Mat B.
Badges

Daughters & Ryan - Three Sails 16oz
I really like this pipe tobacco.
Bready, grassy, sweet, and just a little citrusy. Sure, it works as a RYO tobacco but is great in a pipe in its own right, once one masters packing and smoking a shag. I agree that mixing this 1:1 with Five Brothers is a fantastic smoke.

Tampers & Tools - 8deco Penner Tamper
Functional and heavy
If you are attracted to this tool because you’re a connoisseur of fine writing instruments, than know that the body of this tamper is the same size (if not the exact thing) as a Jinhao 159 pen. Even if you don’t have one, this can give you a better point of reference for the dimensions of this practical tool.

Bengal Slices - Bengal Slices 1.75oz
I won't be running out of this tobacco again.
At first, I wasn't sure about this stuff--I thought I didn't like it, but my jar kept getting lighter and lighter. Only after smoking the last few crumbs of this smokey, earthy, herbaceous, and satisfying mixture (and discovering that Bengal Slices was out of stock everywhere) did I realize that this is a mixture I would rather not run out of. Couldn't tell you what it was like historically, but the present incarnation is celebrated for a reason.

Five Brothers - Five Brothers 1.25oz
Good Stuff
There's two ways to approach Five Brothers: Under or over-pack your pipe, fire it up, chug away, burn your mouth and turn green, and conclude that this roughneck stuff is something only your tough, hoary granddad could possibly enjoy. Or, carefully pack the shag, give it a nice char and light, and sip it slowly, enjoy the woody, spicy, nutty, burley goodness. You'll wonder if your pipe is going out because the smoke is thin-bodied, but discover a perfectly round ember happily burning away in your pipe. You'll be immensely relaxed and satisfied, and the tobacco will easily burn down to the heel without any drama. Seriously, Five Brothers is worth consideration. If you're blowing huge clouds, your pipe is heating up, and the retrohale is burning, you're smoking too fast. Sip it, and it is rewarding, cheap, and comforting in a blue collar kind of way. Not an all-day everyday kind of smoke for me, but when the mood strikes, it's fantastic.

Cornell & Diehl - Morning Drive 2oz
Easy going and mellow. At first.
Morning Drive is straight-forward: nutty with subtle touches of spice and smokiness. Cool, quick burning, and easy smoking. It's perfect for those times when one does not want to overthink their smoke--such as in the morning on a drive. I don't bother with drying it, it's largely ready to go from the tin. I'm relatively new to piping and Morning Drive has become one of my favorite blends because it's neither overpowering nor hard to dissect and it's easy to smoke. After all, not everything in life needs to be especially complex and nuanced. Update: as this tobacco ages, some of the rougher edges smooth out and the Latakia and Perique really pop. We're left with what amounts to a mild English with a rich, smokey, agricultural tin note. The tin claims there is Turkish in here somewhere, but it's hiding in the background. The room note is, as expected with a blend like this, very unpleasant to non-smokers. I maintain that this is an underappreciated gem.

Peterson
Nightcap 50g

$23.00 $16.11
003-050-0070

G. L. Pease
Spark Plug 2oz

$15.25 $12.96
003-029-0096