F&T Golden Mixture in a Monterey
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F&T Golden Mixture in a Monterey
2015 Cromwell in a 2014 custom made Mark Tinsky Blast taper poker with handmade vulcanite stem. Tea's cold so I added some seltzer.
Newminster Superior Navy Flake in a 1980s Peterson 314 Full Bend black Sandblast system pipe.
Ramsgate in a 2003 medium bent Ural meer with a lined and etched egg shaped bowl.
PS Lux Navy Flake in a Wiley Rodesian
Just started a bowl of Mac Barren Symphony in my DG Savoy
Now enjoying PS Black Coffee in a MM Cob
Almost finished smoking Lane 125th Anniversary in a 2015 smooth unfinished Savinelli 320KS author.
2012 Rolando’s Own in a slight bent 1970's Caminetto 103 Business KS billiard with a fumed rim.
Murphy Anderson was one of the great comic book inkers of all time. We used to spend a lot of time together at conventions and on the phone. At my 1985 AcmeCon, we had a dinner for our guests at my apartment on Simpson Street. Murphy had fun telling us how he used to play in that house, and all throughout that neighborhood as he lived nearby when he was a kid. There's lots of stories I could tell about him. He was the first professional I ever showed a portfolio to. Murphy was gentle in his criticism, and generous with advice, all of which was practical and helpful. A sweet man, a great fan of comics, an important presence in the business for decades, and my friend for over thirty years. RIP Murph.
Solani 656 in my MM shop cob :)
Pete, loose application is exactly why it was written that way. This is the ninth time the FDA has attempted to grab a hold of premium cigars, and they are basically acting like a rabid dog looking to bite. They're relentless, and they want unimpeded access to make the next generation completely smoke-free.Quote:
Originally Posted by NeverBend
The gist is this: the FDA wants to regulate cigars the same way they do beef or any other consumable. For the safety of the kids, of course. To the best of my knowledge, premium cigar tobacco, pipe tobacco, nasal snuff, chew, etc., would be lumped in with e-cigarettes, dry cured cigarillos, chemically-flavored gas station blunts, etc. Basically there would be cigarettes, and then everything else.
Let's say you want to market a cigar. Your farm would be inspected by an FDA agent (which you're paying for), and your crops would be inspected by an FDA agent (which you're paying for), and then you would harvest your crop and blend your cigar. Each individual leaf of your new blend - one wrapper, one/two binder(s), and let's say two or three filler tobaccos - would need to be submitted to the FDA with the finished product and a pre-market application, plus a check for $55,000 or more. Per size. Want to make a robusto, corona, belicoso, and churchill? You're submitting four applications. This is obviously immediately going to put smaller boutique brands out of business.
And that's just to get in the door. Concerning the last 40,000 applications sent to the FDA for tobacco-related products that they currently oversee, less than 40 have been reviewed and only one has been approved. Obviously they aren't in a hurry to allow new products to reach market. Oh, and this is retroactive also. Any cigar released to market after February 15, 2007 (check that date, I may be off a few days) will be pulled from the shelves to be submitted. This is obviously immediately going to put even more smaller and/or newer brands out of business.
On top of this, the most noticeable regulations are: promotional materials, giveaways, and samples of tobacco, would be illegal; the minimum price of a cigar would be $10, regardless of size, weight, or makeup; packaging would become restrictive (which I honestly am not worried about - but it's proposed to make these products less appealing to children which is an argument I can't stand behind); there could potentially be expensive permits needed to sell tobacco products; the minimum age to purchase tobacco could raise to 21; there could potentially be no more cigar bars and/or smoking lounges nationwide; it would be nearly impossible to release special edition, small batch, limited, seasonal, etc. cigars; and, obviously, a gigantic list of further restrictions.
Needless to say, a lot cigar manufacturers would close shop, a lot of small business tobacconists would close shop, and tens of thousands of people both here in the US and in South American countries would be jobless overnight.
The FDA had already announced that we're basically down to outcomes. Option one, which is our worst nightmare, is where they gain oversight over premium tobacco products. Option two is to exempt cigars from oversight. The OMB right now is basically the last step in this process. From what I've been able to understand, Congress can't necessarily stop the OMB from making whatever decision they're going to make, and there are no easy avenues for a legal hold on temporarily stopping any immediate changes due to new regulations, so their decision is final. We could see regulations take effect as soon as 30 days after the announcement of their decision.
Now, I have no idea where pipe tobacco falls in this. I haven't heard any concrete answers regarding that, and my biggest issue with this whole debacle has been the cigar industry leaving other forms of premium tobacco in the dust. But, I don't think it's a stretch to say that if cigars fall, everything else will too. As far as I'm concerned, the entire premium tobacco industry should have banded together to fight this. Any time that I've written to, spoken on the phone with, or confronted in person, an elected official regarding this - whether on the local or national level - I have made it very clear that I wanted ALL premium tobacco to be exempt. It's left a bad taste in my mouth, honestly, because I can't draw a line between these products.
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. This is for Murphy.
What kind of mushrooms were on your pizza? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by NeverBend
Having some homemade flake in a homemade pipe :)
The flake is based on VA Gold Cherry plus some VA bright, burley, and assorted other tasty leaves. It's really quite nice IIDSSM.
The pipe is a ball of birch I bored out, and to which I attached a neck and stem. It burns well, but the draw is a little loose. Smaller hole in the tube next time. This pipe took several bowls to break in, even after charring the innards with a blowtorch. Real nice now though!
