Anyone smoke the tinderbox blends? recomendations?

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Hater

Hater

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Heading to the original tinderbox in Santa Monica this weekend. Any recommendations?
 
They have a decent aro called Ebony Gold Maryland, and an English/Burley blend called "Special", which wasn't bad.
They have some nice pipes, but very pricey. And the staff is...eccentric.
 
Hater":k8hsn2m3 said:
Heading to the original tinderbox in Santa Monica this weekend. Any recommendations?
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I used to live near a Tinderbox. When I first started smoking a pipe I remember taking a liking to Norse Gold and Sunset, both of these were either Virginia or Va/Burley. I also had a cavendish called Crown Royale that I remember being pretty good. I would imagine that these would all be a bit too mild for my tastes now, but back then they were very enjoyable.

At the very least read some reviews before you go

http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/brand_detail.cfm?ALPHA=T&BID=235
 
I just had Reserve 1928 this past Sunday. This VA/ burley (could swear there's cav in here but not stated) started off flavorful, but ended up biting the crap outta me worse than some cheap drugstore aromatic. I was smoking it from a brand new pipe so maybe it wasn't the tobacco. It's blended for Tinderbox by McClelland afterall.

To me it tasted reminiscent of VR Blend without the perique.
 
I noticed on their website that they have sample packs of their blends, why not pick up a couple of them to let you try 'em out at home, and then you could figure out which you want more of? :p
 
monbla256":kmlgwpvp said:
I noticed on their website that they have sample packs of their blends, why not pick up a couple of them to let you try 'em out at home, and then you could figure out which you want more of? :p
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Now theres a plan! Actually they also told me to bring a couple pipes and I can try as many bowls as I want on the house. I dont think they know what they just offered
 
To my knowledge, Tinder Box in Santa Monica is not affiliated with the other TBs in the chain. They are truly independent. The Tinder Box chains use Lane as their "in house" mixes, but I'm not sure who the original store uses. Needless to say, don't count on the stuff someone finds at the original store to match the others that are in the chain.

"Harvard Street Turkish" is a mild English that came from the original store that someone gifted me a few ounces, and it's a sheer delight.

8)
 
Kyle Weiss":b2y8d1mz said:
To my knowledge, Tinder Box in Santa Monica is not affiliated with the other TBs in the chain. They are truly independent. The Tinder Box chains use Lane as their "in house" mixes, but I'm not sure who the original store uses. Needless to say, don't count on the stuff someone finds at the original store to match the others that are in the chain.

"Harvard Street Turkish" is a mild English that came from the original store that someone gifted me a few ounces, and it's a sheer delight.

8)
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You are correct. They were the original and I guess the old owner sold off the others and they are run as franchises. With that said I think they have many of the same blends as they were the ones who created them initially.
 
From the TB website for the Santa Monica store:

October of 2009 marked a special occasion for the Tinder Box in Santa Monica...celebrating our 81st year in business. The Tinder Box in Santa Monica is the original Tinder Box store, also known as Ed's Pipe Shop.
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They also offer links on their site to all the other TB stores...so there must be SOME affiliation. And the various estate pipes they show are from other TB's all over the country. And there's a section re: franchaise 'opportunities'.

So - it wouldn't seem to me like this is a unique and free standing operation.


Other than that, I wouldn't know which of their blends to recommend.

 
Blackhorse":ahzyqrg7 said:
From the TB website for the Santa Monica store:

October of 2009 marked a special occasion for the Tinder Box in Santa Monica...celebrating our 81st year in business. The Tinder Box in Santa Monica is the original Tinder Box store, also known as Ed's Pipe Shop.
Click to expand...
They also offer links on their site to all the other TB stores...so there must be SOME affiliation. And the various estate pipes they show are from other TB's all over the country. And there's a section re: franchaise 'opportunities'.

So - it wouldn't seem to me like this is a unique and free standing operation.


Other than that, I wouldn't know which of their blends to recommend.
Click to expand...
theoriginaltinderbox.com
 
Blackhorse":13o0qjki said:
They also offer links on their site to all the other TB stores...so there must be SOME affiliation. And the various estate pipes they show are from other TB's all over the country. And there's a section re: franchaise 'opportunities'.

So - it wouldn't seem to me like this is a unique and free standing operation.


Other than that, I wouldn't know which of their blends to recommend.
Click to expand...
I think it's a top-down kind of thing, since there's likely a marketing agreement of some kind that both interconnects but still keeps the original separate. Maybe something similar to the whole McDonald's story (but with a better product... :lol: )

Just going on folks I've talked to and stories I've heard--I'm but a parrot on the TB history. My knowledge stops at what I'm told at the store here in Reno. 8)
 
Hater":3opxjmi1 said:
monbla256":3opxjmi1 said:
I noticed on their website that they have sample packs of their blends, why not pick up a couple of them to let you try 'em out at home, and then you could figure out which you want more of? :p
Click to expand...
Now theres a plan! Actually they also told me to bring a couple pipes and I can try as many bowls as I want on the house. I dont think they know what they just offered
Click to expand...
That's amazing considering how "smoker unfreindly" Calif. is !! To bad it's spring time, if it was winter, you could wear a big coat with about a dozen pockets sewn inside for one pipe each to fill !!
 
They are cool about letting you smoke in the store and try out blends.
Incidentally, I grew up in Santa Monica, and even though the rest of the town is unrecognizable now, that Tinder Box seems to exist in some sort of time warp. It hasn't changed a bit. There are a lot of rather dusty knick knacks all over the place. Cool stuff, too...
 
Aleborg, Butterscotch and Cherry Almond are all good aro's. Lamp Lighter is another good aro. I think they still sell one called Professor. It's good. Sort of an American English.
 
This is probably a little late now, but the 1927 is an excellent, flavored burley/VA. It's something I smoke after a heavy meal on Thanksgiving or Christmas. The 1928 and 1929 are a little heavier, and are both excellent burley/VAs, and I think one might have a little bit of CAV in it. All three are excellent. For the holiday's I'm a big fan of the Christmas Cheer. My store here in Charlotte also has several Dunhill tins, and I lover Early Morning Pipe, which I think is a really good all day smoke.

I have never tried their bulk blends, because I don't smoke that often, but I know that they'll mix something for you "similar" to most any name brand you can think of, I'm just not sure how good it'll be. I do have to say that the McClelland tobacco's have really grown on me, and were all I smoked over the past several months. But, variety is the spice of life, so I'm back to English blends now. But, I digress.

Have fun exploring.
 
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