Saturday at the Hut - 2/28/09

We had another great gathering at The Tobacco Hut today. In attendance today were Lou (of course), Joe K, Peter G, Barry C, Paul V, and myself as well as friends we haven't seen in awhile like Scott R and Darryl G.

Cigars were fired up and the discussion turned to, well, proctology. Okay, enough said.

Lou did want to clarify that he now is a firm believer that his mobile phone is a cell phone and not a satellite phone. Just had to get that out of the way.

While I enjoyed my David Jones rough finish billiard with a bowl of Tinder Box Reserve 1928, Scott R and I talked a little about how to avoid tongue bite when smoking a pipe - it's all in the packing and "sipping" the smoke from the pipe. If it's smoked fast, it builds up heat and moisture which causes the stinging sensation on the tongue. I also gave Scott a sample of the Reserve 1928, which is a delightfully mild aromatic tobacco with a nice room note. Good luck with it Scott!

While Scott was still there we also talked a little about trap shooting, where he and Paul had just come from. I'm admittedly a newbie when it comes to guns, but one of these days I'll take them up on their invitation to go out to the Silver Dollar Gun Club in Odessa and try my hand at it. I am pretty good at the Wii version!

The afternoon wouldn't be complete without the Peter/Barry sports rivalry emerging. Paul joined the fray as well with his disdain for "America's Team", the Dallas Cowboys, of which Barry is a fan in the truest sense of the word (fan being short for fanatic). As Peter pointed out, it is puzzling why Barry wasn't a fan of the Jets, Giants, or Bills since he was born and raised in upstate New York. But Barry's loyalty to his team doesn't waver, nor does Peter's for his beloved Patriots and Red Sox.

Paul and I got into a spirited yet friendly political debate. He and I are probably at completely opposite ends of the political spectrum. Paul is close to become a libertarian, and I'm more of an NPR-loving, tree-hugging, godless Commie liberal. Paul does make some interesting points, especially about the Federal Reserve its history. He recommended a book which I've forgotten the title to, but maybe he'll leave a comment on the blog with the title, as it sounds like a fascinating read.

The beauty of the Hut is that it brings people together with a common interest, and as Lou likes to say we sit around solving the world's problems and maybe create a few more along the way. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm certainly not looking to convert people to my way of thinking, but I wouldn't mind if more people took up the pipe!

Based on a comment left on the last posting, it looks like Joe's son James K will be coming into town. Hopefully he'll make at least a brief stop at the Hut so we can tell him what we really think of him!

Until next time - cheers!

- Bob

P.S. Comments are now available. Operator error (that would be me) was responsible for only allowing comments from people who had established accounts. Now they're available to anyone - just click on Anonymous in the profile list.

Comments Available to All!

Comments can now be made to each blog article without having to have an account. Just click on the "comment" link below the particular post, write your comment, and select "Anonymous" if you don't have an account that's listed. Type in the verification word and submit, and you're all set.

What changed? Your humble narrator was asleep at the switch and had a setting wrong. That's been changed now to open comments up to anybody.

So let's get some dialog going!

Cheers!
- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 2/21/09

Wow! Today saw a lot of people at The Tobacco Hut, a lot of cigars being enjoyed, and a lot of passionate debate. I was the first to arrive and I began my afternoon by loading up an Ascorti I haven't smoked in a while with some G.L. Pease Maltese Falcon, a deliciously smooth English blend, rich in Latakia.

Joe arrived soon after and I am pleased to report that he is loving his iMac. Although I'm secretly wishing he'll hate it and just want to give it to me, but I think like most users he'll become a permanent member of the Mac family.

Lou did admit to me that I was right about the satellite/cell phone controversy from last week. I know it killed him to do it, and I'm still not a hundred percent sure he believes it, but it was fun to debate the issue.

Ed B. arrived but only had time to drink a soda or two. In discussing a recent raid at a local crack house where the suspect opened fire on deputies, who immediately returned fire, killing the suspect, Ed introduced us to a technical police term: DRT. The newspaper had reported that the suspected was transported to the hospital and was pronounced dead at the emergency room, but Ed had the inside track and said the suspect was actually DRT - "Dead Right There", meaning essentially dead where he dropped. Gotta love the gallows humor of law enforcement!

