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From: ????????????????????????
Subject: Pipes Digest #22 - August 20, 1989
Pipes Digest #22 - August 20, 1989
In the pipeline:
- Norm Carpenter on carving, Bay Area pipe shops, and a plea for
participation in pipedom;
- And yr. obdt. servant with some good hard info, and no visible fills!
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From: ???????????????????????????? (Norm Carpenter)
To: ??????????????????????
Subject: Pipes notes
I've been rather disconcerted lately about the lack of news
comming across the _PIPES_ newsletter. In order to be fair, I
guess it is like wanting to get mail from somebody. If you don't
write you won't receive. So, with that in mind I will add my
notes about pipe wanderings.
My creation is complete!!! I finally found the right kind of wax
to put on my pipe in order finish the wood. I have been smoking
this pipe exclusively for the last couple of days in order to
break it in. Of course it's the best smoking pipe that I have,
hard to be disappointed in a pipe you built yourself. I am now
looking around for a small lathe (Used!) in order to turn the
next briar that I have. Maybe if I get good enough I can offer
pipes for sale.
I made a visit to Andre's Pipe Shop in Los Gatos CA. Even toting
along the wife and family (normally a mistake when going into a
smoke shop) I had a very good time. The shop is very low key,
and not too big (more like a wide hallway). The person working
the counter was very friendly ( a lost art out here in CA) and
wanted know where I had heard about the shop. My reference to
this news group impressed him and he was fascinated by how many
ways news could get around these days. I asked him about Andre's
pipes and he pointed to the case closest to him and said that it
was open. I examined most of the pipes and they were very good
and very honest. I could not find any fills and this was
confirmed by the salesman saying that only a few pipes were ever
filled, the pits (few and small) were left in. They were
arranged in the cabinet by price; value pipes on the bottom and
collector's pipes on the top. I could afford to buy one about
half way up. The next pipe that I buy will be an Andre, I am
pretty sure.
I went to a smoke shop in San Jose called _Smokers Paradise_.
This is a good shop, their top of the line pipes are just
beautiful (anybody got a spare $200 to let a poor pipe smoker
realize his dream?). The only problem with the shop is that they
cover the full range of smoking, and I mean FULL range. So I
don't care for the "Head Shop" section of the store. While I was
there I bought an old edition of a publication called _Pipe
Smoker_. This is the quarterly(?) newsletter of PCI, _Pipe
Smokers International_. I have read this 12 page magazine from
cover to cover and enjoyed each article. They had just had a big
convention in St. Louis (this was in 1985). Do any of you know
if this organization still exists? I am tempted to become a
member just for the newsletter, but they offer other services
like club pipes and conventions.
Well that's all for now, but I think there is a pipe convention
here locally in the S.F. Bay Area (are you ready for another
trip Steve?) I will write if I can find out about the convention.
[Norm, thanks for your comments, and congratulations on your new
creation! What shape did you carve? It's not too likely I can get to
S. F. for the convention, but I hope you'll make it, and that we'll
meet in person sometime! Read on for some further, hopefully relevant
musings on your letter. -S.]
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From: Steve Masticola (?????????????????????????)
Subject: Participatory pipeocracy
Well, once again it's time to fill a favorite pipe (this time, a large
Peterson), and edit the digest. This time, I'll say a few things about
the mailgroup itself, in response to Norm's letter.
When I started the group, the volume of messages behaved somewhat
predictably - a lot of things got posted at first, and then the talk
burned down a bit. I never expected a huge volume of messages, for a
variety of reasons.
First off, we're a small group (about 20-30 members, not counting the
digest echo into arpanet). It's not likely to get huge; I forget the
percentage of people who smoke pipes, but it's something like 5%, and
far fewer of us make a hobby out of pipes. We're never going to have
the volume of soc.singles (not that we should!)
Second, my tactic in putting out the letter has been to accumulate
mailings until Sunday, and (assuming someone's submitted something),
to send them out then. That way, those of us who have Real (tm) Jobs
will have something to look forward to on Monday mornings, before we
have to really get down to business! Does anyone have comments on
whether this encourages people to send things in? (Or whether you like
it in general.)
Also, the only way you have new things to say is if you learn new
things! If it's been ages since you tried any new blends of tobacco,
why not go pick up a sample and let us know what you think? You might
find something you really enjoy; at worst, you can save the rest of us
from being subjected to Old Anthracite :-)
You can also pick up a lot of information talking to others; that's
what the group is for. I'd also urge you to get in touch with a pipe
club, or go to some swap meets. It's also rewarding to sit down, light
up, and swap opinions with a friend, old or new! And you'll have some
new stories to bring back to us. I hope you'll try it!
We'd love to hear from you! And we promise no flame, except as applied
to your favorite smoke. :-)
~\U
OK, now on to some other things... Norm, the address for the Pipe
Smoker tabloid is:
Pipe Collectors International
P. O. Box 22085
6172 Airways Blvd.
Chattanooga, TN 37422
For $15, they'll send you one year's worth (i.e., four issues); they
also have some members-only offers on pipes, and those look like an
excellent value! They could use your support, I'm sure!
The last issue mentions some upcoming pipe conventions, but none in
the Bay Area specifically. But here's what's still coming up. All of
these meets have hotel and table space available (yr. obd't. servant
is a bit too lazy to retype them all! :-)
SEPT. 23 - Fort Mill, SC. Tar Heel Briar Friars Annual Show. Contact
Dennis Congos, 936 Autumnwood Lane, Charlotte, NC 27213 - (704)
597-5599 evenings, 547-2677 days.
OCT. 21-22 - Moline, IL. 41st Annual World Pipe Smoking Contest and
Pipe Show and Swap. This sounds like fun! Contact Jacques Bogguess,
Box 509, Northpark Mall, Davenport, IA 52806 - (319) 391-4055.
OCT. 20-22 - Las Vegas, NV. Mark Kaufman Memorial Pipe Show and Swap.
Sponsored by the Greater Bay Area Pipe Club (Norm, take note!) Contact
John Herring, 1103 Chaucer St., Berkeley, CA 94702 - (415) 849-0894,
or Marty Pulvers, 278 Lassen Ave., Mountain View, CA 94043 - 965-4773.
From the _Ephemeris_, Marty is also the contact person for the Bay
Area Pipe Club! If anyone else wants to get information about pipe
activities in your neighborhood, mail the Digest and I'll put up the
request (and try to dig up some info myself.)
Last thought - if anyone has something to sell, and you'd care to
advertise here, feel free! Maybe we could even work out a way to
exchange images in PostScript bitmap form (or whatever!) In whatever
format, I hope to hear from you soon.
Smoke in peace,
~\U Steve.
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) * * )
( Pipe smokers will rule the world! * ?????????????????????? (
) (if they don't run out of matches...) * Steve Masticola, moderator )
( * * (
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- Subject: Pipes Digest #22 - August 20, 1989
- Subject: Pipes notes
- Subject: Participatory pipeocracy
