Some Interesting pics of the "old ladies soap" tobac place

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monbla256

monbla256

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I came across this Spanish Pipe Forum with some really interesting detailed interior shots of the whole Samuel Gawith facility. Shows just why there will never be enough of their product to meet the demand :p ( BTW, you really don't need to read Spanish to get the "picture" ) :lol:

http://rinconpipa.foroactivo.com/t3239-samuel-gawith-reportaje-fotografico-de-marcelino-piquero

Found another in English but not as many pics and none of the snuff works.

http://lohandbehold.com/2011/03/17/samuel-gawith-factory-visit/
 
Very, very, VERY cool find. I don't know a guy on here who won't at least find those pictures intriguing and the process fascinating. I love the mixture of the old with the new, those iron presses that look like medieval torture devices to the brightly-colored mixing bins! :cheers:

I also had no idea there was a special edition of Squadron Leader with Perique! That ought to make some guys' ears perk up.

It seems to be a rather small operation, I expected some 5,000 ft/sq warehouse with all sorts of folks working there, much of that looks like it's pretty "small batch." I'm not totally shocked at this, but it makes me appreciate why some of this stuff is hard to get, especially if the demand is high. It's not easy to procure old presses to increase production, now is it? :lol:

Really cool. This made my day.

8)
 
On the English site they stated that there are only 7 people who work there ! Pretty amazing amt of product when you think about that it is produced for world wide consumtion by 7 peaple :p :shock:
 
Wow. I just spied the pictures, I didn't read the other blog's entirety (lots of stuff to be read today it seems)... seven dudes in the guts of SG, though? I bet they're busy, busy, busy. I wonder if they work in shifts through the day during winter time... :pale:

I had to go back and look at those pictures again. If I ever make it to Lakeland area, I'd love to stop by. I dig stuff like that.
 
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So they just soak the floor for humidity. Old school and effective. 8)
 
Amazing that 7 workers keep us happily supplied, and no wonder it's sometimes hard to get!
 
Is this the Sam Gawaith or the Gawaith & Hogwarts place?



I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that with the harsh and suppressive situation related to tobacco in the UK and elsewhere that they last at least as long as I do. Of course, I'd like them to remain for many decades so that future smokers can enjoy their singular products...and it's not like there are not lots of other blends out there both domestic and imported...but the Gawaith is pretty much the zenith IMHO, whether it's the straight and strong or the stuff that "smells like the 'toilet water' little old ladies in senior homes use to hide the smell of urine".



(Yeah...but it's the BEST toilet water!)
 
Great post. That's fascinating. I've never really seen how all the different tobacco products were produced. I have to admit, it's kind of odd for me to see everything just sitting on wooden racks and coming from dusty rusty machinery. I tend to think that "products" in general come form clean and neat sterilized places.

I probably don't want to know how most things are produced. :D
 
I saw these a while back and yeah, pretty awesome. I think its really cool that SG continues as such a small old-fashioned operation. I wonder if the few that work there really like it? I'm sure a lot of us would, but who knows - could be grueling!
 
I could swear that one of those flakes said "cob flake" and if I did read that correctly...I want some. SG has Jubilee out right now (although hard to find) which is their centennial blend for 2012. Comes in 3 different tins. The pics are awesome thanks for the links.
 
I'm pretty sure if you worked at the Borkum Riff factory, you could go in there drunk, careless and clock in and out each day only being a threat to yourself. I'd go on a limb and say the dudes at S.G. like what they do. They have to have a passion for something that often gets nods of approval from the piping public. You don't get that by accident. Reading notes and methods Greg Pease uses to scrutinize his product is an example of that kind of passion.

8)
 
Very cool shop. I have never tried their tobacco. I am interested to try some now.
 
Hmm... I wonder if they might allow the general public to visit. Might be worth a expedition over there.
 
Very nice pics! You can almost smell the tobacco scent from them.

Check out some more pics from this traveling journal (in German). You can click on some pictures to enlarge them.

kaiser83":v9pf6s7p said:
I could swear that one of those flakes said "cob flake" and if I did read that correctly...I want some. SG has Jubilee out right now (although hard to find) which is their centennial blend for 2012. Comes in 3 different tins. The pics are awesome thanks for the links.
Click to expand...
The Cob Flake should be the same as the 1792 Flake. SG also sell it as a plug called Cob Plug. Check it out on their website:http://www.samuelgawith.co.uk/default.asp?PageId=3&CatId=4
 
Thanks for sharing!

Just like the other set of pictures from a little while back, these are fantastic! A lot of us have a romance with at least one of their blends and it's too cool to see how a few folk can produce some of the worlds finest pipe tobaccos using 200 year-old machinery!

And I'm one of those who would love to try some of that Squadron Leader with perique!
 
Anders And":6hesykv6 said:
Very nice pics! You can almost smell the tobacco scent from them.

Check out some more pics from this traveling journal (in German). You can click on some pictures to enlarge them.

kaiser83":6hesykv6 said:
I could swear that one of those flakes said "cob flake" and if I did read that correctly...I want some. SG has Jubilee out right now (although hard to find) which is their centennial blend for 2012. Comes in 3 different tins. The pics are awesome thanks for the links.
Click to expand...
The Cob Flake should be the same as the 1792 Flake. SG also sell it as a plug called Cob Plug. Check it out on their website:http://www.samuelgawith.co.uk/default.asp?PageId=3&CatId=4
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info brother, much appreciated.
 
s.ireland":2g0htntp said:
And I'm one of those who would love to try some of that Squadron Leader with perique!
Click to expand...
You were the first one I had in mind when I saw that tin. :lol:

8)
 
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