A trophy for a time smoker

April 2017

For the true connoisseur, smoking a pipe means rest, relaxation and time for contemplation. In addition, the phenomenon of competition smoking has been around for generations, which is in fact diametrically opposed to the comfort of pipe smoking. With four grams of tobacco in the bowl, the intention is to keep fire in the pipe for as long as possible. At official competitions, smoke observers even check whether the tobacco is still burning. The person with the longest hold is the winner. The competitive element of such meetings is underlined by the prize cups for the best smokers. Often provided with an engraved inscription of the place and date of the event, such as that of the Drenthe Championship in 1984. This trophy is the material proof that smoking in competition is a serious phenomenon. This example is one from the full prize cabinet of a smoker who has won at least a dozen. Because of the tradition of smoking competitions, that kind of memorabilia should not be missing in the collection of a pipe museum, no matter how ugly they are. Our genuine message about pipe smoking, on the other hand, remains that it is about enjoyment, that it should not have a competitive element and certainly should not be an addiction. And as far as the object itself is concerned: price cups are not characterized by beauty and craftsmanship as with the ancient Greeks. In the world of sports and other competitions, it's all about mass stamped metal cups on a simple wooden base. Their tinny appearance serves to keep the victory alive, but this stuff does not have any intrinsic value as is proved by the vanishing shine.

Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 3.207d