C&D Exclusive in a Graysons bent bulldog
Almost half way through this bowl of The Smoker Wise Guys in a black pebble finish straight 2003 Cavicchi C. Fatto A Mano lovat.
A minute or two away from smoking FVF in a 2014 Savinelli Gaius smooth brown slight bend black acrylic stem and ferrule 320KS author.
Having a bowl of BCA in a bier
sent from my bag phone
A Cigar...
But who else feels a sense of calm and that everything is right in the world when @JimInks is on the front page of the pipe smoking forum??
Not far from finishing this bowl of St. James Flake in a very early Ascorti straight New Dear KS billiard with a smooth shank.
Just finished work and 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.
Smoker’s Pride Mellow in a smooth three quarter bend 1979 Ben Wade Golden Matt freehand sitter.
IMHO, it really isn't about a particular form of tobacco. It's not about tobacco at all. From the day the government first regulated a legal product, because they know better than everyone else, nothing is safe. WE THE PEOPLE messed up by not squashing it and telling the government to stick to what is actually their job. Now look at all the lead way some agencies have. They pass "Regulations" on their own, instead of passsing/ammending the law. Tobacco, sweets, salty food...nothing is safe. We'll have to start disguising our tobacco as marijuana.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyCAYP
Peter Stokkebye 701 Virginia in a Dr. G
http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/...pss0i3lzsm.jpg
Smoker’s Pride Rich Taste in a 1970s medium bend smooth Ben Wade Golden Walnut freehand.
Jim - I was initially taken aback that someone of your esteem would be puffing a bargain basement blend, but I see there are some decent reviews of it on tobaccoreviews.com, including yours. Can't judge a book by its cover!Quote:
Originally Posted by JimInks
Amphora Brown in a 1990s slight bend black Sasieni 4 Dot Ruff Root Dark 4 Dublin.
Just polished off a bowl of Pinkerton Burley mixed with SG Commonwealth in the SPD Peterson. Burned fast and hot; my burley is too dry, I think. Off to buff some cigar stands I made of spalted Live Oak and Cherry Laurel.
http://i.imgur.com/uMZMUM6.jpg
Hal O' the Wind in a 2015 Basil Meadows smooth slight bend tomato military mount with an aluminum accent, horn ferrule, and cumberland p-lip stem.
I didn't hold out much hope for it when a friend offered to send me some (he sent 6 ounces). He loves it and wanted me to, also. I think it's decent for a lawn mower, uncomplicated smoke. Nothing world shaking, but fit for when you just want to smoke something pleasant without giving it much thought. I think a blend like that has some merit, especially at that price. Btw, I actually prefer and recommend the Smoker's Pride Mellow over the Rich Taste. It is a pretty fair VaBur with no topping. Not much nuance, but again, it's a good work smoke at a bargain price, so I bought a bag of it for those instances.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruck
2015 Red Ronnett's Sonnett in a 1961 Barliing's Make #5179 saddle billiard with warm tea on an overcast and gloomy afternoon. Still, better outside than in.
Congrats to the KC Royals and the Toronto Bluejays on a great season but that's as far as it goes...
Mets in 6.
Yankees take the American League East in 2016.
Enjoying the fall colors and burning some of my own leaves - a silver river blend, in a mini meer.
Lane 125th Anniversary in a 2015 smooth unfinished Savinelli 320KS author.
I wanted something quick and easy so I popped open a jar of 5 Bros from the American production with many years of age on it. It was as dry as dust and about the same consistency. I went ahead and loaded a MM Patriot and lit up. It still tastes like 5 Bros. That pipe only lasted about five minutes, but it put out the low nicotine light.
Edward's Bishop Burley in a 1970s smooth straight grain Savinelli Oom Paul Non Pareil 9504 with a horn ferrule.
Just had a bowl of Smoky's Blend (1Q & BCA) in my Orlik Captain Black billiard while watching the Tennessee-Alabama game. Tennessee lost but they sure put up a good fight!
New forum rule: you and @Alligator Gar must cease mentioning the 320KS. Thanks to the impending little one I'm under a self-imposed spending halt but PAD is hitting me hard and the Sav Bianca Author is calling to me like a siren's song.Quote:
Originally Posted by JimInks
Heck, TAD's hitting me hard too. I have to walk past a shelf of Capstan, FVF, IF, and Dunhill Flake every day, and I can't help but think how great the tins would look tucked away in my cellar.
Currently burning 2010 FVF in the Herbaugh. The rain's coming off & on, the wind's picking up, but it's still comfortable enough to be outside.
This evening I am smoking some "Dunhill Early Morning Pipe" in my extra large Rossi freehand.:pipe: I have not smoke this blend in more than 6 months and while I was digging thru my stash this tobacco blend "popped out at me" and I could not resist.:wave: My tobacco this evening is so very nice and flavorful; I just might have a second bowl after this one finishes. I am topping off this smoke with an ice cold mug of "Becks" brew and I am feeling mellow.:beerchug:
Just finished smoking Condor Ready Rubbed in an undated fancy designed tall, thin bowl medium bend Waren Zeichen Viennese Coffeehouse Bombay clay with a white acrylic stem.
Ending the night with Balkan Sasieni in a McCarter. It's nice returning to this blend every now and then.
Ever think what you'd keep if you could only keep one? I'd tell you mine but it would just piss you off. :mope:Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyCAYP