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  1. Butter Side Down

    Just floating an idea...

    Just floating an idea here. Curious to see what people think. Maybe it's a good idea. Or maybe I need to leave the thinking to the people who have some experience at it. Ok. So background: I recently picked up the pipe again after a long hiatus. Back before, I was smoking 5-6 pipes a day. Now...
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    Small is Beautiful ?

    I like to have a variety of pipe sizes (bowl size and stem length). I feel like the subtle differences can have an effect on how blends taste. It's not a hard fast rule by any means, but I personally like VAs in a narrower bowl and Latakia blends in a wider bowl. This it totally non-scientific...
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    Help identify this mystery VA flake (McClelland?)

    Well, I tore off a bit this morning and rubbed it out. A little dry but not too dry. A little oily, but not too oily. Packed it up in one of my best VA flake pipes, a cute little nose warmer dublin made by David Huber. Charring light: flavors a little too vague to really say much at this point...
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    Help identify this mystery VA flake (McClelland?)

    Huh. Well that's interesting for sure. Is that sample from your stash?
  5. Butter Side Down

    Help identify this mystery VA flake (McClelland?)

    Fair point. And dang. I was hoping that would help narrow the search. Now it's a wide open field again. Unless there's someone else who uses vinegar. Still unidentified then. Even if it's not McClelland, the fact remains, it's too long, too narrow and too uniform in thickness for FVF. Plus...
  6. Butter Side Down

    Help identify this mystery VA flake (McClelland?)

    More about the tin aroma... I'm not great with poetic descriptions, but I can say that aside from the mild BBQ aroma, it smells sweet and a little spicy. Not a bit of hay or grass at all. Much closer in smell to something like OGS or Reiner long gold flake than FVF. So if I had to guess, I'd say...
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    Help identify this mystery VA flake (McClelland?)

    So I was going through some stuff in the cellar and came across this VA flake pictured below. Pretty sure I got it in trade for something or as part of a box pass. The label on the jar (not in my handwriting) says FVF 2012 but this is in no way similar to Full Virginia Flake. Except the...
  8. Butter Side Down

    My first restoration, a Lee Three Star.

    Nice work! Night and day transformation. I've done a few myself. It's a lot of work, but worth the reward.
  9. Butter Side Down

    Suggestions for Straight Virginias or Virginia Based Blends

    Also just thought of this... If you're in the UK or ever visit there, here are a few other things worth trying that STG also got when they acquired the old Murray recipes (along with Erinmore): Mick McQuaid, Warrior, and Yachtsman. Those come in plug format but are interesting in their own way...
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    Suggestions for Straight Virginias or Virginia Based Blends

    Agreed. I'm a fan of erinmore and I think it's a pretty unique flavor. That said, there are a few things I like which are definitely different but have something about them which points in a similar direction. Or, as some people like to say, scratches the same itch. Those for me are University...
  11. Butter Side Down

    Idiot Question from a Veteran Smoker

    I'd say the tin type has more to do with how things fare in storage than the paper. The round twist tops (dunhill and the like) are the best generally. They make a very good seal when they're closed. I've had blends that stayed moist in those tins for years with or without the paper. The...
  12. Butter Side Down

    I swear. I leave you guys alone for 5 minutes...!!!

    Good to know. Thanks for the heads up. Fortunately for me, at the current rate of 1 pipe a day, I probably have enough Skiff mixture, Squadron Leader, OGS, and Revor plug to last me for the next five years so it may be a while before I have to worry too much about it. Side note, I just noticed...
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    I swear. I leave you guys alone for 5 minutes...!!!

    This all makes sense. So it sounds like the days of just being able to pick up a few tins of something anytime you want to are pretty much over, and unless you're looking for a super-popular blend, the new paradigm is "If they have it, and you think you might ever want it, buy it now before...
  14. Butter Side Down

    I swear. I leave you guys alone for 5 minutes...!!!

    I'm not concerned about Iwan Ries. The post was in no way meant to disparage them in any way. I know they know what they're doing. They'll continue to have my business as long as their doors are open. As far as I can tell, all the major etailers (smokingpipes.com, etc ...) seems to have the...
  15. Butter Side Down

    I swear. I leave you guys alone for 5 minutes...!!!

    I just picked up the pipe again recently after a 7 year hiatus. Yesterday, I dropped by my local brick and mortar (Iwan Ries) for the first time since maybe 2015, and boy was it a shock. They used to have multiple tins of every blend imaginable (well, except for maybe Penzance which was...