***What Are You Smoking, April 2025?***

[98now]

Old Dark Fired in a BriarWorks Neptune horn.

 

[JimInks]

Now smoking and reviewing KBV Fuzzy’s Pepper Jelly in a medium bend fumed tan crackled year 2020 Ahmet Govem reverse calabash meerschaum with a military mount silver band and black acrylic stem.

 

[infectedpsyche]

Kids in bed and enjoying our first use of the spa this year. Oliva Connecticut Nub puts a cap on the evening with my wife by my side

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Vauen No 14 in a Moretti. Hard to beat Moretti for smoking quality.

 

[Ted Vig]

2023 Folklore in a very large, but short stemmed Savinelli Linea Piu 5. Picture it like a magnum nosewarmer.

 

[Briar Lee]

Prince Albert in my new to me Bertram 3/4 bent large Billiard.

 

[JimInks]

I've passed the quarter mark of this bowl of Wilke Back Bay w/o perique in a straight smooth brown circa 1950s-60s BBB Contrast 506 Canadian with a tapered black vulcanite stem. Fed Tomato the Brave, who is now snoozin' on the couch. The other ferals are outside. After some work, I got a Bewlay estate pipe clean. Four others are getting there.

 

[BurleyVonPuffington]

C&D Cigar Leaf in a BriarWorks bent bullmoose with amber acrylic stem.

 

[telescopes]

Two Star Lee rusticated apple with Orientals.Back in Laughlin.

 

[BurleyVonPuffington]

SPC Plum Pudding BBA in a Karl Erik burly brandy, slightly bent, with saddle stem.

 

[BurleyVonPuffington]

Fox Bankers in an Oliphant by Jesse Culp

View attachment 382926

I’m also a motorcyclist, and very true, but forgive me…my mind wandered to something else besides either pipes or motorcycles with that pic.

 

[Briar Lee]

View attachment 383084Two Star Lee rusticated apple with Orientals.Back in Laughlin.

That appears a gold inlaid five pointed star Two Star grade Lee, and is that a blast or rusticated ?

If that’s a sand blasted Lee, I want one.

 

[Roach1]

Haunted Bookshop Cake in a Pete SPD 2011 69.

 

[JimInks]

Had a light low calorie snack, and am smoking year 2014 Edgeworth Ready Rubbed Match in a very much appreciated 1979 brown, slight bend grain etched flat front Stanwell Rego 969-48 (09) with a black vulcanite saddle stem. Ice water and bergs is my drink. Just fed the ferals except for the absent Abner the Eager. M'lady has the tracker, and noticed that he spent two hours at one place down the street earlier. Maybe that's his home or maybe they feed him like we do, too?

 

[NookersTheCat]

A little more serious than my last post now that it's officially the 2nd

Good ole 1Q in a Cascadia Backpacker Collapsible Travel Poker... the best ice cream in the known universe for a nice desert

 

[BenMN]

'19 Burley Flake #3 goodness

 

[warren99]

Peterson Old Dublin in an S. Bang “B” bent brandy.

 

[Scottmi]

Long day off island but back home at last. Solani 633 in the little Paykoc Brandy Glass lattice meer and water, then to bed.

 

[BurleyVonPuffington]

Ignoring the 24 hr. rule like an April Fool, after an earlier bowl in the same pipe, two more bowls, this time the Gawith No. 4 Brown Twist, in the Karl Erik slightly bent brandy.

 

[NookersTheCat]

Highlight Smoke of yesterday . . . . C&Ds Bourbon Bleu, in my other McQueen Miniature Barrel Rider.
This tobacco is a fine backup to Mad Fiddler, and it gets the backup pipe with a couple of other non-lat tobaccos with a similar profile . . . Perique, some kind of Oriental or Turkish Leaf, and Virginias. Bourbon Blue is a great wakeup call, but in my experience a fast burner. I get about 30 minutes with MF in it's dedicated pipe, but only about 20 or so with BB. However it burns clean, while Fiddler is quite messy.

I don't keep track of times as much as I used to because with dedicated pipes especially, you know what your're going to get when you load up. These miniatures, remember, take only a tad more than 1/2 tsp of fodder, and so a little tobacco goes a long way. Important to know your tobacco and pipe.

Today's festivities are going to be highlighted by a meeting of subversives who plan to take over the known universe. Cheers. Will drop in tonight late, as usual at present. Skippable Drivel after pic.

View attachment 382919​

Skippable Drivel: a few folks might be wondering about the little custom "mouthpiece" I use on the longstems. It's a 3D printed holder that I fit with Colt tips. It allows much better control using slow smoking techniques for longer smokes . . . . much more than smoking with the stem itself.

Just as good in this respect, maybe better than a standard stem on a regular pipe, because it's smaller. Allows excellent control. Also, the conical shape allows it to be used on any size stem, and I interchange the Colt tip regularly as I smoke a few Colt Whiskeys a week, outdoors and at the range.

Problem with using wood stems is that they can go soft with contined slobberization, and have to be sanded. And I don't particularly care for the feel of wood in my mouth. A very good solution for me at least.

Awesome solution!
I love my macqueens too and have one that already requires some sanding/restaining... While I personally do love the feel and flavor of a wood stem I'm thinking of putting something like this or some silicone tubing over it for protection after I refinish it