Saturday at the Hut - 2/25/12

Today saw a good crowd at The Tobacco Hut: Joe K and Scott R were there when I arrived in the morning. Aaron, Paul O, and Tom L all came in shortly after I got there. Fortunately, I timed it right to ensure the proper seating.

Crown Viking freehand with
Erik Nording's "Fox Hound"
(click to enlarge)

I settled in with a bowl of Erik Nording's Hunters Blend "Fox Hound" in a Crown Viking freehand I got from Lou several years ago. Fox Hound is a delightful English blend with a fantastic flavor and pleasant room note. The pipe I was smoking, the Crown Viking, was one that I had reserved for the occasional aromatic tobacco but, the last few times I've used it, I've smoked English blends in it. I realize I'll probably never smoke another aromatic, so why keep a pipe back just for them and not enjoy it. So I've brought the Crown back into the rotation and am quite happy with it.

Our friend Scott has met Erik Nording, having visited Blue Smoke in Clearwater when Scott worked there. Apparently Mr. Nording is quite the hunter and outdoorsman, so it's only natural that he created a series of tobaccos reflecting one of his passions. Maybe I should develop a tobacco called "NPR" - it will have liberal amounts of Virginia, and a solid redistribution of Latakia, and a progressive pinch of Perique.

Scott showed off a couple of pocket knives and it appears he is approaching his one year mark writing a very popular blog on the subject. Congratulations Scott! His blog is titled, appropriately enough, Pocket Knives Blog, and is attracting quite an audience. And Scott has recently added some video content to his pages. Nicely done, my friend! Maybe we could do a joint video sometime - you reviewing pocket knives and me reviewing tobacco. Of course, I have the perfect face for radio, so maybe I should reconsider. Check out Scott's blog here.

Advertisement from Popular
Mechanics, 1950.
(click to enlarge)

Scott brought in an interesting artifact for me to look at. It was a Beattie Jet Lighter. He told me about it yesterday when were discussing a meetup at the Hut and, I confess, I had never heard of one. I did a little research on it before I saw it and have to admit, it's pretty cool. After I got home I did some more research and discovered that they stopped making them fifty years ago and were designed for pipe lighting. Well now, that got my attention! Scott said he wanted to give me first crack at it before he sold it on eBay and, at the time, my thoughts were, "Meh." Interesting lighter but I'm not that into old lighters, but when I discovered they were specifically for pipes (and "thawing out frozen car locks, blackening gun sights, lighting campfires and fireplaces, and doing small soldering jobs" according to some of the original marketing materials) now I'm more interested. So Scott, text me with what you'd like to get out of it and we'll talk!

Other topics of conversation included spirits. Not the ghostly kind but whiskey, bourbon, scotch, etc. Tom recalled his trying a particularly strong bourbon and liking it after it had settled down a bit. Aaron, Paul and Scott all have a lot more experience with such distilled liquors than I certainly do, so it was fascinating to hear them explain the differences between the various brands and types.

And just to help spread the word, while you're sitting around smoking your cigar or pipe and sipping your bourbon, if you're looking for a cool new Internet radio station, check out Psychedelicized Radio. It's a streaming station that plays groovy psychedelic tunes from the 60s and early 70s. Not the headbanging stuff, but some great music from a lot of bands you've never heard of, and obscure tracks from bands you have heard of. Give it a listen here.

Lou and Tom, late in the day.
(click to enlarge)

Here's a picture I snapped late in the day when it was just Tom, Lou, and me. Notice what's missing? Remember that tall free-standing humidor that was for sale? Lou finally sold it and the buyer showed up today to haul it away. Lou has some ideas as to what should go in its place, but I'm thinking a cigar store Indian would go there nicely. Failing that, maybe a life-sized cardboard cut out of Bertrand Russell, the liberal's liberal! And a pipe smoker, of course.

Bertrand Russell, philosopher,
mathematician, atheist, pipe
smoker.
(click to enlarge)

Cheers!