There’s only about two toys in the entire world I want, and don’t have yet.
I want a long barreled Sharps with a color case hardened action with really nice walnut, and a ladder sight, in 45-70,,,,again. It’s the one gun out of many I’ve sold or traded want back enough to buy the next good one I see. Until then my Marlin Model 95 with cut rifling scratches my 45-70 itch. I may just put a Marble’s tang sight on my Marlin and call it good. I ain’t no Tom Selleck down under, anyhow.
The other toy is a thousand dollar grade CAO meerschaum pipe like the Charlie Rich doppelgänger smoked.
My mother introduced me to his shop, as the place where she bought my CAO meerschaum for my thirtieth birthday in 1988.
My mother was 62 in 1988, and the pipe seller must have been in his sixties as well. I’d driven Mama for a beauty appointment at the salon next door and for a couple of hours or so I had the privilege of watching the man work his trade.
It was set up exactly like a jewelry shop, on the south end where he sold meerschaums. Behind him were glass display counters with meerschaum pipes starting at about $100 on the bottom shelf to a thousand dollars, way up high.
The vast majority of the pipes were $200 to $400, in the middle.
The lady he was showing pipes, sat in a tall chair in the middle of the display, and beside her on a sort of island was the largest, most beautifully colored, and intricately carved Becker CAO meerschaum imaginable, which had every color of the rainbow colored on it.
The seller would inform the lady, that pipe was too large, and too delicate, to be carried about. He’d show the custom case for it the size of a violin case. Even that large a pipe used the same nylon joints he’d place on the island. In a low tone of voice he’d state every pipe he sold came with a free lifetime service and inspection policy and should those joints need replacement they would be serviced free.
At eye level behind him were a glorious display of $200 to $400 CAO pipes.
He’d take some for the lady’s inspection and explain about the mines, the carving, the grades, the qualities, and the timeless value of a fine meerschaum pipe. He had literature, those series of colored pipes sawn in two, and to top the show a handsome son with dark hair as his assistant,,,but the gray haired man was the smoothest and best salesman of maybe anything, I’ve ever seen.
There never was a woman that ever sat in that chair who’d been content with a $300 Diamond ring.
But she could buy a medium sized meerschaum her man could smoke when they went somewhere dressy, of the same quality as a thousand dollar grade meerschaum, only smaller.
Even at thirty my hair was starting to gray.
My mother came over to announce her hair was done, and after we left, she said it’s wise, that I never let my hair go gray, and you better hope you keep on graying, and then you may look like him, in due time.
I’ve never forgotten that good advice.
At least I could have his pipe, you know?