My 4$ Estate Sale Pipe Find- With Hickory Tobacco for $1

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Fralphog

Lifer
Oct 28, 2021
1,911
22,057
Idaho
My wife and I went to an estate sale today. As we were looking through the different offerings, I came across some pipes and a pack of old tobacco. In my crazy world, I’m always hoping to find an amazing old Dunhill, BBB ... Loewe or Peterson at one of these sales.
With much fewer pipe smokers then in years gone by, old pipes are getting more rare. This is the first pipes I’ve seen at an estate sale ever.

When I saw that they were both marked four dollars I immediately thought not worth my time. However, after picking them up and checking them over, I was pleased to discover a couple of well kept, estate pipes.
1. A small Apple, Crown Duke, Dr. Grabow in very good shape. Nice grain, no noticeable fills and the stem intact with the “typical” oxidation. A easy restoration/cleaning project. Great short smoke, pocket pipe!
2. A medium, Billiard Mastercraft, Meerschaum Lined, stamped “Imported Briar over Italy”.
Nice grain with some Birdseye on one side. It does have a few fills. The good news is the meerschaum lining is secure in the pipe, is not chipped along the rim and after a preliminary inspection has no cracks! The stem is intact with no chatter or teeth marks. Another straight forward restore/ clean to make smokable.

Now for my $1 pouch of Hickory Tobacco by John Middleton Inc. My efforts on the Internet so far have turned up minimal information about this particular 1.5 ounce pack of tobacco.
I’m guessing it’s fairly “old”. The pouch was in excellent shape and still sealed. After opening the pouch I inspected the tobacco. Although it’s really dry, it is still smokable.
I did find information on tobacco review stating that Hickory tobacco was an aromatic? I don’t pick up any strong topping notes.The predominant smell is that of burley tobacco. Maybe some anise or molasses?
@JimInks reviewed it on TR.com in Sep 2017- gave it 2 stars.
The back of the box says, “designed to satisfy the requirements of those who wanted the best possible smoking tobacco at the lowest possible price”. So, I’m not expecting this to be my “desert island blend”. 😂
I have to comment about the Scottish or Irish tartan pattern on the pouch- very cool!
Either way I’m gonna smoke some of this baccy. This will be as interesting and fun as the old half-and-half I smoked last year and the wonderful velvet, vintage tobacco test I participated in thanks to @ashdigger .
Mods- tried to place this in a thread I thought best- please move if necessary.
Here are some pictures-
68216BF0-C6B4-4D52-B36B-5F61E1DB8367.jpeg762AAEB4-4E48-4B71-AAD7-8A863DF74CBE.jpegDD7BA4B6-F0CF-41AF-8754-674AE39269BA.jpegF34B6F92-E5C4-4A0D-B4A7-9EB3219A5E78.jpegDCBE2BCE-83E0-4220-81D2-9D29680A3CE6.jpeg796B05F8-F18E-4CF9-9A31-07E4F33F7267.jpeg
 

Servant King

Lifer
Nov 27, 2020
4,111
22,275
38
Frazier Park, CA
www.thechembow.com
Very cool stuff! The tobacco score is of particular interest to me. I read Jim's review of Hickory back when I obtained some Match Hickory (P&C) a couple years ago, just to get a little background on it. It seems to me that the match is more of a naming gimmick than a legitimate attempt at re-creating; I enjoy it a lot, but (without having tried the original) I get the impression that the relationship between the two is not dissimilar to the relationship between SWR and SWRA. At least that's the example that comes to mind.

All that aside, I love cool estate finds like that. I think we all hold out the hope of scoring some long-shot gem from a (relatively) clueless seller just trying to unload someone's accumulated clutter. I got a Barling that way not long ago...it can happen! 😁

Enjoy!
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,762
13,788
Humansville Missouri
My wife and I went to an estate sale today. As we were looking through the different offerings, I came across some pipes and a pack of old tobacco. In my crazy world, I’m always hoping to find an amazing old Dunhill, BBB ... Loewe or Peterson at one of these sales.
With much fewer pipe smokers then in years gone by, old pipes are getting more rare. This is the first pipes I’ve seen at an estate sale ever.

When I saw that they were both marked four dollars I immediately thought not worth my time. However, after picking them up and checking them over, I was pleased to discover a couple of well kept, estate pipes.
1. A small Apple, Crown Duke, Dr. Grabow in very good shape. Nice grain, no noticeable fills and the stem intact with the “typical” oxidation. A easy restoration/cleaning project. Great short smoke, pocket pipe!
2. A medium, Billiard Mastercraft, Meerschaum Lined, stamped “Imported Briar over Italy”.
Nice grain with some Birdseye on one side. It does have a few fills. The good news is the meerschaum lining is secure in the pipe, is not chipped along the rim and after a preliminary inspection has no cracks! The stem is intact with no chatter or teeth marks. Another straight forward restore/ clean to make smokable.

