Eugene Falco is a man of many hats, and not just the flat caps—proverbial hats too. He is the pipe maker behind the brand UNCANNY?! Material (often abbreviated as U?!), a visual artist, co-host of the Greywoodie Show with Nathan Davis of Greywoodie/Kaywoodie, and helps to run and organize the Capitaland Pipe Show.
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From his alluringly unorthodox pipe design; to the distinctive tin art he’s contributed to recent Sutliff releases; to the dry, witty asides humoring listeners of the podcast, Falco brings a personal touch to all of these endeavors.
I’m excited to say that among the many pipes we left the Chicago Pipe Show with is a selection from UNCANNY?! Material. So, what better way to introduce Falco’s work to the site than with a profile on the artist?
Falco’s background is in art and marketing, primarily in the tourism industry as the manager and arts director at a local cavern attraction in upstate New York, “The Cave” as you’ll hear it referred to on the Greywoodie Show.
Falco’s introduction to pipes came just as Davis was overhauling his career to join the industry.
A collector of pre-war Kaywoodie pipes, Davis found appreciation for their recent productions and struck up a friendship with Bill Feuerbach, who was the sole carver for the once large pipe factory. Davis had already been making his own pipes in his nQa workshop, but began apprenticing under Feuerbach, starting his own brand, Greywoodie, all the while taking on the retail side of the Kaywoodie business.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. U?! Signature Billiard
“One day Nathan showed up at The Cave to talk to my boss about quitting his job and starting an online pipe store,” Falco recalls. “It caught my interest and then I got roped into it. I’ve been in it ever since.”
Intrigued by Davis’ plans as he was, Falco had no prior history with pipes—as a hobbyist or maker—but something about it just struck a fascination. “It was strange enough to pique my interest, to eavesdrop into the conversation. I didn’t know that people still cared about pipes at all, and I was wrong.”
Falco would often hang out with Davis in his workshop, until one day he asked Davis to show him how to make a pipe.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. U?! Pokergeist Glowy
Falco’s style is uniquely his own, and reflects that of his other artistic pursuits; a sort of marriage between dark and whimsical, appropriately uncanny. But while there are other makers on the weird or eccentric side, Falco found an appreciation for the traditional shapes, and felt more drawn to bringing his own character to these classics—”to make something that’s essentially a traditional shape in a more interesting way, without being too exaggerated." He does give the caveat, "sometimes they are a little more exaggerated than they should be.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. U?! Pokergeist Glowy
This style was present from the earliest UNCANNY?! pipes, but Falco's natural bent for tinkering and experimenting only further informed his approach to pipe making, as he took on more creative approaches toward executing his uncanny ideas. The stems are a prime example, which stand out with eye-catching color in most every UNCANNY?! pipe.
“Basically, UNCANNY?! started from a need for material. We wanted to start to get into colored stems and things. I was like, well, I like science, so I'll just make it. I bought a bunch of different resins and stuff and started making accent pieces—that's how it started. And then that snowballed into its own thing, because you can't just pour resin, then you need compression equipment and stuff to get the bubbles out. Then I decided to start casting my own stems, which meant that I had to actually learn how to make molds and cast those.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. U?! Irradiated Creamcicle Lovat
Taking stem making in-house greatly broadened the possibilities for pursuing the idiosyncrasy that is in UNCANNY?!'s DNA. We can see this in the vibrant character and sometimes even pleasing dissonance the stems bring to the composition. Some even take on a luminescent glow under blacklight, paired with stummels that change color to a radiant violet. Beyond aesthetics, this also allowed Falco more control over the material. The stems are made of polyester resin, which Falco tells me is more durable than epoxy resin.
“You get less breakage out of it if you drop it. You’re more likely to crack your shank than you are the stem, especially if it’s shorter. It’s better on the teeth. It’s just a better material for stem making than epoxy resin.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. U?! Irradiated Creamcicle Lovat
Another UNCANNY?! pipes differentia are the finishes. Falco doesn’t have a traditional approach to this process, not in the way many makers will be guided by grain orientation.
“I'd love to give you the old pipe maker's trope, where I pick up a piece of wood, I look at it, and it speaks to me and from there I know what kind of rustication it is. But really it just depends on how I feel that day—like what I want to accomplish, and I pay very little regard to grain patterns on most things.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. U?! Mermanicorn Billiard
UNCANNY?! pipes are often sandblasted and rusticated, eschewing uniformity in favor of combination finishes that show interesting designs on the bowl—swirls and winding serpentine patterns, or craterous terrain whose depressions gleam with a sparkling finish. They all have an unmistakable UNCANNY?! Material character, but it’s not hard to see how each is its own fantasia, formed from whatever whims Flaco was riding out while crafting it.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. U?! Half Seawitch Lovat
One style that has garnered attention in particular is the UNCANNY?! Seawitch rustication. Inspired by Walt Cannoy’s Lava Rock finish, the Seawitch employs each of Falco’s finishing styles to achieve the weathered, tafoni-like result.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. U?! Green Seawitch Billiard
“If you really look at it there's what I call suede blasting, just getting a texture on it, but not really digging into it with the sandblast. Then there's some wire brushing involved, because I like a lot of parts of the Seawitches to look like old, wooden ship decking. So, you just take some of the
material out with that and then it's making it look like coral, which takes a really long time because, it may not look it, but I'm pretty particular on the different pass-throughs and things like that and what I can get away with. Gauging the meat of the bowl that you have determines how many pass-throughs you can get. I'm generally pleased with the finished product."
Finally, the stain is applied, really pulling together that nautical, worn aspect befitting of the name.
“I'm not very good at writing down recipes. I don't write anything down, I just do it. I just know how to do it. I’m trying to get that particular look of something in the deep as opposed to something volcanic, I think, is what really separates the sea witch from like the volcano finish—making it look corroded and old.”
Pipe making isn't the only way Falco engages with the world of pipes and tobaccos. Whether or not you were previously familiar with UNCANNY?! Material, you’ve likely seen his art on recent Sutliff limited releases.
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On one episode of the Greywoodie Show, Davis and Falco were poking fun at the abundance of bird-themed tin art they noticed in recent releases. Falco challenged Sutliff president Jeremey McKenna to give him a shot at something different. McKenna responded, and Falco was tasked with creating tin art for the 6th Sutliff Barrel Aged Crumble Kake, which would be called Phantom Privateer.
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Falco has made several other tin designs for Sutliff since, including Maple Shadows, Krampusnacht, Cringle Flake 2023, and Blackthorn Shillelagh.
“I think Phantom Privateer kind of proved that the tobacco industry could also have a stake in the craft beer art style of labels.”
There's more to come from Falco, from tin art to artisan pipes, and we're thrilled to host these uncanny creations on TobaccoPipes.com.
There are plenty of blogs out there listing some of the best pipe tobaccos to try within a given blend family. Our blog features several, curated with consideration given to popularity as well as personal recommendation. I usually make a point to include a blend or two in these lists that isn’t quite as widely appreciated compared to some of the classics expected on such lists. But it's occurred to me it might be worth it to the pipe smoker who's exploring the wide world of tobacco blends to have lists focusing on fine blends that don't get so much attention.
Of course, a list of this nature is all the more crafted around personal taste, but if you share my affinity for smoking “widely”—more given to trying a lot of new-to-you blends rather than keeping to a few standards—or if you’re still looking for some mixtures that feel worthy of rotation, I’m hoping these blogs can offer some ideas to help you along.
With so many blends out there, why not narrow things a bit? This list will feature some underrated straight Virginias worth trying, but other (sub)genres of tobacco blends are to come.
Cut: Ready Rubbed Taste: Medium Strength: Medium Packaging: Tin (2 oz)
Bulk
Derringer is a wonderful straight Virginia from Cornell & Diehl that comes in bulk or tin. With a sugar casing for balance, this mixture leans into the natural goodness of the Virginia leaf with a little more kick (apt for the name) than we often get from the genre.
The mixture of ready rubbed and long cut ribbon offers a tin note of barnyard, and fermentation with some citrus accents. The ready rubbed is broken down a good deal and requires no additional rubbing out, though you certainly can if it’s your preference. It’s an easy pack, takes a light amicably, and keeps an easy burn.
Tang and spice of Red Virginias are on display complementing a woody core, which I feel leans bready some ways into the smoke. Those barnyard notes make it into the profile—it's a character that is very Cornell & Diehl to me. I imagine this is what Bayou Morning's base might taste like beneath the whopping 25% Perique.
Though not extremely heavy, Derringer's strength comes through much in the sinus and emphasis on some of the darker notes, however the nic hit stays entirely manageable, even to the nicotine wary.
Cut: Cake
Taste: Medium
Strength: Medium
Packaging: Tin (1.75 oz)
Hearth & Home's Slow-Aged series exhibits the fine benefits of pressure and time. Sutliff tobacco, who manufactures Hearth & Home blends, employs their double-pressed method also used for such brands as John Cotton's and Cobblestone Brick. After being pressed into a crumble cake, the blend is rubbed out and again loaded in a holding press where it is put under pressure for thirty days. The result is deeper flavor with a smoother delivery; attributes we often have to compromise between.
Plum, cane sugar, vegetative, and bready notes are about in Bright Night. The pressing brings a Red character out of the Bright Virginias—mature tobacco taste with depth. The profile offers a whisper of that Sutliff vinegar note that is central to blends like their Red Virginia Crumble Kake or 515 RC-1, but to a much milder, less acidic degree, as the pressing processes really smooths those sharper edges of the profile. Ideally however, more mellow and melded shouldn't mean languid and monotone. Bright Night finds that balance well, with spice and floral notes adding complexities.
Cut: Cake
Taste: Medium
Strength: Mild - Medium
Packaging: Tin (1.75 oz)
Seeing as Cobblestone Brick got a mention with the previous blend, might as well jump to one from the series that made my list here.
Despite the name, we have more of a crumble cake with Cobblestone Virginia Plug. A full, harmonious flavor is achieved in the pressing of the mostly Red Virginias, promoting a natural and deep sweetness. Dark fruit, bready, and currant notes are on show. Accents of citrus and grass bring a mild bright character and a bit of spice is present.
Being straight Virignias that are similarly processed, I find Bright Night to have a bit more spice and body than Virginia Plug. Other nuances separate them, but to me, this is most apparent.
Cobblestone Virginia Plug is a great straight Virginia to showcase the attributes of darker Virginia flavors in an all day blend that is approachable to those favoring mild tobaccos.
Sutliff tobacco is well appreciated by lovers of straight Virginia blends for their quality yet affordable contributions. Since their releases, 515 RC-1 and 507 Virginia Slices have been widely embraced. But there is another that I’m quite fond of that I don’t hear too much about—707 Sweet Virginia.
I was introduced to 707 Sweet Virginia as a Mystery Blend for Tobacco Pipes Compare & Share. 707 delightfully touts that baking bread Virginia character with a light body. Bright notes of citrus with a slight herbal quality make this an understated pleasure.
I find 707 Sweet Virginia to be a sort of companion to Virginia Slices, they’re different in their characteristics, but play a similar role in their simple, unpretentious goodness. If this is something you appreciate about Virginia Slices, Sweet Virginia may be another to bring into rotation. Truly an “all day” tobacco.
I also like to keep a few blending tobaccos on hand for my occasional arm-chair-blender whims. 707 Sweet Virginia is a go-to for when I feel a little supplemental Virginia might do well to enhance a blend’s profile or even some aspect out.
Charatan Flake
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Cut: Flake
Taste: Medium Strength: Mild - Medium
Packaging: Tin (1.76 oz)
Charatan Flake is among a line up of Charatan tobaccos meant to capture the allure of some of the classic Dunhill mixtures. This series came about in the gap between Dunhill’s divestment from pipe tobacco and STG’s purchase of several of the trademarks that were then placed under the Peterson marquee. Charatan Flake was blended to fill the void of Dunhill Flake. However close to the classic it is or isn’t, Charatan Flake stands as a fine straight Virginia in its own right, but since its more recent introduction to the US market in 2022, it hasn’t seemed to get much attention.
To me, Charatan Flake is a superb example of a straight Virginia pipe blend that dynamically showcases the varietal’s allure in both its light and dark—bright and red—character. It starts with a brighter quality, displaying floral and hay, soon developing depth of bread and plummy notes, offering a straight Virginia that I think leans somewhat more complex than others featured here.
Sillem's Mayor 1814 Flake
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Cut: Flake
Taste: Medium Strength: Medium
Packaging: Tin (1.75 oz)
Sillem is a name that has been in the tobacco industry for hundreds of years, now known for their selection of pipe tobaccos, elegant lighters and other smoking accessories.
Sillem’s pipe tobaccos are most notable for their selection of premium Aromatics, but you will also find a delightful, lightly flavored straight Virginia in their 1814 Mayor Flake. I came around to this blend more recently, as I had tried another Sillem’s flake—Commodore—on a whim when I chose to feature it in the Tobacco Files column, and was surprised it didn’t get more attention. My reaction to 1814 Mayor Flake was similar.
The Bright Virginias are citrusy and sweet, with darker tones that roll in for a more complex straight Virginia tobacco. Rounded sweetness likely from the pressing and honey topping softens any harshness and brings a depth to the flavor profile. Developing through the smoke, an earthy, woodiness offers a backdrop against which the nuanced Virginia notes mingle.
Cobblestone Outdoors Camping
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Cut: Ribbon
Taste: Mild - Medium Strength: Mild
Packaging: Tin (1.75 oz)
Another Cobblestone straight Virginia offering, but this one is manufactured by the German blending house Kohlhase & Kopp. Cobblestone Camping stands out among this line up for being a Stoved Virginia blend.
Just about all the leaf is darkened nearly black, with a few lighter strands here and there. There are many attributes that make Cavendish a fine addition in a blend, but when pressed and steamed to a great extent, you’re losing the dynamic flavor and individuality of the tobacco. Cobblestone Camping sees a Virginia blend, stoved to the point of bringing out those sweet, mellow qualities of Cavendish without cooking away that flue-cured charm.
Notes of toasty bread and brown sugar meet with natural plummy, dark fruit. There aren’t too many stoved blends of this nature out there. For fans of the more familiar Rattray’s Black Virginia, or the bygone McClelland Dark Star ought to give this one a try.
Finding blends you like is always a matter of navigating personal preferences, but I get how the larger popularity of a blend can offer confidence. If so many enjoy it, it's gotta be a decent place to start, right? However, I also know its easy to look at the sea of options behind the classics and modern favorites and be unsure where to start, so I hope this short list gives you something to consider.
I look forward to doing more of these with other blend families, and of course, there are plenty of blogs curated with different qualities in mind to help you find that next favorite in the rotation.
For the February Tobacco File, I decided to treat myself. As one who smokes widely—that is, I'm not so inclined to keep to a few favorites blends, and am always trying to explore something new. For that reason, one tin can stretch quite a while, but once something is gone, it may be some time before I return to it, even if I really enjoyed it.
One blend that grabbed me early in my pipe smoking was
G. L. Pease’s Cairo, from the blender's Original Mixtures. It's one I've thought to return to for some time, so this month, I figured why not indulge myself? For the second blend, I settled on a mixture (this one new to me) that also sees Virginia, Perique, and Oriental in harmony—Seattle Pipe Club's Galloping Gertie.
If you've read other Tobacco Files, you may notice a departure in format here. Instead of my usual approach of giving my impression in two or three entries per blend, I'm now consolidating my notes into one overall impression for each. However, I've adding a "From the journal" section, where I choose a few excerpts, copy-and-pasted straight from my "smoking journal" (okay, it's usually a Google Doc), that I think offer a neat and succinct sum up.
I'm not settled on this format, but I was getting the idea the old way was clunky—if you prefer it how it was, I encourage you to reach out and let me know!
