Hi Tony! Agree and thank you. I was planning on a post in a bit featuring a Canadian that I acquired with a friend in Birmingham (Homewood). I had a blast walking the old city. Went to TOBS, DR Harris, T&H, the market pipe store and the original location of:
I do prefer a slight bent to a straight. Haven't encountered the off center drill, yet. Got a full bent Schowa that requires hemostat persuasion to get a cleaner through the draft hole. Picked up a pouch of Captain Black (regular white) a week ago. Cavendish curious and enjoying a bit of sweet flavor it is acceptable. Further research leads me to desiring a British Cavendish. Apparently it's prepared Perique style by pressing, fermenting for a shorter time, and without added flavorings. Cavendish & sweet Virginia in a Jobey Stromboli 225 while swapping a fresh power cord on the old 7-1/4".
Okay, first pipe in a while. McClelland Dark Star in my Skip Elliot hand made. Love this pipe! The air flow is so good, it almost smokes itself! And my, what a difference a little time in a mason jar makes for any McClelland Virginia! Russ at Pipes and Cigars told me to pop the top on NcClelland matured virginias and let them air out for at least 24 hours. What I have discovered with Dark Star, Blackwoods Forest, and #27, is you need to let them air for 3 to 4 days, then put in a mason jar for at least a month or more, and the longer the better. The first smoke of Dark Star after a couple of days of aging was very disappointing, given it's rave reviews. Now after some additional air time and aging, it is sublime, especially in Skip's pipe.
A pipe smoking friend is a huge McC fanboy and he swears that you need to let all McC blends age at least 6 months to 1 year minimum. I have several now in that time frame and agree age does wonders to McC blends. Sadly I have but 1 bowl left of 2011 #24 and 2008 CC (which said friend gifted me) both are outstanding and will Smoke them today for Father's Day.
Great looking pipe, and it's good to hear you're able to smoke pipes again. A couple of bowls of Chatham Manor in an MM Legend this morning. I've only used this pipe on CM and it's a good combination. The Legends have a smaller bowl than I prefer though.
Off work today, so having a late morning pipe with coffee. First try with Burlier's Blend in my Stefano pipe. I've been wanting to get into some burley blends, and have decided to devote this pipe to them. Burlier's Blend is all burley, and according to the Gatlinburlier, has no added flavoring. There is a light sweetener topping, but no aromatic flavoring that I can detect. Nice nutty flavor, but it is a bit sweet.
I've been cellaring pipe tobacco since I started with a pipe in the late 90's. It's amazing how the tobacco gets so much better. I have a fair collection, mostly McClelland.
H&H Marble Kake in a rustic Stanwell #139 bent billy. I've tried the thick cut flake several ways. It's not the uniform thin sliced of some flake. More like 3/16" thick and odd sized pieces. Fully rubbed out is good, lightly broken and stuffed works well, too. I haven't tried a cube cut though I think this would prep that way.
Very well, smokes great. I have 2 morta's now this one and a Don Warren Prince It also smokes great. Only one left I need now is an author shape and I should be done with Morta pipes....(famous last words) Have to watch cadence with both. They smoke so easy with great draws I have to be careful or bowl can get hot. All of my higher end pipes are like that and I assume it's because the drilling and draws on them are beyond excellent.
It is amazing how an upper end pipe smokes. I only have one truly upper end pipe; I've typically looked for pipes in what I think is the sweet range combination of quality and price. Now that I have a number of pipes to rotate, I would like to be more selective in the future. By the ways that's a gorgeous pipe.
PA/OJK mix in a MM CG with a cherry shank and vulcanite bit. I really need to set up camera, light tent and take some proper photos. Next rainy day maybe. Yardwork day today so a lot of this baccy and cobs to see some use.
I took the opportunity to get a bowl in tonite, with TS Cindy coming in the weather probably won't permit it for the next couple of days. The Mark Tinsky pipe is one of my favorites.