Morley's Musings - Like Neon On The Wall
Feb 18, 2016 20:27:39 GMT -5
Baboo, Ronv69, and 1 more like this
Post by sparks on Feb 18, 2016 20:27:39 GMT -5
I started this over at The Pipe Club and figured it only appropriate to continue it here. For those of you that have read some of these, I apologize for repeats, but I would like to give all our members the chance to read and get involved in these conversations. First, a little background...
Bob Runowski was a native of Philadelphia, and one of the founding members of the Philadelphia Christopher Morley Pipe Club. Aside from having a lifetime of pipe smoking experience under his belt, Bob was a pretty accomplished blender. Many of his blends still live on under the C&D banner. Names like Old Joe Krantz, Morley's Best, and Epiphany are testaments to Bob's expertise in this area. His specialty was Burley, and there is not a person that I know of today that has quite the same grasp on that leaf than Bob did. My interaction with Bob was limited to the forum world, where he was known as Morleysson, a tribute to one of his favorite authors, Christopher Morley. Bob was generous, witty and could tell a story like few others. It was a great loss to the community when Bob left us, but many of his stories and writings live on. It is with this in mind that I will share from time to time, the written and often poetic contributions he made to our hobby.
I urge you to read these, and though we don't have the benefit of Bob's learned responses anymore, we can share among ourselves and reflect on the insight he had. Enjoy!
Bob Runowski was a native of Philadelphia, and one of the founding members of the Philadelphia Christopher Morley Pipe Club. Aside from having a lifetime of pipe smoking experience under his belt, Bob was a pretty accomplished blender. Many of his blends still live on under the C&D banner. Names like Old Joe Krantz, Morley's Best, and Epiphany are testaments to Bob's expertise in this area. His specialty was Burley, and there is not a person that I know of today that has quite the same grasp on that leaf than Bob did. My interaction with Bob was limited to the forum world, where he was known as Morleysson, a tribute to one of his favorite authors, Christopher Morley. Bob was generous, witty and could tell a story like few others. It was a great loss to the community when Bob left us, but many of his stories and writings live on. It is with this in mind that I will share from time to time, the written and often poetic contributions he made to our hobby.
I urge you to read these, and though we don't have the benefit of Bob's learned responses anymore, we can share among ourselves and reflect on the insight he had. Enjoy!
My old friend and mentor, the late Bernie Brenner, was a great, although rather eccentric, teacher and sculptor. He was also a prodigious pipesmoker of Kriswells and Blue Boar Rough Cut tobacco. Blue Boar was his favorite blend, and it became his signature blend. If one smelled the acrid and pungent aroma of Blue Boar, there was a 95% probability that Brenner was nearby. You didn't have to check the office schedule to know if he was in his office; just sniff the corridor. He wasn't the only smoker in that faculty cluster, nor the only pipesmoker, but he was the only person whom I knew who smoked Blue Boar. Other than his mentor, of course, but that's another story. Anyway, I was thinking of Brenner today and his olfactory signature. Then, I thought of JM Barrie, and his Arcadia mix (aka Craven's Blend), and how eloquently he described his obsession w/ the Arcadia mix. And, I thought of our Mr Morley and his obsession w/ Murray's Mellow Mixture, and the turn-of-the century advertisements for Honest: 'If that's Honest, then blow der smoke dis way.." said a tramcar driver to a young man smoking on the tram. And, James Schlesinger and HIS affection for SWR. And, another old friend, the late Mike McGonigle who smoked one fresh pouch of Granger each day. The foil pouch, only; not the tub pr the tin. One and three fourths ounces of tobacco, each day, all year long. These were individual peculiarities but the brand of tobacco was their 'signature', as clear and distinct as if there was the individual's photo emblazoned in 3-D in front of you.
SO, I'm certain that one of more of you remark on the lack of uniqueness. After all, what's unique about one person, one blend. Codgers have done this for years, mostly resulting from lack of information, their lack of being plugged into the omniscient 'Net, their lack of sophistication. Whatever. But, one's signature blend, in the '30s and '40s, marked the man as clearly as a billboard, too. The choice of blend noted one's station, one's activities, one's choices, one's self perception. One simply didn't flit from tobacco to tobacco; not that there wasn't ample variety but there was a strong conservative approach to smoking.
So, I pose this question to all of you this evening, "Do you have a signature smoke?". One so clearly distinct "you", that the mere charring light and the first few puffs would identify you to any one, even in a darkened room. And, then, what does that blend say to others about you? Sophisticated? Outdoorsman? Academic? Do we pick the blends because of taste or for more underlying reasons? I would bet the latter. Or, do we show out lack of commitment and 'flit about'? DO you have a signature?
SO, I'm certain that one of more of you remark on the lack of uniqueness. After all, what's unique about one person, one blend. Codgers have done this for years, mostly resulting from lack of information, their lack of being plugged into the omniscient 'Net, their lack of sophistication. Whatever. But, one's signature blend, in the '30s and '40s, marked the man as clearly as a billboard, too. The choice of blend noted one's station, one's activities, one's choices, one's self perception. One simply didn't flit from tobacco to tobacco; not that there wasn't ample variety but there was a strong conservative approach to smoking.
So, I pose this question to all of you this evening, "Do you have a signature smoke?". One so clearly distinct "you", that the mere charring light and the first few puffs would identify you to any one, even in a darkened room. And, then, what does that blend say to others about you? Sophisticated? Outdoorsman? Academic? Do we pick the blends because of taste or for more underlying reasons? I would bet the latter. Or, do we show out lack of commitment and 'flit about'? DO you have a signature?
