What Did You Smoke Today? (Pipe Edition)

[JimInks]

Part way through this bowl of P&W Bestmake in a 2003 URAL full bend big bowl egg shaped Lattice meer with a black acrylic stem.

[JimInks]

Half way through this bowl of Edward G. Robinson's Pipe Blend in a 2014 Basil Meadows smooth slight bend squashed tomato with an aluminum band and a black pearl acrylic stem.

[NeverBend]

Half way though this bowl of Reiner’s Long Golden Flake in a smooth straight 1980s James Upshall Walnut pot.

Hi Jim,

Don't recall seeing you smoke that pipe before! I'm going to England soon to spend a week with Kennedy Barnes (who made your pipe). How does it smoke?

2015 Dunhill Royal Yacht in a 1930s Barling Ye Olde Wood smooth billiard taper with water, no cubes,

[JimInks]

Now smoking the best durn tobacco made today: Strang in a 2003 smooth medium bent straight grain Ardor Venere Extra signed by Dorelio Rovera Dublin with a black acrylic stem.

[JimInks]

Hi Jim,

Don't recall seeing you smoke that pipe before! I'm going to England soon to spend a week with Kennedy Barnes (who made your pipe). How does it smoke?

2015 Dunhill Royal Yacht in a 1930s Barling Ye Olde Wood smooth billiard taper with water, no cubes,

I've had the pipe for a long time, but I don't smoke it as much as I ought to. It has a big bowl, so it can only be clenched for so long. Your 1930 Barling sounds great. I wish those pre-transitions weren't so expensive, because I'd like to have a smooth straight pot.

[GWBowman]

Hearth & Home Classic Burley Kake in an Italian Rhodesian

[bluenoser]

Some left over mix Tobias sent me about a year ago in the country gent. Dunno what's in it but man it's good

[JimInks]

About half way through this bowl of Jim's VaPer in a 2014 smooth medium bend Basil Meadows egg with an aluminum band and a "root beer swirl" acrylic stem. Listening to Vin Scully for three innings on the XM.

[NeverBend]

I've had the pipe for a long time, but I don't smoke it as much as I ought to. It has a big bowl, so it can only be clenched for so long. Your 1930 Barling sounds great. I wish those pre-transitions weren't so expensive, because I'd like to have a smooth straight pot.

Upshall made some large pipes, used great wood too. We'll be going with Kennedy to the old Upshall workshop in Tilshead just to have a look.


Actually, I think Barling, post-WWII made their best pipes. I believe that your Barling #249 is from this period. The Algerian Civil War (1954) closed the Barling owned saw mill. Barling was unique in owning their own mill, thus controlling their briar supply as well as having a proprietary formula for rod vulcanite from NY Hamburger (Dunhill had their own formula). I've always said that Barling controlled their materials and production, 'From ground to mouth'.

When the Algerian briar was no longer available, Barling turned to Otto Braun who kept them supplied with top shelf briar (I believe mostly Greek). Aside from the tragedy of any civil war, the impact on Barling was negligible if any at all because the Algerian fields were depleted and the new sources were fresher.

Barling's shaping and consistency in process and manufacturing reached their peak in the 1950s. Their range of sizes grew to accommodate the American Market. The prices on the old Barlings can be prohibitive but their quality remained very high through early 1962 and in some cases a little later. Quality declined when they stopped hand making bowl and stem and further when they began to buy bowls from Charatan and Cadogan (GBD and Comoy), but even a later 1960s Barling is the equal of these brands.

I've bought some fine Barlings that were made after 1960 (when conventional wisdom incorrectly believed that they quality fell off the table) at some very reasonable prices, including the pipe below that has given me over 30 years of excellent smoking and it's every bit a classic Barling in quality.

2015 Gawith Hoggarth Louisiana Flake in a 1961 Barling's Make #5719, smooth saddle billiard with Diet Pepsi on a cool but clear night.

[JimInks]

Just finished smoking MacBaren Symphony in a very ugly reddish color 1980 medium bend Lorenzo Leganza Sigma 8635 etched rough top.