Oh and I do...it annoys the heck out of her...
"Excuse me dear, which fine is this?"
(death glare back)
It can be a long uphill battle, for sure. lol
A caveman and his pipe
- Thread starter captaincaveman
- Start date
It can be a long uphill battle, for sure. lol
- Thread starter
- #162
Had one of my best pipe sessions ever tonight, as far as relights are concerned. Had a char light (I don't try for them, I just plan to smoke from the first light, but so be it) followed by a 15 minute light, two 10 minute lights, and 5 more lights in the 6 to 11 minute range. Also I was able to enjoy a more relaxed cadence.
That was with Milan "Our" Mixture 965 in my favorite MM Ozark (thanks again Whiskey Badger!!) with a Dri-Kule basket-shaped screen (I'd buy a bunch of these if I could), a fresh Medico filter, and the stem was fitting very loosely tonight. The 965 was a mixture of fresh-out-of-the-bag (not very wet though) at the bottom of the bowl and leftover that I had dried the other night and then bagged separately on top.
That was with Milan "Our" Mixture 965 in my favorite MM Ozark (thanks again Whiskey Badger!!) with a Dri-Kule basket-shaped screen (I'd buy a bunch of these if I could), a fresh Medico filter, and the stem was fitting very loosely tonight. The 965 was a mixture of fresh-out-of-the-bag (not very wet though) at the bottom of the bowl and leftover that I had dried the other night and then bagged separately on top.
Very cool on the progress! Anytime I see "relaxed" in a write up about having a pipe, my only thought is "doing it right, for sure". 
Very cool on the progress! Anytime I see "relaxed" in a write up about having a pipe, my only thought is "doing it right, for sure".
For true!
- Thread starter
- #165
Holy cow! I just smoked like a pro.
I tried some tobacco I've been wanting to try. (Milan King's Ransom.) I took it out of the bag and it was nicely dry already but I let it air out for an hour. I didn't do anything special to load it, I just grabbed a bunch and stuffed it in. The first light lasted 16 minutes, no char light before it. I just lit it and smoked and smoked and smoked. After that I got a few ten minute runs out of it and then it was pretty much done. A five minute run and two two-minute runs and I called it quits...there wasn't even any dottle left.
Also, it was delicious.
I tried some tobacco I've been wanting to try. (Milan King's Ransom.) I took it out of the bag and it was nicely dry already but I let it air out for an hour. I didn't do anything special to load it, I just grabbed a bunch and stuffed it in. The first light lasted 16 minutes, no char light before it. I just lit it and smoked and smoked and smoked. After that I got a few ten minute runs out of it and then it was pretty much done. A five minute run and two two-minute runs and I called it quits...there wasn't even any dottle left.
Also, it was delicious.
- Thread starter
- #166
Tried for the same tonight with a similar blend from the same guys, Milan Sheik's Delight. It was similarly dry and I gave it similar drying time. I didn't load it quite as well and my first light didn't last but I had mostly good runs after that. Flavor was similar and good. I'm definitely ordering more of these two blends the next time I have money for this sort of thing.
In other news, I think I finally have proof that I do slobber. Eww. Gross. I suspected that I might, but I had no proof and I'm generally not a slobbery person. (Tangent -- my 3 year old nephew looks a lot like me, but I guess that slobber-control gene isn't one of the ones he got from his grandparents on our side of the family...he slobbers like a bulldog.) Anyway, my filter shows definite "water" damage on the mouth-adjacent end. Eww. What can I do to get it under control? Gross!
In other news, I think I finally have proof that I do slobber. Eww. Gross. I suspected that I might, but I had no proof and I'm generally not a slobbery person. (Tangent -- my 3 year old nephew looks a lot like me, but I guess that slobber-control gene isn't one of the ones he got from his grandparents on our side of the family...he slobbers like a bulldog.) Anyway, my filter shows definite "water" damage on the mouth-adjacent end. Eww. What can I do to get it under control? Gross!
