From: ??????????? (rob denholtz)
Subject: Re: Pipes Digest #226 -- November 2, 1996

Steve,

        Re David Bent's asking for information on Meerschaum restoration:
I have one that pipemaker Clarence Mickels restored and he did a great job

        Clarence Mickels
        321 Oswego
        Part Forest, IL 60466

        (708) 748-7293

        I would also like to take this opportunity to report on the first
meeting of the as-yet-unnamed pipe club serving pipe smokers/collectors in
the mid-Hudson Valley area.  After talking about doing it for a year, vast
throng of four of us got together for diner at Aloy's Garden Restaurant in
Poughkeepsie in the evening of November 15.  They had arranged for us to
have our own room in which we had drinks and a terrific Italian dinner.
Albert DiFalco was elected president.  The purpose of the club was
articulated as being a forum for pipemokers to gather to show off pipes,
share tobaccos, tell tall stories, trade & sell pipes, and to promulgate a
multi-directional flow of pipes 7 tobacco information among the
participants.  So, we did that.

        I brought along some Charatans, including two Supremes from a
collection I bouight this past week, as well as two exquisite Radices and
an unsmoked Peterson's Handmade which Mike Hagley had sent.  I also talked
about my new-found interest in SMALLER pipes (my appreciation on that score
has recently been raised by Andrew Marks...thanks, Andrew) and so brought
some lovely old BBB's and a small 3/4 bent Apple stamped "Selected English"
and "straight grain" (anyone know about the first stamping?).  I popped
open a vintage tin of "Four Monks" and also a Perique-free mild, full
English I just got from the Owl Shop in New Haven, "Harkness Tower"

        President DiFalco brought his perfect ring-blast Savinelli
Autograph and a beautiful, small, gold-banded Peterson...also some
Woodlands tobacco from Mel Felman's Smokerin Albany.  Howie Rothstein was
smoking his favorite Irish Seconds bent Papa and we spent some time trying
to determine why this pipe was a "second" with only three tiny pits.  A
beauty...growth rings prominent...excellent smoker.  Dick Duncan was kind
enough to share his stash of British Woods and we all moaned over that
exotic tobacco.

         We also discussed ways to attract new members.  This message was
one.  We will also be placing flyers in pipes shops and passing the word by
mouth.  [The day before the meeting, I had stopped at a red light and,
looking in my rear-view mirror, noticed a guy behind me smoking a pipe.  I
jumped out of the car and went back to give him my card and invite him to
call me for information about the forming club.  (Haven't heard from him
yet...hope he didn't think that was too bizzare.)]

        We went on to work out meeting dates and places for December
(breakfast) and January (dinner) meeting and talked about smoking contests,
outings to the pipe shops in NY City, and perhaps a club trip to one of the
Tuesday meetings of the NY Pipe Club.

        I'm sharing start-up information with Ira Stone in Philadelphia and
Grant Porter in Sunrise, Florida both of whom are trying to organize pipe
clubs, and I invite correspondence with any other fledgling club
organizers.

        Best regards,

        Rob Denholtz

Rob Denholtz
FINE OLDE BRIARS
20 Clover Hill Drive
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

[ Thanks for the club update, Rob! And see below. -S. ]


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