After a few years of gleaning much information, knowledge, tips and sage advice from the members of this Forum, I have decided, with the encouragement of Al "SS" Jones, to join your most informative and entertaining community with a host of diverse, but nonetheless valid, opinions and tastes in all things associated with piping..
I took up piping in the early 1970's while at university, and stopped mid-1980's when the kids came along. I smoked cigars exclusively for more than a decade from the early 2000's. Some years ago I re-discovered my small collection of 20 or so pipes. While searching for ways to refurbish those pipes I came across sites like Steve Laug's Rebornpipes, PipesMagazine Forums, Pipedia, TobaccoReviews etc. This has resulted in a burgeoning interest in pipes, tobacco, pipe history and lore.
My pipe "collection" centres on classic British/French designs - bulldogs (with a very few rhodesians) and billiards (both straight and bent) mainly. Unfortunately my education in tobacco has been dealt an almost fatal blow by the Australian Government's recent ban on "loose" tobacco importation into the country by individuals. All tobacco shipments found by Australian Customs are impounded and destroyed, unless a "Permit to Import Tobacco Products" can be produced. I found out the painful way when all three of my last shipments were seized and destroyed. Oh, by the way, the excise on tobacco in Australia is @ AUD $1 (about USD $0.75) per gram, ie a 2oz tin will have @ AUD$50 tax added on.
Just as in years past when the Prohibition was repealed in the USA, I live in hope that public opinion and common sense will prevail here and that this "Neo-Prohibition" will come to a swift end.
Cheers,
OzPiper
I took up piping in the early 1970's while at university, and stopped mid-1980's when the kids came along. I smoked cigars exclusively for more than a decade from the early 2000's. Some years ago I re-discovered my small collection of 20 or so pipes. While searching for ways to refurbish those pipes I came across sites like Steve Laug's Rebornpipes, PipesMagazine Forums, Pipedia, TobaccoReviews etc. This has resulted in a burgeoning interest in pipes, tobacco, pipe history and lore.
My pipe "collection" centres on classic British/French designs - bulldogs (with a very few rhodesians) and billiards (both straight and bent) mainly. Unfortunately my education in tobacco has been dealt an almost fatal blow by the Australian Government's recent ban on "loose" tobacco importation into the country by individuals. All tobacco shipments found by Australian Customs are impounded and destroyed, unless a "Permit to Import Tobacco Products" can be produced. I found out the painful way when all three of my last shipments were seized and destroyed. Oh, by the way, the excise on tobacco in Australia is @ AUD $1 (about USD $0.75) per gram, ie a 2oz tin will have @ AUD$50 tax added on.
Just as in years past when the Prohibition was repealed in the USA, I live in hope that public opinion and common sense will prevail here and that this "Neo-Prohibition" will come to a swift end.
Cheers,
OzPiper
