Get Ready!
Alright everyone, I know it's been a while since my last check-in, and I apologize for that. We had a family emergency, and, of course, that takes precedence. We are back on track, and I am putting the final touches on issue 002! I am very excited about this issue, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting it together.
In issue 002, I have added more community, as you will see when it comes out. I believe the direction Pipe & Leaf Journal is heading could become something we all enjoy and look forward to. As I said earlier, I am excited, nervous, and anxious for all the feedback I hope to get.
So keep an eye on your email, and I am hoping to get these printed as physical copies for anyone who wants one!
For the Ritual
Final Update
Well, here we are down to the home stretch. I am putting the final touches on it—last-minute edits, proofreading, and a few minor changes. I am nervous about this issue but at the same time excited. This fall issue is a big step in the right direction for the journal. People from the community are reaching out and submitting their work. This means a lot to me. They are taking the time and effort to put themselves out there for the journal and for something they enjoy, and understanding that (which I’m sure most of us do) is not easy but vital. It is not easy to put your work out there into the real world. Not everyone will like it or agree with it, and that is perfectly okay. It is part of growing and learning, a stage we should never step out of.
As for this issue, I am nervous and scared, and I am driving myself crazy to make sure I am giving it everything I have. I want these journals to be something everyone looks forward to. I also want to hopefully make them more frequent. Something I know I have gotten some feedback on. By the way, keep that coming! I love feedback; positive or negative, it doesn’t matter. I won’t be hurt by it, I promise (haha).
Okay, so with that all said, issue 002 is almost here, and I hope you all enjoy it. I am already working some things up for the winter edition and maybe just maybe a half issue during the fall; we will see, no promises!
Last thing (I swear): I have opened up an advertisement tab in the top menu. It is a chance for businesses, craftsmen, and anyone else who would be a good match for the journal to buy a half or full page for their business or whatever it may be. Just read through the form and follow the directions. Thank you.
For the Ritual
Howdy Everyone
Today is an exciting day for Pipe & Leaf Journal!
No, Issue 002 isn't here quite yet (sorry). I'm working on it every day, and I'm already thinking about the winter issue that will follow.
But today, I wanted to do something a little different.
The “For the Ritual” Pipe Stand.
When I started Pipe & Leaf, the journal was always meant to be about more than pipes themselves. It's about the ritual around them, the objects we keep, the places we sit, the conversations we have, the stories we share, and the few quiet minutes we make for ourselves to enjoy what we love.
I wanted the first Pipe & Leaf object to fit naturally into this idea.
With that in mind, the stand is simple. It's clean and designed to hold a wide variety of pipes well. It is engraved with “For the Ritual”; it’s small but has bigger meaning.
There's another reason I'm releasing it.
Up to this point, I've funded Pipe & Leaf Journal out of my own pocket. I've been happy to do that, although my wife might have a slightly different opinion (haha). Money from these stands, and from future Pipe & Leaf projects, goes back into the journal. I want to print physical copies of the issues. I want to improve the photography and presentation. Eventually, I'd love to give something back to the people who contribute their photographs, stories, knowledge, and time. I've already been incredibly fortunate to have people willing to contribute simply because they believe in what Pipe & Leaf is becoming. I don't take that lightly.
I'm building this slowly and deliberately and with a lot of thought. I want things to truly fit and be something we can all use. I love this community, this hobby, and the lifestyle surrounding it.
The journal will always be at the center of Pipe & Leaf.
Everything else is here to help keep it going.
Fall is here!
With fall being here, I am extremely excited! I love fall, and this fall is special because I am putting out the second issue of the journal. Fall is the season of change, and I've had some big changes.
Behind the scenes have been pretty hectic lately. I have been busy driving around to find places to take photos, working on product photos, writing, editing, and sending out emails for interviews and photo permissions. I have been in talks with printing companies and even some manufacturing places for hopefully (fingers crossed) a few products to help support the journal.
Writing this journal has given me more purpose in my life, and I am truly thankful for everyone who has subscribed, supported, and contributed so far.
I want you all to know I am giving this all I have, and I want things to be perfect. I know they won’t, but that leaves room to learn. I am looking forward to the feedback that I receive from this future issue.
With that said, I can’t thank you all enough, and I hope you have a great fall and find the perfect spot to read Issue No. 002 and make it part of your ritual.
