Just in from STG/MacBaren/Sutliff

[Zamora]

good interview with Per re this.. english/interview starts at 10 min in..

Thanks I'll check it out.

 

[Scottmi]

Mac Baren/Sutliff was so good to Per Jensen that he left there at least six months ago. Not sure if he jumped, or if he was pushed.

pushed, per his interview with the italian chap (posted earlier)

 

[Terry Lennox]

I only learned this week that Georg Jensen pipes from Denmark was Per Jensen's father.

 

[Zamora]

I only learned this week that Georg Jensen pipes from Denmark was Per Jensen's father.

That's interesting Per followed in his father's footsteps but in a different direction

 

[Scottmi]

Yeah, The Squire was definitely Sutliffed.

Jon David has been accumulating leaf and is currently testing leaf from other suppliers. Sounds like they’ll lose a few blends and will have to alter others. He said they survived the loss of McClelland and they’ve been down this road before. Adapt or perish.

Yeah that is one of my real concerns.. will it affect Cowboy Coffee?! Speaking of which, i need to check in on today's Best of 2024 thread...

 

[Zamora]

Yeah that is one of my real concerns.. will it affect Cowboy Coffee?! Speaking of which, i need to check in on today's Best of 2024 thread...

Hopefully not. I've never had it and the Squire doens't ship to my state but it's been such a bad year for Kentucky blends already between axing all of MacB's Kentucky offerings to Amphora which was the only OTC option. But hey we still have Three Nuns

 

[Scottmi]

fyi.. STG has 70 vids on youtube, and I am happy to report at least 2 are specific to pipe tobacco!

Scandinavian Tobacco Group

Welcome to Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s official YouTube Channel. Scandinavian Tobacco Group is a world leading manufacturer of cigars and traditional pipe tobacco. Our Group is all about creating moments of great enjoyment for smokers. We take pride in both our international regional brands...

www.youtube.com

 

[Zamora]

fyi.. STG has 70 vids on youtube, and I am happy to report at least 2 are specific to pipe tobacco!

Scandinavian Tobacco Group

Welcome to Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s official YouTube Channel. Scandinavian Tobacco Group is a world leading manufacturer of cigars and traditional pipe tobacco. Our Group is all about creating moments of great enjoyment for smokers. We take pride in both our international regional brands...

www.youtube.com

"A world leading manufacturer". Interesting how they don't mention RYO

 

[Warlee]

If what Per Jensen said is true, and STG now controls about 80% of the pipe tobacco market. Shifting some of that market share to the other 5 producers out there would be a good thing.

I’m not boycotting, but I’m certainly going to be trying everyone else’s tobacco and looking to purchase there first.

 

[damacene]

 

[Swiss Army Knife]

If what Per Jensen said is true, and STG now controls about 80% of the pipe tobacco market. Shifting some of that market share to the other 5 producers out there would be a good thing.

I’m not boycotting, but I’m certainly going to be trying everyone else’s tobacco and looking to purchase there first.

To be completely frank, it doesn't really matter to them either way. Accessories are a larger market segment for STG than pipe tobacco is, it's a complete drop in the bucket. They probably realized they could acquire a rival Danish tobacco company for fairly cheap and did so as a matter of course. The entire calamity befalling us pipe nerds enthusiasts and the upending of US tobacco blending likely didn't even occur to them, hell there's a good chance it still hasn't occurred to them. Sutliff to STG could very well have been some nobody that just so happened to be owned by Mac Baren.

We're a tiny tiny subset market. The likes of Laudisi thrive as small businesses but they're practically anchovies compared to the whales of the larger tobacco industry.

But hell if I'm going to pull things out of my ass like this I can do an optimistic version too: STG actually acquired Mac Baren solely for Sutliff's massive leaf stock. They realized that their pipe tobacco portfolio was an untapped market and have decided to usher us into a new golden age. Three Nuns will be remade anew, they'll switch out Elizabethan Mixture with Victorian, the HH line will return 33% better than before as the HHH line, sponsored by HHH himself! Capstan will stay the same.

 

[Warlee]

To be completely frank, it doesn't really matter to them either way. Accessories are a larger market segment for STG than pipe tobacco is, it's a complete drop in the bucket. They probably realized they could acquire a rival Danish tobacco company for fairly cheap and did so as a matter of course. The entire calamity befalling us pipe nerds enthusiasts and the upending of US tobacco blending likely didn't even occur to them, hell there's a good chance it still hasn't occurred to them. Sutliff to STG could very well have been some nobody that just so happened to be owned by Mac Baren.

We're a tiny tiny subset market. The likes of Laudisi thrive as small businesses but they're practically anchovies compared to the whales of the larger tobacco industry.

But hell if I'm going to pull things out of my ass like this I can do an optimistic version too: STG actually acquired Mac Baren solely for Sutliff's massive leaf stock. They realized that their pipe tobacco portfolio was an untapped market and have decided to usher us into a new golden age. Three Nuns will be remade anew, they'll switch out Elizabethan Mixture with Victorian, the HH line will return 33% better than before as the HHH line, sponsored by HHH himself! Capstan will stay the same.

