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News for Thursday, November 19th |
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"Something old, something new, something..."Oh, dear God...that is breathtaking!" Sorry, I wanted to make the traditional bridal preparation poem work, but there is nothing borrowed in any Tokutomi presentation and the only thing blue is your describer, for he knows that he will not wind up with any of the fresh Toku briars that are going up tonight. This evening, we have the honor and pleasure of presenting three new compositions from Japanese Master carver Hiroyuki Tokutomi. We open with a heretofore unseen interpretation of the horn that is sandblasted and makes use of the first bamboo that we have seen in a horn from Toku-san's workbench. Next up, we have a smooth, straight asymmetrical bent ball with bamboo and ivory that features a tobacco chamber that appears to be shifted off of "true", in relation to the line of the shank and bit. While this element was seen in his earliest work that hit the US, pairing the sense of a natural form yielding to an unseen wind to that shift is something quite new. Finishing the Tokutomi presentation, as well as being the unquestioned show-stopper of the evening is a Hiro-Grade pipe and stand set, only the second Hiro grade that was crafted from the Bo Nordh bequest briar. With this wondrous creation, Toku-san unleashes all of the utter freshness, brilliance and audacity of composition that captured the late Mr. Nordh's attention, and made him one of only three carvers in the world to be honored with receiving the treasured material. This BN Hiro is the one that many of us have been waiting for.
The recent West Coast Pipe Show held in Las Vegas was attended by a virtual "Who's Who" of American pipe carving. I mean if (God forbid!) a sink hole had swallowed the Palace Station hotel and convention center, American pipe making would have been set back by decades (and American pipe describing by however long it took Sykes to get an ad in Craigslist). Somewhere into Friday evening, we collectively noticed that Rad Davis wasn't there. Then someone pointed out that the next day was Rad's birthday. Ah...the plans that were hatched! At the end of the ad-hoc, side-splitting "think tank", we arrived at having the entire sales floor sing "Happy Birthday" to Rad the next day (captured by my iPhone), I would send it to my YouTube account and then post a direct link to the video on the unsuspecting Rad's Facebook account. Sadly, this unprecedented bit of brilliance was arrived at around midnight, inside Jack's Irish Pub & Pint after many a round and became utterly forgotten until about four days later. What the heck...happy belated birthday, pal! Tonight we have the distinct pleasure of adding six fresh briars to the Rad Davis section. Two of the pipes follow fairly conventional shapes that are sure to please the traditionalist; a smooth, straight dublin of fabulous grain that features bamboo (the first straight dublin of Rad's that we have had on the site that features the material) and a vividly sandblasted lovat that is the embodiment of the emerging American New Wave shaping that is taking the world by storm. The remaining four boast Rad's uncanny ability to redefine classic shapes in a most comforting and intuitive manner. These briars include a smooth tomato with a standard sized bowl and standard thickness of shank, but a length of only 4.39". How about a sandblasted "nose warmer", with a Dunhill Group 5 bowl and a length of only four inches? Take a look at the two, utterly new interpretations of the "Radesian". One is straight, one flaunts a poignantly beautiful compositional arc, both are gorgeous of grain and might well redefine your mental template of the "perfect rhodesian".
Adam Davidson's briars are hot (as in high demand, not stolen...except that one bent brandy I swiped when he wasn't looking). The collectors at the West Coast Pipe Show in Las Vegas made sure that his carry-on bag was considerably lighter upon his return than arrival and his back log of commissioned work, some of it requested by luminaries of the pipe world of the first rank, is daunting. One commission that Adam had completed and took to Las Vegas was a filled request for an exact duplication of a specific S. Bang. I watched as the collector placed the two side by side. Not only were the briars so close that I had to look at the stamping panel to confirm which pipe was which, but even both bits were seamlessly interchangeable. Needless to say the collector the was as delighted as I was amazed. It's amazing to create a form of outstanding grain and complementary bit work, when allowed total freedom of expression, it's another to metaphorically replicate Van Gogh's "Wheatfield with Crows" so closely that it takes an expert curator to tell the difference. Whether it was Tony's "Come on dude, sell us some pipes to put up", or my "We KNOW where you live..." we managed to acquire another two Adam Davidson briars for your perusal and purchase. Our first Davidson of the evening is a smooth, straight grain bent dublin that features a hint of acorn in the bowl and a reverse taper and swoop of the shank towards the bowl that reminds me a tad of Rolando. The second, and arguably "star" of the presentation, is an incredible (and I mean INCREDIBLE) Elephant's foot that shows a strong Nordh influence in shape and boasts a large and magnificent horn shank extension.
