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Ben.R.C

Lifer
Nov 20, 2022
4,049
86,504
54
North Carolina
My new Dunhill 4109 with Cumberland stem. Going to fire it up later today. What should I or would y’all smoke in it first?
I was thinking Balkan Saseni?View attachment 234855
I really love that style of Dunhills, even better then the old ones. It’s the combo of dark blast, long shank, silver band, and Cumberland stem, and the beveled smooth rim with some contrast stain. I wonder if the made things similar in the 1960s and before and I just have t seen them yet?
 

Ben.R.C

Lifer
Nov 20, 2022
4,049
86,504
54
North Carolina
Blairgowrie in a Bruce Weaver. @ThelronMonkey this is a good sense of what the lighter spots look like, I’m assuming it was the artisans attempt at a worn, rustic look, I quite like it. Some shots make it look defectively spotty though!

I wonder if @Chasing Embers has an insider perspective on Bruce’s staining technique?
IMG_5909.jpeg
I got back to organizing my tobacco closet and separated out all my pure VAs. I cannot smoke these right now, so getting them dated and set aside. Hopefully, I will figure out how to enjoy them myself or I’ll have to consign them. Luckily, they are almost all classics that will go up in price if the market stays the same. The only pure VA that I can smoke carefully is CRF and I don’t have much of that.
I also found that I still had some cigars left and a tin of Mississippi River bourbon barrel aged I forgot about! 😂
IMG_5904.jpeg
 
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tirefire

Starting to Get Obsessed
July 2023 Tobacco Report

Six (6) months into pipe smoking and am expanding into the world of Virginias. I have a few in stock: Virginia Flake, Union Square, and Virginia Cream. Union Square is clearly my favorite of this bunch and is on the list for additional tins to buy and age. Virginia Flake is OK but a bit too light and sweet - The term "confection" comes to mind with this one. The Virginia Cream is an aromatic with all kinds of stuff in it: DFK, perique, some kind of booze topping, etc. A lot going on with this one but I like it. The Virginia excursion will continue and am thinking that Virginia/Perique and Virginia/DFK blends are next to try.

The English/Balkan sampling continues . . . The current standings:
  1. Quiet Nights
  2. Cambridge Flake
  3. Royal
  4. Balkan Supreme
  5. Tashkent
  6. Chelsea Morning
  7. Maltese Falcon
I have an unopen tin of GLP's Meridian on deck but do not expect it to crack the top 3 in this lineup.
 

Hillcrest

Lifer
Dec 3, 2021
3,213
16,022
Bagshot Row, Hobbiton
Sutliffe Match Sunrise on top and Lane 1-Q on bottom in the Barontini 1/2 spigot bent billiard with 9mm Peterson Charcoal Filter. The Peterson filters DO NOT alter the taste of the smoke IMHO like the Dr. Perl one's do slightly oily taste and smell.

Also my landscaper's weed trimmer left behind a 5" or so piece of bright orange fishing line that was straight and stiff ... its exactly the same width as a pipe cleaner and works like a charm clearing the draft hole if necessary. That's now part of my pipe kit I didn't know I needed but am happy to have! :) :sher:
 

PaulRVA

Lifer
May 29, 2023
3,807
61,363
“Tobacco Row” Richmond Virginia USA
I really love that style of Dunhills, even better then the old ones. It’s the combo of dark blast, long shank, silver band, and Cumberland stem, and the beveled smooth rim with some contrast stain. I wonder if the made things similar in the 1960s and before and I just have t seen them yet?
Thanks Ben, Ive wanted a Dunhill Canadian as long as I can remember. Reminds me of “M”Bernard Lee in the Bond series.
 

PaulRVA

Lifer
May 29, 2023
3,807
61,363
“Tobacco Row” Richmond Virginia USA
July 2023 Tobacco Report

Six (6) months into pipe smoking and am expanding into the world of Virginias. I have a few in stock: Virginia Flake, Union Square, and Virginia Cream. Union Square is clearly my favorite of this bunch and is on the list for additional tins to buy and age. Virginia Flake is OK but a bit too light and sweet - The term "confection" comes to mind with this one. The Virginia Cream is an aromatic with all kinds of stuff in it: DFK, perique, some kind of booze topping, etc. A lot going on with this one but I like it. The Virginia excursion will continue and am thinking that Virginia/Perique and Virginia/DFK blends are next to try.

The English/Balkan sampling continues . . . The current standings:
  1. Quiet Nights
  2. Cambridge Flake
  3. Royal
  4. Balkan Supreme
  5. Tashkent
  6. Chelsea Morning
  7. Maltese Falcon
I have an unopen tin of GLP's Meridian on deck but do not expect it to crack the top 3 in this lineup.
Hey Ben , Try some Fox Hibernia.
Technically its an aromatic but its unique. If you were close Id give you a can.
 

Ben.R.C

Lifer
Nov 20, 2022
4,049
86,504
54
North Carolina
Mississippi River Bourbon barrel aged, first reaction is that it’s tangier then the plum Pudding equivalent with the rum flavor coming through a lot more. I wonder if that has something to do with the lack of cavendish that is in Plum Pudding? Also using a different pipe but it’s also brand new and only smoked a couple of Englishness in it. (Pipe by the ever talented D Huber)

IMG_5910.jpeg
 

Ben.R.C

Lifer
Nov 20, 2022
4,049
86,504
54
North Carolina
Thanks Ben, Ive wanted a Dunhill Canadian as long as I can remember. Reminds me of “M”Bernard Lee in the Bond series.
It’s a lot like Ferndown’s best work. They did a limited run of sandblasts with Michael Parks doing the blasting. These don’t ever seem to come up on the estate market. I love Ferndown and the bark rustication, but they should have done more blasts.

Also, Ferndown followed in the footsteps of Dunhill in regards to smooths and mostly have pretty average grain at best. Rare exceptions do exist, but they should have paid attention to what the Danes were doing. Of course we are talking looks not smokability here.
 

JimInks

Sultan of Smoke
Aug 31, 2012
62,775
600,468
Almost half way through this bowl of early 2000s 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. Watching the Yankees-Royals game.
Basil_squashed_ tomato copy.jpg
 
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