From: ??????????????????@cbema.att.com
Subject: Jersey shops and new members of the family

Steve Masticola writes:

(re: visit to the Tinder Box)

>The attendant (a youth who didn't appear too savvy about pipes - he asked me
>if I was interested in a "messerschaum") 

Well, aren't you ?   Most people would kill for one !

The youth of today may have forgotten that time in 1940, the Blitz,
when the dreaded Messerchaums ruled the skies over Britain.  These
deadly German fighter pipes were the scourge of the Royal Pipe Force,
and left ashes wherever they went.   The Germans had something of a
technological advantage, of course; fueled by high-octane Turkish tobaccos,
the Messerschaums smoked faster than the more traditional English Spitfires,
and packed a tremendous bite; as a drawback, this fuel made the Messer's
easier to light.

Of course, the tides were finally turned by the arrival of the Americans;
our Pipe-38 (Lighter) , P-47 (Thunderburl), and P-51 (Mouthsting)
were more than a match for for anything the Germans could carve.  The few
remaining Messerschaums are real collectors' items, though I've heard
they're difficult to smoke in a tailwind.


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Bill Thacker			att!cbema!wbt	     ??????????????????