Wherever there is a display of pipes from Claudio Cavicchi of Bologna, be it when we place them in our hospitality suite, lay them out on our table at a pipe show, or when a customer enters our brick & mortar, it's only a matter of time until that honey-blond stain and dazzling straight grain garners enough attention to have them walk over for a closer examination. The collector picks one up, and slowly turns one over to see the tag (in a manner that's highly suggestive of "I know that I don't want to know what this thing costs, no way I can afford it, but I have to look". It's about here that most of the fun happens. He looks at the tag, eyebrows furrow, flips back to the shape and grain, flips rapidly back to the tag and then looks at me (or whichever representative is closest) with a crooked eyebrow reminiscent of Leonard Nimoy's "Mr. Spock". It's all I can do to not address the implied conundrum with a grin and a "Yessir, there really is a Santa Claus!" If the gent has a friend close by in the area, you can add a "Hey Bob! Get over here!" (or the equivalent) as an inevitable addendum. The second question is a natural and I answer "So, how's the smoke" with "Twist off the bit, take a peek inside. That is the exact same drilling and engineering that has helped to win the World Slow Smoking contest for more consecutive years than others competitors care to remember." At that point, he lays down the Cavicchi he is holding and pushes it far enough forward that it is clear that he has claim on it and the search for Cavicchi number two begins. That's logical enough, he came to the store/event with roughly $500 to spend on a world class, straight grain handmade pipe. For that same amount of budget, he's about to get two. Tonight's Cavicchi update of nine is a bit unusual, in that only one is rusticated. The other eight are comprised by the nicest sandblasted model that I have seen from Claudio to date, and seven smooth straight grains that begin with an absolutely stunning CC bent brandy and end with a string of three CCCC Grade briars that boast a straight grain that would be untouchable in a Brit pipe for less than three to four times the money, and could run double the money in certain other Italian Fiammata lines. You might want to don a pair of sunglasses, before you click this link.
Given that Randy Wiley and his pipes have been a part of the American carving scene for decades and his briars are both intriguingly shaped and deftly executed, it's pretty easy (even for those of us who carry his line) to forget that not only does he have some of the most solid drilling and engineering out there, but his pipes stand amongst the finest values in a handmade briar in the market today. With very few exceptions, most any Wiley pipe that you add to your collection will match (or exceed) a Dunhill Group 6 in size and putting one of his compositions through the "pipe cleaner test" is just a pro forma action (refer to drilling). Randy has honored us with another dozen fresh smoking sculptures tonight, three of which hail from his rugged and masculine Galleon series, that tops out at the high 150's and two Grade 44 smooths (both the bent egg and freehand sitter are pure killers) that are priced in the mid 160's. We have a fresh Feather Carved and entry level Patinas. As a special treat, don't miss one of the very few Grade 20 Patinas that we have had the pleasure of presenting. This pipe bumps against the edge of Randy's Ovation grade, a stamp that Randy awards only once in a blue moon.
To determine the importance and the extent of influence that the Pesaro school of pipe carving wields in today's market, all one needs to do is take a look at the members. L'Anatra, Mastro de Paja, Ser Jacopo, Il Ceppo, and Rinaldo are all distinctly classified as Pesaro and many of the school's neo-classical elements may be seen in the work of companies from outside the region (Cavicchi, Radice and Ardor shapes often show at least some cross-pollination). Looking back a mere three and a half decades ago, however, there was one: Mastro de Paja. The "Grand Old Company" of the Pesaro tradition presents another dozen pipes tonight from Mario Pascucci, Vittorio del Vecchio and Signora Cinza Montini of Mastro de Paja! Nine of the dozen are sandblasted and include a lesser seen Molina Calabash with faceted rim, one is a partially rusticated bent bulldog that is resplendent with fine silver, we also have one Brugo rustication and finish with a smooth and stunning 3A Sun rhodesian with silver.
What would you call a Danish carver with decades of pipe crafting under his belt, whose forms are created by hand (not machine), consistently delivers a briar of fine drilling and engineering, offers every conceivable choice in shape that doesn't fall into the "esoteric" milieu and not only does so at a price point that runs from the high 60's to high 80's, but has held the line against price increases to his American friends, despite massive degradation of the dollar against his native currency? If it were not for the Johs briar, I would call him "wishful thinking", but this most amiable of carvers asks that you simply call him "Mogens". Carving in the back of a store, that almost looks like a nostalgic rendering from Currier and Ives, in the small hamlet of Ravenhoj, Mogens Johansen happily continues to do the improbable, and Yanks have constructively thanked him by not only making his briars the fastest growing segment that we have in the individual carver category, but by purchasing more of his churchwardens than all other brands that we carry...combined (ditto on his Giants, in the Massive category). To keep up with demand, another three dozen Johs pipes are ready for viewing, eight of which are churchwardens and two of which are Giants. The remaining twenty-six run the gamut from wildly enthusiastic freehands, to quiet Danish classics and from delightfully organic sitters to nigh near English-chart traditional favorites. I am in the process of smoking my second Johs of the day and have little doubt that you will enjoys yours as much as I enjoy mine.
