I have gone through a couple tins of the news stuff, seems to be decent. I am sure I smoked the Murray's blend in the past, I mean I've been smoking the stuff for 30 years, and this is similar enough that I truly didn't know there was a difference.
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...and there you go:-)
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Earlier this year (2016), a Rusticated Bent Brandy was being offered for sale on another site, and after it was passed-up on several posts, I decided to step-in and grab it:
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I've enjoyed the Brandy so much so, that in September 2016, I thought it would be great to have a companion pipe for the Brandy (as it gets lonely), and asked piper Todd Harris if he would be so kind as to consider doing a rusticated bent Poker that would be somewhat similar to the Brandy. Todd said yes, and we corresponded back and forth, throwing diagrams and thoughts at each other, and immediately came to a meeting of the minds. Here's the finished Poker:
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I love the rustication work, and his workmanship performed on his pipes. The Poker is 5 1/2 " in length and bowl height is 2 3/16". The Brandy is 5 1/2" in length and bowl height is 1 3/4". Both pipes have great draws and hold plenty of my favorite tobacco's. Here's both side by side:
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If you've not tried a Todd Harris pipe, you may want to check-out his web page here:http://taharris.wixsite.com/turningsbytodd


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Those are gorgeous pipes. The cherrywood is very nicely proportioned.
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Nice looking pipes.
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Thanks guys! Algerian briar on both pipes. Not sure regarding the stain used...
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You have excellent taste, Mark; they're beautiful!


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We are heading down to my parents for the Christmas holiday, so I decided to buy myself a little travel pack:

2 pipe bag.

2oz Stokkebye English Luxury

MM Mark Twain Straight

MM Little Devil Acorn.


I say that'll do me for a week!
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Stopped by Tewksbury on Monday and picked up 2oz of Hobbits Weed. Sorry to see this local blend die. The shop closed on Friday.
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Yeah...hopefully someone will pick up the blend. It is really the only cherry blend I've ever liked.
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Some "yuletide" - don't trust the Peretti "paint tins" so decanted into mason jars. Smells rather good....
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Got these a couple of weeks ago. Really wanted the calendar.
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Forgot these. The bottom one's bowl has been sanded.
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It smells incredible - dried fig and citrus.
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Have you tried it? Virginias & Perique sound good, but then they added Rum... So, I am very skeptical!
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Not yet Rev, but they smell amazing. (They literally had my mouth watering) By all accounts one can't taste the rum. I will slice off a bit this weekend to try.

They are little bricks and remind me of the fire-starters they used to give us in the military. Might need a band saw.....:-)
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Have done different "plugs" from G&H, Samuel Gawith. Usually pretty strong, and needs a good sharp knife.

My uncle used to chew plug tobacco, and when he was done, he'd leave it sit on a fence post. A couple days later he'd check it out, and if dry enough stick it in his cob to smoke. He used to do Redman and Levi Garrett. It was too moist and too sweet to smoke right off, but after a morning or afternoon of vigorous chewing, he said, "It mellows out nice. And if it don't rain, it smokes pretty good after a couple days of sun drying."

I have always wanted to try that, but I just couldn't get past how sweet it was in the mouth. Used to chew my share of Redman, but never got the courage to put it in my pipe and smoke it.

Let me know what you think.

Peace of the Lord be with you.
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great starting choices indeed! Please let us know if you have questions or want tips. If asked nicely we may even sing a song about perique.
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Picked up some G&H Cherry Cream Flake a couple weeks ago. And, as anybody here could probably tell you, I am not a fan of aromatics.

With that said, this is wonderful stuff. G&H does Virginias well, and this is a stellar example. Americans use a heavy hand in applying flavored goop (except for Cornell & Diehl) to make their aromatics, but G&H did this wonderfully. There is a hint of cherry and/or cream when nosing the pouch, ephemeral hints of them on the palate (mostly in the finish), and enough in the room note that non-smokers will be tantalized and not offended. (OK, the smoke nazis will be offended, but hey, that is their problem.)

Peace of the Lord be with you.
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So I picked up a new radiator from Hekthor. Added a funky custom Nutcracker bowl, and we are ready to dim he lights and turn on the lava lamp!

Hekthor has a new stem - I do like it.

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Check out his site:
http://www.hwiebe.com
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