The Pipes Magazine Radio Show – Episode 68
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Kevin Godbee
- Jan 2, 2014
- 1 min read
Kevin Godbee
Thank you for joining us for The Pipes Magazine Radio Show—the only radio talk show for pipe smokers and collectors. We broadcast weekly, every Thursday at 8 pm eastern USA time and are available on nearly all podcast sites and apps. Listen on your computer, tablet, phone and even in the car! On tonight’s show Brian will be interviewing Cem Bahadir of MeerschaumStore.com. His company has been in business for 50-years, and he has a wealth of knowledge about Meerschaum. In our “Pipe Parts” educational segment we will be comparing pipes and cigars—they are both “experiences”, but they are different experiences. Our pipes are packed, drinks are poured, the sound check is done … pack a pipe, sit back, relax and join us for The Pipes Magazine Radio Show.
Tonight’s show is sponsored by Sutliff-Tobacco.com, CupOJoes.com, SmokingPipes.com, Missouri Meerschaum, 4noggins.com, and MeerschaumStore.com, Please give them some consideration when making your next pipe or tobacco purchase.
We hope you enjoy our 1-hour show produced just for you—the pipe smoker and collector. The following link will launch a pop-up player. Alternatively, you can download the show in iTunes and other podcast sites and apps after the initial broadcast is complete here.
Cem Bahadir of MeerschaumStore.com
Written by Kevin Godbee
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Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 619. Our featured interview tonight is with Corey Hays. Corey is a 26-year old pipe smoker that is part of our ongoing series of pipe smokers that are under the age of 30. He is from Mississippi and has never lived more than 20-minutes away from The Country Squire Tobacconist. He was influenced to smoke a pipe by reading J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and 20th Century American History. He has been smoking pipes for three years. At the top of the show, Brian will have a tobacco review of a special tobacco that you could only get a pipe show.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 618. Our featured interview tonight is with AJ Khaled. AJ is a 22-year old pipe smoker that is part of our ongoing series of pipe smokers that are under the age of 30. Interestingly, he wasn’t initially inspired to take up the pipe by The Lord of the Rings, but more so by the author Tolkien himself while he was reading some of his other works. AJ has some really unique custom made pipes where he gave design specifics to and had them made by pipe makers Chris Askwith and Arcangelo Ambrosi. At the top of the show, we’ll have an “Ask the Pipemaker” segment with pipe artisan Jeff Gracik.
The other day, I was having a conversation with a friend about tobacco moisture. He tends to believe that a freshly opened tin presents the blender’s notion of the ideal moisture content for that tobacco, and that’s how it should be smoked. He’s not wrong, but as with so many things in our wacky world, it’s a little more complicated than that. When thinking about ideal moisture content for any specific tobacco, there are criteria for determining “correct” levels that can sometimes be at odds with one another. The proper moisture content for packaging tobacco, for instance, may not be the ideal moisture for smoking it. By way of background, let’s have a very brief and simplified look at the life of our beloved leaves once they’ve left the curing barns. Whole leaves or strips, the lamina of the leaves with the midrib removed, are boxed or baled quite dry for storage and transport. Before the tobacco can be worked, it has to be conditioned to a moisture level that allows it to be handled without shattering. There are various ways to accomplish this, but the end result is leaf that is pliable and easily manipulated without breaking. It can then be pressed into soft cakes that are cut into ribbons, or blended in stacks destined to be turned into plugs or flakes. At this point, it’s too moist to be considered “finished,” and has to go through a redrying stage. Since all of these steps may take place over a matter of months, or even years, tobacco can go through several conditioning/redrying cycles before it becomes the finished product. When it’s time to package a blend, the moisture level of the tobacco may have to be adjusted once again. If it’s too damp, there’s an increased risk of mold blooms, either within the sealed tin, or when spores are introduced after the tin is opened. This is never a good thing, so there’s a fairly hard upper limit to how much moisture is acceptable at this stage. If the leaf is too dry, on the other hand, things get troublesome in a different way. Dry, fragile tobacco can break into