Rattray's Pipes

Rattray’s story begins in 1911 when the young Charles Rattray took over a well-established tobacco and pipe shop in Perth, Scotland. Before that, he dreamed of implementing his ideas for his own tobacco blends for a long time, because he knews tobacco very well. In previous years he had worked for a number of tobacco manufacturers, of which there were still a large number in Scotland at the time.

With this prior knowledge, the foundation stone was laid for his plan to create his own tobacco blends on site in his shop. Now called the "House of Rattray", the shop is earning an excellent reputation for its own blends and soon becomes an almost legendary reputation that extends overseas.

Charles Rattray has a slightly different method and philosophy of packing, storing and maturing tobacco. For example, he didn't believe in airtight, vacuum-packed cans. Quote: "Tobacco is a vegetable that lives and breathes: It does not improve by being imprisoned in an air-tight compartment."

And he also had his own opinion on the subject of moisture in tobacco mixtures: "If moisture is added - a familiar practice - the seasoning tobaccos are denued of their delicacy. All good mixtures are dry."

He consistently implements this approach - which can be traced back to the nine original mixtures that are still available today and that are world-famous:

• Red Raparee
• Black Mallory
• 7 reserve
• 3 noggins
• Rattray’s Accountant’s Mixture
• Rattray’s Professional Mixture
• Rattray’s Brown Clunee
• Hal o ’the Wynd
• Old Gowrie

These mixtures are still available today in 100g tins, which are tightly closed but not packed under vacuum. This ensures optimal ripening of the tobacco.

Charles Rattray died in 1964 and his son took over the business until he had to close the doors in the mid-1980s. His son also adds the following popular mixtures to the portfolio in the same spirit:

• Highland Targe
• Black Virginia
• Marlin flake 

Rattray was never a pipe maker itself. But there were a number of "private label" pipes that were produced in English factories for Rattray’s.

Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to reconstruct the exact date on which the German company Kohlhase & Kopp took over the production of Rattray’s tobacco. Before that, this company was already the importer of Rattray’s to Germany. It must have been in the mid to late 1980s. All blends and Rattray’s tobaccos that have not yet been listed, such as the "Aromatic Line" or the "Flake Collection", have only been around for a few years.

The Rattray’s Limited Edition tobacco products have proven to be particularly popular and appear in pretty decorative boxes every year at the appropriate time of the year.

By the way, today's Rattray’s pipes are under the aegis of Oliver Kopp, who with his company Otto & Kopp holds the trademark rights for the pipe and accessories brand Rattray’s. In the best tradition, these pipes are also made in various European pipe factories. Examples include Chacom, Butz Choquin, Savinelli and Molina. The Scottish heritage is upheld here and new and interesting models are regularly launched. In addition to the usual 9mm pipes, non filter pipes are also offered. There are even meerschaum pipes!

There is also a great selection of accessories under the Rattray’s brand structure, for example pipe bags or pipe tamper. Here as well as for the pipes, the principle is that an excellent price-performance ratio is always maintained.