New Pipe. Old Friend Gone.

[Grangerous]

An Old Time Tobacconist friend is no more. I stopped by to find his once beautiful shop transformed into a lottery ticket selling, bagged tobacco vending modern atrocity. I’d sadly learned he’d passed away.

His inventory was picked clean of all but the dregs, which I narrowed down to a handful of basket pipes and I selected but one. It’s $45 price sticker, placed not arbitrarily but by my old friend’s own hand.

A high shelf displayed tub of “Bourbon Street”Pipe Tobacco, if that’s of interest to anyone, I doubt it’s in demand of the store’s new clientele. I’d purchased the old owner’s last tub of SugarBarrel some 4 years ago.

I eyed two rusting cans of Granger in his humidor cabinet for which he wanted $40 per can. He wouldn’t move on price and I passed. I broke into a rash driving away from what I’m sure was some tasty ? old Granger.

Anyway, the pipe is an attractive acrylic stemmed, non-filtered, Billiard, the only marking upon it the word, “ITALY”.

I just returned from it’s maiden smoke. Took an hour and 15 minutes to slowly puff it to the bottom dottle. It smoked just fine and I’m sure will taste better after a few more smokes. I’m going to miss the old shop

 

[Zack Miller]

It’s almost like we’re fighting a rearguard action.

 

[Grangerous]

It’s almost like we’re fighting a rearguard action.

Oh I agree, Zack. I’m going to visit Walnut Street in Philadelphia to see if Holtz is the same. I’m certain it’ll be nearly All Cigar.

Tobacco Shops abound but they all sell bagged tobacco, cigarettes and vape.

I’m afraid it’s all mail order or nothing of interest for Pipe Enthusiasts.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Anyway, the pipe is an attractive acrylic stemmed, non-filtered, Billiard, the only marking upon it the word, “ITALY”.

Looks to be a Savinelli 111.

It’s almost like we’re fighting a rearguard action.

A battle long lost. Popular opinion on tobacco use has made this age the years of tobacco's downfall.

 

[Zack Miller]

Oh I agree, Zack. I’m going to visit Walnut Street in Philadelphia to see if Holtz is the same. I’m certain it’ll be nearly All Cigar.

Tobacco Shops abound but they all sell bagged tobacco, cigarettes and vape.

I’m afraid it’s all mail order or nothing of interest for Pipe Enthusiasts.

I mentioned spending a year in Long Beach in 2018 on another thread. There was nowhere, I mean nowhere to buy real tobacco. There were a few convenience stores with bags of floor sweepings. I did find one cigar lounge, but the woman who owned the place literally only had two two oz tins of tobacco.

 

[Grangerous]

I liken what’s happened to Pipes to what happened to 7 Card Stud Poker. When Texas Hold ‘em came to popularity, you won’t find a good 7 Stud Game in a casino anymore, and if you can, it’s all old men grinding away at one another.

Cigars have the throne.

 

[Grangerous]

Looks to be a Savinelli 111.

Savinelli? I wonder. Only marking is “Italy”. This pipe likely graced his shop for decades. He had the length of his store lined on two walls with glass and dark stained wood display cases of pipes of yore.

He’d sell them as baskets arbitrarily and I obtained most all of my personally selected pipes from his baskets.

I’d moved about 50 miles away 4 years ago. I only stopped by yesterday delivering some Christmas presents to family.

Indian shop owner told me the previous owner died of cancer in 2017. He was a true Tobacconist.

 

[PipeIT]

I think we’re all going to need to move to the Scottish Highlands some day, where they’ll never find us with our Bonnie of a wonder, Old World Tobacconist Shop! ⚔ ?




P.S. Seriously, only those places far off from the world, might be the only places left, that no one will touch! ?

 

[mso489]

Even in my forays around New York City more than a decade ago, I'd see tobacco shop signs and be lured inside to the same old cigarettes by the carton, drug gear, and not much else. One of the nations major pipe and cigar stores, Nat Sherman, has now closed. Sign of the times.

 

[Lawyer66]

Love the naked grain on this one!

I wish I had a local tobacconist. In Cayman there are lots of cigar shops and few pipe smokers that I am aware of. I may just go to the cigar shop and see if they sell anything pipe related as it's the farthest my curiosity can take me at this point.