small fragments, even to the point of some of the leaf turning to dust during handling when packing the tins, and when those tins are jostled about during transport. This, again, is not ideal, establishing a lower limit for moisture content. Then, there’s the tobacco’s potential for aging to be considered. In order for these biological and chemical changes to take place, there has to be enough moisture to support the metabolic processes of the microorganisms involved in the various stages of fermentation that begin once the tin is sealed, and to allow for equilibration of various volatile byproducts of those processes. Finally, within the relatively wide window of upper- and lower-boundary conditions, there’s the moisture level for best smokability to be considered. That’s where things can get a little tricky. Different smokers have different preferences, and this is confounded by the fact that different types of tobaccos behave differently when their relative moisture content changes. To my palate, mixtures containing high percentages of latakia or oriental tobaccos generally tend to smoke and taste their best when on the dry side, while blends that predominantly comprise Virginia tobaccos like a bit more moisture to bring out their sweetness. But, this is a very general guideline, and I often find exceptions. Sometimes the same tobacco can be quite mercurial in its presentation depending on how damp or dry it is. The other day, I had a bowl of a latakia and Virginia-rich flake, fresh out of the tin with no drying time, and it was delightful, with the sweetness of the virginias taking center stage. A subsequent bowl, after a bit of drying time, rendered the orientals more forward, softened the sweetness, and polished the sharper edges of the latakia’s flavor profile. Same tobacco; two very different experiences. Additionally, things like ambient air temperature and relative humidity can play a significant role in the way any tobacco burns, but more importantly, how it tastes. (When it’s hot and humid, I generally abandon my latakia mixtures in favor of VAs and VA/perique blends.) If you haven’t experimented with this, it’s a fun thing to play with. Take enough tobacco out to fill your next bowl, and let it sit out for a while – anything from a few minutes to an hour or two, depending on the climate. (For those in tropical zones, this might actually have the opposite result. Yes, there really are people in some parts of the world who keep their tins sealed to keep moisture from getting in, not out.) See how it tastes in comparison to fresh from the tin. When tobacco is on the dry side, a gentle hand when packing is advised. What about when we rediscover an opened, long-forgotten tin whose contents have become all but desiccated? Can it be brought back to life? While the tobacco won’t return 100% to its best form, as some of the volatile components from aging will be lost to the ether, it can certainly be made smokeable again, and might yield some pleasant surprises. Of course, first give it a try as is, and see what it’s like. There are a couple of good ways to bring the moisture level up, and some not so good ways. I don’t recommend spraying it with water, putting apple or potato slices in the tin, or any other drastic measures. Tobacco takes up moisture much more slowly than loses it, and it will take time for all the strands to reach equilibrium, so a gentle approach is advised. My favorite is to put the leaf in a small bowl, cover the bowl with a damp cloth or paper towel, and set a plate on top. Keep an eye on it over a day or two, checking the progress periodically and ensuring the cloth remains damp. This also works […]
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 617. Our featured guest tonight is Jon David Cole. JD is the Owner/Tobacconist at The Country Squire in Jackson, MS, and the accompanying online store. We’ll have JD and Brian talking about what’s new at the store and in the business in general, including Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s acquisition of Mac Baren. At the top of the show, Brian will discuss pipe shows, pipe show organizing, and the Las Vegas International Pipe Show.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 616. Our featured interview tonight is with Gabe Hall. Gabe is a 23-year old conservative Californian from Bakersfield that is involved in politics part time. He is part of our newer ongoing series of pipe smokers that are under the age of 30. Both his story of starting pipe smoking, and his smoking routine are a little bit different than the usual story. At the top of the show we will have an Ask the Tobacco Blender segment with Jeremy Reeves. Jeremy is the Head Blender at Cornell & Diehl, which is one of the most popular boutique pipe tobacco companies in the USA.
