tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90343104891786694902024-03-05T17:53:29.896-08:00The Pipeman's LodgeJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413897792083750892noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034310489178669490.post-51442443735177408562019-06-09T15:16:00.001-07:002019-06-09T15:16:07.658-07:00Pipes and Postcards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNWdeyuvn9llb0kki_AL8TvC1gSbdpFNTXlcpo4TCzOESBgVl3jMlPouOSPGmPdznOtDnfdrNQ9h32ZIuulqlca9Qs3KOJ0CH0Ffifc44HCQil8GsT-C12H8xoUFKxOTvWbTx7N0TfRQ/s1600/Zippo-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="405" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNWdeyuvn9llb0kki_AL8TvC1gSbdpFNTXlcpo4TCzOESBgVl3jMlPouOSPGmPdznOtDnfdrNQ9h32ZIuulqlca9Qs3KOJ0CH0Ffifc44HCQil8GsT-C12H8xoUFKxOTvWbTx7N0TfRQ/s320/Zippo-02.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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In this post, I would like to share with you, dear reader, my collection of postcards relating to pipes and tobacco. Unless otherwise noted, the following images are from my own collection and were photographed by me. </div>
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In collecting pipe-related ephemera, there are many options. Advertisements, such as the Zippo ad above, and these vintage ads that I have hung in my home office. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8OFdr_3Zcu_5bna2dmFip2lilsjkgw4OMi9tTwet2aYdb2plaRWnkFnChvlP9ATWXmUaBirWVIT9-A5MzHT4GEMuoyYQ8ishm4_bpQGrkufvp7gGT2x5dlAS8Ucc8oc57r6x-xOmWZI/s1600/20190608_190519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8OFdr_3Zcu_5bna2dmFip2lilsjkgw4OMi9tTwet2aYdb2plaRWnkFnChvlP9ATWXmUaBirWVIT9-A5MzHT4GEMuoyYQ8ishm4_bpQGrkufvp7gGT2x5dlAS8Ucc8oc57r6x-xOmWZI/s320/20190608_190519.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Additionally, one can collect tobacco tins, or illustrated tin inserts such as this one for Orlik's Golend Slices tobacco.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhly_pRLn5hut-g9zPgvoNcJlM7S0baZHCPscPnAuWD2jPyQUwvFrQDT0oTu4TVgk05m9kyK0ywhaJkJb2uzWsKe4Quv3nu7wntI25lGv3NiUlLlB65poKtbyB86CEmIKub8PNkY08I4jE/s1600/Orlik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1233" data-original-width="1242" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhly_pRLn5hut-g9zPgvoNcJlM7S0baZHCPscPnAuWD2jPyQUwvFrQDT0oTu4TVgk05m9kyK0ywhaJkJb2uzWsKe4Quv3nu7wntI25lGv3NiUlLlB65poKtbyB86CEmIKub8PNkY08I4jE/s200/Orlik.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Another interesting avenue for some collectors is Tobacco Cards. These were similar to baseball cards and were packaged with pipe tobacco. A full set is illustrated below. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfXvCwCE22RAC47k0aPZVjMAneyBIox-UxlB2ThckTxlGEj6tezIKaTT5oQq6d6ThkKhUEBgwjuaXDujMc3I-86o-4mjxj9lsoylnTuQwl-GkVOHGH1kjJl8SVr_X2aNjn9ImPnJ2X6k/s1600/Tobacco+Cards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1429" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfXvCwCE22RAC47k0aPZVjMAneyBIox-UxlB2ThckTxlGEj6tezIKaTT5oQq6d6ThkKhUEBgwjuaXDujMc3I-86o-4mjxj9lsoylnTuQwl-GkVOHGH1kjJl8SVr_X2aNjn9ImPnJ2X6k/s320/Tobacco+Cards.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #adadad; font-family: "arial"; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ehwa, Carl jr., 1974, </span><span style="color: #adadad; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Book of Pipes and Tobacco. </span></div>
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Some of the most common pipe related postcards are advertisements, for pipes, tobacco, and tobacconists. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3m8vZFuPR-lg_v2ZHfCqyf6pNsVFI2XkzsQ5ADmEtpDCPL-hD7yzpwhTEcf3JjVCajfzhqit_-DPyY7OOwOjt3sSTuwNhS1boZSJy1NBNYnBhxQvbjJ-zZaoaAo4wVgzfWWpZWV5MXTI/s1600/Ad+Postcards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="1600" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3m8vZFuPR-lg_v2ZHfCqyf6pNsVFI2XkzsQ5ADmEtpDCPL-hD7yzpwhTEcf3JjVCajfzhqit_-DPyY7OOwOjt3sSTuwNhS1boZSJy1NBNYnBhxQvbjJ-zZaoaAo4wVgzfWWpZWV5MXTI/s400/Ad+Postcards.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPc0PXUmM6QEa9cntEsL_oPJqlSrRizfLYIXhu4cz-i9GhQJPW5PM8OGf_94wp-wF88CVxXhB1Hlbpbh02lew9_txA3P6OIyNfp-2CB6k5X31PM3J_vcJ0S_H3_rBVgQXXCax5pT1zSz8/s1600/Tobacco+Girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPc0PXUmM6QEa9cntEsL_oPJqlSrRizfLYIXhu4cz-i9GhQJPW5PM8OGf_94wp-wF88CVxXhB1Hlbpbh02lew9_txA3P6OIyNfp-2CB6k5X31PM3J_vcJ0S_H3_rBVgQXXCax5pT1zSz8/s320/Tobacco+Girl.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Many postcards are found with what I call the "Pipedreams Valentine" theme. These cards were extremely common in the early Twentieth Century. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzXiiEhB-j-ZCkcuo5YqlH7T32euzvgsKN-q0FMIRfGvNNERC6ROF_ngO9hXuHQZbyDINbiuzjTdiaHzY-C4TVaLnoGjQ_K7xX86sh8WtkgmG3npq4Lo9zmh6dzVO_lki6_zebZ50MLE/s1600/Pipe+Dreams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="1600" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzXiiEhB-j-ZCkcuo5YqlH7T32euzvgsKN-q0FMIRfGvNNERC6ROF_ngO9hXuHQZbyDINbiuzjTdiaHzY-C4TVaLnoGjQ_K7xX86sh8WtkgmG3npq4Lo9zmh6dzVO_lki6_zebZ50MLE/s400/Pipe+Dreams.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Another common type of card is the friendship card. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWdfeaCFOVWTFkWt3VHgwm3HlFkT-RIVdcbu6kr3BjK_jfUCHuSuuIgP5kvl6tLCajXeMYUaUdKZS_xrw4mZGjAbI_wfw9inLQHFx6uy2voAqX8tMbIjE5ye-xMEvqj1ZbaWQVVfUcMs/s1600/Friendship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="1600" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWdfeaCFOVWTFkWt3VHgwm3HlFkT-RIVdcbu6kr3BjK_jfUCHuSuuIgP5kvl6tLCajXeMYUaUdKZS_xrw4mZGjAbI_wfw9inLQHFx6uy2voAqX8tMbIjE5ye-xMEvqj1ZbaWQVVfUcMs/s400/Friendship.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Humorous cards are also quite common...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqe0vNiKO-tDGSGHuTN5Nsc4TmtnwpXpS9eihqayiFfH9hXm0n3OKjR19B7trtFI4BnHcJmhZAmR56v9y4ewwvF173WAWaoqcW9CQshE83rgERjlOtJAU7ZjUT84fNkCfuQDgRV95tYY/s1600/Hereafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="1600" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqe0vNiKO-tDGSGHuTN5Nsc4TmtnwpXpS9eihqayiFfH9hXm0n3OKjR19B7trtFI4BnHcJmhZAmR56v9y4ewwvF173WAWaoqcW9CQshE83rgERjlOtJAU7ZjUT84fNkCfuQDgRV95tYY/s400/Hereafter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Some cards focus on particular nationalities, such as English, Dutch, or Irish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHivoKF5KQU3h1CQ07XPHvlc7glYMrbCYAYubuvbGdWo656NDX4SJclNcrkvks1mrg9eqBB2krgojKk3WsTu3Fp6jLLxm2JHTuI0NZGm8Z3VYrn2BYjdDO3qbyeVlzmD6qmN4b9w5X4do/s1600/England%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHivoKF5KQU3h1CQ07XPHvlc7glYMrbCYAYubuvbGdWo656NDX4SJclNcrkvks1mrg9eqBB2krgojKk3WsTu3Fp6jLLxm2JHTuI0NZGm8Z3VYrn2BYjdDO3qbyeVlzmD6qmN4b9w5X4do/s400/England%2521.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwG6Umwa5ZM69ryoQeRtNv4t2u__47bOu1kyonnzy3dSIF_ujUYGi1jWdx_WTz4xsG2OTwMSWOytp8OgdEjizkvkYTvt19oCKv5nObuWydxDvex4dG_rKP0-xYyoOxSt6G4PXpslJ4mM/s1600/Dutch+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="803" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwG6Umwa5ZM69ryoQeRtNv4t2u__47bOu1kyonnzy3dSIF_ujUYGi1jWdx_WTz4xsG2OTwMSWOytp8OgdEjizkvkYTvt19oCKv5nObuWydxDvex4dG_rKP0-xYyoOxSt6G4PXpslJ4mM/s640/Dutch+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Of course Santa is to be found among the ranks of famous pipe smokers! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTVswb0NEMLiAxyzXapPyEZjwKIsfaNl4vLHVG4aKXlmO97ELfOZ9hSaCP_BJzdl8ecE2064SpbTShb4xpX7qEWVdXWDaBw9DIqz_YhkPU7CIozo0vjXH9YfkuOvG-yZvvF3tUCcRLlc/s1600/Santa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="998" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTVswb0NEMLiAxyzXapPyEZjwKIsfaNl4vLHVG4aKXlmO97ELfOZ9hSaCP_BJzdl8ecE2064SpbTShb4xpX7qEWVdXWDaBw9DIqz_YhkPU7CIozo0vjXH9YfkuOvG-yZvvF3tUCcRLlc/s640/Santa.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
