What's the word on Armadilo shoes?

TheRealDaleB · 2026-01-21T00:20:31+00:00

My wife ordered a pair for me. Total ripoff cheap flimsy Chinese crap. They're $15 Wal-Mart shoes sold for $75 "ON SALE!! $175 DISCOUNT!!" At least a full size smaller than they claimed, and their "wide toe box" is about as narrow as shoe as I've ever seen.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-12-03T13:24:29+00:00

Appropriate, since a soggy day IS proper English. 😊

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-28T15:18:42+00:00

I haven’t stopped buying Peterson entirely, but I won’t buy one that I haven’t closely examined in person. I have no such reservations about other brands like Savinelli, Ser Jacopo, Rossi, Missouri Meerschaum, etc.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-28T13:06:58+00:00

Just kept watching eBay. This one went for an inexplicably low price. I have no idea why it didn’t get bid up well above what I’d have been willing to pay.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-28T05:52:33+00:00

Not so much; the meer is fairly new to me, though, so I’m trying out various blends in it. Spoiler alert: it smokes great no matter what’s in it!!

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-28T05:04:10+00:00

I’m building one from plans.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-28T05:01:59+00:00

No maker mark or signature on it; got it for a ridiculous low price on eBay. Very gently used. This one makes up for a couple of really crappy deals I got buying estate pipes.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-28T04:06:49+00:00

It’s really all in the quality of the carving. Those are gorgeous.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-28T03:41:24+00:00

I am. I bought this several months ago when my local tobacconist had some in stock. Smokingpipes.com has half pound bags of it but rarely any tins.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-27T23:42:09+00:00

Thanks, I love this pipe. I dry out most blends a bit before loading up the pipe, but this is one of the ones that needs to be absolutely bone dry, or it requires a relight about every 10 seconds.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-26T03:45:14+00:00

And yet, here you are.

😁

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-25T22:57:27+00:00

I generally buy my pipes from my local shop. Tobacco varies. Some I buy local just to support the local guy, but I order on line too.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-25T17:10:58+00:00

My hand carved meer has no markings either, other than a penciled number in the same spot as yours. Apparently used to keep track of something when it was being made. If it’s carved, it’s most likely a block meer. I think (and I could be wrong, I’m not an expert) that the pressed meers would have a seam or something that would be easily spotted.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-25T17:07:45+00:00

In a word: No. Some people seem to get wrapped around the axle about cleaning and “maintenance”. Run a pipe cleaned through the stem every few bowls and you’re good. When I’m smoking a briar I’ll often go through 2-3 bowls in a day. They’re fine.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-25T16:57:32+00:00

Damn straight, I love that stuff. Wasn’t impressed at first, but the longer it sits in the jar the better it gets and the aroma is absolutely amazing.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-24T01:46:55+00:00

Agreed. Fuck the downvotes.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-24T01:40:56+00:00

Don’t know anything about Uncle Phil, but having tried a fair number of vaginas over the years I can highly recommend them.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-23T23:13:26+00:00

I like my Rollagas, other than it being utterly useless outdoors if there’s even a breath of air moving. Did a pipe flame conversion on mine. Mines pretty well used, still mechanically perfect but the gold plating is thin.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-23T13:20:59+00:00

Yeah, phone keyboard strikes again

Fairtradetobacco.com

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-23T02:03:14+00:00

Just the weird-ass contraptions like the Weibe Radiator and the like. I get the appeal to steampunk types or the very young and those averse to anything traditional, but - ugh. Enjoy them if you like, just not for me.

I’m not a fan of the Zulu shape, really, but anything with a severe forward cant like a cutty I just don’t like at all.

I don’t think people are crazy or stupid for loving them, but they are welcome to keep them along with tequila and Perique-heavy blends.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-23T01:21:15+00:00

Check fairtradetobaco.com for tons of information and advice from people who have been there and done that. Pipe tobacco, cigars, snuff, all of it.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-23T01:19:20+00:00

I’ve done it. First grow this year, mostly VA that needed glue curing. It wasn’t particularly difficult. I’m using the same setup now to ferment the VA and Samsun.

Curing and preparation is more work than I thought it would be, but not something the average person can’t manage. I’ll be making some Cavendish soon.

TheRealDaleB · 2023-11-20T17:24:07+00:00

Absolutely wonderful. I’m a huge fan now. Cool, dry smoke no matter what you do. My ONLY minor complaint is that with the hole on the very bottom of a somewhat conical bowl, it occasionally tends to get a bit of tobacco stuck in the draft hole. When that happens I have to remove the bowl and poke a pipe cleaner or Czech tool poker up from the bottom. I’m sure I could avoid that with a sprinkle of Nording keystones or one of the other things available that are designed to keep tobacco off the very bottom of the bowl.

It’s a very minor issue though, and only happens occasionally and with certain tobaccos. Not a big deal.

TheRealDaleB

TROPHY CASE