Bought this beautiful meerschaum from an (online) antique shop last week and it smokes beautifully. It's quite an interesting design as it sort of has a faux-calabash carved rim - still not sure what the purpose of that is, but it adds to the quirkiness of the pipe. Another slight quirk is that it has a bottom as though it's a sitter, but the weight is off so it can't 'sit'. I'm all for some eccentricity so it doesn't bother me!
My one concern is that I'm not, nor have ever been, nor (barring some strange combination of events) likely to be in the British Parachute Regiment. I didn't commission the pipe and won't turn up to events smoking it, but I appreciate its history. I'm wondering if it was related to an amazing man I came across called Major Richard Hargreaves who was both a decorated Para officer who fought in WW2 and, later, Master of the Worshipful Company of Tobacco Pipe Makers and Tobacco Blenders in the UK.
Suffice to say I will be loading up some Squadron Leader tomorrow and raising a toast in celebration of VE day.
My one concern is that I'm not, nor have ever been, nor (barring some strange combination of events) likely to be in the British Parachute Regiment. I didn't commission the pipe and won't turn up to events smoking it, but I appreciate its history. I'm wondering if it was related to an amazing man I came across called Major Richard Hargreaves who was both a decorated Para officer who fought in WW2 and, later, Master of the Worshipful Company of Tobacco Pipe Makers and Tobacco Blenders in the UK.
Suffice to say I will be loading up some Squadron Leader tomorrow and raising a toast in celebration of VE day.