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And at last, everyone's favorite pipe smoker, Pop! </div>
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Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413897792083750892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034310489178669490.post-14236116288883870962018-09-03T17:50:00.001-07:002018-09-03T17:50:48.577-07:00Dogfight! <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img height="437" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/lbla8mThDNMEhIhzlSB-qZwdyFzqapbVQDag5LTlH9tawYZDGSLCFfZYzj0ffP72rbjjXZKG7Ede1Xm37QzB9XnPv6iasCO1xJ37mK9uAkbNdg1IYfZCLiWKeUPo2Wx4a0SPn_o" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="302" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Hope that all are having a great Labor Day holiday, or Monday, wherever you are! I was really looking forward to a lovely rainy day here in Houston, but unfortunately the rain hasn’t arrived yet and it’s just hot and humid. Oh well, any time is a good time for a pipe, and today I want to share with you my impressions of two good dogs - John Bull Royal English and Junkyard Dawg.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-fc1c5ec8-7fff-b141-73b6-f7c50d4249d2" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: yellow;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Cornell & Diehl’s Junkyard Dawg is C&D’s take on the American classic Barking Dog. The blend is made up of burley, latakia, and virginia and omits Barking Dog’s touch of perique. The mournful boxer on Barking Dog’s label has been replaced with a snarling, cigar chomping bulldog. Don’t let him frighten you off, though! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Upon opening the tin you’re greeted with a lovely coarse leaf in various shades of brown. The tin note leans heavily towards the smokey brisket scent of latakia, and no hint, at least to me, of a topping or any kind of flavoring. The Mrs. gave it a whiff and immediately declared it to be an outside blend. This tobacco loads, lights, and burns with no issues at all. Junkyard Dawg is quality tobacco all the way, and has a very rich American English flavor. This dawg plays a bit rougher than Barking Dog, and can get a little bitey if you’re not careful with your cadence. It’s also a strong one, both in potency and aroma. If you’re not used to a good dose of nicotine, rolling with the dawg will leave your head swimming! The room note and aroma linger, so everyone you encounter will definitely know you’ve been in the doghouse! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">The other dog in this fight is STG/Lane Ltd.’s John Bull Royal English, represented by a very Churchillian bulldog on the pouch. This blend contains virginia, burley, black cavendish, and latakia tobaccos. The pouch note is, like Junkyard Dawg, tobacco forward with no detectable flavorings or toppings. The smokiness is dialed down a notch though and there is a hint of sweetness from the black cavendish. The Mrs. also deemed John Bull to be an outside blend, but said that it’s not as offensive to her nose as Junkyard Dawg. Pulling a sample out of the pouch, the cut is finer and there are flecks of black cavendish among the various shades of brown. Like its competitor, John Bull loads and lights easily and burns with no problems at all, only requiring a couple of relights. This is a very smooth smoking tobacco and is thoroughly pleasant. The various varieties of leaf play well together and the black cavendish adds a bit of sweetness while smoothing out the experience without making the blend bland. The latakia stays with you until the end keeping up its part in the flavor spectrum. The nicotine strength is quite a bit lower than Junkyard Dawg’s and the room note is much more tolerable to passers-by! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">This was a fun matchup as we have two similar blends that differ mainly in the proportions of the component tobaccos and the inclusion of black cavendish in John Bull. Between the two I have to give the nod to John Bull in this matchup. STG/Lane’s bulldog is just a bit more polite that C&D’s Junkyard Dawg, and in my opinion beats the Dawg in the flavor department. However, if you’re looking for an American English blend that is strong , headstrong, and pulling at the leash, then definitely give Junkyard Dawg a home in your cellar!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img height="438" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GJS8GigDJ1h7feW03T8oy_eA8aldRZ_99DEnKksW2eZnuUJucPt_A05dOihZ5HZu2QlO87QsgcEsxJcZDaC3HhQT1SmFmvysd4dWX9CfFh5fPrVnYP6ZM_rx2nEMEw1PNcrPr-g" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="438" /></span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Bonus: Along with the Junkyard Dawg, I ordered a tin of C&D’s Epiphany from the good folks at www.smokingpipes.com . The basic ingredients are the same as Junkyard Dawg, though the proportions are different and a bit of perique is added. This is a much more well-behaved blend. Like its stablemate it loads and lights easily and only requires a couple of relights. It’s quite strong, to be sure, but it’s full of flavor with the perique popping in and out to give you nips of Louisiana pepper. I’ve never had the pleasure of trying the original Revelation, but I can see why this blend would be favored by a particular well-known physicist! Highly recommended!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Until Next Time,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">James</span></span></div>
<br />Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413897792083750892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034310489178669490.post-57162593656868723312018-09-01T17:22:00.003-07:002018-09-01T17:29:25.232-07:00Lighter Collection<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Happy Saturday Pipemen! The first week of school is over, as is a rather difficult Summer. Happily, my wife is now cancer free and the Summer cold that turned into bronchitis (and left me looking sadly at my pipes and unable to use them) is gone! Today I wanted to share with you my little collection of pipes. I have been fascinated with petrol lighters since childhood when I would happily spark my aunt and uncle’s Zippo and Ronson. I love my lighters and I hope you enjoy this post! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img height="388" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6sTN2nGPURCvuViWdt0MKHzKG3kwbVKFaxkdT-qm_JTW2Cwt-eXkLwYxugSTPlJ9lQGeSez_FJADtZMnkT7I5QtTpJhfMtv46mhXp7X1haTUstGSFbYqmsTgbEAvhGwP56I2CUc" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="388" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">First up is a pair of Zippos, on the right is my daily use pipe lighter purchased in 2017. On the left, is my trusty lighter that I bought the week I left home at eighteen in 1989. That Zippo and a swiss army knife saw me through my bachelors degree, working, then backpacking through Europe, returning to school and beginning my career, then living in Russia from 1997-2004, and back to the States again. I quit cigarettes in 2009, so It now enjoys a happy retirement cleaned up and with a place of honor on the shelf where my lighters live. By the way, the swiss army knife had to be replaced for everyday carry with a new one in 2015 when the red handles finally fell off. It lives in my tool box and still sees regular use.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img height="402" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/HY2P2YS7wC3wVS5RQDvF7XNCz9jnxB3DP0cioOrA7fUzr8l6l05OKS9-sZT9vYKfJoprwktW8bsAyp_St24Ik8uhsQbA368SljVl3hpNthx2hKaPIwyag3TBsCLyXZ_ojwDncpM" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="402" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Here’s a Zippo Varga Girl lighter I received as a gift in the 90s. You’ve got to love Varga’s art! