Recent content by Grayhackel

I thought that I read somewhere that the old Dunhill shell briars were made with Algerian roots and that the smooth finishes were made with a different briar which might have been Greek but am not sure. Wherever I read this, the author also said that it was the algerian briar that gave the...

Imagine my surprise at seeing this thread come back to life. I've been lurking, but not contributing as I haven't had anything cogent to say. As to "reviving" old threads, whats wrong with it? It seems better than starting a new thread on the same subject and cluttering things up. But thats...

1/2 bowl of Margate in a brand new Dunhill. First bowl isn't bad, all things considered. I'm actually enjoying breaking in a new pipe.

Some of my best friends are cigar smokers. As I was for 20 years. Now, I mostly smoke pipes unless I'm fishing. Then its cigars as they tend to be more effective at keeping the bugs away. Bottom line is that I like the taste of pipes better. Its kinda like when I found myself, a bourbon...

I second the HH Vintage Syrian recommendation. I'm a big English and Balkan fan. HHVS has become my bread and butter smoke and I buy it by the pound. Others may differ, but I can't tell the difference between the tinned and bulk versions.

Interesting posts. HH Vintage Syrian has become my staple tobacco. You are right, its good in the morning with a cup of coffee, but I smoke it all day. It gives me my Latakia fix, doesn't bite, burns cools. It isn't a "complex" tobacco, but it has most of what I like and none of the traits I...

I'm a recovering PC user who recently converted to apple. When I retired and was no longer tied to the PC because that's what the company used, I thought I'd try Apple. So far, I love it for its simplicity and more importantly, stability. Then again, I haven't tried Windows 7. I also enjoyed...

I have more out than normal. Got carried away trying new blends. Here goes Tudor Castle HH Vintage Syrian GP Samarra GP Caravan Stonehaven Squadron Leader Margate Frog Morton on the Town westminster Astley's 99 Haddo Delight and Merde de Cheval These will last me a long time. Like I said...

Cutshot, Sorry to be in acknowledging your response. Thanks for the advice. I'll look for a Cavichi and give it a try. Castello's may be a little pricey for me at the moment. Especially since I just picked up another Upshall. An older "P" which I couldn't resist due to the price. It was on...

I purchased a couple of these 18 months ago because I liked their looks, needed some "travel" pipes, and owed some dues to a local B & M One is a well designed billiard and the other is 1/4 to 1/8 bent acorn. I expected them to be good smokes because I trust the B & M. But, Lo and behold...

Somehow, I like being accused of heresy. A personality quirk, I guess. Thanks for the responses. They were all useful. I was particularly interested in the comments about why I might notice a difference between the pipes. The best advice was to smoke what you like. On the other hand I...

I've a soft spot for English pipes, but have bought a couple of Italians last year - a Becker & Musico and a Le Nuvole. Both of these pipes are beautiful, but don't taste like my Upshalls, Ashtons, Ferndown, or even my older, lower end GBD's, BBB's and Comoy's. My Italian pipes seem to smoke...

For the record its Saturday, February 20. I'll be there for a few hours. Went last year for the first time and enjoyed it. Boughty a couple of old cheap (jost's and crown of England) pipes for fishing, sampled some tobaccos I can't find in town normally and even bought some C&D blends. It...

Rim darkening doesn't bother me although I try to avoid doing it myself. Burned and encrusted rims do bother me and I've passed on Ebay pipes myself because of them. However hard I try to avoid doing it myself, however, I have several pipes that have seriously darkened rims. Most, but not all...

I kept a couple of pipes and some tobacco, matches etc in the my Jeep for years while I was smoking cigars. Along with a several fly rods and associated gear. I seldom used them. Your post makes me wonder why I'm not doing that now that I'm smoking pipes exclusively. One of life's little...