Peter arrived and before long Barry showed up. Peter was eager to ask Barry about A-Rod's admission of juicing earlier in his career, and an animated discussion broke out about which team's roster, the Red Sox or Yankees, contained more players who used steroids. I don't think the argument was truly settled, but it was certainly a lively debate.

Joe didn't really participate as he's not much of a baseball follower, but I know he enjoyed the show. Joe is a passionate follower of politics and current events, and it didn't take long for him to take a few friendly jabs at the token liberal in the room - me, your humble narrator.

Paul came in and grabbed a chair and a cigar and jumped into the fray, but not before he and I talked a little about the online cigar discussion board he and Scott (who hasn't been seen in a few weeks, but is excused since he usually works on Saturdays) introduced me to, Cigar Asylum. It's a lively forum that I just joined and am looking forward to participating more in.

Steve arrived a short time later and the discussion soon turned toward the events of the day, including unemployment, the state of the economy, global warming, overpopulation, energy resources, etc. Paul, Peter, Steve, Barry, Lou, and I all had an engaging discussion on the issues, each firmly entrenched in our respective camps. Of course, your humble narrator did find himself fending off some verbal blows from around the room.

I look forward to recovering quickly from my wounds (maybe through the use of steroids) and returning next week for another round.

Cheers!
- Bob

Today is International Pipe-Smoking Day!

February 20th is a day to celebrate pipe smoking around the world! To quote from the International Pipe-Smoking Day's Mission Statement, this day was created to "foster links across the globe in honor of friendship, benevolence, and tranquility; and to celebrate the fraternity of pipe-smokers across all borders."

As a pipe smoker, I can hardly think of a better way to promote the humble art of the briar. Pipe smoking truly is a noble activity that allows one to slow down, reflect, and even philosophize a little.

For my pipe smoking readers, I hope you were able to honor the day by raising a bowl to your brothers and sisters around the world. My work schedule prevented me from enjoying a pipe during the day, but I'm headed to the porch shortly to light up.

Our pastime received a boost in the way of an article on the front page of today's Wall Street Journal. Noting the reversal of a decade-long slide of pipe and tobacco sales and some growth in the last couple years, especially among young people, the article was balanced in its approach and presented our hobby in a very positive light.

I think I'll be smoking some Dunhill 965 in a small Ascorti Business finish tonight in honor of ISPD. Good night!

- Bob

Straight Grain Pipes

Tonight I'm smoking an Eriksen freehand straight grain (pictured here). I haven't smoked it in awhile - at least six months - and thought it was time to bring it back into the rotation. I'm enjoying a bowl of Frog Morton, which is a delightful English/Balkan blend with just the right amount of Latakia.

A straight grain pipe is characterized by the grain of the bowl, the pattern of which is straight up and down (or relatively so), from the bottom of the bowl to the top. It is just this aesthetic that makes straight grain pipes so desirable. Typically, a straight grain pipe will have equally attractive birdseye on the top and bottom edges of the bowl. The birdseye is the grain of the wood seen edge-on, and usually create very distinct whorled patterns.

Does a straight grain pipe smoke better than a pipe which is not so well-endowed? This is always a debatable issue, but it's been my experience that they smoke the same. In fact, it can be argued that a pipe in which the birdseye is on the inside and outside of the bowl, rather than the top and bottom as in a straight grain pipe, provides the better smoke. The reasoning is that the birdseye, which is essentially the "pores" of the wood, carry the heat and moisture away from the bowl, offering a cooler, dryer smoke. My guess is that any advantage is negligible at best.

Typically, straight grain pipes are more expensive because the source briar is relatively rare. It's not often that a pipe carver discovers a piece of briar that will yield a straight grain, which drives the price up due to its scarcity.

I only have a couple in my collection, but there is something just a little more satisfying when smoking a pipe that is especially beautiful and rarer than most. The quality of the smoke is the same as similar quality pipes, but there is an intangible quality that is difficult to describe.

