I went into work early today. 5am to be exact. I was supposed to break down the display case, and deep clean it. Some of you know I'm a butcher block supervisor for an Albertsons grocery store. Anyway, we have quite a large case as these cases go and removing everything, cleaning them, and setting them back up again is a pretty big job. So I was surprised when I went in this morning and found that my closer the night before had already done the job. I've been in dire need of an easy stress free day for quite some time now and I guess he knew it.
He's getting into pipe smoking himself, so it's been kind of nice having someone at work to talk to about pipes and tobacco and everything in between. He was working during the day today as well, so a few hours later, when he came in during my so far super awesome easy day of total epic-ness I had had enough time to get some coffee into my system and a lot of work done... without it really being work and was cool and calm and relaxed. It was a great morning. So I said, "Hey, you know what we need to do?" He said "What?" So I said, "We need to make a run up to Tobacco Lane." We have talked about the old Tobacco Lane that used to be at the North East Mall in Hurst Texas, and we both had some good memories of that place. I haven't been into a real brick and mortar since it's been gone, and never since I began smoking a pipe. He said, "That might be cool." So I said, "Hell yeah, because I'm throwing a couple tins or some bulk in for you, since you did such a kick ass job for me last night." He said, "Are you sure?" I said, "Hell yes I'm sure. I've needed a good easy day for months (I've been killing myself lately at work). And he said, "Yeah. I know you did. You've been killing yourself since before Thanksgiving." So we decided we were going.
Downtown Fort Worth is an interesting place. Here and there nestled among the buildings of a modern day city you can still find elements of the past. So you can still get an idea of what the city was like when horse drawn wagons rolled and men on horseback cantered down an unpaved road in place of automobiles. And right there on Main street. is a nice little brick and mortar tobacco shop called Tobacco Lane On The Square. One of a few Tobacco Lane's, although the one I frequented in my youth is no longer around. Walking in the door we were greeted with a mixture of aromatic pipe tobacco aroma, and the room note of a cigar a man was enjoying while relaxing in a comfortable chair in one corner near the walk in humidor. My eye, of course, was drawn immediately to the tins of tobacco behind the counter. They don't have much, but they have a few good blends to choose from, and of course in front of the counter a good selection of bulk tobacco jars. We were greeted by a familiar face. A nice older lady that used to work at the Tobacco Lane I knew from the time I was a small child I would sometimes visit with my father to when I was a manager for a pretzel shop where our kitchen was behind the shop down in the corridors. It was nice to see her. And wondering if the old guy was still around I asked about the tall man that ran the other shop for many years, smoking his pipe and sporting a fedora while he chatted with you behind the counter. I bought a few cigars from him when I was in my twenties. But he literally watched me grow up. She said he's still at it and working at the location in Weatherford. It was good to hear that. Walk a little further past the counter and they have some pretty nice pipes. Again, not a huge selection, but a descent little choice between some lower end pipes, and then some Bjarne's and then some Petersons (they still had some 2015 St. Patty's Day Petersons, by the way and even a couple 2013's and 2014's). They had some good Savinellis, and I think some Caminettos and Caviccis. Some pipes I wasn't familiar with but that were very pricey that I was afraid to touch.... a nice assortment of Paykoc Meerchaums, and a few other pipes. I never had a chance to see all of them, because my eye was drawn to the end of the case where what I knew from a glance had to be some grade Nordings. In fact, my eyes glanced leftward and I said aloud as my feet took over and began moving that direction against my will.... "are those Nording's down there?" And indeed they were. I saw a grade 14 and grade 16 Nording that were quite nice, but it's the 14 that really caught my eye. You guessed it.... it spoke to me. Taking that pipe in my hand, the bowl is quite possibly the most comfortable fit I've ever felt in my hand, surpassing all my other pipes, perhaps even my beloved Peterson XL90 shape. I nearly bought it right then and there. My coworker was drawn immediately to some Nording Signatures. Quite nice ones, I might add. And one in particular, he fell in love with. He nearly bought it right then and there. But we both managed to check ourselves and are giving ourselves a few days to think about it. If the pipes are still there when we return as we planned, we will likely walk out of there with them. We both just wanted to make sure our funds are tight first.
So.... back to what we really went there for. Tobacco. They offered to allow me to mosey on over (we say that here in Texas... mosey.... it means move along over somewhere by moving your feet in a walking motion) behind the counter to take a gander (that means look at something) at the tins on the shelf. They had a few McClelland blends, and Sutliff, and Davidoff to name a few. I nearly walked out with one of each Frog Morton, but decided on a tin of 2014 Christmas Cheer. It was a bit pricier than I would have liked, but I'll consider the experience well worth the price of the tobacco. Meanwhile, while my buddy was sniffing bulk jars and quite possibly inhaling tobacco up his nose, I got to talking about tobacco and somehow Petersons Saint Patrick's Day blend came up. So I mentioned my search for W.O. Larsen's Belle Epoque, which quite possibly is the same blend that they repackaged for Peterson under a different label. I can't find it anywhere and even the Danish Pipe Shop doesn't seem to carry it. Boom! "Give me your number," she said. She's going to make some calls and see if she can make it happen for me.
Long story short (ok it's kind of long) I had a wonderful experience after a great day at work. I went home with some Christmas Cheer and my coworker went home with a couple renamed Lane blends (haha) and I really just had to share it. I'm seriously thinking about that Nording and hoping it's still there, and I showed my coworker what my Nording Signature looks like so he can have an idea what his will look like after being smoked for a while. He'll likely go back for that pipe. If you're ever in the area, visit Tobacco Lane On The Square on Main in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. Wonderful people there. A great day. A wonderful day.
