{"id":187,"date":"2026-04-11T15:00:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T15:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thepipetool.com\/blog\/?p=187"},"modified":"2026-04-11T18:38:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T18:38:09","slug":"spring-2026-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thepipetool.com\/blog\/2026\/04\/spring-2026-update\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring 2026 Update"},"content":{"rendered":"

It has been just over a month since our last update and wow \u2014 it has been a busy one. We have shipped a massive amount of improvements across the entire site. Let us dig in.<\/p>\n

The Big One: Bootstrap 5 Migration & Dark Mode<\/h2>\n

We completely rebuilt the frontend framework from Bootstrap 3 to Bootstrap 5.3. Every single page \u2014 all 37 user-facing pages and all 29 admin pages \u2014 has been migrated. Along with that came streamlined navigation labels, updated icons (including some custom ones like our tobacco leaf and balance scale), and a cleaner overall feel.<\/p>\n

And yes \u2014 dark mode is here<\/strong>. The warm gold-accented dark theme is now live across the entire desktop site and all 19 mobile pages. Just hit the moon icon in the navbar to toggle it on. Your preference syncs between desktop and mobile and saves to your profile.<\/p>\n

Pipe Makers Directory (Premium)<\/h2>\n

This is a big one for the pipe enthusiasts. Premium members now have access to a Pipe Makers Directory<\/strong> \u2014 a browsable catalog of pipe makers with filtering by type (Artisan, Manufacturer, Cottage Industry).<\/p>\n

Each maker has a detailed profile page showing their information, images, and something we are really proud of \u2014 Training & Lineage<\/strong>. You can see who mentored a maker, who they have trained, and their collaborators. It is a way to trace the lineage of pipe making craftsmanship.<\/p>\n

\"Pipe<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

We have also added a Media & Interviews<\/strong> section that shows podcast appearances, YouTube features, and articles \u2014 complete with source site logos and direct links to view each appearance.<\/p>\n

\"Training<\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Premium members can also submit corrections or suggest media appearances for any maker with the “Suggest an Edit” feature.<\/p>\n

Import Your Collection<\/h2>\n

We built brand new import wizards for both pipes<\/strong> and tobacco<\/strong>. These are full 4-step processes: upload your CSV, map columns, preview the data, and import. The system auto-detects columns, fuzzy-matches brands and materials, catches duplicates, and lets you review unrecognized brands with “Did you mean?” suggestions before anything gets created.<\/p>\n

The tobacco importer works with your own spreadsheets, TobaccoCellar.com backups, or ThePipeTool exports. The pipe importer supports tab-delimited files from Pipe & Tobacco Foundations too. Re-importing the same CSV will not create duplicates.<\/p>\n

We also added a new Pipe Series<\/strong> field \u2014 so you can track collections, limited editions, and product lines like Peterson Dracula or POTY 2024.<\/p>\n

Mobile Gets Serious<\/h2>\n

Mobile has gotten a ton of love this cycle:<\/p>\n