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img height="415" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/etgXlkFmKfqBicKcVoLpin-YkYDRwwlvq0guUIu7PyT7XEJqW1ARHqeZhZVlXcPi7E6EF4HEBvZdyQL0zRTBB4pflp5h_W4QedEthjroZmr1-IMuAB6xG40kmlOwVdPYFYYXZtk" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="415" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A pair of Zippo slims. On the right, a well-loved example that I found for a couple of bucks in a rummage bin. This lighter obviously got a lot of use and you can see where the hinge pin was replaced by the owner. On the left is a souvenir lighter from the ocean liner </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">America</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I also collect postcards from passenger ships 1900-1971. I believe I have cards for all of the liners and cargo liners of the United States lines so this was an exciting find for me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img height="419" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/nZSfKFzBMBcfqS9ekQk-YcPFitbnkDcxduoHpRCKLIAWVzfOEIvWXI8U-tpo8XRGjeVDIF7E05PIo0go5GKv3UX6eGg7et5Vp6qBLA6M-le_IMG5KbuIjigHOclPaAuTFXWwoUw" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="419" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">These are two Ronson standard lighters of different vintages. The one on the right is engraved with a serial number, but I can’t find anything that it might refer to. Any ideas pipemen? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img height="401" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/eUHOQP5Q7NJRwqJzZTNhI4QQXrhd1YcLDu_sppsVOZfqf0AhF-rZMmiWHAfnUH0FOR5BHjxR4od_4gMnSDmIX7No74j_BhNmpx1Jq1lYUdJLzdYohePSgaZH-oQEk7vbDiumKTc" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="401" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Here we have a Japanese made Craftsman Trilite and a Nimrod Admiral that I love using now and again! I keep hoping that I’ll finally come across a Nimrod Sportsman that I can afford! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img height="407" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AZXNMcKiqLmPrcMss82t4HNw5Gi6dmGb_z0nsdzK6A2BmybuGQT5u2gmM3p5GSx1guob1o12Yl99lF9mxDI1ZCeEu9-DtPyqrkcwMIgC0rwAajbwBIsz_5c0E7cN-h2lU4OBh0" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="407" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Here we have a pair of IMCO Austria lighters. On the right, a model 6600 Junior, and on the left, a model 6700 Super. IMCO lighters are absolutely terrific and deserve their good reputation. The 6700 is actually the second I’ve owned. The first took a fall from a 21st floor balcony where I had absconded from a party to smoke and flirt. In the light of day the lighter was found, and although dented a bit, snapped open firmly and burned bright. Unfortunately over the years and a few moves, that one disappeared. Wherever you are, keep burning brightly old friend.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img height="461" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8l2LZRm7c-sZPh7eWLcilbsWMPJa_DDq6exKXs7bJzp5HhUM95kqH7Hw-tVS8ejpi-3kGhXWyIdcZVpGWzYGX3_od3BM9pz8OvA7Clo_aIAobh9ogijDCpHs65o8FGnb_sShL4" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="461" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Here is a Regens side squeeze lighter. I wish I knew more about it, like the manufacture date. All the same, it is a really cool piece of American engineering! </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPwDHJ8IpjtQpnrlZToopyBuuLLQA9SvnBcrcmy53VagScA3ZUpEkJUG5h9Ju-muwiulT0FHGzncSWnabzivkZei212kOaNbnEUdox1zBuXYLgclBZR2SyCXKEfC8H-JE11-UzZBQSK0/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPwDHJ8IpjtQpnrlZToopyBuuLLQA9SvnBcrcmy53VagScA3ZUpEkJUG5h9Ju-muwiulT0FHGzncSWnabzivkZei212kOaNbnEUdox1zBuXYLgclBZR2SyCXKEfC8H-JE11-UzZBQSK0/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">This is a bit of a mystery! Another rummage bin find, this well used, thin petrol lighter sparks and lights well. However there are no markings on it at all except for “Automatic First Quality Lighter” on the bottom. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img height="434" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/BCaMrUlSVW5knkGrH_jzWJelYLpPElcDR7crQJ5I73mkZiZS8J-yggolZnh667uIYdtJfk5rPkmee5gs6V0FVWmjNQZ5zN3eSm2AI7HnM5W984kNCpAxOglHHnrBCHc9_lGybLY" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="434" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Although I’m mostly interested in petrol lighters, I do have two butane lighters that have found a home in my collection. On the left is Flamex Pipelighter. I just love the space age, mid-century look. It’s a mighty fine lighter too! On the right is a Chinese lighter with built in pipe tools. I like that it has pipe shapes stamped on both sides. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img height="437" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0L7PR8K6omOeGsA4pcaXJ-azyR-eCrDpRF2WWQ70qVyuhU8DdsgRScsjzZiIkG0mDXQr6C-eyIg7PebNRlgiDhhbeSxo4_ZY2Bl4v3SQHz63UxUzqI6lKvOBV1TJ70ZExuJWiTg" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="437" /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">This lighter is not part of my personal collection, but has a very special place in our home. This Zippo pipe lighter was gifted to my wife’s grandfather, Grandad Damewood on the last Father’s Day that he was with us. Today this lighter, along with a portrait of him with his ever-present pipe stays on our bookshelf with other treasured family items. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Well, that’s it for today Pipemen! What’s your favorite lighter? Until next time! </span></span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413897792083750892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034310489178669490.post-28337549804364922612018-07-10T10:45:00.000-07:002018-07-10T10:45:21.691-07:00Bob's Chocolate Flake<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img height="225" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/AFerGHLGM_l339Tf5TysqiAWYotDoJbC2IVt04UIQopO4NPvBJJuTvWc4y3i8iAbz8BBl8yaYXJdYSDOIHZZkxJU4uLCkXyWxPW3MNjpLshMYdlU0IbZgsMbp0ayXaVRDRg0Dd4" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="400" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Good morning, Gents! Today I’m writing about a relatively new discovery for me - Bob’s Chocolate Flake. </span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-a7570c28-8549-6fa5-b900-becce2a99a1c" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: yellow;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Bob’s Chocolate Flake is produced in England by Gawith, Hoggarth and company. The flake itself is a blend of virginia, burley, and latakia with cocoa and vanilla flavorings added. It’s available in 50 gram tins from your favorite online retailer or B&M tobacconist. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I first became acquainted with Bob’s Chocolate Flake when my May 2018 box from the Tin Society (</span><a href="http://www.tinsociety.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.tinsociety.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) arrived. The sample packet contained broken flakes of dark brown, lighter brown, and a few flecks of almost black tobacco. I opened it up and and was greeted with the scent of good quality tobacco with a whiff of latakia smokiness. Among the delicious tobacco scent was just a hint of cocoa. I passed it over to the Mrs. for the smell test and Bob’s was approved for indoor use - very unusual as blends with latakia are, with the exception of Lane’s HGL, relegated to the porch and garage (which reminds me - be on the lookout for my “Dogfight” review - Junkyard Dawg vs. John Bull - coming soon!).