Well the last of my pipe acquisition train have been ordered, and I'm out of money until the summer or even the fall, and I would like to show off my pipes of this year, but don't have the patience to wait a for everything else to come in first so I'm starting this now. I'll probably let this sit for a few days before the last quick pipe comes in, then until whenever McQueen finally finishes my two churchwardens -- then its dead until summer or fall like I said (if its already almost summer by the time the McQueens get in I'll be sad).
Without further ado, we'll just go in the order I got them, kay?
First Up - Peterson 307 P-lip Ebony. Cost 110 USD and is absolutely Gorgeous, from smokingpipes.com This is the pipe that seems to like me the best.
Next we have a Peterson Barrel that I quite like. Cost 58 USD, also from smokingpipes.com. Very nice but it does gurgle a bit and get too wet in the stem (oddly the smoke is dry). Smoke slowly and yer fine though, plus the small-ish bowl is nice for nippy weather.
Third on the block is a Plymouth (which is made in France) Canadian that is -very- finicky about how its is smoked. Also from smokingpipes.com an estate pipe at 35 USD. I hated it at first, but as we got to know each-other its become a much better relationship, and not one mouthful of juice since the winter solstice.
Fourth, and last from that order from smokingpipes.com is a little no-name (I don't see one anyway) that I don't really like, but paid nothing for, it came with a package of sample tobacco, pipe-cleaners, tool, single pipe rest and probably some other stuff I've since forgotten. I keep it because it looks moderately attractive, and it's good for chewing on because I don't care about it, but I probably won't ever smoke it again.
All right now what was next. . . I think the white clays. I think 20 USD for the set off ebay. There are four of these things, only one of which is even remotely long. These taught me clays are actually very nice and I got some more afterwards. I like them, but they do discolour and pipe up dirt pretty bad, they've already gotten dirty enough I've regulated them as house pipes.
There were also 2 black ones, ordered from the same bloke also for 20 USD that were much longer (thus 2 instead of 4 I suppose) and because of however the special treatment that makes them black works -- they smelled like dirt -strong- for over a week. Now they don't, but they take in the smell of whatever tobacco pretty strong too and between that and them being too heavy to clench, they aren't smoked as oft as they would be if they were my only clays.
Next came the Ukranian pipes, these aren't good. . .not sure why I even bought them, but they look okay on the shelves and two have windcaps so they might see use on a really windy day (if for some reason I actually decide to go outside on such a windy day). Meh, they cost about 25 USD per set of 7 on ebay so I'm not out that much I suppose. . ..
Then came the Kiseru from j-list.com at 16 USD plus whatever shipping was. I like this thing, but I really wish I had some koiki for it, that should be remedied eventually though.
The Waren-Zeichen Viennese Coffeehouse - Pipe set was next, also from ebay and I paid 30 USD for this one and it is fantastig. However a bit of cork goes in the bowls and that makes the hole small enough for the bamboo's metal male attachment to hold. The cork broke and now just barely holds -- if I take it out of the bowl its in I'll never get it back in another one functionally, and I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to make a new cork bit. I don't blame the seller though don't get me wrong, this thing is -old- and the cork was just dried out since it had never once been used. I spent a whole 800 words praising this thing when I got it so, suffice to say I love it okay?
We're coming to the end now. A little mini-cob (Nuveu not MM)I paid 5 USD for. . . it's okay, I don't really like it (the smoke is REALLY hot) even though it burns so slow and dry. But definitely not a bad pipe. Just the stem is too short is what is really comes down to.
That just leaves the four I got today, a black medico expected tomorrow or next week, and then the two MCQueens that could any week from now until mid-April.
First I opened the two from Wallbright so let's do them first. Obviously Wallbright is the member here on this very forum. He really touted them as needing some restoration and to be like new they really do, but I -like- the slightly aged look of them, so I won't be doing that. I paid 19 USD (including shipping) for the pair.
there is the Medico Guardsman first off, and all I can say about either of them is that they are attractive as I haven't smoked them yet (just opened them before I started this post)
and then the Frank Medico which is more of a generic straight than the other to me, but then I thought everyone should own at least one regular straight that actually smokes okay. Which I hope this one does. I do need to thoroughly clean it though, the stem is rather sour but that's easily fixed.
And last, I got a package with two MM pipes today, both with custom acrylic stems. I wish I had better lighting for the first though, since in proper lighting its stem is an AMAZING blue.
