Turkish Smoking Pipe History: Our YouTube Channel Hits 2,000 Subscribers!

Hello friends,

I am writing this piece both to celebrate reaching 2,000 subscribers and to explain the kind of mark we have left on Turkish pipe-smoking history. If your tea, coffee, and of course, your pipes are ready, let’s begin.

Just an Idea! - A Smoking Pipe...

Back when I shot my first videos on YouTube, my experiences were quite subjective. Even though I started pipe smoking in the early 2010s, throughout my journey, I noticed that none of the communities I glanced at were 'organic.' They were invariably groups formed by people trading in pipes or pipe tobacco. Ultimately, I saw that the vast majority of pipe conversations consisted of nothing more than 'pissing contests' and ego stroking. I had crossed paths with many people you likely know in random venues and, as a mere listener, witnessed some very bizarre conversations. In my hand were my Şahin brand pipes, which are still with me today.

My pipe journey was quite intermittent. There were times I didn't smoke at all, and times I smoked heavily. The period when I started filming videos coincided with the tail end of such a phase—a break of about six months from pipe smoking.

To perform actions that your muscle memory hasn’t quite committed to heart (pacing, tamping, sipping, etc.), you need to 'remember' certain things after a while. To be honest, in all my years since starting, I had never researched the internet in such detail. When I finally did, I was once again met with websites dating back to 1999–2002. Actually, they didn't just 'appear' before me: I had to hunt them down again just to find a crumb of information in Turkish. Yes, there were plenty of foreign sources, but Turkish resources were almost non-existent. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say there were no resources at all, save for the work of a few brilliant men who had placed this hobby at the very center of their lives.

At that point, I decided to film YouTube videos. Without overthinking it.

The idea of PipoTr emerged thanks to our YouTube channel, which grew from 50–100 subscribers to 400–500 on its own after I had filmed just a few videos. I hadn't made a video for about six months, yet the channel was growing by itself. I thought to myself: 'There’s something here!' And then, I decided to shift my focus to our YouTube channel. Even some of the comments sent during that period are still etched in my mind.

This process traces back to late 2024 and early 2025. Truth be told, I began focusing heavily on the YouTube channel in October 2024, and shortly after, in January 2025, when we reached some 700 people, an idea struck me: 'Maybe we could become a community.'

The community in my mind was one far removed from pissing contests, not focused on commerce, made up of people who truly embraced pipe culture—a community without fights or noise. However, though many of you may not know it, it didn't exactly turn out to be without noise and friction. :)

Vision and Fear

In January 2025, I started working on the PipoTr concept. Infrastructure, market research, keyword analysis, strategic positioning, viable maneuvers, and so on. In the first phase, I saw that truly 'nothing' had been done for people in Turkey who smoke pipes, are curious about this culture, or embrace it! Keyword competition was incredibly low; I had to use tools left over from a fund I used to manage just to access data to support market research. There was no such thing as strategic positioning, and viable maneuvers weren't even predictable—we were going to be the ones to define them.

At this point, my merchant brain whispered that it would be 'more logical' to turn this into an opportunity and establish a trade network (in the way everyone thinks of but fails to execute). Empty domains, keywords, increasing demand; the room for maneuver was quite high. I thought long and hard about this: I could have used the capital I had at the time to do exactly that, and the result would simply be: just another pipe shop.

I was aware that the community idea in my head needed financial support, and for this, I either had to develop a model, use an existing one, or find a sponsor. I used my own capital for this entire process, of course, but I didn't calculate a 'break-even point.' At the same time, I made some contacts for 'sponsorship,' though I didn't explicitly state it. What I wanted to see was something else: more visionary people who truly 'believed.'

Ultimately, aside from one or two 'commercial houses,' I didn't encounter anywhere that possessed—or was even capable of—vision. Not only did I not find it, but our PipoTr trademark application in February 2025 was opposed by certain envious types within the industry. They claimed that PipoTr was a 'bad faith application,' that they had prior usage rights, and that they were supposedly 'well-known.' They didn't just apply to block the specific business branches already restricted by certain laws; they moved for the rejection of the entire trademark application. However, in response to their nineteen-page opposition, I wrote a scathing, one-and-a-half-page defense of our trademark. To avoid offending them, I am sharing only a small portion of that text and the final decision below, without singling anyone out.

Of course, it didn’t just stop there. In certain WhatsApp groups, messages were being shared about PipoTr, claiming we were gossips and liars, and that following PipoTr would leave a 'black mark' on the world of pipe smoking. Rest assured; from voice recordings to screenshots and screen recordings, from the things I’ve said here to matters that have nothing to do with us—we have it all.

So, why am I mentioning these in this post?

Because since day one, I have never spoken to this community about the disgraces in Turkish pipe history, the relationships built solely on self-interest, the people who curse behind each other's backs only to continue trading with one another, those who sell defective pipes (cracked, pierced, or burnt) at astronomical prices, tobacco smuggling and the channels through which it is conducted, or the insults and belittlement directed at us. I’ve finally found the opportunity to mention at least a fraction of it. Ultimately, while we were trying to build something here, we simultaneously dealt with this and many other forms of incompetence.

