Inter-tabac 2013 in Germany: Smoking Accessories as Exquisite Art

According to news from the Chinese e-cigarette industry: At the Inter-tabac tobacco expo held in Dortmund, Germany, from September 20 to 22, 2013, many well-known companies participated in the exhibition. In addition to major cigarette and cigar companies like Philip Morris, British American Tobacco, and Habanos, there were also some well-known companies in the smoking accessories field, including pipes, hookahs, and lighters. These smoking accessories are colorful and have more unique and diverse shapes, with many creative designs that make these products particularly eye-catching in the exhibition hall. As a center for pipe culture, Europe has a very old and rich history of pipe smoking. The Gubbels company from the Netherlands is one such company with a long history of pipe making, established in 1870. It previously made pipes for the Dutch royal family and is now one of the largest manufacturers of mechanized pipes in Europe, with products distributed across Europe, the USA, Canada, South America, the Middle East, and the Far East. The company's pipe products are mainly divided into three series: Big Ben, Bentley, and Tinpipe. Big Ben is the earliest brand, with finely crafted pipe products that showcase royal elegance. The Bentley brand appeared later but also features high quality and exquisite design, primarily made from briar wood. Tinpipe is the latest design of a pipe, and its designer Nils Thomsen was present at the exhibition. He stated that this pipe is made from rosewood roots, making it very sturdy, and the mouthpiece can rotate, allowing the entire pipe to fit into a small round box, which can also hold pipe tobacco, making it very convenient to carry. The price of this pipe had not yet been determined at the time of the exhibition and would be announced by the local German newspaper DTZ on the last day of the exhibition before going on sale. Italy is also a famous place for pipe production. The passionate national characteristics of Italians are reflected in their pipe-making style, generally favoring larger pipes. The Lorenzo pipe is a good representative of this. From the products displayed by the company at the exhibition, this can be clearly felt, with some pipes featuring long mouthpieces over 20 centimeters long, while others have a thick pipe body, but all exhibit exquisite carving techniques and beautiful wood grain. In addition to traditional large pipes, the company also brought unusual mini pipes and ladies' pipes, which are delicately crafted to cater to the needs of women and customers who prefer smaller pipes. Typically, pipe smokers are men over 40 years old, so the materials used for pipes are mainly high-quality woods, including expensive materials like ebony, to match the identity and temperament of pipe smokers. Nowadays, pipe smoking is also gaining popularity among younger people, leading some companies to develop alternative pipes, such as those made from corn cobs. By hollowing out the center of the corn cob, a natural pipe is created. However, these novel products are only suitable for young people to play with occasionally.