Ok, the old Pundit is gonna say this only once. Well, maybe twice: It’s beach time! Some of my happiest pipe-smoking memories were created on the back deck of an original Pawleys Island, S.C., beach house. Listening to the waves dash and flop were pure music, highlighted by the squealing laughter of children frolicking along the beautiful Atlantic shoreline. Now, before you go bellowing about shark attacks, Pundit has his No. 1 Rule about sharks and warning flags, even if no flags are flying on an empty stretch of coastline. Having fished the surf many a day and evening, and even occasionally on a high pier resting on mighty shell-encrusted pilings and stretching out over the aqua-tinted waters, it became apparent that predators with large, sharp teeth prowled menacingly close to splashing bathers So, Pundit Beach Rule No. 1, ankle-deep wading and strolling, only. Make quick swims if it is not too windy, and never if menacing fins are seen cutting the water like the bow of a battleship. Rule adjustments might be needed for kiddies and exuberant beach paddlers in the family. Another necessary adjustment in the rule is no swimming alone. OK, beach lesson over. You don’t have to take Pundit’s word. Check out sea-going pipe-smoking experts: Herman Melville, who knew a thing or two about ferocious whales, and Sir Ernes Henry Shackleton, a famed adventurer who took on frozen seas. No sharks, but the message loudly proclaims oceans harbor many a menace, some large in body with huge teeth and some just frozen solid mountains of floating ice. And while checking up on Pundit, you might enjoy Chuck Stanion’s Herman Melville’s Literary Pipes February 4, 2022, in Pipe Line and his masterful story on the Shipwreck of Shackleford’s Endurance, also in Pipe Line. Now back to Pundit’s time on the beach, in a chair at sunrise on a screened-in deck, seas dancing, pipe in hand. Vacations today seem to be all hurly-burly, hurry, scurry, and worry. Back when a seaside deck beckoned, I packed not only fishing equipment, and some clothes, but also a shoulder bag full of pipes and enough tobacco to survive a voyage with Sir Shackleton. Each morning, noon, and night watch was accompanied by different pipes and different blends. Pipes ranged from Dunhills, Cavicchis, Ser Jacopos, Ashtons, Petersons, and Savinellis. Blends tended to be simple: aromatics and English containing various additives, of course. On rare occasions, I made a Pundit blend, which combined English with Latakia and aros with Virginia. Pundit blends were meh, but there were Cornell & Diehl, Capstan, Samuel Gawith, Three Nuns, Wessex, and the late lamented McClelland, plus a couple of others to save the rare moments. Pundit beach time was also a time for testing THESIS (taste, heat, enjoyment, strength, issues, satisfaction). There is but one way to do this properly and that is to employ a new cob pipe. Cobs give a good overall THESIS, sort of the cheaper version of precious sea-borne meerschaums. Cobs are, in a way, landlocked meers, and provide an excellent idea of how a particular blend will emerge. Ok, enough of experimentation. We are on a beach vacation, right? Observing the sun rising over an orange-lit horizon with a pipe and a cup of coffee is simply put, enchanting. Sun and ocean seem to merge for a brief moment in a blur of beauty. You can find yourself at the beach, leaning back in a chair, letting the morning-salted breeze sweep over you whilst you puff gently in between sips. Ahh, that’s a morning on the beach. There is nothing quite like it in the Pundit’s mind. And now for a couple of thoughts from real experts on sea adventures: Herman Melville is an American author, poet, and novelist best known for “Moby Dick.” But let us not forget Cornell & Diehl’s Melville at Sea tobacco series of blends: Billy Budd, Redburn, and John Marr, other noted works from Melville’s pen as well. It is better to fail in originality, than to succeed in imitation. He who has never failed somewhere, that man cannot be great. Failure is the true test of greatness—Herman Melville. Then there is Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton. Pipes, as mentioned by Chuck in his excellent piece on the great explorer, who relied on his pipe when the going got rough. Through endurance we conquer― Ernest H. Shackleton And finally, a Pipe Smoker of the Past cannot go without mentioning: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, born May 22, May 1859, and died July 7, 1930. If you are struggling to identify Sir Doyle in your mind, then you might be too young to be reading this. Of course, he is the prodigious author of the great detective Sherlock Holmes novels. Holmes and his drama are must-reads on any pipe-smoker’s novel list. ‘Nuff said! It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Hey Brian,
I like cigars when cutting the grass. It is a bit difficult for a pipe. Otherwise I do not smoke them often. I remember when Cuesta Rey #95 were 3 for $1.00. I agree that you get a totally difficult flavor with a cigar.
Meerschaum Pipes – If Briar is King, then Meerschaum is the Queen of pipes. Great smoking pipe, however, like you, I only smoke them occasionally – and inside while sitting.
