Welcome to the sixth instalment of the Brown Leaf Members Spotlight The Brown Leaf is like a virtual Brick and Mortar tobacconist. The armchairs are tattooed with body prints of the regulars, friendly faces are never too far away and we all have one thing in common; our love of tobacco products and enjoying the stories shared with those that share our passion. This is a chance to get the know those familiar faces and discuss our beloved leaf.
This time we will be sitting down, and having a pint with... Jason aka cursethis
A: Thanks for inviting me to participate in an interview, Till.
Q: So Jason, I am sure the members would love to know a little bit more about yourself.
A: I'm probably one of the younger members in the BL, at 31 years old. I work in the renewable energy industry, specifically as a developer of wind and solar projects. My AD's are pipes, tobacco, cigars, wine, beer, fountain pens, vinyl records, and random tech.
I actually joined B&B for the Nib forum in the beginning. It wasn't until I mentioned, offhandedly, that I had a vague interest in pipes in a Nib thread that I started down the rabbit hole. I was given a gracious shove by one of our fine members who sent me a care package. I've been stuck here ever since.
Q: Sounds like enabling to the max, all it takes is one little care package. So now comes the question, pipes vs cigars which one wins in your book, and why?
A: I'd go with pipes. As strange as it sounds, I find them less fussy than cigars. I have my method down with pipes, so the whole process is just easier for me.
One of the other pluses of pipes is that it's easier to smoke them inside than a cigar. I feel like if I were to smoke a cigar in my house I'd never get the smell out.
Q: You may have already guessed the follow-up question. What pipe rules them all in your collection? And what is the baccy of choice?
A: This is kind of a toughie. Penzance is one of my favorite blends, and it is magnificent in my Cellini's Original bulldog. However, I wouldn't say that the Cellini is one of my favorite pipes. It just so happens to be the best pipe for that one specific blend. Then I have my Strambach LVC style meerschaum pipe, which I use way more than any other pipe, since I dedicated it to Lakeland blends. But would I call it my favorite? Probably not. Then I have a calabash pipe that's around 100 years old, which I find really awesome, but it can be a royal pain in the *** to smoke at times. So, it'd feel weird to pick that as my favorite when it's more of a "collector's pipe" than a "using pipe". I guess the pipe I'd have to choose, because it has a mix of both "collecting" and "using," would be my Fikri Baki calabash-shaped meerschaum pipe. It smokes really well, clenches perfectly, and is starting to color nicely. It leaves a little dottle sometimes, but other than that it's superb.
As for favorite blend? For Engish blends it's Penzance. For Lakeland blends it's GH&C Ennerdale. For VaPers it's aged Escudo. For straight up VAs it's McClelland Christmas Cheer 2013. For VaBurs it's Solani Silver. For Burley it's Solani Aged Burley Flake. Can I commit to one? No, no I can't. Though I just noticed that two of my favorite blends are from Solani, so maybe they should get extra points?
Q: That question seems to be one of the more difficult ones
So with all of those different blends, and pipes you must have a nice collection. Care to share some pictures?
Q: How much baccy do you currently have stashed away?
A: According to The Pipe Tool, I have just under 50lbs of tobacco squirreled away. I have no idea how accurate that is, but it's what I'm going with. My goal is to not have to buy tobacco ever again by the time the FDA regulations come into effect in August 2018. I'm just going to keep accumulating my favorite blends, while adding random tins for the sake of variety. It would suck if in 20 years all I had left were like 3 different blends.
Q: So is there a dream pipe you have been looking for?
A: A dream pipe? I may be shunned for this on here, but... no. I may want to eventually get a hawkbill shaped pipe, just because they intrigue me, but it's not like I'm lusting after anything right now. Also, I'm much more of a meerschaum fan than I am of briar, and that kind of makes things less interesting. I'd be more than happy if I just added a random Baki pipe once every couple of years at this point. Not a sexy answer, I know, but I'm kind of happy where I am at the moment. I should probably think more about thinning my herd at this point.
Q: Thank you for doing this interview with us Jason. It has been an absolute pleasure.
A: Pleasure has been all mine.
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