The North American Society of Pipe Collectors (NASPC) was founded as the Ohio Pipe Collectors in 1993 by Regis McCafferty (still a board member) and noted collector Phil Bradford (sadly, now deceased). As membership across the country increased and the newsletter went from four issues a year to six, the name was changed to NASPC. Our membership now stands at 950+.
Pipe of the Year - 2009 The 2009 NASPC pipe of the year is a wonderful pipe hand carved by Ian Walker of Northern Briars in England.  Northern Briars was founded in 1958 by Ian's grandfather, George Walker, who started working for Duncan briars way back in 1922!  Ian’s father was also in the pipe business.  I am extremely proud that Ian has agreed to make the 2009 NASPC pipe.  The 2009 pipe is a straight, rusticated, square-paneled billiard with a slight cant to the bowl and a square shank and hand-cut tapered Cumberland stem.  The top of the bowl is smooth.  Dimensions are approximately L 6 ½,” H 2 1/8,” outside diameter 1 ½,” and inside bowl diameter 7/8.”  Each pipe will be hand made, with all hand rustication.  The finish is black with a “tan” smooth top and “tan” showing through the rustication.  The pipes will be stamped with the regular Northern Briars’ nomenclature, plus “NASPC 2009.” All work is done in Ian's workshop on the canal boat where he and Catriona live--a 70-foot-long narrow canal boat roaming the 2,000 miles of rural waterways in England. The member price for this wonderful pipe will be $205, which includes all shipping and insurance, and you must be a NASPC member to order it.  As usual, all orders must be paid in advance.  The order cutoff date is Friday, January 10, 2009.  The number of pipes made will be the number ordered at that time.  Orders can be sent to our PO Box, with checks made out to NASPC. John Tolle		BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP Newsletter "The Pipe Collector" is  delivered every other month, is professionally printed, and usually runs 36 pages. Annual Show Our 125-table "swap/sell" Pipe Show in Columbus at the end of August on the weekend before the Labor Day weekend. This show is free to the public. Members Only Swap Our Members Only Swap annually in February. Pipe of the Year Is available for purchase only to members.