Kyle Weiss
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2011
- Messages
- 11,988
- Reaction score
- 7
I have to apologize to loneredtree and maybe even Puff Daddy for not letting them know I'd be in the neighborhood, it was a last-minute trip with my buddy jaquesdubois (James) for a trip to Fry's, not necessarily a pipe or tobacco run. But, we were there.
My impressions?
Nice shop, but tries way too hard. The guys there were nice enough, dressed more like they worked in a suit shop (waistcoat, tie, suit coat, leather-soled dress shoes), and gave us an almost too thorough tour (which took away from smoking/relaxing time), wanted to show us each and every pipe to try and sell us (we apparently were not getting out of there without buying a pipe or four...or six... :scratch: ) showed off somewhat neat amenities like a for-pay cigar lounge with TV, stereo, stocked fridge, microwave, delivery menus, personalized rentable humidor "cubbies" (complete with engraved brass name plate). The guy who gave the tour insisted we sit and stay a while...
...their pipe selection was pretty good, kind of on the thin side for the $-cob to $150 range, but had plenty of estate Dunhills, Castellos, Radice, Wiley and other makers. Each were almost randomly presented and brought to us while sitting, like desserts at a black-tie restaurant (or paraded in front of us like high class whores, whichever you relate to). Prices were nothing special, average B&M retail, I suppose. Did I mention I knew more about pipes than the guy did? :scratch: I almost went home with a Pete 80s, but I really didn't like the grain and finish on it. The guy kept telling me, "Well, you seemed to like that one, so I'll just leave it next to you for you to decide." Great sales technique in a sense, letting the pipe talk to me, but we already talked, and decided we weren't for each other... :lol: James bought a couple of pipes, a black Pete 312 and a Savinelli "Bingwarden," some leather pipe furniture and some tobacco.
I noticed they were out of Rattray's Marlin Flake bulk on their well-stocked bulk wall, and from trying to chat up one of the sales guys a bit, figured this might be a good match for him to sample. "I can fix that..." as I happened to have a small bag of about an ounce of MF on hand. Once I pulled out the bag, he promptly and sternly said, "Oh, I'm sorry, sir, one of our policies is we don't allow outside tobacco in the store." :scratch:
"Oh, okay... I understand," I say, "however, this is... a sample for you. If that's allowed." I smiled a bit uncomfortably, because this put us both in a tough spot. He apologized a bit too much for a while, and accepted. I told him I wouldn't tell anyone that his sample wasn't from the store. I guess they were having a problem with people bringing in cigars and just abusing the place, so now there's a policy.
By the time we heard "...very good choice, sir," and "sir this" and "sir that" for the nine-hundredth time, hearing stories about guys that fly in on private jets just for poker games, it made me realize this wasn't my kind of place. I bought two ounces of HH Vintage Syrian and two ounces of Pirate Kake and figured I was alright, but the last pitch was, "We want you to go home with something from the Briar Patch, to remember your first visit here..." and presents a Dunhill pen tamper doohickey for $90 for me to buy. *sigh*
A little pushy and stiff for my tastes. I know how to brush elbows with "upscale," and this was bordering on pointlessly pretentious. Wood floors that were badly scuffed under fluorescent bulbs, jewelry store "you're gonna buy something" layout, inconsistent tobacco tins for sale (but good bulk selection), all showed a lack of detail compared to this perfection dance that was being performed. I could tell the guys were perfectly nice, but there were light years of distance between us, and I'm not sure if that was the commission talking or the guys in the suit. Maybe it was the counter running the length of the store, which seemed more like a barrier than a showcase. Most of the pipes were all on the wall, far from the customer, like a gun store. You had to ask for each one.
Sure, I'd go back to check out pipes or grab some 'bacca (they have two locations in Sac) but I don't think I'd stay long. Even though we were welcome to sample any of the bulk tobaccos for as long as we liked. The mixed message of hand-and-foot sales and please-sit-and-relax was strange. The place is set to sell, not be casual.
