Picobac Pipe Tobacco

[cavendish]

A question for some old-timer's on here...
A friend of mine has a Picobac Pipe Tobacco sign hanging in his living rm. I have been doing some research for him as to where it might have came from or how much it would be worth as an antique. Looking around on the interwebs all I can find is old tins and other small trinkets from this company and no signs. He said he got it from his dad who found it in and old barn somewhere north-east of Toronto. It is woden, and has mounting on the rear side that look like it could've been hung on a storefront or above a factory door.
Wondering if anyone could help me with any info on this or if there is someone who I could call to find out more for him. He's had the sign for about 15yr and doesn't know how long his dad had it hidden away in the back of his garage.

 

[cavendish]

Really?? No one has any info?? lol. I might just call Imperial Tobacco and see wht I come up with.

 

[rmbittner]

cavendish:
Well, you might want to give the folks here more than an hour to respond. . .
Bob

 

[cavendish]

LOL! I guess so eh. Just want an answer. It's been bugging me for a while and I can't find any info on it. Wait and see what after work brings lol.

 

[cavendish]

Bump
Can anyone answer this one? Anyone at all?

 

[cavendish]

I googled it and didn't get that website! wth?! I looked around on google with several different word patterns reguarding the subject. Wow, I guess CDA does diff search results than other countries.
I know most of the ppl on here aren't CDA but a few are and I thought I'd take a long shot at it lol. Thanks for the link roth, I copied and pasted it into google and it came right up. I think someone is f**king with me on the other end.. lmao
I'm going to call in the morning and see what I can find. You know me, I like to get to the end of things and find out everything I can. I'm sure they will have info.

 

[cavendish]

Yeah I have access to Wilfred Laurier University Library here in town. I will be checking this out. I mean when I did a geneology search on my family I went back to the 1700's and it took a few months. Researching something doesn't bother me so much, it's not finding an answer when one has exhausted all resourses. I am, however, pretty good at not coming to that point due to my persistance lol.
I'll be sure to let everyone know and post some pics. I'm sure this will turn out to be an interesting story and a good read to boot.

 

[cavendish]

His whole house is a man cave bro. I love going to his place it friggin awesome. He's our old neighbour so it's like a second home (help yourself kinda place and the kid loves the pool) He's an incredible painter as well so his house is full of unique and awesome paintings. Half dozen fish tanks throughout the house. He is a refrideration tech by trade and a hobbist woodworker as a side business and has completley renovated his 2500sqft house to what he wants. He's recently divorced from a nagging, controling wicked witch so he's livin life to the fullest I guess lol. He was interested in smoking a pipe but the one's his dad gave him were old and not really worth restoring so I gave him my Brigham Algonquin 'Volcano'. He's a pretty cool guy who would do anything for a friend. I guess that's why we get along so well lol. I'll post some pics of the sign and the pipe rack he's building for me.

 

[misterlowercase]

I don't know much of anything about it, but here's a sign,

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/836493
...and here's a full tin of the stuff ifya wanna serprize yer naybor witha gift!!!

http://www.blujay.com/item/Picobac-Tobacco-Tin-Full-Original-Box-1940-s-7110000-1337928
It seems some of the Canadian stuff is very collectible, I'm from the Deep South so Rock City means something else to me, but it was also the name of CDA tobacc'r who made some highly sought after litho pocket tins which sell for eye-glazing prices!
Master Mason pocket tin = $1,500
Torpedo Tobacco pocket tin = $3,550
If you do contact Imperial, tell dem bastids we North Americans want sum damm'd St. Bruno !!!

:P

 

[cavendish]

Hey thanks! I saw most of this stuff already. Not the auction proces however I didn't bother looking at those.
I will ask them about St. Bruno and see what they say lol

 

[cavendish]

So a call to Imperial Tobacco lead no where. She said (in hger very rude french-canadian way) the only info they have is what's on the website. She said there was no one else to speak with about it and she doesn't know any info other than what's in the system.
I guess calling around to antique stores is the next step. I place an ad in the local paper for anyone who used to work there or had family that worked there. It would be nice to have some leads on it.
And about St. Bruno she said they don't make it anymore and will not be making it again as the division for pipe tobacco has been closed since the mid 50's. I might be able to find some info out from my old neighbour. I'm pretty sure he used to smoke this stuff it was really popular here in Ontario.

 

[misterlowercase]

That lady sounds like an arrogant imperialist!

:lol:
Good onya for the followup, thanks mate!

 

[nsfisher]

(in hger very rude french-canadian way)

Really mate? We have Canadians here as well as French Members. Wording is of a bit I think.

 

[rmbittner]

And about St. Bruno she said they don't make it anymore and will not be making it again as the division for pipe tobacco has been closed since the mid 50's.

