***What Are You Smoking, May 2025?***
- Thread starter JimInks
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That Radice is so easy on the eyes. Wonderful pipe.C&D Exclusive in a Radice Bulldog and Coffee️ on the side.
Happy May to everyone!
Looks like my Peonies decided to open this morning.View attachment 389488View attachment 389489
Enjoyed a tasty golden delicious apple, and am smoking year 2019 HU Directors Cut in a smooth slight bend dark brown 1940s-1950s Comoy’s Blue Riband 228C prince with a tapered black vulcanite stem.
Long couple of days. Spent most of my Wednesday range day showing a new member the ropes and turf, so didn't get the sight-in task I'd planned completed. No smoking at the range, just chew. We're still indoors. Got home about dinner time, and ate, and did a few forum comments.
Had an evening pipe. Middle one in photograph, my McQueen Seafarer in Ash. Had loaded it the previous day with Nightcap, from the plastic baggie of a few smokes my buddy Stu gave me. Given the state of my chops and virus or whatever it is, not too bad a smoke. Tasted like a very mild Nightcap, so I was satisfied with the progress on whatever it is and a bit of tonguebite.
This morning, I did a few chores, had a Swishers Sweets Grape, and began to set up my indoor range, marking out distances and putting out barriers. Stogey was not bad but about 60% on the taste scale. After setting up the range distances, I put up the traps, and then took a break, stuffed my MiniCob loaded with Captain Black Cherry Cavendish, with a cup of cold coffee. Smoke was okay, but tasted like a subdued cherry mild. At least it didn't taste like the previous two day. Had a couple of students to teach, and did so. Had a brief snack, went back to completing the indoor range layout, photographed it for the forum guys who might be intersted, and then smoked my McQueen Miniature Fable loaded with Amphora Absolute (Rich) and had not a too bad smoke, top pipe in picture. So my progress is there, but it's still frustrating with tastebuds operating in 2nd gear of a 4-speed. Not pleased with the photo I posted, tried to get too arty crafty and was too tired to re-do so it is what it is.
Indoor range progress covered below the pipe photo, in a return to Skippable Drivel.
Skippable Drivel. I can't seem to get rid of this bold, so I'll type it out and then re-enter and edit. Sorry.
Yup. Worked. Here's the shot of the layout, and the explanation of what transpires below the shot.
Sorry for the squalor, but cleanup with a hernia after the passing of my pup Ricoh has been long overdue and is in process. Here's the view from the shooting chair, and I'll go from front to back. In Field Target Competition, targets are laid out (for pistol) at any distance between 5 and 25 yards. There's more space than the perspective of the picture shows, and there is really no danger of hitting the piano or the window in the background.
- The first target, the red rotating target at the edge of the piano keyboard, is set at exactly 7 yards. The difference between 5 and 7 yards is inconsequential for pellet trajectory.
- The second target, the green rotating target, is set at 12 yards on a stand as pictured, and is movable to vary ranges between 7 and 12 yards in my kitchen.
- The third target, the big black one with the white paper inserted, is set right now at 12 yards. It is a heavy duty target and will take the punishment of a .22 caliber projectile (it's designed for rimfires) and . . .
- the two small targets behind the big black steel job you see are wall mounted and of lighter construction than I'd like. However, they are set at 17 yards as you see them, and hold up fine with .177 cal pellets. 17 yards is all I've got in the house from shooting position, but in fact, the longer ranges will have to be practiced outdoors.
15 yards is the point where the trajectory of the projectile I use is at its peak, and dropoff to the maximum 25 yards happens pretty steeply, probably about 18 inches from the 17 yards, and wind will affect the pellets quite a bit from the 15 yard midrange trajectory to the maxiumum 25 measured in competition. I'll have to find out in outdoor conditions. That starts next week.
So I've got all ranges covered in this alley from 5 - 17 yards, and minimal stress on my hernia because of the amount of targets I have, and the rotating targets set up at various distances. I can shoot for half an hour without getting up and down. A lot less than at the range. Hope all of this makes sense. And as I've said, there is much more clearance than appears in this photo. If I break the window, I'll cotton-picken deserve to have the $200 glass replaced. Not gonna happen though.
Time to crash.
Had an evening pipe. Middle one in photograph, my McQueen Seafarer in Ash. Had loaded it the previous day with Nightcap, from the plastic baggie of a few smokes my buddy Stu gave me. Given the state of my chops and virus or whatever it is, not too bad a smoke. Tasted like a very mild Nightcap, so I was satisfied with the progress on whatever it is and a bit of tonguebite.
This morning, I did a few chores, had a Swishers Sweets Grape, and began to set up my indoor range, marking out distances and putting out barriers. Stogey was not bad but about 60% on the taste scale. After setting up the range distances, I put up the traps, and then took a break, stuffed my MiniCob loaded with Captain Black Cherry Cavendish, with a cup of cold coffee. Smoke was okay, but tasted like a subdued cherry mild. At least it didn't taste like the previous two day. Had a couple of students to teach, and did so. Had a brief snack, went back to completing the indoor range layout, photographed it for the forum guys who might be intersted, and then smoked my McQueen Miniature Fable loaded with Amphora Absolute (Rich) and had not a too bad smoke, top pipe in picture. So my progress is there, but it's still frustrating with tastebuds operating in 2nd gear of a 4-speed. Not pleased with the photo I posted, tried to get too arty crafty and was too tired to re-do so it is what it is.