Believe me, I understand this animosity and resentment. Because it’s only natural.

What Happened Next?

In the light of phone calls, threats, and insults, this process eventually subsided. I was honestly surprised when a few people reached out to me later, sharing that they had experienced the same things. Even though I anticipated that I would face these—albeit perhaps not with the intensity I chose not to disclose—I never imagined that others were, or could be, subjected to them as well. Of course, it didn't mean a thing to me; it was like water off a duck's back. Together, we built PipoTr, and we continue to grow it. However, it was precisely after all this that I decided: 'There is no turning back now!'

Turkish Pipe History – It Existed, and It Is Being Written

Turkish pipe history has, of course, always existed. Since the Ottoman era, pipe culture has always lived on these lands. However, especially after the Republic, with the adoption of cigarettes by individuals of lower education and cultural levels, and with pipe smoking remaining in the hands of certain 'intellectual lumpens,' a sociological perception emerged: that it was something 'those outside a certain income and education class could not join.' I won't go into extensive detail about this here, but of course, the pipe certainly chooses its person, and it embraces anyone who can be patient with it. And the people it embraces do not turn out to be just 'anybody.' (Excluding the 'exceptions' mentioned above; perhaps they don’t even count.)

This post is the thirtieth article published on PipoTr. Since the very first article, we have addressed many things this culture needs in great detail. Not just in writing; we have covered almost all of them through videos on YouTube as well. We held three meetings, the first of which was unofficial. We have conducted—and are still conducting—live broadcasts for thirty consecutive weeks, and for weeks now, we have been holding our 'Sunday Gatherings.' We launched PipoSosyal, providing a social media platform dedicated specifically to pipe culture. We launched the 'Community Store' and published perhaps the 'most detailed' pipe listings ever released in the world. We have achieved all of this in a single year, since PipoTr officially opened in March 2025.

At this point, I would like to share our community’s data with you. We created this data together, through our collective efforts, within just one year.

So far, Google has shown us to users 110,000 times. We received 4,370 organic impressions.

In the last year, PipoTr pages were viewed 45,330 times. 6,639 unique individuals visited our website. The average time spent on our website was 4 minutes and 52 seconds. This is an impressive figure. The bounce rate was 52%. This means that nearly half of the 6,639 visitors explored our website.

Throughout 2025, we had 774 active users from Türkiye. These were unique individuals who visited our page more than once. 627 people interacted for the first time. The number of interactive sessions was 666.

Today, approximately a thousand people visit our site each month.

Our YouTube channel has been viewed exactly two hundred and fifty-six thousand, two hundred and eighty-one times in the last 365 days—yes, written out in full. The total earnings are shown above. Almost all of this came from our subscribers. I hope you won’t ask, 'Where did all this money go?' :)

But it’s not over; we’re just getting started!

The data above is the product of a monumental effort we have achieved together. Many of our friends who have been here since day one have observed this entire process closely. We have brought to life every single word I uttered in the video published in January. Thanks to YouTube, words no longer vanish into thin air; but let me tell you what will happen next, this time in writing.

All content on PipoTr is backed up weekly. Every line of code and every keyword that achieved success in our SEO efforts has been recorded. All posts made on PipoSosyal are being archived. As for the YouTube side, both the raw and edited versions of all 116 videos are currently preserved across 82 folders and 560 files, totaling 2.95 TB.

Now, let’s talk about what happens next.

2026 will be a year of 'restructuring.' This year, we won't essentially be working for 'this year.' Instead, it will be a full-scale pre-test for 2027 and a back-test for 2025. Therefore, I don’t expect an acceleration quite like the one in 2025. Let me explain what I mean by 'acceleration.'

At this point, I must clarify PipoTr's ultimate goal alongside this momentum: In the end, PipoTr will bring a top-tier club to life—a major club with its own venue, internal structure, and dedicated organizations. Through this, we will also be able to find the pipe tobaccos we desire in Turkey 'legally.' Once all of this is realized, our international recognition will reach its peak, and we will become the most active and effective pipe club in the world. In this context, 2026 won’t be the year that pushes us there; it will be the year that produces the fuel required to get us there.

Our proactivity is, of course, very high, and many obstacles are quite predictable. Nevertheless, 2026 will be a year of 'restructuring for the better,' a year where we confirm the potential and the likelihood of those predictable problems.

In 2026, the PipoTr mobile app will be launched, and numerous meetups and events will be organized. Let me also use this article to announce: We are going to have a book!

My wish for 2026 is that these shallow fights and sub-par animosities finally fade away in the face of the value PipoTr has created. Our doors are open to everyone who does not betray this culture and does not put their greed ahead of their vision. However, let it be known to all: I extend this hand of peace while keeping my archives and memory fresh. With those who wish to cooperate, we will introduce Turkish pipe history and culture to the world; as for those who continue to cast shadows, they will naturally continue to disgrace themselves.

Thank you infinitely for reading and for being a part of this community.

-Hakan Badik