Took my Uncle to Iwan Ries last week. He used to smoke nails for as long as I had known him, and then quit about 5 years ago. About two years ago he picked up a pipe, and has smoked Maple blends (he was in Arizona, and I believe picked his stuff up from Tinder Box) since. Well, he just moved in with my parents, so when they came down to Chicago (Supposed to be my Mom and her Cousin, spending the day drinking at my apartment...turned into the two of them, my Uncle, My cousin, and her 6 y.o. daughter! Plans obviously had to change) I met up with them, sent the group to Millennium Park, and took my Uncle to Iwan Ries. He looks to me for tobacco suggestions, but isn't willing to step outside of Aros yet, which makes it really hard for me to suggest since I don't smoke many aromatics. But I went with Peterson's Nutty Cut (I remembered a few suggesting it recently here) and it was a success. I also convinced him to pick up an estate he was eyeballing ($60 I believe). Unfortunately, I don't recognize the maker's stamp, and neither did the guys in the shop that day. I thought I'd had a better picture, but this is what I have ATM, if no one can figure out what it is, I'll get some better ones later. So - who makes this pipe, and go for gold, any idea when?
But with that, my Uncle who had previously smoked one Maple Blend he didn't know the name of, and owned one pipe, NOW uses cleaners more frequently, Has Stuliff's Maple Street, Roma Vita, and Peterson's Nutty Cut on rotation, and two pipes to switch between. If I got him there in a month, I expect he'll be collecting and cellaring pretty soon!
But with that, my Uncle who had previously smoked one Maple Blend he didn't know the name of, and owned one pipe, NOW uses cleaners more frequently, Has Stuliff's Maple Street, Roma Vita, and Peterson's Nutty Cut on rotation, and two pipes to switch between. If I got him there in a month, I expect he'll be collecting and cellaring pretty soon!