To light a pipe, matches!

Many pipeologists use many things to light their little friends. I am a man of matches, and at some point will try a tinder-lighter. For many years I have used these matches in their various forms (they have changed slightly over the years, but mainly in name). They are longer, thicker and slower burning than a standard match. Mostly they measure 55mm! I find them to be the perfect light, somewhere between a match and a spill. They issue forth a soft yellow flame that is easy to place and kind to rims. Moreover, should I need to relight deep in a big bowl, they easily reach.

To An Old Pipe

Companion of my lonely hours,
Full many a time 'twixt night and morn
Thy muse hath roamed through poesy's bowers
Upon thy fragrant pinions borne.
Let others seek the bliss that reigns
In homage paid at beauty's shrine,
We envy not such foolish gains,
In sweet content, old pipe of mine.

Ah! you have been a travelled pipe;
But now, of course, you're getting stale,
Just like myself, and rather ripe;
You've had your fill of cakes and ale,
And half-forgotten memories, too.
And all the pensive thoughts that twine
Around a past that, entre nous,
Has pleasant been, old pipe of mine.

Old pipe of mine, for many a year
What boon companions we have been!
With here a smile and there a tear,
How many changes we have seen!
How many hearts have ceased to beat,
How many eyes have ceased to shine,
How many friends will never meet,
Since first we met, old pipe of mine!

Though here and there the road was deep,
And now and then the rain would fall;
We managed every time to keep
A sturdy forehead to them all!
And even when she left my side,
We didn't wait to fret or pine,
Oh, no; we said the world was wide,
And luck would turn, old pipe of mine!

Anon

Folded Erinmore

Though i would try some Erinmore flake folded in to my Falcon.
You get more tobacco in the pipe with this method.
It was a bit hard to light as Erinmore flake is a thicker than the flakes i normally cut.
Chuck is right about thinner flakes are easier to handle.
Erinmore is fairly soft and bendy compared to my plugs.
I am sure the tobacco has a better taste this way.

First light.

Burning well now.

It is smoking well  the pipe lasts longer with this method.   

The Black Dudeen by Robert W. Service

Humping it here in the dug-out,
     Sucking me black dudeen,
     I'd like to say in a general way,
     There's nothing like Nickyteen;
     There's nothing like Nickyteen, me boys,
     Be it pipes or snipes or cigars;
     So be sure that a bloke
     Has plenty to smoke,
     If you wants him to fight your wars.
When I've eat my fill and my belt is snug,
I begin to think of my baccy plug.
I whittle a fill in my horny palm,
And the bowl of me old clay pipe I cram.
I trim the edges, I tamp it down,
I nurse a light with an anxious frown;
I begin to draw, and my cheeks tuck in,
And all my face is a blissful grin;
And up in a cloud the good smoke goes,
And the good pipe glimmers and fades and glows;
In its throat it chuckles a cheery song,
For I likes it hot and I likes it strong.
Oh, it's good is grub when you're feeling hollow,
But the best of a meal's the smoke to follow.
There was Micky and me on a night patrol,
Having to hide in a fizz-bang hole;
And sure I thought I was worse than dead
Wi' them crump-crumps hustlin' over me head.
Sure I thought 'twas the dirty spot,
Hammer and tongs till the air was hot.
And mind you, water up to your knees.
And cold! A monkey of brass would freeze.
And if we ventured our noses out
A "typewriter" clattered its pills about.
The field of glory! Well, I don't think!
I'd sooner be safe and snug in clink.
Then Micky, he goes and he cops one bad,
He always was having ill-luck, poor lad.
Says he: "Old chummy, I'm booked right through;
Death and me 'as a wrongday voo.
But . . . 'aven't you got a pinch of shag? --
I'd sell me perishin' soul for a fag."
And there he shivered and cussed his luck,
So I gave him me old black pipe to suck.
And he heaves a sigh, and he takes to it
Like a babby takes to his mammy's tit;
Like an infant takes to his mother's breast,
Poor little Micky! he went to rest.
But the dawn was near, though the night was black,
So I left him there and I started back.
And I laughed as the silly old bullets came,
For the bullet ain't made wot's got me name.
Yet some of 'em buzzed onhealthily near,
And one little blighter just chipped me ear.
But there! I got to the trench all right,
When sudden I jumped wi' a start o' fright,
And a word that doesn't look well in type:
I'D CLEAN FORGOTTEN ME OLD CLAY PIPE.
So I had to do it all over again,
Crawling out on that filthy plain.
Through shells and bombs and bullets and all --
Only this time -- I do not crawl.
I run like a man wot's missing a train,
Or a tom-cat caught in a plump of rain.
I hear the spit of a quick-fire gun
Tickle my heels, but I run, I run.
Through crash and crackle, and flicker and flame,
(Oh, the packet ain't issued wot's got me name!)
I run like a man that's no ideer
Of hunting around for a sooveneer.
I run bang into a German chap,
And he stares like an owl, so I bash his map.
And just to show him that I'm his boss,
I gives him a kick on the parados.
And I marches him back with me all serene,
With, TUCKED IN ME GUB, ME OLD DUDEEN.
     Sitting here in the trenches
     Me heart's a-splittin' with spleen,
     For a parcel o' lead comes missing me head,
     But it smashes me old dudeen.
     God blast that red-headed sniper!
     I'll give him somethin' to snipe;
     Before the war's through
     Just see how I do
     That blighter that smashed me pipe.

