Jesus Christ in a Chicken Basket. It IS
Groundhog Day here at PipesMagazine, isn't it?
Let's answer a few questions:
Round vs. Square- Yes, I love those little square/rectangular/ovoid tins. Even better, I like the litho'd tins. Little gems, they are. But those tins date back to a time when production runs were 10x what they are today. Labor costs were a fraction of what they are now and a company could amortize the setup costs out over a much larger order of tins and get the price down low. Today, with sales numbers being much smaller, nobody can afford to do litho tins. Besides, other forces are at work to ensure that those little rectangular tins will go the same way as the Dodo. Impending EU labeling regs will take care of that, since there isn't enough space on those tins to meet the needs of new expansive warning labels. So for us to use rectangular tins, we'd have to import them from the EU, and then buy the machinery needed to seal them, only to face the task of moving to round tins once the FDA rulemaking goes into effect. Is historical authenticity worth $20 a tin? Most customers would say no. But if you want them, Troy, just cut us a check for the 50k tin minimum order and for the machine to fill and seal them and we'll get right on it for you.
Blends, Plugs and Crap Like That- Nothing remains the same. Everything changes. Every f'n blend sold today that has been around more than 5 years has changed and/or disappeared. The changes that old blends have gone through are epic and make up half of the conversations here on PM. Blends change for a lot of reasons, but change they do. Nothing remains unchanged. So at Standard Tobacco, we do the damnedest that we can to be true to the old ways, while we attempt to produce a blend that is unique and enjoyable using modern leaf and methods, and to bring it in at a price that customers can afford. It's a tall order, bound up with compromises that keep me awake at night. It's also why there isn't a War Horse Bar on the market yet: Because we are still trying to strike the best balance. Will it be exactly the same as the 1980 War Horse Bar? Or the 1970 version? How about 1938? See the dilemma? We will prevail, however, War Horse Bar will rise again and damn it, you are going to love it!
As for introducing new cuts or blends under an old name, well, that's just a continuation of what has been going on since day one. If John Cotton's was still in business, or their successor Gallahers was still alive, or if their successor JTI was still interested in making pipe tobacco (all of which "are not"), they'd be introducing new blends and new cuts left and right. It's the lifeblood of the business, and it keeps life interesting. We have a lot of plans for new products, and we're really excited about it all. We think that you'll be, too.
Maybe, Troy, perhaps your talents are being wasted here. Maybe you just need to start up your own tobacco company and do it your way... I mean, how difficult could that really be? ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ6UVdgW0lM