Recent content by tallan

How do the new ones available on Edward's site compare with what you can find as estates? They still talk about their 60+ year old Algerian briar, and the second shape above is still in the catalog.

What she said. Plus unless you have a Jaws of Life bite you'll never mar or wear acrylic, and although vulcanite is a little bit more comfortable to clench the effort to keep it looking decent just isn't worth the candle, in my opinion. Over time I've had all but a few of my vulcanite stems...

I need to update this pic as a couple more have been added, but for now here's my "House of Tinsky." Mark makes a great pipe and is fabulous to work with.

I hold my meer bowls, too, to no ill effect I can see. I wipe them down while still slightly warm with Briar Pipe Wipe which is essentially beeswax and emulsifier, before putting them away. Don't get me wrong, I have probably 10 briars to every meer, so I'm not dissing the briar in any way...

Another brand you might want to consider is Johs, available at SmokingPipes.com and a couple other places online. These are true Danish handmades at machine prices; I only have one but it has been since the very first break-in half bowl one of my very best smokers. The bit is thin and taut...

I just got my first Fikri Baki today, a large elephants foot that was sold as an unsmoked estate, and from first puff it's been fabulous, no beeswax taste I could discern, just completely neutral and very cool smoking. I'm hooked!

I read once when Gerald Ford was running for President his handlers insisted he give up his favorite bents for nothing but straight pipes as they feared comments like "As bent as his pipe!" would make the rounds. Like Gerry I much prefer a bit of a bend, but enjoy a few straights as well - as...

I notice a lot of VA fans, but nobody mentioned my number 1 "any time" current fave: 1. McCranie's Red Ribbon 2. Beacon (McClelland) 3. Dunhill Early Morning Pipe 4. Solani Silver Flake 5. MacBaren Virginia #1 Other good friends: Beacon Extra FVF Balkan Sesani and when I can handle it GL...

I have three Wileys and they are among my best smokers and my very favorites. The engineering and draw are excellent, and the only downside is the size; I don't have time for such a large bowl every smoke. But when I do I'm never disappointed! Another outstanding maker of largish briars is...

I got a new Stanwell Featherweight Horn, supposedly made in 1998, last week and it too tasted pretty bad on first light. Running a pipe cleaner through it I found it had a ton of the carbonizer stuff glopping up the bottom of the bowl and even into the stem; I removed that and things improved...

Sounds interesting; thanks! I guess my next Peterson will be a P-lip so I can give it a try...

As someone else said, there's nothing humble about that collection; a bunch of beauties! I just got my first Peterson a few days ago, one of the least expensive models, and it's a good smoker although I have to take it apart to get a pipe cleaner through to the bowl. I have a question: what...