Lane Limited Ready-Rubbed: Return of a Legend
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Kevin Godbee - May 18, 2015
- 4 min read
E. Roberts
Hungry-Man dinners, really? I couldn’t believe it—or rather, I could believe it, all too easily on second thought. The celebrity host of a popular fashion-themed show frequents the same supermarket as a colleague, who sees him in there a couple times a week stocking up on the packaged meals. On the one hand, it was contradictory—here was a fashionista of the first order, someone who probably spent more on a tie than I do on an entire suit, the spokesperson for a lifestyle that demanded egregiously expensive self-branding in order to be de rigueur; a scion of taste, a taste-maker, in fact. On the other, I could easily understand that the guy’s professional schedule likely dwarfed mine by the same margin as his ties in terms of being hectic. Perhaps his lunches were all of the power variety, spent at the city’s finest five-stars, and when he was finally home from a long day all he wanted was a sodium-laden box of comfort food. I get it, I really do, and this confirms to me the value of not being a snob when it comes to taste—that even if it’s demanded in one’s professional life, it needn’t be in one’s personal life.
Which brings us to a most delightful package dropped off by the mail carrier the other day, courtesy Lane Limited: an advance screener of a certain classic burley in ready-rubbed format. That’s correct: Leonard Wortzel and company have heard the pleas of the common-man cognoscenti and revived the legacy of one of the all-time greats of OTC burleys with their answer to the fabled Edgeworth ready-rubbed. It doesn’t carry the name of its antecedent due to the legal disincentive of pursuing copyright and trademark, but it is the same recipe and it certainly embodies the spirit of that erstwhile blend. That it carries the moniker of Lane Limited Ready-Rubbed should be no discouragement, and perhaps be a better thing in the grander scheme for establishing its own legacy in time.
Perhaps the comparison of LLRR to a TV dinner is a bit of a stretch, but bear with me. First of all, it is without question firmly in the comfortable and economical camp of tobaccos, much like a packaged dinner replete with meat, vegetable and dessert is comfort food and a cheap square meal. When you get right down to brass tacks, though, this is a tobacco that can hold its own amongst the more precious boutique-variety specialty tins (composed of only the finest exotic tobaccos from far-away lands, of course) and due to its comparative economy, it can go a fair bit further when running that race. The bottom line is that it’s a damn good smoke, regardless the price or presentation, and it is on that quality which it shall be judged.
It certainly retains that earlier blend’s ease of packing, lighting, and puffing. One of the most effortless smokes I’ve had, to be frank; it takes to a match and rarely requires more than a second touch-up to find the heel. The taste is solid, uncomplicated, and satisfying. With a mildness that recommends it as a benchmark in the all-day smoke category, it’s easy to like. Not quite as nutty as Half and Half, milder and purer than Sir Walter, and less tart than Carter Hall, it is its own creature altogether in the pantheon of great OTCs. The cut is classic burley cube-chunk all the way. In the smoke, it’s in more of a woody, graham-crackery vein, with just a hint of cocoa, while the room note displays a bit more of the characteristic burley roasted nut aroma. It certainly evinces a “classic” vibe, as commented on by some friends I was taste-testing near over a few rounds of drinks in the backyard. If I had a nickel for every young lady who said I reminded her of her grandfather in these situations, I’d be a wealthy man. As it is, I simply invite them to sit on my lap for the full effect. No matter what pipe or chamber size you choose it smokes with equanimity, though it certainly gains a little something extra from the sweetness of a fresh Missouri Meerschaum. I tend to prefer smaller bowls, finding it perfect for my vintage Medicos. Thankfully, it tends to burn through to ash with very little moisture or residue, so eschewing the filter is an easy choice.
Sometimes, you’re just in the mood for a smoke, not an experience. Driving, doing the yard work, doing the Sunday crossword, lounging on the beach or just kicking back with a cold one—this is that kind of smoke. Appreciate it for what it is, and you’ll find yourself returning to it often. It’s comfort smoke, the memory of what your grandfather or uncle enjoyed, simple, relaxed, easy as a spring afternoon; and most of all, memorable for being all of that.
