Fake St. Bruno is About!

[simong]

Moody Bruno from the Med??
Yep, it’s happening folks, fake pipe tobacco is out there!

Concerned with some pouches I recently got, emailed Mac Barens with some photos. The excellent customer service / quality control team replied this morning, confirming my suspicions.
If you’re familiar with St. Bruno, you’ll notice both the cut & colour of the tobacco is wrong. Loose cut instead of the normal RR. You’ll also notice that the ‘St. Bruno’ part is actually a ‘sticky label’. Mac Barens informs me that on ’NO’ pouch of any of their blends will you find ‘sticky labels’.

Surprised & dissappointed to find out crooks are now faking pipe tobacco as well, I wouldn’t of thought they’d bother, but there we go. Chinese probably. Luckily for me I’m familiar enough with this brand to of noticed. I suspect newcomers to this brand wouldn’t of. Worrying when you think what dangerous toxins & god knows what else they put in it.

Particularly dissapointed that I got these pouches in a trade, with a member from this forum. Considering where this member is the ‘genuine’ St. Bruno only costs between 6-8€, must of been rather desperate to save a couple of euros & buy the fake stuff & try to pass it on to me.
I’ve messaged said member & will see what he says. If no attempt to come good is forthcoming I’ll ask the moderators if I can name him.

Meanwhile, here’s the photos of the ‘fake’ St. Bruno.

 

[Simplicity]

What is under the fake sticky label? Curious if someone applied the label over a cheaper tobacco.

 

[ThermionicScott]

Hopefully the other member didn't know why he'd gotten such a good deal, but we'll see...

Have you tried smoking any to see if it's a copy, or just something random stuffed into a pouch?

 

[mso489]

I don't see how doing packaging on cheap tobacco on a relatively low volume basis is much of a money maker. It seems like, for the same investment, you could make some other legitimate product and make more profit. This must be done on some destitute labor market and smuggled back into the retail tobacco market. Still, like much crime, it seems to be more work for less money in the big picture. Obviously, someone thinks it's a winner.

I can understand the knock-offs on $1500 women's handbags, which are run out in sweat shops for $5 apiece and sold for $100. At least the math works. The tobacco? It does not compute.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

As pipe tobacco keeps rising in price we're probably gonna see more of this sort of thing.

 

[FurCoat]

That's just f%#&ed up.

 

[Kobold]

Wow that’s crazy!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Yeh, I’m with MSO. That’s a lot of work and expense to make very little money.

 

[simong]

Yeh, I’m with MSO. That’s a lot of work and expense to make very little money.

Yep, crazy isn’t it. I remember a few years ago now a load of illegal Chinese immigrants tragically drowned whilst out ‘cockle picking’ on the treacherous sands at morecombe bay, here in England.
Turned out they’d been ‘trafficked’ here to work for £1 a day!
Might seem like ‘little money’ to us but it’s a much tougher world for a lot of people out there.

 

[simong]

What is under the fake sticky label? Curious if someone applied the label over a cheaper tobacco.

Nothing under the label & yes, I smoked two bowls of it. Not nice.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

BTW I hope the forum member was unaware of this and they put it right.

 

[highwindows]

I would advise anyone reading this to take it with a pinch of salt. I am the user who sent Simong the St Bruno. Simon claims that he emailed Mac Baren and that they told him the tobacco was fake. Simon then tried to extort me for 160£ (nearly 200) with the threat of legal action and naming and shaming. I've asked to see the email itself, but Simon refuses to show or forward it to me. Here's the transcripts of our conversation.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

Nothing under the label & yes, I smoked two bowls of it. Not nice.

Why didn't you get it in the UK? Was it a cost thing or was the SB aged, or something?

 

[TheWhale13]

Seems like the sender did not mean any harm at all, and was forthcoming. I don't see why one would be so upset over 12 euros?

 

[highwindows]

I don't see how doing packaging on cheap tobacco on a relatively low volume basis is much of a money maker. It seems like, for the same investment, you could make some other legitimate product and make more profit. This must be done on some destitute labor market and smuggled back into the retail tobacco market. Still, like much crime, it seems to be more work for less money in the big picture. Obviously, someone thinks it's a winner.

I can understand the knock-offs on $1500 women's handbags, which are run out in sweat shops for $5 apiece and sold for $100. At least the math works. The tobacco? It does not compute.

This is my thought exactly. St Bruno is cheaper here than nearly anywhere in the world, and the number of pipe smokers in our population can be counted on one hand. It is likely that this St Bruno is simply distributed for a different market rather than being counterfeit. It would not make sense to counterfeit such cheap, readily available tobacco.

 

[simong]

BTW I hope the forum member was unaware of this and they put it right.

I hoped so too, after a few messages however it doesn’t look like he has any intention of putting it right. I’m off for a cup of tea & a calm down. Back later!

 

[highwindows]

Seems like the sender did not mean any harm at all, and was forthcoming. I don't see why one would be so upset over 12 euros?

No harm was meant at all, I was actually trying to do Simong a favour. I even had a relative carry the tobacco to the UK for him so there would be no import fees for him.

 

[TheWhale13]

If those messages are legitimate, then he very much had intentions of putting it right? Seems like one party is more reasonable than the other here...

 

[hawky454]

Man, that is some bs. This has got to be a first. Why St. Bruno? I imagine there are much better selling tobaccos to fake.

Edit - by no way am I blaming the member @highwindows , his intentions seem good and I'm sure the two of you will work this out. Simon is good people, if think he just misunderstood, I've done trades with him in the past. I really hope this doesn't go sideways for either of you. Wishing you all the best.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

I would advise anyone reading this to take it with a pinch of salt. I am the user who sent Simong the St Bruno. Simon claims that he emailed Mac Baren and that they told him the tobacco was fake. Simon then tried to extort me for 160£ (nearly 200) with the threat of legal action and naming and shaming. I've asked to see the email itself, but Simon refuses to show or forward it to me. Here's the transcripts of our conversation.

I wanna know what the trade was now. St Bruno for Mcclelland? What blend was it?