- Thread starter
- #167
Man, smoking while driving just works so much better. Had a two-light bowl today on the way in to work. First light lasted 23 minutes, second lasted 9 minutes. (Obviously, not the most full bowl ever.)
I'm back onto my morning drive pipe now as well, and I agree. They are always the easiest smokes I have. They also help me with not having any real stress at other drivers, or catching all the red lights. Instead of thinking "Man, another red light???" my thought process is more of "Cool, I needed a chance to tamp a bit anyways.". lol
The mindless smoke, always a good decision!
This mornings was a nice custom mix of Captain Black's Dark, and some Skandinavik aro. Makes a good smoke, for sure.
- Thread starter
- #171
Sutliff Balkan II, I am confuse.
It is extremely well-behaved, staying lit very nicely. In the bag it is almost as dry as I want without any drying time. In bulk from P&C it's the right price, and even if new FDA red tape hobbles the pipe tobacco industry it has a chance to survive since Altadis is so big.
Thursday I let it dry for 20 minutes or so and then smoked it in my usual English pipe, the MM Ozark hardwood that Whiskey Badger so generously gave to me (and a number of other folks) along with a lovely large PIF package. I found it to be a competent English, hitting the spot pretty well...nothing about which to get too excited but potentially a good daily smoke (what with its behavior, dryness, cost, and availability).
Today I decided to smoke some right out of the bag. Same pipe. It's not very good. It's not foul, but not compelling...certainly not dailyworthy.
My house is like a humidor in the winter (and like a lake in the summer). Could 20 minutes of drying an already-dry blend make that much difference? Maybe it was humidifying, not drying...but I doubt there was any measurable effect.
Could my pre-smoke meal really make that much difference? Thursday I had a delicious meatball grinder and a cupcake, today I had a frozen pizza. I washed both meals down with the same soda.
It is extremely well-behaved, staying lit very nicely. In the bag it is almost as dry as I want without any drying time. In bulk from P&C it's the right price, and even if new FDA red tape hobbles the pipe tobacco industry it has a chance to survive since Altadis is so big.
Thursday I let it dry for 20 minutes or so and then smoked it in my usual English pipe, the MM Ozark hardwood that Whiskey Badger so generously gave to me (and a number of other folks) along with a lovely large PIF package. I found it to be a competent English, hitting the spot pretty well...nothing about which to get too excited but potentially a good daily smoke (what with its behavior, dryness, cost, and availability).
Today I decided to smoke some right out of the bag. Same pipe. It's not very good. It's not foul, but not compelling...certainly not dailyworthy.
My house is like a humidor in the winter (and like a lake in the summer). Could 20 minutes of drying an already-dry blend make that much difference? Maybe it was humidifying, not drying...but I doubt there was any measurable effect.
Could my pre-smoke meal really make that much difference? Thursday I had a delicious meatball grinder and a cupcake, today I had a frozen pizza. I washed both meals down with the same soda.
I find myself using much drier tobacco than I did when starting out. I have some baccy that I left in the tin after opening, and some I transferred to mason jars. The tin tobacco has dried considerably, and I find it easier to enjoy. Less relights, and it builds cake faster than moister tobacco. I guess it burns a little hotter, therefore it carbonizes more easily. Some that are loaded with humectants feel like they never dry out. They feel a little on the greasy side, even when there seems like there should be no moisture at all. Those will actually absorb moisture from the air, too. All my Samuel Gawith will dry to the point of being crispy. I have to rehydrate those with distilled water.
Once my cadence improved I now can avoid most cases of tongue bite. Drier seems the way to go, at least for me. Ymmv.
Once my cadence improved I now can avoid most cases of tongue bite. Drier seems the way to go, at least for me. Ymmv.
Seems like a bit more experimenting is called for. Try another after drying it for 20 mins, and see what you think, then go from there.
- Thread starter
- #174
I've always found the idea of estate pipes to be yucky.
Last June, RobAtSGH PIF'd me a nice no-name Canadian. He gave me a pipe, but more than that, he gave me the gift of getting over my ick factor.
