Today, as I was lighting my pipe, I experienced something that I haven’t for some time: A full and wonderful realization of all that pipe smoking can be. This may be a bit difficult to explain, but please allow me to try.
As I lit the pipe, hovering a match just over the surface of the tobacco, gently drawing in and moving the match back and forth, I marveled at the sight of those individual ribbons of tobacco twisting and turning as they caught, then slowly settling and beginning to glow a beautiful orange. As I tamped the surface oh-so-lightly, I was struck by the interesting thought that all of these individual ribbons were now transforming into something else, something new. That surface, a smoldering thin cake of tobacco which allowed me to savor the taste and aroma of a favorite tobacco, and which drew my thoughts back to those times as a young boy that I would watch my great-grandfather puff at his pipe, seemingly without a care in the world. It seemed like a magic trick, the puffing and tamping, the creation of slowly swirling gossamer blue-gray smoke, the indescribably comforting aroma.
Suddenly, I was brought back into the moment of now, and I realized as I slowly drew breath, watching the tobacco of my first light gently rise and fall in the intensity of its glow, that I was performing magic, all on my own. It was a transformative moment, a collision and temporary merging of the here and now with lucid and beloved memories of days gone by. In a way, it was as if I were somehow impossibly both sharing a smoke with my great-grandfather, as well as sharing a moment with that bright-eyed young boy that was me, who was so amazed by it all. Oh, the things I wish I could share with that old man, and with that young boy!
But just as quickly as it began, time snapped back into place like quicksilver, and I was left with my pipe and my thoughts of just how much I miss both of those people, and how dearly I love them. For without the old man, I may not even be smoking this pipe now. And without this pipe, I may not find the time to remember that boy at all. And I’m so thankful for all of it: The old man, that young boy, and the pipe that gifted me with such a cherished little glimpse back through the years…
This is an interesting little video of a factory tour of C&D tobacco. What caught my eye was that Jeremy Reeves, the head blender/tour guide, is wearing a Montana Grizzlies T-shirt. It is a college located in Missoula. I have to say, I went to school at the rival Montana State University Bozeman, the Bobcats. GO CATS!
Just a quick note on Per Jensen article that motie3 posted.
I have taken a blending class and have broken bread with him a couple of times, he is a fascinating guy with a heart of gold.
If you get the chance to interface with him (which is relatively easy at pipe shows as he is fairly accessible) do not hesitate; he is a fun guy with such a wealth of knowledge.
Jeff Gracik (J Alan Pipes) is really a great guy who has no problem sharing his know-how,.
We have a 3 day pipe making seminar at the Chicago pipe show each year where we essentially set up a temporary pipe making shop and Jeff teaches the class.
After reporting that it was suspending its financial guidance for 2020 and completing the integration of its latest acquisition, Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) is revealing its financial report for the first quarter of 2020. Find out the surprising impact COVID-19 has had on the big tobacco company, what divisions have flourished during the pandemic and what changes are ahead.
After you've scrolled to the bottom of the intro page, go back to the top and click on the box that looks like this illustration: or do it first, but be sure to look at the entire lengthy intro page.
Comments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wxU3UmmBi0
https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/collecting-pipes-souvenirs
https://www.alpascia.com/moments/en/detail/147/carati-almost-forgotten-pionee
I endorse those laws.
A Pipe Smoking Moment
Today, as I was lighting my pipe, I experienced something that I haven’t for some time: A full and wonderful realization of all that pipe smoking can be. This may be a bit difficult to explain, but please allow me to try.
As I lit the pipe, hovering a match just over the surface of the tobacco, gently drawing in and moving the match back and forth, I marveled at the sight of those individual ribbons of tobacco twisting and turning as they caught, then slowly settling and beginning to glow a beautiful orange. As I tamped the surface oh-so-lightly, I was struck by the interesting thought that all of these individual ribbons were now transforming into something else, something new. That surface, a smoldering thin cake of tobacco which allowed me to savor the taste and aroma of a favorite tobacco, and which drew my thoughts back to those times as a young boy that I would watch my great-grandfather puff at his pipe, seemingly without a care in the world. It seemed like a magic trick, the puffing and tamping, the creation of slowly swirling gossamer blue-gray smoke, the indescribably comforting aroma.
