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News for Thursday, March 11th
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We are fortunate to share a great friendship and mutual regard with Tom Eltang. There are only a few firms in the U.S. that carry his legendary pipes, and we are not only grateful to be one of them, we are grateful to you for having made us the top Eltang retailer in the Americas. Tonight we offer thanks in the form of presenting another full half-dozen of these rare jewels. On hand this evening are a sandblasted execution of one of Tom's superlative Eskimos, a Snail Grade bent dublin with a futuristic feel and stunning grain, and three of his famous rusticated pokers, one of which features bamboo. The grand finale of this Eltang update is one of Tom's singular, Snail Grade Hunter's Knife pipes. This marvel comes complete with a beautiful briar presentation stand and custom tamper, making it not only a pipe that could be the crown of most any collection, but the ultimate desk accessory for any pipe enthusiast!
Tonight we take the pleasure of introducing three new Tsuge briars, one of which speaks to one of Nihon's oldest aesthetics and art forms, and the other two speak to a more modern, a more (dare I say it?) avant-garde side of the Ikebana pipe. The first is an Urushi billiard with bamboo, which is adorned with a hypnotically beautiful Maki-e. Some of you may have already seen what a master's application of this 9,000 year old art form can do on a $10,000 fountain pen. Wait until you see what it looks like on your next pipe! The next is a BC Grade Ikebana bent egg; a broodingly dark beauty that features a delightful straight and flame grain, as well as a classic Nihon shape interpretation. The final Ikebana of the evening is an E Grade bent egg; a sleek composition, whose form is the very embodiment of modernist movement and grace. A glance at the past, present, and future is only one click away.
While a great many of today's top Italian carvers will cite pipes from a certain high quality Italian pipe marque as their initial inspiration, Claudio Cavicchi's muse was the higher grade Charatans of the late '70s and early '80s. He was in awe of their size and grain presentation; "This is how I want my pipes presented." Claudio's pipes, often like the Charatans of old, are larger than most. Also akin to the highest grade Charatans of yesteryear, any smooth Cavicchi will boast a grain of such splendor that "grain/dollar" is one subject that rival pipes will scrupulously avoid mentioning in any comparison. To find a block that is both large enough to accommodate his size preference, and yield a shape and grain that will shake the pillars of heaven, Claudio will spend an entire day in Tuscany about every two months, pouring over block after block of the highest grade briar. The results of that effort, combined with some of the most formidable carving talent in the industry, are on fine display in tonight's Cavicchi update of a dozen. A full third of tonight's Cavicchis are rusticated, a favor from the maestro, for these highly sought briars usually represent only 12-15% of his production, as well as two of Claudio's unexcelled sandblasts. With the remaining six pipes, it's "smooth sailing"; with two "entry level" smooth finishes, two CCC Grades, and two CCCC beauties awaiting your discerning eye. Bear's "Pick O' the Litter" is the enticing 4C grade bent brandy. Take a peek, and tell me what you think.
After an all-too-long absence, we finally received more pipes from Jimmy Craig. One look at the Ashtons of this evening will be all it takes to understand why Bill Taylor chose Jimmy to be his successor (and why the new Ashtons have been selling like cold drinks at an outdoor Summer jazz festival). Many of the most popular Ashton shapes and finishes are here; Old Church apples and pokers, Pebble Grain bent dublins (with silver), Pokers (ditto), and bent bulldogs (double ditto), as well as a Brindle LX dublin, and a Sovereign LX poker. Take a gander at the Old Church bent brandy LX that just went on the site. While Bill used to make the occasional bent brandy, Jimmy has brought a new execution to the table, one that I find rather elegant, as well as a welcomed "change of pace" addition.
From irresistibly charming billiards, which are chubby of bowl and compact of length, to sleek canadians, to singularly elegant shapes of liquid flow, L'Anatra's back, and "The Duck" has provided us with nine new pipes for your consideration. Almost matching the diversity of tonight's shapes is the amazing range of finishes, which run the gamut from simple rustication, to the elegant Pettinate carved finish, to adroit sandblasts of delightful grain, and the famous Egg Grade smooth. Bear's L'Anatra "Pick O' the week" would either be the rusticated bent egg (oh...what a shape!), or the dapper smooth canadian. Take a peek and see what your favorite is. No matter which pipe you choose, with L'Anatra's fastidious drilling and engineering, you are all but guaranteed a fine smoking experience.
