In the Pipe, Five by Five

Coins! Coins! Coins!

2011-04-09T19:39:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I know. It's been... crud, I don't know how long... since I posted here last. Let's just say things got exciting for a while (and not in a good way), then got exciting again (in a much better way), and finally started to even out. As for now, things are exciting all over again, but it's all good.

So I've still got my pipes, and I still enjoy smoking them. During the more stressful period, smoking became something of a crutch. I dialed it back quite a bit, even going so far as to quit for 2-3 months. I'm back to smoking again, and I even bought my first new blend since I last visited Boswell's in Chambersburg prior to my family's move to New England.

However, I'm going to double-purpose this blog a little bit. It's not going to be all about pipes anymore. I'm also planning to use it to document some elements of my coin collection. Right now, I've got a couple of Roman coins that I'm trying to identify, so this is the place I'm going to post the pictures. Hopefully, someone over at the Coins Catalog forums will be able to tell me what I've got.

I have no illusions that these coins are valuable. I'm pretty sure they're not. But the historian in me wants to know what they are so that when it comes time to label them, I can at least do so with some modicum of accuracy.

So here they are.

Coin #1, Obverse

Coin #1, Reverse
This one is the mystery to me. I can't seem to find an image online of a similar coin. It's in pretty rough shape, and it's a lot thicker than the other one (see below).

Coin #2, Obverse

Coin #2, Reverse
I've got some idea of what this coin is. The image is likely of Constantius II, and the coin itself is probably a half centenionalis (that's the denomination). The words on the reverse read GLORIA EXERCITVS, meaning "Glory of the Army." Probably minted in 330 AD (or thereabouts, but I'm not sure).

So, if anyone looking at these has an idea of what they might be, please let me know. I'm going post about this on the Coins Catalog forums. Hopefully someone will have an idea of what I'm looking at.

I'm Running Out of Room

2009-07-03T09:03:00.003-04:00

My pipe collection grew by two over the past week. I drove my mom, who's visiting from Nevada, to Chambersburg with the intention of checking out one of the massive antique malls in the area. Given that we were in the neighborhood, I dropped by Boswell's and said hello.

I ended up leaving with a couple of new pipes, one bought by my mom for me as a birthday gift, and another that I couldn't resist buying for myself. My mom's gift to me was, as far as I can tell, a spiral shank billiard. Very nice and smokes great. My gift to myself was a very sweet Boswell tomato (basically, the bowl is round and squat, like a tomato). Dan threw in some tobacco at no charge, which was very nice of him.

I'll get some pictures of the new pipes and post them soon.

When we were done, we drove to the antique store but ended up passing it by on accident. The traffic was backed up due to some road work, so we decided to head up to Gettysburg and see the sights before turning around and heading back. Stephen ran around near some monuments for a bit, and we toured much of the battlefield in brief (honestly, it takes about two days to really experience Gettysburg; we only had a couple of hours).

We drove back to the antique store, but by the time we got there it was only going to be open for another 30 minutes. We checked out one of the buildings (the entire mall takes up 3-4 buildings on both sides of the road) and didn't see much more than a lot of expensive brik-a-brak.

We'd promised Dan we'd drop back by Boswell's, so we did. We sat for a bit and chatted, and I ended up buying an ounce of Boswell's Paradise blend (a dark aromatic) to try out, as well as a cigar (a Trinidad Anniversary cigar; smells great, can't wait to smoke it).

Now, I'm not much of a cigar person, but I may as well try them out and see what they're like. I may even invest in a humidor at some point. Amy is even less a fan of cigars than she is of pipe smoke, so I'll either have to smoke them outside or away from home.

In that vein, there's a new cigar bar open over at Fairfax Corner. I'd like to go check it out sometime; I'm not much of a barfly, but depending on the atmosphere it might be a cool place to hang out, especially if they're okay with pipe smoking.

About the title of this post: Well, I've got more pipes now than I have rack space for them. I need to find a place to keep them. I like displaying them, because they're all very nice, but our apartment is already stuffed to the gills with crap. Not literal crap, mind you, but shelf space is at a premium. It might be time to consider a wall-mounted cabinet or something similar. Such a thing is liable to be xpensive. Bleah.

Either that, or I find a larger rack.

I started reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road yesterday. I did a bit of reading out on the balcony, pipe in hand. The weather isn't horribly hot, especially when the breeze is going. Too bad that July and August are liable to be scorchers, as I could really get used to spending time out there with a good book.

Georgetown Tobacco

2009-06-06T14:23:00.003-04:00

I took a trip to Georgetown today and hit up Georgetown Tobacco while I was there. I'd read a few things about the place recently, including their list of tobacco blends, so I was curious to see their offerings.

All in all, it's a nice shop. I would've liked to have spent more time browsing, because there's an awful lot to see. Cigars seem to be the primary item of sale there, and the selection (from this non-aficionado) seemed good. Aside from cigars, pipes, tobacco, and associated products, Georgetown Tobacco also sells flasks, cufflinks, and (surprisingly) carnival masks.

