From: ???????????????????? (Samuel J. Freund, Esq. )
Subject: Pipes Digest
website, and only now can appreciate the amount of work that goes
into keeping the digest going. Thanks again and again.
Smoking Sea Farer (see below) in a 20 year old Ice Age pipe. Some
stream of consciousness about recent visits to local and not so
local tobacconists. Perhaps a bit too long, should all be
considered in light of my familiarity with New York City Stores
like Wilke, Barclay-Rex, Peterson's, Lane Limited, and others which
have passed on, I admit to being spoiled.
I was in Las Vegas in June. Don Pablo's had rollers working
when I was there. The cigars, compared to brands like Macanudo,
Uppman, Punch and others seemed overpriced. I may be prejudiced, I
am used to Chicago Smoke Shop and J&R pricing. They had few pipes
and a few expensive bulk tobaccos. The walk in Humidor seemed to
be for show, there were a few boxes of cigars, with a Liquor (Rum?)
cured cigar for $7.75, approximately the size of a Punch Pita
(Short Churchill) showcased. Store was cluttered. I was
unimpressed. There is a store in the same strip mall carrying hand
made knives.
Ed's shop, was much more spacious, with a large selection of
new and estate pipes, I found a very nice, dainty Kriswell and a
large Butz Choquin Fait Main in a calabash shape, both nice estate
briars. The store had many accessories, lighters on sale, and both
packaged and loose pipe tobacco. Walk in cigar humidor, but I was
only interested in pipes at the time. They do mail order,
but use a catalog that is distributor published, the same one
Fader's in the Washington area uses. Bulk tobacco was a bit moist,
but some did appear to be house blends. Purchased Edward's 515,
English Flake and Sea Farer, moderate Latakia ribbon cut.
Visit highly recommended.
Mr. Bill's is very near the University and is more of a head
shop than tobacconist. About 35 pipes on the wall in various price
ranges, with about 16-20 loose pipe tobacco's in interesting
flavors. This is a chain and has 4 locations. They do mail order
and the tobaccos were well priced. I bought Nougat, Baklava and
Mango but they were much to wet to smoke, as soon as they dry out
I will try them.
I recently took a ride to Lahaska, PA, note the large outdoor
antique market has been replaced by an outlet mall, and decided to
go on to Philly. The J&R store, on Samsoun near 16th is worth a
visit. The prices are not as good as I would have expected, but
they do have some antique smoking items for sale. Also the only
place I have seen large Diamond strike anywhere matches in a long
time. No question about the loose tobacco; a sign above the jars
says that they come from the two largest distributor's. Seemed
pricier than the J&R in Fairfield NJ. Store is a bit crowded. I
only got a chance to glance at Holt's new store, around the corner,
they close early on Saturdays and Sundays, about 3pm, many, many,
many upscale pens. Nice to look at (I collect antique fountain
pens) unexpected in a tobacco shop. In fact the pens are in the
front of the store, with the cigars and other items in a separate
room to the back.
I also visited John David, Ltd. at the Menlo Park Mall, Route
1, on the way back. Good selection of pipes and tobaccos, I think
they are distributor blends, but were in smokable condition. There
were a good supply of different lighters, including my favorite,
the Big Boy by Corona at very good prices. However store appears
to be moving into the gift line in a big way. They did have a
smoking room in the back of the store with two couches.
A small tobacco store in Verona. Sounds like Broadway title.
Thee Tobacco on Bloomfield Avenue. Hours may be limited during the
summer. What looks like a selection of older (new) Stanwell and
other Danish pipes at good prices, accessories, fair selection of
cigars and tobaccos which are probably distributor blends,
(flavored chewing tobacco in bulk??) and last but not least, two
boxed briar churchwardens in a display case (Peterson's I think but
I do have CRS on occasion), last time I was there. No newspapers or
gift items. Proprietor is friendly, was explaining difference
between Maduro, Claro, Natural and EMS wrappers to a woman buying
gift cigars.
J&R has a tobacco list (4 Page) which attempts to describe a
large number of commercial pipe tobaccos by content. If anyone
calls them, be sure to ask for it.
I just got a really nice catalog from Finck Cigar Company
(successor's to Wally Frank). They not only have generic cigars,
but also generic tobaccos. Prices seem good for what you are
getting. Wally Frank used to have a blend called Yenidje Delight.
Very flavorful, mild English. Finck has Balkan Sobranie copy and
Istanbul which I remeber as being very good, way back when.
One last thing for now. I came across a few cans and pouches
of some very old tobaccos. Some sealed cans, some open. Included
Brindley's navy cut, Exmoor Hunt, St. James, Gold Cube, Murray's
Reserve, some Clarke's blends, Corn Cob, Taconis, and some other
discontinued brands. They are all at least 10 years old, and I am
re-hydrating some of them with Rum. They are in pretty good shape.
Will send list next time if there is interest in having them
copied.
Ed's Pipes's, Tobacco and Gifts
3661 S. Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(800) 688-6222
Mr. Bills's (4 Locations)
4632 S. Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89109
John David Ltd.
453 Menlo Park Mall
Edison, NJ 08837
(908) 494-8333
Thee Tobacco
405 Bloomfield Avenue
Verona, NJ 07044
(201) 857-2266
Don Pablo's is in the phone book, as are the other Mr. Bill's
locations. Finck's is in one of the Digests.
Thanks again for all of the work, reading the digests is a
pleasure. Please note new address, AOL really butchers the digests.
BTW do you prefer WP5.1 or DOS text.
Goodbye and happy trails.
=================================================================
Samuel J. Freund Don't tax me. Don't tax thee.
E-mail: ??????????????????? Tax the man behind the tree.
???????????????????? Anon.
=================================================================
[ Thanks for the listings, Samuel! I have John David in the Guide
already, but there's a slight discrepancy on the address. Plain ASCII,
justified to 72 columns, is my preferred format for submissions; it
can be read just about anywhere. -S. ]
~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U ~\U
