LJ Peretti vs. Leavitt & Pierce: Upcoming Boston Trip

[michaelmirza]

For Thanksgiving week I'll be in the Boston area visiting my wife's family, and it looks like I'll have time to explore the city on my own for a bit. Planning on visiting LJ Peretti for sure, but also thinking of popping over to Leavitt & Pierce as well, as it looks to be only about a 20-minute train ride between the two. To those of you who have visited one or both:
- How would you compare these two historic shops?

- Which tobacco blends are must-haves from each?
Thanks for any and all input.

 

[pitchfork]

Leavitt & Peirce has all kinds of stuff besides pipes and tobacco (old-fashioned grooming stuff, antiques, cuff links, etc.). It's a cool shop, but it probably depends a lot on random foot traffic from tourists visiting Harvard and it kind of reflects that to my mind. I didn't try their tobaccos, but they only have a few (mostly aromatics as far as I could tell).
Peretti is more of a serious pipe shop. Nice selection of pipes -- lots of high-end stuff, but also a really extensive selection of basket pipes and private label Peretti pipes. Amazing selection of tobaccos, many of them made or blended in the store. The staff and owner really know their stuff. It's everything a real pipe shop should be. I loved shopping there.
EDIT: I love burley, so I tried some of Peretti's burley blends (333, Boston's Best and Burley Slice), but others can recommend their English blends.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

pitch has it right. I love Leavitt & Pierce because it has special memories for me - I bought my first cigar there in the 1990s while attending Harvard for grad school and was there quite often. However, for pipes and pipe tobacco, there is no doubt that Peretti's is way, way ahead.
If you do go to Leavitt & Pierce, get a shot of the cool pipe door handles on the front door.

 

[gloucesterman]

Both are stops of interest and from Leavitt & Pierce you can walk across the street to Harvard Yard and walk the same paths as some pretty impressive people have walked. It's like a step back in time. As Peck indicated, Peretti's is a must stop for pipe smokers and they have a space where you can sit and try a bowl or two of their blends. Enjoy Boston, it's a great town with a lot of history but bring something warm. November can be a bit chilly. That old North Atlantic wind comes calling.

 

[stbruno70]

Both shops have wonderful history and ambiance dating from the 1800's.
Peretti's has too many proprietary blends to treat fairly in a short post, but I am partial to all their flakes.

If you buy 8 or 16 ozs, they will put it in one of their classic paint buckets and label it. Unfortunately, no more smoking in the shop since the tenants upstairs complained, but there are benches outside in front where you can light up. Some of the staff are well-known for their curtness, but don't be put off by that - they are quite knowledgeable.
If you are hungry after visiting Peretti's, walk a few blocks up Stuart Street to Jacob Wirth's German eatery. Generous plates of food, great beers and carved wood panels from 1868.
Leavitt & Peirce are not as extensively stocked as Peretti's but are still worth a visit. Their blends D.P.E and Cake Box are both old classics. If you like aros, their Judge's Mixture is equally venerable. Enjoy the 19th century photos, footballs and oars hanging on the walls. Finally, the People's Republic of Cambridge prohibits smoking on the premises.
Tobaccoreviews.com has opinions on various blends from both establishments.
Enjoy your trip.

 

[bigpond]

It may be a bit of a stretch, but Watch City Cigar in Framingham is worth a visit. They have a few house blends that really stand out. If you can only visit one shop though, Peretti's is the easy pick.

 

[kanse]

They are having a special Thanksgiving tobacco up for sale I believe,

You should check that out.

 

[pitchfork]

I love Leavitt & Pierce because it has special memories for me - I bought my first cigar there in the 1990s while attending Harvard for grad school and was there quite often.

I was at a conference at Harvard this summer and they put us up in North Hall (HLS). Hmm... Is that why my room had the faint reek of Middleton Cherry...?

 

[jguss]

I'm too old for even a cushy graduate school dorm room. They always reek of something and you're lucky if it's only Middleton Cherry. Next time do yourself a favor and try The Charles.
As for the subject at hand I agree; Peretti if you can only swing one. But Leavitt & Peirce is nice too. I was in Cambridge on a brief visit last weekend (revisiting old haunts with my kids), and took the opportunity to poke my head inside for a brief bit of nostalgia. A great aroma for sure.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I was at a conference at Harvard this summer and they put us up in North Hall (HLS). Hmm... Is that why my room had the faint reek of Middleton Cherry...?

This is great - yep, that was my dorm. No middleton cherry then but smoked a fair number of cigars. Didn't get the pipe bug until much later.