I picked up some of their house blends (Raven, Night Owl, and [at the clerks' recommendation] Old Georgetown Blend) as well as a new pipe tool. Old Georgetown is an English, and I had a chance to sample it a few moments ago. While I still prefer Northwoods, Old Georgetown isn't bad at all. A little bitey, but it's got the Latakia I've come to enjoy, as well as Yenidje.

The other two blends, Raven and Night Owl are aromatics. Both are vanilla blends. I'm particularly fond of vanillas, with the best I've found being Peretti's Black Virginia blend. I can't wait to try them out in my WAR pipe, and I'll let you know my thoughts when I do.

That's about it, for now. Overall impression of Georgetown Tobacco is favorable, and it's reasonably close to home (25-30 minutes away). The only trouble is that M Street is pretty busy, and the parking on the street is all parallel.

Northwoods

2009-05-25T21:37:00.002-04:00

I'm looking at a very small amount of Boswell's Northwoods blend. I'm quite fond of it now, and I'm getting low. Low, I tell you. The gauge isn't on "Empty" quite yet, but it's getting close.

Curse you, Dan Boswell! Curse you and your confounded, high-quality tobacco recommendations!

::sigh::

Looks as though I'll be calling an order in this week.

Spring or Summer?

2009-05-23T08:07:00.004-04:00

Doesn't seem like Mother Nature can decide between the two, at least not in Virginia. All I know is that the past few days have been beautiful, as well as progressively hotter and hotter. I'm not a real big fan of heat and humidity. I come from southern California, where it can get reasonably hot but where it's rarely, if ever, very humid.

The point is that I've been enjoying the occasional smoke or two on the apartment balcony over the past week or so. Granted, we're at a time of the year where the sun is pretty much up at 6:30am and doesn't set until well after 8:30pm. In the evening, it's not so bad (depending on the humidity, which seems to retain the day's heat), especially when there's a cool breeze.

I know those days are numbered. This place isn't exactly Needles, which is about as close to Hell as I ever want to get; come to think of it, I'd better change my evil ways if I want to avoid such a fate. When we drove to VA from CA in July of 2007, we spent about an hour in Needles and the temperature didn't drop below 123 degrees. It was a wretched, dismal town, where the people seemed listless from the heat and eternally condemned to wander its roads and sidewalks drenched in sweat. The poor devils. I'd rather go 400 miles out of my way to avoid the place rather than drive through it again.

But I digress.

I know the day quickly approaches when I will step out on the balcony to enjoy a pipe and find that the heat is too oppressive to tolerate. I'll be driven back inside, to air-conditioned bliss, and my wife will bemoan the fact that I've chosen to smoke inside. I'm such a bastard.

Smoking in cold weather is much more merciful than smoking in hot weather. I suppose there's something to be said for cool-burning tobacco in the summer months (never you mind that summer in Virginia seems to last from mid-May to late-September). I guess it might have something to do with the fact that you're sucking on the smoke from a very small, smoldering fire. This is my first summer as a pipe smoker, and I dread it.

I also have this tendency to smoke my pipes a little on the hot side, especially at work. As much as I'd like to take my time and smoke for half an hour, I've usually got about five to ten minutes at a stretch to enjoy a quick puff. On particularly harrowing days, I'll take two or three breaks; normally (about 80% of the time) I take one. I really need to do something about smoking the pipes too hot. It really does affect the flavor.

Not much else to say today. I'm just babbling, really. It's going to be a busy day, and I figured I'd warm up (heh) with a blog post.

Oh, and while I'm thinking about it ...

I ordered a new combo pouch. The original one is pretty much shot, between the torn inner lining and the zipper being tweaked. The second one is still substandard (but what do you expect for $9?). The new one is a MacBaren, black leather. Holds two pipes and a big wad of leaf. Only downside is that it needs to lose the chemical smell of whatever they tanned or dyed the leather with.

I also ordered 4 ounces of a root beer flavored tobacco. The reason I ordered so much is that it was only about $1 more for 4 ounces of the stuff than it would've been for a single ounce. I reckoned that on the off chance it turned out to be a good blend, I'd have a lot of it laying around. I've only tried it once, and despite the pouch smell (which is pleasant and faintly root beerish), the actual smoke is somewhat bitey though not entirely unpleasant.

I'll need to try it again under more relaxed circumstances, given that I smoked this on my break at work and I'm sure I was smoking it a bit on the hot side. ::sigh::

Modern English

2009-05-12T21:34:00.006-04:00

I don't know how April came and went so quickly. Work, I guess, pushed it through. Seems like my days are passing faster and faster lately. I wake up Monday, go to work, and by the time I get home it's already Wednesday.

I'm starting to enjoy English blends. Blame Dan Boswell, for he talked me into buying a couple of ounces of Boswell's Magnum Blend. It's basically a light English. I figured it couldn't hurt to try it, so I did. Obviously, being an English, it doesn't have quite the sweet aroma you expect from an aromatic. I was surprised to find that I enjoyed it, though. I only had the pleasure of one bowl before my little girl got hold of the container, opened it, and dumped the contents out all over the living room.