</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">I loaded up my trusty Kaywoodie author with the expectation that I was in for a treat. (insert sad trombone sound here) The first bowl was very disappointing. I found it difficult to keep lit, a bit harsh, and the flavor was nothing to write home about. I definitely didn’t get any hints of cocoa. The bowl wasn’t bad, just bland and I didn’t care for it. I put the sample aside and moved on to the other tobaccos that were included in the box. Something told me not to give up on old Bob however, and I decided to treat it like I do Dunhill’s Dark Flake. I took some of the broken flakes and rubbed them out completely then let the tobacco sit for about fifteen to twenty minutes to dry a bit. With a little trepidation, I loaded up my Forseti rusticated bent egg (my Father’s Day 2017 gift from the Mrs. and kiddo) giving the tobacco a light pack. The afternoon wasn’t terribly hot for Houston, so I went out to the porch to read and give Bob’s another go. The charring light went well, and after a very light tamping, the true light. Oh how wrong was my first impression…</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: yellow;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Puffing slowly, almost sipping, I got a delicious flavor of good tobacco and began to taste a little sweetness from the virginias on my lips. Suddenly, the terrific pipe tobacco flavor was replaced in my mouth with the creamy taste of cocoa and vanilla, almost like hot chocolate, but not the instant or Hershey’s flavored kind - think homemade hot cocoa made with cream, Dutch cocoa powder, vanilla, and a little sugar. The flavor was that good. The Mrs. got a similar feeling form the room note when she stepped out. The cocoa flavor receded and the tobacco flavor came to the fore again. The flavors slowly alternated as the bowl burned lower, fading into each other and becoming more concentrated as the bottom of the bowl approached and the tobacco combusted into fine grey-white ash, leaving no dottle behind other than a pleasant memory. The reliable Zippo pipe lighter didn’t get much of a workout with this bowl. I only had to relight it twice. </span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Over the next few days I experimented a bit more with rubbing out and packing Bob’s Chocolate Flake and found that rubbing it out completely, letting it dry a bit, and packing it lightly gives the best results for me - your mileage may vary though. Interestingly, I’ve not picked up on the floral or Lakeland notes that some reviewers have mentioned. I’ve also not found any whisky flavor. That’s not to say that the floral and alcohol notes aren’t there, just that my sniffer and tastebuds aren’t picking up on them. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: yellow;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">I am now a true fan of BCF and am actively adding it to my cellar I would heartily encourage any piper to give this blend a try!</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: yellow;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">On another note, Padre Piper’s (@PadrePiper) recent vlog on codger blends got me thinking - what are my top codger blends? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">5. Captain Black Dark</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">4. Lane HGL</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">3. Granger (a tip of the hat to Granddad Damewood)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">2. Friends (what will I do when my stash is gone???)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">1. Velvet (My favorite everyday pipe tobacco)</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: yellow;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">I love the smell of cherry pipe tobacco, and at 47 I’m old enough to remember sitting in the stands at high school football games and catching whiffs of cherry tobacco in the Autumn air. My grandfather, L.J. James was also a cherry blend piper, so I have very happy memories there. Unfortunately I’ve never found a cherry blend that agrees with me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Until next time,. Keep the fires burning! </span></span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413897792083750892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034310489178669490.post-82373104404452052832018-06-22T11:19:00.000-07:002018-06-22T11:19:20.858-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img height="218" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/FJABTGj6GrVpYSIqWQ1AoY5ynOQdCksy3V8AxpHav1jGcCSfGRu3dtO8myoBCAuTIhoajxEAWmOzE67HNP9aJzZ_6fXb25Ickdv_0qMq8Iz-6ow9R7EG-pbrmI_krNbKZhqDUhw" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="388" /></span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-070e2840-28b4-2aa2-e21b-75e730dfb0f1" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: yellow;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"> Greetings gents! Hope all is well! With this post (which has been waiting patiently in my drive for some time) I’m starting to get caught up after a hectic 2nd semester! Be on the lookout for fresh posts soon! </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"> Here are two more gems from the estate lot box – an unmarked vest pocket pipe, and a sitter simply stamped “Imported Briar.” The vest pocket briar is a bit of a mystery, but I believe the sitter is one of the Dr. Grabow Continental line of pipes that was produced for a time in the early 60s. Based on what I’ve seen online, I think this example has a replacement stem. In the near future I will have to bend the stem into the correct configuration for this model. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"> Other than a cobweb in the chamber of the sitter, both pipes were exceptionally clean! First, I dropped the stems into a warm oxyclean solution to loosen up any grime. The VPP was very clean and the sitter’s stem had just a bit of oxidation and mineral deposits. While the stems were in the bath, I cleared the airways of the stummels of just a bit of goop and gave the stummels a scrubbing with Murphy’s oil soap and a soft toothbrush. I touched up a nick on the surface of the VPP then gave both stummels a coat of oil and left them to soak it in. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"> The stems were a very easy job. The VPP’s stem was almost immaculate and just needed a bit of polishing. The stem of the sitter required a little elbow grease to remove the light oxidation and mineral deposits. The airways of each needed just a little attention and a couple of pipe cleaners to bring them up to spec.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"> After a couple of rounds on the buffer, both pipes were shined up and ready to go! I’ll be holding onto these two and I imagine that the vest pocket briar will come in very handy and see some good use during the holiday season as we go to visit various relations! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"> Until next time, keep the fires lit, pipemen! </span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Today’s LP: Bartok “Concerto for Viola and Orchestra” b/w Hindemith “Der Schwanendreher for Viola and Orchestra” Nonesuch H-71239</span></span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413897792083750892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034310489178669490.post-84793575610434739952017-10-19T08:10:00.002-07:002017-10-19T08:18:16.263-07:00The Big Briar<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"> Greetings Pipemen! Today I have another repair from the estate box of briars. