Found it!

[jiminyshiznit]

A friend of mine recently mentioned smoking a pipe, and I've seen a few come up on the BST from time to time.. almost got tempted by a couple of those, then remembered that I HAVE a pipe! ...somewhere. I bought a new one at the mall while I was in college, I think in 1988, but started smoking cigarettes shortly after.. quit that 10 years later. Now that my interest has been piqued, I've been on a mad hunt for that ol' thing.. figuring I'd tossed it, I was just about to give up.. OK, one more spot to check.. bingo! Even a couple of 25yo bags of tobacco in there from The Briar Shoppe in Eugene.. actually smells kinda good, but I imagine I ought to start out with something fresh.

So, I guess it's time to clean this thing up and find a good tobacco to start with. It shouldn't need much, since I think I only used it about 5 times. Is this a decent style of pipe to start with? "Made in the Republic of Ireland" on one side, "Irish Seconds" on the other. Any tips to get me started right would be appreciated.. I haven't read many threads in The Brown Leaf, so I know I need to do that! ..sorry if I just jumped right in, but I was excited to finally find my pipe! I'm thinking back patio, chiminea, whiskey and a pipe is sounding good, now that the evenings are getting a little nicer.

 

[the_edski]

I'm not familiar with the branding, but the pipe looks in good shape. Get some pipe cleaners and some Everclear (or any other high proof alcohol with little or no taste) and give the stem a good cleaning to get out any junk that's been sitting 25 years. If the tobacco you have isn't moldy or doesn't smell funky, you can give it a try and see if you like it. Other than that, visit a local tobacconist or Walgreens/Rite Aid and buy some tobacco and get smoking!

 

[jiminyshiznit]

Cool, thanks.. I think I'll head to the licker store right now, matter of fact.. the Rite Aid is on the way there!

I also found my pipe lighters, which fired right up.. I did think ahead before storing these, and took the flints out. The first one looks similar to a Nimrod pipe lighter, but it's unbranded.. the other is a Nimrod Commander I bought at a flea market for almost free. Fresh flints and fluid.. good as new. I actually never used these, but bought them back in the day and refurbished them because I thought they were neat. Does anybody actually use wick lighters to smoke a pipe? I'd assume you could taste the lighter fuel more than you would from a butane lighter?

 

[michiganlover]

I'm not familiar with the branding, but the pipe looks in good shape.

Irish Seconds is a Peterson's second. So the pipe likely had something minor wrong with it, that prevented it from being sold under the Peterson name. Probably means you paid a little less than the cost of a full Peterson, but the pipe is likely to still be of excellent quality.

I'll second the recommendation of Walgreens/ Rite Aid. Pick up one of the well respected over the counter tobaccos like like Cater Hall, Prince Albert, Sir Walter Raleigh, Half and Half, or Captain Black.

 

[the_edski]

YMMV here. Zippo fluid claims to not have a taste, so it has that going for it. To my tongue, I can't really tell a difference between a Zippo/BBQ lighter/ matches. I just think a wick lighter is more elegant for the experience.

Does anybody actually use wick lighters to smoke a pipe? I'd assume you could taste the lighter fuel more than you would from a butane lighter?

 

[jiminyshiznit]

OK, cool.. I certainly give the wick lighters a try. I have ronsonol, so maybe that's the difference.. if it tastes funky, I'll give some zippo fluid a chance.

I went by Rite Aid and Walgreens, and neither one had much in the way of pipe tobacco.. Walgreens only had one kind in a couple of flavors. Rite Aid had more, but not the Carter Hall, or Half and Half, which were the ones I was leaning toward.. I remembered a tobacco shop in my sister's 'hood, so i went over there and picked up 1/2 oz ea. of six different tobaccos. Four non-aromatics and two that are very mild aromatics.. one of those is supposed to be something like Captain Black. The Captain Black at Rite Aid was more than I paid for the six 1/2oz samples and pipe cleaners, so I'm glad I made the trip.

OK, now to clean the pipe and try something out! The "Virginia No. 1" is speaking to me, I think.

 

[the_edski]

Right on! Enjoy your smokes! If you need some help, check out this section of the forum and don't be afraid to ask any questions. We love to help out!

OK, cool.. I certainly give the wick lighters a try. I have ronsonol, so maybe that's the difference.. if it tastes funky, I'll give some zippo fluid a chance.

I went by Rite Aid and Walgreens, and neither one had much in the way of pipe tobacco.. Walgreens only had one kind in a couple of flavors. Rite Aid had more, but not the Carter Hall, or Half and Half, which were the ones I was leaning toward.. I remembered a tobacco shop in my sister's 'hood, so i went over there and picked up 1/2 oz ea. of six different tobaccos. Four non-aromatics and two that are very mild aromatics.. one of those is supposed to be something like Captain Black. The Captain Black at Rite Aid was more than I paid for the six 1/2oz samples and pipe cleaners, so I'm glad I made the trip.

OK, now to clean the pipe and try something out! The "Virginia No. 1" is speaking to me, I think.