After the loss of a good $5 worth of tobacco, I decided to look at some of Peretti's English blends. I tried Omega and Blend D-7485. Omega is booked as "Rich and full flavored, it is ideal for relaxing in the evening after a fine meal. This blend is pleasantly spiced with the gentle flavor of Latakia and superb Turkish," while D-7485 is "A masterpiece of the blender's art. A blend that lends itself to gracious living. This blend of a number of tobaccos smokes cool and mild. Made originally for the late Hon. Ramsay MacDonald."

Of the two, I like D-7485 the best of the two Peretti Enlgishes I've tried. It's pretty good, overall. Omega is so-so. It's got a little bit in common with D-7485, but it doesn't seem to stand out for me too much.

The New "Freehand" Pipe
This past weekend, Stephen and I went up to Chambersburg for Lilly Boswell's birthday party (Lilly is Dan's little girl). We got to the shop early and I bought a new pipe (a really sweet freehand) and a few ounces of various English blends (more Magnum Blend, to replace that which Maddy dusted the living room with; some Northwoods; and some Countryside). Of the three, Northwoods is my new favorite English. It's the tobacco equivalent of drinking a pint of Guinness.

Stephen and I at Lilly's Party
So, for the beer analogy. I've been thinking about it, and I recall the first time I had a good beer (well, it was an ale, actually). Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, to be precise, brought over by my friend Chris Swearingen. I was used to mass-produced beers at the time, so the woody flavor of Sierra Nevada Pale knocked my socks off. It's sort of the same with the English tobaccos. I still enjoy aromatics (I only smoke aromatics in the house, as I'm of the opinion that Englishes are smoked for my enjoyment, while aromatics are smoked for the enjoyment of those around me).

In other news, my mother found a couple of pipes at an estate sale. Now, once you get away from the "yuck" factor of having a couple of pipes that some random dead person used to smoke, the idea of buying estate pipes (as used pipes are called) isn't so odd. You can generally get them fairly cheaply (though I've seen estate pipes for sale at pretty obscene prices, depending on the style and maker), and it doesn't take much to put them back into a state that is almost brand new.

Of the two my mother sent, one is a Comoy (at left). The other is Danish, but the manufacturer is a mystery. I took them with me to Boswells and they buffed them up for me. They look as good as new, for the most part, and the Comoy is especially sweet to look at and hold. I haven't tried smoking them yet, but I'll be glad to add them to the rotation. All in all, she only paid a couple dollars for each of the pipes. I'm sure I could sell them for twenty times that price if I wanted to, but I won't.

By the way, if you are reading this and you can ID the Danish pipe (above), please drop me a line.

Meerschaum Pipe, First Smoke

2009-03-28T19:12:00.003-04:00

So I packed my WAR pipe tonight (the logo pipe, not the Squig) and gave it a few puffs. It's got a really deep bowl, so I could be smoking this thing all night long, I figure.

I'm a bit worried that I'll do something wrong and damage it, but I figure there are people out there with less wit than I have that enjoy smoking meerschaum pipes. It's made to be smoked, so it can't be that hard to do it correctly. Right? RIGHT?!

Ahem.

My first smoke with the WAR pipe is an LJ Peretti blend called Black Virginia. I picked up a couple ounces of this stuff about a week ago and I tried it out at work. I found it to be the best Peretti blend I've had yet; it's mellow, cool-smoking, and flavorful. It's a black tobacco with vanilla flavor, very mild. I was shocked at how much I liked it, and I figured it'd be a good blend to try with my first meerschaum. I asked my wife what she thought of the smell, and she said it smells to her like something baking.

The pipe is currently resting. The kids are being exceptionally hyper this evening, so I'll wait until they're out before I go back for another puff. For now, I'll gear up for their bedtime and try to relax.

Box From Istanbul

2009-03-23T13:14:00.002-04:00

My WAR meerschaum pipes arrived today. They are every bit as awesome in person as they looked in the photos. To say I'm thrilled is an understatement.

So, what do I do now?

I've got a doctor's appointment this afternoon (just a check-up). I half expect him to lay down the law about my smoking, rendering my new pipes as little more than neat paperweights.

To be honest, I'm scared to smoke them. It's what they're made to do, but there's a part of me that says, "Fool! Don't risk ruining them!" I'm so conflicted!!

LJ Peretti Blends

2009-03-18T21:11:00.003-04:00

A while back, I posted that I'd picked up four blends from LJ Peretti, and I wasn't quite sure what to think of them. Over the past week, I've been giving them more attention. I figure that since I paid for them, they deserve to be smoked (or is it that I deserve to smoke them?).

I'm still not quite sure what I think of the burley blends. I still think they feel a little too dry, and the two blends seem very similar in smell and flavor (which isn't surprising, since they're both burleys) with only subtle nuances to differentiate them from one another.

The Cavendish blends, on the other hand, are very different from one another. I'm paying especially close attention to the Whiskey Cavendish (which, according to Peretti, is cured by Kentucky bourbon). It doesn't taste like bourbon, but it is growing on me. I was complimented earlier today on the smell of the smoke (ie, the "room note," though I was outside at the time), which is the first time anyone's commented on it.

