Certain Tobaccos are a Hard Find

[sparker69]

I'm not sure if it's a regular thing or maybe something to do with certain sellers, but it seems that a few different tobaccos that I enjoy are not restocking that fast. In fact, they don't seem to be restocking at all? Is this a new restocking issue or is it old hat? The one's I have in mind, and I didn't seem to think they would be so rare are the Solani line - Silver Flake & Virginia with Perique in particular, some of the Savinelli line - Doblone d'Oro, and Fribourg & Treyer.

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[Chasing Embers]

I'm not sure if it's a regular thing or maybe something to do with certain sellers, but it seems that a few different tobaccos that I enjoy are not restocking that fast. In fact, they don't seem to be restocking at all? Is this a new restocking issue or is it old hat? The one's I have in mind, and I didn't seem to think they would be so rare are the Solani line - Silver Flake & Virginia with Perique in particular, some of the Savinelli line - Doblone d'Oro, and Fribourg & Treyer.

​

Excluding Doblone d'Oro, they've always been that way. As for Solani, if you haven't bought them for a while, they recently revamped the recipes and not for the better.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Doblone d'Oro is in stock at SPC.

 

[sablebrush52]

Solani Silver is a favorite of mine and fortunately I have some laid away, as the blend is not what it once was, same goes for 633, The Perique has been reduced considerably.

There have been occasional stocking delays and shortages for years. In 2014 Wessex Campaign Dark Flake just disappeared for months. Rattrays blends, Sam Gawith blends, you name it, have gone missing for long periods from time to time.

The whole Penzance/Esoterica madness began with delayed shipments back in 2006.

Stuff happens.

 

[logs]

Solani Silver is a favorite of mine and fortunately I have some laid away, as the blend is not what it once was, same goes for 633, The Perique has been reduced considerably.

There have been occasional stocking delays and shortages for years. In 2014 Wessex Campaign Dark Flake just disappeared for months. Rattrays blends, Sam Gawith blends, you name it, have gone missing for long periods from time to time.

The whole Penzance/Esoterica madness began with delayed shipments back in 2006.

Stuff happens.

I certainly agree about 633. It used to be my favorite perique bomb.

 

[Searock Fan]

I guess I should consider myself lucky. I'm not so in love with one blend that nothing else will do. If I can't get one, there is always another that will suit me just fine.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

Since I've been smoking a pipe, 2011, there has always been an issue obtaining Balkan Sobranie, Esoterica blends, Germain blends, and a few Butera blends. Nothing has changed with those blends, and I don't see it ever changing at this point.

I know that when the FDA was going to impose rules about cigars and pipe tobacco (several years back, 2016?), which would requiring manufacturers to submit samples for testing, etc., many people went out and bought a tone of tobacco. Especially since they thought many blends would disappear. Then there was the closure of McClelland, and while many people bought up what they could of their stock, they were also buying other brands as there was a fear of other companies potentially doing the same. Then the same went for when Dunhill tobacco went away. Stocking up on Dunhill, and other favorites. I remember going online and literally every Samuel Gawith, Dan Tobacco, Wessex, and Rattray's, were out of stock, and most Cornell & Diehl and GL Pease blends were hard to come by. It was very difficult to buy certain tobaccos for a while.

Of course, then there were issues with distribution with Covid-19, and I think the tobacco companies are still trying to recover from that. Plus, I believe there are more pipe smokers currently than there has been in a while. So, between distribution issues, more people smoking pipe tobacco, and more people stocking up on tobacco, it's been harder for these companies to keep the shelves stocked.

That's just my thought though.

 

[Puffaluffaguss]

I must agree with the Solani 633 statement, I've recently traded for a tin of it because I couldn't find any in stock besides overseas sellers. Sooo I popped the tin expecting much more perique and I was slightly disappointed. The Virginia is high quality and will age just fine but I can see it being better with all the hype from years gone by.

