From: ?????????????????? (blumenthal @ home with the armadillos)
Subject: Algerian briar

I have enjoyed this list and the expertise of its contributers.  I
don't usually have much to add, but I thought I would share my latest
acquisition. 

I was back up in my old stomping grounds, and couldn't resist
returning to Leavitt and Peirce to see what how my favorite
tobacconist was doing.  ('Scuse me while I load and light up :-) I
know there are better tobacconists, better pipes, and better tobaccos,
and I guess I'm a little young to be so set in my ways, but there it
is.  I got another of my favorite shape (~\V) David P. Ehrlic pipes
and some of my beloved cherry cavendish.  The pipe is a fairly tight
bird's eye on both sides with horizontal grain on the front and back
of the bowl.  Although there is a nick or two in the pipe, I cannot
find any fills.  The pipe is of Algerian briar, which the guy behind
the counter told me is almost extinct and is a harder wood than your
average briar (and thus takes longer to break in).  I smiled
ignorantly and appreciatively and paid my $25.  From my first
impressions, this pipe seems to smoke fairly cool.  What do the
members of this list know about this wood?

On smoking at work and other public places.  I'm a grad student, and
my one-fifth of a hole is too small and poorly ventilated for pipe
smoking.  I wouldn't inflict that much smoke on myself, much less on
my office mates.

While at Logan airport last Friday, I noticed one woman (non-smoker)
giving me dirty looks as I sat in the midst of the cigarette smokers.
I just put on my walkthing and ignored her.

In general, my rule is to treat the non-smoker's request in the spirit
it's given.  If they say "Would you please put your pipe out?"  I'll
reply "Certainly, I'm sorry if I was annoying you with it."  If they
say "Put that smelly, disgusting thing out!"  I'll comply, but I'll
probably mutter something like "Your mouthwash ain't making it."  I
definitely like the idea of just writing it off to your quota of
assholes for the day.

Keep the book,
brad

Amusing marketing ploy of the week:  Sherman's is now selling their
cigarettes in small boxes that say "I <heart> Harvard Square" -- six
for $2, such a deal! :-)

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