This isn't to say I don't enjoy smoking my regular blends. In fact, I've taken to experimenting with the one pipe/one blend rule, insofar as my last Boswell acquisition is concerned (see right). It's a neat little "ten-minute puffer" that I've had for a week or two now. It's small, light, and the bowl holds a small amount of tobacco. I'm always surprised when the pipe goes out, because I'm used to bigger bowls. It's both good (because it gets me back to work more quickly) and bad (because who would rather be working than puffing on a pipe? Okay, you know who you are, don't answer that).

Working under the assumption that multiple tobaccos "muddy" the taste of pipes, I'm only smoking Boswell's Best in the ten-minute puffer.

In other news, the WAR meerschaums are on their way, and should be somewhere between here and Turkey. I'm very anxious to get them. A few of the folks at work have seen the pictures, and they're excited, too. I'll be sure to post when they finally arrive.

WAR Meerschaums

2009-03-09T10:41:00.002-04:00

My pipe collection will include two Meerschaum pipes pretty soon. For folks who don't have any idea what Meerschaum is, check the Wikipedia entry. It's a soft type of stone that pipes (and other items) are carved from.

I've been wanting to try a Meerschaum pipe out for a while now. They're not terribly expensive, depending on the size and quality of the pipe's carving. You can find relatively plain Meerschaum pipes, as well as very detailed and complicated ones. While browsing the web, I learned that some importers can arrange for custom-carved pipes. Being a person who like unique and one-of-a-kind things, I sent an email to AND Meerschaum Pipes and asked for a quote on two designs.

The first design was simple: to incorporate the WAR logo into a pipe. The second was a bit more ambitious: a Meerschaum pipe carved to resemble a horned Squig (a Warhammer monster). The guy at AND checked with his carvers in Turkey, and returned with a reasonable quotation for both products.

After just over a month since I got the quotes, the pipes are done. They're still in Turkey, but I can pay to have them shipped directly to me; otherwise, I'll get them sometime in April. Having seen the pictures AND sent me, I'm keen to get my hands on them. If they're even half a neat as they look, I'll be a very satisfied customer!

The WAR Pipe, front view
The WAR Pipe, side view
The Squig Pipe
Incidentally, the art I supplied for the Squig looked like this:

I think it came out very close, and I can't wait to see them in person!

No (Pipe) Smoking

2009-02-04T15:44:00.002-05:00

So here's an amusing anecdote.

Today, the company I work for lost a number of employees. I was not one of the unlucky throng to lose my job. However, a number of my co-workers and former co-workers went down to a local bar and got drinks, to either celebrate or commiserate or what have you.

I went along for the ride. I don't drink much, and generally not in public (and when I do drink in public, it's usually only because the drinks are free), so I was just there in a friendly fashion and as a potential designated driver (if the need arose).

Being as it's a bar, I'm surrounded by folks smoking cigarettes. It was maybe 1 o'clock in the afternoon. I packed my work pipe with a bowlful of Sweet Dreams, one of my favorite Boswell blends. It's a sweet aromatic, and even my wife doesn't find it particularly offensive. I lit up and puffed a little bit.

The waitress noticed me smoking and came over. "Sorry, sir," she said. "We don't allow pipe smoking until after eight-thirty."

"You don't?" I asked, almost thinking she was joking with me. But she wasn't. She was serious.

I might have raised a fuss or questioned the reason(s) why, but I decided it wasn't worth the time. I'm fairly non-confrontational to begin with, and I wasn't planning to stay much longer, anyway. Given the events of the day, I wasn't willing to risk further drama.

Still, what gets me is the fact that pipe smoking isn't allowed in this bar, while cigarette smoking is. I couldn't rationalize it. Pipe smoke, in my opinion (as well as the opinion of my co-workers who were present), smells a dozen times better than cigarette smoke. Cigarette smoke is acrid and harsh, while pipe smoke (insofar as my aromatic blend is concerned) is sweet and somewhat soothing.

To think that the half-dozen smokers in my presence were able to enjoy their cigarettes while I was forced to extinguish my pipe baffles the imagination. Well, at least my imagination.

Needless to say, I won't be frequenting the establishment. It gets me wondering, though: how many other bars and restaurants have similar policies regarding pipe smoking as opposed to cigarette smoking?

Pipe & Tobacco Pouch Review

2009-01-31T11:29:00.003-05:00

My first tobacco pouch was small. It held my work pipe and a few pinches of tobacco, as well as my lighter and a pipe tool. It was leather, and seemed to be of good quality. After a month or two, though, the plastic lining in the tool pocket tore away from the pouch's top seam. This doesn't so much make the pouch useless, but it does expose the back side of the tobacco pouch (which feels like latex) to the lighter and tools, and it's only a matter of time until that rips, too.

So, long story short, I bought a new pipe/tobacco pouch. This one was somewhat larger, and could hold two pipes. It was cheap ($10) and was made of vinyl instead of leather (I'm somewhat of a snob -- I like leather), but I bought it anyway. I've been using it ever since it came. It's nice and convenient to carry two pipes, and the tobacco pouch is nice and big. However ...