G. L. Pease Cairo
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A wonderfully complex mixture of red, orange and bright Virginia tobaccos, exotic Oriental leaf, and just a whisper of perique. The flavor is naturally sweet, slightly nutty, delicately spicy and rich. Subtle citrus-like notes harmoniously support the more robust flavors of the darker Virginias. A medium bodied tobacco with a delicate aroma, Cairo will satisfy Virginia lovers and the connoisseur of Oriental mixtures alike.
It was early in my pipe smoking journey that I tried Cairo, in fact, it was the first Pease blend I had the pleasure of smoking. I remember it as one of those breakthrough moments where the fog clears and you "get" something you had been missing. In this case, it was a clearer sense of the role Oriental tobacco plays. At the time, my experience with the sun-cured leaf was limited to English blends. Latakia being a fire-cured Oriental itself, its no wonder the ingredients are intuitive companions in a mixture, but I wasn't sure what characteristics of a smoke could be attributed to the Oriental. That came after some time experiencing it in different contexts. Cairo was the first non-English containing Oriental I smoked, and I found it so delightfully different and interesting from the first bowl. I distinctly remember getting an ounce or two of Cornell & Diehl's Izmir Turkish blending tobacco while on that Cairo kick so I could try the varietal in isolation.
All this background is just to say, it's been awhile since I've lit this one up, and I was quite green when I did. So, a bit more seasoned in my pipe smoking now, I'm eager to return.
Pre-smoke
Removing the paper insert reveals a nest of bright and red ribbons, freckled with the dark Perique, though it’s lightly present. The tin note is nutty and woody in a lightly petrichor way. There's a tinge of sweetness.
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Setting out a pinch, the ribbons seem to be ready to go. Far from friable but not moist to the touch, lively and springy.
During that first pack, which was in my Brigham Chinook 02, I noted there was more long ribbon than I thought, seeming more coarse cut before.
Lighting up
Each smoke of Cairo starts off as hassle free as you could hope for. The first minutes usually has me noting toastiness; warm, subtle sweetness; nuttiness; and wood. There’s plenty of Virginia hay and bread in harmony with the Oriental, which is to the dry, woody side.
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The first couple minutes are mellow, which quickly submits to a darker, earthier version of what is already there. The Oriental is forward and offers woody, stalky vegetative, and herbal notes with a spice that’s tactile on the palate.
The Perique is peppery and brings a lot of that weighty spice, though in Cairo, it doesn't have the more meaty quality that I get in heavier Perique mixtures, such as Galloping Gertie. By "heavier Perique mixtures," I mean blends with a higher Perique ratio, not necessarily stronger. Cairo actually has quite a punch. That light Perique application seems very intentional here, offering the body for the Oriental herbal and spice to pull forward.
In my notes from several smokes I mention a light vinegar accent, but it doesn’t seem I notice it consistently. My current smoke in my Larus & Bros Signature estate pipe I do not.
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One interesting development through this month, I’ve realized a preference for packing Cairo a bit denser than is my instinct too. I’ve gotten a lot out of it that way—richer flavor and a very steady smolder.
Smoked beautifully down to the very bottom, though gets a little acrid at the heel—just a little indicator that you’ve enjoyed a good smoke.
Strength: ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○
Taste: ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○
From the journal:
Feb 01, 2024 in Brigham Chinook 02 Billiard
Toasty bread, hay, vegetative, and herbal tea are on show from the jump. Citrus accent brings something interesting, slightly nutty
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Feb 10, 2024 in Larus & Brothers Signature Dublin
Starts with that familiar vegetative and herbal flavor, but getting much more Virginia sweetness and cedar wood and hay. More body to the smoke.
Feb 22, 2024 in Bent Meerschaum Billiard
Like an herbal tea with just a lilt of sweetness, a nice accent to the woody, natural, rustic and slightly bitter sensation.
Seattle Pipe Club Galloping Gertie
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Seattle Pipe Club's Galloping Gertie take its name from the 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge that spanned the Tacoma Narrows Straight in Puget Sound and collapsed just four months after it opened due to aeroelastic flutter caused by high-speed winds. Seattle Pipe Club's tribute to the ill-fated bridge is a crumble cake of red and black, stoved Virginias, St. James Perique, unsweetened Black Cavendish, and a touch of Turkish Orientals. It provides a somewhat complex, yet savory flavor profile and is a remarkably unique Va/Per.
Since the first featured blend was a return to an old favorite, I figured I'd choose something new for the other. I'm a big fan of Seattle Pipe Club, but haven't smoked many of the B-sides. My experience is with the flagships—Plum Pudding, Mississippi River, and some of the iterations thereof—and the more recent Signature Series—Hogshead, Give Me Liberty, Virginia Jazz, and Down Yonder (I've linked those that have been featured Tobacco File blends). Galloping Gertie intrigued me as a somewhat untraditional Oriental-VaPer, so I guess that's the theme we have going for the February File.
Pre-smoke
Opening to pull-tab lid, I find several crumble cakes, sliced thin and stacked neatly. I’m immediately hit with the aroma of Sutliff’s vinegar Red Virginia. I'm suddenly curious as to how Galloping Gertie compares with Give Me Liberty, a straight Virginia from Seattle Pipe Club in the Signature Series, which similarly makes use that identifiably Sutliff casing. Of course, Galloping Gertie differs in its ingredients beyond the Virginia.
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The tin note isn’t overbearing, but it's the sort of sharp scent that cuts, attenuating what other aromas might otherwise show through.
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Breaking down one of the slabs, it’s somewhat moist to the touch, but reasonably ready to smoke, if not ideal.
Lighting up
That vinegar note is there from the light, as are sweet bready Virginias. With some smokes, I'm surprised by how quickly I get the Oriental attributes which are somewhat earthy and sour here, blending very nicely with the Perique which has the chewier, umami quality to it. I say I'm surprised because I notice with the more acidic vinegary casing, I often need to acclimate before I notice much beyond it.
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That said, some smokes I've had of Gertie don't seem to feature the Oriental side so much. The only predictor to this I've noticed seems to be how neutral I'm coming to Galloping Gertie palate-wise. If I've already smoked a somewhat bold blend recently or have eaten or drank something that really lingers on the palate, I don't get as much out of Galloping Gertie. It isn't bad in such cases, but I feel like it's that Oriental that is Gertie's differentia from similar offerings such as Sutliff's VA Perique Crumble Kake.
Perhaps highlighted in the sharpness of the topping, the bright notes of citrus and grass are very noticeable but have their place on the palate, not obscuring the darker side of the profile.
Though I find the Oriental component dims in some smokes as I approach the end of the bowl, Galloping Gertie is otherwise a very consistent blend. Just as coming to the blend having already enjoyed a bold smoke seems to lessen the Oriental presence, I imagine it is the palate fatigue of the current smoke that has a similar effect by the end of the smoke.
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I have developed a preference for giving this one a little dry time, 20 minutes or so, before lighting. It’s not that it's so finicky if I don’t, but I feel I get a more vivid flavor that way.
The high sharp notes are never hard to find, but they’re less distracting when a little drier I feel, and in a wider bowl perhaps. Right now, at that start, I get more bready (which complements the sweet better) and wood.
Give Me Liberty is similarly rich in flavor, but I get more depth possibly from being less sharp. This is coming from a jar that has spent almost a year sealed, which makes me curious as to how Gertie may differ from some time sealed away.
Until Next Time...
It's no surprise that similar ingredients do not mean similar blend, but my experience with our two featured blends this month really drove home that reality. The difference that grades, ratio, cut, and casing made couldn't be starker.
As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos? Please send 'em my way—gregr@tobaccopipes.com.
I opted not to write a Tobacco File for April. It’s a busy month with the Chicago Pipe Show, and I figured I’d be spreading myself pretty thin already. But rolling into May, things settle down and the spring heat keeps rising, prompting the question—what two pipe tobaccos should be featured for this month’s column?
The springtime Straight Virginia is a convention for many pipe smokers, and I’m no exception. Albeit, Straight Virginias are some of my most frequented blends at any time, but I agree that they have a particular harmony with this time of year.
Earlier in the month, I revisited a blog that I originally wrote back in the fall, 7 Underrated Straight Virginia Pipe Tobaccos. I fully acknowledge the subjectivity of assembling such a list, but I think it’s a fun way to show some appreciation for blends that I find excellent but don't seem to hear much about. Anyway, I was revisiting this piece because one of the blends was discontinued and needed to be replaced. I thought, why not choose two of these? So, I did.
Sutliff Sweet Virginia is a delight for Virginia fans. This is a broken flake that burns well, and the chunky cut keeps it from getting overly hot as long as you don't puff furiously. Notes of hay, grass, citrus, and honey are all noticeable in this pleasantly straightforward blend of flue-cured tobaccos.
Sutliff 707 Sweet Virginia is a blend I was introduced to in August 2022 when it was featured as one of the Compare & Share Mystery Blends alongside Cobblestone Hiking. If you aren’t familiar, this is a monthly offering where TobaccoPipes.com selects two mystery tobaccos, one ounce of each, whose identities are revealed at the end of the month. So, my first encounter with this mixture was as an anonymous blend.
Here’s my impression of 707 Sweet Virginia at the time, before its identity was revealed:
Mystery Blend 2 [707 Sweet Virginia&91; is a very nice straight Virginia ready-rubbed. The char light instantly gave a baking bread toastiness. Grass, hay, citrusy sweet, bready, a little tart—seems to sit in the bright to middle Virginia continuum. Not much in way of the dark fruity notes. Reminds me of Mac Baren VA 1 or Cobblestone Knight.
Pre Smoke
Sutliff 707 Sweet Virginia offers a unique cut for the blending house. Outside of ribbon, Sutliff is more known for their crumble cakes, though a few flakes grace the catalog as well. However, this sort of more traditional ready-rubbed, resembling Mac Baren Virginia No. 1 in its fine, mulch-like chunks, is an outlier on the Sutliff roster.
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The consistency is soft and flexible—hydrated but not moist—which offers very easy packing with no need to dry out.
Lighting up
Sutliff 707 Sweet Virginia has offered a mostly consistent smoke at the light, though I’ve noticed a difference in how the profile changes (or whether it does at all) on different occasions. I most always note a baking bread toastiness to start, with the lilt of a molasses sweetness underscoring the rounded warmth of these characteristics.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sutliff 707 Sweet Virginia in Rattray's Butcher's Boy 22
As the full profile comes into view, there’s a bit more contrast with the Bright Virginia’s citrus and vegetative notes. Some smokes, I’ve noted the latter to be somewhat stalky, but not reliably. Even now as I write this, consolidating my notes over a smoke of 707 Sweet Virginia, that vegetativeness takes more of a grassy character. Though I’m smoking in one of my wider chambered pipes—a Rattray’s Butcher's Boy—I think this difference is just a matter of the palate I show up to one smoke to the next.
Most often, the flavors that were somewhat enthusiastic at the onset mellow, uncovering a herbal character that brings to mind Orlik Golden Sliced. The more forward breadiness eases into a base of woody flavor and a graham cracker accent that seems to me is the settling of the warm, toasty-sweetness that introduced the smoke.
Sometimes I do find 707 Sweet Virginia meanders into the Red Virginia side with more of a tanginess and orange rind quality as it develops.
All in all, it's a wonderfully straight froward Virginia the offers an unpretentious highlight of the flue-cured leaf's charm. I think it may get overlooked a bit in the popularity of Sutliff's 507 Virginia Slices, which is certainly worth the attention it gets. But 707 has a character of its own, and is similarly a great value as a bulk offering.
Selected matured Virginias aged for a long period under pressure. This blend offers a subtle aroma of honey and orange.
Sillem’s is a historic name in tobacco, but their modern blend catalog doesn’t seem to get mentioned too much.
I first tried 1814 Flake some time back on a whim, compelled by a positive experience with another Sillem's blend. I had just revisited Sillem’s Commodore Flake for the first time since I wrote about it in a Tobacco File. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it, which prompted the thought, is this the only Sillem's blend I've tried? It was, so I went about fixing that with Mayor 1814. It’s about 180 degrees from Commodore Flake in terms of style, but it was yet another Sillem’s that seemed to be deserving of a bit more buzz than it was getting.
Pre Smoke
With Mayor 1814, we have some very nice looking flakes, pressed tight and sliced thin in the European style. They’re nicely hydrated, though maybe a little beyond what I prefer. I’ve rubbed out flakes to pack instantly over the month, and I’ve given some dry time. My preference leans to giving them some time, but the difference isn’t night and day.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Lighting up
Mayor Flake starts off with a very satisfying depth of flavor—plummy, tangy Virginias really come through. I find it leans darker compared to 707 Sweet Virginia, but isn’t totally without the Bright Virginia attributes of citrus and a light vegetative side. The more Orange/Red Virginia tones do seem to feature more prominently as the profile settles, which is harmonious with a fruity sweetness that may be attributable to a slight top flavoring.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sillem's Mayor 1814 Flake in Duke of Dundee bent Billiard
Mayor Flake has been pretty consistent from smoke to smoke with the exception of some nuance that I more attribute to a neutral palate than any other variable. So for organizing my thoughts on Mayor Flake, I’ve opted to pack a right down-the-middle reliable pipe, my Duke of Dundee bent Billiard. This is just one of those unlikely favorites, an estate pipe from a long bygone budget brand I picked up to practice restoration on, but ended up one of my most amiable smokers.
There’s definitely more of a weight to Mayor Flake than to 707, it sits heavier on the palate and I get more of a pinch to the sinus—something I appreciate in darker Virginias. It’s not harsh, just a bit of grit. I would still consider it a bit below medium body in general, but it can be difficult not to contrast with the other blend I’ve been frequenting.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sillem's Mayor 1814 Flake in Northern Briars Regal Rox-Cut Bulldog
Something about Mayor 1814 Flake makes me think of Cornell & Diehl’s Carolina Red Flake. I think it’s something in the woody, tangy, sweet Virginia character, but Mayor 1814 is much lighter in body and the sweetness is different. Not as much natural Red sweetness, the flavorings play more of a role in Mayor’s sweet side.
I see the flavoring identified as orange and honey from others’ accounts of Mayor 1814, which I certainly have no trouble believing is accurate (it’s how the tin descriptions characterizes the aroma after all). Some smokes I find an apple-like flavor there too, though that may be a poor approximation of something particular that I just can’t put the right descriptor to. But I can say, it’s an aspect of Sillem’s Mayor 1814 Flake’s individuality as a Straight Virginia flake.
Strength: ◙◙◙○○○○○○○ Taste: ◙◙◙◙◙○○○○○
Until next time...
It's always a delight revisiting some great blends that I've not returned to in some time. I'm looking forward to expanding the Underrated blog series into other genres and exploring those blends in more detail in future Tobacco Files.
As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos? Please send 'em my way—gregr@tobaccopipes.com.
The virtue of the
corn cob pipe goes beyond its reputation as a fine smoking pipe for such an affordable cost. The iconic invention is represented among cherished meerschaum and briar pipes in most collections, often pulled from the pipe rack to be packed and enjoyed as a matter of preference.
Of course, corn cob pipes are also appreciated for that price point, and are often chosen for a smoke as a matter pragmatics. They make for excellent "knock around" pipes to accompany yard work or other instances that feel a bit too risky for a high-end pipe.
No matter how cobs
fit into our pipe craft, there's no reason we shouldn't be getting the most out of them for as long as we can. Like briar, cobs perform best after a break-in period, so it's nice to keep those time-tested cobs in good smoking order. Further, even if the state of an inexpensive pipe isn't a concern, the quality of a smoking experience likely is, and like any pipe, corn cob pipes' performance is contingent on how they're maintained.
While much of the wisdom around briar pipe upkeep applies to corn cob pipes, there are some particularities imposed by the cob that are worth knowing to get the most out of these instruments.
General Corn Cob Pipe Maintenance
Here are some of the basic's to caring for a corn cob pipe, from fixes to common dilemmas to upkeep for quality smokes.
Stem is too loose
I think the best place to start is with an issue that can sometimes arrive with a brand new cob.
