The Codger Cabin

[Columbo]

Ok, all you old dinosaurs, cheapskates and mild burley sippers. You know who you are. Time to out yourselves. We all buy and smoke all those fancy English, VaPers and exotic aromatic blends concocted by today’s piper Picassos. But how about those blends from back when grandpa was in diapers? Some have been around for over a century, and still sell like gangbusters in 2019. Some call them codger, OTC or drugstore blends. The tobacco snobs just call them lousy or ‘monochromatic’, even though they’re not.

I’ve been smoking for close to 50 years. I’ve smoked $8/oz uberblends in haughty London briars, and can smoke anything I want. I’ve got a tremendous stash of top tier designer leaf in the basement. But a lot of mornings and evenings, it’s a humble bowl of PA (or sometimes when I have a sweet tooth, SWR) in an elderly Stanwell, or sometimes a yard pipe or cob. It lights right up, and burns cool to the heel. And not just to break in that new Pete or Sav that your wife bought you. You know what I’m talking about.

It’s simple, but it’s good. Like a basic cup of coffee, without the triple latte berry blast swirl and eleven sub notes. Simple, relaxing, easy. We’re the same ones who still splash on Skin Bracer.

So fess up and come clean. I just did. I’m a codger piper. Who here is secure enough to admit they still smoke the old standards their fathers and grandfathers puffed on, or that they smoked 40 years ago? Tell us what you like about these classics and why. Consider this your codger safe space.

 

[Alacrity59]

Ha . . . took me a while to figure out PA as being probably Prince Albert. I've never tried this. I do like Sir Walter Raleigh. Probably the oldest blend I've been enjoying is PM. Ha.

 

[Hirsute]

I smoke a bunch of different stuff, but I do enjoy a bowl of Carter Hall of Captain Black White every now and then. Also Edgeworth RR, although since it’s been rebooted by Lane, that’s probably no longer a codger blend.


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[OkieStubble]

I must admit I have replaced Carter Hall with H&H Chatham Manor and Captain Black White with Lane Limited RLP-6. But both of those still seem to be basic, simple blends like the codger blends of old.

 

[Mike H]

Carter Hall in a cob is one of life’s finer pleasures.

 

[nymtber]

I can smoke PA, but carter hall, to me, gets a bit too cigarette like. LL ready rubbed in a cob is my favorite. Simple blend, smokes great, great fishin' 'baccy!

 

[DE Steve]

Always have a tub of:
Carter Hall
Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic
Lane Limited Ready Rubbed

 

[J.E.]

Codger blends are pretty much all I smoke. Granger is my favorite with Carter Hall running a very close second.

 

[Enemygod]

I tried Carter Hall and it just wasn't for me. I do however mix it with some of my aromatics and enjoy them more because of that.

 

[simon1]

I dabble.

Dad's Yello-Bole, a couple of Dr. Grabows, one of the several MM Cobs around here.

 

[Columbo]

Seems like we all have similar afflictions.

I smoke and keep on hand tubs of the ‘big three’ : PA, SWR and CH. I like ‘em all, but PA remains my favorite. Especially with the morning coffee.

My take (for my tongue) is that the PA is the richest, most natural burley of the three (nutty cocoa with a nice vitamin N allowance), SWR a little lighter and a little sweeter, and CH lighter still, but with a more delicate balance than the other two. I agree that CH would probably make the best mixer.

It’s interesting that some CH fans don’t care for PA and vice-versa. I’ve enjoyed Granger on occasion and like it, but the above three are more than enough for my easy chair.

Tonight is a bowl or two of SWR as I watch the news. Sweet nuttiness for dessert after dinner. I’ve liked SWR more in recent years after Lane took it over.

I’m glad to hear from all you fellow codger pipers. Happy puffs to you!

 

[Columbo]

Ha . . . took me a while to figure out PA as being probably Prince Albert. I've never tried this. I do like Sir Walter Raleigh. Probably the oldest blend I've been enjoying is PM. Ha.

Yes. I’m sorry for my lazy fingers. It is Prince Albert. Here, he roams free out of his can.

 

[FuzzFace513]

Captain Black, Sir Walter Raleigh, Carter Hall once and a while and a few LJ Peretti blends which to me are codger blends..I normally only smoke once during the week and a few bowls on the weekend... I smoked every day this week.

I don't feel the need to try all those fancy tobacco,s been there and done that. Just two days ago I started to appreciate my SWR again. I've gotten into the bad habit of puffing very fast, which with Captain Black Dark is ok, Burleys you just gotta sip and they are very enjoyable. I've actually been in the mood for some Carter Hall lately.

LJ Perettis blends the best tobacco, maybe I'm a little partial because I live close to them.

 

[J.E.]

You're not missing a whole lot in my opinion. In my 20 plus years of pipe smoking I've tried a lot of the fancy blends but I always go back to Granger, Carter Hall, SWR, and Lane 1-Q. I also like Peretti Blend 432.