The tobacco area doesn't keep the tobacco moist, and as I mentioned in a previous post, it tends to dry out pretty quickly. I'm noticing that tobacco flakes end up in the pipe storage area somehow, and since I don't generally carry my pipes pre-packed, it must be coming out of the tobacco pouch.

So I'm not real pleased with it. I guess you get what you pay for, right? Anyone who's curious, the pouch I'm talking about is this one. Looks like it's time to put down good money for a better pouch.

What Am I Smoking?

2009-01-20T22:15:00.003-05:00

Wow, I had this whole slew of posts, one after the other, and then ... nothing. Blame work. Blame home. Blame SOMETHING other than me. I'm still smoking my pipes, don't worry about that. I haven't been up to the shop in Chambersburg since the last time, mostly due to time and money. I've ordered some pipe weed in the meantime, though. I even tried some tobacco from a non-Boswell tobacconist -- but don't call me a traitor just yet.

There's a site online called Tobacco Reviews dot com. Now, it's not a bad site, but the reviews are mostly done by individuals. Taste, as everyone knows, is subjective. Some of the guys who write reviews there aren't exactly what I'd consider my peers, either intellectually or socially. Which isn't a put-down, mind you; the idea that I don't have to agree with you (nor you with me) is one of the things that makes this country great.

And if you believe that, I've got a plot of land in the Ozarks to sell you.

LJ Peretti Company is one of the oldest tobacconists in the USA, established in 1870. They're up in Massachusetts. Lots of folks have lots of good things to say about their blends, and I figured it wouldn't hurt to try them out. In the process, I learned two things: one, I'm not really a huge fan of Burleys (just yet); and two, Cavendish blends seem to take up much more space per ounce that Burleys do.

I ordered two of Peretti's Burley blends (Blend B-94 and Blend D.D) and two of their Cavendish blends (Boston's Best Cavendish and Whiskey Cavendish). The Burleys are very dry, while the Cavendish blends are about as moist as I'm used to. They all smell very similar, but then again maybe my nose is broken. Both of the Cavendish blends are pleasant; the Boston's Best is supposed to be cured with honey, while the Whiskey Cavendish is cured with Kentucky Bourbon (which is what sold me).

Now I have to say that the jury is still out on these blends. I've been smoking Boswell's blends since I started up, so I've become accustomed to the way they smoke, the way they smell and taste, etc. In my experience, sometimes it takes a few smokes with one blend or another before I really begin to appreciate them. I think this is probably the case with the Peretti blends. Time will tell.

I continue to remain curious about some of their offerings, specifically their Cuban Mixture (which is a blend of seven different tobaccos that was devised at the turn of the century [meaning 1900, I gather, rather than 2000]) and Black Virginia. The Cuban Mixture seems interesting due to the fact that it's been around a long time, and it's got some favorable reviews; the Black Virginia is something that strikes me as interesting because I'm always looking for a good vanilla-flavored blend.

I only smoke once or twice a day. Sometimes I don't smoke at all (blasphemy!), such as over this past weekend. If it's a two (or even three) bowl day, it's usually a work day and it's usually because I'm busy or because I need to get things worked out in my head. Today was like that, actually.

Not sure if I'm mentioned it before, but my typical method is to fill my tobacco pouch with a specific blend on Sunday evening and then I'll smoke that blend all week long. This week, for instance, it's filled with Boswell's Sweet Dreams, a nice aromatic with sweet, fruity undertones. Last week, it was filled with Boswell's Autumn Blend, which really grew on me. I got a very mellow caramel flavor out of it, but my friends at work were asking me if it was some kind of chocolate blend. Go figure. The new pouch doesn't seem to keep the moisture in quite like the old one, so the blend did seem to get drier as the week progressed -- which, surprisingly, didn't detract from it at all.

This method works for me because it lets me fully appreciate a blend over the course of a week, especially since I do the majority of my smoking after lunch or in the afternoons when I'm at work. I suppose I'll load up my pouch with one of those Peretti blends next week and see what shakes loose.

On a completely unrelated tangent, I went out to think after lunch today with my pipe and a bowl of Sweet Dreams. A fellow I'd never spoken to before (who was having a cigarette) asked me if I'd ever smoked cigarettes before, to which I answered in the positive. He asked me what the attraction was to smoking the pipe, as opposed to cigarettes, and I had to give it some thought before I answered.

Basically, pipe smoking has less of the "instant gratification" of smoking a cigarette. When you take a drag on a cigarette, you're inhaling your nicotine. It's going straight into the bloodstream, right for the brain (and the rest of the body). It's like smacking yourself in the forehead with the palm of your hand in a way. Even then, there's a certain tolerance that comes with use. The last cigarette of the day will never pack quite the same wallop as the first. Plus, it's a stinky habit that's (IMO) worse for you than pipe smoking.

With the pipe, though, it's a full sensory experience. There's the look and feel of the pipe in your hand (which warms up as you smoke, a blessing in the 25 degree weather we've been having lately); the smell and flavor of the tobacco. It's not a "quick high," by any means, which means you have to enjoy it for its own sake, rather than enjoy it for the high you get. Merely concentrating on packing, lighting, and smoking is relaxing in and of itself. Meditative, even. That's not to say that there isn't a high involved with smoking a pipe; there is. It's just a lot more subdued, relaxing, and it seems to last longer.

