Folklore '25 in an Ashton XX Old Church 224 billiard. Fremont Fresh Hop Hazy IPA on the side.
***What Are You Smoking, April 2025?***
- Thread starter JimInks
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First ever bowl of Maltese Falcon. I picked up a tin of it from 2019 at Muletown a few weeks ago. Muy bueno. Smoking it in an old Savinelli.
First time trying Mac Baren HH Balkan Blend. I've been on a quest to find a Balkan that can hold a candle to Black House or Blue Mountain. I've found a few good blends, but nothing so far has hit me with the "wow" factor of those blends. Neither has this one unfortunately. It's not a bad smoke, just not very exciting. Maybe a couple days after opening the tin will bring it to life. Smoking in a Savinelli Whisky 320.
Edit to add: the blend seemed to show some promise at the midpoint and had a bit more depth and flavor. I'm going to try it again in a couple of days. I haven't ruled this one out yet.
Edit to add: the blend seemed to show some promise at the midpoint and had a bit more depth and flavor. I'm going to try it again in a couple of days. I haven't ruled this one out yet.
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Relaxing after a wonderful salad, orange roughy and sugar snap peas dinner with strawberries for dessert. I smoked a bowl of year 2012 St. James Flake in a straight smooth brown Algerian briar post-WW2-early 50s family era Barling’s Make Ye Olde Wood T.V.F. Made in England EL billiard with a tapered black ebonite stem. This pipe is from the estate of David Cuneo. Community Coffee, neat, is my drink. Watching the Braves-Phillies game.
Couldn't post before now because Abner the Eager showed up a couple of hours ago. He was so happy to see me that when I opened the door, he stuck his head up for me to scratch it as always. But, this time, he also lifted up his left paw. He ate as much as I have ever seen him at one time. After that, m'lady paid him some attention, and noticed that the tracking collar had worn away all the fur under it. Luckily, the skin wasn't raw or swollen, but she removed the collar to avoid any more problems. After I ate dinner, he decided to snooze on my lap while I smoked. A couple of minutes ago, he got up to eat, and then wanted out. This is the longest that Abner has stayed inside in more than a month. He was a happy fella, and we were happy, too.
Couldn't post before now because Abner the Eager showed up a couple of hours ago. He was so happy to see me that when I opened the door, he stuck his head up for me to scratch it as always. But, this time, he also lifted up his left paw. He ate as much as I have ever seen him at one time. After that, m'lady paid him some attention, and noticed that the tracking collar had worn away all the fur under it. Luckily, the skin wasn't raw or swollen, but she removed the collar to avoid any more problems. After I ate dinner, he decided to snooze on my lap while I smoked. A couple of minutes ago, he got up to eat, and then wanted out. This is the longest that Abner has stayed inside in more than a month. He was a happy fella, and we were happy, too.
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Bad day today, so I’m treating myself to a bowl of Capstan Blue in my Orlik pipe. Rarely smoke during the week because I should be in bed but in a screw it kind of mood
Love the Wilson Combat! I have an experior commander that I love. It's a masterpiece of a handgun.
Half way through this bowl of Ken Byron Ventures Jim’s Special Flake 2023 in a 1984 black rusticated full bend Peterson Mark Twain military mount egg with a silver cap and tapered black vulcanite p-lip stem.
More Artisan’s Blend, this time in a Comoy’s Oxford panel, square-shanked, sandblasted billiard.
And some Mac Baren Dark Twist Roll slices in an Ashton mini-stovepipe billiard, sandblasted and slightly bent, with dark blue brindle stem.
For LeifErikson:
If I had to pick one pipe shape only for the rest of my life (a "Desert Island" pipe), I might very well pick the Savinelli 626 ... mine being the Antique Shell finish. Yup, I might pick the 626 even over my Stanwell 63's & my Pete System Standards.
If I had to pick one pipe shape only for the rest of my life (a "Desert Island" pipe), I might very well pick the Savinelli 626 ... mine being the Antique Shell finish. Yup, I might pick the 626 even over my Stanwell 63's & my Pete System Standards.
Wrapped up another full day with Erik Stokkebye Evening Flake in a Stefano Rhodesian, paired with a vodka tonic (it was that kind of day!). Tried drying it just shy of bone dry...must be bone dry next time. Or more! 8/10
Bird report: White-crowned sparrow, Dark-eyed junco, House finch, California towhee, California scrub-jay, American crow, Steller's jay, Oak titmouse, Northern flicker, Hairy woodpecker, Red-tailed hawk, California quail, Western bluebird, Mountain chickadee, Mourning dove, and Spotted towhee.
Just a real quick rant/inquiry, if y'all could indulge me for a moment...the perfume/cologne thing is becoming a real problem out in the world. I cannot go anywhere anymore without reeking of someone's damn fragrance when I get back home. And they all smell the same too, and not a good smell either; like a cheap, candy, saccharine kind of motif that I find rather revolting. Anyone else noticing this, or is it just me?
Bird report: White-crowned sparrow, Dark-eyed junco, House finch, California towhee, California scrub-jay, American crow, Steller's jay, Oak titmouse, Northern flicker, Hairy woodpecker, Red-tailed hawk, California quail, Western bluebird, Mountain chickadee, Mourning dove, and Spotted towhee.