Lane Limited Ready-Rubbed is Available from PipesAndCigars.com Here
Written by Kevin Godbee
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When I first started with the pipe as a quirky and precocious teen, the only tutelage I had at my disposal were scenes from old movies in which a well dressed chap would stick his pipe into a pouch, scoop tobacco into the bowl and press it down unceremoniously with his thumb. Then, with great flourish, he’d strike a match and light the thing with all manner of cinematic excess, puffing up vast clouds of smoke falling just short of completely obscuring his visage. While it may look good on film, it’s a terrible approach to actually enjoying the thing. Somehow, though, this “technique” seems to have survived in the contemporary vernacular, at least to some extent, even with bit-loads of information handily at our fingertips that should dissuade us from the practice. But, at the time, this misguided approach was all I had; it’s no wonder my early days of puffing were fraught with difficult lighting, harsh, bitter smokes and tongue bite, all culminating in a fireproof mass of ye old soggy dottle in the bottom of the bowl. Ultimately, the resulting frustration made me give up the pipe, at least for a while. While the idea of it was still very appealing, the practice of it was not. It wasn’t until a few years later when, still full of curiosity and romantic notions of pipe smoking, I wandered into a real tobacconist’s shop, and learned my “method” was a long way from the techniques that would bring me to any sort of pipe smoking bliss. So, after my poor start, and under the guidance of someone who actually seemed to know how to do it right, I was given the opportunity to approach the process anew, this time with much greater success. It was only because I was both perseverent, and fortunate to have a local shop staffed with knowledgeable people, that I’ve been able to enjoy the experience ever since. At least mostly… How many fledgeling pipe smokers have simply given up on an enjoyable pastime because of similar early mis-starts? Fortunately, today, it’s not hard to find helpful guidance at the press of a key or ten. But, at the same time, not all roads lead to Valhalla, and sometimes the advice offered might well be labeled with, “Here be dragons.” The other day, I came across a short video on-line in which a well-meaning tobacconist suggested packing a bowl of an “English” mixture “nice and tight.” Perhaps somewhat ironically, I was smoking, or trying to smoke a bowl that I’d filled on auto-pilot, packed too tightly, and not only was having the devil of a time trying to keep it lit, I really wasn’t enjoying the acrid smoke the tobacco issued during the brief periods in which it was actually burning. “No, no, NO!” I found myself muttering at my pipe, and at the figure on the screen, my protests joined by the guttural growling noises that sometimes accompany my discontent. Defiantly, I grabbed a pipe nail, shoveled out the dense, asbestos-like clog from the bowl, swabbed out the shank with a pipe cleaner, more out of habit than need since I hadn’t actually smoked enough of the mass to foul the shank, and started over, this time paying proper attention to what I was doing. (For as long as I’ve been doing this, I still screw it all up sometimes.) Much better. This got me thinking about a couple things that are so important to the maximal enjoyment of our pipes, yet not often enough discussed, namely how different tobaccos respond to variations in filling density, and moisture content; two separate but related parameters. Once I’d been shown the proper way to fill the bowl, or at least a proper way, everything had changed for me. I also began drying my tobacco down as a matter of course. Suddenly, there was greater cooperation between leaf and flame, the smoke was rich and flavorful, and it burned mostly to the bottom of the bowl with few relights. Given that, at the time, I smoked latakia mixtures almost exclusively, there didn’t seem to be a reason to explore beyond my “new” approach. It wasn’t until my attention turned in the direction of Virginia blends that I had to look a bit deeper. The same technique that worked so well for me with latakia mixtures resulted in bland, and often harsh smokes with Virginias. I attributed this to the tobaccos, convincing myself that I just didn’t like the stuff. At one of our pipe club meetings, I was talking with a friend who smoked Three Nuns exclusively. When he offered me a bowl. I thanked him, and told him that I just didn’t seem to get along well with Virginias, that they weren’t for me. “Maybe it’s the way you pack them. Here, let