Sam Gawith Becoming The New Unicorn

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spicy_boiii

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 5, 2020
592
2,728
Bay Area, California
A ton of the stuff that people claim are unicorns becomes available at least once or twice a year. Even if it's bought up, it'll be back. With minimal effort this stuff is easily available. Hell there is STILL Esoterica listed as available, at least in small amounts, online, let alone at B&M's.
 
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pantsBoots

Lifer
Jul 21, 2020
2,132
7,517
Terra Firma
I just looked at Tobacco Pipes, tins and 250 gr boxes of FVF and BBF are available right now. Apparently, the sky isn't falling.
The sky IS falling! I'm having trouble finding Mason jars locally - usually can get a few cases once per month. It wasn't such a big deal, but now that I've stacked pipe tobacco cellaring on top of gardening, I'm having to make hard choices about food prep vs nicotine prep!

Happy to have gotten a short-term fill of FVF. When the tobacco budget resets next month, hoping to be able to dive back in to round out BBF and Golden Glow.
 
Oct 7, 2016
2,451
5,195
This sort of thing happens when the importer won’t order enough to meet demand, will only order a few shipments a year and no “ rolling” schedule of smaller shipments to fill in OOS items, lays off over at least half its sales force, fires the only person with roots in the pipe tobacco industry, announces big plans to become a major factor in the snus segment of the industry, closes down after 2 years the newly announced division that was to be devoted to marketing their own label premium infused cigars which ended up being sold at yard gar prices by one of the discounters this summer, fired the guy in charge of that division, etc. Chris Gawith knows what his own order.books show. He and his sister hear feedback from US customers about availability through social media. Every other thing I have mentioned has been covered in the trade press. Such as Tobacco Business Magazine, which the parent company of the importer also owns. And which has never given an inch of publicity to Gawith, even though the have found space to do great write ups of Missouri Meerschaum and Tommy Ascorti.

If I didn’t know any better, I would think this was a company run by people who made buckets full of money importing clove cigarettes and hasn’t had a clue since on how to intelligently spend it.
TL;DR- There is absolutely no fundamental reason for SG or GH to be unicorns.
 
Jan 28, 2018
12,952
134,581
66
Sarasota, FL
The sky IS falling! I'm having trouble finding Mason jars locally - usually can get a few cases once per month. It wasn't such a big deal, but now that I've stacked pipe tobacco cellaring on top of gardening, I'm having to make hard choices about food prep vs nicotine prep!

Happy to have gotten a short-term fill of FVF. When the tobacco budget resets next month, hoping to be able to dive back in to round out BBF and Golden Glow.

Try Amazon. Try mylar bags.
 

logs

Lifer
Apr 28, 2019
1,873
5,069
There's a significant difference between going quickly and near impossible to get like esoterica is. I'll bet I could buy 20 lbs of SG before the weekend without too much effort.

With the exception of Stonehaven and Penzance I don't find Esoterica blends that hard to locate really. It's the Germain blends that are a pain in the ass. The occasional tin or two each year are the most I'm able to do. Even Pipestud doesn't carry much of it. I don't know how people manage to hoard those blends. In any case, I agree SG is much more plentiful.
 
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spicy_boiii

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 5, 2020
592
2,728
Bay Area, California
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Jan 28, 2018
12,952
134,581
66
Sarasota, FL
The really good 7 mil Mylar bags by Pleasant Grove Farms sold through Amazon have been very frequently OOS from very early in the Covid days. After using them, I am reluctant to go with anything else. I am only a recent convert to Mylar, and there may be equally good alternatives, but I haven’t found them.

Haven't bought any for awhile. Agree on Pleasant Grove brand being good. Don't have experience with others to be able to say they're better or worse.
 
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Jan 28, 2018
12,952
134,581
66
Sarasota, FL
With the exception of Stonehaven and Penzance I don't find Esoterica blends that hard to locate really. It's the Germain blends that are a pain in the ass. The occasional tin or two each year are the most I'm able to do. Even Pipestud doesn't carry much of it. I don't know how people manage to hoard those blends. In any case, I agree SG is much more plentiful.

Peacehaven is not easy to find and it's the one I like best. The only Germain blend I care much about is Rich Dark Flake and I have a buddy in the UK that has taken care of me on that.
 
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mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
3,976
11,065
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
The sky IS falling! I'm having trouble finding Mason jars locally - usually can get a few cases once per month. It wasn't such a big deal, but now that I've stacked pipe tobacco cellaring on top of gardening, I'm having to make hard choices about food prep vs nicotine prep!
I know what you mean. Mason jars are sold out locally in my area, even bands and lids; the shelves are simply empty. I managed to find two doz. a few weeks ago just by chance because they were on the returns table, with one jar missing its lid. I bought them anyway. They're available in some sizes online, and on Amazon at inflated prices.
 

hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,220
Austin, TX
The really good 7 mil Mylar bags by Pleasant Grove Farms sold through Amazon have been very frequently OOS from very early in the Covid days. After using them, I am reluctant to go with anything else. I am only a recent convert to Mylar, and there may be equally good alternatives, but I haven’t found them.
That’s the same vendor I just bought those from not too long ago. They are great quality! Looks like they are in stock right now.
 
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hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,220
Austin, TX
Yes, but love stock alerts. Two days ago all but one size was OOS
Looking at it again, they only have two sizes at the moment and only 2 or 3 bundles left in stock. If you are going to get some, now is the time! The 1 abd 2.5 gallon are the sizes left. I personally get the gallon size. I can fit several tins/pouches in one bag. Still working on what I’m going to use to seal them up properly though.
 
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Oct 7, 2016
2,451
5,195
Looking at it again, they only have two sizes at the moment and only 2 or 3 bundles left in stock. If you are going to get some, now is the time! The 1 abd 2.5 gallon are the sizes left. I personally get the gallon size. I can fit several tins/pouches in one bag. Still working on what I’m going to use to seal them up properly though.
I just use an iron. Run it across the very tip top. You can find other solutions like curling irons if you read through some threads on other forums, but just using the iron works for me. First time I have actually used an iron in several decades. Amazed I could even find it.
 

bent1

Lifer
Jan 9, 2015
1,138
2,999
64
WV
FVF, BBF, & GG, I enjoy them all. As has been said, buy enough to last 6 months so that when the next distributor drop occurs, you’ll not be without.

I bought many lbs of all three throughout 2008-2009. Back then it was $28 -$32/ 16 oz. I’d purchase 4 lbs at a clip to qualify for free shipping. A good bit has been resting quietly since then in glass jars.
 

hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,220
Austin, TX
I just use an iron. Run it across the very tip top. You can find other solutions like curling irons if you read through some threads on other forums, but just using the iron works for me. First time I have actually used an iron in several decades. Amazed I could even find it.
Haha! That’s my problem, I don’t have one. I’ll have to go out and buy a cheapie.
 
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