It’s not uncommon for a corn cob pipe to leave the factory with a perfectly good fit between the mortise and tenon that is too loose or tight by the time it reaches its destination. This is due to the difference in humidity. Luckily, it’s usually a very easy fix.
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If your corn cob pipe’s stem is too loose, you want to add moisture to the shank so that it will swell for a tighter fit. But you really don’t need too much, so it’s best to dip a Q-tip in warm water and apply it to the inside of the shank, just around the mortise area. The end of a pipe cleaner also works for applying the water.
Give the shank some time to absorb the moisture, then test the fit and repeat if necessary. If you get the fit to almost perfect, I recommend smoking the pipe before trying to add more moisture. It wont do much if the fit is really loose—say, if the stummel would fall right out being held only by the stem—but if it just needs that little extra tension that makes things feel secure, a smoke often does the trick.
Stem is too tight
Alternatively, if your corn cob pipe’s stem is too tight, removing moisture from the shank should help achieve a better fit.
This can be done by leaving the pipe in the freezer. Check after a couple hours, and periodically from there until you can remove the stem without more force than should be necessary. Once it is removed, you can apply beeswax to the tenon to facilitate a smoother connection going forward.
Cleaning after every smoke
Just like other pipes, it’s important to run a
pipe cleaner each time you smoke your pipe. This is the best way to remove the leftover gunk that can undercut the smoking experience. You’ll get unwanted tar out if you run a cleaner before your next smoke, but it's best to do so before it dries and gets the chance to set.
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Of course,
if you use filters in your corn cob pipe, you won't be able to pass a cleaner through from the bit to the chamber, so give the pipe a chance to cool down before separating the stem from the stummel and running a cleaner through the shank.
You may also want to wipe the chamber with a paper towel or a folded pipe cleaner after smoking to slow the building of cake.
Rotating Pipes
Corn cob pipes are a great way to
build a pipe rotation at an affordable cost, especially for newcomers to pipe smoking. The idea of a pipe rotation is to have at least a few pipes so that each gets a rest after every smoke. This allows time for moisture from the previous smoke to dry. Also, if you’re smoking one bowl immediately after another, it gives the pipe first smoked a chance to cool off. Smoking the pipe too hot can lead to burnouts.
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Even corn cob pipes benefit from a rest. We may see them as expendable compared to our more expensive pipes, but even putting aside potential damage of over-smoking a pipe, we still want to have the most enjoyable smoking experience we can, which for many, that rest is conducive to.
Deep Cleaning
Just like with other pipes, it's a good idea to give your corn cob pipes a regular deep clean. It may seem less important, especially with those work-horse pipes in the lower price tier, but for me, I just know I’m not going to get a very good smoke out of something that’s built up with tars.
Reaming the bowl
The first thing I’ll do with any deep clean is
ream the bowl and the shank. Though pipe smokers have varying opinions on developing cake in cob pipes, the consensus is that it isn’t necessary. Whatever your preference, the pipe will call for a good trimming sooner or later.
Reaming the shank
The shank's airway can easily build up with tar that running a pipe cleaner just cant get—in fact, some fluffy detritus left behind by cleaners is likely to accumulate, further narrowing the passage. You may be surprised by just how much narrower a well smoked corn cob pipe’s airway can be if it hasn’t been thoroughly excavated.
For reaming the shank, I get my set of drill bits and pass through some of the smaller sizes until I find one that's clearly a size or two smaller than the original width, then work my way up from there.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
That width isn’t consistent between all models, but it shouldn’t be hard to tell when you’ve reached it if you’re moving up one size at a time. In testing some of my cobs, I found them to have airways from as narrow as 5/32" (
Pony Express) to as wide a 1/4" (Diamondback), with other sizes in between.
You can ream manually by attaching the bits to a pin vice. Personally, I just use my drill, but that might feel risky to some. If you do drill, don't pass the bit through the airway by drilling into it. Insert the bit and then drill. I give it a couple seconds to loosen things up, then will move in and out of the shank a few times to push out what’s been loosened up. By not drilling straight in, you can be confident you’re not sizing up the hole any wider than the original width.
Deep clean with alcohol
With the chamber reamed and the airway opened, I can move on to a full clean of the internals. This doesn’t really differ from how I would clean a briar pipe. Using 91+ isopropyl alcohol, I’ll use pipe cleaners, pipe brushes, and Q-tips in the stem, shank, and bowl until they are coming out clean.
Enjoy your corn cob pipe
Those are the basics to my corn cob pipe care. Pretty simple stuff, but cobs are one more factor adding to the variety that makes pipe smoking the enriching exploration that it is, and its these little things that keep them delivering wonderful smokes.
If you'd like to share anything you do differently and would recommend,
we'd love to hear how you approach corn cob pipe cleaning and maintenance.
We’ve made it to the penultimate blend in the Pipe Force series—the second collaborative effort between Per Jensen and the Sutliff Tobacco Company—Pipe Force Episode II - Sergeant Kimble.
A mellow, sweet mixture of Bright, Red, and Stoved Virginia offers the exceptional base for smokey Latakia, floral Kentucky, spice of Stoved Katerini and the ambrosial berry and spice of Katerini Perique. The result is a harmony of flavor in perfect balance.
Pipe Force has been defined by the introduction of Stoved Rustica and Stoved Katerini, each blend using at least one if not both of these varietals developed specially for this series.
In the case of Episode II, we have Stoved Katerini, but we also see the return of the novelty that was the impetus to the Birds of a Feather series—
Katerini Perique. Of the six mixtures in that preceding line, only two—Uno and Anomalous—featured the Oriental that was barreled and pressure fermented a la the infamous Louisiana spice, Perique. Episode II will be the third application of Katerini Perique, and I imagine the last.
Pre-smoke
Opening the tin, I’m greeted with a single, sizable piece of cake; mostly dark with light mottling.
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The aroma from the tin is an earthy smokiness, a dark petrichor aroma. A light vinegar acidity peeks through as I sit with the tin note.
The “grain” of the pressed leaf goes longways, making it easy to pull a strip from the side of the cake to break up.
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The moisture is pretty near where I like it. The cake has a glimmer that made me expect something more moist than this—probably just a glossiness the abundance of dark, stoved leaf gives off. It also breaks up into a more broad, coarse ribbon, which I think aligns with Sutliff’s "plug" style crumble cake.
As is tradition with this series, my first smoke is in my Georg Jensen De Luxe estate pipe.
Lighting up
Given the various components in Episode II, it should come as no surprise that there is plenty going on in this flavor profile. My experience with this blend has been difficult to pin down, offering something different each smoke, whether it's noticing something new or finding a feature to be more or less pronounced. That said, I think I've located a familiarity for what I might expect when lighting up this complex mixture.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Pipe Force Episode II in Georg Jensen De Luxe S779
Pipe Force Episode II certainly has a smoky forward character and Oriental flavor that places it within the
English genre. Oddly, I don't think I had that impression so much when I sampled the Pipe Force blends over a year ago when they were developed. Those English attributes were there, but I found it more wild-card, eschewing any particular category, broad as they may be. I still think it stands out as a unique mixture, but English at heart.
The smokiness is the first thing I notice, but it seems the Latakia and Kentucky are in a harmonious duet. They bring a dry earthiness, woody, with a floral spice, not so much to the meaty side.
The body often brings stewed and dark fruit, berry skins. Weaving about the other players, zesty herbal spice finds those gaps that may otherwise have the reaches of the profile in contest with one another. In my experience with Pipe Force Episode II, larger bowls bring this balance out.
I often find when the flavors settle a bit, the woodiness and spice of the Oriental component and the caramelizing of the Stoved Virginia and Katerini develops into something I can best describe as a sweet birch-y resonance—almost root beer.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Pipe Force Episode II in
Molina Barasso 107
Maybe it's a mind trick since they are both "kitchen sink" mixtures with Katerini Perique, but I feel Pipe Force Episode II is a more English-style take on
Uno—the blend that introduced Birds of a Feather.
As for smoking properties, some smokes took a bit of coaxing to get a consistent smolder, asking for a few char lights. Considering the components—a good amount of fire-cured and stoved varietals—this isn't all too surprising. With a little patience, Pipe Force Episode II offered a nice burn. Still, some drying time became a preference, offering a little more ease.
It's complex and flavorful each smoke, but how those flavors interact varies to my taste. But it is all carried on a decent body, not quite full, but assertive, especially in its darker, earthy character.
Strength: ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○ Taste: ◙◙◙◙◙◙○○○○
Until next time...
The final blend in the Pipe Force saga invades October 22, 2024—Pipe Force III - Lieutenant General Marshall. This will close the series with a final blend using both of the unprecedented components developed for the series, Stoved Katerini and Stoved Rustica, which are joined by Kentucky and Virginia.
As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos? Please send 'em my way—gregr@tobaccopipes.com
One of the hobbyist side of pipe smoking’s greatest charms is the wealth of DIY fixes and techniques that memetically spread from clever artisans to armchair tinkerers like myself who get a kick out of the exploration of it all. Pipe mud is one of these wonder solutions for the accessible and simple pipe project.
Pipe mud, a mixture of cigar ash and water which forms a workable, hard-curing putty, can be used to add material to the chamber of a
tobacco pipe. In pipe restoration, it might be used to strengthen vulnerable areas that are showing signs of burnout or have been thinned from over-reaming, or to correct gurgle caused by space at the bottom of the bowl. But it also has a unique role in corn cob pipecraft.
This piece will detail using pipe mud to fill the bottom of
corn cob pipe, but the method of making and applying relates to briar pipes as well (but not meerschaum). That said, I don't recommend trying to apply pipe mud to any particularly valuable pipe—price or sentimental-wise—at least not without experience.
Why is pipe mud used in a corn cob pipe?
In most pipes (not cobs), the shank is shaped from the same material as the bowl, with the draft hole situated at the bottom of the chamber, at the heel. Corn cob pipes most often have a shank made from wood that protrudes into the chamber, with the exception of reed stem cobs.
This leaves open space to the sides of the shank and, depending on the model, a gap between the shank and the floor of the chamber. Some cob smokers prefer to fill these areas with pipe mud.
Forget what Ma' said about tracking in mud for a moment as we look at why pipe mud is part of
corn cob pipe care for many.
Corn cob pipes sometimes burn out from the bottom. The added material can protect against this.
Filling in the crevices around and beneath the internal shank creates a chamber more akin to traditional pipe layout, which many prefer for the smoking mechanics.
Dottle can easily get wedged in these crevices, which can be somewhat tedious to clean.
To be clear, the point of this piece isn't to advocate for pipe mud as some sort of necessity for any new corn cob pipe. I personally don't do it with all of mine. The intention is to give the why and how for anyone curious to try it.
Using pipe mud is the preferred method with a new cob for some, others have never done it and have no issue or desire to adopt it.
Others may or may not use pipe mud depending on the circumstance (the approach I take). Maybe it’s not an automatic procedure for a new cob, but is used at the early signs of burnout. Or one might opt to only fill those pipes with significant gaps. Some models don’t have a large gap beneath the shank and bottom of the chamber. These pipes will generally develop a more even heel through being smoked and
building carbon.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Above we have two
Missouri Meerschaum Legends, one unsmoked, the other a pipe I've enjoyed for several years now. As you can tell, the draft hole on my smoked pipe has a nice transition into the heel, this is due to carbon filling what crevices were there. Basically, this internal shank sits low in the chamber, so the gaps aren't as dramatic as other models.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
On the other hand, here is an unsmoked
Missouri Meerschaum Little Devil Cutty, one of my favorite corn cob pipe models. It’s hard to see the depth very well in the photo, but notice the shadow of the shank at the bottom of the bowl. The straight angle of the stem creates more of a gap, and in my experience with the Devil Cutty’s I’ve smoked, that gap doesn’t carbonize, or at least will take a long time to fill out. So I’m going to go about applying pipe mud to this one.
How to make and apply pipe mud
What you'll need
Cigar ash
Container for mixing (rec: 4 oz mason jar)
Pipe tool or another tool to act as a pestle
Water
Pipet (most controlled way to easily add water, but can get by without)
Drill bit (sizes differs depending on model. For Devil Cutty it's 11/64, but check find the perfect fit for in a set for the pipe you're working with)
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Collect cigar ash
This part is pretty straight forward. I'll ash a cigar in a clean, 4 oz mason jar. Glass is ideal for when you add water as the mixture won't stick to it, and these jars give enough space to easily mix but are shallow enough that a small tool can get the job done.
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Crush cigar ash into a powder
Next, I break the ash down to powder. If you have a pestle and mortar, that's fine, but can get away with many household or pipe tools. I used the tamper on my
Cobblestone Pipe Stand/3-in-1 Tool, which worked just fine.
As is probably clear from the above picture, one
cigar doesn't produce as much ash as it seems before breaking down to a powder, so you may need a bit more depending on the job. The cigar I smoked was a 5 3/4 X 44 Corona; not the biggest cigar, but no cigarillo either.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Add a little bit of water and stir
Mix in just a few drops at a time until you have a consistency that starts to clump and packs when you compress it.
I advise having a good deal of ash and not using it all at once if you haven’t done this before. Ultimately, I think the best way to really know what consistency you’re looking for is good ol' trial and error. Without the right consistency, it can be difficult to manipulate the mud in the bowl without it sticking to your instrument, so this will give you a chance to touch things up if need be without waiting until your next cigar.
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Start placing into chamber and pack it
I find it’s easiest to pack once there’s a good amount in there. Instead of, say, packing in one area, then another, I’ll just use the shovel on a small pipe tool to scoop and drop the clumps in like a gravity pack. Then once there’s a good amount I’ll start tamping, making an effort to evenly distribute. It can be finicky trying to manipulate the pipe mud with such little space.
Once I've done that, I'll insert the round end of my drill bit through the shank. This will create the draft hole. I'll then manipulate and pack whatever mud was loosened from inserting the drill bit.
Notice on the left picture, the wood is exposed to the left side of the shank. I included this to show that my first application wasn't enough and I had to go back and add more, as the right picture shows.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Wait a few days, ash should be almost white
Keep the drill bit inserted while your pipe mud cures.
For my first few smokes, I’ll use a blend that burns relatively quick and dry and only pack the bottom third or so of the pipe, that way I’m letting some carbonization occur before introducing much moisture.
I'll usually opt for a quality RYO blend for this job, usually something from
Daughter's & Ryan (just my preference). These blends are good for a quick, even and dry smoke, with mellow flavor.
I find the ash affects the taste a bit in the first few smokes—not so offensive, but not ideal either.
I imagine many who have used pipe mud came to it similar to myself—eager to engage with all aspects of the hobby with no real expectation that it was or wasn't going to be a routine practice. It was more about entertaining my curiosity than a fix to any persistent issue, but I did find a preference for it in some situations. So, while reiterating I don't think applying pipe mud is a pipe must, I would recommend a pipe smoker with that bent toward curiosity try it on a cob in the lower price tier just to see if it's for them.
The exploration of the vast selection of
pipe tobacco blends is one of my favorites aspects of pipe smoking. Despite the many blends I have a great appreciation for, I always have to be trying something new—it's not how everyone engages with the pastime, but I know plenty are like me. What's really exciting is trying a blend that you don't hear much about, whether it's on a whim or perhaps recommended by a fellow pipe smoker, and finding that it satisfies some niche you hadn't know was there. So, I thought it would be fun to do this series to delve into some of those pipe tobaccos I've found appreciation for, despite getting little buzz.
I don't think myself some self-appointed taste maker. So I'll clarify my intent with an excerpt from the preceding blog listing
underrated straight Virginias: a list of this nature is all the more crafted around personal taste, but if you share my affinity for smoking “widely”—more given to trying a lot of new-to-you blends rather than keeping to a few standards—or if you’re still looking for some mixtures that feel worthy of rotation, I’m hoping these blogs can offer some ideas to help you along.
