This is my opinion based on the 10 bowls of London Dock I’ve smoked so far. For my other pipe tobacco reviews, click here. The descriptions… First off, the label reads: “An aromatic blend with sensuous flavor notes of rum, cherry and vanilla. Premium Double Toasted Barley, Flue Cured Virginias, and naturally sweet Orientals marry exquisitely with a touch of …
It’s rare to find him during the busiest weeks leading to his busiest night of the year, but our favorite Fake News Reporter (FNR) managed to stumble upon him again. Santa Claus was sitting on the tailgate of his Ruby Red 1945 Dodge pick-up, smoking a long-stemmed Meerschaum pipe, while Mrs. Claus was picking up supplies needed by one of …
While being interviewed, Santa agreed to answer 10 questions. His interviews can be found at: Interview with Santa, Dec. 2017 Catching Up With Santa, Dec. 2018 1. Santa, what is your favorite cookies? Well, despite everyone believe I prefer chocolate chips cookies, I really prefer oatmeal raisins or fruitcake cookies. The story about chocolate chip cookies was started by a …
Which Stem for Which Pipe? When the Ben Wades arrived, the Martinique came with a beautiful, amber colored but transparent acrylic stem. There was a minor amount of tooth chatter near the bit, but nothing I felt the need to repair. The airway, on the other hand, was black from being smoked. The stem was tight in the mortise and …
Not Ben Wade the U.S. politician or Ben Wade the baseball player and scout, but Ben Wade pipes. Specifically, a Ben Wade Martinique and a Ben Wade Royal Grain produced by Preben Holm in Denmark. I first saw the Martinique and the bowl for the Royal Grain at Penny’s Little Flea Market just outside of Marion, MS two weeks ago. …
August has been a good month for rescuing pipes from various antique shops in Mississippi. Earlier this month, I bought a Peterson Kapp-Royal and a Søren Refburg Rasmussen freehand from an antique mall in Picayune, Mississippi. Click the link to read about the Peterson and read about the Søren at the end of this post. This past weekend, we visited …
Not long ago, I was discussing a Peterson Kapp-Royal I was restoring with Mark Irwin at (https://petersonpipenotes.wordpress.com/) and he mentioned soaking the stummels in an alcohol bath to clean the exterior. Both Mark and Steve Laug at (https://rebornpipes.com/) use 91% isopropyl alcohol the bath. After 24 hours, the alcohol removes the finish, removes some of …
The bad thing about buying pipes in antique/collectible shops, flea markets and street fair, is the funky smell in the pipes. I don’t know if the vendors just pipes stored for 10 years in a box filled with dirty socks but they stink. I have actually declined to buy a pipe because it smelled so bad. Yes, I sniff the …
It was a relatively nice and unassuming day when we walked into the antique mall. I wasn’t expecting to find anything. My wife and I were mainly looking to get away from the house for a while and maybe expand her salt and pepper shaker collection. There, in the very back of the building, I found a booth festooned with …
One of my four sisters likes to shop flea markets, street fairs, antique/collectible and junk shops. She recently found a Royal Danish 991R which she gifted to me as a restoration project. In researching the pipe, I’ve found that it is a Ukulele shape designed for Stanwell by Sixteen Iversson. Royal Danish is one of the “seconds” brand of Stanwell …
