The King of Rock, Elvis Presley, would have turned 90 this year if he were still alive.
He had it all – a pink Cadillac, a gold Cadillac, Rolex on Monday, Omega by Tuesday. He flew in his own private jet and proudly carried a gold-plated Smith & Wesson.
Elvis could do what no one else had done before: stroll up to the White House without an appointment and still get to meet the U.S. President.
Cheap cigars and a leather-wrapped pipe
Yet despite all his wealth, power and fame – Elvis smoked real trash pipes. The reason for his choice of pipe? We’ll get to that.
When it came to cigars, Elvis wasn’t a connoisseur either.
His two favorites were “El Producto Altas” and “El Producto Diamond Tips” – cheap cigars you’d find at the nearest corner store.
There are only a handful of photos showing Elvis with a pipe, and no records of what kind of tobacco he preferred. But considering his eating habits, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume he liked aromatics.
In one of the rare photos, Elvis is seen puffing on a pipe made by Longchamp.
Longchamp was an old pipe company known for wrapping their pipes in leather.
Born out of war – wrapped in leather
Due to wartime restrictions in France during World War II, only low-quality briar wood was available. That’s when Longchamp came up with the brilliant idea of covering the pipes with leather to hide the fact that they were second-rate goods.
The unusual leather pipes drew attention and became especially popular among the many Allied soldiers stationed in Paris at the time. A success story was born.
Elvis wasn’t the only celebrity spotted with a Longchamp pipe, and eventually the company began crafting luxury versions using exotic leathers like alligator and pony.
But the winds were changing. The 1980s were approaching. People stopped listening to rock ’n’ roll – and stopped buying pipes.
Elvis died in 1977. A year later, Longchamp stopped making its signature skinned pipes.
Now, light cigarettes and synth music were all the rage.
About the Fine Pleasure of Pipe Smoking 