Over the weekend I was bored and not feeling well and looking at photos of pipes in threads like POTD when I was suddenly afflicted with the idea to do some searches on eBay. Next thing you know, I'm winning auctions for $6 shipped. PAD has, apparently, set in.
So, I'm currently waiting for a Ropp De Luxe 917 cherrywood and a Dr. Grabow Starfire Poker Pot/Saddle Adjustomatic, and I've got a few others I'm bidding on...guess I better start reading up on stem oxidation and other restoration threads.
Last June, RobAtSGH PIF'd me a nice no-name Canadian. He gave me a pipe, but more than that, he gave me the gift of getting over my ick factor.
Over the weekend I was bored and not feeling well and looking at photos of pipes in threads like POTD when I was suddenly afflicted with the idea to do some searches on eBay. Next thing you know, I'm winning auctions for $6 shipped. PAD has, apparently, set in.
So, I'm currently waiting for a Ropp De Luxe 917 cherrywood and a Dr. Grabow Starfire Poker Pot/Saddle Adjustomatic, and I've got a few others I'm bidding on...guess I better start reading up on stem oxidation and other restoration threads.
- Thread starter
- #176
Right on!
Everclear kills anything, so I never worry!
I have a bottle that I bought for that purpose and for DIY aftershaves. I've had it for a few months and I've been too lazy to open it.
I did treat one of my own MM Ozarks with Jim Beam after it soured, that produced a lovely result. I used JB again the other day on a new pipe was an early Christmas gift from my wife. I don't know if I can take a photo of it that will be allowed on B&B...it's a novelty pipe in a shape that I don't think would be moderator-approved...
Using a retort with Everclear has been the best way I've found for cleaning and sanitizing an estate pipe. It sweetens it almost as well as the salt treatment.
- Thread starter
- #178
The Grabow Starfire came in a few days ago. In the meantime I've won a few more...a Red Dot, a Medico Cavalier (turns out these aren't worth much new, probably could have skipped this one, but at $4 shipped it's pocket change anyway), a HLT Royalton Selected Briar.
I have to stop! I'm pretty sure I'm feeling around in the dark here, not buying good pipes. That's a fine way to spend $5 a few times, a quick entry into things, but after that I need to learn what I'm doing and only bid on good quality pipes that look like good restoration candidates, preferably something that I could sell if I find myself with too many pipes (a rapidly increasing probability). Also, these are all similar shapes, all straight, and I ought to eventually get a thoroughly bent one.
Anyway...a recent order (buying cigars to give for Christmas) included a pound of Best Of The Rest, as every P&C order should. While I was jarring it I noticed pieces of flake and managed to segregate a few from it. I walled the bowl of my Huck Finn with them and filled the center with the more general BOTR mixture. It smoked pretty well but I think it was mostly Virginia, which doesn't do much for me.
I have to stop! I'm pretty sure I'm feeling around in the dark here, not buying good pipes. That's a fine way to spend $5 a few times, a quick entry into things, but after that I need to learn what I'm doing and only bid on good quality pipes that look like good restoration candidates, preferably something that I could sell if I find myself with too many pipes (a rapidly increasing probability). Also, these are all similar shapes, all straight, and I ought to eventually get a thoroughly bent one.
Anyway...a recent order (buying cigars to give for Christmas) included a pound of Best Of The Rest, as every P&C order should. While I was jarring it I noticed pieces of flake and managed to segregate a few from it. I walled the bowl of my Huck Finn with them and filled the center with the more general BOTR mixture. It smoked pretty well but I think it was mostly Virginia, which doesn't do much for me.
- Thread starter
- #179
My wife got me a pipe as an early Christmas present. It's a novelty pipe. It's not particularly in line with B&B standards, but perhaps this photo angle will be allowed. If not, mods feel free to delete this post. I won't embed it, and I'll hide the URL in a spoiler just to keep it as clean as can be.
Your wife certainly has a sense of humor.