So maybe folks who smoke cigarettes aren't going to see smoking a pipe as a satisfying alternative to their current habit. I think that's probably why I like it so much, actually.

Thoughts on Pipes

2009-01-03T16:50:00.006-05:00

Why do I smoke a pipe?

I don't pretend that it makes me any more distinguished or intelligent than anyone else out there. However, I find it enjoyable. It's relaxing. It seems to lend to introspection. If I have a problem, I can smoke a pipe and work my way through it. Sometimes that's all it takes.

I also enjoy the smell of the unlit tobacco, as well as the flavor of the smoke it produces when I'm smoking. Sometimes I buy new blends just to see what they smell and taste like. I'm very much a proponent of aromatic blends, though I recently tried a mild English blend that I enjoyed (despite the fact that the unlit tobacco smells a bit strange due to the Latakia content).

Plus, I love blowing smoke rings. That's sort of silly, but it's fun!

There are definite risks to smoking a pipe, true. I've been reminded on a couple of occasions that smoking is bad for my health. Trust me, as a recovering hypochondriac, I know what the risks are in excruciating detail. What it comes down to -- in my mind anyway -- is moderation.

When I smoked cigarettes in my teenage years, I smoked at least a pack a day. I inhaled every puff deeply, and on gaming nights I'd increase my nicotine intake to nearly double the normal amount. Every time the seasons would change, I'd catch a bout of bronchitis that would last several weeks. Even when I wasn't sick, there was an omnipresent smoker's cough. In retrospect, it was pretty gross.

With pipe smoking, I've been much more moderate. I smoke maybe once or twice a day. Some days, I don't smoke at all. I took a couple days off over this holiday vacation just to prove I could.

I don't see pipe tobacco as filling the coffers of cigarette manufacturers, either, and it's a lot "cleaner" than the chemically-treated stuff they fill cigarettes with. I'd like to think that makes it less hazardous and less addictive than a pack of Marlboros or Camels.

Outside of the actual tobacco use, I like the pipes. They're works of art that I enjoy looking at and holding on to, even when they aren't lit. I don't see myself going broke to buy new and expensive pipes anytime soon, but maybe when I'm older I'll entertain that option.

I was asked once, "Why do you need more than one pipe?" On the surface, this is a legitimate question since they all serve much the same purpose. I suppose the honest answer is that I don't need more than one. But look at it this way:

I buy video games. They aren't cheap, generally speaking. A new title for the Xbox might cost as much as $50 or $60 (if I don't get it at a discount from work), and I might play it for a number of hours before finishing it or moving on to the next game. I may very well go back and play it again later, but that depends largely on its replay value. Some games, as excellent as they are, are pretty limited when it comes to replay.

Similarly, a pipe might cost me between $30 and $100 (though I'm still a bit stingy when it comes to laying out a big roll on a single pipe, and my upper limit is always determined by the bottom line). However, every pipe I get has unlimited "replay value," as well as a certain amount of collectability.

Maybe that's a series of weak arguments. Maybe it isn't. After all, an addict will do just about anything to justify his addiction, right?

A Trip to Chambersburg

2009-01-03T15:55:00.006-05:00

I decided that I'd like to drive up and see Boswell's with my own eyes. It would give me a chance to see the other pipes they have in stock, as well as get a whiff of some different tobacco blends. I didn't have any specific plans for buying any new pipes, but if I was planning to drive some ninety miles to a pipe shop, I figured I wasn't going to leave empty-handed.

The drive was pleasant. My son, Stephen, rode along with me. I hadn't done much smoking around him at the time, and he was somewhat curious about what I was up to. I explained to him that smoking was only for grown-ups, and he accepted this with a three year-old's stoicism. He didn't have any idea where we were going, only that it was a "pipe shop."

When we arrived in Chambersburg, probably close to 3:30 in the afternoon, Stephen was ready to stretch his legs. We entered Boswell's and were greeted warmly by everyone in the shop. JM and Dan, who I'd never met, were there, as were a couple of regular customers. They were relaxing with cigars and pipes. Stephen, who has no concept of personal space, immediately introduced himself and sat down right next to JM.

The first thing that struck me was that Boswell's is spacious inside. I was used to the tobacconist in the mall, which is small and cramped for space. This place wasn't like that at all. One wall consists of display cases where one can peruse all the pipes for sale. Dan admitted that the stock was somewhat low, but that they were gearing up for the holidays.

As Stephen socialized, I chatted with Dan about video games and picked out a pipe that caught my eye: a ball-style with a flat bottom (at right). I'm not sure if the flat bottom makes it an "author" or not. I was initially attracted to the color of the wood, as well as the carving that circled the bowl. In addition, I bought some new tobacco blends to try along with a small combo pouch that would carry my work featherweight.

Gail, JM's wife (and, by extension, Dan's mother) appeared and began to dote over Stephen. It was near closing time -- we'd left the house late, and I didn't expect my visit to the store to be so sociable. But these folks were nice. Despite the fact that we'd arrived a half-hour before closing time, they made sure we were comfortable, offered us drinks and snacks, talked with us, and treated my little boy like a king.

