AS I've mentioned, seven out of my nine pipes are Carey's and no pipe I've smoked since 1964 smokes as well. Back in the -60's I had many pipes but most often smoked the two Carey's I had at the time. When I quit smoking pipes in the 1980's I kept the two Carey's and one Duncan Hill Aerosphere, which is made by Carey.When I took up the pipe agian in the late summer of 2016 I started looking at eBay for used/estate Carey's..... and bought five more.
@motie2 I agree about the pirate filter. It can be used for several smokes. As a matter of fact when I first bought the pipe from an antique shop, and at the time of the purchase I assumed the company was no longer in existence - the pipe came with about six filters. So I did everything to make them last. I used one sleeve for probably over a month. Then actually put a little dishwashing liquid on it and lightly scrubbed till the yellowish discoloration of the filter was on off white. I let it dry - and used it several more weeks. The second time I tried washing it, it fell apart. So I moved on to the second filter, and pretty much did the same thing. Smoked the Hell out of it, cleaned it once, then discarded it after a few weeks. Then by chance I discovered a place to order the filters on EBAY and got a tube of 100 for dirt cheap. Then once I became a member of the group and we discussed our affection for the Carey Pipe, I learned the company is still in existence. So now I change the filters more often - but never only use them once and throw them away. You can get several smokes from the pirate filter, as opposed to the 9mm or 6mm filters used in most pipes. Those things are got for two or three smokes tops.
Yep. I get five or six bowls on one papyrate sleeve. No filter involved, nothing between you and the tobacco. And a very dry smoke. And as I'm fond of saying, 8 out of my ten pipes are Carey's. The other two are a nice Duncan Hill Aerosphere, and a beautiful, apparently unclassifiable Charatan (a gift from a friend; a shape I've never seen in online charts and diagrams -- not a Zulu, not a Horn, not a Dublin, and not a Yacht, but some weird combo of all four.) Of the eight Carey's, six have been purchased since 2016 on eBay. And I've never paid more than $20.00 for a Carey on eBay. Back in the day, two of the Carey's were $15.00 each, new.
If anyone is interested, Carey's online shop is at the obvious http://www.eacarey.com On eBay, search for "Carey Magic Inch"
I really like the way my Carey volcano smokes. This is my primary aromatic pipe because it smokes so dry. I don’t love how the stems feel (kinda cheap), but I do love the end result of a cool, dry smoke.
That sums up the Carey experience quite well: "....a cool, dry smoke...." every time.
And if you are a chomper, the nylon bits are not invulnerable. I hold the pipe in my mouth most often, yet I've never had a bite thru problem. The only Carey stem that I worry about is the beveled edge apple which has a flat saddle bit that seems thinner the my other Carey stems.
EA Carey has renewed their "Try this pipe for 30 days" http://www.eacarey.com/straight-black-rustic-billiard-trial-pipe.html Of course, $36.95 is more than the $15.00 dollar offer back in the day, but it's still a bargain for a new EA Carey. (If you are willing to go for an estate/used Carey, such are available for less than $36.95 on eBay: Use keywords <<Carey Magic Inch pipe -papyrate>>
OK, I already posted this (incipient senility) but it bears repeating. And it's even more expensive than the ORIGINAL offer of $3.00 made some years before "back in the day...."
I won a very similar pipe for under $20.00. (see March 27th post, above) Another is at a current bid of $17.05 It's worth a lot more -- smokes like a dream, and is the coolest looking pipe I own....... Pre-owned (used) EA Carey Magic Inch Freehand https://www.ebay.com/itm/EA-Carey-Magic-Inch-Freehand/392011331829
@motie2 The Carey Magic Inch Pipe is seldom mentioned on pipe forums, but those who own one swear by them. A lot of brands are bandied about with a much higher price yet the Carey Magic Inch checks all the boxes when contemplating a perfect smoking pipe.
In case anyone is interested, here is the papyrate from my Carey after two bowls smoked back to back. A bit tan and slightly damp. When employed, it slides over the pipe side tenon with the small round holes, then the stem slips over and onto the larger diameter part of the tenon. The fresh air is imbibed and mixed with the smoke, entering through the “gill slots” cooling the smoke while the papyrate absorbes excess moisture.
It's the only type of pipe filter that can be used a dozen times or more without being changed. There was a long span in time when I only had one filter and it lasted me more time than I care to reveal. It did turn brown and nasty looking - but it never changed the flavor of the smoke like a 6mm or 9mm filter does. And in most cases with those type of filters you're lucky to get three smokes out of them before they begin tasting rancid. The way the Carey filter works it doesn't get saturated.
@ghostsofpompeii -- I've only tried two, Classic Black Aromatic and Revolution. Neither one prompted me to buy more, although the Revolution blend is sort of interesting -- an aromatic/Latakia hybrid. (As y'all know, I have settled on Sutliff Barbados Plantation and Lane VBC.)
<<Revolution Tabac by E.A. Carey
Revolution Tabac is a blend of our two best light aromatics and Latakia. It will have the taste of a light English blend when the strands of Latakia ignite and then go back to a light aromatic blend after the Latakia has burned.
