Dark Star I cube cut and let it sit out a full day while I'm at work. It's ready to go for an after-dinner smoke.
McCranie's Red Flake - Well, That's Disappointing
- Thread starter pipesmokingtom
- Start date
SmokingPipes.com Updates
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
What were the chances? I stared and stared and stared at the natural version of that Larrysson Dublin just this morning. The blast and ring grain are so beautiful. I've been in the prowl for a natural finish sandblasted pipe with great ring grain ever since I saw a gorgeous Savinelli signature and an Ardor Terra owned by friends in the Chicago Pipe Collectors Club. This looks to be in, or at least approaching, the class of those pipes. I'm not normally a big fan of plateau rims due to the maintenance issues, but this one so beautifully complemented the ring grain I couldn't imagine this pipe without it.
So, after reading through this thread tonight, I pulled the trigger.
On the topic of McCranie's, this week I met a very nice youngish pastor at my local tobacconist who was smoking McCranie's Red Ribbon. I had to ask about it and I learned that he'd been smoking a pipe for 18 years and had just moved to the Chicago area from Charlotte. He told me that his home tobacco shop for all that time had been McCranie's and that basically Todd McCranie taught him about pipe smoking. Here's the sad part. Essentially, the only tobacco he's ever smoked is McCranie's Red Ribbon. He has about 25 tins, but I gave him some Rattray's and Esoterica Virginias and VaPers to try. He's going to have to branch out. I've never tried Red Ribbon, so he graciously offered to share some, but I declined in the basis that I didn't want to fall in love with something that's essentially unavailable in the future. Better not to have loved at all.
So, after reading through this thread tonight, I pulled the trigger.
On the topic of McCranie's, this week I met a very nice youngish pastor at my local tobacconist who was smoking McCranie's Red Ribbon. I had to ask about it and I learned that he'd been smoking a pipe for 18 years and had just moved to the Chicago area from Charlotte. He told me that his home tobacco shop for all that time had been McCranie's and that basically Todd McCranie taught him about pipe smoking. Here's the sad part. Essentially, the only tobacco he's ever smoked is McCranie's Red Ribbon. He has about 25 tins, but I gave him some Rattray's and Esoterica Virginias and VaPers to try. He's going to have to branch out. I've never tried Red Ribbon, so he graciously offered to share some, but I declined in the basis that I didn't want to fall in love with something that's essentially unavailable in the future. Better not to have loved at all.
See, I've got a decent hoard of FMC, and a bit of Deep Hollow (but not enough), but its the 7-8 different other tins of various McC tobacco's I picked up this past month that I've never tried and I'm almost afraid to open for this exact reason...
If this is in response to my original post, I disagree. I didn't project my disappointment of its discontinuance on to my experience. It is literally the best Red Virginia I've ever smoked. Without question.
Why? It's not like it's the only rewarding tobacco you'll ever smoke. I've said goodbye to many blends that are no longer available and I've found new pleasures down the road. Enjoy it for what it is, be happy that you get to enjoy a wonderful smoke, and find other blends to enjoy.
For newer smokers, the demise of McClelland feels like a shock wave through the Force. For those of us who have been smoking pipe for a long time, it's just one more farewell. Yes, some things may never come your way again, but something new will come instead. Why let anything deprive you of the pleasure of smoking a great blend.
Yep.
If I get hit by a bus tomorrow, my wife certainly isn't going to open all my tins and smoke them in my honor. Smoke 'em while you got 'em.
- Status