So, here are some of the English mixtures (and perhaps a few English adjacent blends) I believe are worth checking out.
Afternoon Mélange is a relatively new mixture—not something we see so often with bulk tobacco these days. It was released in 2021 as the middle child of three blends 4th Generation developed as morning, mid-day, and night companions.
Afternoon Mélange offers mixed length, narrow ribbons. Though it performs well in any pipe, I enjoy how accommodating a cut like this is to smaller bowls, as I enjoy a small pipe, but sometimes certain cuts just don’t agree with them.
Virginias and Orientals meet for a nutty, bready flavor, with a fine sweetness gliding on top. The Latakia is introduced in a faint smoke and woodiness at the start, but soon comes forward as the dominant player. The Latakia and Oriental are in a wonderful harmony, a bit of floral spice and wood, earthy enough for interest, but not so weighty it overwhelms the affable mild-medium body. That body does grow through the smoke however, but peaks around what I'd consider medium.
Black Cavendish, Latakia, Oriental, Perique, Virginia
Cut
Ribbon
Taste
Medium
Strength
Medium
Packaging
Tin (1.75 oz)
Cobblestone Pawn gives us a flavorful English that seems to play in that Scottish sub-genre, entailing the traditional English varietals with a significant presence of Black Cavendish;
Virginia based Cavendish in this case.
The ribbons are medium in length and thin—though not quite shag, which is something I appreciate about many Kohlhase & Kopp ribbons. Quite easy to work with. A good deal of bright and dark to medium-brown show distinct contrast with the healthy portion of dark leaf comprised of Latakia and Black Cavendish.
Cobblestone Pawn delivers a healthy dose of smoky Latakia from the char light to the heel. The musky depth is potent, but nicely tamed by the velvety sweet Black Cavendish. Perique brings spice and body for a little extra oomph. The Virginias and Orientals bring notes of herbs, nuts, and bread for a flavorfully complex base that keeps a balance without distracting too much from the condimentals. I recommend this one for fans of
Rattray's Red Rapparee.
Sutliff Walnut Flavor is a match blend for the infamous, bygone Middleton's Walnut. Just like the blend that inspired it, this is a concoction of many tobacco types into one interesting mixture. Latakia is of course among them, but this “American English” is certainly the least "English-y" of the blends here. In fact, some may not think it qualifies at all, but it’s an enigmatic smoke with no obvious home among our blend families, so why not bring a little more variety to the list?
The mixture is made of long ribbons, from medium to broad cut. The shade is blonde to medium brown for the most part with dark, coarse ribbons sparsely throughout. I find a larger bowl offers a more consistent smoke with this one, and is more accommodating to the cut.
Walnut Flavor provides a satisfyingly dense smoke. My first thought lighting this one up is, isn’t this just a codger Burley? I get that familiar nutty, cocoa, molasses—but then some more interesting players enter, notably a vegetative, herbal Oriental note. From there, all variety of flavors come together for a unique mixture (well, maybe unique to me. Perhaps it's a solid match for the Middleton original). That Latakia is more noticeable some smokes than others, but never all that forward, certainly the least of any on our list. All and all, we have a nuttiness, spice, and accenting smokiness, brought together with a subtle sweet note.
Black Cavendish, Burley, Latakia, Oriental, Virginia
Cut
Ribbon
Taste
Medium
Strength
Medium
Packaging
Tin (2 oz)
Consolation was developed by William Serad as part of his Serenity Series over two decades ago. It is joined by Comfort, Repose, and Reverie—all blend names I certainly find apt to the levity of enjoying a peaceful smoke.
Consolation offers another blend that plays in the “American English” territory. In fact, if Sutliff's Walnut Flavor is an American English, let’s call Consolation an English American, as I'd say this emphasizes that smoky side more—maybe not compared to your average English, but for the hybrid it is.
The Latakia presence is an accent in harmony with the more forward Oriental, pulling from it more of the spice notes underneath which there is a bready, herbal body. The Black Cavendish plays more to the smoking dynamics than the flavor profile, though I assume it's also enhancing the sweetness in step with the Virginia base, and perhaps brings some of that molasses character out of the nutty Burleys that gives Consolation that nod to the American blend tradition. Consolation impressively finds balance in a somewhat complex mixture while maintaining a down to earth, mellow, all day smoke.
In 2018,
Charatan released a line of pipe tobaccos in response to British American Tobacco, who owned Dunhill's blends, divesting from pipe tobacco. First Bowl was concocted to fill that space of a mild English to start the day, a la Dunhill's Early Morning Pipe (now Peterson of course under STG ownership). I think the resulting blend hits the spirit of that mark perfectly, but with a profile of its own.
Charatan First Bowl offers a nice mild English that delivers an excellent balance of the three constituents with clarity and harmony. The narrow ribbons are dry yet hydrated and springy on arrival, making for a very user friendly pack and easy smoldering. I find the Oriental component takes the lead with a herbal spice and a bready, zesty warmth that plays perfectly into mellow Virginia hay and toastiness. While not a Latakia heavy English, it isn’t difficult to find, bringing woody BBQ overtones with just a light meatiness. Most smokes seem to develop into a simple cedar woodiness by the end to close things out.
Black Cavendish, Burley, Latakia, Oriental, Virginia
Cut
Ribbon
Taste
Medium
Strength
Mild - Medium
Packaging
Bulk
In 2012,
Villiger Tobacco collaborated with Mac Baren to create the Newminster series. Ever since, the collection has been a wonderful source of quality and variety in affordable bulk offerings. Though it's the trilogy of Virginia-centric flakes that gets the most praise, Newminster offers one of my favorite bulk blends for classic English flavor with a fair complexity and body—No. 306 English Oriental.
This mixture offers a good helping of smoky, meaty Latakia and herbal Oriental flavors. From the base of Virginias and Black Cavendish, woody and currant flavors come through with the silky sweetness of the stoved leaf. The Burley may contribute some to that woodiness, but to me, there isn't a lot of Burley flavor. However, I imagine they're pulling more weight in the body. It isn't a super strong blend, and the nic-hit seems light, but it has a heaviness on the palate. Between the Black Cavendish and Burley, the flavors nicely disperse.
I first found a fondness for Sillem's Commodore Flake when I featured it in a
Tobacco Files column back in 2022, and it's been a favorite among bold smokes since.
Here we have another blend that lives on the margins of what many consider an “English” style pipe tobacco. It's not the lack of Latakia that skews Sillem’s Commodore Flake's English credentials, but the lack of Oriental leaf in the mix.
At the forefront of this dark flake is the medley of smoky Latakia and floral Kentucky, woven in a bold, flavorful presentation. Black Cavendish brings a sweetness that carries the robust flavors and softens with a light creamy sweetness.
I get some anise flavor and floralness that seems beyond the role of the Kentucky leaf—almost in the realm of a Gawith flavoring, though not the potency of a Lakeland blend. That said, I haven't seen this mentioned in other reviews, so maybe it's just me.
Hopefully this list could offer some ideas for blends to explore. I imagine I'll be updating these blogs as I find more gems, so I'd love to know what others consider sleepers. Feel free to send an email (gregr@tobaccopipes.com) or reach out on instagram with any recommendations of your own!
With Glacier pipes, Sean Reum brings artisan shaping and engineering to a more accessible price point. Replacing his usual Ebonite stems with quality Lucite pre-cuts, Sean has introduced the Glacier brand as an affordable option that still offers the precision and care of artisan shaping, drilling, and finishing.
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Sean Reum has been crafting handmade pipes for over a decade. In his early pipe smoking days, he took up pipe restoration as a hobby, but after admiring all of the fine artisan pipes he felt he’d never be able to afford, he ultimately decided he needed to learn to make them himself.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sandblast Billiard w/ acrylic band
With the resources online and guidance from the generous pipe carving community, Sean would soon find his stride and garner a reputation as a talented up-and-comer. A few years into his journey, he took the step into full-time pipe making.
Recognized for his impressive attention to aesthetics and engineering, Sean's star has risen considerably. Like many artisan pipe makers, he imposes scrupulous standards on his work, guaranteeing that any pipe with the Reum stamp has cleared, at minimum, quite a high bar.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Rustic Billiard
Naturally, Sean's work has commanded a higher premium over the years of growing his reputation and evolving as a pipe maker. However, this brought his pipes out of a particular tier wherein he enjoyed offering the elevated details and mechanics of an artisan pipe to those whose budgets limited them to factory pipes. Recognizing this, Sean considered how he might logistically offer pipes at the low to mid $200 market-tier he’d outgrown without devaluing the labor and expertise put into each of his handmades, and without compromising his standards.
“I’ve been thinking about having a secondary line that's more of an economy line for a long time,” Sean tells me. “Five or six years ago, my prices were very competitive with high end factory pipes…I’ve been out of that range for a while now, and so the idea with Glacier is that I can still offer somebody a pipe that's made by me with my name on it but roughly $100 to $125 less than normal, so somebody can have a really good upgrade from your standard factory pipe to an artisan without all the added expense.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sandblast Lovat
Glacier pipes are drilled freehand in the Danish style and the engineering and shaping must pass Sean's scrutiny just as Reum handmades must.
“The whole pipe is engineered by me in the way I would like it, the only thing that’s missing would be a deep funnel in the stem, but you still get a tapered airway,” explains Sean. ”Your standard factory pipe, they’re not using tapered bits. So, if they have a drill bit and they step down to a smaller size, there’s a little ledge inside there, which creates turbulence and flow issues. So, the tapered airway, even though it's not funneled like an artisan pipe, you still get that benefit of a really well smoking pipe with a nice open draw, just for less.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sandblast Bent Horn
"Economy brand" might give the impression of a seconds line made up of pipes that didn't pass final inspection. That's not the case here, the Glacier line is conceived separate from the primary brand.
It is the stem that justifies the meaningful price difference. The stems on Reum handmades are hand cut from Ebonite or Alumilite rod stock. The Glacier line instead uses CNC-cut Lucite stems. Stem shaping is one of the most physically demanding and time consuming aspects of pipe making, so the switch to Lucite makes a big difference in making the lower price point feasible while not carving out exceptions to quality elsewhere.
“They’re really good quality stems that are very close to artisan specs, but it saves me multiple hours per pipe,” says Sean. “When I get one of the stems, they come to me 70% done. I still put a Delrin tenon in them…Most of the stems are getting completely reshaped to get the style of pipe that I'm going for.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sandblast Dublin
The cohesive style the Glacier brand embodies is distinguished from the primary Reum brand. This isn't to say the visual identity of Sean's work is obscured in the Glacier line, but that the sub-brand reflects a distinct approach designed with a specific audience in mind. This gets back to the difference between a seconds line and one conceived separate from the primary brand.
Reum handmades are generally on the petite side, often taking inspiration from the Danish pipe tradition. In contrast, Glacier pipes seem to gravitate toward larger sizes, with more representation from the classical and neo-classical schools.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sandblast Panel
“What I’ve found over the years is that most people who look at high grade pipes are surprised by how small they are in person," says Sean. "I wanted to appeal to the type of person who's not used to that. But still you can get the benefits of having an artisan made product…it’s just a totally different world of collecting, you know? So, a lot of these are bigger than I normally would make a pipe.”
Though separate from the primary brand, the Reum touch is evident in the Glacier pipes. The balance between the shape, finish, and accents to deliver a cohesive design that’s never too bland nor too busy is textbook Reum. From the satisfyingly craggy rustications to striking ring grains, Sean's exceptional craftsmanship is not at all lost in the Glacier line.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sandblast Chimney w/ acrylic band
There are stylish takes on some classics that especially catch my eye; a straight saddle bit whose half-circle shaped bowl seems to me a Billiard/Dublin hybrid, a Panel where the hard rigidness of the bowl gracefully melts into the lithe curve of the shank and stem, a sandblast Chimney whose dark stain allows the smooth, tan rim and blue acrylic band to pop.
Sean brought his originality to this batch for sure, but in the early days of Glacier pipes, I'm excited to see what else might be on the horizon for this venture.
In an industry full of companies whose histories stretch back ages,
BriarWorks have become an institution of modern pipe smoking in their little more than a decade of existence.
The operation out of Columbia, Tennessee offers a
line of pipe tobaccos, hosts the Muletown Pipe Show, and runs a smoking bar and lounge—but first and foremost, they are a tobacco pipe manufacturer that brings a fresh, artisan approach to the factory pipe. Cutting shapes with Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machinery before being finished by a reputable artisan pipe maker, BriarWorks is a business like none other.
One of these artisans is Pete Prevost, the current president and one of two BriarWorks founders.
Pete’s pipe journey began at eighteen when he and some friends explored a curiosity toward pipe smoking with some corn cob pipes and Captain Black. It wasn’t exactly a passion, but the interest grew with his first briar pipe a couple years later, an Italian second of some sort.
Eventually, Pete moved to Nashville to pursue his passion for music. Within a year, he joined the band Sanctus Real, launching a successful music career that included a Grammy nomination and extensive touring. It was in this pursuit that his interest in pipes was revitalized. Though he hadn’t smoked in a few years at this point, a pipe smoker at a party relit that curiosity.
“The next day I went and bought a nicer pipe and some good tobacco and then I was just hooked into it from that point on,” he tells me. “That was kinda the beginning of it all for me.”
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At this time, Pete was spending most of the year on tour. Many of his pipes were
estates found at antique stores and tobacco shops on the road. Then Pete and a bandmate got the idea to pass downtime on the road crafting their own pipes. A few of them ended up getting pipe kits, but when Pete’s arrived just before tour, he was too excited to wait.
“They had their kits and I showed up with a finished pipe. They’re like, what are you doing, man? I thought we were gonna make these pipes together. I’m like, I’m gonna order another one—it’s so fun.”
Pete and Todd Johnson link up
Through Nashville Pipe Club meetings, Pete came to befriend fellow musician and artisan pipe maker Jodie Davis, who helped guide the nascent carver. “He was like, you should come to my shop, I‘ll tell you how to drill a block, do it all yourself. I’ll tell you the basic tools you need to do it on the cheap, not investing a bunch of money yet, but it will help you out.”
The relationship was a great asset to Pete’s early growth, but since both men were career musicians spending much of the year on the road, time at home didn’t always overlap, so Jodie introduced Pete to his friend, Todd Johnson, another renowned pipe maker from whom Pete continued to learn.
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After a few years, Pete was established as a handmade carver, making a name in the community and attending pipe shows. Pipe making was still a part time gig, but in 2013, after having his second child, he felt it was time to get off the road.
“I didn’t know what I was going to do, but the idea of doing something in pipes as a profession was intriguing. I just didn’t think it was necessarily a wise move.”
That’s when Todd introduced the idea to Pete of collaborating on something special.
“Todd was like, hey, I really wanna do a factory-made pipe that hits on all the same levels as an artisan handmade. But we’ll start the bowls on machine, we’ll machine cut really consistent stems, and then we’ll hand finish them, and we’ll make a really good quality pipe that looks and feels and smokes just like a thousand-dollar pipe but at a fraction of that price.”
BriarWorks inception - a pipe for the Chinese market
The original idea for the venture is consistent with the spirit of what it became—an elevation of the factory pipe, finished with the thorough attention of artisan craftsmen. But in other ways, it changed wildly from the partners’ concept at the onset.
“The initial idea was not to make pipes for the US market,” says Pete. “Todd had a lot of collectors buying high-end pipes from him overseas in China, so initially we were gonna start a factory in China and it was gonna be pretty much for the Chinese market, because there was a huge pipe collection market that was happening out there. So, we weren't even gonna make them ourselves, we were gonna get the factory set up and have another guy work over there that was a partner in it and help operate it day to day. Then these pipes were gonna be distributed throughout Asia.“
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However, this concept didn’t play out as hoped. Pete and Todd would make trips to China, spending time to get the quality where they wanted it, but each time, the quality would drop once they left.
