Estate Smell, What Is It?

[Chasing Embers]

My Ben Wade Amber just got here today, and it has a smell to it that is quite pleasant. A few of my estate aquisitions and a tobacco jar I got from ebay a while back have the same smell. It is slightly sweet with a nutty, vanilla,cinnamon, sandalwood kind of smell. Would really like to find the kind of tobacco that caused this smell, but after the myriad of blends I have tried in the past two decades, I have yet to find it. Any thoughts?

 

[pitchfork]

Sounds like any number of aromatic ghosts that have faded with time. Is it a strong, fresh smell?
I had a pipe like that once and it tormented me for months trying to figure out what it was. I finally figured it out, or at least I think I did.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/eureka-mystery-tobacco-ghost-discovered-pampw-maple

 

[Chasing Embers]

Will have to give that one a try, that smell has been killing me for years trying to find it. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[woodsroad]

1Q?

 

[condorlover1]

Lane Low I-Q? I have had that with a few meerschaums I have purchased over the years but it usual reminds me of some kind of twist or plug.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Is 1Q an older blend? Tends to be in pipes I acquire that are 20 to 40 years old. It is going on the list though! If I find it, could be my new all day smoke!

 

[hakchuma]

I dunno man. I bought a few estate pipes. Cleaned most of them up and resold them for an extremely small profit. All of them smelled horrible and I just don't think estate pipes are a reasonable alternative to a new pipe. Sure you might save 20 bucks, but you will be smoking the butt of another person for months.. No thanks.
I did have one estate pipe that smelled like cinnamon.
Like I said, might save some money but to me, it just aint' worth it. Not to mention you will most probably get a crappy tasting pipe right out of the box from the mailman lol.

 

[rcstan]

Where did you acquire them?
If the pipes are restored professionally, properly and thoroughly, then there should be no scents, unless the previous owner was extremely careless with the most basic regimen of maintenance, or the pipe was smoked rather heavily for a LONG time.
Some use pipe sweetener for the chamber and airway. At SPC we use Denatured Alcohol in our restoration process, which some have said here imparts a slightly sweet scent to the first smoke. Since I mainly smoke flavored Virginias ( Lakelands and the such ), I haven't noticed it.

 

[Chasing Embers]

From pipestud he sells them as is to accurately represent his consignments. Plus I really enjoy restoring them as well as making them. Just really like the smell that I have found in a couple of my estates and would like to try the tobacco that produced it. Oh, I use moonshine and everclear to clean the airways and chamber. Leaves the pipe virtually taste neutral.

 

[voorhees]

I love that smell too. My den smells of old pipe racks and tobacco. Very manly. Hahaha

 

[huntertrw]

"Estate Smell, What Is It?"
As I said previously in another thread which asked essentially the same question, the official name for that smell is "pipey goodness"!

 

[Chasing Embers]

@hakchuma I don't buy estates for the discount, have spent a couple of thousand on new pipes in the last two years. The estates I buy tend to be from makers or companies that are no longer around, plus I really like Preben era Wades. A quick flush with grain alcohol, and the ghosts of the pipe's past are gone, and the pipe is ready for the next chapter of its story. :wink:

 

[Chasing Embers]

@huntertrw "pipey goodness" Love it!

 

[jthomas04]

Rcstan- Why denatured alcohol? It is my understanding that denatured alcohol is ethanol with toxic additives and would be quite the opposite of what you would want to use to clean a pipe with. Is there a reason you guys don't use plain old ethanol?

 

[huntertrw]

jthomas04:
My recommendation would be that if you can purchase 190-proof Everclear grain alcohol at a liquor store in your area, simply use it.

 

[adam12]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aHpA_5E-Z_A

 

[griffonwing]

I bought some Everclear a couple weeks ago, a large 1.75 L bottle for 40 bucks. That should last me a lot of cleaning time.

 

[rcstan]

jthomas04
I do not know of a specific reason to use or not use Denatured Alcohol. Perhaps because we found it to work well for its intended purpose, it's low cost ($16 a gallon), has no after smell, and cuts down boozing up on the pipe cleaning liquid at work 8O
Seriously now, I found no ill effects on using Denatured Alcohol. I've been using it to deep clean my own pipes for the last three years.
FWIW here is the MSDS from the manufacturers's website:
http://www.kleanstrip.com/uploads/documents/KS_Denatured_Alcohol_MSDS.pdf

 

[griffonwing]

Ingestion:

If swallowed, do NOT induce vomiting. Seek immediate medical attention. Call a

physician, hospital emergency room, or poison control center immediately. Never give

anything by mouth to an unconscious person.
Poison. This product contains methanol. Methanol is metabolized to formaldehyde and

formic acid. These metabolites may cause metabolic acidosis, visual disturbances and

blindness. Since metabolism is required for these toxic symptoms, their onset may be

delayed from 6 to 30 hours following ingestion. Ethanol competes for the same metabolic

pathway and has been used as an antidote. Methanol is effectively removed by

hemodialysis. Call your local poison control center for further instructions

I'll stick with Everclear :D

 

[tuold]

It's the taste of grain alcohol infused briar. I'll walk around all day with a freshly restored estate between my teeth just for that taste.