susielevi.com

What It Is

susielevi.com is operated by Iwan Ries & Co., a century-old family-owned tobacconist based in Chicago, USA. It is the oldest family-owned tobacco retailer in American history, operating continuously since 1857 and now passed down to the fifth generation. The online store specializes in selling pipes, pipe tobacco, cigars, and all kinds of smoking accessories, and it also has physical brick-and-mortar locations and smoking lounges for customers to visit and experience.

Core Features & Pricing

The website's core offering is the display and sale of a full catalog of tobacco and smoking products. It currently stocks over 15,000 pipes, including new releases from all major global premium handmade pipe brands, and collector-grade secondhand estate pipes. It also carries a full range of pipe tobaccos ranging from mass-market blends to premium options, imported cigars, and a full line of accessories such as pipe stands, lighters, and cleaning tools.

Pricing is tiered by product: entry-level smoking gear costs only tens of dollars, while limited-edition handmade collector pipes can reach thousands of dollars. The site has a dedicated clearance discount section, where some items are discounted by up to 40% off.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Benefits from a century of accumulated industry connections, with far broader product selection than average online tobacco retailers
• Extremely wide choice of rare handcrafted pipes and small-batch tobacco blends
• Retains traditional in-store service, which fits well with the consumption habits of tobacco enthusiasts

Cons

• The website has an outdated interface design, overly complex category hierarchies, and only a mediocre browsing and search experience
• It is only open to overseas consumers who meet the local age requirements, and does not ship or sell to customers within China.

Who It's For & Access from China

It is ideal for pipe and cigar collecting enthusiasts located overseas who meet all local legal requirements to purchase tobacco products. The website can be accessed directly from China, but due to global tobacco import/export regulations and the retailer's sales policies, customers based in China cannot complete checkout or place orders.