on by the Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club. According to its website, the club “started in 1993 with a small group of pipe smokers meeting at local lounges and restaurants for companionship and trading information and ideas about the hobby of pipe collecting. Over time we established meeting venues where we could display our pipes and other smoking items and buy, sell and swap from each other. Oh, and smoke together for an evening. Our first ‘Chicago Show’ was held in 1996 and has steadily grown to one of the largest hobby shows of it’s type in the world.”

In the sixteen years since the start of the Chicago Pipe Show, it has made an incredible name for itself, featuring over 300 different exhibitor tables, lots of different events and speakers, and one of the most incredible assembly of pipes in one place in the entire world. If you can dream it, it is either there or has not been invented yet. (If it is the latter, I would just contact Stephen Downie and he can make it happen!)

One of the events that will be occurring this year is the second generation of the tobacco Throwdown. For those of you who might not know, the purpose of the 2011 Throwdown was to recreate, as closely as possible, one of the most revered blends in the history of pipes: Balkan Sobranie. A lot of the awe that is inspired from this blend comes from the fact that it is no longer produced and will run you hundreds of dollars on the low end to get your hands on. Thanks to the 2011 Throwdown, however, three incredible replications were created.

This year, the blenders are tackling another highly esteemed blend, albeit not quite to the same extent as Balkan Sobranie: John Cotton’s Nos. 1 & 2 Medium.

Three contestants will enter this Arena of Blood and ‘Baccy and only one will leave alive! … Okay, all three will probably leave alive, but only one will leave victorious! … Okay, two will actually leave victorious, as there is both a Judge’s Choice and a People’s Choice (Hearth & Home’s Black House taking the Judge’s vote last year, while McClelland’s Blue Mountain took home the People’s Choice).

The contestants this year will be Dick Silverman of Chief Catoonah, Lane Limited’s Leonard Wortzel, and Steven Books of the House of Calabash. These brave men who have accepted the epic challenge have each been furnished with samples of the 28 year old blend and are left to their own devices as to how they choose to replicate it. If last year’s competition is any indication, the methods will range wildly and result in unique and fantastic creations.

Recently, Mr. Silverman of Chief Catoonah posted on a pipe forum about his experience with this challenge. Due to the fact that the challenge is ongoing, he was not able to post in extreme detail, but he was able to give a bit of insight into the difficulties presented by such a competition: “The challenge of trying to recreate the taste, look, aroma and overall smoking qualities of a 30+ year old, no longer available blend, is daunting.

I received my 14 gram sample, about 5 bowls worth, on March 11. As I had to have 3 pounds of my submission at the Seattle Pipe Club by April 3, I felt that I only had 15 days to create my submission and get it in the mail. So, the timeline was also a challenge. It typically takes me at least three months to create a new blend; many times, much longer than that.

Generally I have about 20 natural componets on hand. There was no time to add any new ones. So I used what I had.

I also made sure I had a good supply of Carr’s Table Water Crackers to cleanse my palate and lots of pipe cleaners to keep my testing pipes totally clean and free from residue from prior smokes. For the two week period, I avoided spicey foods, no pizzas with pepperoni or anchovies, no hot soups. I really took care of my palate.

While there may be those who feel such an effort is kind of Futile, Arrogant, Ridiculous, Tomfoolery, I had fun developing my submission. And during my process, I came up with one or two, new to me, potential blends to be developed on a more normal time schedule.”

To create a replica of a blend from only five bowls, one of which might be reserved for analyzing its content visually, requires devotion, time, and incredible amounts of skill. No matter how this year’s Throwdown turns out, I know that the pipe world as a whole will be the richer for it: not only will we be graced three new blends, but the skills of some of the best blenders of our time will be put on display and they will be able to have their moment in the limelight, instead of already just being the people behind the blend.

This is just one of the many events and displays that will be at the Chicago Pipe Show, not counting all of the artisans who will be displaying their work and chatting up a storm. A good friend of mine, Dustin Babitzke, will bringing his collection of over 80 blowfish pipes to put on display. I am very exited to see the whole aquarium together at last!

More than anything, though, according to Nick Miller, Adam Davidson, Bruce Weaver, and pretty much everyone else involved in pipes with whom I have spoken, one of the best parts of the pipe show is being able to hang out with so many like minded people, relax, and talk. The social aspect of the show is perhaps even more rewarding than anything else and it is something to which I am greatly looking forward.

I hope to meet a lot of you at the show. I will be probably hanging out around the Quality Briar table and walking around with a pretty redhead, so, if you see me, please flag me down and say hello.

See you in Chicago!