Time was short, so I made my purchases and said my goodbyes and promised to return within a month or so. I inquired about a wizard-style pipe -- something in the style of churchwarden reminiscent of Lord of the Rings. JM told me he was working on an order of similar pipes, and would make an extra one for me. Stephen wasn't thrilled about leaving, but he was in a good mood -- he'd scored a cigar box full of candy, animal crackers, and some apple juice.

The Boswells had impressed me with their craftsmanship, their generosity, and their hospitality. Unlike the small shop in the mall, which was cramped and (more or less) impersonal, their store was almost like a home away from home. It felt like we'd made some new friends, and my loyalty as a customer had been secured.

My First Pipe

2009-01-02T22:39:00.006-05:00

I did some research on pipes and found that they aren't cheap. Well, not generally speaking, anyway. "Cheap" in relation to pipes is pretty subjective. The thing was, I didn't want to blow a wad on a pipe when I wasn't sure A) which pipe brands were any good and B) if I would even enjoy smoking a pipe. After reading articles online, I decided that the best course of action was to pick up a corn cob pipe. They require no "break-in" period, and they're inexpensive. Like "$5" inexpensive. Sold.

I'd also wanted to pick up a pipe lighter -- a Zippo, to be exact -- and some good, mild tobacco to go along with it. Not to mention cleaning supplies: pipe cleaners and a pipe tool.

There's a tobacconist in the local mall, John B. Hayes Tobacconist by name. On my lunch break, I went to the shop with my friend Leonor (my enabler) and picked out the supplies I'd need. Add to the list of needed supplies some lighter fluid for the Zippo and a tiny little corncob pipe for use at work. John, the store's namesake, gave me some advice on how to pack the pipe, how to light it, and what tobacco to try first (a blend called "Aspen"). A very nice guy, overall.

I tried out the larger of the two corncob pipes that night, out on my balcony. Being October, it was still warm enough outside to enjoy a smoke. Results were mixed, I'm afraid. I didn't get the total enjoyment I thought I would, but it wasn't a terrible experience, either. I think it was the tobacco, primarily. It wasn't quite the aromatic that I was looking for, but it would do for starters.

I started smoking the little corncob after lunch at work. It was somewhat funny, and I took a few jibes from my co-workers. Mike, the bloke who gave me the cigar on launch day (and who I ultimately blame for any cancers of the mouth or throat I might eventually develop), took to calling me nicknames, such as "Patton" (which is just his funny way of adulterating MacArthur -- ha ha ha) and "Popeye."

There doesn't seem to be a shortage of tobacco brands out there. I learned that they go from private, hand-blended tobaccos, to tinned, mass-produced tobaccos, and everything in-between. There are even "drug store" tobaccos that come in big bags, but I haven't read much about them that endears them to me (or other pipe smokers, for that matter).

While scanning posts on a forgotten forum, I came across the name of JM Boswell. The reviews of his pipes and tobacco blends were favorable, so I decided to look him up online. After reading over Boswell's list of blends, I called and ordered two that I thought would suit me: "Vanilla Creme" and "Spice and Nice." Dan, JM's son, took my order and added me to his system.

The tobacco arrived and I gave it a shot. It was much more of what I was looking for, compared to the locally-available "Aspen" that I'd picked up at John B. Hayes. That's not to say the Aspen was bad; I should probably dig it out and see if I'm still lukewarm to it now, especially since I've been smoking for a little over three months now.

The following week, Boswell's posted a number of their new hand-made pipes for sale. They do that on occasion, and the pickings are (very) reasonably priced, high quality, and they sell out quickly. The first pipe I wanted was already gone by the time I called, but my second choice -- a spiral-cut "nose-warmer" (at right) -- was still in stock. I ordered it along with a couple ounces of "Christmas Cookie" tobacco (recommended by Dan).

Now, around this time, Mythic was gearing up for the big launch party. I'd wanted a pipe to take along, given we'd all be drunk fools and I didn't want to miss out. Unfortunately, the new pipe I'd ordered from Boswell's wouldn't arrive until the next week, which meant I'd either have to take along the little corncob or do without.

My only other option for immediate gratification was to go to John B. Hayes in the mall and see what sort of pipes he had for sale. I didn't want to spend much, and the pipes in his shop are all pretty much standard retail. However, there's a little basket of lower-end pipes near the pricey ones, and I poked through it until I found a very small, very light "featherweight" pipe priced at $30. It's a small billiard style (similar to the one pictured here) produced by King's Cross, and it smokes like a dream. It's become my default workplace pipe, and the mini corncob has been mothballed.

Since I started puffing at work, I've had a number of folks look at me oddly. Understand that I'm in my middle thirties, but I work with a large group of younger twenty-somethings. However, it's gotten to the point where I don't get those looks anymore. I guess they've accepted the fact that this old guy smokes a pipe on their turf. In fact, I get complimented on it a lot of the time. Folks seem to like the smell of it. A couple of the non-smokers on my team will go out to the smoking area with me just to smell my pipe smoke, which is amusing to me.

