Recent content by mikesan

My thanks to all who have responded. Both prior to, and after receiving your advice I have tried all the methods which you have suggested. Visual inspection reveals no significant accumulation of "gunk" within the mortise. I agree that drilling out the mortise with anything but a proper...

Have about 4 pipes which have a 1 - 2 mm. gap between shank and stem. All were perfectly flush when new and the gap has developed over time. Question 1: what may be the cause? Question 2: How to fix: --dress the shoulder of the stem --dress the end of the tenon or deepen the mortise...

A slight change in the jar aroma, but no change when smoking.

I am familiar only with the McC blends available in bulk. My favorite is their #2030 Grade 1 Balkan. Not long ago I ordered some of their #5110 Dark English and found it a bit heavy in the Latakia content. As an experiment I mixed it half & half with the #2030 and ended up with a very...

I use a modification of this method. I use a spritzer bottle containing scotch (not my single malt) and spray an amount commensurate with the degree of dryness and amount of tobacco in the jar. Close the airtight container and give a shake or two. The laws of physics dictate that the...

I started smoking Dunhill tobaccos in 1952 and stuck with them for many years.  Over the past few decades the blenders/suppliers changed and many of the blends changed in character also.  For example I smoked Dunhill Early Morning for about 30 years until it became unavailable.  Some years later...

Coming a little late to this thread, nevertheless: I have always been a fan of Dunhill tobaccos but never had occassion to smoke their Baby's Bottom blend. I have not attempted to procure the latest release of this mixture. But recently I did purchase from P&C their match blend for Dunhill...

Hi Rob I have had this modification done to every Kaywoodie I have owned. It is really simple. First the metal ferrule in the shank has to be removed, probably by drilling it out and at the same time making a proper mortise. If I recall correctly my repair guy didn't try to salvage the stem...

Check with your pipe repair person. I would guess it can't cost much more than replacing a stem.

That must have been "really early". My first Kaywoodie was inherited from an uncle in ca. 1949, and he had smoked it for more than a few years. I still have that pipe, patched together with bailing wire and chewing gum, and it still smokes great. As note above, it has been modified.

Sorry to be so late in getting back to you. To answer your question, honestly I don't remember. I had this work done in the early '70s when a few bucks bought a bit more than today. Based on other pipe repairs I have had done recently, I imagine that $25 - 30 would be a good estimate.

I found this a very interesting thread.  Not because I have any interest in Ascorti pipes.  I have neither owned nor smoked one. But mainly for the discussion about what constitutes a "great" or "high end" pipe. To the best of my recollection, during my first 30 years of pipe smoking, I never...

I am curious to know why you sought out a meer lined pipe. What are the features of that construction that appeal to you, or to others? I acquired a meer lined Chaps, Saint Claude bent billiard so many years ago that I don't remember why I selected it. It smokes just fine but really no...

Many thanks to all who responded, and for the citations to other authors. My experience in this area is limited. The most aged tobaccos in my collection are no more than 1 year old. When I do detect a subtle difference between these and a fresh supply of the same blend I tend to attribute it...

The subject of "ageing" tobacco came up (as an aside) in another thread. In spite of having been a pipe smoker for 6+ decades, this is a subject about which I am totally ignorant. My routine is simply purchase the tobacco (almost always in bulk) and, after adjusting the moisture content to my...