 

[ThermionicScott]

I don't know if other people do this, but I like to put anything I'm remotely interested in, in my "wish list" on SP, P&C, Watch City etc. Then I fill my cart up to the ~$100 mark and wait until it's time to submit my monthly (or so) order. In the meantime, I get constant notifications about things going in and out of stock. Maybe it's been like this for a while, but earlier in my pipe-smoking "career" it would have been really strange to want to order Dunhill 965 or Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake and have to wait for it to be back in stock!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I remember Solani always being hit or miss. Not a favorite, but it has been slow to restock for years.
Hell, most of them are these days.
I have no idea what you boys that don’t cellar do. I guess most just smoke codger blends, or wait by the web stores like puppies.

 

[Puffaluffaguss]

I remember Solani always being hit or miss. Not a favorite, but it has been slow to restock for years.
Hell, most of them are these days.
I have no idea what you boys that don’t cellar do. I guess most just smoke codger blends, or wait by the web stores like puppies.

It's not so much waiting but more a constant prowl. For some reason when I'm just sitting around, I search all the sites for blends I've been wanting to try to see if they are in stock. Mostly during my morning squat. Smoking pipes site is very easy and user friendly to search every blend I want in less then 5 minutes the other places take a bit longer but between 16 to to 12 hours I'm not working 20 minutes a day to procure a blend isn't so bad. Eventually I won't need to buy anything at which point the itch will still be soothed by new or limited blends. Can't wait till then but then again that means I'm getting older too ok now I'm ranting .

 

[mso489]

The more particular and discerning your tastes, the more likely scarcity becomes. One strategy is to lay aside some of the most prime items and smoke them over time and not all at once, and find more widely distributed blends for your rotation that you can enjoy but also buy on a dependable basis.

Have a little Lane Limited and Sir Walter Raleigh, or similar blends you'd prefer, along with the unicorns. That gives you a lot of flexibility when choice blends become unattainable. Also, it reminds you that a number of "lesser" blends are pretty damned good.

Also, some match blends are quite respectable.

 

[Auxsender]

I'm not sure if it's a regular thing or maybe something to do with certain sellers, but it seems that a few different tobaccos that I enjoy are not restocking that fast. In fact, they don't seem to be restocking at all? Is this a new restocking issue or is it old hat? The one's I have in mind, and I didn't seem to think they would be so rare are the Solani line - Silver Flake & Virginia with Perique in particular, some of the Savinelli line - Doblone d'Oro, and Fribourg & Treyer.

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Have you checked Esterval’s? They usually have lots of Solani blends in stock. They also sell tins of other great European blenders like HU and Dan Tobacco and a shitload of others I know nothing about.

 

[renfield]

Welcome to one of the perennial features of the hobby. Stock up when a favorite comes back in stock or find places like Estevals that have better access to a lot of blends as they’re in Europe.

 

[Epip Oc'Cabot]

I will say that my beloved OTC’s of Sir Walter Raleigh (traditional) and Prince Albert (traditional) are damn hard to find anymore in my neck of the woods. They used to be in every pharmacy and grocery store. No more in my area. It is frustrating and I have gone to on-line because of it and that even is also sometimes challenging.

I am not as “committed” to any particular “special” pipe tobaccos (I consider all other pipe tobaccos as “special” and like them and have many.). When I run out, it is not a huge loss because there are so many “special” varieties that I never focused on any particular one consistently.

 

[anotherbob]

I am glad I am not too picky.

 

[daytonsean]

Huge fan of the Solani 633. I picked up 200 grams in late 2021 and still have a little left. Always a tough find. The F&T is the same, maybe once a year?

 

[sparker69]

The more particular and discerning your tastes, the more likely scarcity becomes.

Not really that discerning or particular at all. I was just curious if it was a regular occurrence to have big name brands not regularly stocked.

 

[coys]

I have been building a store up which will contain a few years' worth of tobacco so I needn't worry about stockout. I've found several virginias that I like and I keep them all 8-10 tins deep just in case. I plan to stop building up once I am smoking only 3-5 year old tins, since I like Virginias.

Not being married to just one blend helps, too.

If you can find something that's almost always available or even a bulk tobacco that you really regard, so much the better. In my opinion some of the best tins around are being made by GL Pease, C&D, and Sutliff and are readily available.

 

[woodsroad]

Excluding Doblone d'Oro, they've always been that way. As for Solani, if you haven't bought them for a while, they recently revamped the recipes and not for the better.

Bingo