***What Are You Smoking, April 2023?***

[Tbaggins]

Going to try Savinelli Janus for the first time. I’ve been meaning to check it out for a year or two, but never got around to ordering it. This blend came up in conversation with @JimInks when I was talking to him about looking for something with some complexity to smoke in my very special 60th Birthday pipe, an unfinished, virgin, sandblasted Extraordinaire Fan made by Savinelli. I figure I’ll try the tobacco in an unsmoked, unfinished pipe to create similar variables for the experience and evaluation—this 2019 Savinelli Apollo 11 Author 320 limited edition (number 32/50) that celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing seems like a good vessel.

View attachment 219094

View attachment 219095

There's a bit of a back story to my getting this pipe. Our friend, Chris G. had his 37th birthday on March 31st. Chris is a big fan of Star Trek and the moon (he has a tattoo of the moon). The Author is his favourite pipe shape. For starters, Susan and I gave him a Missouri Meerschaum Ryker Corn Cob pipe (launched in August 2022, and now oddly discontinued as of December 2022 for now) and a bulk bag of Squadron Leader, followed by an unbuilt model kit of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module from 1970. For his main gift, we gave him a tin of Savinelli 140th Anniversary tobacco paired with a limited edition 2019 Savinelli 320 Apollo 11 50th Anniversary pipe (number 37/50, of course!)

The shop where I found his number 37 pipe also had a number 32. While, the moon texture isn't ideal, I am also a fan of the Author shape and a sucker for numbered limited editions; my background in competitive darts has left me with a fondness for the number 32, as it’s a great double in the game to be on for a finish since it breaks down evenly all the way to 2. So, I thought, “Why not?” and got myself an Apollo 11 pipe, too.

View attachment 219096

I think I’ve narrowed down my choices to Savinelli 140° Anniversary and Savinelli Janus to smoke in the 60th Birthday pipe. I’ll evaluate the blends over the next few days before I decide.

That is bad ass, congrats on the pipe and happy early birthday!

 

[OzPiper]

After lunch at a Northern Chinese BBQ Skewer Restaurant. Lots of meat liberally marinaded on Szechuan pepper and cumin.

A pigeon pair of Moretti Rhodesians
The first a briar with a tapered acrylic Cumberland stem.

I’m smoking back-to-back bowls of Sillem’s Black in both so I can do a head-to-head comparison of briar vs morta

 

[TheIronMonkey]

That is bad ass, congrats on the pipe and happy early birthday!

Thanks for the birthday wishes. My birthday was actually back in February, on the 11th. The 60th Birthday pipe (shown in its own thread) arrived late (thank you Customs) and I'll be taking it on its maiden smoke sometime this coming week once I decide what tobacco I want to have in it (and likely dedicate to the pipe).

 

[coming to_falling too]

Early 2000s Reiner Long Golden Flake in an Orlik Deluxe 179

 

[JimInks]

Enjoyed a little snacking, and am about a third of the way through this bowl of 2021 Watch City Simply VOriental in a straight smooth medium brown 1930s Wilshire 5 bulldog (Comoy’s second) made for John’s Pipe Shop in Los Angeles with a black vulcanite saddle stem. Ice water and bergs is my drink.

 

[OzPiper]

Onto my second bowl )back-to-back) of Sillem’s Black

On the 2nd of 2 Moretti Rhodesians - the morta

I had emailed Marco (Moretti pipe maker) to request a Bulldog.
He sent me photos of these 2 pipes.
I couldn’t make up my mind and got them both
While awaiting the Bulldog with a horn stem which I commissioned


Sillem’s Black is a crossover English/aromatic blend

The Latakia is muted in the briar and it smokes more like an aromatic

In the morta the Latakia is at once “brighter”,
more noticeable and to the fore. Very interesting

 

[JimInks]

Just finished smoking year 2017 E-soterica Dorchester in a straight smooth brown 1920s KBB Rocky Briar 1582 patent no.298978 with a B in a circle bulldog with a tapered black vulcanite stem.

 

[lkwttwkl]

I’d be nervous as hell smoking with a big beard like that driving, worried I’d set it ablaze. LOL

Be careful now!




What did you place on the top and bottom of your stems?

Be careful leaving anything on cumberland/ebonite/vulcanite for any length of time, it will cause it to oxidize faster.

This. I bite quite hard on stem, try the rubber before but i dont like the texture.
For oxidize, if one day i decide not to use these tape, i guess sand paper would work?

 

[JimInks]

A third of the way through this bowl of Hearth & Home AJ’s Vaper in a pre-1952 Sutliff Falcon 372 (made by Comoy’s) smooth light brown straight bulldog with a tapered black vulcanite stem.

 

[lkwttwkl]

Amphora Original Blend in a Talamona bulldog

 

[coming to_falling too]

A little Brown Sugar Flake in a Trey Rice prince

 

[JimInks]

Passing the quarter mark on this bowl of year 2012 Dan Tobacco Hamborger Veermaster in a smooth straight brown 1950 Dunhill 48 bulldog group 4 root briar with a black vulcanite fish tail saddle stem. Finished work for the day, and have a bunch of things to catch up on.

 

[JimInks]

Last smoke of the day is Uhle’s 00 in a 2015 straight dark brown Peterson Irish Harp 150 bulldog with a silver band and a tapered acrylic cumberland fish tail stem. As I made this past evening and this morning bulldog time, I was surprised to discover that I only have a couple that I dedicated to burley blends. May have to do something about that. Just fed Sleepy Suzy and Molly Danger, and will check on the ferals soon.

 

[haebar]

My first smoke of the day is SG 1792 flake in a Ben Wade second bulldog. My girlfriend and I are going to eat at Chili's for lunch and then going to a movie at a theater today.

 

[john19]

Starting the day with Mac Baren HH Bold Kentucky. Smoking in Stanwell De Luxe 15.

 

[judcole]

HH Burley Flake in an MM Washington.

 

[timt]

Just finished a fine bowl of WCC Old Dominion in my Brebbia.

 

[isaac liu]

This. I bite quite hard on stem, try the rubber before but i dont like the texture.
For oxidize, if one day i decide not to use these tape, i guess sand paper would work?
View attachment 219110

Use Nail Files and Buffers, which is the best tool.
师兄，硫化橡胶咬嘴可尝试使用美甲店用的指甲抛光块，双面的那种，粗面去除咬痕，细面抛光。亚克力嘴一般咬不坏，直接用细面抛光即可。砂纸比较不好掌握力度，并且最后还是需要抛光。

 

[isaac liu]

ES Evening Flake, it sure is nice to be able to get a single ounce of a blend. It’s enough to get to know the tobacco without a large investment.
This blend has great flavor, very mild to me in flavor and nic hit, perfect if I’ve already had a few stronger bowls and want to keep puffing between the next stronger bowl.
View attachment 218984

Give Evening flake at least 8-12 months, it will surprise you. I always maintain a 2-pound inventory

 

[UncleRasta]

Up way too early to watch some, premier league footie. Kick-off for my smoking day is Capstan Gold in a Rossi 8111.