Support for C&D
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Yes.
They had a setback; these happen. As one changes process, learning occurs about unforeseen factors.
C&D handled it brilliantly at great expense, and have made changes to attempt to prevent it from happening again.
In the meantime, they offer great bulk and tinned tobacco at generally very reasonable prices, and I will gladly support them.
Mostly Unrelated Woolgathering Follows
It is important, in my view, to separate bad actors from those who make occasional mistakes.
A bad actor is someone who hopes to increase profit by reducing quality, such as by taking cheaper leaf and dumping flavored sugar water on it to substitute for its flavor. This is the way one makes millions in the consumer business.
Others try more ambitious things. On that path, there are always setbacks. But if their ultimate goal is good -- such as: quality tobacco at reasonable prices -- then they are good actors, insofar as one can be within the parameters of business.
Some products endure for decades and centuries. They do this by building brand value based on how they are consistently useful and enjoyable for people over time. The good actors win in the long term, but most people think in the short term.
I feel the same way about many others in the pipe field: they are good actors. Russ Ouellette is one of my heroes, as is G.L. Pease (and not just because he was a USENET poster back in the day). But many more of you are, including a number of posters on this site.
The other day, as I was packing up tobacco to send out, a member of my family said, "What is great about you pipe guys is that you like bringing each other joy, in one of the few masculine activities that still exists."
Pipes make people happy. So do beers, church services, good novels, quality leadership (not Government), love, kindness, friendship, comradeship in war, and other "eternal" discovered moments of existential pleasure that are part of the human condition. You often do not realize these are good until looking back over the experience later, hopefully with a pipe load of Old Joe Krantz.
Even in times of darkness, we should motivate ourselves to spread more beauty and joy as a way of pushing back the ever-encroaching doubt that has always been a part of human life.
And for that, I will always speak up for the good actors. You know who you are, and some of you have packages coming.
I initially thought I was going to be more cautious with C&D purchases but that hasn't been the case. Life's too short to worry about 5, 10, 50 moldy tins 10 years from now. I've lost thousands of times their value in bad investments. That's the risks of life.
Getting ready to fire up some Captain Bob's Blend. :D
Getting ready to fire up some Captain Bob's Blend. :D
I've had no issues with their bulk offerings, it just seems like a certain few blends right now isn't in the best interest to purchase, especially not being in the US and risk paying customs twice. I love habana daydream, nightrain, three friars and I wouldn't stop buying the stuff that hasn't had issues but the ones that have are a no go for me right now. I also have some pirate kake I haven't tried yet but it's been jarred for 3 years now and still looking fine. Also Star of the east is another great blend from them, as well as billy budd. It's just those problem blends I wouldn't risk.
I'll definitely continue buying blends from them. I can't see myself never buy any GLPease blend in the future. In addition, things happen. I read a lot "mistakes happen". Are we so sure it's a mistake? In any case, I have found their attitude to be the most amazing I've seen. Proactively reaching out to people they know have bought the blend to find solutions is amazing, and amazingly rare.
Ok I'm a little bummed that I bought 2 additional tins before this whole thing started. I'll try to prevent anything from happening to them, I'll open them as soon as they arrive, and if they're all good, I'll cut them in pieces and dry the stuff. If it's covered in mould, well, we'll see then. Fingers crossed.
But I'll definitely continue buying from C&D.
Ok I'm a little bummed that I bought 2 additional tins before this whole thing started. I'll try to prevent anything from happening to them, I'll open them as soon as they arrive, and if they're all good, I'll cut them in pieces and dry the stuff. If it's covered in mould, well, we'll see then. Fingers crossed.
But I'll definitely continue buying from C&D.
8O Where else am I going to get my Black Frigate?!? I'll probably stay away from their red virginias as that's what the seem to be having issues with for the most part. But the way I see it is, they didn't want or expect this issue to develop, it obviously is going to hurt their profits, so I'm pretty sure they're likely doing anything they can to fix the issue as quickly as possible. Mold can be very difficult to get rid of. Give them some time to fix the problem. I bet they will. 
I've only tried a few C&D blends, and the blends I've tried don't seem to have been affected by the mold problem. I will continue to buy from them as the need to restock the cellar arises, but for the time being I'm good. I'll probably wait a while to buy some of the blends affected by the mold to help insure I don't have such issues down the road, but to completely abandon them is an absurd thought. They're a good company that had a problem. They're correcting the issue and making things right, and good companies like that deserve our support.
I will continue to buy C&D leaf until Greg Pease blends are produced by McClelland's. If I get a moldy lot I'm confident they will replace it, even 5 years down the road. That said, I totally respect the opinion of posters that have had enough.
