What can I expect in England?

[docrameous]

I am moving to England in December and I wondered if any pipers on here could give me an idea of what to expect. How hard is it to get US tobaccos over there? What will I be able to get over there that is hard to get in the US?

I'll go with small supply in my luggage of my current rotation, but any advice or visibility would be appreciated. I'm a very new to pipes, so it's all new to me anyhow.

 

[seldom]

I'm not in the UK but I would think the outcome of "Brexit" will impact this. It may be prudent to look into how much you can bring into the UK and bring that amount with you.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Expect prices several times what we pay in the US. Yes, some blends are available there that are difficult to get here, but nothing you can't live without.

Good luck! London? Liverpool?

 

[mso489]

If you will have friends, family, or colleagues coming over from the U.S., you might see if one or more of them could bring permissible amounts from time to time, as a resupply. If you could find acceptable tub blends, that would reduce the number of individual units, if that is the measure. It may be by grams and ounces however. I would expect U.K. to have good blends available, but the prices are high. Despite all, U.S. pipe smokers are the world's most spoiled in terms of variety and prices.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

I am moving to England in December and I wondered if any pipers on here could give me an idea of what to expect. How hard is it to get US tobaccos over there? What will I be able to get over there that is hard to get in the US?

I'll go with small supply in my luggage of my current rotation, but any advice or visibility would be appreciated. I'm a very new to pipes, so it's all new to me anyhow.

Any U.S made blend is almost non existent in the EU except for Half&Half which is far more expensive over here,nontheless take my word, some English manufacturers are producing some finest tobaccies on earth ,yet their few OTC's are also known & notorious world wide , as fa as pricing goes,any tobacco products cost two times more than in The U.S,roughly

 

[dmcmtk]

A good resource for when you get there.

PIPE TOBACCO from My Smoking Shop Tobacconist - https://www.mysmokingshop.co.uk/index2.php?mod=catman&nc=PIPE%20TOBACCO&cat=69

 

[mso489]

Some good things in England not related to pipes: The whole historic trust network of sites and museums throughout the U.K.; some of the greatest Indian food in the world; some excellent English food (yes, I really said that) ; fish and chips; teas; inspiring breakfasts; lovingly preserved literary heritage in libraries and sites; surprisingly un-stuffy homey communities where you can relax and will be mostly accepted, which I confess I had not expected. Some of the class lines can grate, but do as they English do, endeavor to ignore it, which usually works.

 

[docrameous]

Thanks everyone. I figured it would be more expensive. (i.e. petrol/gasoline is about $6.00 a gallon and was even around $10 before the currency took a hit through Brexit)

I will try to take over my favourite bulk (if I can decide before then) and maybe one or two premiums with me. (i.e. Orlik Golden). I will get back from time to time and I will certainly have friends coming over that I can get to bring resupply as they are usually looking for good gift ideas anyhow! As I am not a heavy smoker, a resupply should last me a while.

@mso489 I used to live there and the things you mentioned I loved, so it will be interesting to see how I like returning as a pipe smoker!

 

[mso489]

I had to be so mindful driving on the left. My late wife who seemed to me to be a NASCAR proficient driver just tossed the keys to me, and she may have been right, the more cautious one. As a U.S. driver, I was so spoiled by mostly available free parking. We spent some kilometers of my cussing looking for the car parks. Public transportation is crowded but usually pretty good, or was at the time. Driving, we made three loops around Canterbury, part of our pilgrimage I suppose, looking for the car park.

 

[tozert]

Most 50g tins are around 13-15 pounds which at the current exchange rate is less than 20 dollars. That's less than double the price you lucky US pipers get for a 50g tin, not "several times" the price as suggested above. There are a few great online tobacconists which offer a better selection than a high street shop. Mysmokingshop, Black Swann, and my go to, CGars. CGars offers free shipping on orders of at least 50 pounds. And, expect next day delivery from these shops. Don't forget that you can also enjoy a wide selection of Cuban cigars, too. There are blends available in the UK that you can't get easily in the US, and there are enough of them to keep you experimenting and trying new blends for a very long time.
Apart from tobacco, you can expect a LOT of rain, people, cars, roundabouts, and strange items in grocery shops. People do speak English in many different accents, some harder to understand than others. And even though they speak English, it's a different language. After 18 years living in the UK, there are still sayings where I have to question the meaning.

 

[lawdawg]

I'm a low key Anglophile, and this thread is making me want to go visit the UK. Although I know it's probably impossible taking into account all the anti-smoking regulations these days, I'd love to smoke a few pipes in some centuries-old small village pub with accompanied by a few pints and drams.

 

[craiginthecorn]

I traveled to Scotland a year ago. I found that many grocery stores carried a small selection of pouch tobaccos, like Clan, Condor, and St. Bruno. As pouch tobaccos go, these are quite good. At a tobacconist with a significant pipe tobacco selection, like The Pipe Shop in Leith, Scotland near Edinburg, you’ll find that many hard-to-find English and Euro tobaccos are readily available. The Pipe Shop had a giant selection of excellent tobaccos for sale by the ounce from jars.

 

[jpmcwjr]

"Most 50g tins are around 13-15 pounds"

WHERE? Not in any London shop I visited a couple of years ago.

 

[paulfg]

"Most 50g tins are around 13-15 pounds"

WHERE? Not in any London shop I visited a couple of years ago.

agreed in B&m a bit more.St bruno Flake for example is available in supermarkets and around £16.50 a pouch
On line yes I agree with the above prices.
Dont forget the stupid photographs on the packs

 

[Dusk]

Dont forget the stupid photographs on the packs

In Canada, the pictures have degenerated into shock value propaganda featuring rotten teeth, diseased organs, etc. To top it all off, there's a rediculous mandate forcing cig packaging to use some uniform greenish brown color as well...which kinda reminds me of old dark fired lol. (good tobacco tho)

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

agreed in B&m a bit more.St bruno Flake for example is available in supermarkets and around £16.50 a pouch
On line yes I agree with the above prices.
Dont forget the stupid photographs on the packs

and to convert the price in pound sterling to euro currency ,do add one euro to prices shown in £, and so by we are having prices almost indentical to those seen at the retailer shops in the Scandinavian countries(which I'm considering as legalized robbery)

 

[paulfg]

In Canada, the pictures have degenerated into shock value propaganda featuring rotten teeth, diseased organs, etc. To top it all off, there's a rediculous mandate forcing cig packaging to use some uniform greenish brown color as well...which kinda reminds me of old dark fired lol. (good tobacco tho)

thats identicle to the UK ones

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

The price will be double what you pay in the US, BREXIT won't affect anything you want to buy from America as it's only to do with the EU and nowhere else.
You can buy from the US but it is not cheap! With p&p and the dreaded import duties it can work out to £20 a tin so bring as much as you can.
We don't get any Cornell & Diehl or many other blends but on the upside Samuel Gawith/Gawith Hoggarth/JF Germains flows like water and is easily available.
You also get easy access to one or two blends that are harder to get in the US, some examples would be:
Full Virginia Plug
St. James Plug
Revor Plug
Westmorland Slices
Germains Brown Flake
Germains Rich Dark Flake
Original Flake (formerly walnut)

December is a good time to move here as we have Christmas markets and the like which are fun to visit, hope you enjoy living in my home country.

Chris