I took the King's Cross billiard to the launch party along with some Vanilla Creme and it went over well. "You're smoking a pipe?" commented one co-worker's spouse. "How distinguished!" I guess you had to be there.

The pipe from Boswell's arrived the next week, and it's probably my favorite pipe of all so far. I own a total of seven pipes now (five from Boswell's and two featherweights for work and travel from King's Cross). I like them all, but that first "real" pipe from Boswell's has a special place in my heart. I'll have to get a picture of it up at some point.

Given that JM Boswell's is up in Chambersburg, PA, a mere 90 minute drive from Fairfax, I decided that it might be nice to take a road trip up there and see what the place had to offer first-hand. But that, too, is a story for another post!

A New Blog for a New Year

2009-01-02T18:14:00.002-05:00

I've been sitting on this blog for a few months now. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I didn't quite know what to do with it. I suppose I can get into how (and why) I picked up pipe smoking and go from there. I mean, why not? I doubt anyone will be reading this thing, anyway.

So, let's see ...

I'm a writer, both by profession and by hobby. I got my start writing material for tabletop role-playing games; Dungeons & Dragons, for example. I've had my work published in a number of formats over the past five years. I enjoy the work quite a bit.

In 2007, I was able to land a job at Mythic Entertainment. Mythic is one of Electronic Arts' studios in Fairfax, Virginia. They were previously known for Dark Age of Camelot, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (or MMORPG, for short). What attracted me to them was that they were working on an MMO based on the Warhammer Fantasy intellectual property.

Warhammer Fantasy has been around for years and years in a number of forms. The most popular is that of a miniatures game. Players buy metal and plastic miniatures, each representing a single unit, paint them, base them, gather them into armies, and pit them against the armies that their friends put together. Along with the strategy game, there's also a Warhammer role-playing game. I contributed to two Warhammer RPG titles, which I think helped out when it came time to apply at Mythic.

The family and I moved to Virginia in July of 2007. The cats, the kids, the wife, and I packed into the family automobile and drove cross-country for five days. It was quite the adventure, but it was only the beginning.

Working on a computer game title was both exactly what I expected it to be, as well as a complete surprise. There have been ups and downs, as with all jobs, but the end result is better than I expected. I actually enjoy my work. Which isn't to say I've never had a job that I enjoyed, but they've all tended to get boring after a year or so. This one hasn't gotten boring yet. Every day is somewhat different.

Okay, so about now you might be wondering what I'm getting at. This is a blog about smoking pipes, after all. And that means tobacco smoking, mind you. All jokes aside, I'm not into illegal substances. My political leaning is that pot should be legalized and taxed and marketed for both medical and recreational use, but that doesn't mean I want to smoke it. Even if it is legalized (which may or may not be a political inevitability), it's not my style.

So, smoking. I used to smoke cigarettes when I was in high school. It was nearly a pack a day habit, often more on game nights, that lasted from age 15 until I was 18. I ended up quitting around my 18th birthday (just when I was legal to smoke), and it was a very hard habit to break. It was grueling, to be honest. After kicking it, I started to hate it. I guess that's a normal defense mechanism.

Well, years and years passed. I mean, I'm thirty-five at the time of this writing, so do the math. September of 2008 marked the launch of Warhammer: Age of Reckoning (or WAR, as we call it). We had a party in the parking lot on launch day, and one of my pals at work brought a box of cigars to help celebrate. He gave me one, but I dithered about it. I hadn't touched tobacco since I was 18, after all, and I didn't want to turn a casual smoke into a battle with addiction. Not after the last time.

His words, when I protested, were: "Don't be a pussy."

I'm not normally one to submit to peer pressure, but I sort of figured that it'd been long enough, and that one cigar wasn't going to push me over the edge into instant nicotine addiction. On one hand, I was right -- it didn't hook me, not the way that cigarettes had. On the other hand, I found it relaxing and enjoyable (despite the relatively strong odor and flavor of the smoke).

I spent the next few days thinking about it. Was it possible to smoke in moderation, the same as it is to drink in moderation? I certainly wasn't going through the hot flashes and irritability that marked the end of my teenage smoking habit. Maybe it was all excuses, anyway. Maybe I was deluding myself; maybe I still am.

Despite enjoying the cigar, I've never been a big fan of them. They're a bit too strong for my tastes, and their scent (or "room note," as I hear it called), while marginally better than cigarettes, isn't my cup of tea. This got me thinking about pipes, and the fact that I've always thought that pipe smoke smelled good. Even when I was a rigid non-smoker, I'd occasionally catch a whiff of a pipe at one of the Civil War reenactments I was attending and marvel at how nice it smelled.

So I did a little more research and finally asked my wife about it. Having grown up with parents that smoked cigarettes, and also knowing of the smoking habit I possessed before we met, she wasn't thrilled with the idea. However, she didn't deny me the opportunity. Her thoughts were along the lines of, "I'd rather you didn't, but as long as it doesn't become a problem, it's okay with me."

And that sent me along the road to buying my first pipe ... but that's a topic for another entry.