Folded Flake

Getting ready.

Folded a flake.

Perfect flakes what a pleasure.

Stuffed it in and fired it up.
Took a bit of lighting and tamping but it's burning well now.
This Bulldog is fast becoming my favorite.
The size and shape of the bowl seems just perfect for me.
And i love the look.

'Man Pipe' (distributed by Comoy's)

Laxey Pipe Ltd. was located in Old Laxey on the Isle of Man. They closed in 2001/2002 as their main pipe production was centered around African meerschaum from Tanzania and Kenya, which has now dried-up.

They also produced meerschaum pipes for big manufacturers such as Peterson's, Barling and Nording from the 1960s through to 2001.

Most of their briars were meerschaum lined, but this one was not. I bought it for a few dollars at a market in Brisbane (Australia) many years ago. I've never smoked it and have never even polished it until today. Still, I have had numerous 'culls' of my pipes and have never been able to (for some strange reason) part with it.

These pipes were distributed by Comoy's. This particular pipe is carved, has many fills and as in places quite thin in the bowl. However it is drilled well, the briar is of excellent quality and the bit is the nicest fitting of almost any pipe I own. Enjoy!

'Great Britain' I only photographed these as I knew I'd probably lose them when polishing the bit.

Man Pipe went by many names including Manxpipe, Manxman, Manxland etc.

As close as I could get to the actual colour of the pipe.

This pipe is so comfortable in the hand, always a smooth little nook to put a finger in...

Flake

Near perfect Flakes Peterson 3P Plug

It expanded so much.

GBD Billiard - WWII Issue UPDATE

Well, gave it a polish and it came up a treat. working around the roundel is tricky, but it came out well. Can't wait to smoke it, maybe later tonight!

You wanted some close up and personals...here is a brief introduction to some favs.

This is my Peterson block meer.  It's coloring pretty good considering a year ago it was pretty much white.

Here is my 61st birthday present from my wife, Judy. Peterson Irish Army 999. My favorite.

My Stanwell Hans Christian Anderson 06 from a friend in England. Decent of him, eh? Thanks Alan!

This is my KBB Chesterfield. KBB was the forerunner of Kaywoodie.

My Peterson 305. Love this shape, but they tend to smoke hot. This pipe is the one that taught me to slow way down and sip 'n savor the vaporous form of the nector of the herb.

Here is an interesting old pipe. Estate from ebay. Lord Algrow. Smokes like a dream. The overall size makes it a very cool smoker. Smokes dry as the sohairy desert.

Now we come to the pipe I'm smoking tonight. It's a Turkish made meer I got off a forum member. Good pipe. Fake amber stem (acrylic). Coloring nicely at the shank but it doesn't show up much. This is an old pic. Someday, if the coloring proceeds, I'll update the pics.

