What Pipe Tobacco Did Bing Crosby Smoke Besides Crooner?

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JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
60,860
554,027
Some time back, somebody in this forum posted information about a blend that Bing smoked besides Crooner. Does anybody here have that information? I'd sure like to know.

 

huntertrw

Lifer
Jul 23, 2014
5,223
5,348
The Lower Forty of Hill Country
JimInks:
In his autobiography titled "Call Me Lucky" there is a black-and-white photograph of Mr. Crosby and his stand-in, Leo Lynn, which was taken in the former's dressing room. On the table in the background is a tin of Hayward Mixture.

 
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plugugly

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 9, 2015
280
32
Oh, good luck finding that old blend! Channeling Bing through Hayward won't be easy. But kudos to huntertrw.

That was a sleuthing feat worthy of Sherlock!
Plugugly

 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
60,860
554,027
Thank you, Hunter. I should have known you were the source of the info! :D

 

huntertrw

Lifer
Jul 23, 2014
5,223
5,348
The Lower Forty of Hill Country
The Hayward Mixture was once manufactured (or at least distributed) by the Moss & Lowenhaupt Cigar Company of St. Louis, Missouri, and was described by them as, "A mixture of four of the finest tobaccos grown." It was most recently manufactured by Lane Limited. Reviews of the latter may be found here (Hayward Mixture) on the Website of tobaccoreviews.com.

 

thefalcon

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 23, 2012
241
2
Jim, I have a copy of his Tobacco order from Strauss Brothers Tobacco in Cincinnati,Oh. He ordered 5-1Lb Tins of their Private stock Mixture. I know he also frequented the Original Tinder Box in Sana Monica, Ca. and purchased their Special Blend.
Cheers,--Eric

 

Sjmiller CPG

(sjmiller)
May 8, 2015
544
1,010
56
Morgan County, Tennessee
There is a Strauss Tobacconist still located in downtown Cincinnati. Knew it was there but did a quick check for some info on it. Apparently it is the same shop, having been in business since 1880. According to the info on tobaccoreviews, Private Stock is a mixture containing burley, Virginias, Perique, and Latakia. Not sure how the PTB feel about listing non advertisers info but if you are interested Mr. Inks, you can find their phone number online.
PTB - Powers That Be

 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
60,860
554,027
SjMiller: I wasn't looking to try it, but yeah, if I could get some Hayward Mixture to try, I'd sure want to smoke it. I was mainly asking because somebody was talking about Crooner, and remembered - and always thought - that the story about Bing smoking Crooner just isn't accurate. Maybe he did smoke a blend like it at one time, but I've always doubted that story a little.

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
I believe you're speaking of my recent faux pas of confusing Crooner with EGR's blend, Jiminks. From what I understand, Crooner was not around when Bing was alive. I think it was intended to replicate a favored blend of his, the name of which I do not know. I am certain some other forum members will have that information.

 

Sjmiller CPG

(sjmiller)
May 8, 2015
544
1,010
56
Morgan County, Tennessee
After spending 18 years in a field that involved a lot of oral history, I came to believe something very strongly. If you hear a story of the same incident from two people, each telling how they honestly remember it, you will end up with three stories. One person's truth, the other person's truth and the real truth which is the hardest of all to find. It is not intentional but that's what happens.
In this case, what the real truth is could be many things. He could have smoked something with burley and deer tongue and other tobaccos as well but the burley and deer tongue were what stuck in someone's mind. He might have tried the blend once. The blend could have been a gift from a friend and he said he liked it so as not to hurt their feelings. He could have been buying the blend as a gift for someone else.
While the picture from his autobiography mentioned by hunter, is good evidence, there is the possibility that tin of Hayward Mixture was a one time thing. Unless someone somewhere comes up with a letter from Crosby listing his favorite blends, or something along those lines, it will all just be conjecture.

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
@sjmiller- This is why prosecutors hate eyewitness accounts and love forensic evidence. Ask three different people, get four different stories!

