Turn Your Back Even For A Minute...

[moses]

Speaking as someone who has been just living off their cellar for the last few years combined with a lapse in forum involvement, I am shocked and saddened about mcclelland going under, Dunhill dropping their pipe tobacco line, h&h being manufactured by Sutliff, Missouri meerschaum seconds bag being reduced to 7 pipes, probably more.
I realize that if I'd done my due diligence that I might not have been surprised by all this, but I have some wonderful rose colored lenses sometimes.
I'm not sure what I'm going for in writing this. What's done is done, and I suppose I should be happy about my McC heavy cellar, but jeebus h crisps, I do not love this. Thanks for listening.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Oh you forgot... Laudisi (smokingpipes.com) now owns Peterson Of Dublin. Peterson Tobacco is now owned by Scandinavian Tobacco Group and a bunch of the blends are discontinued, Syrian Latakia has officially gone the way of the dodo..... what else.... Oh yeah, all of the really nice tin art is being uglyfied by the big nanny with reasons why we shouldn't smoke. I'm sure I'm forgetting something....

 

[cortezattic]

OTOH, there are still thousands of blends to explore. Enjoy the adventure.

 

[npod]

On the bright side, Peck and Harris are done cellaring tobacco. So there is a chance you can get in on the drops when they occur. But then again the entire world will be in line with you because of the alerts. Yes, a lot has changed, but a lot more is status quo.

 

[JimInks]

H&H blends were made by Sutliff when you were here last, too. Some are now made by Lane, so that has changed.

 

[rfernand]

Moses, what can I say..., please don’t turn your back again, look at the mess you caused!

 

[bent1]

That’s exactly how I felt after a four year hiatus from the pipe forums. But, I discovered the H&H lines (among others) and have been pleasantly surprised.

 

[hawky454]

Be sure to stay away from Samuel Gawith, their Quality Control has some serious issues according to two people. Better to just to stay away until they get their issues in order, your flakes may be slightly lighter in color than the last time you purchased from them, ohhhhh the horror. :twisted:
By the way, I love your avatar! Big Lynch fan myself.

 

[hiplainsdrifter]

Hawky, are you always this rude or is it just a Wednesday thing? Moses, a lot has definitely changed in the last few years.

 

[elbert]

In defence of Missouri Meerschaum seconds, their problem is that they can't screw up enough pipes fast enough to meet demand. If this was a hobby-wide problem, we'd be living in a Golden Age!

 

[brian64]

I realize that if I'd done my due diligence that I might not have been surprised by all this, but I have some wonderful rose colored lenses sometimes.

At least you're aware of it. That's a good sign.
In spite of everything, there are still frequent posts telling us all that it's only panic, paranoia and mob hysteria that causes any of us to think we need to stock up.
Some people will never let go of their normalcy bias no matter what fresh hell unfolds.

 

[sablebrush52]

Despite the losses, despite the shortages of certain well known blends, there are a lot of great choice that are still readily available. Stock up when you can, and explore less familiar blends. It's not like any of this was unexpected. "Dunhill" had left these shores before, and McClelland was always fated to close up shop some day. Rules tighten, the general environment continues to become more hostile. Those of us who want to continue to enjoy our filthy habit are buying and cellaring, and some of us are far better supplied than any B&M. A few are better supplied than many towns.

Wailing and complaining is beside the point. Find something that you enjoy smoking and put some away.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

In genreal, I still say we’re going to be able to plot a 50-100 year cycle of the demonization and eventual re-normalization of pipe smoking (and maybe tobacco in a more broad sense).

Right now the people in power are still the first generation to discover the nastiness of lung cancer and totally overreact to it (an overreaction compounded by the relatively recent invention and proliferation of cigarettes in the 20th century).

In the next decade we’ll probably hit the lowest point (it hasn’t come yet), but give it another 30-50 years and society will be able to reassess our relationship with tobacco and find a middle ground, as is the case with most cultural trends.

 

[cigrmaster]

Neal,

On the bright side, Peck and Harris are done cellaring tobacco. So there is a chance you can get in on the drops when they occur. But then again the entire world will be in line with you because of the alerts. Yes, a lot has changed, but a lot more is status quo.

You guys had a way better shot at getting the good stuff when you only had to worry about me and peck. With social media being what it is, the demand has gone insane. Now even Lakelands are in short supply.

 

[hawky454]

Hawky, are you always this rude or is it just a Wednesday thing?

Please except my apologies, I don’t wan’t to have any beef with any of the members here. ‘Twas trying to have a bit of fun with it but now that it’s Thursday I do see that I took it a bit too far, very childish of me. I would blame it on my drinking but the strongest beverage I drink is black tea, everyone’s gotta have a vice, right? Again, I’m sorry.

 

[brian64]

Those of us who want to continue to enjoy our filthy habit

To each his own, but I feel sorry for anyone who considers it to be a filthy habit.
I consider quality pipe tobacco to be a gift from God...and it's a combination of evil and ignorance that seek to eradicate it.
And I don't use the word evil lightly, because I do consider the lust for power and control to be truly evil.
And at its core, the anti-tobacco lunacy is really about nothing except control freaks enjoying their filthy habit.

 

[mso489]

The original post is an interesting reflection on change in general. It's like going to a class reunion and finding out who died, divorced, got rich, etc. Or seeing the babies we welcomed into the world seemingly graduating from college "the next day." If we aren't following the narrative, change is always unexpected, even when it is expected, you might say. Plenty of fine blends to discover, good pipes at excellent prices, and other positives to discover, if you will. Make hay while the sun shines.

 

[hiplainsdrifter]

. I would blame it on my drinking but the strongest beverage I drink is black tea...

No grudges held Hawky. I too like a good black tea. My usual morning drink is Liptons with a sprig of wild bergamot.