BoB Annual "outta yer Gourd" Day?

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My first pipe of the New Year: my own concoction called Inglorious Bastard in a Pioneer Gourd Calabash. Been about six months since I last had it and either it has really blossomed in that time or it really likes the big gourd. The ten year old Mac Baren Latakia was very meh, so I kicked up the flavor with 30% McClelland Cyprian Star, 20% John Cotton Smyrna, and for a pleasing top note 10% Stanwell Vanilla. Somehow in all that I get flavors and aroma of roasted chestnuts. Anyhow, a good start to the New Year. Cheers all.

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Well, Idlefellow got snowed in, kxg also bad weather, AlphaWarrior hasn't reported in yet, but looks like most of us got some good gourd action either yesterday or today. Enjoyed seeing all the pictures. We'll have t decide what to do next, maybe meer day in May or cobs on the 4th of July. Opinions welcome. Take care, all.
 
Bought this by mail order 39 years ago. When I came off of a 15 year or hiatus, the bowl was stuck in the gourd, and I have been assured that trying to separate them it will likely crack the gourd, so I rarely smoke it.

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Mikem said:
I think the blend you are thinking of was produced by Dunhill. I don't think its blended anymore. I know McClelland's blended a 221B series. Going through the box of pipe tobacco I took with me in my camper I found an unopened tin of McClelland's Black Shag. Debating on opening this up for the Gourd Day. Also have tins of Sutcliff Crumble Kake English #1, Hearth and Home White Knight and Fusilier's Ration (both English mixtures). Your thoughts?
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Mike, I found it. Someone today mentioned McClellands black shag with a picture of the tin. Recognized it and did a search. McClelland did a blend called arcadia, one of their 221B series. That was the one I smoked. It was great. Wish I had stored up 20 or 30 tins. But at the time had no idea McClelland would go out of business.
 
Brunello said:
I thought it might be interesting to have an annual Get Out Your Gourd Day, where if we can agree on a date, all members who have a gourd (and probably rarely use them) will post about what they've fired up in the beasties. If the idea takes, we could have an annual Meer Day, Cob Day, Morta Day, etc.

I was thinking about a celebratory day like New Year's to get the Gourds out. Celebrate that we survived 2020! What to you all think??? ;)
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I like both ideas of a "Meer" day and "Cob" day. I'm sure there are some interesting pipe shapes out there. Plus I'm sure everyone has a go-to blend for each type.
 
Ranger107 said:
So why separate them? Just smoke it as is.
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Because the inner gourd must be pretty well coated with the remains of any bowl smoked, as it cannot be cleaned. It is pretty ghosted by 15 years of smoking Captain Black in it in my first incarnation of a pipe smoker. Still, it is nice to smoke it every once in a while.
 
DrT999 said:
Bought this by mail order 39 years ago. When I came off of a 15 year or hiatus, the bowl was stuck in the gourd, and I have been assured that trying to separate them it will likely crack the gourd, so I rarely smoke it.

View attachment 456
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Never seen a gourd of that shade. I know natural gourds do come in yellows and oranges, so I wonder if this was stained or natural. And the interesting stencil or hand work on the front gives interest Anyway I like it. Let's get a close up some time (not that we don't like your handsome mug!). :p
 
Mikem said:
I like both ideas of a "Meer" day and "Cob" day. I'm sure there are some interesting pipe shapes out there. Plus I'm sure everyone has a go-to blend for each type.
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Think we should add a Peterson day on St. Patricks day? Maybe an egg shape only on Easter? Nah, just kidding on that one. Lol.
 
Ranger107 said:
Think we should add a Peterson day on St. Patricks day? Maybe an egg shape only on Easter? Nah, just kidding on that one. Lol.
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Hmmm . . . the Easter egg idea made me laugh, so why not have days dedicated to shapes? Egg on yer face Day, Poker Face Day, etc. Peterson and St. Paddy's Day a no brainer. I say as long as we don;t do this more often than once a month so it doesn't lose it's novelty, any kind of group activity seems good to me. :D
 
"Who is the mystery piper, Sherlock?"
It's elementary my dear Watson: that is Brunello trying and failing to be clever (as usual). We can also tell by the wistful wafts of smoke that he is daydreaming of a youthful romp with Irene Adler.
"Oh Dear, how sordid and unsavory, Sherlock!"

BoB-Mystery.PNG
 
Brunello said:
Never seen a gourd of that shade. I know natural gourds do come in yellows and oranges, so I wonder if this was stained or natural. And the interesting stencil or hand work on the front gives interest Anyway I like it. Let's get a close up some time (not that we don't like your handsome mug!). :p
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As requested, the color up near the bowl is about what it would have when new.

gourd.jpg
 
Brunello said:
Hmmm . . . the Easter egg idea made me laugh, so why not have days dedicated to shapes? Egg on yer face Day, Poker Face Day, etc. Peterson and St. Paddy's Day a no brainer. I say as long as we don;t do this more often than once a month so it doesn't lose it's novelty, any kind of group activity seems good to me. :D
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Sounds like fun on occasion. Don't currently have a poker, will have to add that one to the stable.
 
DrT999 said:
Because the inner gourd must be pretty well coated with the remains of any bowl smoked, as it cannot be cleaned. It is pretty ghosted by 15 years of smoking Captain Black in it in my first incarnation of a pipe smoker. Still, it is nice to smoke it every once in a while.
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Maybe take a sharp dental pick and slowly cautiously run it around the rim of the gourd? Just an idea..
 
Brunello said:
"Who is the mystery piper, Sherlock?"
It's elementary my dear Watson: that is Brunello trying and failing to be clever (as usual). We can also tell by the wistful wafts of smoke that he is daydreaming of a youthful romp with Irene Adler.
"Oh Dear, how sordid and unsavory, Sherlock!"

View attachment 457
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If you're going to carry.it off you need to get a deerslayer hat, lol.
 
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