#1 is the MM Great Dane Egg. Bought from a bloke on ebay as with the next pipe and paid 20 USD. Looks fantastic and just feels right, I hope to high Haven it smokes half as good. The stem in it is really a glorious and bright blue, and of course the yellow MM bent stem is below it. also it has an interesting bowl feature that is easier shown than explained.
It does look fantastig though
And last, something that is just really interesting (I think) is the MM OH23 Old Hickory, which according to the information resulted from MM buying a warehouse that had a case of hickory bowls made 25-30 years ago that this guy refinished and stemmed.Same guy as the above MM, and paid 37 USD.
"OH23" is actually the number of my specific one. In oddly good luck he said they'd come with a black stem and the gold MM-esque stem but I got one straight and one bent black stem, with two filters instead of one. Sweet :D I dislike the gold stems anyway.
And that's it until the last three come in.
I think after my snuff order from Toque comes in I'll do a couple shots of all my various tobaccos just for fun (they were all bought this year as well so it makes sense :P)
Oh, and just for fun too, my lighters.
From right to left:
zippo-style lighter, Tifa from FF VII (Advent Children model)
zippo-style lighter, Aerith from FF VII (Advent Children model)
nifty bic I've had a few weeks
and a perma-match thingie actually from zippo, you fill it with fluid and little tube with a bit of steel and a wic is attached to the cap, you strike it on a long piece of flint in the side and its kinda like a match. . .it is a pain to actually light since the sparks go -away- from the wick and it leaves too much of a fluid flavour to use for pipes so Its only real purpose is to be a novelty on my shelf heh heh.
I also have a BUNCH of matches, but those are all the same really why show them.
A final note -- I am very much like my grandfather (and this is why I posted what I paid for each pipe) and everything above is technically available for equitable trades in pipe or tobacco -- or sale at a meager profit, for pipes I almost always ask for what I paid plus a couple dollars for shipping, though on occasion I have something worth more than I paid for it. Right now only the Waren-Zeichen is worth more than I paid, at about 50 USD, 70 if I can make a new cork bit for it, just as an example.
An exception of this will be the McQueens when they come in since they are technically custom made and I don't ever sell anything custom made for me. I'm not trying to push a sale or trade here, I quite like most of them and the few I don't I think I made it clear enough I doubt anyone would want them -- but its just the way I operate to inform, because I rather enjoy dickering with someone I respect, its the whole reason I do things the way I do.
Without further ado, we'll just go in the order I got them, kay?
First Up - Peterson 307 P-lip Ebony. Cost 110 USD and is absolutely Gorgeous, from smokingpipes.com This is the pipe that seems to like me the best.
Next we have a Peterson Barrel that I quite like. Cost 58 USD, also from smokingpipes.com. Very nice but it does gurgle a bit and get too wet in the stem (oddly the smoke is dry). Smoke slowly and yer fine though, plus the small-ish bowl is nice for nippy weather.
Third on the block is a Plymouth (which is made in France) Canadian that is -very- finicky about how its is smoked. Also from smokingpipes.com an estate pipe at 35 USD. I hated it at first, but as we got to know each-other its become a much better relationship, and not one mouthful of juice since the winter solstice.
Fourth, and last from that order from smokingpipes.com is a little no-name (I don't see one anyway) that I don't really like, but paid nothing for, it came with a package of sample tobacco, pipe-cleaners, tool, single pipe rest and probably some other stuff I've since forgotten. I keep it because it looks moderately attractive, and it's good for chewing on because I don't care about it, but I probably won't ever smoke it again.
All right now what was next. . . I think the white clays. I think 20 USD for the set off ebay. There are four of these things, only one of which is even remotely long. These taught me clays are actually very nice and I got some more afterwards. I like them, but they do discolour and pipe up dirt pretty bad, they've already gotten dirty enough I've regulated them as house pipes.
There were also 2 black ones, ordered from the same bloke also for 20 USD that were much longer (thus 2 instead of 4 I suppose) and because of however the special treatment that makes them black works -- they smelled like dirt -strong- for over a week. Now they don't, but they take in the smell of whatever tobacco pretty strong too and between that and them being too heavy to clench, they aren't smoked as oft as they would be if they were my only clays.
Next came the Ukranian pipes, these aren't good. . .not sure why I even bought them, but they look okay on the shelves and two have windcaps so they might see use on a really windy day (if for some reason I actually decide to go outside on such a windy day). Meh, they cost about 25 USD per set of 7 on ebay so I'm not out that much I suppose. . ..
