Nick Hellwig Posted this on a face book page I created. Let’s Talk Tobacco; I figured I pass it on .Some of you may had known Pieter .
“I read on another board/page this morning that our old friend Pieter Claasen has passed away. I didn’t know him well but he was the first guy I ever did a international trade with like 10 years ago, he had a lot of knowledge in pipes and snuff and shared both willingly. He was a snuff and pipe friend to many of us. Our community is a bit poorer today. Smoke a bowl or take a big sniff in his honor today. I’ll do both.”
Pieter will be sorely missed by all of us who were fortunate enough to banter with him on various fora. 
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Sad news indeed! I made several trades with him and he was a stand up guy. My thoughts go out to his family. I’ll smoke a bowl in his honor in the pipe HE sent me.
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Just tonight I read some old Pieter’s posts… Despite the departure, he remains the part of this community.
I’ll take another pinch of Packard’s Club, Pieter loved it.
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Pieter’s arrival in our community was a big milestone in the period that we could safely call the “era of exploration”. Thanks to him we found out that the African world of snuff doesn’t stop on Dingler’s factory, but there are a few more. Never had an occasion to meet him in person, but every time I looked on my shelf where a snuff-box made from an antelope horn lies - which was a present from him - I always wished to just once shake his hand and take a pinch or two with him.
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