John Coltrane – neat music selection.
I don’t agree on the gift cards. If you know someone is getting an IPAD, then an ITUNES card is appropriate, especially a person of the newer generation. I do agree that a more personalized gift is appropriate to those that are more appropriate.
Keep up the good work and the best in 2014.
Hey Brian,
Thanks for another great show. Haven’t tried a meerschaum pipe yet but plan to at some point. How about having Russ Ouellette on as a guest? I enjoy the handful of Hearth & Home tobaccos I have tried and would love to hear what he has to say about his blending process and whatever else comes up.
I smoke both pipes and cigars but I prefer pipes of the two. When working in my woodshop however, it is much easier to smoke a cigar than fuss with my pipes. When relaxing, it is almost always my pipe.
I agree with you about the giftcards in principal but I gave out a few this year. I come from a family of readers and quite a few of us have Kindles so gift cards are the easiest way to give somebody an e-book. Not as nice as an actual book in my opinion but in some ways, more convenient. As you mentioned though, they were add ons to the main gift, not the gift itself.
Lastly, I hope that congress does the right thing and leaves our cigars and pipe tobaccos alone but I have absolutely no faith that will be the case. As Marijuana is becoming more accepted and is starting to be sold legally in a few locations in the country, with more to follow I would assume, we pipe smokers are becoming increasingly concerned about being able to enjoy tobacco without the government screwing it all up. What a sad state of affairs.
Happy New Year, Brian!
As always, enjoyed the show. I’ve been smoking Fuente “858”s since they were about $1.00; my favorite cigar. I, too, am partial to the Hemingway series, especially the “Short Story.” But, cigars, like pipe tobacco, so many great choices, so little time.
Thanks for the informative discussion of meerschaum, with Cem Bahadir. I don’t smoke mine enough, ‘cause, for me, they’re “inside” pipes.
And, loved the Coltrane. Charlie Rouse, one of Monk’s saxophonists, was also a pipe smoker. Just sayin’.
You asked, so, my suggestion for a guest is Steven Books. His history in the business is quite fascinating, and he knows a bit about tobacco.
Later, Dino.
Great choice for the Trane. Thanks for the interview too. Now that I’ve spent my son’s inheritance on briars I guess I’ll have to get one of those reverse mortgages to start collecting meerschaum. Of course, smoking differently, I’m sure I’ll need special tobaccos for them. Anybody want to buy a 1972 Les Paul Deluxe :}
Hey Brian.
Great interview found it very informative about the making of the meerschaum pipe have to admit visited my local tobacco store and had a chance to hold a meerschaum. I was almost told the dealer to wrap one up for me but I will wait until I have payed off all my Christmas expenses first. As for cigars have to say I really enjoyed the Zino Mouton Cadet No 1 and Partagas serie D robusto from Havana Cuba.
Just started listening to the show and found myself backtracking through all the older episodes. Really cool show to listen to as I smoke! Informative, educational, of course entertaining! As a younger smoker its neat to learn about the many different facets that make up the pipe world; not to mention about our love for premium tobacco! Really enjoy it! Thanks.
I generally prefer cigars to pipes. Use to love Havanas until the Cubans decided to destroy their quality during the cigar boom. Smoked a lot of Camacho Corojos until they lost their minds and decided to change the blend and make it milder. Can’t go wrong with a well aged OpusX.
Pretty good interview. Informative and reveling.
I hate giving money or gift cards but admit that at times they have their place.
Really enjoyed the interview. I have several briar pipes, but have recently been enjoying a meerschaum on a regular basis. In fact, I have purchased 4 more in the past couple months. They are very “smoker-friendly” in that you don’t have to “rest” a meerschaum, you can re-load it and smoke it again and again. There is a lot of good info out there on the internet about meerschaum pipes. One important thing is do not allow a cake buildup, just wipe the bowl out with a paper towel or tissue after use. Do let it cool down before removing the stem. If you tend to be a “puffer” and worry about briar burn-out, then a meerschaum might be the pipe for you. Brian, I love the radio show and just found it about a month ago, still catching up on previous episodes. Nothing but positive comments!! Thanks