Oh I agree with you. We won’t make any difference to them if we are buying or not. But it can make a big difference to the other, much smaller companies in this space.

I would not expect anything new to come from STG. They’ve already stated their intentions. As you’ve said they are a massive corp and will do what they want.

 

[Bassman65]

I’d stock up on Capstan Yellow, but it’s $82 plus tax up here for 50g.

 

[Zamora]

Oh I agree with you. We won’t make any difference to them if we are buying or not. But it can make a big difference to the other, much smaller companies in this space.

I would not expect anything new to come from STG. They’ve already stated their intentions. As you’ve said they are a massive corp and will do what they want.

Which is exactly why my priorities for trying new stuff lies with everything else, I plan to keep buying the Stokkebye stuff I'm cellaring but I won't try an STG product I haven't anytime soon.

 

[Zamora]

There's really no good business, just business. It's always a financial risk for the company, employees, and customers. Placing all eggs in one basket for any of the three is highly risky especially in a market as volatile and unpredictable as tobacco.

Very true. Had STG killed Sutliff ten years ago or longer it wouldn't have been as far reaching because there were still more options for leaf supply.

 

[lazar]

Really?
Because those threads turned into a shitshow of wild-assed whining by uninformed luddites, that's why.
If this post offends you, then yes, I'm talking about you.

Jesus Christ in a chicken basket, folks, it's only pipe tobacco. If (inevitable) change negatively effects you so deeply, then you really need to seek some qualified counseling. You deserve to be happy in life, you really do.

Okay yeah, well the first one was a shitshow that necessitated the creation of the second one (and the first one was actually the second one because the real first one was also a shitshow that got locked).

So I should have said "curious why that second one was shut down" -- which was started to be only on-topic questions, which Leonard voluntarily actually came here to answer. It didn't seem like it had crashed and burned yet.

I'm not sure what implied that I'm deeply affected or need counseling. That distinction might go to those who can't focus or be civil to the extent they get every thread on the subject shut down. Or maybe to those professing a total lack of interest in the subject but nevertheless keep posting about it constantly to show their superiority to those who are interested.

Some of us are just curious about what's up, and were taking Leonard up on his offer. But whatever -- seems like people prefer to endlessly ramble on about their opinions and ever-so profound analyses no matter how uninformed, boring, and/or repetitive.

 

[dozicusmaximus]

you may wish to try this- WV SmokeShop / WV Merchandise LLC - https://wvsmokeshop.com/walnutpipetobaccotin.aspx

Thanks! I was able to get 4oz, better than nothing.

 

[anotherbob]

From what I understand, there have been no true “new” blends in the US that aren’t grandfathered recipes. They had to be in the back catalog or in development before the FDA made the decision. So a C&D can get the rights and catalog to say Drucquer & Sons and reproduce those blends. And “small batch” blends that are new are also allowed. But C&D aren’t coming to the rescue anytime soon for a lot of blenders. Just because they don’t have the bandwidth to just start supplying them overnight. Missouri Meerschaum has said it may take a few years before they can bring back blends. SPC will likely have a gap between the Sutliff blends and whatever comes next.

not really at all. More like can't start adding new chems to a blend. To the FDA burly is tobacco just like VA. Any foodgrade flavors are similar to other food grade additives.

 

[rakovsky]

Yep and Walnut was Oppenheimer's favorite. The loss of all the match blends is one of the biggest tragedies, STG clearly cares nothing about preserving anything. Sutliff was able to keep the Kramer's house blends alive for years after Kramer's closed their doors, now they're going away for good. Also Hearth & Home's whole thing was recreating classic blends, ironic how Fusilier's Ration was made to be a Bengal Slices replica now both are gone.

A friend sent me a mylar packet of Kramer's Fr. Dempsey and I found it to be very special. It had a lavender delicate side to it that borderline reminded me of Catholic incense. I read a bunch about it online. I didn't realize until you said that to me that Kramer's had been long closed.
Online I read alot about how different blends taste/smell like "incense", and I tried 8 of them. Fr. Dempsey was one of the ones that reminded me more of incense because of that lavendar note. On the other hand it had a Latakia barn side to it that wouldn't be much like incense.
Plus the name was cool and brought to mind incense from a service. Certainly a recreation blend of Fr. Dempsey would be nice.

 

[Zamora]

A friend sent me a mylar packet of Kramer's Fr. Dempsey and I found it to be very special. It had a lavender delicate side to it that borderline reminded me of Catholic incense. I read a bunch about it online. I didn't realize until you said that to me that Kramer's had been long closed.
Online I read alot about how different blends taste/smell like "incense", and I tried 8 of them. Fr. Dempsey was one of the ones that reminded me more of incense because of that lavendar note. On the other hand it had a Latakia barn side to it that wouldn't be much like incense.
Plus the name was cool and brought to mind incense from a service. Certainly a recreation blend of Fr. Dempsey would be nice.

That's very fitting for a personal blend made for a Catholic priest. Was it old enough to use Syrian Latakia? I've heard that often smelled like incense