Just a real quick rant/inquiry, if y'all could indulge me for a moment...the perfume/cologne thing is becoming a real problem out in the world. I cannot go anywhere anymore without reeking of someone's damn fragrance when I get back home. And they all smell the same too, and not a good smell either; like a cheap, candy, saccharine kind of motif that I find rather revolting. Anyone else noticing this, or is it just me?
I had a nice busy day, played hooky from work to go see the Guardians at the home opener (which we won) and then my girlfriends Dad got us tickets to the Cavs game right across the way (which we also won.) Got home and let the dog run around in the yard while I smoked a bowl of Haunted Bookshop in a noname Apple. It was snowing but she didnt seem to mind as long as I kept winging the tennis ball.
For ashdigger:
Interesting 1911 story ... Summer after High School graduation, my friend Dan (somehow) obtained an older 1911 (not the 1911A1) in caliber .45ACP. We had loads of fun at an old dump site (now a School location), where we brought our .22's & spent hours shooting up tons of cans, bottles & other trash. We'd bring sandwiches & water, making it a great afternoon. There was an old refrigerator there, so we'd sit across the way, distance about 175 yards, and fire those 230 grain jacketed shells at it. Didn't take long for us to "get the range", then listen to those heavy slugs WHACK into that old fridge. GREAT FUN (!!!). That 1911, being dirty, didn't fully eject after each shot, so we'd simply jack the slide for a new round. NOTE: We'd fire it from a sitting position ... while munching our sandwiches ... with our arms resting on our knees. No standing position with one arm at that distance (!).
Following Winter, I enlisted in the US Army, spent about 2 months in Basic Training, then about 2 months in AIT Light Weapons Infantry (11B10) with training on the M14 Automatic Rifle, M79 Grenade Launcher, M60 Machine Gun, .50 caliber Machine Gun PLUS the 1911A1.
Upon returning home for 10 days leave before my next assignment, I was invited over for dinner at his house. After dinner, we moved to the garage. I asked to bring out the 1911 saying "Dan, WATCH THIS." I completely field stripped it in less than a minute into the 9 pieces. Dan's eyes bugged out, nearly popping out of his head, astounded, blurting out "WHAT?". I showed him how I could reassemble it in, also, less than a minute.
Subsequently, he wrote to me telling me how he was able to thoroughly clean it, restoring its ejection function.
Several years later, I bought a Llama .22 1911 style. It field stripped exactly the same way.
Like some of the pipes I've owned, I cannot explain why I didn't keep it. It was also GREAT FUN shooting this amazing little .22, a real fun plinker.
Interesting 1911 story ... Summer after High School graduation, my friend Dan (somehow) obtained an older 1911 (not the 1911A1) in caliber .45ACP. We had loads of fun at an old dump site (now a School location), where we brought our .22's & spent hours shooting up tons of cans, bottles & other trash. We'd bring sandwiches & water, making it a great afternoon. There was an old refrigerator there, so we'd sit across the way, distance about 175 yards, and fire those 230 grain jacketed shells at it. Didn't take long for us to "get the range", then listen to those heavy slugs WHACK into that old fridge. GREAT FUN (!!!). That 1911, being dirty, didn't fully eject after each shot, so we'd simply jack the slide for a new round. NOTE: We'd fire it from a sitting position ... while munching our sandwiches ... with our arms resting on our knees. No standing position with one arm at that distance (!).
Following Winter, I enlisted in the US Army, spent about 2 months in Basic Training, then about 2 months in AIT Light Weapons Infantry (11B10) with training on the M14 Automatic Rifle, M79 Grenade Launcher, M60 Machine Gun, .50 caliber Machine Gun PLUS the 1911A1.
Upon returning home for 10 days leave before my next assignment, I was invited over for dinner at his house. After dinner, we moved to the garage. I asked to bring out the 1911 saying "Dan, WATCH THIS." I completely field stripped it in less than a minute into the 9 pieces. Dan's eyes bugged out, nearly popping out of his head, astounded, blurting out "WHAT?". I showed him how I could reassemble it in, also, less than a minute.
Subsequently, he wrote to me telling me how he was able to thoroughly clean it, restoring its ejection function.
Several years later, I bought a Llama .22 1911 style. It field stripped exactly the same way.
Like some of the pipes I've owned, I cannot explain why I didn't keep it. It was also GREAT FUN shooting this amazing little .22, a real fun plinker.
SWR in a huge Big Boy Marxman Chubby Lovat.
Passing the half way mark of this bowl of first production Watch City English Ernie-ental in a straight dark brown and tan rusticated Peterson 2023 Saint Patrick’s Day 264 Canadian with an Irish flag colored ferrule and tapered black acrylic stem. Have bowls reamed on four estate pipes. Next, I clean the mortise on them. Since I salt and alcohol the bowls, I don't go heavy on the shanks because stuff will end up getting in there as they get the treatment. After I dump and scrub the bowl, I pay more attention to the shank.
My Hobbiton Harvest mixture in a Stanwell Authentic 139. This is one of my smallest pipes, but there's just something about these 139s. They're lovely shapes, and this one smokes like a champ. It's usually a John Aylesbury Dragon Flake pipe, but sometimes I just want to smoke just anything in it. Why I haven't snagged more of these is beyond me.
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