| Club
Info & Events
Details of the February Meeting
We've been talking the last couple of months about looking for another
place to meet for dinner. It seems that X&Os has lost some it
charm for many of us. So it was funny to see a record nine people
show up at X&Os in February. Nonetheless we will be throwing
out a few ideas at the March meeting so this may be the last time
we meet at X&Os. We'll keep you posted.
Turn out was good this month and it was nice to see Bruce and Greg
were able to make it to the meeting. We hope to see more of them
in the coming months. We also received some positive news on the
health issues of Steve Gutz's, Ken Collins and Kenny Kasparian.
All of them seem to be making progress. We hope you all continue
to improve.
The news dues structure seems to be working out well and if the
increased participation in the tobacco raffle continues we should
be have no trouble covering our yearly expenses. An speaking of
which we have submitted our dues to the United Pipe Clubs of America
for 2008.
Other discussion was with the New York Pipe Show and we seem to
have a handfull of members planning to attend the April show. We
are also planning another trip to Brookline News this year and have
begun talking about the 3rd Annual SHPC Swap & Sell. Watch here
for more details on these events.
SHPC 2008 Club Pipe
So it looks like the club pipe for 2008 will be created by
our good friends at Kaywoodie.
Dock has been working with Bill Fuerbach on this year's pipe and this
is what we have so far.
The 2008 Club Pipe will be a Group 4-5 deep blast Canadian and we
will have a choice of a dark or tan finish. The dark finish will cost
around $110.00 and a tan around $150.00. The tan is more expensive
because bowls need to be cleaner (mostly fill & sandspot free)
when you use a clearer stain such as tan. We will need to have an
exact order number by mid March. Bill is happy to be making this year's
club pipe and we know he'll do a great job.
Upcoming
Events Peterson Trunk Show at Peretti's
of Boston
March 15, 2008 10 AM - 3 PM
 
These will NOT be your usual run of the mill Petersons! Peterson
rep Andy Green is bringing several high end Petersons that you very
rarely see in the US, so it will definitely be worth your while
to check this out.
Member
Contributions ........ by Dock
Perry Brother of Briar - A Pipe Smokers Community
Under New Management
 I
am very pleased to announce that I've officially taken over the
day to day operations of "The Brothers of Briar" pipe
discussion board. from the site's founder Jason Huggett. We currently
have a great and loyal core group of members who visit us daily.
We're just big enough to offer a variety in topics and posters but
we're still small enough so that you actually get to know these
folks well. From my own experience on various pipe boards I can
say that too big of a group can be as bad as too small of a group.
Quite a few of "the old guard" from ASP (when it was still
good) have shown up lately and it's been nice to be able to reunite
with these old friends.
Our forums are varied and include sections on books, sports, cigars,
The Shaving Den, and an area to post photos. Of course we also have
the usual tobacco and pipes forums too. Currently we're in the midst
of a tobacco box pass with around 25 members taking part. The box
is sent around from member to member and tobacco tins can be traded
and various bulk tobacco can be sampled.
Wednesday Night Chats
On Wednesday nights begining at 9:00 pm eastern time we host an
interactive chat. Generally the turnout is good and the conversation
interesting.
So if you're looking for a great place to talk pipes, please stop
by and give
us a try. I'm sure you'll feel right at home in no time.
[Stop
on in]
|
| Pipes
& Tobacco News & Info
Smoking ban workaround catches on at bars across
state - By MARY LYNN SMITH, Star
Tribune
Having patrons become "actors" when entire bar
is turned into a "stage" started as a one-night
experiment 2 weeks ago, but now it's becoming a way around
state law.
What started as a quirky idea to get around the statewide
smoking ban appears to be spreading like wildfire.
Dozens of bars are expected to stage "theater nights''
this weekend in which patrons are dubbed actors. The law,
which went into effect in October, permits performers to smoke
during a theatrical production. "Two weeks ago, we had
one bar doing this,'' said Mark Benjamin, a criminal defense
attorney who launched the theater-night idea. He estimates
50 to 100 bars could be on tap for theater nights this weekend
based on phone calls, e-mails and requests for the how-to-stage-a-theater-night
packet that he's devised. And many bar owners are passing
on the information quickly among themselves without getting
in contact with him.
[read
more]
| Other News
& Information for smokers: |
| |
Websites
Worth A Look
Precision
Pipe Repair
From the website... "My most steadfast hobby
and sincerest passion since 1976 has been collecting, smoking,
and working on pipes. Why I didn't find a way to work with them
professionally 25 years ago is puzzling to me, now. If I had
a rewind button, I wouldn't even have to think about it; Precision
Smoking Pipe R & R would be having its silver anniversary
today instead of just starting out."
Our
site has received many a hit from this website. I'm told it
is considered by many to be one of the best shops of it's kind
in the country.
[Check
'em out] Atelier
Rolando.com
Rolando has six new pipes available for your viewing
and/or purchasing pleasure. [Take
a look]
Cigar
Live.com
A friendly community of cigar lovers with
lots of videos, images, info, links to manufacturers sites,
online publications and podcasts. A great way to hook up with
other lovers of the leaf from your state. They even have an
area
for pipe smokers.
[Take
a look]
This
Month's Tobacco Raffle
Balkan Sasieni - Back in the States
 Blended,
flue-cured Golden Virginias, pressed and matured. Cut to form
a broken flake which offers a natural sweetness. Medium strength
Sam Gawith - Golden Glow
 Blended,
flue-cured Golden Virginias, pressed and matured. Cut to form
a broken flake which offers a natural sweetness. Medium strength |
|
| Kahn's
Korner
How I got my first Dunhill lighter....
 As
with most of us, when we venture into our (not so) inexpensive hobby
of the briar (or meer or ceramic or cob) we quickly begin to accumulate
the related paraphernalia without which we cannot do. Our tampers,
matchbooks, boxes of matches, windscreens (that we nearly never
use), belt pipe holders (aka "pipe breakers". Because
you forgot you were wearing it when you sat down...ouch.) pipe racks,
pipe reamer, pipe cleaners, burned shirts, etc. all become part
of our compulsion, er...hobby.
We wander into tobacconists to seek out the perfect pipe, which,
if you're anything like me, after purchasing some 300 or more, have
yet to find. But I will keep looking for the perfect pipe while
enjoying the 'failings' of my frequent searches. I venture into
flea markets, antique halls and yard sales in hope of finding someone
else's discarded 'estate' perfect pipe.
Such was my pursuit one sunshining day in Pueblo, Colorado, I happened
into a small antique shop. I mean it was small, not much more than
five or six hundred square feet. As usually I meandered about the
periphery of the shop looking at flouncery old and not inexpensive.
I circled the shoppette once, trusting to my well developed instinct
to find tobacciana no matter where it is stuffed in which cubby
holes. Don't make light of my innate instinct. I'm rarely wrong.
I can look into an antique mall window and feel the old pipes and
pipe holders and sterling matchboxes almost calling me inside. Alas,
it seemed that this time, in this booth of a business, for it wasn't
much bigger, my sixth sense failed me, for it had no tobacciana
in it, not even an old ashtray. Thus, despondent, I opened the door
as to leave the establishment. Before the door was but three inches
open I heard a sweet if mid-life voice calling from behind me, "May
I help you find something?" As I learned long ago in my years
as a Radio Shack grunt, it can't hurt to answer the question, so
turning.
"Well, I was looking for some pipes. You know, smoking pipes,
but you don't appear to have any here." I said. *
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