Then came the Kiseru from j-list.com at 16 USD plus whatever shipping was. I like this thing, but I really wish I had some koiki for it, that should be remedied eventually though.
The Waren-Zeichen Viennese Coffeehouse - Pipe set was next, also from ebay and I paid 30 USD for this one and it is fantastig. However a bit of cork goes in the bowls and that makes the hole small enough for the bamboo's metal male attachment to hold. The cork broke and now just barely holds -- if I take it out of the bowl its in I'll never get it back in another one functionally, and I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to make a new cork bit. I don't blame the seller though don't get me wrong, this thing is -old- and the cork was just dried out since it had never once been used. I spent a whole 800 words praising this thing when I got it so, suffice to say I love it okay?
We're coming to the end now. A little mini-cob (Nuveu not MM)I paid 5 USD for. . . it's okay, I don't really like it (the smoke is REALLY hot) even though it burns so slow and dry. But definitely not a bad pipe. Just the stem is too short is what is really comes down to.
That just leaves the four I got today, a black medico expected tomorrow or next week, and then the two MCQueens that could any week from now until mid-April.
First I opened the two from Wallbright so let's do them first. Obviously Wallbright is the member here on this very forum. He really touted them as needing some restoration and to be like new they really do, but I -like- the slightly aged look of them, so I won't be doing that. I paid 19 USD (including shipping) for the pair.
there is the Medico Guardsman first off, and all I can say about either of them is that they are attractive as I haven't smoked them yet (just opened them before I started this post)
and then the Frank Medico which is more of a generic straight than the other to me, but then I thought everyone should own at least one regular straight that actually smokes okay. Which I hope this one does. I do need to thoroughly clean it though, the stem is rather sour but that's easily fixed.
And last, I got a package with two MM pipes today, both with custom acrylic stems. I wish I had better lighting for the first though, since in proper lighting its stem is an AMAZING blue.
#1 is the MM Great Dane Egg. Bought from a bloke on ebay as with the next pipe and paid 20 USD. Looks fantastic and just feels right, I hope to high Haven it smokes half as good. The stem in it is really a glorious and bright blue, and of course the yellow MM bent stem is below it. also it has an interesting bowl feature that is easier shown than explained.
It does look fantastig though
And last, something that is just really interesting (I think) is the MM OH23 Old Hickory, which according to the information resulted from MM buying a warehouse that had a case of hickory bowls made 25-30 years ago that this guy refinished and stemmed.Same guy as the above MM, and paid 37 USD.
"OH23" is actually the number of my specific one. In oddly good luck he said they'd come with a black stem and the gold MM-esque stem but I got one straight and one bent black stem, with two filters instead of one. Sweet :D I dislike the gold stems anyway.
And that's it until the last three come in.
I think after my snuff order from Toque comes in I'll do a couple shots of all my various tobaccos just for fun (they were all bought this year as well so it makes sense :P)
Oh, and just for fun too, my lighters.
From right to left:
zippo-style lighter, Tifa from FF VII (Advent Children model)
zippo-style lighter, Aerith from FF VII (Advent Children model)
nifty bic I've had a few weeks
and a perma-match thingie actually from zippo, you fill it with fluid and little tube with a bit of steel and a wic is attached to the cap, you strike it on a long piece of flint in the side and its kinda like a match. . .it is a pain to actually light since the sparks go -away- from the wick and it leaves too much of a fluid flavour to use for pipes so Its only real purpose is to be a novelty on my shelf heh heh.
I also have a BUNCH of matches, but those are all the same really why show them.
A final note -- I am very much like my grandfather (and this is why I posted what I paid for each pipe) and everything above is technically available for equitable trades in pipe or tobacco -- or sale at a meager profit, for pipes I almost always ask for what I paid plus a couple dollars for shipping, though on occasion I have something worth more than I paid for it. Right now only the Waren-Zeichen is worth more than I paid, at about 50 USD, 70 if I can make a new cork bit for it, just as an example.
An exception of this will be the McQueens when they come in since they are technically custom made and I don't ever sell anything custom made for me. I'm not trying to push a sale or trade here, I quite like most of them and the few I don't I think I made it clear enough I doubt anyone would want them -- but its just the way I operate to inform, because I rather enjoy dickering with someone I respect, its the whole reason I do things the way I do.