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

[JazzInAZ]

A beautiful, sunny, not-too-cold afternoon. Another bowl of We Three Kings , in a Vermont Freehand Cherrywood Morta. The first several bowls had left an unusual amount of moisture at the end, even though it didn't feel moist from the tin. So, I dried this one out quite a bit. It's tasting pretty good, but not sure I'm loving it. Enjoying it for sure. It's certainly cat-approved.

Moka Java coffee, cream/no sugar.

 

[HeavyLeadBelly]

Busy busy day. Had a bowl of Bayou Morning in a Chacom this afternoon.

 

[BigR]

Some Molto Dolce in a Dr Grabow Westbrook.

 

[bobpnm]

Dunhill Flake in this Pre-Republic Peterson De Luxe. Earl Grey.

 

[gord]

Well, I'm back online. Wuz down for almost a full day yesterday. Found a computer upstairs that works - same distro, same everything, Linux Debian. Except a standup, not a laptop. Only 6 yeaars old, so this should last until I croak. Much more solid.

My Laptop is completely gonzo-bononzo, and I've been working today on a computer re-install and will post again tonight when I reacccustomize myself to the new keyboard, setup and camera card/processing differences.

All that smoking and company yesterday cause a recurrence of the ol' bite o the tongue, and my Morning and Afternoon smokes will be consisting (and already are) of pure Sutliff Latakia in various little and/or larger MM Cobs strewn about all over the place in this hellhole of squalor. Cheers and have a great Tuesday. Back when I'm back.

 

[PaulRVA]

A beautiful pipe. And by the way, this series by Peterson quite successfully conveys the writer's portrait.

Thank you, It took me 40 years to finally get ahold of that one. In 1985 I drooled over that same 1984 model and same finish at my local B&M. As I was still young then and it was a lot of money for me so I had to pass it up.
I wanted one ever since and every-time I walked through the door of a B&M that darn pipes image appeared in my head. Throughout the years when I’d stumble across another they were either severely abused or way over priced. I snagged this one out of Canada basically unsmoked and the hunt was finally over. It felt weird finally getting one as it was such a long hunt and when that hunt ended I was kind of sad.
Oh well’ that’s the story behind that pipe

 

[JimInks]

Part way through this bowl of Watch City Kringle's Koncoction in a 1980s White Pipe straight lattice apple meerschaum with an acrylic yellow cream colored saddle stem. Have a good handle on this blend as I wrote the review.

 

[Choatecav]

Hello all. I am finally back in the saddle after my "lost weekend" with my friends from days gone by and our tours and travels of Civil War history. We had a fabulous tour of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson which were pivotal engagements of the early stages of the war. Happening in February of 1862, the fall of these forts allowed U. S. Grant to gain control of the northern waterways of the Confederacy and opened up Nashville and much of the Southern states to the Northern invasion.
I did smoke several bowls of tobacco and took several photos.
Today, in remembrance of Meerschaum Monday, I had some HU Janneman flake in my Tekin meer.



Here is a photo from the upper ramparts of Ft. Donelson looking west down the Cumberland River.





Finally, a photo from the same position, looking east down the river, toward Clarksville.

 

[das3353]

F&T Vintage Flake in a Pete SPD 53

 

[Chieftiabo]

Old Gowrie in a Volkan Arena

 

[tartanphantom]

Hello all. I am finally back in the saddle after my "lost weekend" with my friends from days gone by and our tours and travels of Civil War history. We had a fabulous tour of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson which were pivotal engagements of the early stages of the war. Happening in February of 1862, the fall of these forts allowed U. S. Grant to gain control of the northern waterways of the Confederacy and opened up Nashville and much of the Southern states to the Northern invasion.
I did smoke several bowls of tobacco and took several photos.
Today, in remembrance of Meerschaum Monday, I had some HU Janneman flake in my Tekin meer.

View attachment 436671

Here is a photo from the upper ramparts of Ft. Donelson looking west down the Cumberland River.

View attachment 436672

View attachment 436673

Finally, a photo from the same position, looking east down the river, toward Clarksville.

View attachment 436678

My 3rd generatiion (Great-Great) Grandfather, James Sumpter Hanna, was captured by Union forces in the action at Fort Donelson, Feb. 16, 1862.
He served in the 26th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, Company E. Six months later, he was released in an exchange, went back into CSA service with the same reformed regiment, and went on to other actions.

Luckily for me, he survived the war.

 

[tartanphantom]

After-supper smoke is prepped and ready to go-- some C&D Engine #382 in a Nording silver-mount billiard.
Just got this tobacco in the SP sale, and haven't even had time to cellar it yet.
Figured I'd dig on in.

 

[JimInks]

Now smoking year 2016 Wessex Gold Brick in an undated straight black sandblasted Kevin Arthur brandy with a multi-colored accent on the white acrylic saddle stem. This pipe was originally owned by Sante “FishnBanjo” Guiliani. This will get me to dinner time. Fed all the ferals and my cats without incident. The snow fell very weakly this afternoon, and didn't last long enough to hardly notice. Oh well...

 

[Benedict Munsinger]

Thank you, It took me 40 years to finally get ahold of that one. In 1985 I drooled over that same 1984 model and same finish at my local B&M. As I was still young then and it was a lot of money for me so I had to pass it up.
I wanted one ever since and every-time I walked through the door of a B&M that darn pipes image appeared in my head. Throughout the years when I’d stumble across another they were either severely abused or way over priced. I snagged this one out of Canada basically unsmoked and the hunt was finally over. It felt weird finally getting one as it was such a long hunt and when that hunt ended I was kind of sad.
Oh well’ that’s the story behind that pipe

Paul, that’s a wonderful story — thank you for sharing it. You carried that image of the Twain pipe with you for decades, and finally bringing it home after such a long hunt… that really hits deep. I can understand why it felt almost strange when the chase ended — sometimes the journey becomes a part of us. I had a similar moment not long ago with a Mario Pascucci piece I’d been eyeing. I kept hesitating, calculating where to cut expenses — it wasn’t a cheap pipe — and while I was thinking it over, someone else grabbed it. So yes, I know that feeling very well. I’m genuinely glad your story ended the right way. It’s always great to see a long-standing dream finally find its owner.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

6/20 Wessex Gold Virginia Flake in an Altinok.

 

[CPT]

RMC Black Flake lists Virginia + Perique + Black Cavendish in its recipe, and on paper it’s classified as a “Virginia-forward” blend. Historically it was conceived as a nod to the old Dunhill Dark Flake, but Black Flake uses noticeably less Black Cavendish than the classic Dark Flake — which makes the profile a bit drier, calmer, and lighter in tone. The entire McConnell Heritage line is actually quite enigmatic. At first glance the blends may seem almost straightforward, but once you spend some time with them they start to open up differently: layered flavor, a subdued depth, and a kind of “old-school” structural character that you don’t catch right away. To be honest, I’ve been reaching for this line more and more lately. The folks at Kohlhase & Kopp really did a solid job — a respectful reinterpretation of the old recipes without trying to turn them into an “aromatic pop-version” of the classics.

Benedict: Thank you for these detailed comments. They are very useful!

 

[kcmontie]

Dreams of Kardath in a Hackert pot.

 

[PaulRVA]

HU Director’s Cut in a Nuttens Twiggy
and Ginger Tea on the side

 

[xrundog]

OJK in a Kaywoodie dimpled meerschaum.

 

[renfield]

2020 Cringle Flake in a Baglan Claw and Egg meer.