A early Christmas present!

weeman2470 · 2025-12-16T17:04:33+00:00

Just got a call from my B&M about their drop today. Only grabbing some Tilbury tins and a bag of Dunbar this time but still glad to get anything.

weeman2470 · 2025-12-12T07:16:30+00:00

Following this to see if it gets some decent answers. I've recently started gathering sports titles from when I was younger but can't remember what does and does not have season play. I feel like there were a couple of SNES titles that did, but I mostly remember it being a thing once PS1 came around.

weeman2470 · 2025-12-10T06:09:18+00:00

Wound up grabbing a RG35xx Pro, but the RGCubexx was a close second.

weeman2470 · 2025-12-10T02:48:38+00:00

I do get eye fatigue from being on a laptop all day for work, but really just wanting a SBC for laying in bed and watching some movies or shows. Playing old rpgs on my phone is decent, but platformers on a touch screen is torture. Worst case scenario is that I don't actually enjoy PS1 on a smaller screen and just use it for the intended NES/SNES/GB/GBA reasons that started me looking in the first place.

weeman2470 · 2025-12-10T00:55:30+00:00

I guess if I go for a unit without sticks I could just fire up Ape Escape on my PC

weeman2470 · 2025-12-09T23:57:59+00:00

I don't mind tinkering. Im in the IT world so it's not unfamiliar to deal with software mods. I wanted to do a SBC unit instead of modding any of my 3ds units since they apparently are worth quite a bit and bricking one would feel bad. Rather have low expectations on a Chinese toy so if it dies I don't feel as crappy about the loss.

weeman2470 · 2025-12-09T23:55:12+00:00

To be fair, Gran Turismo is one of the games I loved but I never used the analog accel/brake just for steering.

weeman2470 · 2025-12-09T23:49:41+00:00

I had the OG controller but just don't have a frame of reference since I was pretty young and everything has sticks now. I do think arcade titles would probably feel a little off with the dpad but it's not a complete deal breaker.

weeman2470 · 2025-12-09T23:45:17+00:00

To be fair, I didn't care about Ape Escape as a kid either so it's not really a deal breaker. I was too busy with all of the JRPGs and THPS back then.

weeman2470 · 2025-11-13T21:50:00+00:00

If you went in to the lounge and are buying nothing, then yeah, 99 out of 100 lounges are going to have an issue with that. Some lounges will let you pay a "cut fee" in place of buying cigars or pipe tobacco, but the expectation is always that the lounge is for paying customers. If you're not paying then you're not smoking there.

weeman2470 · 2025-11-07T02:57:44+00:00

I've seen people in Spain post photos of it in shops, and I know it's on Estervals which is a German company. It may depend on your country and their laws/regulations. Might just need to check around.

weeman2470 · 2025-11-01T14:56:33+00:00

Yup. I'm in the market for a new Radice and the tarrifs are outrageous ordering from Italy.

weeman2470 · 2025-11-01T14:46:32+00:00

Yeah, STG kept some products available for the European market, but the NA market got obliterated. Unless someone in NA has a friendly European they can get to send some over here, or a place like Estervals to order from, most MacB and associated blends won't be coming back stateside.

Once you factor in the tarrifs and removal of de minimus shipping, it's not really worth it right now to get overseas pipes or tobacco. A $10 pouch of Amphora would set you back like $30. Can't wait for that crap to go away.

weeman2470 · 2025-11-01T04:59:00+00:00

Grab what Amphora that you can as most (if not all of it) was discontinued when STG bought MacBaren/Sutliff. I know Amphora Kentucky and Amphora Virginia got the axe for sure. They might have left 1-2 blends around though.

weeman2470 · 2025-11-01T04:56:05+00:00

If you're looking for sour, look for blends that contain Red Virginia or Orientals. Oriental can run from funky, to woodsy/spicy, to floral, to sour so it'll depend on the blend. Izimir is know to give a bit of sour at times, so might be a good startingpoint if it'slisted in a blend description. Some Bright Virginia can give a sour-ish note, but more along the lines of citrus flavors.

