BLOWING SMOKE
Volume One, Number Two
December, 1995
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE
ORGANIZATION OF ONLINE PIPE SMOKERS
Ray Bromley (rbromley@amug.org),
Editor
The Fine Print:
Neither OoOPS nor the Editor nor America Online takes any responsibility
for any ads or information contained herein (hey, it's the nineties). Neither
Ray Bromley nor the Organization warrants the information in this newsletter
to be free of defects, and we specifically will not pay for any direct or
incidental damages caused by this Newsletter or its contents. This disclaimer
applies to any damage caused to computers, mail servers, modems, phone lines,
pipes, tobacco, pipe racks, pipe cleaners, lighters, carpets, single malt
scotches, the National Debt, Bosnia, or the ozone layer. You're on your
own, bud.
This electronic publication is for distribution to OoOPS members only. No
part may be duplicated or distributed in any form without the expressed
written permission of the Editor and/or all contributors. Each submitted
item (including every ad and article) is copyright 1995 by the contributor
or author, unless otherwise stated. Generally, if you wish to duplicate
this stuff we will be so pleased that, when we are revived, we will grant
permission and pay for your photocopying
.
Submissions of ads, articles, suggestions, changes to the membership directory,
or interesting pipe lore or trivia are welcome. Send all such items by e-mail
to
OoOPSGroup@aol.com
no later than the third weekend of the month in which you wish your items
to be published. All submissions remain your property, and we thank you
profusely for letting us use them (since you won't get paid anything beyond
the plaudits of your pipe-smoking peers).
Contents
1. JOINING MORTISE TO TENON- Members making
connections with others
Some members introduce themselves
Pipes for trade, sale, and swap
2. LOADING UP- Resources for members
In this issue, places to purchase pre-smoked pipes!
3. CHARRING LIGHT- Friendly discussion of controversial
burning issues
In this issue, a call for input into the newletter.
Also, the Great Grain Debate continues.
4. TAMPING DOWN- Changes and corrections to the
Member Directory
5. DOTTLE- Odds and ends to amuse
Which are best: New or Pre-Smoked Pipes?
Section 1
Joining MORTISE TO TENON
Advertisements and Notices from Members
INFORMATION/GREETINGS
From: iannini@embratel.net.br (Sergio Iannini - SFI Comercio e Representacoes
- Brazil)
To: OoOPSGroup@aol.com
Ray,
We are founding in Brasilia, capital of Brazil, the 'South America
Pipe Club - SAPC'.
We have 1 meeting per month and in a near future we will have
journal to our associates. Could you please advise our friends regarding
this new pipe club.
We already have 3 associates:
Mr. Antonio Rocha
Mr. Leonardo Marine
and I, Sergio Iannini, President of SAPC.
Thank you!
Sergio
* WANTED * WANTED * WANTED * WANTED * WANTED *
From Fred Sake,
LAWMIAMI@aol.com
I am desperately seeking to purchase a copy of:
ALFRED DUNHILL - ONE HUNDRED YEARS AND MORE, Michael Balfour, Dunhill-Weldenfeld
and Nicholson, London 1992
Thanks,
Fred Sake,
Charter Member
*** WANTED ***
From: mlathem@vvm.com (Mark Lathem)
To: OoOPSGroup@aol.com
Greetings, all.
I'm trying to build a small collection of straight-grained straight-shank
billiards. Brand name does not matter, as long as the quality of grain and
workmanship are high. Small dings and bite marks are perfectly acceptable,
but fills are not <g>.
Regards,
--
Mark Lathem
http://www.vvm.com/~mlathem/home.html
* FOR SALE * FOR SALE * FOR SALE * FOR SALE * FOR SALE *
From Craig Tarler
cnd@hci.net
The following blends are now offered in one pound pressed blocks (the way
tobacco was sold 100 years ago) at a $2 per pound premium: #414P, #531P,
#965P and #967P. Putting tobacco under high pressure mingles the oils and
flavors, making the smoke smoother and removing the sharp distinctions
between tobaccos.
In addition, we have a new blend in pressed form only, #967PV, Bromley's
Best. This is a combination of #967 with a small amount of #414 added to
cut
the heavy Perique in #967. The blend was named in honor of Dr. Ray Bromley
who suggested it and who contributes so much to our discussions.