me fill your pipe for you.” I watched as he rubbed out a few coins to fine ribbons, moister than I was then accustomed to, and filled the bowl carefully in stages, pressing it tighter than I would have. Prepared for a nightmare, I was instead treated to a pipe dream. The tobacco smoldered slowly and almost continuously, delivering a rich, cool, sweet and delicious smoke. After that, I spent some time exploring the impact of these two variables, moisture content and packing density, on different mixtures and blends, always with similar results. Latakia mixtures, and to a lesser extent, those with a high percentage of oriental leaf, taste and smoke better when they’re on the dry side and the bowl is filled loosely, while Virginia blends tend to work best with a little more moisture and a denser fill. Burleys seem to work best somewhere in between, except for cube-cuts, which don’t like to be packed with much pressure at all. (Gravity fill, tap the bowl to settle the cubes. Repeat until full.) For such a simple act, pipe smoking is filled with undefined complexities! The point behind all this? Often […]
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Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 602. Our featured interview tonight is with Kevin the Hobbiton Piper. Kevin was originally on the show in August 2021. The Hobbiton Piper YouTube Channel has 9.24k subscribers and over 120 videos with pipe and tobacco reviews, box openings, food, drink, and more. Kevin’s interview was one of our early novice pipe smoker features, so we’ll check in and see how his pipe smoking and YouTube channel have progressed. At the top of the show, we’ll have an “Ask the Pipemaker” segment with pipe artisan Jeff Gracik.
Great review. Would love to try it. For those who live outside the US and can’t order from P&C, does anyone know when SP or 4noggins will have this in?
If I recall correctly, P&C has a 2 month exclusive for online only. B&Ms can get it now.
I’ve been on a Burley quest lately so the timing is right!
Love the chunky cut … will try this one for sure.
Peck, I’d be happy to send you a sample when mine arrives.
Another fantastic review Mr. Roberts, and as always you are enabling the pipe community at large with your prose. I don’t know why Edgeworth was ever discontinued in the first place, but I am glad that it is back. Being a smoker that enjoys almost all blends at one time or another, this is a blend that stands the test of time despite the fact that some regard it as an inexpensive drug store blend. Many old timers (myself included) are smiling ear to ear upon the resurrection of Edgeworth now labeled as Lane Limited RR.
Boy oh boy- the layers of irony AND marketing! As an elitist by nature due to the ongoing onslaught of mass culture, and a populist by way of economy, I herald this with a certain glee which has everything to do with a reverse snobbery into retro-values. Bottom line is the price, and I’ve yet to focus on that through the spaces between the fingers clutched over my eyes. Ultimately, will I pull the wool?
I’ll tell you this. I’m fascinated by the new Hearth & Home Mid-Town series, and I plan to purchase a canister shortly. Like cobguy above/below, I too have been on a bit of a burley quest lately. A purchase of my first pouch of Half & Half has not been at all a foray into a world of unsmokable and ancient drug store blends.
I spent nearly a decade working in a B&M smoke shop. During that time I concentrated more on cigars, finally finding that quality and price are not at all directly proportional always by any means.
I think we are seeing an emerging form of tobacco revisionism, and my suspicions are that those whose reflexively spend the most they can on tobacco will be left with egg on their faces. That is if they can ever bring themselves to try some of these newly-revised blends which they ordinarily would have seen as beneath them.
Just imagine packing a bowl of something without thinking about it too much and just smoking it; it’s nearly unimaginable.
For the record, our new brand manager Lasse Randbøll Petersen was the real force behind bring RR back.
Many thanks for the review!
Great review Bill – thanks! I had never really thought about trying any of the American OTCs, mainly because they’re not readily available in England and what I’d heard about those you list didn’t encourage me to work out ways of sourcing them. However, I enjoy burley and your review makes the Lane RR sound like a winner, so I’ll definitely give it a go (as soon as I can work out how to get a tub!). If this is as good as I suspect, then the Pipe Club of London members will have to set up a supply line….
