WW2 Blends

[OverMountain]

Seeing pipes in old imagery both allies and axis, what were the blends that went to war?

I remember my grandfather telling me US cigarettes or tobacco could get you anything you wanted after the war ended in Europe.

 

[Egg Shen]

Interesting question but I suspect that at some point GI’s were content to crumble a Lucky Strike into their bowl.

 

[sham]

US cigarettes or tobacco could get you anything you wanted after the war ended in Europe

I can't answer your question but this reminded me that I need to keep trying to convince my wife that there is good reason to stock up on tobacco, whiskey, and ammunition

 

[Grangerous]

US Cigarettes could get you anything long after the war. When I was stationed in Frankfurt, cartons of popular US brands were gold.

Of course, the Mark Rate being 4 to the dollar didn’t hurt either.

 

[btp79]

In "The Guns of Navarone" the dude just tears open a cigarette and dumps it into his pipe. It's on TV (now) which as I understand it was the 50s/60s version of "you can't put it on the internet if it's not true"

Also bear in mind the "codger blends" like prince albert, half and half, Walter Raliegh, have been codger blends since before the average home had indoor plumbing so I'd wager any of them would be firmly represented in the WWII era.

 

[Searock Fan]

 

[camaguey]

Yes , my father was a WW2 veteran and altrough he was not a pipe smoker , he remembered the prince albert and half&half. Another veteran who was my uncle used to smoke a pipe with Walter Raleigh. So for sure at least those 3 were common on that time.

 

[kcghost]

So was my father. He dearly loved smoking cigarettes. I can't believe he quit after hist 20 years were up. Pipe smoke I remember from the 50's smoked PA and SWR.

 

[sablebrush52]

Prince Albert and Half & Half were readily available at any WW2 era PX. Other blends were Revelation, Edgeworth, and Walnut. Brits probably had Capstan in one of its many forms, St Bruno, St Julian, War Horse and Players.

 

[OverMountain]

My grandfather gave 2 packs of American smokes and got a German dentist to do a silver filling that lasted him over 70 years until his death. He was a bargain hunter

 

[judcole]

There's so many of the old blends that are long gone - Revelation, Country Doctor, Barking Dog, Union Leader, Blue Boar, Edgeworth, all spring to mind with no effort. Blends like Velvet, Prince Al, Sir Walter Raleigh, Half and Half, were all around then.

 

[Grangerous]

 

[Searock Fan]

View attachment 275226

He's not the only cat that looks like Der Fuhrer. Just Google "Kitler" and hit "images" and you'll see more.

For some reason WW2 and Hitler have popped up here several times in the last few days and I've responded 3 times. I'm kind of an amateur WW2 historian but my wife says she thinks I'm a closet Nazi. She should know.... she's Jewish.

 

[krizzose]

View attachment 275226

This brings to mind the JC Penney teapot kerfuffle from a few years ago



Hitler teapot

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

I think Half & Half, SWR, Velvet, and Prince Albert were the ones most commonly sent to the front. Here’s a Spartan pipe made by D&P from my collection, it was made specifically to be sent over in C Rations. It’s made from rhododendron root and the stem is maple.

 

[VDL_Piper]

My father was a WW 2 veteran and it was Capstan, Edgeworth, Log Cabin, White Oak and Black and White for the Aussie troops but of these Capstan was the most constant. This tin has the Australian Comforts Fund, ACF stamped on the tin.

 

[OverMountain]

I think Half & Half, SWR, Velvet, and Prince Albert were the ones most commonly sent to the front. Here’s a Spartan pipe made by D&P from my collection, it was made specifically to be sent over in C Rations. It’s made from rhododendron root and the stem is maple.View attachment 275586View attachment 275587

I’ve heard of these but never seen one. I don’t even think the Grabow factory has one!

 

[OverMountain]

My father was a WW 2 veteran and it was Capstan, Edgeworth, Log Cabin, White Oak and Black and White for the Aussie troops but of these Capstan was the most constant. This tin has the Australian Comforts Fund, ACF stamped on the tin.
View attachment 275598

This is a great piece, was it your father’s?

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

I’ve heard of these but never seen one. I don’t even think the Grabow factory has one!

It took me a fairly long time time to find one. I suspect the vast majority of them were left burnt and broken scattered across France and the Pacific. They were pretty notorious for burning out relatively quickly.

 

[dcrguns]

My Grandfather said he smoked Prince Albert and it was not too difficult to get as most of the GIs he was with all wanted the cigs he was issued and he just traded for it. He smoked PA until he passed.