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"> This is a large, pot-shaped, straight stem briar. The only marking on it is the stamp “made in London, England.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img alt="20171007_133540.jpg" height="219" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/KIt-C1OW1MOqvqRyTyqiIOZqz4weLK4rw0fwa0lCpJC7kMQgw715HUOkrISCj6E9C3KCCJv7UVn5o135053XS-NN0UdecWJW8LcCky32qWlsCo2v8Nkn8o43ilN5XojHdeiQlZM" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="390" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">The Big Briar. © 2017 James Hill</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img alt="20171007_133657.jpg" height="219" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/FmDLwfrNeB4scWODq5V4QkAxUgF-nY7ch-q785GPUDorpKmoAoEhWA2sW62GZC6Q3naf1edCL7dFL08U-anWmnu8jHUl5ahVCq6yMI-xXeAIKAQSyOXwuOSxQQVtl38xmvfzcnU" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="388" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Made in London. © 2017 James Hill</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Man, is this thing big! The Mrs. imagines that this was a sailor’s pipe. He didn’t have time to reload very often, hence the huge bowl. He apparently didn’t have the time to clean it either - this pipe was filthy!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"> The stummel was smokey and sticky and very little grain was visible through the grime. There were also some flecks of green paint on one side. The rim was encrusted and the chamber was incredibly caked up, as you can see in the photo. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img alt="20171007_133608.jpg" height="221" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/CAJEXJoUe8TcmwGtDwmrDi-KRXGoFZTFeKRi_esjwAe8S5AS-sPI3i3bONVLMWmQFR8sP54ZrTrz9pNQYoVuEYPg1Z3n8bq4tXN9qtXHpbJvqwbTJR0gJbVb1_MnyfzJbluSg1M" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="392" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">The Big Briar Chamber. © 2017 James Hill</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">The oxidized stem, once I was able to free it, I found was quite plugged up. The stem went into a warm solution of Oxyclean while I got to work on the stummel. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"> The first order of business was to clean out the chamber. Once the first layer of cake (and wow, was this stuff sticky! I wonder what the previous owner smoked.) had been removed, I found that my reamer wasn’t able to reach the sides of the chamber. After some elbow grease, a dowel, sandpaper, and lots of time, the chamber was clear - you can see how much goop came out in the photo. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img alt="20171007_144956.jpg" height="248" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9PrdMtjtF2RQa2fTryZJZ0C4Re8n7B6oGzKKecta9MWzFNCtFVOH0BiDLZvR6WHTPP-87FSBhjxORbFtIToQchKvQVZJdHAtbIxaPODg4LX4Pq_6IqXA7Tor-353bnluRChKL_8" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="440" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">The Big Briar Cake Removal. © 2017 James Hill</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Next stop, the airway, which was completely plugged. Between a small, hand-turned drill bit, and lots of cotton swabs and pipe cleaners, the airway was finally free. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20171007_151746.jpg" height="247" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ZDPrShM6zK9zuCrz7CtiEzAOjL6XkAeZfhgYkCwqopkjLqZq1sKAxM45BdqYEtjSWKX8egPlCeoftMnBdbUEH0_7c-lOWCETaqb7PcCHcA6nGtk5KLb4PKLablTgGb5wvajhp00" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="440" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">Some of the cleaning supplies. © 2017 James Hill</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"> Next, the stummel got a scrubbing with a soft toothbrush and Murphy’s Oil Soap. After a couple of rounds, I could see the true form of this briar emerging from under the grunge. Happily the paint flecks came right off with a little help from my thumbnail. I rinsed and dried the stummel then headed back out to the workshop. With a light sanding of the rim, a few scorch marks were removed then I touched up the finish, oiled the stummel and set it aside to tackle the stem. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"> Cleaning the airway took time, patience, and lots of pipe cleaners. With that accomplished I began sanding and polishing the stem to remove the oxidation and some mineral deposits. I decided to revisit a couple tooth marks later. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"> WIth the pipe cleaned and reassembled, I gave the works a once over with white diamond, then two coats of carnauba. As I was working the pipe on the buffer I could see the beautiful grain of the briar. This really is a lovely pipe and is ready to be put back into service in my collection! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"> Thanks for reading, and until next time, keep the fires lit, pipemen! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img alt="20171007_190625.jpg" height="266" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/wTShU4SIbV94i9zwPxkIOLHCP1LoVeZGHzwzEF1zlt2rdrOKEEM_kxD5X4Piciq7lkVH0Fc_IrWb3ne9O22Vj2YIsh7_d3al8Fv7KaE_keGRhr8CLdaeUBUuBzSqu-NUCaUf9JY" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="473" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: yellow;">The Big Briar, Cleaned. © 2017 James Hill</span></span></div>
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Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413897792083750892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034310489178669490.post-90627735861586556692017-10-11T08:11:00.001-07:002017-10-19T08:14:32.463-07:00The Meerschaum Owl <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20171007_133750.jpg" height="225" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/sBFt423bm4HQ_QocAD5ObYQLhz76nq2rrtw7kBHPJw4BWbFmWrxvJ9Pv86gm_fpo9uUEgMzLPqmZ0mw41m5w26NYmaihBcBydHMa-X9m1FS8erf42jDyAkFMVGBVM1oajg3IUyA" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Owl Meerschaum. Frontal View Before Cleaning/Waxing. © 2017 James Hill</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Greetings Pipemen! I hope this post finds you all well! I found this little owl-shaped meer on ebay and put in a bid. Happily mine won and soon the pipe was on its way to Texas. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Upon unpacking, I had a close look at the stummel and found it to be quite dry, a little dirty, and mostly off-white with some patches of color here and there. I also found a sticky layer of cake buildup in the chamber. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20171007_133725.jpg" height="224" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/bUVJ2KKQM-kqNZxQ7kG3LLiiyMDKZcwxErNz63o1ZF3o0PbHRh9GrGKXRAFn-WzUII31A6SZyVP9UxZeQKnvhIKhyUeV4D7V3kI63KFvN3ayEEvsdPWMT7wW5bbVd5DlCDviVS8" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Owl Meerschaum Side View Before Cleaning/Waxing. © 2017 James Hill</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20171007_133736.jpg" height="225" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/gpZ3akzGPLv6VHnHiCcwqe3-jg4j_F3KRWtrHldrQFv2RJJWyWs87E0f2eXrLfvewhHWwnMuC0DWmsK1a740gXjOPBBoFYZw8u2pFCyoe_a1raLfY00y_JxLf313PVMdcxk9tck" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Owl Meerschaum’s Tobacco Chamber Before Cleaning. © 2017 James Hill</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> After removing the stem, my first order of business was to clean the chamber. I gave it a gentle sanding with 200 grit sandpaper wrapped around a marker. Not wanting to damage the material of the pipe, I sanded it down to where I could see the stone peeking through a light layer of carbon. Happily, I was able to get all of the sticky stuff out. