The Amazing Shaintiques!

[sparrowhawk]

In an earlier post I mentioned how two gentlemen sent me packages of Sutliff's for modest favors that come nowhere to deserving this kind of reward. Well, in what must be some kind of record, there's a knock at the door, and a pretty postage lady holds out a box for me to sign for. Bewildered, I sign, and open this third box with my pocket knife.

It is six pipes that I asked Shaintiques to do some work--basically loosen the stems on my Petersons and repair some burning on a Castello Sea Rock. Now Dave, who also runs the Free Pipe Project, is operating under some delusion that he owes me something when I should be paying him, so he won't take money from me. The returned pipes were done as if by a master. But that wasn't enough. He also included 10 tins of Sutliff blends! I have so many tins of Sutliff's that they will last well into next year! Ah, but I found a way to return the favor, but I must wait a little bit before telling you all about that. But I am overwhelmed today by so much generosity in one day that I'm a little numb. Gentlemen, thank you so much, and God bless you all.

 

[shaintiques]

What Fred fails to mention is that he did pay me to fix his pipes, paid me in Escudo that is. The cleaning was necessary to get the stems just right. As far as The Sutliff, Fred is my friend and I always take care of my friends.

 

[sparrowhawk]

I had forgotten I sent Dave the Escudo, but that was a small coin to pay compared to everything he did.

 

[voorhees]

Very nice indeed. Dave is the man.

 

[ejames]

Very nice indeed. Dave is the man.

Agreed!

 

[CherokeeBilly]

Awesome gesture! The generosity on this forum continues to amaze me.

 

[simnettpratt]

Ten tins and free pipe fixins; damn. Enjoy the Escudo, Dave, it was well earned. Fred, when you coming down to Dallas for some bass fishing? I live next to a State Park where you can fish without a license!
PS If you don't know, I have also been the recipient of a lot of tobacco, some excellent emails and a cool pipe pouch from Fred. He also sent me postage money to send CARE packs of my extra tobacco to other folks, some through Dave. Here's the pouch, with some stuff Merry might have had back at his hobbit-hole. Tobacco is Sutliff Kentucky Planter.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Lol! Fred you have been really taken care of the last couple days! But you know something? You're good for it, brother. You didn't have to send me tobacco just because I tipped you off to a pipe you might like. But you did. You've offered to help me pay for a pipe more than once, though I haven't taken you up on the offer. But still, you made the offer. No reason at all for you to do any of that. But you did anyway. You're a man of good character and a true gentleman. You may not think your deserving of the generosity, but truly you are. You've been a great addition to this site since you joined. I'm glad for you that others here have shown that appreciation. Congratulations to you. And to those who've shown you such generosity, good on you all! I've just sent my address to every single of one of you... :wink: Kidding!

 

[claypipesarchaeologist]

News like this always cheers me up. Great stuff, you guys!

 

[simnettpratt]

There are a lot of folks on this site that 'get it'. anthony, you're one too.
Hey, there's archy! You too kiddo. See, I found a use for your stick!

 

[sparrowhawk]

simnettpratt, you may well end up regretting that offer for bass fishing on the day I actually show up on your doorstep! Do they hurt people in Texas who pronounce clipped consonants?

As the great American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson would say, it all equals out. Simnettpratt once sent me a bunch of stuff once, including a Swiss Army knife from his own personal knife collection and that I now keep with me all the time now. And we all know about his windfall of tobacco and pipes which, instead of hoarding it for himself, sent out to others in need. But he was financially short, so I sent him the cash to cover these exorbitant postage fees. So what goes around comes around, although I keep wondering why my pre-disability days were so miserable. (I always advise youngsters who ask, never go into education as a career--you'll wind up with a nervous breakdown.)

Makes me wonder if there's something about the pipe that makes us like this...

PS: Wait until I tell you what our friend Across The Water, Andy Stewart, recently did for me... you won't believe it!

 

[simnettpratt]

sparrow: no, Texans won't hurt you, they are wonderful, good folks, come on down. Think Ryan Alden. I've only met him once but I can tell you, if I called him at 3am because I was stuck in a ditch, he'd come out and get me. Lots of good, country folk. Though I will tell you, when we first came to America in 1975, I did have a little old Texan lady say, "British? Thank goodness, I thought you were a damn Yankee!"
I was hoping the pocket knife you mentioned was my old friend. That knife and I had a long history and I'm really glad it's now yours. Sounds like the little guy likes his new owner.
PS Andy's done stuff for me and other folks too, what did he do this time?
PPS Andy tried to stay anonymous for a long time. Didn't work.

 

[shaintiques]

If Fred really loved me he would post a pic of his Pete's.

 

[danielplainview]

This is why I became a member of this forum. The genuine brotherhood of briar. After a couple years of shuffling through various pipe forums for information, I chose pipesmag forum to officially sign up to. Everyone is very helpful about any questions and the knowledge of our members is astounding.

 

[sparrowhawk]

Dave, more than a brother. (I hope someone doesn't take that out of context.) In fact, I was just about to write you again to tell you how much I loved having my Petes again, along with my Sea Rock. So here they are, along with the tobacco. I don't have all the tins photoed here, because I've already opened some and dug in! Gentlemen, you have to see these pipes in person to see what a spectacular job Dave did in fixing and cleaning my pipes. BTW, if you are wondering just exactly what he did, well, as Peterson owners know, the stems are on far too tight to making taking them apart for cleaning easy, so Dave gave the stem tenons a light sanding, just enough where the stems are secure, but loose enough so it wasn't a major battle to take the stems off for cleaning. And as for the Sea Rock, I accidentally burned the otherwise beautiful rim, and to make matters worse, I tried cleaning it myself and ended up removing the stain: Dave repaired the damage I inflicted and stained it so well it looked better than when I first bought it from Smoking Pipes as an estate, which is saying a lot.

You're not done yet, though, Dave: I got a Peterson Christmas 2014 billiard coming soon, and it will need the same TLC you gave the other pipes. :twisted:

 

[sparrowhawk]

Oh, simnettpratt, the pocket knife I mentioned was indeed the Swiss Army knife you mentioned. I keep it on me or in my book bag all the time now.

As for Texas, I keep on thinking of movies where terrible things happen to Yankees like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"!

Lastly, as for what Andy did for me, that's still ongoing but will shortly reach a conclusion and at that point I'll tell the whole remarkable story. Suffice it to say, it once more shows what a great bunch of guys hang out here.

 

[andystewart]

Well done Dave (shaintiques)!
Fred (sparrowhawk) - you're a good man and a pleasure to know. Shame we can't say that about more folk nowadays.
Dave Simnett-Pratt - you are a remarkably generous (if disturbed!) guy who's made a home a long way from home. I know you've been unwell; I hope you're better now.
You are all examples of the great guys and girls one meets on this site!
Andy

 

[sparrowhawk]

I wish I could tell you what Andy did for me recently, but it's something that's ongoing and will reach a conclusion in a short while: At that point I'll be able to tell (and show) what a remarkable man Andy is. Suffice it to say, Andy is among the best of us, and that's saying a lot.
PS: When I started smoking pipes about a year and a half ago, I thought two or three pipes would be enough. As the photo above indicates, this didn't turn out to be the case. PAD set in. I'm doomed.

 

[shaintiques]

I liked seeing that Christmas Pete in person, quite a nice looking pipe.