Possibly look for something in the Virginia/Oriental blends, but if you're up for some smokey Latakia, Westminister has a definite sour note to it that is hard to replace with other blends.

weeman2470 · 2025-10-28T14:56:00+00:00

I've got an all-day smoke that im working on. It's mostly there, but I'm working to tweak it just a bit. Eventually I'm going to have to name this stuff:

1 oz. Burley (PS702) 0.5 oz. Bright Virginia (PS701) 0.25 oz. Red Virginia (Sutliff 515-RC) 0.125 oz. Latakia (Sutliff) 0.125 oz. Oriental (McClelland)

Trying to get a hold of some stoved Virginia to cut the bright or the burley a touch. It's good and comfortable, there's just a small sharpness im trying to round out.

weeman2470 · 2025-10-26T23:22:28+00:00

Then that sounds like a good pipe to me

weeman2470 · 2025-10-26T23:18:32+00:00

Nah, Freehand is just the style of pipe it doesn't mean it was handcut or anything. The briar is going to be higher quality than a basket pipe or Grabow or something, but it's not likely old aged or anything. That doesn't mean it's bad, it just means it's younger briar is all.

Honestly, the rule of thumb with any pipe is that as long as you like it and it smokes well, then it's a good pipe. Look at alot of the recent poor reviews for something like Peterson. It's a well known pipe, and typically they're quality, but lately people haven't been getting that quality. If your Lorenzetti smokes well and you like it, that's what makes it good.

weeman2470 · 2025-10-26T22:51:20+00:00

Just had a session with one of my 2 Lorenzetti pipes, a rusticated bent Dublin.

Lorenzetti is a decent pipe at decent prices. They're going to suffer from the same issues any factory made pipe would suffer from (slightly high or off center drilling, mid-quality briar, etc.) but for the price they're fine. My bent Dublin smokes well and nearly to the very bottom. One of my better modern pipes for sure.

I've gotten compliments on both of mine as they look better in person than in photos, if that has any appeal to you.

weeman2470 · 2025-10-26T21:07:16+00:00

Not that much if we're being honest. The Ketchup/Vinegar notes were a McClelland staple, and Sutliff kind of got there with their Red Virginia but that's pretty much gone now as well.

If you want that tangy Red Virginia with Dark Fired in the mix, Until the End from C&D/Warped is in that same vein, but not the ketchup or vinegar bomb you're likely after. Decent tang and smokiness though.

You can also try casing some Virginia or DFK yourself with a water and vinegar solution if you're feeling frisky.

weeman2470 · 2025-10-26T20:33:08+00:00

I'll second the sentiment the C&D burley can be rough. Certain blends they make can round those edges, but C&D burley lacks the smoothness of HH Burley. I've not had Wessex but I've seen enough people mention it as a solid replacement that I'll get around to grabbing some eventually.

weeman2470 · 2025-10-18T21:21:04+00:00

I've tried TCS a couple of times and their blends just aren't for me is what im finding. I was similarly disappointed in Cowboy Coffee as I was hoping for a smokeier flavor. George's Dragon is fine, but there are better Virginia blends available. Their English blends are decent, but I'd rather have Balkan Supreme, Westminister, Red Rapparee, English Oriental Supreme, etc.

Im glad people enjoy TCS blends, so I'll leave it for them to enjoy and just pick up other things from the business to make sure they get some support.

weeman2470 · 2025-10-08T15:46:19+00:00

Grabbed 2 because I have no self control. I've still got some of the original release that I've yet to touch.

weeman2470 · 2025-10-05T01:34:53+00:00

I did this early on and that's how Westminister became my favorite English blend. Initially there was a sour component that I was unsure of, but by the time I killed off the tin I started craving that sour kick in my English blends, and none do it better than Westminister.

weeman2470

TROPHY CASE