Cornell & Diehl has been building a new "tobaccery" and we
will be moving in
the middle of December. Therefore, we will be closed from December 12 to
December 26 inclusive. We will accept orders during this time for shipment
December 27 or as soon as we can get them out. Orders received before
January 1 will be honored at the current prices.
Yes, there will be a price increase January 1 to $14.75 per pound. This
is
the first increase in two years and we just can't continue to absorb our
costs. Shipping may go up, but not unless UPS makes its usual annual
increase more than last year. We'll try to hold the line on that.
Best,
Craig
Let me not to the true marriage of pipe smokers and their tobacco admit
impediments.
Most men live lives of quiet desperation -- Thoreau
Return to Contents
Section 2
LOADING UP
Listed below are some sources for estate (pre-smoked) pipes. This is a list
of those sellers of estate pipes which seem to put forth particular effort
to cater to mail order customers. If I left out your favorite mail-order
source for these pipes, let me know and I will add them in next time this
list is published. The next issue of the newsletter will feature sellers
of tobaccos.
Aromas
Steve Leaders
4936 Windsor hill
Windcrest, TX 78239
(210) 590-1802
Plenty of pre-smoked pipes of all makes every month. Once on the mailing
list, you get regular photos and listings describing the pipes for sale.
Reasonable prices.
*****
Edward's Pipe and Cigar
1715 Promenade Center
Richardson, TX 75080
214-669-3087
1-800-851-9020
Plenty of pre-smoked pipes of all makes every month. Once on the mailing
list, you get regular photos and listings describing the pipes for sale.
Reasonable prices. Policy for remaining on the list is making a purchase
at least once in six months.
*****
NML Pipes Direct
12159 Cuddington Ct
West Palm Beach, FL 33414
nml@mja.net
http://www.mja.net/nml/
(407)753-0153
fax:(407)791-5025
Plenty of pre-smoked pipes of all makes every month. Once on the mailing
list, you get regular photos and listings describing the pipes for sale.
Very reasonable prices. Pipes are reconditioned and cleaned thoroughly before
shipping. Some pipes on the mailing list have photos on the web page.
*****
Pulvers' Prior Briar
PO Box 2734
San Francisco, CA 94126
sherlocks@netreach.com
http://www.netreach.com/busonweb/Sherlocks/Pulvers.html
(415)691-0338 for phone and fax
Plenty of pre-smoked pipes of all makes every month. Once on the mailing
list, you get regular listings (no photos) describing the pipes for sale.
Pipes are reconditioned and cleaned thoroughly before shipping. Some pipes
on the mailing list have photos on the web page.
Return to Contents
Section 3
The CHARRING LIGHT
A CALL FOR FLAMES
The purpose of this section of the newsletter is to get people on their
feet (metaphorically, of course, but feel free to actually stand if you
want). It is hoped that The CHARRING LIGHT will draw us into a civilized
debate concerning pipe related issues that might not come up in other places
or contexts. Giving one's own opinion on an issue and reading the conflicting
views of others may produce heat (flames, CHARRING, get it?) but it may
also produce enLIGHTenment.
*******
*******BURNING QUESTION: Do you favor any particular changes in the format
of the Newsletter?
Not to date. Looks fine to me.
-bob.dodson@chemek.com
No, I have no suggestions for changes to the format at this time. It looks
great to me.
-Dennis Holland, NewPolaris@aol.com
I really enjoyed this first issue. You are to be congratulated (and thanked)
for all the work you put into this.
-Terry Hagley, hagley@bright.net
*******
*******BURNING QUESTION TWO:Do you like the idea of discussing these "burning
issues?"
Yes, I like the idea of discussing these burning issues.
-Dennis Holland, NewPolaris@aol.com
Depends on what the burning issues are. Some days I like to argue about
anything.
-bob.dodson@chemek.com
*******
*******BURNING QUESTION Does the grain pattern on a pipe really make any
difference in the flavor, heat, moisture, or the way the pipe smokes? For
example, does a straight grain actually taste or smoke different from a
bird's-eye?
