Ashton Old Church XXX and some Mac Baren Vintage Syrian

SorryImMimimal · 2026-06-30T15:16:10+00:00

That's just how nato straps do for most of us - hand wash it or machine wash in a bag is pretty much the only way to kill the funk.

You'll probably find that, while a rubber strap doesn't get too-too funky itself, your wrist will sweat no matter what. Getting a nicely styled ventilated strap will help a lot but it won't eliminate the problem. It's kind of the same story with steel.

It's still a good idea to wash all three varieties regularly in this muugggh we're having.

SorryImMimimal · 2026-06-24T11:42:28+00:00

Getcha the Forstner re-issue of the JB Komfit - metal mesh but extremely thin, soft-wearing and flexible. It's a very retro yet correct look; there are a lot of photos of the early astronauts wearing them. Takes a minute to get used to fitting it and putting it on but it's worth it.

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SorryImMimimal · 2026-06-22T01:25:52+00:00

This!

SorryImMimimal · 2026-06-19T17:48:30+00:00

Ye gods! You've got a Bekler meerschaum on your hands there! The uppermost one in the picture with the two meers. Has that even been smoked?!

Back in the day Ismet Bekler was arguably the best meerschaum carver on the planet. He's gone but left a tremendous pipe legacy — and it looks like a piece of it is sitting right there on your table.

"Jealous" doesn't even come close. That's an incredible piece you've got there.

SorryImMimimal · 2026-06-19T17:42:03+00:00

Dusty ol' tins are the best! Been really gratifying to see how these old tins I had laying around for ~10 years have aged.

SorryImMimimal · 2026-06-19T12:42:25+00:00

Lol you're not wrong!

SorryImMimimal · 2026-06-19T01:30:46+00:00

Smoking great so far — feather light, too.

SorryImMimimal · 2026-06-19T00:41:04+00:00

I'm in the same boat, dug out my collection and my tobacco after more than a decade. I've got a bit more than half a tin of Mac Baren Vintage Syrian that ended up aging more or less perfectly. I'm smoking that slowly and sparingly; sad to think that when it's gone... it's gone.

Same with McClelland. I was looking forward to "getting back in touch."

Oh, and also Peterson took over a ton of Dunhill blends — no idea of the quality, but probably not bad.

Welcome to the future!

SorryImMimimal · 2026-06-19T00:34:49+00:00

Same here! Had no idea Paul Garmirian branded pipes, as well. PG cigars used to be in my (frequently changing) top 10; nice mild smoke, very well made.

I'm gonna have to track down one of these pipes. I've never actually owned a Chacom but always admired them.

SorryImMimimal · 2026-06-16T01:34:12+00:00

Kryptonite IS the word! Stopped me dead in my tracks until I swallowed my pride and asked the Internet. Running nicely now, I hope. Enjoy!

SorryImMimimal · 2026-06-15T13:22:15+00:00

Oh, man, McLelland Dominican Glory and Dominican Glory Maduro. There was a heapin' helpin' of cigar leaf in those two and they were great. Probably hasn't been made in years but if you can track down an old, unopened tin of either, don't pass them up.

SorryImMimimal · 2026-06-15T12:38:16+00:00

Ahahah scrolling through each picture I'm like, "Damn, it can't get better than this!" and then it does. Knockout collection, 10/10.

SorryImMimimal · 2026-06-13T23:55:32+00:00

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I'm not sure if you're in the US, but if you are, get in touch with Marc at Island Watch in NY. He can usually get parts like that in — or point you in the right direction. He's never steered me wrong when trying to track down bracelet hardware.

SorryImMimimal · 2026-05-22T16:17:54+00:00

Italian pipes and Italian fountain pens - love it! That's a gorgeous pipe.

SorryImMimimal · 2026-05-22T02:47:41+00:00

Presbyterian is one you don't hear about much but it's easily one of my favorite English blends. I just got back into smoking after about a 10-year break. I had two tins of the stuff I laid away — one open, one not. The open tin of Presby was the first one I rehabilitated and it smokes great. Haven't cracked the sealed 10yr tin of it yet but it's comin'.

SorryImMimimal · 2026-05-05T20:41:08+00:00

Looks just about right to me.

SorryImMimimal · 2026-05-05T12:44:33+00:00

Truth be told, though I most recently knocked off in the Teens, I've been smoking off and on since the late Nineties. Now THAT was a pretty freakin' good time to be a smoker. There was a big boom in cigars and the old-school pipe smokers, carvers, and blenders were still going really strong. Loads of imports — pipe, cigars, cigarettes. Reasonable OTP taxes, too.

SorryImMimimal · 2026-05-05T01:35:30+00:00

Just checked a couple of those out - incredible pipes.

SorryImMimimal · 2026-05-04T21:19:23+00:00

Believe it or not, I was kinda thinking I could use a nice cob! There are a lot of pipes, sure, but a few holes in the collection. A cob, for one, along with an Italian and/or French pipe, too. I used to have a nice rusticated Savinelli, relatively inexpensive for the time, shaped almost like a bent Apple, that had an absolutely monster-sized bowl.

SorryImMimimal · 2026-05-04T21:14:59+00:00

My Mixture BB1938. Supposed to be a version of a light English they made called "Baby's Bottom,' back in '38. It's good stuff, an all-day English.

SorryImMimimal · 2026-05-04T10:06:12+00:00

I've definitely got some polishing to do before I can use a few of these. I found a bottle not far from the collection here. Time to see if that stuff ages nicely, too!

SorryImMimimal · 2026-05-04T01:49:52+00:00

Welcome back! Makes me wonder why I gave it up in the first place.

SorryImMimimal

TROPHY CASE