The legendary "Keeper of the Danish Freehand Flame," Poul Winslow is back with us tonight, and presents a half dozen of his world renown briar sculptures. Usually playful, sometimes serious, often conservative but more frequently effusive, Poul Winslow's shapes offer a bit of something to most every collector out there. Laying that as a foundation, there are three attributes to a Poul Winslow briar that remain as constant as the stars: fine drilling/engineering, excellent grain and a superb dollar to grain ratio. The six fresh Winslows of the evening include Vikings, Crown 200s, as well as an astounding EG acorn; a delightfully robust composition that seems imbued with the very spirit of Poul's mentor, the immortal Preben Holm.
In an affectionate manner, I often think of Brebbia as being Savinelli's "smaller, feistier brother." The two firms were co-mingled at one time, with Brebbia breaking off to create shapes that were unique to the company, as well as create a signature engineering that yields a smoke that many consider the finest in its price range. Tonight's Brebbia presentation of 18 features pipes from the Rocciata series, as well as members of the Serie, Ninja, Cappuccio and Avanti lines. Also on hand are a First Tan Calabash, a Jumbo Sabbiata, and even two of the wildly popular Twin churchwardens. You really owe it to yourself to try the unique smoke that a Brebbia offers.
For most of the folks who visit this site, Stanwell needs no lengthy introduction; there's a good chance that at least a couple of Stanwells are already in their collection. Boasting a history of creating an unexcelled production pipe for over 60 years, with briars that are often wrought from designs of a legendary carver, executed under what may well be the single most comprehensive quality control process in the business, Stanwell has been the logical choice for untold millions of pipe men. Tonight's Stanwell offering of 18 includes a half dozen of the sorely needed Golden Danish, four of the recently replenished (and mostly sold out) Varios, the wildly popular Featherweight series (both smooth and sandblasted) and a Majestic. 18 beautiful pipes, and only three reach the $90 price point. Anytime is a good time to consider a Stanwell.
"Spanning the globe to bring you a constant variety of pipes...the thrill of acquisition...the agony of "It was just there five minutes ago!"...the drama of on-line briar shopping... . This IS the Smokingpipes.com estate update!" (With apologies to fans of Jim McKay). "That's right, it's time for our most anticipated presentation of the week; our blockbuster estate update. We have 77 freshly refurbished briars and meerschaums to present for your consideration this evening, and you don't even have to watch the spectacular wipe-out of ski-jumper Victor Bogataj! Why the number 77? Your announcer hasn't a clue, it doesn't even fit in with the Sykes' mandate of "must be divisible by 3." Let's see if our color man, Bear "Shot Knees" Graves, has an idea. Over to you Bear." "Um..what? (takes a sip of bourbon, thinly disguised as a Styrofoam cup of coffee) Oh! I'm guessing that either one got pulled due to a flaw that Adam found, or was grabbed by the buffing wheel, hurled across the room and nearly embedded in Toms head before hitting the floor in pieces. Then again, I also suspect red-eyed bats may be involved. Back to you, Jim." Well, whatever the real answer is, the numerical leader in tonight's competition is Italy, pulling away from the crowd with no fewer than 23 magnificent offerings. Top players include Savinelli, led by two unsmoked Collection pipes from the mid '80s, both of which come with their original box and glove, Castello, Mastro de Paja, Ser Jacopo, Radice, Il Ceppo, Don Carlos and Viprati! England and Denmark take second and third place, respectively, and the former is led by "Team Dunhill," with support from a Saseini patent from the '20s, vintage Comoys, Charatans and Ashtons. The latter presents briars from Tonni Nielsen, Peter Heeschen and Preben Holm to name a few. In the Miscellaneous department you will find a Julius Vesz Hand Cut 5, as well as a slew of pre-owned meerschaums, including sculptures from Ismet Bekler, Ismail Ozel and even a 15" long pipe that's fit for a potentate. Don't miss the two "fresh" gourd calabashes, as these are getting very hard to find and are fantastic smokers. Team USA is here with pipes from Tom Cook, Tim Cook, Rich Lewis and a Kirk Bosi Cobra. In addition, we have two new Peterson estates, as well as a Hiroyuki Tokutomi and a Tsuge Ikebana from Team Japan. You don't want to miss this one. Stay tuned, we'll be right back, after a word from our sponsors.
