Haunted Bookshop Cake in a Pete SPD 2011 69. 
***What Are You Smoking, May 2025?***
- Thread starter JimInks
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Took a break from the break-ins, and will tomorrow, too. Long Weekend up here, and Mike came over for a visit tonight, and I'm expecting Stu tomorrow - he just landed a job driving a bus, and has lots of overtime this weekend - comes out of the trucking industry so he's skilled behind the wheel.
He also gave me a packet of of Brigham's English Mix, provided I take it of his hands because he hated it. Gave him some light English in return, which is about all he smokes. I really like this Brigham product, and thus bought another packet of it locally and will continue to do so even at the $80 price. It's worth having a bit on hand, I think, at least. A strong tobacco, light on the lat, but heavy on the Orientals and Virginias. A bit like Nightcap but with more of an edge.
In any case, returned tonight to my long stem roots for a change, and smoked the BEM in my 12" McQueen Ash Mistral. This is a most beautiful pipe, and smokes just great. My chops are improving, and I quite enjoyed the smoke, even though the subtleties of the Orientasl weren't as present as I'd like yet. Gave Mike a bowlful, and as I expected, he hated it. He's only really intersted in sucking up milder aros, which he does voluminously. So my two most regular smoking buddies will leave this one, and half a dozen of my other favourites, in liu of kinder, gentler stuff.
Which comes in 12 oz bags from the Reserve. Life is good.
Skippable Drivel: The pipe was a nasty piece of work to photograph on the tobacco leaves, it's very long and the composition was difficult, let alone the lighting . . . . the yellow leaves are shrinking and I've got to slice them up tomorrow, and had to pick some fresh green ones to get the whole pipe in. Forgot to filter the flash and said the heck with it. Slop job. Will have to set up a better table for this and other flotsam and jetsum I often take pictures of. Once I get the indoor range finished, I'll take out the studio strobes, use a lower table, and will have balanced and controlled lighting. That'll help a lot. Right now it is what it is. Time to get the heck to bed. Catch up on commenting in the morning.
Y'all have good snoozes, eh?
He also gave me a packet of of Brigham's English Mix, provided I take it of his hands because he hated it. Gave him some light English in return, which is about all he smokes. I really like this Brigham product, and thus bought another packet of it locally and will continue to do so even at the $80 price. It's worth having a bit on hand, I think, at least. A strong tobacco, light on the lat, but heavy on the Orientals and Virginias. A bit like Nightcap but with more of an edge.
In any case, returned tonight to my long stem roots for a change, and smoked the BEM in my 12" McQueen Ash Mistral. This is a most beautiful pipe, and smokes just great. My chops are improving, and I quite enjoyed the smoke, even though the subtleties of the Orientasl weren't as present as I'd like yet. Gave Mike a bowlful, and as I expected, he hated it. He's only really intersted in sucking up milder aros, which he does voluminously. So my two most regular smoking buddies will leave this one, and half a dozen of my other favourites, in liu of kinder, gentler stuff.
Which comes in 12 oz bags from the Reserve. Life is good.Skippable Drivel: The pipe was a nasty piece of work to photograph on the tobacco leaves, it's very long and the composition was difficult, let alone the lighting . . . . the yellow leaves are shrinking and I've got to slice them up tomorrow, and had to pick some fresh green ones to get the whole pipe in. Forgot to filter the flash and said the heck with it. Slop job. Will have to set up a better table for this and other flotsam and jetsum I often take pictures of. Once I get the indoor range finished, I'll take out the studio strobes, use a lower table, and will have balanced and controlled lighting. That'll help a lot. Right now it is what it is. Time to get the heck to bed. Catch up on commenting in the morning.
Y'all have good snoozes, eh?
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Now smoking first production Watch City American Cut Plug Mixture in a straight smooth brown undated Gesandt Canadian Made in England with a tapered black vulcanite stem. This pipe was originally owned by Poul Schluter, who was the Prime Minister of Denmark from 1982-1993. Fed Harry the Hairy, and gave him a bit of attention.
I shoot a lot more clay frisbees than game, but glad you enjoyed yourself. Win or lose, or don't even keep score with friends, that’s all that really matters. Sporting clays is just so much more stimulating to me than trap or skeet.
2007 Borkum Riff Bourbon Whiskey in this whimsical, OLD briar rhinoceros with bent, fishtail, vulcanite saddle stem.
Dunhill 2016 group 5 bent brandy amber root model 5133, which looks more like a volcano to me, smoking 2022 Peter Heinrichs English blend.
Mac Baren dark twist roll cake slices in the eagle claw and egg 
meer.
meer.