In the end though, at least for me, it is the smoking quality that really determines how well I like a pipe. The Eriksen has always been a good smoker for me, so the straight grain on it is just the frosting on an already good cake.

Cheers!
- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 2/14/09

Seldom is the discussion at the Hut so passionate as when we are discussing sports or politics, but today the heated debate centered around - of all things - cell phones vs. satellite phones. It started with a casual comment made by Lou about sometimes having to wait for his mobile phone to find the signal from the satellite.

As is my habit (most find it annoying, I'm sure), I corrected Lou and said it's a cell phone and it was grabbing a signal from the nearest cell tower, rather than a satellite phone. Lou immediately dug in for the fight, as Peter, Joe, and I all tried to convince him that his Virgin Mobile phone was indeed a cell phone and not a sat phone. Lou said it that it indicated in the owners manual that it was a satellite phone, but we argued that it was impossible.

I have now been tasked with finding proof that his is a cell phone and not a satellite phone. I'm dubious that even with such proof Lou will be convinced, but maybe he'll humor us.

With no success on the Virgin website (although I doubted I would find a page that explicitly said that their products are cell phones and not sat phones), I turned to Wikipedia to flesh out my somewhat limited knowledge of the sat phone market.

For my evidence, I first present the physical appearance of the phone. Unless Lou has obtained one of the prototype sat phones which do not have a large external antennae, his phone will look approximately like what is pictured above. Such a phone, the Iridium 9555 retails for $1595, and Lou's legendary penny-pinching would surely not allow him to spend that kind of money on a phone.

Secondly, the cost to make calls from a sat phone range from 15 cents per minute to $2.00 per minute, and to receive calls the cost is anywhere between $3-$14 per minute, something Lou would never abide.

Thirdly, I discovered that all sat phones are issued with a "virtual country code", ranging from +870 through +882, which would precede the actual phone number. Lou's mobile phone number was the traditional seven digits plus area code.

Lastly, unlike the sheer number of cell phone companies like Virgin Mobile, T-Mobile, AT&T, Alltel, Sprint, etc., etc., there are only a handful of satellite phone networks servicing the planet. There are basically two companies providing low earth orbit satellite service: Globalstar and Iridium. There are a couple other companies providing geosynchronous service, and that's it. I did not see Virgin Mobile as one of the providers on the list from Wikipedia.

In conclusion, I am sorry to confirm what Peter, Joe, and I knew, but Lou's phone is indeed a cellular phone, not a satellite phone. In the parlance of the Tobacco Hut, Lou spent a lot of the afternoon in the barrel today, and we hope he enjoyed his time there! Perhaps if Barry had been there today, we would have been debating A-Fraud's - er, A-Rod's - use of steroids and Lou would have escaped unscathed.

To smoke today, I chose an Erik Nording unfinished freehand and my go-to favorite, Tinder Box Reserve 1928. It has a rather large bowl, and I was still smoking it by closing time. I haven't smoked the pipe too often, and I think it still needs a little more breaking in, but it was still a quite enjoyable smoke.

Until next week - cheers!
- Bob

Another Tobacco Tin Design

I enjoyed designing the Fusty Scholar retro-look tobacco tin so much, and it was well received, so I decided to try another one. Going for the vintage and weathered look again, I utilized the same approach as for the first one. I went looking through my clip art collection to find a suitable illustration, and then went about matching the packaging copy to the graphic.

And thus, Mad Dog Smoking Tobacco was born (see below). A quick Google search determined that there isn't a real tobacco by that name, so I began designing. Again, I kept it simple for two reasons. From a design standpoint, packaging especially should be kept simple, so I didn't get carried away with colors and kept with a minimum palette. Also, since I'm offering these for sale at my t-shirt shop, The Erudite Outlet, I have to be conscious of what looks good on apparel and other merchandise.

The design is available on a variety of men's and women's t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, etc., plus other merchandise like mousepads, greeting cards, aprons, bags, coffee mugs and more.

I'm enjoying exploring the idea of faux retro looking tobacco tins and am kicking around some other ideas. Perhaps with two now under my belt, I'll go for a series of four to offer at the shop. I would welcome any feedback on this design, or ideas for future ones.