I am new to pipe smoking and have only smoked aromatics so far can someone give me a comparison ?
Moejoe, it’s a little difficult to describe the taste of an orange to anyone, let alone someone who’s never had any citrus fruit at all. Let’s just say there’s a flavor spectrum, and that aromatics are on the sweet side of things. The non-aromatic side is more savory, say, but in all truth there is a little sugar/flavoring in prectically every blend, it’s just those things are less-pronounced. I’m a big fan of latakia blends (Balkan, English Oriental etc) and with those you often get more natural flavors like pine, camphor, and different varieties of smokiness. I also smoke a blend I’ve created myself, with Virginias, Perique, dark-fired Kentucky and also Black Cavendish, and the latter is what gives it aromatic qualities, but its not sweet like most aro-smokers like. That’s my very generalized explanation.
Once upon a time there was a Georgian, a guy named Josif Dzhugashvili. His boss, a guy named Ulyanov, didn’t think he had leadership abilities. Still, Mr. Dzhugashvili did all right, the bad evals from his boss notwithstanding. Of course, Dzugashvili was Stalin who was from what became the Soviet Republic of Georgia and Ulyanov was Lenin. Now, Josif was a pipe smoker, a real pipe smoker. He was often photographed puffing away. Back in 1958, one of my high school teachers, a naval intelligence officer in WWII, told me Stalin preferred and smoked Edgeworth. As for me, I’ll be entering my 73rd year of this life in a couple weeks. I began smoking a pipe when I was 12 years old. I’ve been puffing away on a pipe all 61 years since then. I confess I purchased the odd pouch of Edgeworth back in the day. Although I most certainly find Mr. Roberts review laudable from a literary standpoint, I’m not so sure about one point. He makes reference to Mr. Wortzel hearing and responding to “the pleas of the common-man”. My supplier, Pipes and Cigars, offers Lane Limited RR for $35.99 for a 14 oz. can. No super math whiz, I believe that comes out to $2.57 per oz. Being one of those common men retired on a fixed income, I think the pricing is pretty steep for what was once an inexpensive OTC tobacco. That price is considerably higher than Half and Half, Raleigh, Granger and Carter Hall, all of which were OTC tobaccos. Anyhow, if Mr.Dzhugashvili, definitely not a common man and an Edgeworth smoker, encountered his beloved Edgeworth at this price, I think he would’ve screamed, “This is a capitalist plot!” I just think it’s too pricey, but what do I know?
@ Skipdetour,
I recall seeing an old illustrated diagram of Stalin’s pipe, along with FDR’s cigarette plus holder and Churchill’s cigar. The message was that these three added together would defeat Hitler, a nonsmoker. Funny how the symbolism plays out- where Stalin’s habit (something we of course see as the least harmful)is in contrast to the greatest murderer out of all of them.
“Being one of those common men retired on a fixed income, I think the pricing is pretty steep for what was once an inexpensive OTC tobacco. That price is considerably higher than Half and Half, Raleigh, Granger and Carter Hall, all of which were OTC tobacco”. And that precisely is the crux of the biscuit and part of my point as well. You might try one of Hearth & Home’s revised classics in the rather new Midtown Series. I can say right now that the Walnut is okay, and the Derby Club Classic is even better. These are on sale right now at $20 for a 14. oz. tub. How’s that for savings?
@moejoe – Taste is so subjective that it’s hard to define, yet there are commonalities strong enough to hold true for the larger percentage of the populace. In this regard, your best bet is to visit a local shop and start sampling pipe tobaccos in small quantities to discover what appeals to *you*. See this article ( http://bit.ly/How2Taste ) for a good primer on keeping track of your experiments.
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@skip – Uhm… http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current-inflation-rates/ Alternatively, instead of being bullied by the companies that produce the goods you wish to consume, you could grow your own! http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-and-Process-Tobacco
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@Leonard – Thank you, and Lasse Randbøll Petersen, for making this happen.