“So, we abandoned the project entirely and that’s when I said to Todd, I think that we should do this in the US, and we should oversee it…we should make a really good quality US pipe because frankly, there aren't really US factories anymore making good quality briar pipes.”
So, the partners brought the project home to the States.
Making BriarWorks viable
Reflecting on the issues with the Chinese factory, two things clearly needed to be addressed to make this idea viable. For one, shaping on a CNC machine would take a heuristic process before a net positive could be achieved in comparison to the fraising machine shaping of standard factory pipe making. Additionally, to achieve the quality they were aiming for, teaching those with no experience and who aren't invested in pipecraft wouldn’t do. They would need to have a more hands-on approach to overcome each of these concerns.
Fraising against the (CNC) machine
First off, sorry but the joke had to be made.
Shaping stummels with a CNC machine isn’t so novel today, but at the time, BriarWorks was among the first factory pipe operations to use the technology. The first machine used in the US operation was far from perfect, but was the first step toward the precision the factory is now capable of.
Pete and Todd have backgrounds in welding, so they took to making the frame and hardware themselves.
“Then we had a guy that actually built and did the electronic side of it and he ordered all the different motors and cutters and everything that goes into that. But it was crude. I mean, this first CNC machine, it wasn’t like what we’re using now. It cut ok but they were pretty rough. We would have been better off at that time using a fraising machine, because we were having to reshape these things significantly.”
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They realized something different was needed and worked with another engineer to build small, custom CNC machines. This improved the cuts, but they still felt things could be refined.
“We landed on our third machine and that was more of an off-the-shelf, robust CNC milling machine, but we said, let's build our own custom fixturing that can add that fourth axis and make it so we can actually make these shapes, fully drill them, all in one fell swoop on the machine. That was probably two years in, probably 2015 that we finally ended up with the machine we currently have.”
Artisan pipe makers are no stranger to modifying tools and finding creative solutions that work to the particularities of the craft—there’s no pipe maker aisle at Hobby Lobby or your local hardware store. It sounds to me like that crafty pipe marker gene was honed to bring this industrial tool into the pipe making niche.
Though BriarWorks was ahead of the curb in this method of pipe shaping, the industry has largely caught up. However, Pete will be the first to tell you that this isn’t what truly makes BriarWorks special. In fact, it’s the precision and consistency this method delivers that helps facilitate what is really exceptional about BriarWorks’ operation—the artisan finishing.
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The Artisan side
Operations in China failed in large part because the quality simply couldn’t be maintained without Pete and Todd’s consistent oversight. Setting up shop in Nashville allowed a more hands-on approach to ensure standards were met. However, the partners took things a step further, and in 2015 started recruiting artisan carvers with established reputations to join the team.
“Bill Shalosky who came from Ohio, a really respected carver—and then Micah Redmond who came up from Florida who's a respected carver as well, and Sam Adebyo was also a carver here. He did end up moving back to Chicago so he’s no longer part of BriarWorks, but Sam was an integral part in early years of BriarWorks, in helping to get where we were.”
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At this time, Todd, feeling accomplished in achieving what BriarWorks set out to create, stepped back from the company and went back to full time carving.
Finishing
“I think what makes BriarWorks really unique is we cut these bowls on a really consistent machine, but the real magic of the pipe happens with the carver who is finishing them,” says Pete.
Customarily, factory pipes will go through different hands for each step of the finishing process—sanding, staining, sandblasting or rustication, buffing, etc. This system works well for high volume production, and the repetition of a task certainly lends to a proficiency in that station. Still, there’s something to be said for one craftsman engaging a pipe through all stages of finishing, especially when that craftsman is a seasoned artisan with lots of handmade experience.
“They really put their thumb print on it in terms of the quality, the consistency. We all do things under the same process, but everybody does things a little bit differently just because we are artisan carvers in that way.”
It isn’t about a feeling that there is something wrong with traditional factory pipes. Pete sees the BriarWorks model as its own, fulfilling something niche that couldn’t exist at this price point if these were handmade from block to finished, but couldn’t exist at the quality and consistency they do if made in high volume.
“The quality is exceptional for the price you're paying for the pipe. I think that’s what makes us unique as opposed to some of the factories in the world, not that they’re not making good stuff, there are a lot of great factories out there…it's just our focus is a little different. We're not making 80,000 pipes a year like some of these factories, we're only making like 3-4,000 pipes a year, so our focus is completely different. We consider ourselves to be more of an artisan small-batch factory that focuses more on a lower production and a high quality.”
Collaboration
There’s no standard procedure for how a new
pipe shape or style gets integrated into the BriarWorks catalog.
Sometimes Pete decides they should bring on a new shape, and will carve a handmade prototype, which will be scanned. Then there’s some editing on the computer side so that the shape can be translated to code for the machine to run. Other times, he wants to make a truly classic shape especially balanced and consistent, so the shape is drawn out to the exact measurements off which a 3D model will be built and coded.
“There are different times for both, you know sometimes you want more of that organic, sort of handmade feel, where you don’t necessarily want it to be perfect, and then there are times with the classics, where you really want it to have the perfect, exact dimension look to it.”
One aspect of this artisan collective model that I was curious about was how contributing to the BriarWorks catalog works in light of the talent on board. I looked through the different shapes, wondering if themes might stick out that trace to one artisan's artistic style. But the overarching style is cohesive; not at all in a narrow or uninteresting way, but shows creative range under a unifying identity.
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BriarWorks’ design sees traditional shapes that often taking on modern aesthetics in the finishing, color combinations, and dimensions. This cohesiveness is likely due to the casual and fluid process by which shapes and styles are developed, allowing strengths of the individual artisans to come through without any rigid delegation of roles.
“As far as shape design goes, all of us who are carvers here have contributed different designs to the catalog. I do a lot of them but Micah has done some, Bill has done several as well. Bill has a really good eye for classics and so there have been many times when I've said, hey, you should make a classic bent Apple or whatever, and he’ll make a handmade that looks really nice and then that ends up becoming the shape for that line...I might design something that initially I think is gonna look great and then I'll take it to the other guys and say what do you think about this, I think something’s off, and they might critique it…and I’m like, oh yeah that looks better. So, there's a lot of verbal collaboration that happens and even deciding what kind of stem design we want on it or how long we want the stem to be. I think ultimately we all have a pretty good sense of what we feel looks good but sometimes you actually have to get in there and start making stuff.”
Sometimes a design will even be finalized and launched and one of the artisans will get the idea to try something else that the team will decide is better and integrates going forward.
“It's trial-and-error but there's definitely a lot of collaboration between all of us pipe makers here and it's a pretty organic process. I wouldn't say there's any particular set way of doing anything, each pipe comes about in its own unique way.”
As for BriarWorks’
stems, they’re all acrylic and are machine cut from rod stock. Adding to the artisan element of these pipes, they are made in collaboration with an Italian manufacturer using hand cut stems as a model as opposed to generic stock stems.
“We wanted them to as closely as we could have a very consistent button and dimensions and we wanted them to feel a little bit more like an artisan hand cut stem, so with all of our stem designs, we worked with the supplier and we supplied them with hand cut versions of all of the stems that we actually hand made. So they're our own unique designs.”
Move to Columbia, Tennessee
In 2018, Pete persued a larger vision for BriarWorks. A commitment to affordable, quality pipe making is and will always be the company's raison d'être, but Pete wanted to expand what this venture could be to the pipe smoking community—a brick-and-mortar, complete with a bar and lounge for pipe smokers to engage in the social side of this pastime that is so limited offline these days.
BriarWorks was located in an industrial Nashville district that wouldn't do for a retail destination. Pete looked to Columbia, Tennessee. On the outskirts of Nashville, Columbia is a historic town that was perfect for hosting the new BirarWorks HQ.
"It's really booming now," Pete tells me, "but at the time it was like, oh, there's some cool stuff happening in Columbia that could be cool for us to get it before things really take off. The idea was to create a destination spot for people and to be able to host our own pipe show."
In the 19th century, Columbia was known for their annual mule auction, a legacy which remains a cornerstone of the town's character. To avoid confusion with the 28 other Columbias in the US, BriarWorks took inspiration from this legacy and introduced the Mule Town pipe show, which has been an beloved tradition for many in the pipe community for four years now.
"It’s our way of contributing to the pipe community. We do this event annually in the spring and every year we've seen huge growth with it and this past March was our biggest year yet, we had over 600 people that came out from all over the country…It’s different from some of the other pipe shows that happen throughout the country. I think a large part of that is its inside of our factory…You've got your pipe show happening during the day time and after that's closed up for the day, everybody’s just hanging out in the lounge. It's our biggest weekend of the year and we're excited to see where it goes from here...its unique and a lot of fun."
It's exciting to see a
tobacco pipe company so committed to innovation and trying new ways of doing things, while dutifully committed to the values that resonate through the pastime—craftmanship and the joy of sharing in a smoke with fellow pipe smokers. We're proud to carry BriarWorks pipes and look forward to where they take this wonderful venture in it's second decade.
Per Jensen came to pipe tobacco blending as the second act of his career after decades on the pipe manufacturing side running the Georg Jensen Pipe Factory. As a master blender, he's brought his expertise to many beloved mixtures for nearly two decades, and now introduces the Blender's Collection—five tobaccos ready to be mixed as components or smoked alone.
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At
Mac Baren, Per developed the collection of modern classics that is the HH Series, expanded the Amphora line-up, created the Seven Seas line, and more. As head blender, he was responsible for maintaining some of the most historic mixtures in pipe tobacco today such as Capstan, St. Bruno, Three Nuns, and the classic Mac Baren mixtures, assuring the continuity of these legacies. More recently, he has collaborated with the Sutliff Tobacco Company on creative projects in the Birds of a Feather and Pipe Force series. It’s an impressive resume, but it was never really the plan.
Home mixing was something Per first observed in his father's home blend. "My father's blending formula depended on what our local grocery store had in stock," Per tells me. "If all was there, he used two tins of Three Nuns, one tin of Capstan Yellow, and one tin of Players Red. If Three Nuns were sold out, he used Dark Twist instead."
Per similarly did his fair share of hobbyist mixing, but once he found himself on the tobacco side of things as Mac Baren's product specialist, his bent for tinkering went from a casual—usually fruitless‚—interest, to something more earnest, nourished by that closeness with the tobacco, education around the blending process, and the passion it begot.
With the Blender's Collection, Per sought to offer some tools to nurture that predisposition for experimentation and exploration that is shared by many others in the pipe tobacco community, but with components that are well balanced and easy to work with. As he puts it, "the critical thing about Blender's Collections is that users cannot make big mistakes."
With the exception of one meant to bring an Aromatic quality to a blend, all of the tobaccos in the Per G. Jensen Blender's Collection feature no top flavoring and are minimally cased. They can be blended to strengthen, sweeten, or mellow an existing mixture according to your taste, or blended together as your own recipe. Also, they are well balanced to offer a pleasing smoking experience just as they are.
For this write up, I asked Per if he would send me two recipe recommendations using Blender's Collection components. So, I'll start by taking a look individually at each of the tobaccos in the series, before sharing my experience with the two recommended mixtures.
Virginia
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Bright and Red Virginia is pressed into a block and stored for at least one month. Then, it is cut and loosened into a Ready-Rubbed cut. Virginia serves as a solid foundation for various tobacco blends, reducing dryness and toning down strength when needed. Also, add some Virginia if you want to make a tobacco less aromatic.
The first tobacco in the Blender's Collection sees a mixture of bright and dark flue cured, as well as an air-cured Virginia variety, offering the essential Virginia character in a balanced blend.
The ready rubbed cut is sliced thin, showing a good deal of dark and reddish shade, but some noticeable bright flecks as well. It produces that Virginia sweetness, tang, and a light wood and grassiness providing a great foundation—not at all monotone when smoked unmixed, but not busy in such a way that would make it a cumbersome base. There’s also a herbal and lightly brown sugar note that comes through as I smoke. It isn’t without a bit of weight, not full bodied, but not thin and thus easily overtaken by more robust condimentals. It will do well to round out especially bold components, but on its own, still engages the palate in sinus.
Burley
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Most of this blend is Burley, with just a little Virginia added. Burley is excellent at minimizing bite and adding strength to a blend. If you have found a perfect aromatic but feel the strength is a little weak, add some Burley. Or, if you have a blend you find bites a little bit and you want to remove it, add some Burley.
Blender's Collection Burley is quite similar to the Virginia in presentation; ready rubbed with brown leaf of several shades. This component isn’t purely composed of the air cured leaf—it includes some Virginia for balance. The result is a mixture offering the quintessence of Burley, with a smooth delivery.
That familiar Burley nuttiness and sweet molasses are on display from the first light, backed by a light grassy accent. Blender's Collection Burley leans to the natural attributes of the air cured leaf. As I smoke, the darker woody notes alight, bringing a subtle weight to the palate.
Aromatic #4
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A delightful blend of Virginia, Burley, and Cavendish. With a higher Cavendish content, it offers a pleasant backdrop for blending with other tobaccos. Enjoy flavors of fruit, figs, sweet berries, and brown sugar when smoked straight. Perfect for enhancing the flavor of your tobacco blend or adding to create a stronger aromatic.
For Aromatic # 4, we have two exceptions within the collection—top flavoring and a ribbon cut. The cut is coarse, with a good representation of Black Cavendish holding that top flavoring.
Aromatic # 4 is a mixture of Virginia, Burley, and Black Cavendish, topped with a sweetening agent and fruit flavor that I find berry-like. But in general, the sort of miscellaneous flavor amalgam gives me the impression of a Danish style flavoring. The use of Virginia-based Cavendish probably lends to the impression, being the European tradition as opposed to the US tendency to put Burley through this process of creating Black Cavendish. The flavor is vibrant and offers a silky, lush smoke with an expected mild body.
Dark Fired Kentucky
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Made from large leaves smoked multiple times in a special barn after harvest and drying, Dark Fired Kentucky delivers high strength due to fewer leaves on the plant, concentrated nicotine, and a slightly smoky flavor. Perfect for adding strength, smokiness or removing a bite.
For full body and flavor, we have Dark Fired Kentucky. If you ask me, this and Virginia’s are Mr. Jensen’s forte. I think the Old Dark Fired and Bold Kentucky HH blends are some of his finest contributions.
The Blender’s Collection Dark Fired Kentucky reaffirms that grasp on bold flavor and body. The dark ready rubbed offers a robust, flavorful smoke that can bring a smokey sensation to a profile, while buttressing a mixture with its assertive, earthy body. The mesquite and meaty character is joined by balancing sweetness, making this one of the more complex mixtures in its own right among the series. A good helping of this in your mixture will really beef it up, but even a small ratio of 5-10% will offer layers and some more weight.
Bold & Strong
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A unique blend of Virginia, Burley, and Rustica, pressed and cut into a Ready-Rubbed style. Experience earthy, leathery, woody, and herbal notes. High in nicotine, it easily enhances tobacco strength. Add natural herbal, earthy, and spicy flavors to your tobacco with Bold & Strong.
The naming on this one couldn't be more straight forward. It's bold, and boy, it's strong. This last component sees the notoriously powerful Rustica balanced with Virginia and Burley, offering a component that will really stiffen up a mixture. I would put the strength on this one a few ticks beyond Dark Fired Kentucky, but one place it differs is in the fullness of flavor. No doubt, there is a good deal of flavor—it's rare that a hefty blend doesn't seem to convey taste vividly—but it's more textural. I find Rustica has a slight vegetative stalkiness and a BBQ aspect of its own, but more to the earthy charred side as opposed to Kentucky's meaty smokiness and floralness.
As strength can often be the vehicle for how flavor expressed, Bold & Strong makes for a great base to build a hefty blend off of (bearing in mind a little goes a long way), or perhaps one worth experimenting with introducing in small ratio to a mixture that you like but just needs that oomph.