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> When I removed the stem I did come across a bit of a mystery - a paper cylinder sleeve covering part of the airway. I cannot find ANY info about this thing other than another reference online to finding one in another meer. Does anyone know what the proper name of this sleeve is and where I can get a replacement? The one that came with the pipe has seen better days and may not hold out much longer. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20171007_134602.jpg" height="225" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/FkBltPBIgdYMjSVBrOpafMDrzOFLkwdxa-KqRvZ1Jy2RicRBNU_9ujr7BPO2IInomXmpDKlocegWcsFUzSUnhpl-YHsCLJZ0A9Y-bSwuNmCx05Q_7T1xNPB9wAWALqqcduvkSgk" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stummel with the mystery paper sleeve. © 2017 James Hill</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> After cleaning the chamber, I gave the airway a cleaning. It was in pretty good condition and only needed a few pipe cleaners to be brought up to ship shape. Afterwards, I brushed the surface of the pipe with a soft toothbrush. I then used a pick to dislodge a few pieces of gunk stuck in the nooks and crannies of the carvings. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Following the cleaning, I put on some 100% beeswax to melt while I gently heated the pipe with a hair dryer. Once the wax was completely melted, I used a paintbrush to apply the wax to the entire surface, making sure to get it into every crevice. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20171007_142038.jpg" height="225" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/PdznkTobiB5TApUwSTkZrWdkxrYl6lKQAXTkQa-71zK6emNYS8IW4-Gk2PAz8dn_QYf2cPRq2_SYyd263zOVvxAvsLvyTiD8QEVb84BJ6LXfYrzUPgPdfluoYUAZ88GH648Eg2g" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Waxed Stummel. © 2017 James Hill</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I let the wax settle in a bit then heated the stummel with the hairdryer again. Almost all of the wax absorbed - this little meer was thirsty! I repeated the waxing process then let the stummel sit and rest while I cleaned and polished the stem. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The stem’s airway was pretty clean already, and again it only took a few pipe cleaners to get it squared away. I cleaned and polished the surface of the stem then gave it a couple of coats of carnauba. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> After its cleaning and waxing this little meer looks much better! The wax has drawn more of the color to the surface and over time this should darken to a lovely mahogany hue! I’m looking forward to having this meer in my rotation! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Until next time, keep the fires lit, pipemen! </span></div>
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Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413897792083750892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034310489178669490.post-82026040912886861922017-10-03T13:36:00.001-07:002017-10-19T08:13:35.535-07:00The Box o' Briars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYanH7y5WYhoWLVWOAvCHZxbEn724jDDmZpa0iC2TmvWVcv7RMmISGO8DyWUOZ75aaSuVGp_FE8TQPDaDawB_AAVq6_x7h0TSrVc3ps6nBtABWqrPi46iYTyeqgLPKzVdMPb-7p1SYz0w/s1600/20171001_113206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: yellow;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYanH7y5WYhoWLVWOAvCHZxbEn724jDDmZpa0iC2TmvWVcv7RMmISGO8DyWUOZ75aaSuVGp_FE8TQPDaDawB_AAVq6_x7h0TSrVc3ps6nBtABWqrPi46iYTyeqgLPKzVdMPb-7p1SYz0w/s400/20171001_113206.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: yellow;">The Box O' Briars (c) 2017 James Hill</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">Good Afternoon fellow Pipemen! </span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">I recently won a box lot of briars on ebay and the postman delivered them this weekend! They are in various states of repair, but all are quite mendable and I'm looking forward to sharing my repairs with all of you as I bring these veterans back into smoking condition! I'm really excited about the large pot briar - it's going to be a challenge to recondition but I think it will be a great smoker! From the size of the bowl, I'm guessing it will give a good 1 - 1.5 hours. </span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">I've also recently received a shipment of Ratttray's Bagpiper's Dream and Sutliff's Maple Street. I'll be posting my thoughts on them soon. </span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">Until next time, keep the briars lit, pipemen! </span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413897792083750892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034310489178669490.post-75428121301264760222017-09-24T13:01:00.003-07:002017-10-19T08:13:17.797-07:00Barking Dog Pipe Tobacco Review<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="JH150035.jpg" height="300" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/hz_6z3yVdJ-tKiX0eQaTrcNpPMLN7-O2gI9738vDDTDQPUGViUoTj1PynLpPi4VPouJa0zrxTSDZBwp8MbFtx2XL2QCDrB3fdZCfegCAMRPeYq47VYlUj8f9i52aKFFtmkd6eK4" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="400" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Barking Dog tin with Forseti Bent Egg Briar. © 2017 James Hill</span></div>
<span style="color: yellow;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-a00faf64-b57a-b2aa-ba39-613f4f9e6394" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Happy Sunday, Pipesmen! Today we’ll be trying out a classic - Barking Dog. Light ‘em if you’ve got ‘em!</span></div>
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</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Barking Dog is a venerable drugstore American-English cube cut blend of burley, latakia, virginia, and perique. This pooch poses a problem to ponder, however. Just what is the topping? Is it rum? Is it molasses? A combination of the two? I believe it to be rum primarily. The rum almost certainly combines with something sweet, either molasses or a natural sweetness from one of the tobaccos, to make a butterscotch-like flavor. Barking Dog was produced by Phillip Morris and later by the House of Windsor. The original is now unavailable, but a match by Sutliff can be obtained from Pipes and Cigars. (</span><a href="https://www.pipesandcigars.com/p/match-barking-dog-pipe-tobacco/1473107/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.pipesandcigars.com/p/match-barking-dog-pipe-tobacco/1473107/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The sad looking boxer on the tin seemed so forlorn that I had to give him a home. I wrote to pipestud (</span><a href="http://www.pipestud.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.pipestud.