 

[Columbo]

I must say, I recently cracked open a fresh can of regular SWR this past week for some cake-making and to exercise a couple of haunted older briars ... and I am really enjoying SWR far more than I have in the past. Lane has really upgraded the leaf going into it. While I can’t say it rivals my distant memories of 60s era cans, it is considerably more tasty than in years past. Still not quite as rich and earthy as my standby PA, but plenty of flavor, and a bit sweeter, in a very good way. Closer to a dark chocolate than cocoa, with more than enough comforting nuttiness. My new KS Sav just loves the stuff.

I could happily puff off this can 20 hours a day. Mrs. Columbo keeps waiting for me to break out some high quality aeros before the holidays end. But Sir Walter just refuses to give up the smoking chair.

I may send the Prince on a little sabbatical, and hang with this surprising bacco for a while. Nicely done, Lane. A very nice all-day burley!

 

[Benzadmiral]

I never tried any of these "drugstore" tobaccos (except I think I tried Borkum Riff once?) in my '80s and '90s smoking days. Most of my tobacco came from Tinder Box or small independent pipe shops. Now, though, I've bought some Sir Walter and some Half & Half, and am ready to try them. Their scents just in their pouches is very enticing.

 

[Whisky]

Sutliff Ready Rubbed has become my go to smoke recently. I occasionally throw in some PA match. I have some field and stream match inbound as well.

 

[ksblazer]

90% of what I smoke is codgers

My top 4 are PA, sutliff RR match, CH and SWR.

My old cigar buddy turned me on to them. At first I was a little reluctant. But after trying them. I knew I was a codger fan.

Kind of glad it worked out that way. Do to the crazy WA state tax. Pipe tobacco shops are few and far between and expensive. Like $6.50 an once for bulk blends. Ouch!!

I can get a Tub of PA, SWR or CH for like $28 at a tribal smoke shop.

 

[steveclarkus]

Ok, all you old dinosaurs, cheapskates and mild burley sippers. You know who you are. Time to out yourselves. We all buy and smoke all those fancy English, VaPers and exotic aromatic blends concocted by today’s piper Picassos. But how about those blends from back when grandpa was in diapers? Some have been around for over a century, and still sell like gangbusters in 2019. Some call them codger, OTC or drugstore blends. The tobacco snobs just call them lousy or ‘monochromatic’, even though they’re not.

I’ve been smoking for close to 50 years. I’ve smoked $8/oz uberblends in haughty London briars, and can smoke anything I want. I’ve got a tremendous stash of top tier designer leaf in the basement. But a lot of mornings and evenings, it’s a humble bowl of PA (or sometimes when I have a sweet tooth, SWR) in an elderly Stanwell, or sometimes a yard pipe or cob. It lights right up, and burns cool to the heel. And not just to break in that new Pete or Sav that your wife bought you. You know what I’m talking about.

It’s simple, but it’s good. Like a basic cup of coffee, without the triple latte berry blast swirl and eleven sub notes. Simple, relaxing, easy. We’re the same ones who still splash on Skin Bracer.

So fess up and come clean. I just did. I’m a codger piper. Who here is secure enough to admit they still smoke the old standards their fathers and grandfathers puffed on, or that they smoked 40 years ago? Tell us what you like about these classics and why. Consider this your codger safe space.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Started the day with PA. When I can’t decide what I want to smoke, I fire up a bowl of PA and think about it. Ended the day with LRR and a final bowl of SRR. After chasing unicorns for 50 years, the fancy stuff just doesn’t seem all that attractive any longer. I’m perfectly happy with a decent pipe and a simple blend roasting away. The boutiques run the gamut from the worst possible to the finest I suppose but the common codger stuff remains dead center consistently for my tastes and enjoyment and provides enough variety to satisfy my desires wherever my taste may happen to wander. Like Virginia’s, we mellow with age.

 

[RB3812]

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Started the day with PA. When I can’t decide what I want to smoke, I fire up a bowl of PA and think about it. Ended the day with LRR and a final bowl of SRR. After chasing unicorns for 50 years, the fancy stuff just doesn’t seem all that attractive any longer. I’m perfectly happy with a decent pipe and a simple blend roasting away. The boutiques run the gamut from the worst possible to the finest I suppose but the common codger stuff remains dead center consistently for my tastes and enjoyment and provides enough variety to satisfy my desires wherever my taste may happen to wander. Like Virginia’s, we mellow with age.

I've been wondering....where do you guys buy your SWR, CH, and PA? I don't smoke that much anymore, but every once in a while I get the urge. I would love to try any of these older "codger blends," but don't want to go to the trouble of ordering, paying shipping, etc. I've inquired at a couple of drug stores, but all they seem to have is Captain Black, and then BIG plastic bags of other brands I've never heard of. What local stores might I try to see if they have any of these old blends in a pouch??? Thx in advance for suggestions....