What This Means To Me.
I never thought I would be writing and editing a journal for a hobby I fell in love with, yet here we are. I am loving what I am doing, and I say that with heavy words. On a personal note, I have been very lost with my life and career. I have done odd jobs here and there. I was once a high-rise window cleaner back in my hometown. I worked in the back rooms of thrift shops unloading trucks, and I even worked in a marina. But this is one of the prouder things I have done in my life. Obviously, getting married and having our child are at the top, along with serving my country, but this is right up there, and I am glad that I have so many to share it with.
From an Instagram post I made that was supposed to look like a magazine cover to putting out the first issue and now working on my second, well, I have no words. I am just in awe that I am where I am and doing something I genuinely love. I am even happier that people have reached out wanting to write articles for the second issue. Amazingly, people want to contribute, and I am all for it! I can’t wait to get their articles, design how they will look on the pages, and read what they want to share with everyone. This is an exciting time in Pipe & Leaf Journal, and I am so glad many of you are here to experience this and watch it grow into hopefully something bigger.
I am putting so much time and effort into this next issue that I spend all my days researching, writing, designing, and making sure I produce a top-tier journal for everyone to read. I would like to produce a physical copy if I can. I am thinking about making a limited edition that combines the first and second issues into a combo book for the first print run. I have been in talks with a couple of companies about paper weight, glossy or matte covers, and how it will be bound. A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes, and I can’t wait to see where this goes.
What I Learned From Issue No. 001
I want to briefly talk about something that was brought to my attention after the last issue. I received some feedback that parts of the writing felt as though AI had written them. I took that seriously and went back to Issue No. 001 and read through it again with an open mind. I could understand where that feeling may have come from. I write what is in my head first and worry about editing afterward. I use Grammarly to help with grammar and clarity, and looking back, there were times when I relied too much on some of its suggestions. In trying to make my writing better, I took away some of the things that actually make it sound like me. That is something I am changing with Issue No. 002. I still want to improve as a writer, and I'll continue using tools to catch mistakes, but I also want the words in these pages to sound like the person who wrote them. Sometimes that means leaving things a little imperfect. Pipe & Leaf Journal is personal to me, and I want the writing to feel that way too.
Where We Go From Here.
I want Pipe & Leaf Journal to become a physical copy and, of course, remain digital, which will stay free. But for those who would want a physical copy, I want to have some made. I want P & LJ (Pipe & Leaf Journal) to become something more than a seasonal journal. I want it to become a staple of the community and something that we all enjoy reading and look forward to reading. I would love to have more articles from other people—a section of photographs relating to tobacco and pipes, or even individuals with their pipes. I would love to include more history articles, including topics that may not have been covered yet. Anything even slightly related to the hobby and lifestyle. Even some interviews with tobacconists or pipe makers. I want this to be something the community enjoys and looks forward to.
For the Ritual
A personal note
Like many good ideas, Pipe & Leaf Journal wasn't planned.
It started with a single photograph.
One afternoon, I took a photo of one of my tobacco pipes and designed it to look like the cover of a magazine. I shared it on Instagram, expecting little more than a few likes.
Instead, something unexpected happened.
People began asking about it.
Some thought it was a real publication. Others said they would buy it if it existed. A few even offered to contribute if it ever became a reality.
That's when everything changed.
What began as a simple Instagram post suddenly felt like it could become something more.
Not another website filled with reviews or rankings, but a journal dedicated to the stories, history, craftsmanship, and traditions that surround pipe culture.
That single image became the spark for what you're looking at today.
Everything you see here has been built one step at a time.
Every article, photograph, page, and detail has been created by one person with a genuine love for this hobby and a desire to give something meaningful back to the community that has given me so much.
That also means this journal is still growing.
I'll make mistakes.
I'll learn.
Each issue will teach me something new, and I hope everyone becomes a little better than the last.
If there's one thing I hope never changes, it's the reason this journal exists.
Not to chase trends.
Not to tell people what they should buy.
But to preserve the stories, craftsmanship, traditions, and people that make pipe culture worth passing on.
Thank you for being here at the very beginning.
I couldn't ask for a better place to start.
Now pack your pipe, take your time, and enjoy the stories ahead.
