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

[JimInks]

Almost half way through this bowl of year 2024 Edward G. Robinson's Pipe Blend in a 2014 Basil Meadows smooth slight bend squashed tomato with an aluminum band and a black pearl acrylic stem in the military mount style. Fed my cats, and will check on the ferals after I post this smoke.

 

[Backwoods Briar]

Macbaren Navy flake in a Canadian

 

[gord]

I can breathe a lot better but not too much flavor coming through. Each day I can taste a little better though. View attachment 413926

You have my fullest sympathies . . . . been there, done that, and still doing that.

 

[Sig]

At a Pipe Club Meeting couple months back, I'd brought two of my Stanwell's ... a 62 & a 64. They were universally admired. A Club Brother had a Nording, also admired. Part of the admiration shown that night was for the plateau rims, just how "cool" they were.
I mentioned your (above) point, that I'd heard of the situation where somebody sanded off a plateau rim, making it smooth. The Club Brothers were all uniformly horrified, shaking their heads in disgust, like "WHY would somebody ruin such a fine part of a wonderful pipe?"
To me, that would be tantamount to painting over a beautiful Straight Grain or Birdseye. Whatever ...

As a grievous violation of propriety, I'm reminded of something out of a Western:
"We're going to give him a fair trial, then we're going to take him out & hang him!"

This pipe might have been burned, or broken, or some other injury before it was topped.
I was just saying that on the old SF, several old timers said back in "the day" some guys hated the plateau rims, so they topped them.
The guy I got it from bought it used in the 1970s already chopped. He had no idea why it was done, but said the rest of the pipe was absolutely "as new" except for maybe a handful of smokes.
He said ALL the Celius Chess Pawn series pipes had plateau rims. From what I've read and seen, this is true.
So, if the pipe was very lightly smoked and in exceptional condition, its hard to see that the rim was so damaged it needed chopped off. That's when the hive mind of the forum thought maybe it was chopped because the original owner didn't like the plateau top. A couple said they did this to pipes in the past, others said they had heard of guys doing it.
I personally dont care for plateau tops and would never choose to buy one. I recently acquired a Nording pipe with a very light, shallow plateau rim which is fine. But if you look at pictures of the Celius pipes, they have extremely craggy rims which are hard to keep clean.

 

[Briarcutter]

craggy rims which are hard to keep clean

That's why I think black is my favorite color for smoking.

 

[gord]

My usual Friday smoke, Haunted Bookshop in its dedicated small briar. Hope y'all have a great weekend.View attachment 413943

Your "kit" is simplicity indeed. Love it!

 

[gord]

This pipe might have been burned, or broken, or some other injury before it was topped.
I was just saying that on the old SF, several old timers said back in "the day" some guys hated the plateau rims, so they topped them.
The guy I got it from bought it used in the 1970s already chopped. He had no idea why it was done, but said the rest of the pipe was absolutely "as new" except for maybe a handful of smokes.
He said ALL the Celius Chess Pawn series pipes had plateau rims. From what I've read and seen, this is true.
So, if the pipe was very lightly smoked and in exceptional condition, its hard to see that the rim was so damaged it needed chopped off. That's when the hive mind of the forum thought maybe it was chopped because the original owner didn't like the plateau top. A couple said they did this to pipes in the past, others said they had heard of guys doing it.
I personally dont care for plateau tops and would never choose to buy one. I recently acquired a Nording pipe with a very light, shallow plateau rim which is fine. But if you look at pictures of the Celius pipes, they have extremely craggy rims which are hard to keep clean.
View attachment 413954
View attachment 413955

excellent and informative post!

 

[JimInks]

Did a set of walking reps, and smoked a bowl of year 2016 D&R Three Sails in a slight bent black pattern etched 1977 Lorenzo Lorsan Sigma level top billiard with a gray swirl acrylic saddle stem. Harry the Hairy stood driveway guard. Tomato the Brave played "hide and jump on Jim's feet" every time I got near my house. Daisy the Feral Princess laid on the deck steps to make sure she was noticed. It's time for an off diet lunch.

 

[gord]

OJK in a new Norm Triptow olive wood.

View attachment 413916

I don't know quite what to say, but felt I had to say something. Let's try, "that's a lovely piece of olivewood, but that stem reminds me of what people were wearing in the 1960s??" Or a curious mixture of the traditional and the outrageous?

Time to go pick the rest of the apple-crabs.

 

[HeavyLeadBelly]

Well I rolled through the morning with a bowl of G&H Sweet black Cherry twist in a cob with coffee and then decided I wanted to get punched in the face this afternoon with a bowl of MB HH Rustica RR. I like this blend and regret not stocking up but that’s how it goes. In a Dagner cob with water.

 

[JazzInAZ]

Enjoying a bowl of Lane Ltd Andullo in the Country Gentleman. This is the penultimate (or perhaps antepenultimate) bowl of Andullo. I will miss it when it's gone. The light, non-sweet anisette flavoring is just perfect. If you're someone (like me) who loves black licorice and cigar leaf blends, well, I guess if this were still available I'd recommend it!

Coffee with cream -- Gold Star Sulawesi.
A wonderfully cooler TX afternoon.

 

[cshubhra]

Cigar Time: Oliva Serie V Melanio

 

[krizzose]

Fribourg & Treyer Special Brown Flake in a Savanelli 707

 

[Thepipehunter]

In pure defiance of this sinus infection I am smoking Pirate Kake. I don’t care had bad allergies get, I can always taste this one. The pipe is a Savinelli 311KS Avorio. Thank you for the kind words @gord.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

Enjoy your weekends. ️

 

[Roach1]

Haunted Bookshop Cake in an Irish Seconds Calabash 05 once again.

 

[JimK]

Good day all! Yesterday was spent with Pease Westminster in an Upshall P Lovatt. Started today with Pease Samarra and now followed by Peterson Royal Yacht, both in Upshalls.

 

[PaulRVA]

D&R Windsail / C&D Exclusive in a Radice Bulldog and Diet Coke on the side.

 

[JimInks]

Enjoyed three plates of spaghetti and meatballs for lunch. Dessert was a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream, a golden delicious apple, and a couple of Mallo-Cups. Haven't had that candy in many years. I don't eat candy much anymore, but m'lady thought that I ought to relive my childhood. I lived near the factory when I was a boy, and we used to collected the paper coins in the package. It was always one of my favorite candy cups. I'm close to finishing this bowl of year 2020 Watch City Rouxgaroux in a smooth medium bend 2021 Peterson POTY Natural 4AB No. 6/500 military mount with a silver cap and a tapered black vulcanite AB stem. Gold Star Hawaiian Kona Extra Fancy, neat, is my drink.

 

[Hpgg71]

Match Elizabethan in a Savinelli Saint Nicholas.