Not being much of a briar smoker (oh, I have about 30 - but haven't smoked
them in years) I don't have a great deal to say about this. I prefer to
think, as a meerschaum smoker, that I've transcended such mundane matters.:)
-Bob Dodson, bob.dodson@chemek.com
As far as the grain pattern issue goes, that's a rather gray area. I've
read
in several articles over the years that straight grains are a better smoke.
The theory being that wood that has a straight, close grain is an older
piece of wood, and that an older piece of wood smokes better. In the past
I've ignored this theory. Being of average means, I concentrate more on
the
size, and shape of the pipe as well as any major defects. The grain pattern
has always taken a back seat in my decision making ( rich beautiful grains
usually have a rich ugly price). Since you have brought the question up
however, I've noticed that my two most comfortable pipes are very nice flame
grains. They do seem to smoke cooler and are generally more enjoyable than
the rest of my bent friends. So even though my mind tells me no, my soul
forces me to say "yes, my straight grains smoke better".
-Dennis Holland, NewPolaris@aol.com
I have _never_ noticed any difference based on grain pattern. For
example, I own two Canadians of the same brand, one straight-grain the other
blast. They smoke identically. A good smoke is a good smoke, and the grain
pattern doesn't seem to have any effect, at least in my twenty years of
pipe
smoking. On the other hand, whilst smoking, a pleasing grain pattern one
can admire does enhance one's enjoyment.
-Terry Hagley, hagley@bright.net
************
Any and all suggestions for pipe-smoking related questions you would like
to discuss in this forum are welcome. Below are some items that interest
our members.
************
I would like to see an on-going discussion about tobacco, particularly,
what
type of tobacco should be smoked when in the company of non-pipe smokers.
My wife is one of those people that have a sensitive sense of smell. So
when looking for tobacco, I have to be concerned with the taste and the
burning aroma, which can limit my choices.
I would like to see brand names that are available in local shops or
through mail-order. If that is not is not possible, then the make-up of
the
particular blend. I am currently experimenting with a sample I bought from
Craig T. and have yet to receive a negative comment.
-Greg W Stromath, GWSTROMATH@mis.norstan.com
********
SO, another BURNING QUESTION: What pipe tobacco is the best to smoke around
non-smokers??
********
Tossing out another BURNING QUESTION-- Which is better for a beginning pipe-smoker,
an unsmoked pipe or an estate pipe? Why? (This issue is the subject of the
Dottle section in this issue, and has been discussed at length on alt.smokers.pipes,
but I wonder if the different mix of opinion here might enlighten us.)
RETURN TO CONTENTS
Section 4.
TAMPING DOWN-
Changes and corrections to the Member Directory
To protect our members' identities, the Web version of the newsletter does
not contain member information.
RETURN TO CONTENTS
Section 5
DOTTLE-
Odds and ends to amuse
UNSMOKED OR PRE-SMOKED?
"Buy a used car, and you buy someone else's problem," an old proverb
says. "Buy a used pipe and..." Well, you can't buy a used pipe,
since used pipes are usually called by some other appellation, such as "estate
pipes," "experienced pipes," or "pre-smoked pipes."
Some people swear by them, and buy them exclusively. Some people tolerate
them in their collections. Other folks just have nothing to do with them.
Perhaps more than any other previously-owned item, the quality of a pre-smoked
pipe depends on the previous owner and his treatment of the pipe. This is
true whether the pipe is viewed as a collectable or as an instrument of
smoking pleasure. The mouthpiece may be dented by teeth-marks. The bowl
may be nicked or marred (or even cracked, if the prior owner was particularly
careless). Stampings and nomenclature may have been worn or buffed away.
The mortise walls may have been cracked by hot smoking, rapid cooling, or
hurried connecting of stem and shank. The erstwhile smoker of your pipe
may have scorched the top rim of the bowl. He may have smoked the pipe too
quickly, and burned a weak spot into the inside of the bowl, rather than
merely charring it. These are things a wise shopper of estate pipes will
look for and avoid.
On the other hand, new pipes are more expensive than estate pipes, and are
sometimes hard to break in. If the briar has not been properly cured or
aged, the process of smoking a brand new pipe can be reminiscent of sucking
on a hot lemon. Also , most newer pipes do not have quite the collectable
value of their older comrades.