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) and soon the doggy was winging his way to my home in Houston. Upon his arrival I chose my Forseti bent egg briar - my gift from the Mrs. and daughter for Father’s Day 2017 (thanks again, ladies!) for the initial tasting. The tin note is intriguing. Due to the mysterious alchemy of fermentation and aging, no one scent jumps right out. There is some smokiness from the latakia, a hint of spiciness, and an overall rich, beefy (for lack of a better word) aroma. Perhaps pipe tobacco umami is a good description. The topping is not apparent in the tin note. The Mrs. took a whiff of the tin and pronounced it “Beef Jerky”. With that I gathered my pipe, lighter, tamper, and tobacco and headed out to the back porch to take Barking Dog for a walk. </span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The leaf was fairly dry, but not so much as to require rehydration. After the char light and tamp, I needed a few more lights to get the bowl going, then a few relights over the course of the bowl. This may very well be a result of my inexperience with cube cut tobacco rather than anything to do with the tobacco itself. Once burning, the flavor is very even. As with the tin note, no one tobacco stands out. Rather, the blend is well orchestrated with a firm foundation of burley and virginia, pleasant overtones of smoky latakia, and occasional trills of spiciness from the perique. The mysterious sweetness/butterscotch flavor weaves in and out like a refrain. The room note is also even, but with a bit more smokiness from the latakia. This smokiness relegates it to a porch or workshop blend at my house. Thus far, the only English or American English blend that has been deemed “allowed in the house” is Lane’s HGL. As the tin says, this dog does not bite. I wanted a second opinion on the flavor so I got on the phone and rang up my partner in crime - an aficionado of blends such as Wild Atlantic and Orlik’s Golden Slices, who for the sake of privacy will be called Smoking Buddy. We lit up and chewed the fat over a pair of bowls, solving the problems of the world, and discussing the ups and downs of teaching High Schools. His impressions were much the same as mine in the flavor department, though he picked up more of a general undefined sweetness rather than an identifiable butterscotch flavor. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I enjoyed Barking Dog, even with the frustration of keeping it lit. I’m slowly working my way through the two ounce tin and still hoping to find my groove with it. Overall, it’s a nice blend, but I don’t think that it will find a place in my permanent rotation. If you’re a fan of English or American-English blends, then Barking Dog, or its Sutliff match, may be something you’ll want to try! Until next time, keep the fires lit Pipemen! </span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today’s LP - Rachmaninoff </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sonata in G minor, op. 19 </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and Kodaly </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sonata, op. 4</span></span></div>
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Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413897792083750892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034310489178669490.post-11799734168571769632017-09-24T13:00:00.001-07:002017-10-19T08:15:48.319-07:00Friends Pipe Tobacco Review<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="JH150030.jpg" height="300" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/A0mHnNxpwbBwanRfwfVLGf4keq483r6Fv5FZ8JylTlQXxz-YrZIf-9InlqvNFk_0wo8TE6jY03EC2dN10brsHQIK3bd3z40J9KlpzHFX2wlIh1820eqhLNBl6qjl15LferBhajU" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="400" /></span></div>
<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Friends Tobacco tin with Bendetto Shamrock Briar. © 2017 James Hill</span></div>
<span style="color: yellow;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-2b7950d9-b579-8423-af05-c544363182aa" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Salutations fellow Pipemen! Today I will be reviewing an old-time American pipe blend, Friends. Light up and let’s get started! </span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Friends, a combination of burley and virgina topped with rum (rum cured according to old ad copy) was produced by the United States Tobacco Company of Richmond, Virginia, and later, the House of Windsor of Yoe, Pennsylvania, from at least the early 1940s through the 1990s. Unfortunately, this blend is no longer available. The eye-catching yellow tin features a charming illustration of a man and his dog - best friends to be sure! I obtained a 30-40 year old factory sealed 12 ounce tin from the esteemed Steve Fallon - the pipestud (</span><a href="http://www.pipestud.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.pipestud.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">), In short order the tin arrived on my doorstep and my acquaintance with Friends began.</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> When I broke the seal and unscrewed the lid I was greeted with the scent of dark chocolate with just a hint of alcohol - this stuff smells fantastic in the tin! I removed the paper insert, which has an ad for a ballpoint pen on a chain with a sticky base plate. The typeface and design appears to be totally 80s. Underneath the insert I found a full bag of lovely, dark brown leaf. Opening the bag, I found that the leaf was at an ideal moisture level. The years have been very good to this tin. Have I mentioned that the tin note is very chocolatey? WIth the bag open, the chocolate aroma became even more pronounced. Friends definitely passed my smell test! The Mrs. and daughter (chocolate lovers both) were also quite impressed with the tin note. An auspicious beginning to this friendship! </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> For the first smoke I chose my Benedetto Shamrock - an Italian copy of a Peterson bent military mount briar. Based on my experience with other burley blends, I used a lighter pack. After a charring light and tamp, Friends lit easily and stayed lit, with only one relight, through a 30-40 minute bowl. The smoke was silky smooth and deliciously chocolatey, as was the room note. There was not a bite to be found. Pipestud wrote that smoking Friends just naturally made a fellow want to pet his dog. Well, we don’t have a dog but the family cat - as true blue a buddy as any dog - joined me in my chair as I smoked for quality lap time! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Friends is flavorful, smooth, and satisfying, You could even say that it’s Chocolate Rum Cake in a briar! I will definitely be ordering more unopened tins to add to my cellar. Thanks again to pipestud for making these wonderful (and sometimes head scratch worthy - Greenbriar, anyone?) vintage tobaccos available.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Until next time, keep the fires burning, pipemen! </span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today’s LP - Jorg Demus and the Schubert Quartet playing Schubert’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trout Quintet </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sonatina in A Minor for Violin and Piano. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Deutsche Grammophon/Privelege Stereo 2535 225</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Friends tin insert. © 2017 James Hill</span></div>
<br />Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413897792083750892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034310489178669490.post-28967691335583128722017-09-24T12:59:00.000-07:002017-10-19T08:12:41.905-07:00Granger Pipe Tobacco Review<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="JH150036.jpg" height="300" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/jIuXvXnpfa2O7X8GM7_i7HJ-CIMs_IhdIYaM3ww-z9FqB-UDgG3_vD8MvXTwvEYlSRmdYctlmzRknjsaxKY0TeqkmcLFl08y2lIv1kMYzDVNF4jRnwr0DSly_BUtNWKdw0CkHT0" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="400" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Granger tobacco tin with Kaywoodie 13B Briar. © 2017 James Hill</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Greetings Pipemen! In today’s post I’m continuing my survey of three classic American burley blends. Up today is Granger. Let’s enter the lodge and light up! