Yeah, I saw it and thought it looked like a pretty decent package deal. Looks like it has a nice sampling of tobaccos, and the pouch will be great for traveling. I'll order the three fer of pipes and some other tobaccos sometime next week I think. Also taking a look at Brigham Pipes, I like the look of the Chinook line.
402 462 and 419 are my picks. You know Brigham uses a proprietary insert? You can't just use any filter.
Yeah, the rock maple inserts. I hear they last a great deal longer than other filters though and that they can be cleaned and reused several times also. Or, just smoke without the filter. I like the Chinook #47 and #16, though I wish they made the 16 in bent.
My pipe of the afternoon. Going to work a bit again on breaking in the Chacom Canadian. Cut off a smaller piece of Orlik Golden Slice, trying for about 2/3 bowl full and hit it pretty close on. Smoking less than a bowl full helps develop cake in the lower portion of the bowl, and gives you a shorter smoke, which means I may get another one tonight! A near disaster with the leather pipe holder. I didn't put it away like I should, and our 8 month old yellow lab decided it looked an awful lot like a treat or toy. It did survive intact, although you can see tooth marks on the support stand on the back, and the two front "ears" were softened enough that they lost some of their shape. It has re-hardened some, and is usable as you can see. I'm debating whether to wet the front portion and try to mold it closer to the original shape, or leave well enough alone.
Here's the Canadian sitting in the "doggie treat" leather pipe holder. It is certainly functional, and may actually work a bit better with my bigger bowl pipes this way. I'll post a pic of one of my larger pipes in it sometime soon before I do anything. I don't want to make matters worse.
Back to the Lakelands discussion. The only three I've tried are all Sam Gawith offerings, Chocolate Flake, FVF, and MVF. MVF is a broken flake and comes in bulk, but even in bulk costs as much as Orlik GS in tins. FVF and Chocolate Flake are both true flakes, thick, and wet! FVF has to be the wettest tobacco I've ever seen. IF you can dry it out, it is a great tobacco. But you have to let a flake sit out overnight or maybe even longer before it becomes smokable without every 15 seconds relights. Well that's a little exaggeration, but not much! I don't think of FVF as being one of the strongest blends I've tried. MVF is dry enough as it arrives in bulk, and I immediately jarred it as is. I've tried kind of balling up some to sort of fold and stuff as much as you can with a broken flake, but it is much better rubbed out. I like it, but not more than say GS or Astley's 109. At first I thought I might order a pound of this to cellar, but I'm having second thoughts due to the higher cost for a bulk. Chocolate Flake is an interesting tobacco. It's more of a subtle cocoa flavor than chocolate, not overwhelming at all, and certainly not an aromatic, at least in the traditional sense. It also has a touch of latakia, but you can barely detect it; it's in more of a supporting role. I like SG Chocolate Flake, and have a couple of unopened tins. It too requires drying, but not as bad as FVF. Once dried and rubbed out, it is a superb change of pace blend. Much better rubbed out than folded and stuffed. My lab is out on the deck with me now, and be assured, I'm keeping an eye on the pipe rest!
Looking forward to seeing pics of the Customer Appreciation package, and the 3 fer when you get those. I think you'll really be able to tell a difference in how your pipes smoke when you get some more in your rotation. But, as I noted earlier, there was a time when I had 1 pipe, then 2, and that was it for a while because I just couldn't afford them at the time. That 3 fer deal is really good.
Yeah, that's kind of where I'm at right now, but thing are getting better, so I'm better able to afford them now. However I think I'll still try to load the rack as cheap as possible, lol. I'm really looking forward to trying some non-aro blends too. I have heard that the only problem with the 3fer pipes is that the finish bubbles; otherwise people say they're good smokers. The site says it's a random assortment of what they pick, but I may try to call and see if they wanna be super nice and try to throw me the shapes I like and in dark sandblast if they have em, lol. I'm also debating finally grabbing a Dr. Grabow Royal Duke in bent bulldog.
Not sure they'll give you exactly what you want, but they may go along with all rusticated. Even if the finish bubbles, it's not the end of the world. I'm sure you saw my Peterson Christmas pipe that bubbled. Still a good smoker. All in all, I'd say 3 pipes for $60 is a real deal and a great way to increase the pipes in your rotation. Even if the draft hole isn't perfectly drilled, so what? Smoke it down as far as it will go, and enjoy it! Regarding the Dr. Grabow - I've got a couple that I picked up along the way. Not bad for the price I paid for them. The bowl began to crack on one, but no big deal, I got my money's worth it out of it. But...generally speaking, I'm not a fan of any pipe with metal in the shank or stem. I believe that leads to greater condensation, and that's the last thing I want in a pipe. A lot of people, however, are quite happy with Dr. Grabow pipes. If you like them, and can get a bulldog at a reasonable price, then I would go for it. Edit: As I recall, the two Dr. Grabows I had were Dukes! They were on the smallish side.
Those were my thoughts. My big ben knock off bubbled (and even cracked, a rather long one), but somehow has still managed to be a great smoker for years. Not a bad value for a $6 chinese fakey, lol. But I do want some decent briars now which is why I've started looking so much. Plus I figure that while they most likely won't send me exactly what I ask for, it also never hurts to ask. Who knows, the picker may look at it and say, "Hmmmm, 3 pipes in those shapes and finishes?.....Yeah, what the hell, I can come up with something along those lines.". <shrug> Worth a shot at least, lol. As for the Grabow, Idk, I just like the look of the Royal Duke bent bulldog, and it comes in rusticated. I am a little leery about the metal in the shank as you pointed out. But that may be why they make them to take a filter; kind of there way to alleviate the problem, and sell another product perhaps? I know they make several "Duke" styles; with the Royal Duke bulldog being a larger bowled version; another reason it appeals to me, as I prefer longer smokes. I'm still up in the air about it though at the moment. Sometimes, I maybe think too much, lol.
1990 Vintage Royal Duke Super Clean, light cake, broken in. Other than a little rim char, a perfect vintage pipe. One of my first pipes.
I think the stand is usable as is. I'm beginning to get cold feet on wetting it and trying to mold it back. Well you've started something with me on Orlik GS. It may very well be the best tobacco for breaking in a pipe that I've used due to it's excellent burning characteristics. Not only that, but it is growing on me as a go to blend overall. Mild to medium strength, even burn, cool burn when smoked at an easy pace, easy to light, really nice easy flavor, just an overall enjoyable smoke. I see many tins of this in my future! Edit: I have to wonder if I had used Orlik GS in that Peterson Christmas pipe would the finish possibly not have bubbled up.
I like that one. I see a picture of a bent dublin style on their website that I assume is a vintage. Know anything about what it's called?
I am so glad you like it! I smoke it often. It's definitely my favorite breaking in tobacco, and just about a perfect flake.
Got a flake of SG FVF drying tonight. We'll see what the morrow brings, if it is dry enough to smoke tomorrow.