As one who has purchased both unsmoked and pre-smoked pipes, I can say that
both experiences are generally quite pleasant and exciting in their own
way. In my opinion, both purchases have advantages.
My experience is that FOR SMOKING, a new pipe that is yours from its "first
kiss" of human lips is unsurpassed. That pipe is YOURS, it has given
pleasure to no one else. It has given solace to only you. It has heard only
your dreams in the still hours of the evening. It has been your faithful
companion through trials and travails, and speaks to your heart as such
a companion can. Only your breath has given life to the glowing embers it
has held. Only your tongue has spoken the words it was first to hear. It
knows only its master's voice. It is a faithful friend for two lifetimes--yours
and its.
I have had only two new pipes that seemed hard for me to break in. Maybe
I've been lucky, or maybe I am just more tolerant of the process than other
smokers. But I consider my success rate with new pipes (about 99%) to be
quite high.
FOR COLLECTING, there is no doubt you get more for your collecting dollar
with a pre-smoked pipe. With a used pipe, you can turn around and sell the
pipe for a bigger percentage of what you paid for it. There is less depreciation,
because the first owner took the "hit." Sometimes, pre-smoked
pipes are nothing short of miraculous bargains (like the $3 Dunhill I acquired
at an antique store). A pre-smoked pipe has character given it by age, experience,
and use. It has secrets, but this gives it mystery. It has heard things
it will never tell and known days it cannot recount. Only by acquiring a
used pipe can you smoke the history embodied in a pre-transition Barling,
a pre-Lane Charatan, or a prewar Dunhill. The estate pipe is both a conveyor
of pleasure and a time machine for visiting the past.
Usually, a pre-smoked pipe will need a good deal of cleaning before it is
in "like new" condition. If a little flavor of someone else's
tobacco doesn't bother you, then it isn't a problem. If (as is the case
with me) tasting the previous owner's tobacco when smoking a pipe seems
similar to tasting the previous diner's meal when eating at a restaurant,
then you will have some cleaning to do. This cleaning process is not all
bad; it may very well "bond" you to the pipe, changing it from
a stranger to a new friend
My experiences with pre-smoked pipes have been varied. I have purchased
some estate pipes that were well-smoked, but very well cared for; they were
every bit as clean as the day they were new!! I have taken other (expensive)
estate pipes home and discovered that the previous owner had NEVER cleaned
them!!! I can think of several pipes into which I placed clean, dry pipe
cleaners , only to have difficulty pulling the tar-coated cleaners out again.
A thick layer of gummy tar has been an added bonus in the mortise of most
of the pre-smoked pipes I have purchased. Buying pre-smoked pipes from dealers
who take special effort to recondition the pipe is a great help. Even so,
I find I must clean every estate pipe I obtain with alcohol in order to
make it smokable by my own standards.
Personally, I treat each pre-smoked pipe I buy by placing a finger-sized
wad of paper towel into the bowl and pouring alcohol onto the wad until
the bowl is full. I let the paper towel act as a wick, drawing gunk and
tars out of the bowl as the alcohol evaporates (and the towel dries). Another
version of this method is to use table salt and alcohol, but I find the
towel is a bit easier to remove than the salt. I repeat the internal alcohol
bath (with fresh wads of paper towel) until I get to the point that the
wad of towel does not turn brown or darken as the alcohol evaporates. I
then clean out the shank air hole and mortise with alcohol-soaked pipe cleaners
until they come out perfectly clean. I do the same to the stem. I then let
the pipe dry, disassembled, for two days before gently buffing the outside
with carnuba wax. For me, this method works to completely cleanse the pipe
of the tobacco tastes left by the previous owner. Every estate pipe which
I have subjected to this treatment smokes dry, clean, and pure.
If you have never purchased a pre-smoked pipe, don't fear the process. Check
that the pipe has been well-treated, and your efforts will be rewarded.
Buy from reputable dealers who will accept a returned pipe if it is not
up to your expectations. If you are concerned about the pervasive flavor
of Captain Black seeping into your bowl of McClelland's Christmas Cheer,
buy from dealers who pre-clean and recondition the pipe thoroughly. And
don't forget that it is fairly easy (if time-consuming) to recondition the
pipe yourself, if you see a must-have pipe at a can't-wait price being sold
by your local tobacconist or in a local antique store.