What Are You Smoking? - September 2018.

morning greets all from clear, 70 Western NY. Very early 2-mile power walks (to beat the 90ish soon) with company of no-band 6x42 (med strength). Soon after feeding the Ed, '06 daVinci in old Nording freehand & continue with the papers. Another mostly indoor day ahead...no urgent yard work needed.
Hoping the mods are ok with an occasional cigar mention. If not, lemme know & I be glad to cease same.

Ed Duncan, Batavia, NY

Smoking Old Joe Krantz in the MM Country Gent. Working my way through a pot of coffee.

I had some SG Jamaican Flake in my MM Country Gentleman. I noticed the distinct Lakeland flavour - I should have used my Twain, which is dedicated to Lakelands. Not to worry - I can't taste much difference between tobaccos anyway so I'm sure I won't notice any Lakeland ghost. Even if I do, I quite like it.

Saturday I dropped my old favorite coffee mug. It broke along all its old repair lines, and a few new fault zones. There is no repair but for sentimentality.

I went to an antiques and collectibles place, (to combat idleness and ennui,) and found a coffee mug that will become my favorite. It is the creation of Vincent Lamer, of the Ute Mountain Tribe. It is shaped like a small Ute jar or earn or pitcher, with a wide bottom and a stack top. While a small pitcher it is a large coffee mug. And done in black designs on an earthy brown and orange background appropriate to coffee.

I can make my cafe au lait in this mug, with a full cup of coffee and a huge dollop of milk.


I will admit to feeling like I have abandoned an old friend in favor of a new one. But really the amount of work needed to restore my old favorite mug is just not worth it. I repaired it twice in its 25+ years of service, and I owe it nothing and it owes me nothing. Good by old friend. We had some times didn't we.

Oh, and Billy Budd Blonde in a 320EX, raising great blue clouds in memory of my old mug. 

I am way to attached to things. 

Russ Ouellette’s Fiddlesticks in a Baraccini Churchwarden.

The blend was mixed with an apple extract and pressed for two weeks.

Rubbed out and left to sit for and hour, its become pretty mild with just a hint of apple.

Almost finished smoking Edward G. Robinson's Pipe Blend in a 1980s black sandblasted slight bend Savory’s Argyll 281 Cherrywood with a black vulcanite stem. Then, it's lunch time.

Enjoyed a tasty lunch and am now smoking the last of this pouch of Greve Hamilton’s Blandning in a 1986 full bend pebble relief Aldo Velani Titan 33 briar Oom Paul/Calabash with a black acrylic stem that has a briar accent. A bottle of Cheerwine made with pure cane sugar is my drink.

Decided to go dark today. Pirate kake in my grabow, dark STRONG coffee on the side.

Howdy, Josh, Ted and the rest...just loaded a bowl of HH Burley Flake in a stout billiard by Briar Spirit Pipes (top right).

Hello Walt.

HH Burley Flake is on deck, in a cob. Need the rain to stop so I can run out to the shed.

Now smoking year 2012 Rolando’s Own in a smooth straight early ‘60s Lane era “William Conrad” Charatan Executive Extra Large stretch apple with diagonal channel cuts on the lower right and left of the bowl along with a black vulcanite double comfort stem. Doing some work in the studio.

Carter Hall date on jar 3/2001

Pipe of choice: restored to mint condition..... Ben Wade smooth briar Oom Paul pipe👍👍