News for Thursday, March 11th, 2010 written by Bear Graves.
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News for Monday, March 8th |
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It's Monday and the lads of the White Spot have returned with a retinue of a dashing duodenary. For those whose taste in color run to the adumbral, we have 3 Shell Briars, including a less often seen Group 5 billiard with saddle bit, a Black Briar (with horn), as well as a Group 1 Dress pot. For the gent who favors a more sanguinary shade, you really must see the first Ruby Bark saddle apple that we have ever received, and the 3 Bruyeres of the evening include a saddle pot and a Group 2 billiard. The Cumberland man will find two beautifully grained specimens, including a Quaint that sports what may well be my personal favorite Dunhill shape. Tonight's Dunhill update closes with a Group 4 Root Briar chimney, a grand finale, indeed!
No fewer than four dozen fresh Savinelli pipes are ready for your inspection. Along with the "usual suspects," such as the Hercules series (both smooth and rusticated), the Baronet Bruyere, the Trevi (again, both smooth and rusticated), the Roma, Sigla, and the Black and White Favorites, we have the welcome return of a couple of the series that have been absent for a bit; The Giotto, and the Panama. The former is named after Giotto di Bondone, a thirteenth century Florentine painter and architect that did more than any other to propel the early Renaissance. The latter is a most elegant series, one whose shapes fashion a decadently rich walnut stain and are crowned with a striking (and practical) rim guard. As long as you are in the neighborhood, check out the Solaria and Nonpareil!
"Systems, and Shannons, and Saints (Oh my!). As another Monday rolls around, so roll yet another 72 pipes, from the iconic firm of Peterson of Dublin. As you probably surmised from the opening sentence, a lot of fresh System pipes, Shannons, and 2010 St. Patrick's Day pipes just went up. As a quick aside; this year's St. Patrick's Day pipe is a bit of a cut above those of the previous five years. The stain has a certain, yet hard to verbalize extra richness, contrast, and depth of gloss. The grain on these pipes also tend to run well above what I consider as average for this long running annual series. Most exciting, at least to me, is that Peterson seems to be using the 2010 St. Patrick's Day pipe as a launching platform for bringing in shapes that heretofore have only appeared in one other series, as well as introducing new shapes altogether! We also have armies of Arans, divisions of Donegal, and...um...LOTS of Killarneys (really can't come up with a battle unit size that starts with a "K"), and the latter are available in both the original Ruby, as well as the Dress Black. Tonight's a great night to be a fan of the Pete, then again, it's always good to be a "Peterson Man".
Crafted under the marque that is the oldest continuously operating manufacturer of briars in the world; a marque that features classic shapes, solid drilling, good draft hole placement, a vulcanite bit and now, a price that reflects almost 40% off of suggested retail. Needless to say, our roughly four month old Comoy's sale has been met with resounding approval (if it's needless to point out, why is this dork doing so? Well, cuz I'm a dork). And your approval is our happiness and motivation. There's only one fly in the ointment...we're beginning to run out of them. Tonight's Comoy's update is comprised of 11 Virgins, and one Tiger's Eye. While intellectually I understand that these are just series names, with 11 Virgins and a tiger in one spot, part of me wants to yell, "Get that tiger out of there!" The other part wants to grab some popcorn and see what happens.
The Lampe Berger has been enthusiastically embraced by our customers, something that should come as little surprise. This is one product that seems to have been tailor-made for our needs. When one can acquire a fine decorating accessory, an object d'art which will remove all traces of lingering smoke from one's digs for up to 30 hours, with as little as 20 minutes of use, you don't have to talk them up very much. Or at all. Tonight we premiere two new Lampes; The Nico and Nicholas, and The Corolla. The former features the work of Rosina Wachtmeister, an Austrian artist whose whimsical paintings draw one into a world that combines daydreams and charm, with the uncomplicated nature of daily life. The Corolla is a Lampe Berger original, which, much like the Athena, hails from their Color Mood collection. Slightly opaque and smoky of hue, this timeless form features a universal appeal and will seamlessly accentuate any existing decor.
Last week we introduced the Gloredo pipe cleaners, and your response was amazing! Sykes gave us the go-ahead to make these "cut above" cleaners available in a cost reducing box quantity. By purchasing a box, you'll realize almost a 30 cent per bundle savings!
News for Monday, March 8th, 2010 written by Bear Graves.
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