Hello from Poland

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Jar

Jar

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Good day: my name is Jacek, and I live in my native Poland (except for some 12 years, when I was residing in English speaking countries, serving as visiting teacher of applied art/handicraft). I smoke briar pipes for almost 50 years. For most of that time I was avoiding Dunhill as I found improper to use objects connected in people's mind with snobistic fancy luxury in a country so badly destroyed by WWII and by what happened afterwards. Just a couple of years ago I decided to change my mind and to try "Dunnies"; soon they became my favorite smokers. My profession - sculptor-silversmith and goldsmith, also historian of applied art, writing texts on goldsmithing, history, and teaching of these subjects is, I may say, also my hobby, as I love it. Experience in discovering pieces of old handicraft and attributing (discovering their history - finding place of making, maker etc), dating and restoring them is of great help in my pipe hobby; all of Dunhills I bought were in poor state, sometime found in strange places. Beside Dunhills I have several briar pipes of different quality that remind me some nice happenings/events in my life, and several English pipes which are representing good old makers like Astley's, Barling, Charatan, Loewe, Civic, Ben Wade, BBB, GBD. After proper repair/restoration, refurbishing etc. they give me a lot of joy. My favorite tobaccos are Va, and Va+Pq, sometime I like scented tobaccos like Ennerdale or Glengarry by Gawith and Hoggarth. Years ago my favorite was St Bruno Flake and Condor that I still smoke sometime with pleasure. Recently I am discovering great American blends, which are hardly available for us in Old Continent. So far I had a chance of trying the McC Aurora and Black Woods Flake and I simply love them; the same for GLP Cairo, Union Square and Montgomery. Now I look forward to try famous McC RedCake 5100 that I read a lot about.

With kindest regards

Jacek in Poland
 
Welcome! You have a very interesting background. History, art and teaching are all great things!
 
Harlock999":oaw59p9x said:
Welcome! You have a very interesting background. History, art and teaching are all great things!
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Thank you for the nice words of welcome. Oh yes, the history of applied art may be of great help in discovering/dealing with vintage pipe matters. And the gold- and silver workshop practice plus silver objects conservation may be of help with some problems that we met when restoring smoking pipes; in old days many silversmiths became later pipe makers, like Benjamin Barling and others after him.
 
Welcome to the boards. One of my godmothers is from Warscaw, Poland! I've never been there but my godfather has brought me some good vodka!
 
MartinH":stkc82rj said:
Welcome to the boards. One of my godmothers is from Warscaw, Poland! I've never been there but my godfather has brought me some good vodka!
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- thanks for welcome, Martin. It is nice to hear on one more US Friend with "Polish connection". I perfectly understand, that for many years Poland=Vodka, but please, forgive the small OT, as I would like to say something on history.
In the old days our forefathers used to booze themselves with beer and strong and sweet alcoholic beverage made of honey. Then sometime in XVIth century the red dry Hungarian wines became very popular, and soon "The Hungarian" became synonym for red dry wine. Vodka as such was known and produced, but was always heavily flavored with different herbs and used as...medicine; these herbal vodkas were in a custody of lady of the house - the chatelaine - regardless the wealth and social position of the family. Another words: these vodkas were "feminine" things; men when drinking were using beverages mentioned above.
Then in XIXth century the country stopped to exist as independent state and was partitioned. In the Russian partition/zone the landowners - starting from poor peasants up to wealthy landlords were obliged by law to produce and sell to local inhabitants certain amount of pure vodka. And so after many years vodka as we know it became the synonym of Poland. Many of us still keep the old receipes and make the herbal vodkas, collecting herbs - wild herbs during weekend recreation trekking in forest, meadows, etc.
 
That's cool. I'm originally from Deutschland and bier is the thing I love. I grew up with Licher Bier and to this day, I have not found anything in the states to rival that taste. It's good to keep up old traditions, and I say that because the Licher brewery was established in 1854, which is fairly young for a German brewery, but all the men and women in my family swear by the stuff. LOL

I once took an all day visit, but I'd rather not talk about that.
 
MartinH":clxo19a0 said:
That's cool. I'm originally from Deutschland and bier is the thing I love. I grew up with Licher Bier and to this day, I have not found anything in the states to rival that taste. It's good to keep up old traditions, and I say that because the Licher brewery was established in 1854, which is fairly young for a German brewery, but all the men and women in my family swear by the stuff. LOL

I once took an all day visit, but I'd rather not talk about that.
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The love for beer is one of many, unfortunately forgotten things that our nations have in common. It also has most interesting and very long history: at the Congress of Gniezno (German: Akt von Gnesen or Gnesener Übereinkunft, Polish: Zjazd gnieźnieński) that was an amical meeting between the Polish duke Bolesław I Chrobry and Emperor Otto III, which took place at Gniezno on March 11, 1000, some chronicles mention, that the Honourable Guest was welcome by host with a tankard of beer. I like beer myself, and I know a little on great German beers, althought I spent longer time in Denmark, enjoyning Danish beers there. Unfortunately my Wife doesn't like the smell of beer, and I like my Lady, so when I feel like taking a drink, I rather take a shot of whisky or glass of wine instead.
 
Welcome, Jaeck, glad to have you here. I've had the pleasure of traveling through your country (long ago as a college student in the early 70s) but love the food and people. In fact my first wife was a Rozwadowski and my second a Lewandowski (Americanized spellings after they grand parents immigrated to the US). So I guess I'm attracted to Polish women? :lol:

Natch
 
Thanks again for so warm welcome !
@ Obelus: nice jungle it is, with so many smiling and friendly creatures.
@sand18f: special thanks for PM. BTW: I recently became grandfather, so I may say that I am on my way to became a Professional Grandfather, too.
@Natch: I admire your courtesy and sense of humor, Sir :) so called "Socialistic" countries in '70 were, say, very special :) but food was simple and often good if home made, and people - I would say: like in any other place. I met a plenty of fine people during my visit to this great country of yours. And what we have in common is, that my wife is also Polish !
 
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