From: ???????????????????????? (Russ McClay)
Subject: An Entry to the Digest
Steve --
'Bout time I put my two cents in here...been a happy recipient and
member of this list now for a few issues. I'm really glad to see
Pipes Digest out here in dataland.
Thought I post a bit about myself and where I'm at with pipesmoking
these days.
I'm originally from Santa Monica, California. Lived in California
most of my life, though did live in Alaska as a youngster and Oregon
later on for a year. Been living in Taipei, Taiwan since 1987. Came
over out of a long-time interest in China and it ended up being home.
I've been around pipes my whole life. My grandfather smoked them and
so did my step-dad Jack. Jack was your proverbial pipe smoker.
Couldn't even think of him without a pipe stuck in his mouth or him
tooling/packing/tapping it. When I think of Jack I think of the sweet
smell of tobacco, and the care/skill with which he practiced his
smoking art. As I understand it Jack resides in the Holy Heavenly
Smoking Section of the nether-realms.
My grandfather, though a cigarette smoker by habit (not a chainer),
liked smoking pipes and had a pretty good collection of them.
I somehow inherited both my grandfather and stepfather's pipes years
ago.
* * *
Sometime during my trucking days I thought a pipe might be nice break
from the constant machine rolled cigarettes. Went into the collection
and grabbed a couple that looked good and went to a local Tinder Box
for some tobacco.
Out there somewhere in the 48 contiguous states I was driving through
a long expressionless stretch of highway. The weather was cool and
I decided to break out the pipes and tobacco I'd brought along.
I knew a little about how to pack a bowl and keep it lit from watching
Jack. So I packed up a bowl and got it fired up. I immediately
enjoyed watching the curl of smoke coming out of the bowl swirling out
the window kind of mixing with the smoke from left stack I could see
in the driver mirror. With the cool breeze blowing in the smell of
good pipe tobacco started filling the cab and bringing back fond
memories of Alaska, the woods, and cozy eves by the fire. It felt
very natural to hold the pipe. Obviously a pipe smoker in a previous
life.
I was 21 when I started driving interstate. Drove for 11 years and
then came here 7 years ago. 39 now.
Though I still smoke cigarettes (usually roll my own), the pipe is still
a fine friend during the cooler months here in Taipei.
* * *
Pipe smokers here are far and few between. A lot of the older men
smoke and many like using elaborate cigarette holders. Some of these
holders are nothing more than a pipe with a metal insert that a
cigarette fits into.
However there are a few out there, but unfortunately for them (and me)
there is not one single pipe tobacco store that I know of (been
looking for awhile and inquiries have included the Taiwan Tobacco and
Wine Monopoly Bureau (how's that for a government office name?), and
several of the finer hotels here (which at one time did have good
tobacco shops).
This isn't because Taiwan has anything against smoking. Smoking is
one of the favorite pasttimes of Chinese. Though they are starting
anti-smoking campaigns here to some degree, on the Mainland
(China) "everybody smokes". They smoke cigarettes and for some reason
didn't get the idea of the pipe or a good cigar.
Whatever tobacco I get is either from Hong Kong, where there are some
good shops, or from the states.
Hong Kong
---------
Davidoff (HK Tobacconist)
Shop G12
Gloucester Tower
The Landmark
Central, Hong Kong
Tel. 852.525.5428
Most recently I received an octogonal tin which contained five
roundtins of different blends of Dunhill's choice blends. Nightcap
(Perique, Turkish, Virgina, Latakia); Mixture 965 (Brown Cavendish,
Macedonia, Latakia); Royal Yacht (Lemon and Bronze Virginia); Standard
Mixture Medium (Traditional English Tobacco); and Early Morning Pipe
(Oriental, Latakia, Bright and Red Virginia). This is a real treat.
The only pipe tobacco available here is Captain Black (I think), sold
in small pouches. Freshness in question.
I do occasionally enjoy a cigar that is available at two shops called
Ritmeester. They're small hand-rolled cigarillos. Not bad.
Well that's it for this one. If anyone needs Pipes Digest it's us
over here on this island, where the contents of the digest are
mightily appreciated.
Incidentally, a good friend of mine (an American who has been living
in Asia for 20 years and now resides in Chiang Mai Thailand) also
likes to roll his own tobacco and recently sent me this little
*recipe* (though this might be out of bounds for inclusion in Pipes
Digest):
Roll Yr Own Cigarette Blend:
"You can get some good pipe tobacco (I like Borkum Riff "Mild"), put
it on a chopping board and chop it up with a cleaver, then mix in
whatever proportion you like with good Virginia, or better yet Yunnan
(note: Province in Mainland China) tobacco. Go down to a Chinese
herbal pharmarcy (easy to find here of course) and buy some "Kuan Tung
Hwa" (Chinese handwritten characters omitted for sake of the
illiterate) which is Chinese for "Coltsfoot." It's a medicinal herb
used for tonifying the lungs, curing chronic coughs, and other
respiratory problems, and one of the traditional ways of administering
it is to smoke it! Yessiree, Bob! Just chop some up on a board, as
above, and blend with your tobaccos. Not only does it soothe the
lungs and throat, it really tasts good and improves the overall
fragrance and flavor of the smoke. I use about 1/3 Coltsfoot, 1/2
Borkum Riff Mild, and 1/3 Yunnan blonde. A major leap forward in
smoking art!"
Regards,
Russ McClay
Taipei, Taiwan
"Tune For Maximum Smoke"
-Sign on my father's electronic workbench circa 1950's
[ Thanks for the note, Russ! And your father's sign brings back some
memories. -S. ]
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