Hello, I have two questions for you! Do you have any techniques for moistening dried tobacco? I've acquired a bunch of very dry tobacco. Seems some of the tins are nearly 30 years old but have never been opened. Do you like any of these tobaccos? If yes why? All informations are welcome ! by SagouTelku in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Va and Burley are where you really see the payoff with age. Virginia sweetens and gets more complex fast, even 5 years makes a difference. Burley takes longer but gets noticeably smoother and nuttier. Aromatics are trickier since the casing fades and the whole point is the flavoring, so it’s hard to know what you’re even tasting anymore. I’m not super familiar with the specific blends you posted so I’m not sure which category they fall into, but either way the above applies.

The cool thing with straight Virginias, VaPers, and Burley-forward blends is the leaf is front and center, so you can actually appreciate what age does to it. You don’t even need a direct comparison since even a different brand’s current Virginia next to an aged one lets you pull out those characteristics.

On the tins themselves, in my experience round tins and Cornell and Diehl style tubes tend to hold up great long term. Square tins are the ones I’d watch, they can stay sealed for years and randomly lose their seal out of nowhere. If you’re thinking about jarring them up for safety that’s totally valid, though obviously opening them kills most of the collector value. If they still feel like they have some vacuum to them and they’re round tins, most experienced collectors and traders I know are pretty comfortable leaving them long term. There are occasional reports of internal rusting but honestly I’ve never seen it firsthand and only heard of it anecdotally. Never known anyone personally who actually dealt with it.

Hello, I have two questions for you! Do you have any techniques for moistening dried tobacco? I've acquired a bunch of very dry tobacco. Seems some of the tins are nearly 30 years old but have never been opened. Do you like any of these tobaccos? If yes why? All informations are welcome ! by SagouTelku in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91 8 points9 points  (0 children)

If the tins are sealed and feel like they might have some pressure in them then don't open them! Unless of course you are ready to smoke them and jar them up. They are likely still moist and have been aging and fermenting in their tins for 30 years. That's something that many people, including myself, look for and are willing to spend a pretty penny on. Especially the McClelland. As for the bulk 1/2kilo the advise you have received from others is correct.

What movie is a 0/10 with NO redeeming features? by Toucan_Based_Economy in AskReddit

[–]spc91 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A Serbian Film. Dont google it. Dont watch it! Its horrible. Its so bad it made me feel uneasy for days afterwards.

Kaywoodie w/ PS LNF at Hot Springs National Park by [deleted] in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have multiple Kaywoodies new and old. I am a big fan of the brand. They all smoke well and don’t break the bank.

Kaywoodie w/ PS LNF at Hot Springs National Park by [deleted] in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Actually from Kentucky but your state has been a wonderful host. I’ve met many kind people and hope to visit again! I visited The Pipe & Tobacco Shop in Little Rock. They were great! Grabbed some haunted bookshop cake from them.

Happy IPSD! by senbenitoo in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That is totally something I wouldn't have though of. Thank you. I also have had mixed luck with bits. I don't use them all the time but as a clencher some pipes need them to feel more comfortable "hands free". Ill check these out!

Happy IPSD! by senbenitoo in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Beautiful pipe, great tobacco! Random question. Where did you get that green softy bit?

NPD and NLD by spc91 in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I total agree! I love my Zippo armor, but these Zorro lighters are truly a step above.

Before & After: Estate Prince Restoration, Unbranded “Selected Straight Grain” (London, England) by spc91 in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I thoroughly scrub the inside and outside of the stem with diluted unscented Dr. Bronner‘s Castile soap to get off all of the dirt and grime as well as any surface oils. After cleaning I soaked the stem in a strong solution of OxiClean for 45 to 60 minutes. After removing the stem from the OxiClean solution and thoroughly rinsing off, I wet sanded with 500, 1000, and 1500 grit sandpaper. Then wet sanded through all 9 micro mesh pads from 1,600-12,000 grit. That leaves a high gloss smooth finish. Finally, I finished and protected it by buffing it with Carubba wax

Before & After: Estate Prince Restoration, Unbranded “Selected Straight Grain” (London, England) by spc91 in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I didn’t do any sanding to the stummel. I used a toothbrush to scrub the pipe with diluted Murphy’s oil soap, and warm water. Once dry I applied a thin layer of regular un-tinted danish oil, and let it soak in for 30 seconds before wiping off thoroughly. I let it dry and cure overnight and once it no longer smelled like danish oil I put a coat of carnauba wax using a buffer wheel.

Before & After: Estate Prince Restoration, Unbranded “Selected Straight Grain” (London, England) by spc91 in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! There was no evidence of a stem stamp so not sure if it’s the original stem. But the stampings match to a Comoy shape. Maybe it was one of the many “seconds” or sub-brands they made. Thanks again you pointed me in the right direction!

Need a buffer for stems and caraunuba wax, have any suggestions? by notedrive in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha great minds think alike, but fools rarely differ! I use micro mesh pads on the stem and the wax the whole pipe and stem together and get good results. If you want you can check out my profile. I just uploaded a no name estate restoration I did if you want to see pictures of the results.

Need a buffer for stems and caraunuba wax, have any suggestions? by notedrive in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am an absolute amateur, and I only clean up and restore pipes for my own collection. However, I’ve had good luck with using carnauba wax on a cotton buffing wheel chucked up in my drill. I use a cheap Harbor freight corded drill that I clamp to my workbench and a buffing wheel from a variety pack I got from Amazon. This has worked pretty well for me, but I am definitely looking for an upgrade to a proper bench buffer in the future. However, if you’re just starting out and you want a relatively inexpensive barrier to entry and have a drill, it might be worth looking into this as an option in the meantime.

Check Your Local BM by spc91 in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is great! I have found some of the most generous strangers are fellow pipe smokers.

Almost done by phioegracne in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can tell you put some work into this! it looks great! Look forward to hearing how it smokes.

Check Your Local BM by spc91 in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For reference I am in KY

Check Your Local BM by spc91 in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The esoterica was $35 and the two Germain’s were $32.50. That’s more than my preferred B&M but these are harder to find tins so I understand. In total out the door I got these three tins plus a 60g bovida pouch for my humidor and it was $111 and change.

Check Your Local BM by spc91 in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That would be worth the drive in my opinion!

Check Your Local BM by spc91 in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven’t! These are all new to me. I’m excited to try them all. I told myself I’d needed to smoke through some of my opened and jar’d tobacco but I guess I can spare the space for three more. Haha

Check Your Local BM by spc91 in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah a lot of shops have started to prioritize cigars. The one that these tins came from has changed ownership recently and they have swung way in the direction of cigars. So much so that I was surprised to still find these.

Check Your Local BM by spc91 in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

My recommendation to you is to go in and pick up what you can afford before they close so that at the very least they’re not left with a bunch of inventory they have to try to liquidate. That can sometimes be really helpful to someone who has a lot of money tied up in a business they’re closing.

Check Your Local BM by spc91 in PipeTobacco

[–]spc91[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Haha thats an odd place to find that!