Cheers!
- Bob

Saturday at the Hut - 2/7/09

We had a good crowd at the Hut today: Lou of course, Barry, Joe, Peter all enjoying their cigar of choice, and I had a Peterson Hudson going with a bowlful of Blenheim from Heroes & Legacies in Austin, Texas (a gift from Joe from his recent visit there).

Joe and I talked a lot about the package he is expecting from Minneapolis - a 24" iMac he bought off eBay. Apart from being pathologically jealous, I am eager to help Joe come over from the dark side and begin exploring the world of the Mac. He has pledged to call me when the package arrives next week and I'll come over and help him get it set up and offer some quick lessons. I told him I couldn't guarantee I wouldn't get drool on the keyboard though.

A lot of the day was spent sympathizing with Lou about the signing of the SCHIP bill by President Obama. Although it doesn't look like the additional tax on large cigars will exceed 40 cents, the tax on RYO (roll-your-own) cigarette tobacco will be punishingly high. Hitting Lou where it hurts the most - his wallet - you could practically feel the love in the air for Obama.

I gave Peter some designs for a business card and rack card for his new business, and we discussed some further ideas a little, including a website. Speaking of websites, the Hut's new website has seen 133 unique visitors since it went live a little over a week ago. I spread the word on Smokers Forums and many people checked it out from there, and some traffic has come from my Pipe Smoking 101 website as well.

I did some admiring of some new Peterson pipes Lou got in last week, the St. Patrick's Day commemorative pipe. He has three in stock of this limited edition pipe, each with a very nice grain pattern and standard stem (not the p-lip). My wife and sister (Paula and Julie respectively) were out shopping together, which is always a dangerous thing, so held off buying one of the Petersons, lest we have no grocery money.

The balance of the day was talking about the state of the economy, the bailout, and the environment. Having recently read Thomas Friedman's Hot, Flat, and Crowded, I was able to make some reasonably cogent arguments for weaning ourselves off of fossil fuels altogether and concentrating on renewable energy sources.

There being no more close-encounter-with-a-sports-celebrity stories from Barry, and being 5 o'clock, we helped Lou close up and headed home.

Estate Pipes

I have a modest collection of pipes, only forty or so, and most of them were purchased new. I pared the collection down from over fifty by giving some away here and there or selling at a garage sale. Some that are now in the hands of other pipe smokers include a Jobey and a GBD. The Jobey I bought new and the GBD was an estate pipe I picked up from eBay. Both were decent smokes, but nothing special.

"Estate pipes" are, of course, a euphemism, for a used pipe. But "estate" sounds better. Buying a used pipe may not appeal to those unsure of just how clean or sanitary the pipe is, but there are prescribed methods for getting estate pipes to like new condition.

In addition to the value of purchasing estate pipes, i.e. usually a lower price than a comparable new pipe, the appeal for me of an estate pipe is the thought of who enjoyed the pipe before I got a hold of it.

A perfect example is the pipe pictured above. Lou at the Tobacco Hut took in dozens of estate pipes from an older woman whose husband could no longer smoke, and this was one of the many gems in the collection. After Lou cleaned, polished, and sanitized it, it was calling my name, plus I had never seen a pipe like it before, and I certainly didn't have anything close to its shape in my collection.

According to the imprint on the shank it was a "Sterncrest Special Make", a name I wasn't familiar with. With some research on the web, in addition to a query on Smokers Forums, I discovered a little about my newfound treasure. L&H Stern pipes were most popular from the 1930s-60s and this particular model, #1503 with its 14K gold band, sold for $20 according to the 1946 catalog.

I wondered who had smoked it through the years. Was I just the second person to have enjoyed it, or had it passed through several hands over the decades? Was it a returning serviceman who purchased it, or received it as a gift? When I look at the pipe, and especially when I pack it, light it, and begin smoking it, my thoughts frequently turn to the previous owner(s).

It seems to have been well taken care of - the stem has only some minor scratches, the bowl has a relatively even finish, and there's little cake to speak of on the inside. Either it wasn't smoked much over the last 60+ years or the owner was meticulous in how he took care of his pipes. I like to think the latter.

Cheers!
- Bob