 

[jiminyshiznit]

Pipe cleaner came out with a subtle tan.. must have used this less than I remembered. Also, just noticed that the clerk didn't give me exactly what I settled on, but probably for the better.. 6 non-aromatics. I think that I'll prefer these and mild aromatics over heavily flavored stuff.. there were a few that were strange to me, but i can't remember what they were... I just remember thinking they smelled like the Bartles and Jaymes of tobacco. OK, Virginia No. 1 is loaded, not too tightly, and it's now just about picking a whiskey to accompany my first pipe smoke in 25 years.. possibly my third ever! ..I think I'm going to kick it off with a nice pour of Blanton's, what with it being a special occasion and all.

Thanks for the help!

 

[sychodelix]

Those 25 year old bags of tobacco are probably spoiled.


Send them my way for proper disposal.







​*snicker*

 

[Hunter]

Those 25 year old bags of tobacco are probably spoiled.


Send them my way for proper disposal.







​*snicker*

Come on Jason, everyone knows that hyper aged tobacco should always be taken care of in Canada where the climate is easier on it Best to send it up to Edmonton!

 

[jiminyshiznit]

Those 25 year old bags of tobacco are probably spoiled.


Send them my way for proper disposal.

​*snicker*

after comparing those, by smell, to the stuff I just brought home, I realize that it's awesome I kept that old tobacco around.. There's only a little bit.. about a 1/2oz of one called oregon filbert, and it smells very very mild. Then about an oz. of one labeled "#1", and it smells fantastic.. I'd bet that store still sells it, so I should give a call and see just what the heck it is. Neither seem much drier than what I just brought home.

And, my first bowl is just finished as I type this. That was nice!

 

[jiminyshiznit]

Actually, now that I go back and check out the old stuff again, it does seem a little more dry.. What can/should I do about that? Does it matter?

 

[Hunter]

http://pipesmagazine.com/python/tag/how-to-rehydrate-pipe-tobacco/

Happy Smoking

Actually, now that I go back and check out the old stuff again, it does seem a little more dry.. What can/should I do about that? Does it matter?

 

[jiminyshiznit]

Awesome, thanks! Man, straight razors and pipes in 2013.. I'm likin' it!

 

[Hunter]

Awesome, thanks! Man, straight razors and pipes in 2013.. I'm likin' it!

We also have fountain pens

 

[jiminyshiznit]

I've been avoiding the fountain pen forum.. I have one somewhere, so I'm sure I'll find that, too.. then.. yep.

I was just looking through several pages of the POTD thread, and someone mentioned a birth year pipe.. really? Dang it.. now I want a '69 pipe! How do I go about that? It was easy to find a '69 Super Adjustable on ebay, but I didn't see any pipes listed by year.

 

[oc_in_fw]

I've been avoiding the fountain pen forum.. I have one somewhere, so I'm sure I'll find that, too.. then.. yep.

I was just looking through several pages of the POTD thread, and someone mentioned a birth year pipe.. really? Dang it.. now I want a '69 pipe! How do I go about that? It was easy to find a '69 Super Adjustable on ebay, but I didn't see any pipes listed by year.

Don't avoid us. we are (mostly) harmless. The attitude that led me to this site (slowing down a bit and enjoying some relaxing time) led me to the Nib and Brown Leaf. I bought a couple cheap Chinese pens, then remembered I had a Cross Century from around 1988 in a box somewhere (which I found). It all went up hill from there. I only write with fountain pens now. My writing still isn't the best, but it is vastly improved from all cap chicken scratch. Come poke around- we have some good guys over there (many of which are here, too).

 

[Shave_Rat]

I was just looking through several pages of the POTD thread, and someone mentioned a birth year pipe.. really? Dang it.. now I want a '69 pipe! How do I go about that? It was easy to find a '69 Super Adjustable on ebay, but I didn't see any pipes listed by year.

Welcome aboard

I've not really looked into it much, but from the little I did, it seemed that there were only a few makes of pipes that were able to be dated to a specific year, with Dunhill being the main ones I spotted being labeled as a "19xx Estate pipe" and such. They also were not nearly as plentiful or cheap as the birth year DE's from the same period. lol I'd entertained ideas of a birth year pipe as well, initially.

 

[Argonaut]

Did somebody say Nimrod?

 

[jiminyshiznit]

Nice Nimrod! I really like those.. the little oddball I have works like a champ, but I'd like to find a proper Nimrod at some point.

I'm only avoiding fountain pens because I've been so distracted by straights, it's nuts.. now I find myself reading about pipes. I just gotta pace myself! I've already been trying to track my pen in my mind, and think I may know where to find it. I think it's an inexpensive Pelikan from the late 80s.. I remember not using it much becaus it leaked and felt scratchy.. something tells me y'all can help me sort that out!

I've done well lurking at flashlight forums, headphone forums, edc and knife forums, gleening the information I was looking for and moving on with things.. this place bit me! I have enough shaving gear for a lifetime.. of a guy with 5 faces. Once I bought a straight razor it "got worse" .. I think you nailed it, oc, it's the slowing down and enjoying something that's relaxing.. The past 15 years are a blur, so I quickly got addicted to the slow down.. OK, back to work!!