He's getting into pipe smoking himself, so it's been kind of nice having someone at work to talk to about pipes and tobacco and everything in between. He was working during the day today as well, so a few hours later, when he came in during my so far super awesome easy day of total epic-ness I had had enough time to get some coffee into my system and a lot of work done... without it really being work and was cool and calm and relaxed. It was a great morning. So I said, "Hey, you know what we need to do?" He said "What?" So I said, "We need to make a run up to Tobacco Lane." We have talked about the old Tobacco Lane that used to be at the North East Mall in Hurst Texas, and we both had some good memories of that place. I haven't been into a real brick and mortar since it's been gone, and never since I began smoking a pipe. He said, "That might be cool." So I said, "Hell yeah, because I'm throwing a couple tins or some bulk in for you, since you did such a kick ass job for me last night." He said, "Are you sure?" I said, "Hell yes I'm sure. I've needed a good easy day for months (I've been killing myself lately at work). And he said, "Yeah. I know you did. You've been killing yourself since before Thanksgiving." So we decided we were going.
Downtown Fort Worth is an interesting place. Here and there nestled among the buildings of a modern day city you can still find elements of the past. So you can still get an idea of what the city was like when horse drawn wagons rolled and men on horseback cantered down an unpaved road in place of automobiles. And right there on Main street. is a nice little brick and mortar tobacco shop called Tobacco Lane On The Square. One of a few Tobacco Lane's, although the one I frequented in my youth is no longer around. Walking in the door we were greeted with a mixture of aromatic pipe tobacco aroma, and the room note of a cigar a man was enjoying while relaxing in a comfortable chair in one corner near the walk in humidor. My eye, of course, was drawn immediately to the tins of tobacco behind the counter. They don't have much, but they have a few good blends to choose from, and of course in front of the counter a good selection of bulk tobacco jars. We were greeted by a familiar face. A nice older lady that used to work at the Tobacco Lane I knew from the time I was a small child I would sometimes visit with my father to when I was a manager for a pretzel shop where our kitchen was behind the shop down in the corridors. It was nice to see her. And wondering if the old guy was still around I asked about the tall man that ran the other shop for many years, smoking his pipe and sporting a fedora while he chatted with you behind the counter. I bought a few cigars from him when I was in my twenties. But he literally watched me grow up. She said he's still at it and working at the location in Weatherford. It was good to hear that. Walk a little further past the counter and they have some pretty nice pipes. Again, not a huge selection, but a descent little choice between some lower end pipes, and then some Bjarne's and then some Petersons (they still had some 2015 St. Patty's Day Petersons, by the way and even a couple 2013's and 2014's). They had some good Savinellis, and I think some Caminettos and Caviccis. Some pipes I wasn't familiar with but that were very pricey that I was afraid to touch.... a nice assortment of Paykoc Meerchaums, and a few other pipes. I never had a chance to see all of them, because my eye was drawn to the end of the case where what I knew from a glance had to be some grade Nordings. In fact, my eyes glanced leftward and I said aloud as my feet took over and began moving that direction against my will.... "are those Nording's down there?" And indeed they were. I saw a grade 14 and grade 16 Nording that were quite nice, but it's the 14 that really caught my eye. You guessed it.... it spoke to me. Taking that pipe in my hand, the bowl is quite possibly the most comfortable fit I've ever felt in my hand, surpassing all my other pipes, perhaps even my beloved Peterson XL90 shape. I nearly bought it right then and there. My coworker was drawn immediately to some Nording Signatures. Quite nice ones, I might add. And one in particular, he fell in love with. He nearly bought it right then and there. But we both managed to check ourselves and are giving ourselves a few days to think about it. If the pipes are still there when we return as we planned, we will likely walk out of there with them. We both just wanted to make sure our funds are tight first.
So.... back to what we really went there for. Tobacco. They offered to allow me to mosey on over (we say that here in Texas... mosey.... it means move along over somewhere by moving your feet in a walking motion) behind the counter to take a gander (that means look at something) at the tins on the shelf. They had a few McClelland blends, and Sutliff, and Davidoff to name a few. I nearly walked out with one of each Frog Morton, but decided on a tin of 2014 Christmas Cheer. It was a bit pricier than I would have liked, but I'll consider the experience well worth the price of the tobacco. Meanwhile, while my buddy was sniffing bulk jars and quite possibly inhaling tobacco up his nose, I got to talking about tobacco and somehow Petersons Saint Patrick's Day blend came up. So I mentioned my search for W.O. Larsen's Belle Epoque, which quite possibly is the same blend that they repackaged for Peterson under a different label. I can't find it anywhere and even the Danish Pipe Shop doesn't seem to carry it. Boom! "Give me your number," she said. She's going to make some calls and see if she can make it happen for me.
Long story short (ok it's kind of long) I had a wonderful experience after a great day at work. I went home with some Christmas Cheer and my coworker went home with a couple renamed Lane blends (haha) and I really just had to share it. I'm seriously thinking about that Nording and hoping it's still there, and I showed my coworker what my Nording Signature looks like so he can have an idea what his will look like after being smoked for a while. He'll likely go back for that pipe. If you're ever in the area, visit Tobacco Lane On The Square on Main in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. Wonderful people there. A great day. A wonderful day.