Unless I'm overlooking part of the discussion, this is a baffling statement. I was smoking fresh St. Bruno in the mid-1980s.
Bob

 

[cavendish]

Unless I'm overlooking part of the discussion, this is a baffling statement. I was smoking fresh St. Bruno in the mid-1980s.
Bob

That's what she told me Bob.

I've contacted a bunch of antique shops and I'll be taking a trip to the library to check out some old newspapers from 30's, 40's 50's and 60's in search of a little tidbit within the few articles written about Picobac.

They were a very popular company in Southern and Southwestern Ontario during that time. Personally, I couldn't give a rat's a$$ as to what the thing is worth, I want to know more about the history of this company along with Imperial Tobacco. I'm a history buff and I enjoy learning about the area I live in. It makes it that much more 'rich' of an experience to be part of ongoing history in one's stompin' grounds 8).
I haven't done alot of extensive research into things in the last 4yr or so on account of working so much, so this will be a nice change of pace and something to reflect upon and analize more while out on the river enjoying the nice weather.
I'll keep everyone posted on what I find

 

[misterlowercase]

Once you start digging, you'll find that the Imperial saga is one of the most serpentine tales in all tobacco manufacturing history, how the British companies all formed a sort of confederacy to defend their home turf against us brash Yanks and ultimately defeat The Big Duke himself. Interesting stuff if you're interested.
The most comprehensive survey of Imperial's formation that I've come across is this big 'ol book,

W.D. & H.O. Wills and the development of the U.K. tobacco industry 1786-1965

...it has a lot of boring stuff, too much cigarette stuff, but ultimately provides a very clear picture of what went down when and by whom and for what purpose, it's a messy story. I have the bookish physical object itself and greatly enjoy the heft of it in my lap for a leisurely reading, it's fairly easy to find and maybe the Uni library has a copy to check out? If you do skim the googbook, go to pg. 247 as it starts about the formation of Imperial. The index only has 3 listings for Canada, p134 p220 p406
The Legacy Library is a great resource too, but slim pickin' about Picobac,

http://www.legacy.library.ucsf.edu/action/search/basic;jsessionid=AFFC1B54FDFAD8F253B13CDF93940FF3.tobacco03

...you'll end up reading stuff like this,

It is interesting to note that American Tobacco has been in contact with Imperial concerning Canadian patents 680,461 and 709,643 issued in 1964 and 1965,respectively, to Imperial. The G-13 patents are very similar to the Canadian patents. Imperial was not aware of the litigation between American and Reynolds over G-13. Detailed descriptions of two processing schemes for making sliced plug smoking tobacco (Picobac and Old Kentucky). Imperial has not made this style of smoking tobacco for some time...
I'm glad to see you digging all this stuff up, it's always interesting to have accurate info...
...as a side note of my scrounging around the topic, I discovered a bit about the Ontario tobacco fields, which I knew little about but had seen listed as key ingredients in certain Imperial blends in Britain, they would classify it as one of the Empire Leafs...it also puts this song in better perspective for me...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6EiYbRTv4M

 

[cavendish]

I did alot of digging on this and all I found out was that his sign came from one of the factories that produced the tobacco. It was most likely hung inside the factory because of it's size and condition it's in.
@misterlowercase Stompin' Tom made some great songs. This one is one of my favorites. I worked in tobacco fields for about 9 seasons. Alot of hard work goes into it to produce what we smoke, and I know this first hand.

 

[cavendish]

I guess roth lol. I wanted more info on it but that wasn't going to happen. It is pretty cool to find out the history on old things and he respects and loves that sign lol. During my research I did try to contact a couple people who worked for Imperial/Picobac, but was told by family they had passed on a few years ago and I didn't want to pry any further and make them upset.
He said he isn't worried about how much the sign is worth, he likes it for the nostalgic/historic look and feel it gives the room it's in. He has a few other signs/posters as well like Sonoco Gas, Lucky Strike, and Zig-Zag Rolling Papers and a fairly large collection of original Coca-Cola stuff (not the remake stuff you see now that 'looks' antique). My favorite sign is his coca-cola paper storefront poster where santa actually has a pipe in his mouth while holding a bottle of coke with a slight smile cracking on the corner of his lip. I asked him how old it is and he said it's about 1950-1952 and is the rarest of rare for coke posters. I just wish I could get more info on the picobac sign. I seem to remember seeing a tin of this with my uncle's pipe when I was really young, then he switched to SWR for several years then Captain Black white or gold was his blend until he died.
I like going to his house. It feels like a comfy cabin and you can tell a man lives there lol. It is tastefully decorated and laid out to feel 'homey' and warm. Everyone is always welcome, and he always has something funny to say or talk about when I see him. It's good to have good friends who make you feel comfortable and at home, and it's even better when they let you smoke your pipe in their house cause they like the smell of it :P lol. He started smoking a pipe and blames it on me but that's ok, now we can smoke our pipes together and enjoy coffee and good times.