When Bing Crosby needed a smoking pipe, or George Burns needed some fresh cigars, they didn’t just go to any old store. They went to the Tinder Box, a little Old World European cottage style shop on Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica, run by long time tobacconist, Edward Kolpin Sr.
Since 1928, Kolpin had operated tobacco and pipe shops, serving the needs of many old Hollywood stars. In 1948, he opened the well known Tinder Box shop on Wilshire which grew into a franchise of 200 stores.
Sadly, on Friday, April 6, Kolpin passed away at the age of 97 at his home in Santa Monica. Koplin smoked a pipe or cigar at least once a day and contributed his long life to the joy of smoking. However, Kolpin noted to Los Angeles Magazine that if he would have smoked cigarettes, “I would’ve been dead 50 years ago.” By 1967, Kolpin turned his business over to his sons, but even up to his death, Kolpin continued to manage the shop on Wilshire himself.
Kolpin told the Santa Monica Mirror that George Burns, “was a great guy” who “smoked 99-cent cigars, but $10 ones to hand out. He wouldn’t spend $10 on himself.” Bing Crosby, Clark Gable, and Pat O’Brien had all ordered pipes from Kolpin. Crosby had purchased as many as 16 hand crafted pipes from Kolpin’s store, and even posed with one of the pipes on an album cover. Marlon Brando never came in himself, but the pipe he smokes in the film, The 
Brothers Karamazov, was made by Kolpin. Milton Berle was even a spokesperson for the Tinder Box franchise.
Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe also were known to come into the store. Monroe never bought anything, but she would go into the store simply to chat with Kolpin, who was known to be somewhat of a ladies man in his younger days. Kolpin told the Santa Monica Mirror that Marilyn, “was very insecure. She said I gave her a sense of security just talking to her.”
Born on March 9, 1910 in Kenosha, WI, Kolpin moved with his family to Santa Monica when he was 12. His father operated a pharmacy in Santa Monica. Kolpin grew up experiencing Santa Monica as a small town with only three traffic cops and no congestion and no smog. He worked out at Muscle Beach, surfed with legendary surfers, and cruised around in his roadster. He lived the idealized Southern California life.
The Original Tinderbox is located at 2729 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, CA.