Per's recommended blends
The most you will need of any one tobacco for these mixtures is 25g, so getting the tobaccos at the one ounce minimum (just over 28g) will suffice for mixing both of these. However, you might want a little more to try isolated. Also, you should think of these as good templates to start from, but you may want more so you can mess with the ratios as you fine tune to your taste.
Of course, you could also just bring the ratio down on each, but it's pretty convenient to do 50g totals.
Note: You can absolutely mix these to smoke right away, but I recommend you jar some to try once the components have a little time to marry, especially if you fine tune to something that really appeals to your palate.
Mixture # 1
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Premixed top to bottom: Virginia, Aromatic #4, Burley
Tobacco
%
Grams
Virginia
50
10
Burley
20
15
Aromatic # 4
30
25
Lighting up, a woody, vegetative base seems to come together between the Virginias and Burley, with the light hint of that Burley cocoa lingering. There's a warm, beady quality that the mixture offers. I also note an enjoyably muted caramel sweetness, likely brought out between the creamy sweet Cavendish, Burley, and toppings.
Even smoked by itself, I find Aromatic #4 to be on the mild to medium side in terms of flavoring—decidedly Aromatic, but not cloying or heavily topped. So, its contributions to this blend, while palpable, offer complementing harmonies. On that continuum of Aromatic-ness, the mixture is on the light side.
If the flavorful Aromatic quality with some body and nuance is what you’d like, you could certainly stand to up the Aromatic # 4 ratio here, but if you want those aspects with more of a nod to the creamy, fruity notes of # 4, Per’s recipe here seems perfect for just that.
Mixture #2
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Premixed top to bottom: Virginia, Dark Fired Kentucky, Bold & Strong
Tobacco
%
Grams
Bold & Strong
20
25
Dark Fired Kentucky
30
10
Virginia
50
15
The woody, earthy, BBQ character from the Bold & Strong and Dark Fired Kentucky offer a wealth of flavor, but they are nicely elevated by the sweetness of the Virginias. The Virginias tame the boldness without “watering down” the flavor, and its own breadiness and tang nicely harmonizes with the more forward notes.
That taming is of course in the context of the intensity of the Kentucky or Bold & Strong, not at all to say the mixture is mellowed to a great extent. It placates the rougher qualities, but I would still call this a medium to full bodied and flavored tobacco. That fullness is emphasized in the sensory experience—an engaging piquancy on the palate, as well as the peppery pinch and earthy floralness in the sinus.
Whether you're looking for some mixing components or exceptional blends at affordable bulk prices, the Per G. Jensen Blender's Collection offers some fantastic options to explore. If you do mix your own, we'd love to hear what you put together over at the Tobacco Reviews forum!
In the world of
premium cigars, few brands have made as impactful a debut as Knuckle Sandwich. Born from a collaboration between celebrity chef Guy Fieri and renowned cigar maker Erik Espinosa, this brand combines Fieri's larger-than-life personality and passion with Espinosa's deep-rooted expertise and respect for the craft.
Since its inception, Knuckle Sandwich has offered a range of cigars that brings quality and craftmanship through exceptional flavor. From its first bold releases to its special edition lines, Knuckle Sandwich has quickly become a notable name in the cigar world, celebrating milestones and blending distinguished profiles for aficionados and novices alike.
Guy Fieri - from the kitchen to the cigar shop
Guy Fieri’s rise to fame began in 2006 when he competed in the second season of
The Next Food Network Star. Not only did he win, but, as recognized by the New York Times in 2010, he became the face the Food Network. However, looking back, that victory was just the starting point for a career that extends far beyond the kitchen.
Known for his trademark bleached hair and high-energy personality, Fieri quickly became a household name, thanks in part to his wildly successful show,
Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. This reality series, where Fieri highlights hidden gems of American comfort food, solidified his position as one of the country’s most recognizable food personalities.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Knuckle Sandwich Maduro Robusto
Over the years, he’s launched several successful restaurant ventures and expanded his entrepreneurial reach. But Fieri's interests extend beyond the culinary world. In 2019, he ventured into the spirits industry with Santo Tequila, a collaboration with Sammy Hagar of Van Halen. And now, he’s bringing his passion for cigars to life through Knuckle Sandwich.
Introducing a premium cigar was a project Fieri had wanted to pursue for some time, but the idea was met with apprehension when floated to his agents. Fieri’s style may be alternative, but as one of if not the most recognizable celebrity chef, his success is certainly mainstream. The idea of Fieri venturing into cigars gave pause to his team due to the stigma on all things tobacco. But for Fieri, it’s not about finding the product that sells and attaching to it, it’s about a hands on endeavor with something he’s passionate about. Thus, he persisted, and in 2020, Fieri met with the lauded cigar maker Erik Espinosa, proposing what would become Knuckle Sandwich Cigars.
Erik Espinosa - a leader in cigars
Born in Havana, Cuba, Erik Espinosa immigrated to the United States with his family when he was just three months old. His introduction to the world of cigars came early, influenced by his father, who was deeply rooted in the cigar industry. Over time, Erik built an impressive resume, working as a broker for some of the biggest names in the business, including
Drew Estate and Alec Bradley. His first significant venture into cigar production came in 2003 when he co-founded E/O Brands-United Tobacco with Eddie Ortega, a brand that was eventually acquired by Rocky Patel.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Knuckle Sandwich Habano Robusto
Espinosa’s entrepreneurial spirit didn’t stop there. He went on to establish
Espinosa Cigars and opened the renowned La Zona factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. As the years passed, his star continued to rise within the cigar industry, earning him a place among the modern cigar elite. Espinosa’s success isn’t just due to his deep knowledge of tobacco and the art of cigar-making; it’s also a reflection of his integrity and reverence for the craft. For him, cigars aren’t merely a business—they’re a tradition, a passion, and a heritage passed down through generations. Given this ethos, he isn't one to take on a pet project of a celebrity just to throw a name on a product—but such a cigar was ever part of Fieri's vision.
Development of Knuckle Sandwich cigars
It’s this respect that made Espinosa apprehensive about developing a cigar with Fieri. He respected Fieri for his work in the food industry and as an ambassador for cigars in the mainstream. He just didn’t think celebrity cigar's work, because too often, it’s about putting one's name on something, diversifying or spreading a personal brand. Absent is the passion for the product or drive to promote. It isn't enough to do some social media posts and a photo op or two, one needs to be involved in the industry, attending events, talking to real people, showing them that passion. But Fieri leveled with Espinosa.
“I did my research on you, but apparently you didn’t do your research on me,” says Espinosa in an
interview with Eat Drink Smoke, recalling Fieri's rebuttal to his concerns. “[Fieri&91; said, I don’t do nothing half ass, if I don’t do it the right way, I don’t do it at all.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut Short Churchill
True to his word, Fieri attended the trade shows, showed his ambassadorship for not just the brand, but cigars in general. Even before joining the industry, Fieri never made an effort to hide his love for a good smoke, often seen with cigar in hand. He is a member of Cigar Rights of America, and does promotional events while on the road filming his shows.
Fieri’s sincerity in this venture is not just reflected in his promotion of it, he was also hands on in the development of the Knuckle Sandwich blends. The first two blends that would launch the series were developed over 18 months, during which Fieri would smoke through samples, offering his own feedback. If the ambassadorship weren't enough, it was through this process that Espinosa also came to respect and trust in Fieri's taste for cigars, maybe not so much a surprise for the mayor of Flavortown.
The Knuckle Sandwich throws its first punch
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Knuckle Sandwich core line
The Knuckle Sandwich brand made a memorable debut at the 2022
Great Smoke event, introducing their blend in two wrappers—habano (Ecuador Havana) and maduro (Ecuador Sumatra). Both cigars share a Nicaraguan binder and filler, offering a rich smoking experience rooted in rich flavor. These cigars were initially released in three sizes: Corona Gorda (5 ⅝ x 46), robusto (5 x 52), and toro (6 x 54). In August 2023, a larger gordo (6 x 60) size was added to the lineup, expanding the choices for fans of these two flagship blends.
Not long after, the Knuckle Sandwich range grew further with the addition of the Connecticut line. Wrapped in an Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf, this cigar features a Nicaraguan Jalapa binder and Nicaraguan filler, offering a smoother, milder profile compared to its bolder counterparts. Launched at the
Tobacco Plus Expo in February 2023, the Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut is available in robusto (5 x 50), box-pressed short churchill (6 ½ x 48), and toro (6 x 54).
The Chef's Special
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Knuckle Sandwich Chef's Special 2024 Toro
Before the release of the Connecticut line, Knuckle Sandwich saw its first special edition with the introduction of the Chef’s Special. Debuting at the 2022
PCA Show, the Chef Special made an impact with its unique 6 ½ x 52 figurado shape. This limited-edition cigar featured Nicaraguan binder and filler, wrapped in a striking habano rosado leaf from Ecuador.
In 2023, the Chef’s Special returned, this time with a slight name change—
Chef’s Special—alongside a modified wrapper. The new version kept the figurado vitola but swapped the wrapper for an Ecuadorian Sumatra, offering a new spin on the blend while maintaining the brand’s commitment to exceptional flavor.
For 2024, the label returned again, but with an entirely new presentation: a 6 x 54 toro oval. This time, the cigar featured a Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper, adding a darker and more intense flavor profile to the evolving Chef’s Special series.
Fifty-Five and Fifty-Six
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Knuckle Sandwich 56 Toro Oval
In February 2023, Knuckle Sandwich launched its next special edition release: the Knuckle Sandwich Fifty-Five. This cigar was crafted to celebrate Guy Fieri’s birthday, and was seen as an opportunity to honor one year of the Knuckle Sandwich brand.
The cigar’s unique robusto oval shape—pressed into a 5 ⅕ x 55 size—stood out for its distinctive form, marking it as a special addition to the Knuckle Sandwich lineup.
In 2024, the brand followed up with the Fifty-Six, a larger version measuring 6 x 56. While the vitola changed, the blend remained the same, offering cigar enthusiasts the same experience in a new format, with the larger size adding another dimension to the smoking experience.
2023 Prix Fixe sampler
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Knuckle Sandwich 2023 Prix Fixe
The 2023
PCA Trade Show saw the debut of another limited-edition release from Knuckle Sandwich—the Prix Fixe Sampler. This unique offering provided a special take on the brand’s core blends, presenting three cigars in a 5 x 58 Salomon vitola. The sampler included one cigar each wrapped in the maduro, habano, and Connecticut leaves, allowing enthusiasts to experience all three blends in a limited-edition figurado format. This release offered a refined way to explore the full range of Knuckle Sandwich’s regular production cigars, packaged together for a premium experience.
Knuckle Sandwich has established itself as a remarkable player in the premium cigar market, merging celebrity influence from an authentic champion of cigars with genuine craftsmanship. With each release, from the foundational habano and maduro blends to the refined Connecticut and special editions, the brand has demonstrated a commitment to eschew gimmick and pursue the flavor and quality that Fieri and Espinosa look for in a premium cigar. As the partners continue to innovate and expand their offerings, Knuckle Sandwich stands as a testament to the exciting possibilities that arise when passion meets expertise in the world of cigars.
In the world of pipes, Ashton stands out with a devotion to tradition and craftsmanship. Their story begins with William "Bill" Taylor, a determined young man whose curiosity led him to an apprenticeship at Dunhill where he honed his skills and passion for pipemaking. Paired with the business acumen of David Field, the two launched Ashton in the early 1980s, renewing a reverence for classic British pipe design.
We will explore Ashton’s rich history, from its origins to its modern-day legacy that continues under Jimmy Craig.
In 1959, Bill was a 15 year old engineering student on track for a job at the Ford Motor Company when a curiosity for pipemaking got the better of him. He found himself making a cold drop-in at the nearby Dunhill Factory to inquire about a position.
The management at Dunhill was apprehensive. Apprenticeships were laborious and thorough, and many with the whimsical notion that pipemaking would be a fun gig underestimated its demands, nevermind that they wouldn’t even be carving a pipe until well into the apprenticeship; a point most didn’t make it to. However, Bill convinced them of his determination to learn, and he was given a chance, dramatically changing the trajectory of his life.
At the time, Dunhill’s apprenticeship took the aspiring pipemaker backwards through the pipemaking process—from shipping to briar block—so one could understand the breadth of skills they would be expected to learn. This pedagogy changed shortly after Bill’s hiring in favor of a more specialized training, immersing the apprentice in one niche of the process.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Bill shaping a stem - 1996
This meant Bill started in the shipping room, working his way back through the each step. Much of his early tasks revolved around the stereotypical “grunt work” of an intern—sweeping and errands and such—but in his proximity to the craftsmen, his fascination only grew. He would bring home rejected bowls and stems to study and experiment with. His passion didn’t go unnoticed, and he was mentored by the old guard. From shaping, to crafting stems from rod stock, to finishing, Bill developed his White-Dot-worthy skillset.
For about 17 years, Bill was hands-on in the pipe making process, the last decade or so as a supervisor, before being promoted to product management in 1977. In his management role, Bill was also an ambassador of sorts, leading pipemaking demonstrations at Dunhill shops, where he would take attendees through the entire pipemaking process, ending with a finished pipe stamped “Taylor Made.” Bill would do similar events long after leaving Dunhill, a testament to how much he enjoyed connecting with the community.
It was at one of these demonstrations that Bill met David Field, and this is where the Ashton story truly starts to come together.
Bill and David join forces
David Field was a Dunhill principal pipe dealer in the United States when he happened upon Bill’s demonstration in a London department store. Though also importing and distributing other brands, the British classics held a special place for David. He was a collector himself. In fact, it was his dedication as a collector that organically led to his profession in pipes.
In the late 1970s, David began placing classified ads for pipes in local papers, especially Dunhill, Charatan, and Barlings. He wasn’t even aware that his seemingly eccentric interest was shared by so many others; that is, until another collector introduced him to The Pipe Smoker’s Ephemeris.
Field became immersed in the recently discovered pipe community, often selling pipes from his collection that he was willing to part with to other collectors. But as the relationships grew, he learned about the other schools of pipe design and gleaned the trends in shapes and styles through his peers' tastes. He began to seek out the brands of the infamous Italian firms, knowing some on his mailing list would be interested. It is in this way that David Field the collector stumbled into the business side. All of this to say, David’s professional aspirations were fueled by a genuine passion.
Since David was always looking for talented pipe makers, he was delighted to come across Bill’s demonstration.
”Watching Bill work that early winter’s day I thought - this man’s got real talent,” David writes in The Ashton Pipe Story. “I can put his work in any of the top pipe shops in our country and it’ll sell.”
The two hit it off at the event. Upon returning to the States, David decided to extend a proposition; with Bill’s craftsmanship, David’s knowledge and connections in the US market, and their mutual reverence for the classics, they should introduce a new brand, reinvigorating the British pipe tradition with a return to form.
Not knowing Bill's address, David sent the letter to the Dunhill factory. The workshop director opened it and nearly canned Bill. After assuaging the director, Bill retrieved the letter from the trash that evening and called David. With some convincing, the two men hung up as partners.
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From the 1920s through the mid-20th century, the classical shapes of traditional British and French pipe design were in vogue. But in the twilight of conservative shaping’s popularity, the neoclassical Italian styles presented by Castello and Caminetto gained traction, reimagining the poise and sophistication of the classics with lithe, artful interpretations. The envelope was pushed further with the minimalist creativity of the Danish freehand that captivated through the ‘60s and ‘70s.
The trends are always coming and going, evolving and recycling. In ‘79, Queen was paying homage to The King with a crazy little thing called rockabilly. The same year we got the first Ashton pipe, Billy Joel released An Innocent Man with such tracks as “Longest Time” and “Uptown Girl”, because the 80s doo-wop nostalgia was more than just catching grease lightnin’ in a bottle. Well, Bill and David believed the pipe world was ripe for a classical British revival. So, they sought to introduce a new brand that honored the meticulous craftsmanship pioneered by Dunhill, while innovating within the tradition.