Now for my $1 pouch of Hickory Tobacco by John Middleton Inc. My efforts on the Internet so far have turned up minimal information about this particular 1.5 ounce pack of tobacco.
I’m guessing it’s fairly “old”. The pouch was in excellent shape and still sealed. After opening the pouch I inspected the tobacco. Although it’s really dry, it is still smokable.
I did find information on tobacco review stating that Hickory tobacco was an aromatic? I don’t pick up any strong topping notes.The predominant smell is that of burley tobacco. Maybe some anise or molasses?
@JimInks reviewed it on TR.com in Sep 2017- gave it 2 stars.
The back of the box says, “designed to satisfy the requirements of those who wanted the best possible smoking tobacco at the lowest possible price”. So, I’m not expecting this to be my “desert island blend”. 😂
I have to comment about the Scottish or Irish tartan pattern on the pouch- very cool!
Either way I’m gonna smoke some of this baccy. This will be as interesting and fun as the old half-and-half I smoked last year and the wonderful velvet, vintage tobacco test I participated in thanks to @ashdigger .
Mods- tried to place this in a thread I thought best- please move if necessary.
Here are some pictures-
View attachment 195980View attachment 195981View attachment 195982View attachment 195983View attachment 195984View attachment 195985

About two hundred years ago the hardiest pioneers migrated West to Southwest Missouri and left all the more settled parts of America behind.

They were Scots, dammit. Not Scots Irish.:)

On St. Patrick’s Day I had to sneak something green on, lest my mother accuse me of sympathizing with drunken Irishmen who used some made up holiday as an excuse to drink green beer.:)

The Scotch, or Scots, or Scotsmen, have two reputations.

My ancestors were such bad asses the Romans built a wall, actually two walls, to keep us out of England. The Scottish Highlanders even today, stand ready to right the wrong, and comfort the wail of the widow and cry of the orphan.


Hickory tobacco came in a Scottish tartan pacakage.

It was a good value, because Scots insist on getting the most for our money.


During the Great Rebellion (American Civil War) every one of my male ancestors from age 13 to 65 I’ve found mounted his horse and joined the United States Cavalry.

And lived to tell of victory.


I’ve never worn a kilt, or even seen a man in a kilt.

But my knees won’t bend, anyway.:)
 
Last edited:
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Fralphog

Lifer
Oct 28, 2021
1,911
22,057
Idaho
About two hundred years ago the hardiest pioneers migrated West to Southwest Missouri and left all the more settled parts of America behind.

They were Scots, dammit. Not Scots Irish.:)

On St. Patrick’s Day I had to sneak something green on, lest my mother accuse me of sympathizing with drunken Irishmen who used some made up holiday as an excuse to drink green beer.:)

The Scotch, or Scots, or Scotsmen, have two reputations.

My ancestors were such bad asses the Romans built a wall, actually two walls, to keep us out of England. The Scottish Highlanders even today, stand ready to right the wrong, and comfort the wail of the widow and cry of the orphan.


Hickory tobacco came in a Scottish tartan pacakage.

It was a good value, because Scots insist on getting the most for our money.


During the Great Rebellion (American Civil War) every one of my male ancestors from age 13 to 65 I’ve found mounted his horse and joined the United States Cavalry.

And lived to tell of victory.


I’ve never worn a kilt, or even seen a man in a kilt.

But my knees won’t bend, anyway.:)
I loved your very lively and historic reply! I tried to look up the tartan pattern on the pouch, but couldn’t really make heads or tails of it. In an attempt to not ruffle any feathers, I stated Scottish or Irish.
I am 58% Irish😉.
And not one kind word about my pipes man? 🤣
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,762
13,788
Humansville Missouri
I loved your very lively and historic reply! I tried to look up the tartan pattern on the pouch, but couldn’t really make heads or tails of it. In an attempt to not ruffle any feathers, I stated Scottish or Irish.
I am 58% Irish😉.
And not one kind word about my pipes man? 🤣
About your pipes. Typical thrifty Scot purchases.:)

The Dr. Grabow needs no I introduction. I saw some Grabows out for sale last week, good value smokers, made since 1943 in Sparta North Carolina, and the largest selling briar pipe on the planet still today.

The other is a late Mastercraft, an American pipe company that imported and contracted pipes. Bing Crosby advertised Mastercraft.

Mastercraft - Pipedia - https://pipedia.org/wiki/Mastercraft

Why did the Scottish get a reputation for for hard headed frugality?

There are lots of theories.

My favorite is our women insist on being dressed and treated and looking like the Queen of Scotland, every day of their lives.

They’ll pinch pennies to save dollars to buy high quality things that last.

But if you think you might go out with the boys to drink up her money (they utterly rule the home) or otherwise spend profligately or disgrace her, you may not live to see the next sunrise, or maybe she’ll decide to leave you for another man who’ll treat her in the manner she deserves, and demands.

You guess which option.:)

My Mama would sit preening at her mirror, and Daddy would look in and say,

What wilt thou, my Queen, and what is thy request?

Ask and it shall be given thee, to the half of my kingdom

Mama would smile sweetly and say,

What if I should desire all your kingdom?

Daddy would say I’d have to get busy to gain another kingdom to give you.

 
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