I haven’t had much time lately to enjoy a pipe. Smoking a pipe is a process I like to have time to enjoy. Hopefully I can get back to it before too much longer.
I prefer bent pipes vs straight so a Grabow Starfire is inbound, same as my favorite years ago. I have a $5 Comoy 184 that does ok. But a local antique mall had a sale last weekend and I picked up a $3 straight made long ago for a tobacco shop chain in upstate N.Y. It smokes excellently. Also picked up a big can of VIP tobacco that same day. Probably 1980s. Twist tied plastic bag inside a sealed can, still fairly moist so, yeah, I tried it. The stuff is a little woody and not much fragrance but smoother and more enjoyable than the new highly rated stuff I bought a few weeks ago. I've been buffing cordovan shoe polish on my old cleaned up briars. It works okay but is there a better way?
If you want a protective finish, here’s a product you could consider https://www.pipesandcigars.com/product/decatur-pipe-shield-no-buff-wax/PM-CDNPS-NBW.html
Yikes. Yes. Almond oil with beeswax melted in. Continue adding beeswax until it reaches a consistency of spreadable butter when cooled. About a 3:1 to 5:1 ratio (Almond oil:Beeswax). Store in the refrigerator. (Edit: beeswax pellets are available at Hobby Lobby fairly cheap.) For a shelf stable version that doesn't need to be refrigerated, substitute mineral oil for almond oil. Wipe on the stem and bowl and buff off after a minute. Multiple applications over the course of a few weeks results in a soft luster. I keep a rag dedicated for application and another for buffing. After a month, the buffing rag is generally all that is needed to restore the shine after smoking. This is a particularly good finish for rusticated or sandblasted pipes. You'll need to use Murphy's oil soap or 91% isopropyl alcohol and an old toothbrush to remove the shoe polish first. Don't use alcohol on lacquered pipes unless you want to strip the finish. If you don't want to go through all that bother, a drop or two of mineral oil applied with a toothbrush works too, but isn't as protective.
Before and after beeswax/oil treatment: Full pipe. A very, very rare 64M Royal Briar (though not particularly valuable, except to me) pre-Hans Christian Anderson Stanwell churchwarden from the late 80's or early 90's. I've cleaned the oxidation off the stem since this picture was taken. It's always been my J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth "mental image" pipe, even after the movies came out. This pipe was made in Denmark, was bought at auction in Brazil, and resold on eBay here in the U.S.A. It was handled often and seldom smoked, judging by the wear on the inside of the pipe vs. the outside of the pipe. Edit: the 64M isn't rare, but I would call it uncommon. It's the Stanwell churchwarden stem that is rare. When these pipes were still being made in Denmark, you could order any of their pipes with a churchwarden stem for an additional $25 (IIRC) cost. Fairly expensive at the time, when most of their pipes sold between $40 and $60 at retail.
Nice! Just yesterday I found 15 pretty old briars in an unexpected place for $4 each. One is a handful, it has a bowl that's over 2" tall, I can bury my index finger inside it up to the 2nd knuckle.
Did you buy them all? I really ought to post in here more often, as I've been a pipe smoker since I was 16. I've recently decided to broaden my horizons and start cellaring tobacco since Oregon has been pushing for a ban on flavored tobacco, which would eliminate the availability of 99% of pipe tobaccos in this state and kill the availability of online ordering.
Yep. Florida banned it some years ago. Can't find even something like Captain Black if your life depended on it. Swishers are still available at finer gas stations, oddly.
Good idea to begin cellaring brands/blends you like. I’ve accumulated many tins through the years that I probably have more selection and quantity than some small pipe shops! In addition to your cellaring current favorites, I’d also suggest you try Orlic Golden Sliced, often referred to as OGS. It is an unflavored straight Virginia that is mild yet flavorful naturally, and is easy to smoke (some blends can be difficult to keep lit). Virtually everyone begins with aromatic blends. Many stick with them, while others will transition to unflavored blends, such as Virginias, Vapers (Virginia/Perique blend), burleys, really endless blends of various unflavored tobaccos. Personally I find that most aromatics lose their flavor around halfway through the bowl. OGS is high on my list. If you ever try Latakia blends and don’t like them, you can remove the flavor ghosting by smoking several bowls of OGS. edit: Lane Limited 125th Anniversary blend is a really mild Virginia/Perique blend that I recommend, and is easy to smoke/keep lit with proper tamping. It’s been out for a few years, and I bought 3 tins to let them age, just opening one recently. I believe it’s also available in bulk.
That may be true, it’s been a little while since I looked. Even if no longer manufactured, some dealers may have some inventory. I’ll look around, and check with my local shop. I’m fortunate to live close to a tobacconist that has way more pipes and tobacco selections than most. The Briary, in Homewood, AL.
A quick search revealed that B&B may still have tins of Lane 125th Anniversary, but not bulk. It might not top OGS to me, but is still an enjoyable blend. Some didn’t like it because it wasn’t a super strong full flavored whatever, but I liked it for that very reason. https://www.bnbtobacco.com/products/lane-125th-anniversary-pipe-tobacco?show_minicart=true
Half and Half this morning as I sit out in the sun. My newbie technique is slowly improving, was able to keep this bowl lit longer than any yet tried (it's no crime to relight, I know). Drawing fast wasn't really an issue but I've learned to not draw so hard.
The best tasting smoke I've had yet is a 70/30 mix of vintage Lane V.I.P and Velvet. Quite, quite good.
Sometimes it takes a while to settle in on a preference. And even then, preferences can change! I got on a Latakia binge a few years ago, but now mostly prefer lighter Virginia unflavored blends. One flavored blend I’ve taken a liking to is Cornell and Diehl’s Small Batch Sun Bear. Letting it dry and age really helped it, as it does any Virginia based blend. Sun Bear uses a light touch in flavoring.
My dad was digging through his stuff and found one he forgot, a Kaywoodie Super Grain Dublin. Cleaned up nicely.
It's a good'n, better than my Grabows. Inaugural smoke was the Sweet Killarney. Tonight is what we discussed.
Today I found a 12" high acrylic humidor. Good seal, wooden lid and inner bottom piece, and a sponge canister inside the lid. There was even a little residual tobacco in it (somewhat rancid).
