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PipeDreams

PipeDreams

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Hi, I'm Jay and I love smoking pipes and cigars (but nowadays, I like my pipes more than my stogies)! I started off with a Turkish skull meerschaum carved by Engin. Last week, I bought another meerschaum and about nine briars, ranging from an old French billiard that is almost a century old all the way up to a modern Savinelli. It's a pleasure to be here and to be a Brother of Briar. :)
 
Cheers Harlock! Are you English? I'm guessing based on the quote and Liverpool emblem in your sig. I grew up in HK while it was British, and moved to the US right after it was handed over to the Chinese.

I need to get me an avatar. Both of you have nice, dark ones. :D

Edit: Got one!
 
PipeDreams":r8pwwxkf said:
Cheers Harlock! Are you English? I'm guessing based on the quote and Liverpool emblem in your sig. I grew up in HK while it was British, and moved to the US right after it was handed over to the Chinese.

I need to get me an avatar. Both of you have nice, dark ones. :D

Edit: Got one!
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Hey PipeDreams,
Sadly, I only wish to be English, but I've been a confirmed anglophile for ages. I had a great love affair with an English girl once, years ago. She could really drink me under the table! Other than that, British rock music, Michael Caine, Sasieni pipes and Earl Grey tea are staples in my house. Oh, and I've been a long suffering Liverpool FC supporter since the early 90's.

And I like your new avatar! Cheers! :pirat:
 
English people do love to drink. I'm a citizen of the UK, but funnily enough, I've never been there. I'm the only one in my family who hasn't--the closest I've been is Amsterdam. Maybe some time next year. :)

I did grow up surrounded by Brits, but I actually feel more American than British (go figure)! I've spent most of my adult life in and around NYC.
 
PipeDreams":9qnpfzd1 said:
English people do love to drink. I'm a citizen of the UK, but funnily enough, I've never been there. I'm the only one in my family who hasn't--the closest I've been is Amsterdam. Maybe some time next year. :)

I did grow up surrounded by Brits, but I actually feel more American than British (go figure)! I've spent most of my adult life in and around NYC.
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NYC is nice! I've been in LA for too long, though I've been fortunate enough to make it overseas a few times. Stopped in London briefly last year on the way back from Spain, and Amsterdam is one of my all time favorite destinations. The last time I was there, I did not want to leave!
 
Harlock999":6ia544nu said:
PipeDreams":6ia544nu said:
English people do love to drink. I'm a citizen of the UK, but funnily enough, I've never been there. I'm the only one in my family who hasn't--the closest I've been is Amsterdam. Maybe some time next year. :)

I did grow up surrounded by Brits, but I actually feel more American than British (go figure)! I've spent most of my adult life in and around NYC.
Click to expand...
NYC is nice! I've been in LA for too long, though I've been fortunate enough to make it overseas a few times. Stopped in London briefly last year on the way back from Spain, and Amsterdam is one of my all time favorite destinations. The last time I was there, I did not want to leave!
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Amsterdam's definitely a great city! Spain's one place I can't wait to go.

As far as Europe goes, I've been to Greece, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany and Austria--my dad actually lives in Vienna. I personally do most of my traveling right here in Asia. Will be leaving for Philippines and Malaysian Borneo on Friday. Looking forward to picking up some of the native tobacco the guys smoke in Borneo!
 
PipeDreams":avfgjguf said:
...Last week, I bought another meerschaum and about nine briars...
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Well, that's a heck of a start :shock:

Welcome to the group, Jay. Come back often!

Buddy
 
Thanks Buddy! I'll definitely be spending more time here.

Well, I just bought two more antique briars and I have bids on several more pipes... :oops:

I guess I'm a collector at heart. I have about 200 knives and swords in my collection. Hopefully I don't end up the same way with pipes, although I know I'd have a blast doing it!
 
Welcome, Jay. Please contribute to our threads as you feel comfortable. Last time I was in Shanghai, pipe tobacco prices were high and variety rather limited. How is the selection and prices in HK?

Natch
 
Natch":5kycgsuc said:
Welcome, Jay. Please contribute to our threads as you feel comfortable. Last time I was in Shanghai, pipe tobacco prices were high and variety rather limited. How is the selection and prices in HK?

Natch
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Thanks Natch! There are lots of great threads on here, so I've been doing just that. :)

Pipe tobacco prices here are probably even higher than in Shanghai. Hong Kong levies almost US$300 in duty on each kg of cigars or pipe tobacco. You can only bring in an ounce a time tax-free. Only a few stores carry pipe tobacco here, the most famous of which is probably Davidoff. I didn't even bother checking prices on pipe tobacco there! There's another chain of stores known as Tabaqueria Filipina that is a lot more reasonable. I got my first pipe tobacco there the day before the tax hike a few years ago: an old school tin of aromatic Niemeyer Flying Dutchman that smelled great in the tin, but burned the heck out of my tongue. I still have most of it in a jar! lol. I'm going to go by one of their stores later to check out their pipe selection since I have a strong feeling it's going to close down. Rents keep rising here and I don't see them surviving for long, especially if the duty goes up yet again.

I was just watching the news last night and they're considering a 45% hike in duty on tobacco, which would bring the duty up to damn near $450 a kg. People actually protested in the streets and argued this would just cause an increase in smuggling.

Fortunately for us cigar and pipe aficionados, they seem to have no issue with online purchases (knock on wood)!
 
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