A couple of years ago, when we first started seeing the Junior Sabbiata, while the grain enthusiast in me was making silent wolf whistles at some of the most spectacular, almost Danish style sandblasting I had seen in the one hundred dollar range, the clown was asking "So, what's next? The "Senior"? Well, starting a couple of months ago, I found out that the larger corollary to the Junior was the Jumbo! Given the title, even my brother-in-law would gather that the series contains very generously sized pipes. The Jumbo, while no serious size competition to the Johs Giant or Ardor series of the same name, is quite liberal with the briar and, to a pipe, boasts the same exquisite grain of their Junior cousins. There are three Jumbo Sabbiatas in this evening's Brebbia update of a dozen and they are joined by two Sabbiatas from the Ninja series and a sandblasted representative from the Nera side of the clan (a lovely author shape). For sheer Italian elegance, it's very hard to top a First Tan Calabash, a smooth Cappuccio 601 or one of the new, smooth Orange range, and all are here tonight. We even have a striking bent billiard for those who favor that most rugged of rustications; The Rocciata!
With Autumn well upon us and the Winter Solstice sitting little more than a month out, now is definitely the season for the amiable churchwarden and the "great indoors". One of the finest, and most versatile churchwardens in existence is Stanwell's Hans Christian Andersen pipe. Of tonight's "excellent eighteen" from the preeminent Danish pipe company, three are HCAs. Two of the Andersons are shape V, one is polished, the other is sandblasted, and one is a polished shape III. All three feature a grain that would make any new owner proud and, like all Hans Christian Andersen pipes, can be smoked in both the churchwarden and the standard configuration. The Golden Danish series is a well established best seller for both Stanwell and your favorite tobacconist and, with the holidays approaching, the likelihood of their popularity waning conjures up a mental image of a snowball in Hades. Seven more Golden Danish became available, as well as six of their equally popular Zebrano and Vario cousins. Fans of the smooth Stanwell won't want to miss the Legends that just went up, to a pipe their grain is superb!
My first job in the retail tobacco industry began in late 1979. I was the manager for a pipe and tobacco shop in Phoenix whose owner (Dick) was a bit ahead of his time, when it came to estate pipes. Selling "used" pipes in the late 70s was considered highly unusual in the United States and pretty much unthinkable in Europe. It was a very small part of our business, usually cleaned up consignments from good customers who would take their proceeds and buy a higher end pipe that they had their eye on. Looking at tonight's estate update of six dozen pipes and the number of available estates that they join at the time of this writing, I am trying to imagine what Dick's reaction would be if I answered his query on estate inventory with "Counting tonight? Four hundred and five, why?" His shrieking would subside (considerably) when I added that we were talking a smidge over a month's supply, based on present sales rate. Yes, when it comes to the estate market, "We're not in Kansas, anymore". Tonight's estate update is led by the Italian contingent with 18 pipes, followed by a tie between Denmark and Italy, with a dozen each and the miscellaneous estates squeak out the Americans with a score of 12 to 11. France, Ireland and Germany have two, two and one new estate, respectively and Japan makes a considerable splash with a smooth, bent dublin from Master Smio Satou. From classically wrought and nicely grained unstamped pipes, to pipes from the likes of S. Bang, Teddy and Kent. From Dunhill, Ashton and Castello Collections to a meerschaum sultan's head of unknown artist and from prices that range from just $35, there is an excellent chance that we have the perfect estate waiting for you.
News for Thursday, November 19th, 2009 written by Bear Graves.
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News for Monday, November 16th |
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Unlike the sandblasted series of some larger companies out there, with Castello, it's never a case of "blast happens". Expert eyes hand select each block for its sandblasting potential and, if the criteria appears to be met, it is sent forth to become an Old Antiquari. Perhaps it's just a personal comfort thing, but conceptually I prefer this method of thinking over the "Zoinks! Man, where did that horkin' pit come from?!. OK, we can try to blast it" method of arriving at a sandblast. We have twelve new Castello briars joining roughly sixty of their brethren on the site tonight, fully five of which hail from the Old Antiquari line. This bevy of blasted beauties includes a GGG Lovat, a size designation that we have never received before, a Greatline dublin KKK and two diminutive KK models that should make your favorite flake or coin tobacco sing. We have three Sea Rock briars and the smooth Castello pieces for the evening feature not one, but two pipes that wear the Collection stamp (one is a KKKK lovat that boasts a near supernatural beauty), as well as a two representatives from the "Castello" Grade and a Trademark.
