From: Steve Masticola (???????????????????????)
Subject: A Christmas calabash

Greetings, pipe fans,

Hope y'all had a good Holiday! (Some of us may still be having one
around April or so, or trying to recover...)

This Christmas, I splurged on a Nording for myself. It's approximately
a "briar Calabash" shape, fairly large, with a full-bent stem and a
chopped top. Beautiful pipe, smokes nice and cool, and I haven't yet
found the first fill in it. I inaugurated it the right way, on
Christmas night, in front of a fireplace, with a bowlful of Balkan
Sobranie 759.

One of the things I found out, in connection with the Nording, is that
it is possible to negotiate price, even in a mall pipe shop, even just
before the holidays! I had seen the pipe in a display case in the John
David shop, and the store owner, noticing my interest, opened the
cabinet and let me have a closer look. I looked, agreed it was a nice
pipe, but thought the $70 pricetag was too much. "I'll wait until it's
on sale," I declared.

"You want a sale? We'll have a sale! I'll let it go for $60. How about
that?"

"Mmmm, nah, it's still a little too rich for my blood." He resumed
filling my tobacco order. I then had an inspiration.

"Now, for $50, I think I could buy it," said I.

"Wait a minute." He began rummaging around for a calculator. "I think
I can give you about 20 percent off. That'd bring it down to about
$55. How about that?"

"Sold," I replied, and handed over the plastic fantastic. The Nording
was mine. And, perhaps, part of what makes it so enjoyable is the
memory of this small, but satisfying, negotiation.

Whether or not you got a Christmas pipe this year, I wish you and
yours a happy "holiday from the Holidays." And, until next time,

	Smoke in peace,
	~\U Steve.


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