It all started out when I thought about my favorite tobacco. It’s a fine tobacco and I had been smoking it for years. But then I asked myself: Is this really the best of what’s available today? Am I smoking it only out of habit? If I wanted to try a new blend, which one would I try? Every shop has dozens of blends, all with descriptions that don’t really tell me anything.
Since I’m at EA Carey I do have one advantage. Carey has 32 tobacco blends and I have access to all of them. I can smoke them with my choice of Carey pipe. Yes, I had an advantage not available to the average pipe smoker…. A big advantage.
As I said, I have been smoking my favorite blend for years, so I didn’t really know anything about the 32 Carey blends on a first hand basis. There was only one solution. I had to smoke each one in a test and make my own notes. I chose to smoke two ounces of each of the 32 blends.
Now, I smoke a pipe a lot but that was not easy. That is four pounds of tobacco. Off and on, it and it took me about three months to finish the project.
I then divided the 32 blends into categories and rated them as type and preference. My preferences are for a mild tobacco that I can smoke all day, and yet I wanted something different, a bit of a unique taste. It seemed that while many of our Carey tobaccos are high quality, most were just not that unique. It seemed to me that there was not much difference in one blend to the next. >>
As I've said before, @motie2 has made a believer out of me. I recently sold a few Nordings to make room for more Carey's. I now have about 10 Carey's in my rotation and love them. In fact, I find myself smoking them the majority of the time now. Always a cool, dry smoke and the filters not only last a long time but they are cheap too! My only complaint is the quality of the stems. I do use a rubber stem bit on all of them to prolong the life of the stem. What can I say, I'm a clencher. New Carey pipes are very reasonably priced and used pipes on eBay are usually very cheap. One of my favorite Carey finds was $9. My collection has grown to include some unique shapes from yesteryear. A couple of freehands that smoke GREAT and one of my most recent acquisitions, a Carey block Meerschaum. The Meerschaum is one of two Carey pipes I recently purchased from our very own @KA9FFJ after he restored them. If you don't have a Carey in your collection, buy one now and thank me later.
Comments
http://www.eacarey.com/straight-black-rustic-billiard-trial-pipe.html
If anyone is interested, Carey's online shop is at the obvious http://www.eacarey.com
On eBay, search for "Carey Magic Inch"
And if you are a chomper, the nylon bits are not invulnerable. I hold the pipe in my mouth most often, yet I've never had a bite thru problem. The only Carey stem that I worry about is the beveled edge apple which has a flat saddle bit that seems thinner the my other Carey stems.
Page of EA Carey (Europe) Ltd. catalog
https://www.ebay.com/itm/EA-Carey-Magic-Inch-Italy-Large-Bent-Freehand-Style-Briar-Estate-Smoking-Pipe/123040586940
Last time I checked, bidding was up to $20.50
http://www.eacarey.com/straight-black-rustic-billiard-trial-pipe.html
Of course, $36.95 is more than the $15.00 dollar offer back in the day, but it's still a bargain for a new EA Carey.
(If you are willing to go for an estate/used Carey, such are available for less than $36.95 on eBay:
Use keywords <<Carey Magic Inch pipe -papyrate>>
OK, I already posted this (incipient senility) but it bears repeating.
And it's even more expensive than the ORIGINAL offer of $3.00 made some years before "back in the day...."
It's worth a lot more -- smokes like a dream, and is the coolest looking pipe I own.......
Pre-owned (used) EA Carey Magic Inch Freehand
https://www.ebay.com/itm/EA-Carey-Magic-Inch-Freehand/392011331829
Go for it!!! Mine is wonderful!!!
One is a Charatan I could never afford. (A gift from a dear friend), and the other is a Duncan Hill Aerosphere, marketed by EA Carey.
I don't often smoke the Charatan, but the Ducan Hill is almost as good a smoker as any of my Careys.
https://rebornpipes.com/tag/duncan-hill-aerosphere-history/
<<Revolution Tabac by E.A. Carey
Revolution Tabac is a blend of our two best light aromatics and Latakia. It will have the taste of a light English blend when the strands of Latakia ignite and then go back to a light aromatic blend after the Latakia has burned.
It all started out when I thought about my favorite tobacco. It’s a fine tobacco and I had been smoking it for years. But then I asked myself: Is this really the best of what’s available today? Am I smoking it only out of habit? If I wanted to try a new blend, which one would I try? Every shop has dozens of blends, all with descriptions that don’t really tell me anything.
Since I’m at EA Carey I do have one advantage. Carey has 32 tobacco blends and I have access to all of them. I can smoke them with my choice of Carey pipe. Yes, I had an advantage not available to the average pipe smoker…. A big advantage.
As I said, I have been smoking my favorite blend for years, so I didn’t really know anything about the 32 Carey blends on a first hand basis. There was only one solution. I had to smoke each one in a test and make my own notes. I chose to smoke two ounces of each of the 32 blends.
Now, I smoke a pipe a lot but that was not easy. That is four pounds of tobacco. Off and on, it and it took me about three months to finish the project.
I then divided the 32 blends into categories and rated them as type and preference. My preferences are for a mild tobacco that I can smoke all day, and yet I wanted something different, a bit of a unique taste. It seemed that while many of our Carey tobaccos are high quality, most were just not that unique. It seemed to me that there was not much difference in one blend to the next. >>
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Carey-magic-inch-smoking-pipe-3267941/253819593509