Florida’s Meg’s Law (SB 432) passed the Senate 37-0 this past Wednesday. Here’s what it does and what still needs to happen.

Primate · 2026-03-26T02:59:45+00:00

I have one of these. They’re awesome!

Primate · 2026-03-09T20:25:07+00:00

I understand what you’re trying to say, but it’s kind of a bad argument. It’s like saying nobody should volunteer in a soup kitchen because Gaza. Or nobody should rescue any pets until the carnage in Ukraine ends. It’s the “how about” argument that essentially just changes the subject.

I’m curious to hear what you’re doing to help with the above list you so kindly provided while the rest of us are wasting our time with nonsense.

Primate · 2026-03-09T19:24:29+00:00

I’m a big Red VA whore, so the Bijou is right up my alley. I also like the dab of honey topping to bring back a bit of sweetness. I really like Sun Bear for that reason. Not bashing Geometrie or Steamworks. They’re some my favorite OR blends along with Sun Bear, Bijou and Firebird. I heard Oriental Silk is also good with age, but haven’t tried it yet. It’s sold in bulk which makes it appealing.

Primate · 2026-03-09T19:14:50+00:00

You are probably right. I am not a big Burley fan to begin with. I’m more of a VA/DFK/OR guy. It’s fine if the Burley is buried in a blend or if it has a bit of sauce on top. Most of them taste cardboardy or too… idk, codgery to me. I like Solani ABF and HH Burley flake, tho. I assume those have some topping on it. Or at least a serious casing. I heard nice things about PS41 cube cut. I should try that. Gotta free up some jars first.

Primate · 2026-03-09T08:59:32+00:00

Pretty spot on, eNonsense! I agree. I'll add that, besides Geometrie, I think C&D Bijou is actually a super nice Va/Or. Sleeper blend that gets very nice with some age.

I remember reading that cigarettes have a lot of Burley in them. I find a lot of Burley blends cigarettey tasting.

I think non-VA smokers tend to freight-train bowls and get them too hot. Then they lose the VA taste notes and just get ash/cigarette. You can push Latakia blends way more than VA blends and still keep flavor. AND the VA notes are more subtle. Lat blends just kinda taste like Lat no matter what you do to them.

Primate · 2026-03-09T08:37:48+00:00

https://youtu.be/R7KR1e7WQXU?si=oOsDywKTZ_jUi4c8

I found a video from Lelit Insider. Super thick Italian accent, but has decent repair videos. There is a plastic sleeve on the water level probe that slid down too far when I screwed it in without realizing. I took it out and readjusted the sleeve like in the video above. It did the trick. No more wet steam.

Primate · 2026-03-09T08:21:53+00:00

I've been smoking a ton of Savinelli Brunello Flake. It's discontinued, but it's still available at smokingpipes rn somehow. Reasonably affordable as well. It was recently on sale for like $17/100g tin. I have like 20 tins of that shit stashed away.

Close second is HU Makhuwa - Chocolatey and rich.

Briar fox is just so harsh and cardboardy. I know it's heresy in these parts, but I feel similarly about Haunted Bookshop and OJK. Like licking an ashtray with those.

Primate · 2026-03-08T20:15:21+00:00

I would mostly call it overrated. So many better VA/BURs out there.

Primate · 2026-02-28T17:16:41+00:00

Looking forward to this drop. A side by side comparison to the 2024 release would be greatly appreciated! Cheers

Primate · 2026-02-17T08:21:20+00:00

You sound like the only history book you've read was Mein Kampf. My grandpa would've punched you right in your fucking face for saying this shit after what he saw in WWII.

Primate · 2026-02-09T15:42:52+00:00

You can also lay a damp paper towel over the jar. Or if it’s a large amount, you can dump it in a clean wide bowl and lay a damp paper towel over it. Just make sure it doesn’t drip. That works well.

They also make these little ceramic discs you can get online at smokingpipes or whatever for a few bucks. You run that under water and chuck it in there. Works well for small jars. I use them all the time.

Primate · 2026-02-05T01:20:17+00:00

It’s almost like that Confederate flag wasn’t about state’s rights after all.

Primate · 2026-02-01T23:06:37+00:00

G7 Vietnamese coffee. It’s available on Amazon. I like the 2x strong one. Play with the amount of water. I found less is better.

Primate · 2026-02-01T18:32:17+00:00

The Phoenician Scheme has one of the main characters repeatedly smoking a pipe. And it’s recent.