I am not sure what Peterson of Dublin has been feeding its smooth pipes lately, but we have all noticed that the grain appearing on the briars of our most recent shipments has been off the hook (in a good way). Maybe it's kismet, perhaps synchronicity, or just a happy coincidence, but the arrival of this crop of grain coincides with our annual "Buy a Peterson Pipe, get a free tin of Peterson Tobacco sale"! You bet, select any Peterson pipe and get a free tin of any Peterson tobacco (only the Peterson Christmas Blend or Peterson Special Reserve 2009 are excluded). Buy two Petes, get two tins. Buy two hundred pipes and we'll question your sanity...but include two hundred free tins, nonetheless! Tonight we just placed another four (count 'em) dozen fresh Peterson briars up for sale, including clans of Killarneys, an army of Arans, Shannons, Irish Mades, Kenmares, as well as some of the less frequently seen models, such as the Claddagh and the Slimline. So what Peterson pipe and tobacco will it be today, good sir/ma'am?
Since their introduction less than two months ago, September 21 to be specific, you wonderful folks have taken nearly 300 of our specially priced Comoy's into your homes and offices. While our initial offering was 36 briars, our weekly follow up has usually been two dozen. Within "normal" sales models, a relentless, weekly addition of 24 briars would be overkill. However, the highly unusual availability of name brand, perfectly shaped and nicely grained briars, starting at just $37.50, has resulted in an inventory wipeout, or near wipeout every week. This situation is frustrating both collector and retailer alike, but what to do... what to do? Well (duh!) for starters, why not increase the Comoy's update to four dozen pipes instead of the usual two?! No shortage of Nobel Prize candidates around here, no sir! Twelve of the sandblasted Black Coral briars just became available, along with a dozen Silver Shadows, a dozen Traditions, six Virgins and a half a dozen of the richly stained Tiger Eyes. Though our supply of these incredible values is large, ultimately it is also finite. Grab them while you can!
Savinelli, much like virtually every pipe company on the planet, does create an Anniversary pipe, some limited edition series, and their equivalent of a "Pipe of the Year" which is called the Collection. What is a bit more unusual, however, is that the venerable Milano firm does very few limited edition series wherein each pipe is individually numbered. The Leonardo group, a series that is dedicated to Maestro Leonardo da Vinci, falls into that last category. The first issuance was called "Mona Lisa" and the pipes sold out in short order. The second series is called "Il Cavallo" (The Horse), is limited to 100 pipes produced as a smooth, 150 as a rusticated, and was created to commemorate a commission from the Duke of Milano to Maestro da Vinci that took over 500 years (as well as the considerable help of an American) to complete. Four of these numbered editions, complete with presentation box, special tamper and Certificate of Authenticity, are included in tonight's Savinelli update of two dozen briars and (get this) they are being offered at 40% off of suggested retail! Also on hand are briars from the Baronet, Standing, Venezia and Roma series. Prices start at only $45.60 and even the numbered, limited edition Leonardo box sets hover in the mid-nineties. While cruising around the Smokingpipes.com Savinelli department is never a bad idea, this is one offering that you REALLY don't want to miss.
Tonight we take the pleasure of presenting new tinned tobacco from a pipe company that boasts over sixteen decades in the industry: Vauen of Nuremberg. We open with four selections; the No. 15 English (25 gram tin), the No. 14 Virginia Flake available in the 50g size, the mild and fruity "Jubilee" in 50g tins and "Black Pepper", a smooth smoking double-fermented black cavendish that is crafted from both virginia and burley leaf.
Tonight from Xikar, one company that will always get our nod when it comes to fine, durable smokers accessories, we have two new cigar cutters as well as a new Multi--Tool that is available in three distinct finishes. The famous Xikar Xi3 is now available trimmed in exotic Zebrawood and the new Xikar Ultra Thin Cutter, the 3.5 mm width wonder that can handle any cigar up to a 64 ring gauge, is now available in striking silver. The Multi-Tool is the perfect accessory for the gentlemen on the go. Attached on a key ring for easy access, these lightweight, compact folding cutters also include a cigar poker, cigar box opener, screwdriver and even a bottle opener (I don't know about you, but that last tool closed the deal for me). Weighing in at a total of just 1 ounce, the Xikar Multi-Tool is now available in our cigar accessories department in black, gold and silver!
News for Monday, November 16th, 2009 written by Bear Graves.
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