Your Pipe of The Day.

Out of direct sunlight, away from extreme temperature swings. Pretty much the same rulebook as pipes.

 

Nice!!! I don't usually like straight billiard types, but that Williard apple is a nice one.

 

My collection:

Clockwise from top:
Stanwell 64M churchwarden (Dublin)
Stanwell 63M (Dublin)
Royal Danish (Stanwell second) 954 (Peewit)
Made in London (Charaton second) (Lumberman)
Made in London (Charaton second) (don't remember the shape)
Kaywoodie Red Root (Billiard)
Whitehall Grand National (Pot)
Kiko Meerschaum Sportsman (Opera)

Also have two of these:

Made in Italy (Bent Dublin?) Tiny pipes, 20 minute bowls maximum.

 

Canadian, yes. And also yes, I prefer bent pipes, specifically, Danish made Sixten Ivvarson designs. Those got me into pipe smoking in the first place. I've been smoking that 63M for 27 years, off and on.

The four pipes in the bottom of my photo were a lot purchase off eBay. $20 shipped. I liked the graduated sizes and figured an opportunity to buy a set like that at that price would be fairly few and far between. The Kaywoodie is the "normal" sized pipe. The one on the bottom is quite large, a 2 hour pipe.

Got the Kiko to have a Meerschaum in the collection again. Good for tasting only the tobacco without any ghosting from previous bowls. It happened to be the cheapest Meerschaum on eBay at that moment that wasn't broken or ugly. I liked the leather cover, because I hate Meerschaum's fragility.

Outside of that, I like Algerian briar pipes and Dublin shaped bowls and beautiful grain or a tasteful sandblast on my pipes. Which reminds me, I forgot to post the one you sent me.

(Top) Riegel's Imperial Briar 184. Bent Brandy shape. "I was told it was made for a tobacco shop chain in upstate New York, probably by Comoy." (Bottom) Whitehall Grand National. Both Algerian briar, both unstained. They turn a ruddy color when smoked recently, but are otherwise a non-descript shade of tan.

 

It smokes well. I need to pipe mud the bottom of it to bring the floor of the bowl level with the draft hole, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Other than that, it's a nice pipe and I enjoy smoking it.

As for Meerschaum, particularly African Meerschaum from Kiko. It's 'dirty' Meerschaum. Ranges from ivory to black in color. Doesn't affect the smoke, but it's not the pretty white stuff they dig up in Turkey. (Fun fact: Almost all Meerschaum briar bowl inserts until the 90's came from African Meerschaum)

As for cleaning. Hot water and pipe cleaners. No solvents or smelly stuff. Clean the pipe immediately after smoking. You don't want cake buildup in Meerschaum at all.

 

It's a Cornell & Diehl brand. They make about 200+ different pipe tobacco blends, many of them limited release.

 

Just for giggles, I decided to plug in the numbers for my last two CigarBid orders and see if there was any savings by waiting for coupon deals, since pipes & cigars is the parent site for CigarBid, both run by STG Lane Limited.

Pipes and Cigars:


Cigarbid:


Total: $122.40, or a savings of $35.33 over the sitewide 20% off. Without the discount, an additional $83.40 would be tacked on. There was virtually no savings on Orlik, Country Gentleman, or HH Old Dark Fired, which just goes to show that caution is needed when bidding. It's easy to go above the actual retail price (not MSRP) if you don't do your research first.

CBid is a good place to buy inexpensive Codger blends, and if a person sticks with only those, they can save a bundle. Shipping is $6.95 + $1 for each additional item.

Edit: I'm a little miffed. After the SNAFU with my last order, future orders were supposed to be shipped via USPS, not UPS. I'll have to call and remind them.

 

Absolutely. The 'trick' to using CBid effectively is to put in low bids early on items with multiples, or to bid in the final seconds of the auction, or do both. And yeah, the selection on CBid is limited compared to other sites. A smattering of something for everyone, which is why I think it's best used to buy (bulk) codger blends rather than some of the more desirable boutique blends.

There's better times to shop on CBid. Later in the month and not on weekends is a good way to start. Also "Freefall" and "Quickies" often get overlooked for pipe stuff (type in "pipe" in the search function to exclude all the cigar stuff).

Lack of selection vs paying a bit extra for convenience. Story of our lives.

 

Smoked Mac Baren's Virginia Flake in a whitehall pot pipe today. I recall not liking it when I first tried my sample, very bitey. I had one last lonely flake sitting in a baggie for the last couple months, and decided to give it another go.

The flake is a mottled light brown, breaks apart easily and has a mild aroma. The honey and vanilla topping is mostly noticable from the tin note, and adds just a touch of sweetness. The Virginias are sweet, not hay-like at all. I detect some burley in the mix as well. Smoked slowly, it delivers a pleasant, mildly sweet smoke that burns slow to a fine grey ash. No relights until the last 1/4 of the bowl. Flavor is consistent, what there is of it. Leaves a little moisture in the bowl. Nicotine hit is slightly above average, flavor is slightly below average. Not bitey if smoked slowly and well dried.

Would recommend to someone wanting to branch out from aromatic blends, but it's not a standout blend. Just an agreeable smoke. I wouldn't order it again, but if I had it I would occasionally smoke it. I'm told it's similar to Orlik Golden Slice, but without the bright citrus notes that make Orlik a recommended blend.