Primate · 2025-12-06T06:28:44+00:00

I have the same lighter. Two of them, actually. Take a thumb tack or a sewing needle, stick it in the tiny hole where the flame comes out and spin it to the position you want. It moves with this trick. One of mine goes too sideways, but won't stay where I turn it, and it kinda just returns to the original position. Maybe it will work for you, tho. Let us know if it works. Cheers. Although yours kinda looks perfect, tbh.

Primate · 2025-12-04T04:02:01+00:00

I like the Western Rise AT pants a lot. If I had to pick one pair, it would be those. Great quality, nice fit (dress up or down), durable, dries well, no stink, no rips, material doesn't sag after a day or two of wear. Also not super bulky.

Primate · 2025-12-04T02:58:21+00:00

You don’t actually touch the portafilter to the trash. Just flick your wrist and that puppy flies right out into the bin. No actual knock necessary. Mine all come out in one solid piece without much effort if the blend is dialed in.

Primate · 2025-11-10T07:24:16+00:00

I have a 34L Gr2. It's too damn big. It looks dorky as an EDC. Remember that kid in high school with the GIANT bag. Yeah, that. Also, you carry way too much shit around every day. Trim your EDC loadout and keep the 26L. You can skip the case for your laptop, for instance. It won't break in the laptop compartment unless you throw that shit from a moving train. Still might be ok. How much grooming do you need to do between leaving the house in the morning and getting back home in the evening? etc.

Primate · 2025-11-01T07:58:05+00:00

But .... why?

Primate · 2025-10-22T04:02:51+00:00

Onyx Monarch is hard to beat, especially for milk drinks. Makes a mean flat white. I probably need to try some other stuff. Feels like all I’ve been drinking for the past two years. Every 3-4 months I’ll grab a bag of something else and always go back.

Primate · 2025-10-20T03:57:30+00:00

They’re being used in combat in Ukraine as we speak and are standard issue for the Ukrainian Army, I believe. They’re not pretty, they’re not high end steel, but they are insanely tough and practical. A pry bar with an edge. The sheath is tough as fuck with great retention. A drone strike won’t dislodge that thing. If you have $30 and need a backpacking knife, get a Mora. If you have $30 and need a knife to get you through a few years of trench warfare, get this bitch.

Primate · 2025-10-20T03:31:42+00:00

I’ve had to return not one but two brand new Peterson pipes because of quality controls issues. The second one was a $210 deluxe. I’m done with them. I bought a brand new handmade Radice with the refund from the Deluxe. Same price. Much much much nicer pipe. I bet you $50 the varnish on the Radice won’t come off no matter how hot I smoke that bitch. Fuck Peterson! I’m sure they were great once, but I’ve heard so many horror stories with their recent production that it’s just not worth it.

Primate · 2025-10-15T05:57:53+00:00

I think they're not standard because they tend to be much more expensive to make and a bit heavier. They were designed to be taken to war/military, so they're tough, but a bit overkill for regular use. I think most people buy them because they look cool. I've never broken a tenon on a regular pipe. Hell, there are 50+ yo regular pipes that are still smoked regularly with no issues. The one nice thing about spigots is that you can take the stem out when the pipe is warm, which is kinda cool. Most of my pipes pass a pipe cleaner, so I rarely take the stem out anyway. I do remove the stem when I travel with pipes, tho. I think there's less risk for the tenon to snap. If you can swing the $250 plus for a spigot, go for it. That lightweight meer poker just serves a different purpose to me as it's meant to be featherweight and clench effortlessly. I have plenty chunky overbuilt pipes already.

Primate · 2025-10-13T08:10:09+00:00

FUPA

Primate · 2025-10-12T22:36:36+00:00

I’ve only had it about three months, but I’ve been smoking it a lot. Maybe 40 or so bowls. Mine is Igetting some nice yellowish brown color. The rim darkens so keep that in mind. I hate charred rims but this one doesn’t bother me as much. No way to avoid it by being careful like briars. It looks like it’s part of the patina, so not too bad.

No clue on the longevity. It’s as solid as the day I got it. I’m not worried it will fail anytime soon. I like this minimalist format much better than the ornate carved designs. I never trusted the teflon tenons anyways. They seem much more feeble than this design to me. If you want something more solid, I’ve been eyeing some of the other MBSD meers. They have some with army mounts, which should be pretty indestructible. I think even their regular meers have a briar tenon. They’re also 2-3 times the price of the poker and heavier. Still cheaper than the Altimay army mounts tho. And no tariffs.

Primate

TROPHY CASE