As David put it, “We both wanted conservative shapes and a majority of them to be in the sandblast finish, but we also wanted something more: a real oil-curing process and more handwork, the way it was done in the 1930s through the 1950s.. And we wanted the pipes to look like they had been hand worked; personality was our goal, not perfection.”
Early Ashton Pipes
They had the vision, but now the partners had to bring it into being. For starters, what would give this pipe an identity?
First they had to land on a name. As David recalls, the name wasn’t really connected with anything, the two were just brainstorming on the phone one evening and seemed to get caught on the letter A. After a few ideas were thrown out, the men divined “Ashton!” in harmony. With the company's success, Bill would even come to change his name to William Ashton-Taylor.
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Wanting Ashton to have its own identifying mark, Bill proposed an inlay dot on the stem, similar to Dunhill’s White Spot, which was already the inspiration for many similar accents in other brands, but with Ashton’s own distinguishing detail. The inlay was briar, enwreathed in a silver ring. Elegant, simple, and memorable.
The first Ashton pipe was made in 1983, but only 31 were finished in the first year. In early 1984, after much rumination and discussion between the partners, Bill decided to take a chance and leave Dunhill to pursue Ashton Pipes full-time.
Distinguishing Ashton
Bill was very particular about the briar used for Ashtons. He began traveling to Italy twice a year to handpick blocks from the sawmills. He found qualities about the blocks based on where they were harvested that leaned into different preferences—Calabrian briar made for wonderful smooth finishes, while Tuscan briar was sourced for sandblasts.
Paramount to Ashton’s embrace of the traditional methods was the importance placed on seasoning briar. Oil curing stummels was likely first practiced by Dunhill in 1915, but Bill developed his own method.
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The stummels were heated for eight hours, steeped for just as long in three oils, then put on heated pegs for two weeks, sweating out the oils and other residues. But that’s just the basics of it. Much like I could tell you how to make corned beef, but not like mom used to make, Bill’s process was tuned with a personal touch.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. 1986 Ashton Pebble Grain
Then there’s the touchstone of English finishing—the sandblast. For lack of equipment, sandblasting was done out-of-house in the first year of production. But of course, sandblasting was a crucial part of achieving the aesthetic envisioned, so it had to be done inhouse. Securing a compressor-style blaster, Ashton introduced the Pebble Grain finish, a deep and tactile sandblast that garnered attention early on from appreciators of the classic English blasts.
Bill applied his ingenuity and appreciation for sandblasts further with the development of his Pebble Shell style, which he patented in 1987. For an especially craggy finish, Bill would use a cappuccino machine to steam the briar, raising the soft grain. He then rusticated the soft grain before finally blasting the whole stummel. The process was so involved this wasn’t done often, making these particularly special pieces.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Ashton Pebble Shell Dublin
Bill initially used Vulcanite or Brindle (or Cumberland as some call it) for his stems. Before shaping stems from Vulcanite, he would boil the rods for three hours before cutting to remove sulfur, minimizing the potential for oxidation.
However, Bill introduced another stem material in the 1990s, Ashtonite. There's little information as to the specifics of this material—I’ve heard plexiglass or a mixture thereof. Whatever it was, the idea was that this material was soft like vulcanite but not prone to oxidizing like acrylic.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Ashton Carved Rhodesian
Since I’ve belabored the English standard shapes’ influence on Ashton pipes, I should also acknowledge that you don’t have to search the web for Ashtons very long before coming across some quirky shapes. While Bill’s work is often recognized for its embrace of neglected traditions of English pipemaking, to truly appreciate the dynamism of his artistry, we should note how he elaborated on the tradition with delightfully offbeat shapes.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Northern Briar - Spiral shank and Urchin shape
I get a sense that the second wave of British pipemaking found more license to go outside the lines in a post-Danish freehand world. But somehow, even these more curious shapes seem to have a poise that fits right in with the classical school. I find it still in the work of Ian Walker of Northern Briars, a torchbearer of English pipecraft today. Along with a catalog of distinguished classical shaping, some paradoxical fusion of conservatism and whimsy is alive in the odd spiral shank or his signature Urchin shape.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Sid Cooper
Ashton never had more than a few employees at one time, but Bill certainly wasn’t going it alone on the manufacturing side. Most notably were bowl turners Frank Lincoln and Sid Cooper, the only full time employees. Lincoln was another ex-Dunhill maker who worked with Bill from the early years until poor health led to his departure in the early 1990s. Cooper would turn bowls into the early 2000s.
Further branding
Through David's business acumen and connections, the reputation Ashton carries also reached into premium cigars and pipe tobacco. In the mid-1980s, Robert Levin, the owner of Holt's Cigars, was looking to develop and introduce his own brand. "[David&91; came to me and asked me to name my brand Ashton," Robert told Cigar Aficionado in a 1996 interview. "He said that would build brand recognition for the pipe, for the cigar, and they would come out with some other products. He thought that would be the best way to do it. I didn't want to do it. He talked me into it. So we came out with Ashton cigars."
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. 2006 ad for Ashton Pipe Tobaccos
Ashton cigars are celebrated smokes to this day, as are the several Ashton pipe tobaccos that David facilitated the development of. They would be manufactured by McClelland, McConnell, and now Kohlhase & Kopp. Noteworthy among them is the Nightcap-esque Artisan's Blend, a bold, smokey English with a Perique punch.
Robert bought the Ashton name from Bill in 1992.
Not only did Bill and David find great success with Ashton pipes, but there efforts successfully leant to the renewed appreciation for the classics, as British contemporaries James Upshall (Ken Barnes and Barry Jones), Ferndown (Les Wood), and others made the scene.
But as time went on, demand became greater, such that it was difficult for Bill to keep up with production. In 2003, the partners amicably split, with Bill continuing to run Ashton at a smaller scale.
Sadly, Bill began experiencing health complications in the mid-2000s. He continued to work with the help of Jimmy Craig, another Dunhill alumnus and long time collaborator, having done metalwork for Ashton from the early years of the firm.
Bill unfortunately passed in 2009, leaving behind a cherished legacy that lives on with the passing of Ashton to Mr. Craig.
Jimmy Craig and modern Ashton
In 1974, Jimmy started working at Dunhill as a silversmith. Though the exhaustive apprenticeship Bill went through was no longer the standard, Jimmy was also trained in various pipe-making processes to fill his time when metalwork was slow, broadening his pipemaking skillset.
The metalwork department was run by Les Wood, the artisan who would eventually start Ferndown pipes. In 1979, Dunhill proposed that Wood buy all the smithing tools and machinery and set up a shop doing metalwork on contract. Partnering with Jimmy, the two create L&J Silverware. In addition to Dunhill, the independent outfit secured contracts with other brands such as Charatan, Cadogan, Upshall, and upon Bill’s departure from Dunhill, Ashton pipes. In fact, Bill’s first workshop when he started Ashton was leased from Les Wood and was next to the L&J Silverware shop.
After a few years, Jimmy went on to own a jewelry store, but continued to do banding for pipemakers on the side. He would also work on Ashton pipes part time every once and a while. Jimmy explains to Brian Levine in an interview on the Pipes Magazine Radio Show:
“Well, I was always sort of helping him out—stem work and things like that—but when he started to become ill, I offered to come help him out a couple of days a week…and as he got more ill, then I became more and more involved, so much so that I had to shut the jewelry shop down and was full-time making the pipes, and looking after Bill as well.”
Since taking over the brand in 2009, Jimmy has kept the spirit of Ashton pipes alive and well. With his Dunhill-trained background and his time working with Bill, Jimmy continues to craft Ashton’s in the tradition Bill established, while covering new ground in that same spirit of reverence for the past while exploring new outlets for creativity.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Ashton Brindle Bent Dublin
For instance, he’s introduced some brindle stems whose color patterns stand out with particular vibrancy and contrast, though the subtler, classic Cumberland and black vulcanite are still well accounted for in the modern Ashton production.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Ashton Claret Bulldog
He also introduced the Claret finish, which sees a satisfying sandblast boldly coated in a scarlet stain, seemingly taking influence from the Dunhill Red Bark line early production.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Ashton Pebble Grain Bulldog
I don’t believe Jimmy continued Pebble Shell finish, though it doesn't seem Bill made many himself in the years leading up to his passing. From what I can deduce from archived estate listings for Pebble Shells around the web, many were made in 2001 and became exceedingly rare thereafter. I could find two from 2002, one 2008, and one 2009 that was stamped “JC”, a marking used on some of the early Jimmy Craig pipes near the transition. So, perhaps there are some outliers out there, but Jimmy still brings excellent blasts in the current Pebble Grain Ashtons.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Ashton Sovereign Dublin
Jimmy also continues to produce the occasional Ashton Sovereign—smooth pipes with a natural finish. However, he has retained Bill’s high standards for the grain and briar quality that is worthy of the Sovereign stamp, making them quite special.
Ashton stands as a testament to the timeless artistry and dedication of its creators. From Bill Ashton-Taylor’s devotion to the old ways to the brand’s flourishing under Jimmy Craig, Ashton has continuously upheld the tradition of British pipemaking while embracing innovation. The passion that Bill and David Field poured into the brand lives on, ensuring that Ashton remains a cherished name among collectors and enthusiasts. As the brand evolves, it carries forward a rich legacy, one that honors its roots while continuing to explore.
We’ve made it to the last installment, the final frontier of the Pipe Force hexalogy (like a trilogy, but six. Admittedly, a word I just looked up).
But of course, we end on Episode III, greeted by the cephalopodic scowl of Lieutenant General Marshall.
It’s been a treat to get familiar with these mixtures built around novel ingredients. So, now let’s dig into one last blend to cap off the series’ whose voyage began a year and a half ago with a pipe smoking panel and six new blends.
Sutliff- Pipe Force Episode III - Lieutenant General Marshall
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Stoved and Red Virginia give a naturally sweet, tangy, woody foundation. The hearty Rustica leaf has been hot-pressed and stoved for the first time. The process slightly tempers the bold tobacco and imparts a floral note, but still, the robust character is not lost, bringing body to the smoke. A portion of Dark-fired Kentucky then offers a mesquite spice to the mixture.
All the details of the series can be found in our blog—A Closer Look at Sutliff's Pipe Force—but to briefly summarize, this is the second collection that sees the Sutliff Tobacco Company in collaboration with master blender Per Georg Jensen. The thread running through each of the Pipe Force blends is the use of at least one of two unique tobaccos, Stoved Katerini and Stoved Rustica. If interested, I wrote about my impression of these varietals smoked unblended in the Episode IV Tobacco File.
The Oriental sub-varietal and the notoriously potent Nicotiana rustica go through the stoving process of steam, heat, and pressure. Unprecedented for these tobaccos, it's brought about some very interesting profiles to explore. For Episode III, we have just one of these components, Stoved Rustica. It's joined by Stoved and Red Virginias, and spiced with Dark Fired Kentucky.
Pre-smoke
I crack the tin and find a classic Sutliff crumble cake, thin in a “slab” cut as I call it. The color is medium to dark brown with light mottling of bright leaf. The tin note is earthy BBQ, a light prune-y sweetness, and some acidity. It's not so pungent, but bolder than I remember from the sample I've smoked (all six blends were available in a sample pack at the 2023 Chicago Pipe Show and later events).
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Pipe Force Episode III rubs out easily, just as you’d expect from a Sutliff cake. The coarse cut exposes more dark and red leaf than the surface of the pressed slab seemed to present.
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It’s a little moist to the touch, which is something I’ve come to prefer with these cakes. They usually don’t end up with too finicky a burn, and when they do, it’s as simple as a little drying time. However, the moisture seems to help the cake stay together and prevent already loose tobacco from breaking down to dusty "shake" when jostling around in the tin. Then again, if a recently opened tin doesn't live a good couple of weeks in a backpack you take most everywhere, you may not relate.
For the last time, I packed my Georg Jensen De Luxe S779, as has been tradition, for an inaugural Pipe Force bowl.
Lighting up
Consistent throughout my notes for Pipe Force Episode III are mentions of berry skin, lemon zest, spice, and a floralness that’s dark and woody. There’s not a lot of brightness but nuances come through.
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The bold Kentucky does give a subtle, hickory smokiness, some smokes more noticeable than others. Despite the notable body and dark notes, the delivery is smooth. The Stoved leaf and Reds seem to bring a mellow sweetness, and the Red Virginia tang wades about, but I don’t get the vinegar acidity often found in Sutliff’s Reds, such as 515 RC-1 or their Crumble Kake. I know some find it sharp but I'm personally a fan of that vibrant vinegar character, however, it’s well represented in the Sutliff catalog, and I like that it wasn’t leaned into for this particular blend.
The Stoved Rustica and Kentucky are natural harmonizers. The former is a hearty foundation to the flavorful woody, Kentucky spice. I don’t know that the Rustica is behind a lot of the flavor, but there’s an umami chewiness that I get the sense is brought out somewhere between the two bold tobaccos, and I think the Rustica accentuates that hickory, BBQ side.
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As has been the case for much of the Pipe Force series, Episode III is a pretty stout offering, certainly bolstered by the Stoved Rustica. Though the stoving process rounds and mellows some, it’s all relative, and we’re starting with a leaf with notably higher nicotine content, even compared to a more robust Red Virginia or Dark Burley. A little goes a long way.
For Episode III, some bowls have been more rewarding than others, as is expected, but the only underwhelming smokes were out of especially small chambers. I just don’t get the flavor so much, and the strength feels more distracting as opposed to a feature of a full smoke. But when smoked in something more sizable, it’s rather consistent for a decently complex blend. My capacious Peterson Sherlock Holmes Hansom delivered an especially long, satisfying smoke.
As for the smoking properties, I definitely find a little drying time to be my preference. Right out the tin isn’t all that finicky, but for me, a good ten minutes of sitting out and the pack smolders perfectly with a more open profile.
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I’m getting acquainted with a new Meerschaum pipe, and have had several bowls of Episode III in it, and it really brings out the sweetness and dark fruit aspects.
Until next time...
And that's curtains for the Pipe Force series. A bittersweet release, but hopefully you found some gems in the bunch and put a few in the cellar for more delightful smokes to come.
Will there be a third Per Jensen Signature series? Well, it remains to be seen, but here's to hoping. Either way, we have some great seasonal mixtures coming up for the Tobacco File—look out for a very special Cringle Flake 2024, especially for you fans of straight Red Virginia.
As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos? Please send 'em my way—gregr@tobaccopipes.com
Krampusnacht goes live on Tuesday, November 19th at 12 pm EST (TobaccoPipes.com exclusive)
Cringle Flake will be available on December 3rd at 6 pm EST.
It’s that time of year again—the holidays are upon us and with them, the festive mixtures that mark the season for many pipe smokers. Among them is the
Sutliff Cringle Flake tradition. Since 2019, Sutliff has been making this special Christmas blend that highlights the beloved Red Virginia. With changing vintages through the years and different approaches to the blend, Sutliff has made a creative endeavor of Cringle Flake.
Previous Cringle Flakes:
2019
Matured Red Virginia (age not specified)
2020
2010 Stoved Red Virginia, 2003 Perique
2021
2000 Stoved Red Virginia, 2003 Perique
2022
2000 Stoved Red Virginia, 2003 Perique
2023
2013 Red Virginia, Stoved Katerini, 2003 Perique
This year's recipe offers a mix of two vintages—2000 US and 2010 Canadian flue cured.
Last year, we also saw a very limited TobaccoPipes.com exclusive,
Krampusnacht, released as a pure Red Virginia flake companion to Cringle Flake. Now, both Krampusnacht and Cringle Flake return as straight Virginias. This is the first time Cringle Flake has been a straight Virginia since the first iteration in 2019.
The 2024 offerings are not the same as last year’s Krampusnacht. Unlike last year, Krampusnacht is an alternative packaging of Cringle Flake, but they are the same blend. I'll refer to the blend as Cringle Flake through this Tobacco File, but my notes apply to both.