And the last smoke of the day was Samuel Gawith Brown No. 4 Kendal twist in the Jobey sandblast Shellmoor big “EXTRA” billiard, which I am absolutely loving and smoking each day, even though it’s a cheaper pipe. 
Now smoking Peretti Royal in a black sandblasted medium bend 2013 Mark Tinsky Coral 5 cherrywood with a smooth dark brown shank and bottom with a tapered black briar accented acrylic stem.
OJK in a Jirsa 210.
Passing the quarter mark of this bowl of year 2014 Uhle’s 00 in a straight smooth brown post-WW2 LHS Purex Superfine 74 Canadian with a metal screw-in tenon and a tapered black vulcanite stem. Molly Danger came out to nose around the house, and then came up to me meowing. I gave her some wet food, and she's eating now.
Started the day with some Skiff Mixture in a cob 
Not far from finishing this bowl of year 2020 D&R VIP in a 2004 smooth long shank Trever Talbot Ligne Bretagne Faite en Bretagne 4/3 lumberman with a tapered black vulcanite stem. I'll end the day with this smoke. Fed all the ferals, but it took some work to keep them apart. I fed Harry the Hairy last. After they went out, Abner the Eager was still in the house, and wanted to go out. Harry the Hairy was near the door, and Abner was afraid of him. I scooped Abner up, and put him on m'lady's chair. A few minutes later, I heard some yelling from Molly Danger. I went to the bedroom, and m'lady told me that Abner came in, and went inside the closet. I picked Abner up, and made sure that Molly saw me take him away so she'd settle down. Molly doesn't want any other cat in the bedroom, not even Sleepy Suzy who she grew up with. Abner's back on m'lady's chair having a snooze.
Milan Milestone in a Country Gent.
I love both of those pipes too.
I’ve been itching for a Prince myself.
The Twigs are different but I really enjoy the one I have.
C&D Exclusive in a Dunhill Quaint Rhodesian and Coffee 
️ on the side
️ on the side
Prince Albert in a magnificently well figured grained Aged Algerian George Yale full bent.
This is why stain is only slightly less evil than varnish.
Under that dreadful stain is top of the shelf briar. Yale stained it to accelerate the oxblood color, to catch a customer. The next two photos were taken in brilliant sunshine.
To get that awful stain out, sand with 4/0 steel wool, clean with everclear, and then wax and smoke it over and over until the artificial coloring is replaced by the saps, oils, mojos, or whatever secret sauce hides inside the best Algerian briar.
When the entire world took Algerian briar for granted some pipe sellers wanted to sell oxblood colored pipes to people who didn’t want to wait on the coloring. The same thing is true today of meerschaum pipes.
Wax and smoking, clean with pure alcohol and wax and smoke again, is how to color one pretty, not varnish, stain, or paint.
Even the cheapest, no name, dollar grade basket pipe made of pre 54 Algerian will color to oxblood if smoked carefully.
Algerian briar pipes are one of the very few trophies a man can own that get better and more beautiful with use.
A good Hermann Oak leather saddle, belt, or harness is another.
People, don’t age nearly as well.
This is why stain is only slightly less evil than varnish.
Under that dreadful stain is top of the shelf briar. Yale stained it to accelerate the oxblood color, to catch a customer. The next two photos were taken in brilliant sunshine.
To get that awful stain out, sand with 4/0 steel wool, clean with everclear, and then wax and smoke it over and over until the artificial coloring is replaced by the saps, oils, mojos, or whatever secret sauce hides inside the best Algerian briar.
When the entire world took Algerian briar for granted some pipe sellers wanted to sell oxblood colored pipes to people who didn’t want to wait on the coloring. The same thing is true today of meerschaum pipes.
Wax and smoking, clean with pure alcohol and wax and smoke again, is how to color one pretty, not varnish, stain, or paint.
Even the cheapest, no name, dollar grade basket pipe made of pre 54 Algerian will color to oxblood if smoked carefully.
Algerian briar pipes are one of the very few trophies a man can own that get better and more beautiful with use.
A good Hermann Oak leather saddle, belt, or harness is another.
Hermann Oak Leather Co. | Premium Leather Since 1881
Since 1881, Hermann Oak has been tanning top-grain leather in St. Louis, MO. The company prides itself on its slow and careful tanning process, producing the finest top-grain stamping and tooling leather in the world. The Hermann Oak name has become synonymous with high quality.
www.hermannoakleather.com
People, don’t age nearly as well.
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Huber English Perique in a Savinelli Tortuga 673KS. 
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