Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club of Boston

March 2005

Next

Tuesday, April 5th at 7:00 PM

Meeting

Club Info & Events

SHPC Meeting News
We've been fairly busy since our last meeting. Six of us got together to visit Dock Perry in Agawam and had a great time checking out the pipe and antique shops in the area. Dock has an awesome set up at his place and I took a lot of pics so check out the narrative below.
We also had a good crew attend the first NY Pipe Show of 2005. Some things were a bit different but we had a great time nonetheless. They will also have a fourth show this year scheduled for December. Check out Docks write up below.

Pipe Show at the April Meeting
Ernie Quintiliani of Watch City will sponsor Steve Johnson, distributor for Comoy and Don Carlos pipes will be visiting the Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club on Tuesday April, 5th. Steve promises to bring a good variety of pipes including a few of his own. Ernie also said he will bring some cigars so there'll be something for everyone.
If you haven't been to a meeting in a while, this might be an excellent opportunity to check out our new location and rekindle an old flame.
Non members reading this newsletter can contact me if your interested in coming. I hope we'll see a nice turnout.

Smokers Haven Tobacco Sampling
smokers haven logo I had a chance to talk to Premal Cheda from Smokers Haven in Ohio and you won't find a nicer guy. He donated 6 large tins of tobacco and a package of Krumble Kake for the club to sample. His only request is that we all give it a proper taste test. I think we owe him at least that for his generosity . It just so happens that all of the Smokers Haven's house blends are reviewed in the Spring issue of P&T so check it out before the April 5th meeting. We'll start off with 2 blends and bring 2 more to the next couple of meetings. On request of Andy Camire we will have Exotique and one other blend to sample. I'll bring 2 more cans to the next couple of meeting until we've tried them all. Here are the blends he gave to us: Exotique, Our Best Blend, Select Mixture, In-B-Tween Mixture, Cognac and Krumble Kake.

Club Dues Increase
I should have mentioned this in the last newsletter but it slipped my mind. A motion was made and passed at the January meeting to raise the club dues from $3 to $5.

Recent Events

Dock's and Antiques and Pipes... Oh my!
By Horace Harker
I met Tim at our usual meeting place near the Mass Pike and soon we were on our way West towards Agawam and Dock Perry's place. The weather and the roads were clear and we arrived at our destination in an easy ninety minutes.
We turned the car into Dock's driveway to see what his directions had described as "a big brown Swiss Chalet", and that's exactly what it was. Just like something you'd expect to see up in the ski communities of Maine or New Hampshire. With a huge wrap around porch that afforded a great view of the Connecticut River across the street, I could picture myself sitting out there on a warm summer night with my pipe and a pint of ale, enjoying the fresh river breeze. [Full Report..]

The New York Pipe Show - March 12, 2005
By Dock Perry

The first of four New York pipe shows this year was held on March 11th & 12th in Newark NJ. Steve Gutz and I drove down and were there by about five, Friday afternoon. The hotel was noticeably quiet. Usually by this time vendors are quickly wheeling their wares in as customers start to gather in chairs and couches in the lobby. We wandered around for quite a while until we ran into Andy Camire and Jay Beard heading up to their room. We heard from them that Bonaquisti, Feurbach and Eells were holding court on the first floor so we headed down to see them. [Full Report..]

Upcoming Events

The 2005 Meeting of the Mindless
It's bit of a short notice but the 2005 Meeting of the Mindless (MOTM) has been scheduled for Saturday April 2nd. If you've never had the fortune of attending this event then your missing an excellent time. If you have been before we hope you will make it again. This will be the last MOTM at Paul Bonaquisti's current location since he'll be moving this year.
This event is open to club members only and special invitation.

Pipe & Tobacco News

Colleen Learned
We were all very saddened to learn of the passing of Colleen Learned, pipemaker Sam Learned's wife. Those of you who have been to a pipe show that Sam attended will remember her because one thing that sticks out at a pipe show is an attractive woman. I remember talking with Colleen at the NY Show last year and realizing how much of an integral part of their business she was and it was easy to see that they had a connection that went much deeper then marriage and business. At this year's NY Show Sam's loss was evident and my heart went out to him. I was a little surprised to see him at the show so soon after his wife's death but Sam told me that Colleen made him promise to keep doing what he loved and that's what he was doing. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Sam.