Krampusnacht will again be an extra limited TobaccoPipes.com exclusive, going live on Tuesday, November 19th at 12 pm EST. Cringle Flake will be available on December 3rd at 6 pm EST.
Worth noting before we begin—the 2010 Canadian flue-cured, which is one of two Red Virginia vintages to grace the 2024 Cringle Flake, is actually old McClelland stock that Sutliff received from Mike McNiel some years back. Of course, Mike and Mary McNiel brought a certain magic to their Red Virginias through scrupulous dedication. Much of that magic was no doubt accounted for in their guarded processing methods. But sourcing fine raw leaf was paramount to the renowned Virginia blends' success as well.
Pre-smoke
I break the seal and remove the top to find the brown flakes, which have a golden, honey hue to them
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Cringle Flake 2024
The tin note is subtle. Getting close to the flakes, that vinegar note is there very slightly. Don’t expect
515 RC-1 or Red VA Crumble Kake acidity. This is far more mild. All in all, it’s not a tin note that jumps out at you.
Rubbing it out is no great chore, and because we’re dealing with pressed and sliced whole leaf, the resulting ribbons keep as long strands, not coarse bits that I get from breaking down Sutliff crumble cake slabs. I notice more red tones in the loose tobacco.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Cringle Flake 2024 in Wessex estate pipe
For those that found 2023 Cringle Flake to be more dry than they’d like on arrival, 2024 should be perfect. Hydrated and springy, but far from moist. Good to pack right away to me.
Lighting up
Usually I’ll go into preferences for bowl sizes and all those factors after basic profile notes, but after trying several different pipes, I’m really only smoking Cringle Flake 2024 in my wider chambered pipes. As someone who leans toward smaller pipes, my “wider” may be most folks’ average, but let’s say around 20mm inside diameter.
I open with that because usually my preferences like this aren’t so definitive, but in this case, I went several smokes before trying a larger pipe, and for me, it just made such a difference. I tried a few more to see if that was a fluke and concluded that, for me, wider bowls decidedly open this profile up. I do wonder if age will affect that. This is certainly one that I am interested to see how time changes it—one of the charms of a good red Virginia after all.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Krampusnacht 2024 in Genod Tomato
Cringle Flake 2024 starts out with a very natural flavor, wood, hay, slightly toasty with a bit of malt that gives the muted tones more of a thickness. The big difference in these opening notes when I lit up my bulky Genod Tomato—the first smoke I had of Cringle in a wide bowl—was the brown sugar and spices that accompanied the base. By "spice," I more so mean a herbal/baking spice flavorfulness, not peppery or especially dark in the Perique way.
Through the smoke, a dark fruity, tangy depth develops, which has become more noticeable as I’ve familiarized myself.
Usually I find larger bowls preferable with more complex blends, which I wouldn’t say Cringle Flake is, though I think time may bring out some more nuances. It's also not a particularly stout blend, however, I've noticed a correlation between larger bowls and a little more weight, as well as some earthier tones developing. I can see how this may factor into carrying the flavors a bit more.
Cringle Flake 2024 offers a nice burn, though, I got some bite when I experimented with further drying, so I'll probably jar what remains soon to so it doesn't lose much more moisture. I’ve made the habit of making sure to layer some of the smaller detritus through my pack, which has really facilitated an even burn.
Beyond the profile opening up in the first third or so of the smoke, Cringle Flake stays quite consistent throughout. I've mentioned in notes for a few smokes that I could see this flake among the Gawith brown Virginias, with more of an emphasis on the natural Virginia flavor.
With that said, I look forward to seeing how time in a sealed tin marries and develops the profile.
Thanks for reading
Hopefully my rambling notes give some modicum of what to expect, or at the very least, some useful information. I always think of the Tobacco Files as more of a smoking journal turned outward—certainly not some luminary super-taster's expert review. So, thanks for coming along.
Most importantly, happy holidays and happy smokes!
As always; feedback, advice, requests, corrections, friendly hellos? Please send 'em my way—gregr@tobaccopipes.com
Thank you to all who participated! We would like to mention that in addition to our Facebook group where all are welcome to join to discuss the Mystery Blends, we will have a thread in the TobaccoReviews.com forum for each month. The format lends itself to discussion and we're glad it gives those who don't do social media a place to participate. Feel free to join us for the current Compare & Share and those to come!
Recent Compare & Share blends:
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
We’re very excited to announce a new offering here at TobaccoPipes.com that we hope you’ll take part in—Compare & Share. An opportunity to explore different blends, engage others in the hobby, and get a good deal all at once.
Here's How Compare & Share Works
At the beginning of each month, a listing will go up on TobaccoPipes.com for that month’s two Compare & Share Mystery Blends. For $7.99, you will receive 2 bags, each containing 1 ounce of each of these blends. Everyone will receive the same two tobaccos. They'll be packaged as bulk, but these could be any blend we offer, not limited to bulk mixtures. We won’t disclose what the Mystery Blends are until the end of the month, at which time we’ll post a reveal right before the next ones drop.
Our hope is that while trying these tobaccos, all who are taking part can discuss their thoughts, analyses, impressions, and whatever else on our social media pages. We’ll make an Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter post that will be dedicated comment threads for Compare & Share discussions.
We think this could be a fun way to bring together two tenets that—for many—are at the core of pipe smoking: exploration and community.
Exploring New Blends
In launching our
Random Tobacco Tin listing, it became clear that the intrigue of a mystery blend could be part of the fun for many pipe smokers.
If you’re not familiar, when a tin gets dented or in some way blemished, we’ll move it out of inventory. Once these have accumulated enough, we’ll apply them to our Random Tobacco Tin listing—$4.99 for a tin of who knows what. We heard wonderful feedback on this. We all have our tastes and preferences; however, folks were not only willing to take the gamble for their mystery blend, the mystery was part of the fun too. You could get something you love, or something totally new to explore, and of course there’s the possibility you don’t get something that you’re interested in. But for such a bargain, it’s an exciting roll of the dice.
We knew we should look for more ways to engage this side of the hobby.
Embracing the Social Nature of the Pastime
Then there’s the community side of things. We wanted to think of a way that we could spur the social side of this great hobby.
Pipe and cigar smoking has such a strong and wide community, so much so that terms like “lifestyle” or “passion” may be more appropriate than hobby. But it’s that passion that is the strength of the community—in terms of numbers, we know pipe smoking is far from the ubiquity it once had. That’s what’s made the forums, YouTube Pipe Community, Facebook groups, and other such alternative avenues of engaging with fellow pipe smokers such a boon for this fraternity.
And as a
tobacco online retailer, we place a high importance on any endeavor that can undermine the expectation of impersonalness that can be the rub of our modern, digital commerce. We think it crucial to explore more ways to fuel the kinship between folks far and wide who are bonded by a mutual affection for this tradition.
We Hope You Will Join Us
So, in the spirit of mystery, exploration, and community, we’re launching Compare & Share.
Thank you to all who participated! We would like to mention that in addition to our Facebook group where all are welcome to join to discuss the Mystery Blends, we will have a thread in the TobaccoReviews.com forum for each month. The format lends itself to discussion and we're glad it gives those who don't do social media a place to participate. Feel free to join us for the current Compare & Share and those to come!
Recent Compare & Share blends:
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
We’re very excited to announce a new offering here at TobaccoPipes.com that we hope you’ll take part in—Compare & Share. An opportunity to explore different blends, engage others in the hobby, and get a good deal all at once.
Here's How Compare & Share Works
At the beginning of each month, a listing will go up on TobaccoPipes.com for that month’s two Compare & Share Mystery Blends. For $7.99, you will receive 2 bags, each containing 1 ounce of each of these blends. Everyone will receive the same two tobaccos. They'll be packaged as bulk, but these could be any blend we offer, not limited to bulk mixtures. We won’t disclose what the Mystery Blends are until the end of the month, at which time we’ll post a reveal right before the next ones drop.
Our hope is that while trying these tobaccos, all who are taking part can discuss their thoughts, analyses, impressions, and whatever else on our social media pages. We’ll make an Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter post that will be dedicated comment threads for Compare & Share discussions.
We think this could be a fun way to bring together two tenets that—for many—are at the core of pipe smoking: exploration and community.
Exploring New Blends
In launching our
Random Tobacco Tin listing, it became clear that the intrigue of a mystery blend could be part of the fun for many pipe smokers.
If you’re not familiar, when a tin gets dented or in some way blemished, we’ll move it out of inventory. Once these have accumulated enough, we’ll apply them to our Random Tobacco Tin listing—$4.99 for a tin of who knows what. We heard wonderful feedback on this. We all have our tastes and preferences; however, folks were not only willing to take the gamble for their mystery blend, the mystery was part of the fun too. You could get something you love, or something totally new to explore, and of course there’s the possibility you don’t get something that you’re interested in. But for such a bargain, it’s an exciting roll of the dice.
We knew we should look for more ways to engage this side of the hobby.
Embracing the Social Nature of the Pastime
Then there’s the community side of things. We wanted to think of a way that we could spur the social side of this great hobby.
Pipe and cigar smoking has such a strong and wide community, so much so that terms like “lifestyle” or “passion” may be more appropriate than hobby. But it’s that passion that is the strength of the community—in terms of numbers, we know pipe smoking is far from the ubiquity it once had. That’s what’s made the forums, YouTube Pipe Community, Facebook groups, and other such alternative avenues of engaging with fellow pipe smokers such a boon for this fraternity.
And as a
tobacco online retailer, we place a high importance on any endeavor that can undermine the expectation of impersonalness that can be the rub of our modern, digital commerce. We think it crucial to explore more ways to fuel the kinship between folks far and wide who are bonded by a mutual affection for this tradition.
We Hope You Will Join Us
So, in the spirit of mystery, exploration, and community, we’re launching Compare & Share.
January 2025 was the final month of Compare & Share. Scroll down to see the Mystery Blends of each month from April 2022 to January 2025.
Mystery Blend No 1 - 4th Generation Afternoon Mélange
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Mystery Blend No 2 - Sutliff SPS-4 Mango
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Thank you to all who participated! We would like to mention that in addition to our Facebook group where all are welcome to join to discuss the Mystery Blends, we will have a thread in the TobaccoReviews.com forum for each month. The format lends itself to discussion and we're glad it gives those who don't do social media a place to participate. Feel free to join us for the current Compare & Share and those to come!
Compare & Share blends:
Jan 2025
4th Generation Afternoon Mélange
Sutliff SPS-4 Mango
Dec 2024
Lane 1Q
Lane BCA
Nov 2024
Kopp Flame 1919
4th Generation Morning Blend
Oct 2024
Sutliff RL-PR
Gawith, Hoggarth & Co Bob's Chocolate Flake
Sep 2024
Cornell & Diehl Haunted Bookshop
Sutliff Maple Street
Aug 2024
Gawith, Hoggarth & Co Kendal Gold Vintage Cut
Sir Walter Raleigh Aromatic
Jul 2024
Sutliff Pipe Force IV
Cringle Flake 2023
Jun 2024
Missouri Meerschaum Independence Day Crumble Cake
Cobblestone Burley Plug
May 2024
Amphora Kentucky
Charatan First Bowl
Apr 2024
Hearth & Home Black House
Cornell & Diehl Poplar Camp
Mar 2024
Hearth & Home Black House
Cornell & Diehl Poplar Camp
Feb 2024
Erinmore Flake
Sutliff 507 Virginia Flake
Jan 2024
Mac Baren Virginia No. 1
Sutliff 1849
Dec 2023
Rattray's Stirling Flake
Peter Stokkebye PS 81 Danish Export
Nov 2023
Cobblestone Chess Pawn
Mac Baren Golden Extra
Oct 2023
Cornell & Diehl Autumn Evening
Sutliff 307 Mocha Strips
Sep 2023
Davidoff Flake Medallions
Peter Stokkebye PS 403 Luxury Bullseye Flake
Aug 2023
4th Generation Evening Flake
Mac Baren HH Burley Flake
Jul 2023
Dan Tobacco Mallard Flake Plus Perique
Cornell & Diehl Yorktown
Jun 2023
Peter Stokkebye PS 31 Optimum
Newminster No. 23 Blackberry Brandy
May 2023
Sutliff Model Match
Sutliff 1004
Apr 2023
Cornell & Diehl Epiphany
Sutliff Voodoo Queen
Mar 2023
Cornell & Diehl Pegasus
Missouri Meerschaum Missouri Pride
Feb 2023
St Bruno Flake
Charatan Flake
Jan 2023
Mac Baren HH Old Dark Fired
Newminster No. 702 Light Burley
Dec 2022
Amphora Virginia
Peter Stokkebye PS 306 English Oriental
Nov 2022
Sutliff Christmas Spice
Cobblestone Maple Walnut
Oct 2022
Sutliff Pumpkin Spice
F & K Bat with a Hat
Sep 2022
Arango Balkan Supreme
Sutliff Dunhill 965 Match
Aug 2022
Cobblestone Outdoors Hiking
Sutliff 707 Sweet Virginia
Jul 2022
Cornell & Diehl Green River Vanilla
Mac Baren Vanilla Cream
Jun 2022
Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader
Cobblestone Brick English Plug
May 2022
J. F. Germain & Sons Balkan Sobranie
Sutliff Balkan Sobranie Match
Apr 2022
Newminster 400 Superior Navy Flake
Peter Stokkebye PS 400 Luxury Navy Flake
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
We’re very excited to announce a new offering here at TobaccoPipes.com that we hope you’ll take part in—Compare & Share. An opportunity to explore different blends, engage others in the hobby, and get a good deal all at once.
Here's How Compare & Share Works
At the beginning of each month, a listing will go up on TobaccoPipes.com for that month’s two Compare & Share Mystery Blends. For $7.99, you will receive 2 bags, each containing 1 ounce of each of these blends. Everyone will receive the same two tobaccos. They'll be packaged as bulk, but these could be any blend we offer, not limited to bulk mixtures. We won’t disclose what the Mystery Blends are until the end of the month, at which time we’ll post a reveal right before the next ones drop.
Our hope is that while trying these tobaccos, all who are taking part can discuss their thoughts, analyses, impressions, and whatever else on our social media pages. We’ll make an Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter post that will be dedicated comment threads for Compare & Share discussions.
We think this could be a fun way to bring together two tenets that—for many—are at the core of pipe smoking: exploration and community.
Exploring New Blends
In launching our Random Tobacco Tin listing, it became clear that the intrigue of a mystery blend could be part of the fun for many pipe smokers.
If you’re not familiar, when a tin gets dented or in some way blemished, we’ll move it out of inventory. Once these have accumulated enough, we’ll apply them to our Random Tobacco Tin listing—$4.99 for a tin of who knows what. We heard wonderful feedback on this. We all have our tastes and preferences; however, folks were not only willing to take the gamble for their mystery blend, the mystery was part of the fun too. You could get something you love, or something totally new to explore, and of course there’s the possibility you don’t get something that you’re interested in. But for such a bargain, it’s an exciting roll of the dice.
We knew we should look for more ways to engage this side of the hobby.
Embracing the Social Nature of the Pastime
Then there’s the community side of things. We wanted to think of a way that we could spur the social side of this great hobby.
Pipe and cigar smoking has such a strong and wide community, so much so that terms like “lifestyle” or “passion” may be more appropriate than hobby. But it’s that passion that is the strength of the community—in terms of numbers, we know pipe smoking is far from the ubiquity it once had. That’s what’s made the forums, YouTube Pipe Community, Facebook groups, and other such alternative avenues of engaging with fellow pipe smokers such a boon for this fraternity.
And as a tobacco online retailer, we place a high importance on any endeavor that can undermine the expectation of impersonalness that can be the rub of our modern, digital commerce. We think it crucial to explore more ways to fuel the kinship between folks far and wide who are bonded by a mutual affection for this tradition.
We Hope You Will Join Us
So, in the spirit of mystery, exploration, and community, we’re launching Compare & Share.
