From: ????????????????
Subject: about me

	Fellow Pipesters,

	As a new member of this group, I hoped to share my thoughts on
pipe smoking and related matters. My first issue of Pipes Digest (163)
was made very enjoyable by finding so many who share my love of pipes
and tobacco and their abilities to relate this through mail on the
'net. It was wonderful reading on one of my favored subjects. Thanks
to all who wrote in from a new reader.
	Now, to the point.
	I am, from what I read, a fairly young pipe smoker. I will
turn 27 in Jan.  '95 and have been smoking pipes for about 18 mos. My
grandfather was also a pipe smoker, so I suppose that had something to
do with my interest. Man, if I could only find his pipes! :^)
	After reading (and re-reading) Weber's Guide to Pipes and Pipe
Smoking, I bought a Comoy's briar for $40 as my first pipe. I didn't
want to start with a less expensive pipe, as Weber and everyone I
talked to said 'you get what you pay for', especially in pipes. It is
a rather non-descript pipe of plain brown briar, although it now has a
banded shank, which makes it a bit more distinctive than some. The
band, BTW is a necessary feature resulting from an accident I had in
less experienced times while cleaning it. :^) For all the damage it's
suffered at my novice hands, it still smokes nice and cool.
	I have since accquired two more pipes: a Peterson "Killarney"
in a nice bent shape with the standard and unbeatable "Peterson bit"
and a great Nørding freehand I received as a birthday present. It
was originally without a stain, and has since colored to a wonderfully
rich deep hue somewhere between that of the natural briar and
tobacco. I was told that this is similar to the process a meerschaum
undergoes with regular smoking.
	I smoke mainly aromatics from the 'private' blends of our
local retailer, "The Pipe and Tobacco Shop." With such an inventive
name [ :^) ] , you might be misled into thinking that they are a
rather generic franchise shop; NOT so! The shop has an individual
flair with an exceptionally friendly staff.  After only two or three
trips my friends and I made, they all began to at least recognize our
faces and associate them with our favorite blends and pipe purchases,
and one guy there remembers our names. They also stock a wide variety
of chess sets, which is another passion of mine. Now, if they would
only carry soccer equipment... :^>.
	The two blends I choose most are 'Deerhunter' which is light and had an
almost fruity aroma and taste, and 'Capitol Spice'  which is best described
as a mild dark Danish with no bite. I hope to hear from others here about
their favorite blends, and would consider making a swap via post.
	Anyway, there it is. I hope this isn't too long-winded (
-fingered ), and of SOME interest to you folks. Obviously, if
Mr. Masticola (Steve) wants to edit for legnth I don't mind.

	Smoke in peace `\U,
	Mike Sims, in Little Rock, Ark.
	(????????????????)

	P.S. What is the official pipe-smoker's emoticon? Is it `\U?
    	        Also, please, no Clinton jokes! :^)

[ Clinton jokes? Don't get it. And I use "~\U" in the Digest, though
there's no official _anything_ on the Internet. -S. ]


~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U