Smokers have rights, learn to compromise. By Rory Walkinshaw
The war on tobacco is not a fight to save the health of children or the public, but a fight against our liberties as Americans. This issue affects you whether you are a smoker or not. [Read More...]

Cambridge Citizens for Smokers Rights. More smoking news for Massachusetts and around the world.

The United Pro Choice Smoker's Rights Newsletter

Websites Worth A Look

SmokersHaven.com
I felt it fitting to include the Smokers Haven website in this issue of the newsletter. Many of us have been here before but they do have a nice selection of pipes and tobaccos. Their accessories page is currently being updated. [Check 'em out ]

The Bufflehead Shop
This site has been featured but I thought I'd add it again since it's the source of this month's tobacco raffle.
A nice website with a duck decoy theme. The Bufflehead Shop has a decent selection of products including but not limited to their own line of tinned tobacco and some beautiful oak pipe cabinets. [Take a look]

This Month's Tobacco Raffle
This month's raffle tobacco is from the Bufflehead Shop out of Shawnee Mission, KS. These two blends are from their Decoy Duck Series.

Bufflehead Decoy
A Virginia Mixture. A Virginia cake created for the smoker who enjoys the taste and distinctive flavor of Louisiana Perique. Aged and matured with the finest of choice Virginia.

Goldeneye Decoy
Latakia mixture rich in taste, yet sweet to the palate. Flake cut with quality matured Virginias, Turkish and Orientals.

Member Contributions

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Too Cool! A Beer for Adventurous Pipe Smokers By Horace Harker
I recently stopped by Lukes Liquors (a veritable beer superstore) in Rockland, MA looking for something new and exciting to drink. As I walked by the coolers at the back of the store I thought I heard a familiar tapping sound on the glass of the cooler door. I turned around and looked up, and to my surprise I saw the ruddy face of a man with a few days growth of beard, wearing a wool hat and smoking a pipe. I clenched my eyes shut, shook my head, then looked again. What I had seen was not an actual man but the picture of a man on the carton of the perfect beer. Endurance Pale Ale, a beer for the adventurous, beer loving, pipe smoker. This beer has my name written all over it! All right, all right, maybe I didn't spend years in the Antarctic freezing my butt off, but I do like to venture out every now and then to check out a new pipe shop. I think that qualifies me as adventurous. I'm already a pipe smoker and anyone who knows me knows I love my beer. It's perfect!

But what really brings a smile to my face is that in all the madness around smoking bans and anti tobacco campaigns, a brand new beer comes out with a rugged looking guy smoking his pipe as bold as day, right on the label. It's screaming out to the world..."Real men smoke pipes". I think this could be the start of something big. The following excerpt from the EnduranceBrewing.com website, is a bit of history behind the beer and the man on the bottle. Enjoy... I know I will.

"Perhaps the most compelling survival story of our time took place almost 100 years ago. This is a story of heroics, strength, fortitude and endurance. In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Second Officer Tom Crean and their 26 man crew launched a voyage from England to become the first polar explorers to traverse Antarctica. And so started the journey known as the Endurance expedition. Endurance Brewing Company was founded with two clear goals in mind: to bring awareness of this incredibly heroic group of men and to provide beer enthusiasts with award-winning brews that help stir the adventurous nature of the spirit within. For well over 3 years, Endurance Brewing Company has been creating a branding strategy and beer recipe that we think would earn the respect of every man of the Endurance Crew.
Our flagship ale, Endurance® Pale Ale, is dedicated to Second Officer Tom Crean, who was regarded by many historians "as close to indestructible as any man that's ever lived". This smooth and crisp golden pale ale is rich in hops with a hint of citrus. Look for other Endurance Brewing Company beers shortly, but in the meantime, pour a tall, refreshing glass of Endurance Pale Ale, raise it high in honour of Tom Crean and the Endurance crew and enjoy one of the finest beers around. "