Indoor range progress covered below the pipe photo, in a return to Skippable Drivel.
Skippable Drivel. I can't seem to get rid of this bold, so I'll type it out and then re-enter and edit. Sorry.
Yup. Worked. Here's the shot of the layout, and the explanation of what transpires below the shot.
Sorry for the squalor, but cleanup with a hernia after the passing of my pup Ricoh has been long overdue and is in process. Here's the view from the shooting chair, and I'll go from front to back. In Field Target Competition, targets are laid out (for pistol) at any distance between 5 and 25 yards. There's more space than the perspective of the picture shows, and there is really no danger of hitting the piano or the window in the background.
- The first target, the red rotating target at the edge of the piano keyboard, is set at exactly 7 yards. The difference between 5 and 7 yards is inconsequential for pellet trajectory.
- The second target, the green rotating target, is set at 12 yards on a stand as pictured, and is movable to vary ranges between 7 and 12 yards in my kitchen.
- The third target, the big black one with the white paper inserted, is set right now at 12 yards. It is a heavy duty target and will take the punishment of a .22 caliber projectile (it's designed for rimfires) and . . .
- the two small targets behind the big black steel job you see are wall mounted and of lighter construction than I'd like. However, they are set at 17 yards as you see them, and hold up fine with .177 cal pellets. 17 yards is all I've got in the house from shooting position, but in fact, the longer ranges will have to be practiced outdoors.
15 yards is the point where the trajectory of the projectile I use is at its peak, and dropoff to the maximum 25 yards happens pretty steeply, probably about 18 inches from the 17 yards, and wind will affect the pellets quite a bit from the 15 yard midrange trajectory to the maxiumum 25 measured in competition. I'll have to find out in outdoor conditions. That starts next week.
So I've got all ranges covered in this alley from 5 - 17 yards, and minimal stress on my hernia because of the amount of targets I have, and the rotating targets set up at various distances. I can shoot for half an hour without getting up and down. A lot less than at the range. Hope all of this makes sense. And as I've said, there is much more clearance than appears in this photo. If I break the window, I'll cotton-picken deserve to have the $200 glass replaced. Not gonna happen though.
Time to crash.
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Finishing up a long day with some Dunhill Dark Flake in a 1904 Peterson Meer
2014 C&D Oak Alley in a cob for the ride home. Please enjoy this Becker I picked up at GatlinBurlier in Tennessee. 
I see a tin of CVP in my future. Please remind me- do you have a preferred age you like to hit? Mine must be about 3 or 4 at this point...
On the menu for my commute home was a bowl of 5 brothers mixed with C&D Yorktown and loaded in my Peterson Short bulldog.
Hope you all had a great day!
Hope you all had a great day!
Incredible
I've been getting to know both this Kildare 608 and Pease's Embarcadero over the past month
Yep, will do!
Real nice. Not your average Becker, either
How's the Oak Alley? I just grabbed my first tin from the pipe club cigar shop last month, not yet opened..
Near the half way mark of this bowl of 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.
Haunted Bookshop Cake in a Pete SPD 2011 69. 
Last third of some Odds and Ends in a Peterson Sportsman 87. 
First half was smoked gathering stuff to do my first major pipe surgery, repairing my beloved smooth Ropp J07 that suffered a catastrophic event Tuesday:
After my first time installing a stainless shank insert and refinishing:
Not perfect, but strong like bull and will be back gracing the WAYS threads soon!
First half was smoked gathering stuff to do my first major pipe surgery, repairing my beloved smooth Ropp J07 that suffered a catastrophic event Tuesday:
After my first time installing a stainless shank insert and refinishing:
Not perfect, but strong like bull and will be back gracing the WAYS threads soon!
Bob's Chocolate Flake in the SMS Big Bent Lattice Meer. Bliss!
It’s good so far, I get Burley first with the Virginias and Perique chiming in. I think it has Oriental in it as well. Not picking up on any casings. Burns real easy and a little slow as it’s a C&D crumble cake. I’ve only tried this one tin which is from 2014. Enjoy yours!
Morning smoke at 7 am ,Amphora Burley in an Ashton XX Pebble grain long Canadian anno 2020
Did some low calorie snacking, and am a quarter of the way through this bowl of Wilke No. 515 in a smooth dark medium bend 2021 Peterson Heritage Brown POTY 4AB No. 45/500 military mount with a silver cap and a tapered black vulcanite AB stem. Ice water and bergs is my drink. Watching the replay of the Nats-Phillies game while I do stuff.
Just finishing a bowl of Mixture 79. It has enough nic to give me a bit of a buzz, since I hoover it. It is in my Comoy Pebble grain 80. lol
Night all!
Night all!
HH Rustica with a garage beer 
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