PS Aldecaker has had a good number of rim-shots in this thread. :lol:
PS Aldecaker has had a good number of rim-shots in this thread. :lol:
I am slightly disappointed that C&D nor Greg have come on here to comment. C&D and Greg are usually very good about responding to complaints on here, and usually end up spinning the complaint into a great selling point.
I keep checking these threads awaiting his response.
I keep checking these threads awaiting his response.
"I am slightly disappointed that C&D nor Greg have come on here to comment."
I was thinking the exact same thing.
I was thinking the exact same thing.
I'll be the dissenting voice here, then. And not to stir shit but just to offer my own viewpoint.
I live in Canada. Every time a tin comes across the border it can and should be taxed both federally and provincially, to the tune of about 15 bucks a tin.
Now, because of that, I cannot simply return a tin. It's not about confidence in the vendor, it's about this is a one-way trip for any tins I import.
10 years ago I started building a cellar. My first tins purchased in order to put them away were the 2006 release of HH Vintage Syrian. In considering what I wanted to have around, two things drove me - tobacco enjoyment and tobacco reliability. Even then, 10 years ago, there were persistent rumors and clear cases of mold in the C/D product. Sykes recently wrote on this board that the contamination is super minimal and always has been - way less than 1% of product. And that's great, except that... I can't afford it. Can't take the risk because I can't just return product.
I never had a C/D blend I couldn't live without, nor a Pease. I like some, and for example, the Savinelli 140th is out of that factory, and I got a couple, and I like it a lot. But I won't try to store any.
I have in my cellar a single tin of Chelsea Morning. I hope it's okay when I get to it - probably it will be. But the rest is McClelland, Mac Baren, and Reiner. And I'm not worried one bit about any of those.
Yes, the folks behind C/D are and always have been standup types. But they have a persistent production issue that hasn't gone away and which no other brand suffers as far as I can tell. And I'm simply not in a position where I can accept an apology.
I live in Canada. Every time a tin comes across the border it can and should be taxed both federally and provincially, to the tune of about 15 bucks a tin.
Now, because of that, I cannot simply return a tin. It's not about confidence in the vendor, it's about this is a one-way trip for any tins I import.
10 years ago I started building a cellar. My first tins purchased in order to put them away were the 2006 release of HH Vintage Syrian. In considering what I wanted to have around, two things drove me - tobacco enjoyment and tobacco reliability. Even then, 10 years ago, there were persistent rumors and clear cases of mold in the C/D product. Sykes recently wrote on this board that the contamination is super minimal and always has been - way less than 1% of product. And that's great, except that... I can't afford it. Can't take the risk because I can't just return product.
I never had a C/D blend I couldn't live without, nor a Pease. I like some, and for example, the Savinelli 140th is out of that factory, and I got a couple, and I like it a lot. But I won't try to store any.
I have in my cellar a single tin of Chelsea Morning. I hope it's okay when I get to it - probably it will be. But the rest is McClelland, Mac Baren, and Reiner. And I'm not worried one bit about any of those.
Yes, the folks behind C/D are and always have been standup types. But they have a persistent production issue that hasn't gone away and which no other brand suffers as far as I can tell. And I'm simply not in a position where I can accept an apology.
Smoking pipes has posted several times since the hurricane. I am not saying that it isn't... but I've seen Greg respond within an hour of someone accusing him of PG's.
And, to clarify, I don't think that there has been an issue with any blend that has been on the shelf. This seems to be a relatively new problem.
This situation with C&D doesn't really affect me. I've only smoked a few blends of both Gregs and theirs. Other than Black Frigate I haven't found any regular smokers so far. I personally prefer McClellands and Hearth & Home. (I'm busy stocking up on H&H Marque and a few of the McClelands that will go away unless things change with the FDA)
I will not stop experimenting with their blends though because of this.
Also on the C&D website they mention mold issues with their Carolina Red Flake Small Batch product but don't mention any of the other blends that have the issue. Here's the link.
I'm shocked there has been no mention from Greg not only here but on his own website!!
I will not stop experimenting with their blends though because of this.
Also on the C&D website they mention mold issues with their Carolina Red Flake Small Batch product but don't mention any of the other blends that have the issue. Here's the link.
I'm shocked there has been no mention from Greg not only here but on his own website!!
Several years ago, I had some C&D Turkish Izmur that grew some mold. I picked out the bad spots and kept the rest jarred. I'm devoted to various C&D blends, a long list, and have had only that one mold incident. C&D is a small outfit, everything hand-blended, lots of labor intensive handling of the tobacco. They're in S.C., so mold is present. However, C&D is the major blender for creative use of burley in blends that renewed the old standby leaf.
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