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Granger pipe tobacco has been available at least since the 1930s. It was first produced by the American Tobacco Company and is now manufactured by the Scandinavian Tobacco Group/Lane Limited of Tucker, Georgia. Granger, “A Pointer on Fine Tobacco”, is a semi-aromatic, rough cut burley blend. At the time of its introduction, Granger was advertised as being for pipes only. This set the brand apart from many of its competitors that were sold as being for pipes or roll-your-own (I believe this dual use claim was a means to keep sales going during the depression and a bit beyond). </span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Granger is currently sold in 12oz tins and is readily available. I placed an order with Pipes and Cigars (</span><a href="http://www.pipesandcigars.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.pipesandcigars.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) and waited patiently for my shipment to arrive. This was my wife’s grandfather’s blend of choice, so I was eagerly anticipating cracking the tin open! When my tin arrived, I opened it up and took a whiff. The tin note is cocoa, some nuttiness, and an unidentifiable fruit aroma. The Mrs. and daughter suggested fig newtons and raisins respectively. I’m not sure what the scent is, but I wonder if this could be the aroma of the mysterious “Wellman’s Process”. We have one of the wife’s grandfather’s classic Granger tins on the shelf, so we put a bit of of the tobacco in it to revive the tin’s aroma and remember Granddad Damewood. The tobacco has an almost ideal moisture level and is not sticky at all. I’ve found that this blend packs very easily with the scoop and tamp method and prefers a lighter packing. Lighting was a breeze and Granger stayed lit quite well, with only a couple of relights over a 40 minute bowl.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> For my first bowl I chose my trusty Kaywoodie 13B. The aroma is pleasant and one hundred percent “Old Time Pipey”. The family has classified it as an indoor blend - everyone enjoyed the room note, except perhaps the family cat, who walked by and sneezed. The flavor is richer and not as sweet as Granger’s cousin, Velvet. The tastes of tobacco, cocoa and that very mild fruit-like topping come through and become deeper and mellower as the bowl passes the halfway point. I didn’t get bit throughout the initial bowl and those that followed. You might get a bite out of that pointer if you push him too hard, but I think he’s pretty forgiving. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I have really enjoyed Granger and have added a couple of tins to my cellar and plan on acquiring at least a few more. If you enjoy almost unadulterated burley, let me “point” you towards Granger. You really can’t go wrong with this classic.</span></div>
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Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413897792083750892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034310489178669490.post-29151110548487440462017-09-24T12:57:00.000-07:002017-10-19T08:12:23.312-07:00Velvet Pipe Tobacco Review<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="JH150032.jpg" height="298" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/8AtweisrDmOLvZKN_fGsIuymEmuMorL5Mc5fthS135FUcSnLbKXcJkbIJxkuSnW5GW-rpnK5BpFGGIPaYMLv180JzV0R-PdAW4IJofXdv4qeznGTqvAehPUHPts5krk_PI5WVqs" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Velvet tobacco tin with Bari Matador Danish Briar. © 2017 James Hill</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I had been curious for some time about the classic American burley blends. After reading up on them and sampling a couple of locally available blends, I zeroed in on Velvet, Lane Limited Ready Rubbed (The resurrection of Edgeworth Ready Rubbed), and Granger (my wife’s late grandfather’s tobacco of choice). The retro packaging appealed to the artist in me so Velvet was first at bat.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Velvet has been produced for over a century by various companies and is one of the classic American pipe tobacco blends. Velvet is currently produced by the Scandinavian Tobacco Group/Lane Limited of Tucker, Georgia. Upon opening the pouch or tin, you’re greeted with the scent of sweet tobacco with a slight liquor overtone. Old advertisements indicate that Velvet is made with sunshine, rain, aged burley, and maple sugar. Some reviewers have stated that there is an anise flavoring in there as well. I don’t pick that flavor up, but I feel there could be a small amount of some kind of fruit liquor in the blend. The moisture level in the pouch or tin may be a little high for some pipemen, but I’ve never had difficulty lighting Velvet or keeping it lit.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I received my first pouch of Velvet as part of a package deal from Pipes & Cigars (</span><a href="http://www.pipesandcigars.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.pipesandcigars.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). Honestly, it took a few bowls for me to “make friends” with Velvet, but we worked out our differences and I can say that I thoroughly enjoy this blend. Once I found Velvet’s preferred means of packing (the scoop and tamp method works best for me and this blend does not like being tightly packed - YMMV), I’ve found the blend to burn easily and cooly without many relights after an initial charring. If you puff too hard, your briar might deliver a bite, so relax and puff gently letting Velvet’s charms wash over you. The smoke is silky smooth and mild with a mellow flavor that has a touch of sweetness. Interestingly, the flavor and aroma become richer and more complex as the bowl progresses. In the bottom third or so of the bowl a slight fruit flavor and aroma appear that remind me of cherries. Whether this is a result of the manufacturing process or if there is a small amount of fruit liquor, I don’t know, but this subtle hint of sour fruit plays well with Velvet’s sweetness and the nut/cocoa flavor so often associated with burley. The room note is similarly mellow, pleasant, and complex, and elicits compliments from those nearby. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Since finishing that initial pouch I’ve ordered several tins of Velvet and it has become my go-to every day blend. The room note is so wife and daughter pleasing that I am not only allowed, but encouraged to smoke Velvet indoors (just in my study, to be sure, and I’ll take that any day over the sweltering heat of Houston)! There’s a reason why Velvet has been on the market for so long - it lives up to its name and delivers a smooth, flavorful, enjoyable, and satisfying smoke.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: yellow; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1918 Velvet Advertisement</span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413897792083750892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9034310489178669490.post-2977646952305996392017-09-23T18:40:00.000-07:002017-09-25T16:47:42.132-07:00Opening the Pipeman's Lodge<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Nowhere in the world will such a brotherly feeling of confidence be experienced as amongst those who sit together smoking their pipes.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">– Doctor Barnstein, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Results and Merits of Tobacco</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, 1844</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Velvet advertisement, 1922</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Welcome to the Pipeman’s Lodge, a blog on pipes, tobacco, books, music, and other topics of interest. I’m looking forward to chatting with you about all of these topics without the politics, partisanship, general nastiness, and ungentlemanly discourse that has become so sadly common these days. Let’s open the door, light up, and relax in the Pipeman’s Lodge! </span></div>
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Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05413897792083750892noreply@blogger.com0