Suddenly, I was brought back into the moment of now, and I realized as I slowly drew breath, watching the tobacco of my first light gently rise and fall in the intensity of its glow, that I was performing magic, all on my own. It was a transformative moment, a collision and temporary merging of the here and now with lucid and beloved memories of days gone by. In a way, it was as if I were somehow impossibly both sharing a smoke with my great-grandfather, as well as sharing a moment with that bright-eyed young boy that was me, who was so amazed by it all. Oh, the things I wish I could share with that old man, and with that young boy!
But just as quickly as it began, time snapped back into place like quicksilver, and I was left with my pipe and my thoughts of just how much I miss both of those people, and how dearly I love them. For without the old man, I may not even be smoking this pipe now. And without this pipe, I may not find the time to remember that boy at all. And I’m so thankful for all of it: The old man, that young boy, and the pipe that gifted me with such a cherished little glimpse back through the years…
Keep ‘em lit,
Eddie Gray
thepipenook@outlook.com
https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/per-jensen-mac-baren-tobacco-ambassador-the-world
The History of Nicotiana Rustica
https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/the-history-nicotiana-rustica
A Collaborative Approach: Inside BriarWorks
At BriarWorks, an all-star team of artisans is reviving American pipe manufacturing and also doing so much more.
https://tobaccobusiness.com/a-collaborative-approach-inside-briarworks/
What caught my eye was that Jeremy Reeves, the head blender/tour guide, is wearing a Montana Grizzlies T-shirt. It is a college located in Missoula. I have to say, I went to school at the rival Montana State University Bozeman, the Bobcats.
GO CATS!
https://youtu.be/h2P7St1pWDw
https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/pipe-smoking-desktop-backgrounds-may-2020
Most of us use http://www.tobaccoreviews.com
"After 53 years, I still use my dad's way of doing things. I don't fool with a false/charring light, but simply light it and start smoking.
- Dry your tobacco more than you think you need to.
- Pack it looser than you think you need to.
- Smoke it slower than you think you need to.
- Tamp it less, and more lightly, than you think you need to.
- Clean your pipes after every smoke, using pipe spirits of some sort.
- Don’t worry if you have a few relights.
- And realize that becoming an accomplished pipe smoker will take time, patience, and trial and error."
The link is: https://pipedia.org/wiki/The_Complete_Corncob_primerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfc6A_h4miA&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR27aG-a3qjOhKYf0ZTkaciHfMrBhJjO0Aq3Vz5cKXgn6VC2DuXL78Jn_BI
PEN SMOKE AND PIPE SKETCH
https://www.alpascia.com/moments/en/detail/45/pen-smoke-and-pipe-sketchBritish American Tobacco Enters New Phase of COVID-19 Vaccine Testing
https://tobaccobusiness.com/bat-enters-new-phase-of-covid-19-vaccine-testing/SMOKING LIKE A PASHA: AL PASCIÀ
https://www.alpascia.com/moments/en/detail/148/smoking-like-a-pasha-al-pascia
STG RELEASES ITS FIRST QUARTER FINANCIAL REPORT
After reporting that it was suspending its financial guidance for 2020 and completing the integration of its latest acquisition, Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) is revealing its financial report for the first quarter of 2020. Find out the surprising impact COVID-19 has had on the big tobacco company, what divisions have flourished during the pandemic and what changes are ahead.
https://tobaccobusiness.com/stg-presents-first-quarter-2020-financial-results/
https://www.st-group.com/en/about-our-tobacco/history-of-tobacco
I enjoyed the other links at the bottom of the article also...
Worth a look by more experienced pipe smokers, too, IMHO.......
https://thepipeguys.com/
After you've scrolled to the bottom of the intro page, go back to the top and click on the box that looks like this illustration:
or do it first, but be sure to look at the entire lengthy intro page.