That's a taste for you folks. I'll post some more some time. Hoot, Dave...Thanks again for allowing me to participate.

Chuck's pipes...nothing glorious but they're mine!

First off, who is Chuck? Chuck McKinney currently living in Indiana in the USofA. I smoke pipes and paint pictures. Two of watercolors behind me. Keeps off the streets and out of the bars.

Now, for the interesting part:

My Sherlock Holmes cabinet that Judy, my wife,
bought me our first Christmas together 32 years ago.

Thanks folks for allowing me to show off some of my pipes.

GBD Billiard - WWII Issue

This is today's project, a war-time issued GBD billiard. Once I've restored the bit and removed some of the eyars of dirt I'll post update pictures. However, I will be careful not to destroy the incredible patina this pipe has.

I have always thought that this pipe had all the makings of a high-grade. When I first picked it up I knew that it was special, but the lack of markings confused me, as did the small unfilled fissures. It was one of three pipes that I purchased from an antique shop in Atherton (Queensland, Australia) about 13 years ago. I love the grain, to me it 'sings', not many pipes do.

The pipe has been beautifully finished, has the metal GBD roundel, but lacks any markings on the stummel. The duel-diameter tenon is common (on my dateable pipes) from the 1920s - 1950s. The shaping of the billiard would point me to the 1930s or 1940s as the:

• cheeks fatten slightly lower in the bowl (earlier fatten in the middle and modern fatten towards the top)
• rear of the bowl is far flatter than the front (less pronounced difference in pre and post 1930s-1940s billiards)
• shank tapers subtly from the bowl to the bit interface
• shank is proportionally longer then many pre-1930s pipes and fatter than many post 1950s pipes
• shank has a beautifully machined - AND FINISHED (stained and polished) locating inner bevel
• rim has a single-plane inner bevel that spans the entire rim (common on pipes from this era).

But what of the lack of markings? Well, during the second world war many pipes were issued without markings as the focus was on volume to meet the needs of troops. Additionally, the fissures not being filled would point to the pipe being produced with speed in mind. Finally, the stummel is not perfectly symmetrical, so once again it has been produced quickly. However, the drilling and finish - WHERE IT MATTERS - (i.e. draught hole, tenon locating bevel, bit fit and finish) are all first-rate. Taking all of the information available I believe this to be a pipe from 1939-1945 and to have been issued to the troops. Finally, the area in which I purchased the pipe (it came off of a local farm) was used extensively by English, Australian and American troops for training and staging during WWII.

What do you all think?

Fissures in the front-bottom-left of bowl

Fissure in the front-left of the shank

You can see here both the shank and bowl fissures, none of which are deep or alter bowl/shank integrity.

This shows, as well as I am able, the actual colour and patina of this beautiful pipe.

Hard side-flash makes the rim look far worse than it is in real life. Still, not bad for all the years it has been smoked.

Left-hand side of the pipe, rich, dense and beautifully figured grain.

Note the majestic shallow single-plane bevel on the rim. Can you tell that I'm enamored with this pipe?

Right-hand side of the pipe. Once again, dense and beautifully figured grain, a rare piece of briar to be sure.

Note the slight bevel on the bit-end of the tenon, this mates perfectly with the inner-bevel on the shank.

Metal (nickle) GBD roundel. It is still crisp, so the bit has not been polished much if at all over the years.

Some tooth marks and depressions, but overall the bit is in great condition.

The flared bit-end and the subtle rounding of the button ends (not from use, from the factory) are all marks of a high-quality pipe, as is the dual diameter tenon.

Morning smoke

This is a huge plug i did not think it would work.

But it cut a perfect flake wow what a thing.
This flake cutter is unbelievable great and could
be over 100 years old.  

Always covered in finger prints and dust. 

I can't believe how well the flake cutter worked i then rubbed the flakes this tobacco will last as the flake expanded so much  and packed my Comoy's.
This pipe is classy. The Gold Brick smokes well and tastes great pure tobacco flavor and medium nicotine.