I'm thankful for coming home to my Tinder Box, where I can grab a leather chair, probably be offered a soda, change the radio station or turn on the game, load up my pipe with whatever tobacco I had or dig in the sample bucket and actually...
...relax.
8)
My impressions?
Nice shop, but tries way too hard. The guys there were nice enough, dressed more like they worked in a suit shop (waistcoat, tie, suit coat, leather-soled dress shoes), and gave us an almost too thorough tour (which took away from smoking/relaxing time), wanted to show us each and every pipe to try and sell us (we apparently were not getting out of there without buying a pipe or four...or six... :scratch: ) showed off somewhat neat amenities like a for-pay cigar lounge with TV, stereo, stocked fridge, microwave, delivery menus, personalized rentable humidor "cubbies" (complete with engraved brass name plate). The guy who gave the tour insisted we sit and stay a while...
...their pipe selection was pretty good, kind of on the thin side for the $-cob to $150 range, but had plenty of estate Dunhills, Castellos, Radice, Wiley and other makers. Each were almost randomly presented and brought to us while sitting, like desserts at a black-tie restaurant (or paraded in front of us like high class whores, whichever you relate to). Prices were nothing special, average B&M retail, I suppose. Did I mention I knew more about pipes than the guy did? :scratch: I almost went home with a Pete 80s, but I really didn't like the grain and finish on it. The guy kept telling me, "Well, you seemed to like that one, so I'll just leave it next to you for you to decide." Great sales technique in a sense, letting the pipe talk to me, but we already talked, and decided we weren't for each other... :lol: James bought a couple of pipes, a black Pete 312 and a Savinelli "Bingwarden," some leather pipe furniture and some tobacco.
I noticed they were out of Rattray's Marlin Flake bulk on their well-stocked bulk wall, and from trying to chat up one of the sales guys a bit, figured this might be a good match for him to sample. "I can fix that..." as I happened to have a small bag of about an ounce of MF on hand. Once I pulled out the bag, he promptly and sternly said, "Oh, I'm sorry, sir, one of our policies is we don't allow outside tobacco in the store." :scratch:
"Oh, okay... I understand," I say, "however, this is... a sample for you. If that's allowed." I smiled a bit uncomfortably, because this put us both in a tough spot. He apologized a bit too much for a while, and accepted. I told him I wouldn't tell anyone that his sample wasn't from the store. I guess they were having a problem with people bringing in cigars and just abusing the place, so now there's a policy.
By the time we heard "...very good choice, sir," and "sir this" and "sir that" for the nine-hundredth time, hearing stories about guys that fly in on private jets just for poker games, it made me realize this wasn't my kind of place. I bought two ounces of HH Vintage Syrian and two ounces of Pirate Kake and figured I was alright, but the last pitch was, "We want you to go home with something from the Briar Patch, to remember your first visit here..." and presents a Dunhill pen tamper doohickey for $90 for me to buy. *sigh*
A little pushy and stiff for my tastes. I know how to brush elbows with "upscale," and this was bordering on pointlessly pretentious. Wood floors that were badly scuffed under fluorescent bulbs, jewelry store "you're gonna buy something" layout, inconsistent tobacco tins for sale (but good bulk selection), all showed a lack of detail compared to this perfection dance that was being performed. I could tell the guys were perfectly nice, but there were light years of distance between us, and I'm not sure if that was the commission talking or the guys in the suit. Maybe it was the counter running the length of the store, which seemed more like a barrier than a showcase. Most of the pipes were all on the wall, far from the customer, like a gun store. You had to ask for each one.
Sure, I'd go back to check out pipes or grab some 'bacca (they have two locations in Sac) but I don't think I'd stay long. Even though we were welcome to sample any of the bulk tobaccos for as long as we liked. The mixed message of hand-and-foot sales and please-sit-and-relax was strange. The place is set to sell, not be casual.
I'm thankful for coming home to my Tinder Box, where I can grab a leather chair, probably be offered a soda, change the radio station or turn on the game, load up my pipe with whatever tobacco I had or dig in the sample bucket and actually...
...relax.
8)
