Is This Raven's Wing Tin Authentic?

[rmbittner]

I just noticed this auction for an 8oz. tin of GL Pease Raven's Wing, dated 2005: http://www.ebay.com/itm/LARGE-SEALED-COLLECTABLE-8-OZ-TIN-G-L-PEASE-RAVENS-WING-FROM-2005-/121377307517?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c42a6bb7d.
First, I wasn't aware that Raven's Wing had ever been offered in an 8oz. tin. The only 8oz packaging I've seen for it was in the blue-foil bags.
Second, I didn't think any was released after 2004.
Third, I've never seen a Pease tin that included that sticker about Cornell & Diehl.
Fourth, the tin features a label image that I associate with the newer Pease blends. It doesn't look anything like the image used on tall 2oz. tins at that time.
So, what do you guys think? Is this for real? If it is, I'm thinking it's truly a rare find, just for the tin alone. (Of course, the tobacco itself is incredible.)
Bob

 

[daimyo]

I'm not sure about the authenticity but if it is, you just added several dozen or more bidders to the auction. :wink:

 

[misterlowercase]

I think it was available in the 8 oz?
Dunno anything about the sticker though.
That seller has had some pretty neat tins,

all positive feedback too...

http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odkw=&item=121377307517&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&LH_Sold=1&_osacat=0&LH_Complete=1&hash=item1c42a6bb7d&_ssn=kapster13&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xtin&_nkw=tin&_sacat=0&_from=R40

 

[rmbittner]

I was fortunate enough to find two tins sitting on my local shop's shelves after the blend had been discontinued. After that taste, I went after a couple of 8oz. bags and several tins on eBay, paying as much as $70-80 for a 2oz tin.
But unless Greg were to come here personally and confirm that such a tin was legit, I would be very reluctant to bid on this auction. (Not that I would anyway. I've had my share and don't need any more at that price.)
Bob

 

[peckinpahhombre]

This from another forum - sounds like it could be true:

GL Pease blends usually strike me as optimal in the sense that nothing I can do to them, as in additions or blending etc, will make them any better. Most of his mixtures and mixtures in general are not for blending unless there is something objectionable about them but I've never experienced that with his. He spends a very long time perfecting blends so that the flavours work so well. It's wheels within wheels and that is noticeable too. That may be part of the reason why they remind me of older mixtures. I've certainly added stuff when the last of a tin doesn't make a bowl but it's never an improvement. I never bother when the whole tin is sitting there. Taking them apart is something else again and I have done that. That's interesting.
Some little known facts about the last production.... GL Pease was in the process of migrating blends packaged in 8 oz multilayer bags to 8 oz tins. Scandal was introduced in the 2 oz and 8 oz tins. But Raven's Wing was one of the few of his that was still packaged in 2 oz tins and multilayer 8 oz bags when the warehouse burned. It never made it to the 8 oz tins. That's why this is in a jar. In late 2005 over a year after the fire Smokingpipes managed to find or acquire a pound of the 2004 Syrian Latakia. So after some deliberation with GLP they decided to use it in the production of a small set of Dec 2005 tins of Raven's Wing. I think I still have one of those too. That was the last production run.
The Syrian was different and better in the second half of 2003 and right through to Nov. 2004 than the previous years supply. I think this has probably been written about before. It is, or was, noticeable to smokers too. The previous Syrian ran out in Feb. 2003 and they (C&D and GLP) suspended production of the Syrian Lat mixtures until a new shipment arrived. It took until June of that year before the new stuff arrived and production commenced again. But it was much better Syrian Lat starting in June '03 than they had had in years before. It was the new sublime Syrian Lat that inspired Bohemian Scandal. And that is the stuff that McClelland still has. And of course it lasted for just 17 months in the C&D empire before the fire again ended the sublime Syrian for them and GLP, permanently it seems.

 

[misterlowercase]

Good find Peck!

:puffpipe:
That's good info to know.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I guess it does, though he doesn't expressly say that SP made 8 oz tins. Seems to me if you only had a lb of Syrian Latakia you might spread it over 2 oz tins instead of making 8 oz tins, but what do I know.

 

[escioe]

This isn't the first tin of Raven's Wing I've seen with that sticker. I don't see a reason to doubt it.