My father was raised on a farm, and they grew field corn for the hogs and cows and for the table as well. They never made pipes from it though. The cobs were saved for the outhouse.
I'm thinking of deep cleaning the 2 pipes I have out today while I'm digging around to find my 3rd one. I don't remember when I cleaned them last so its past due. Any suggestions?
Most of our cobs are given to the kid's bunny. it saves his hay rack and food bowl from his teeth for alittle while. I'll have snach one and hide it or it'll be bunny food by evening.
Morning pipe, Grand Central in a Lorenzo Lancia. A very nice estate pipe, I guess this is what's called a sandblast finish. This is my longest pipe, I really need to pick up some extra long pipe cleaners some time.
I got a box in the mail today. I was going to clean my pipes out really well but I don't want to wait to smoke this amazing smelling stuff. Pictures to come.
I never say where something came from unless I'm told I can. Its a quirk of mine. I received a box today and this was in it. First thing I opened the tin and it smelled just like my Grandpa Ballard. He was in the habit while he lived in Buffalo to walk to a small tobacco shop, buy a paper, a coffee and enough tobacco to fill 3 pipes then smoke his first one while he sipped his coffee and read the paper on an old leather couch in the shop chatting with the other older men that came in to do the same. He died when I was 5 but I still remember the smell of him in the mornings and I still remember his voice. Part of what I wanted to do today was dig out my other pipe and clean out the 2 I had out because I can't remember when it had been done last. I'm having a hard time keeping to my goals because I just want to reassemble my Dr Grabow and try the Orlik.
Parliament cigarettes do the same thing. My moms dad smoked them, and I can't be around them without seeing him in my mind's eye.
I've been digging through boxes for an hour. Found my bristly pipe cleaners but no bent pipe. I already set the grabow and kaywoodie up with a salt and alcohol soak so I won't be smoking anything if I don't find my basket pipe.
I'm taking a break from pipe searching to clean more on my other 2. Any tips on stem cleaning? I've got the inside clean but the outside of both of them look rough. Baking soda scrub followed by a dab of olive oil?
I found my other pipe. It took me all day but its in my hand. The Orlik Golden Slices tasted as good as I expected. Half a flake rubbed out filled my basket pipe It was a 25 or 30 min smoke. Nice and cool with a real mild flavor. Now I have all 3 of my pipes out. I finished cleaning my Dr Grabow. The Kaywoodie was nastier and it tasted bad so I'm leaving the salt and alcohol until tomorrow. I still have to do the baking soda treatment to the Kaywoodie's stem. I'm down to 11 pipe cleaners so I'll pick up more when I'm in Asheville in a few days. The windcap in the picture is missing the hinge pin and the adhesive that holds it on. I stuck it in the picture but it doesn't live on the pipe. Thats nearly all of my smoking supplies. I'm still hunting my other pipe tool and I have a few more pipe cleaners somewhere if the kids haven't stolen them.
19F outside... Have the garage heated to 55F and am enjoying some Gatsby Luxury Flake from my original pipe, a Grabow Royal Duke. Late night talk radio... Nutty day here in CO.
I see so many satisfied people praising their rougher finished pipes. I may have to try one sometime. I've only ever smoked smooth finished briar pipes. I have quite a bit left to try when someday comes.
remember...we are all way older than you...we didn't accumulate our collections over night. Many people feel like rough pipes smoke cooler due to increased outer surface area.
I would likely have more if I hadn't been married to someone so anti smoking anything. I've had the 2 straight pipes for 6 years and the bent pipe for 7 or 8. I don't smoke enough to need more then I have and most of the ones I want to try are inexpensive so I'm hopeful that my someday will be soon. I'm going to try to fool around with a seasoned chunk of olive wood tomorrow and try to make a pipe out of it. might lathe down a scrap of maple that I have left over from replacing a bed post a few years back. I have to have something to do when my mom's cooking or I'll take over and get kicked out, again. Mybe they won't work well but maybe they will. The cob still needs to dry longer before I try to make anything out of it.