 

davet

Lifer
May 9, 2015
3,815
330
Estey's Bridge N.B Canada
I found this on pipes.org for what it's worth,
Bing’s favorite blend is still available by C&D and is called crooner

Crooner is an American classic blend of slow-burning, nutty cube cut Burley and the sweet and fragrant notes added by the herb, deertongue. It is lovingly recreated by C&D from a recipe from the late Bob Runowski, who used to blend it with, and for, Bing Crosby.

 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
60,860
554,027
I've told this story before. In 1945, a friend of mine had a one day's pass while serving in the Sea Bees. He was in LA when he saw Bing Crosby go into a pipe shop and buy a pouch of tobacco. Then he started talking to Bing as he filled his pipe and got his autograph. My friend can't remember what the brand of the tobacco was, but it was not something especially made for Bing.
Aldecaker: no, this thread has nothing to do with our previous conservation. It stems from another I had with a friend.

 

settersbrace

Lifer
Mar 20, 2014
1,565
5
I've heard it said that Bing would smoke anything he could get. C&D Crooner is a blend I'd say represents many of the OTC offerings back in those days but that's just my personal theory.

 

thefalcon

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 23, 2012
241
2
I wasn't looking to try it, but yeah, if I could get some Hayward Mixture to try, I'd sure want to smoke it
Jim, I am a huge Crosby fan as well, and was also interested in his favored Blend/Blends. I am pretty sure I still have some Hayward mixture left over if you would like to try it. I would be more than happy to drop it to you when I drop your other sample. I am pretty sure from all of the info that I have scrounged up Bing favored the same type of Blend that was popular during that time, which was a Burley based blend with Latakia,Perique and some Virginia. I know the ones from Strauss and Ed's Tinder Box fit this Description as well as Hayward mixture which was an OTC. All of these blends fall into the American/English blend category! Happy Smokes!
Cheers,--Eric

 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
60,860
554,027
Eric: that's really cool of you. Thank you very much, buddy. I think I know what pipe I'll smoke it in, too! :D Have you tried the Strauss and Ed's Tinder Box blends. Are they close to Hayward Mixture? And have you tried Crooner?

 

thefalcon

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 23, 2012
241
2
Eric: that's really cool of you. Thank you very much, buddy. I think I know what pipe I'll smoke it in, too! :D Have you tried the Strauss and Ed's Tinder Box blends. Are they close to Hayward Mixture? And have you tried Crooner?
Jim, all of the above mentioned are in the same Genre of Tobaccos as Hayward Mixture except C&D's Crooner's Blend. As far as Crooner, I heard the story this way, Bing and a Friend would purchase the components of Burley and some other Tobaccos, my guess would be Latakia, Perique and Virginia along with some Deer Tongue to mix themselves for a Blend they enjoyed that was no longer available. C&D's Crooner contained only Cubed Burley and Deer Tongue, I smoked quite a bit of it....when it first came out. You got a good dose of the Vanilla type flavor along with the nuttiness from the Burly. I just felt it was lacking in the other condiment Leaves and at this time Ed's Special was still around, which contained a dash of Deer Tongue and I preferred it. The Crooner blend when it first came out had a substantial amount of Deer Tongue, haven't smoked any of it in years! Talk to you soon friend!
Cheers,--Eric :)

 

stanlaurel

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 31, 2015
701
9
I really enjoyed reading this thread yesterday morning. I decided to break out my large Chacom Canadian which I own because it reminds me of Bing in this photo.
bingpipe-3-483x600.jpg

While smoking a large bowl of Acadian Perique I was thinking of one of my favorite Bing moments in "Road to Rio" where he refers to his pipe as "my old heater".
I decided to dig out my stash of Crooner and give it another shot. I know that Jim gave it a rather scathing review and my past experience was not good but what the heck. Surprisingly it was rather pleasant. It was smooth and powerful and smoked all the way down with only a few lights and no bitterness at the end.
But I will say that after a bowl of HH Acadian and Crooner in the same afternoon, I was a bit woozy.

 
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