No.470 January 23 – February 5, 2020 Refurbished Pipes!!“Mature pipes” we called them back in 2001 when, following the example of a pipe shop in California, we introduced in Wesley’s Rosebank a few very selected pipes which had been refurbished. They were kept separate from our mainline pipes, shown discreetly to pipemen we felt would appreciate them as quality “antique” pieces of pipe artistry from brands such as Dunhill, Charatan, Savinelli, Peterson, Stanwell, Kriswill, W Ø Larsen. The pipes came to us from several sources – an estate, a pipe smoker who had given up, or a pipe which was no longer fitting in with the rotation of a private collection. Any reservations about smoking a pipe which has been smoked by somebody else was countered by this comment from the California shopkeeper “you don’t take your own knife and fork to a restaurant, do you” Since 2002 we have regularly presented selections of refurbished pipes. We have also extended the range to widen the market. What continues to make it interesting for us is that we have come into possession of brands of individual pipes we have never heard of. Thanks to Google and other sources of information, we have been able to find out some background to these pipes, which has been a great help in pricing them according to their past or current value. Our latest and largest selection (66 pipes) will be presented on our website and in Wesley’s Rosebank from January 30 while stocks last. To whet your appetite here are a few highlights to look for:
If the past is anything to go by the preview days will be hectic and we will handle emails in order of the time of arrival in the case (or cases) where a pipe is ordered by more than one person. Even if you’re not ready to expand your pipe selection to include a “pre-loved” pipe, read some of the history behind some of the relatively unknown pipes (at least in my area). Colin Wesley No.470 January 23 – February 5, 2020 You can read previous articles from “Across the Counter” in The Archives Library. |
No.471 February 6 – 19, 2020 Ringsize - the Diameter of the cigar Browsing through various cigar blogs it seems to me that era of “the bigger the better” in ringsize has reached its peak. In countries using the Imperial system of measurement (feet and inches), such as England in the past and the United States today, the diameter of the cigar is expressed in “rings”, where one ring is 1/64th of an inch. The relevance of the ringsize to the smoker can be broken down into three distinct areas. If you prefer gentler puffing, smaller ringsizes of 32 to 42 may suit you better. Drawing too hard on these sizes can cause the cigar to burn too fast which increases the temperature of the burn to the stage that the cigar burns hot and harsh. The taste - the larger ringsizes allow the blenders to add more leaves to the bunch. These can be more of the same to exaggerate or intensify the same taste, or complementary leaves to expand the complexity of the taste. The correlation with length – in a nutshell the combination of length and ringsize will determine the time it will take to smoke the cigar. To the true connoisseur, the ringsize is the most important factor in selecting the size of a cigar, though choice of ringsize may vary according to the mood of the moment. Selections to try for comparison. Strangely, the cigar that Castro preferred was a long relatively thin cigar 152 x 38.
And we’ve been offered a “Cohiba” branded ** combination travel cigar case for 3 cigars,
(You can also fit your portable cigar rest, for when there are no suitable ashtrays.) Colin Wesley ** Original Cohiba Travel Case was made in a limited quantity only, and was not for sale in shops. No.471 February 6 – 19, 2020 You can read previous articles from “Across the Counter” in The Archives Library. |
No.472 February 20 to March 4, 2020 Pipe Filters – improving the quality of your pipe smokingThe title is a misnomer - all briar pipes act as a filter. Unfortunately this moisture doesn’t just evaporate into thin air. It hangs around looking for somewhere to deposit itself. Let’s stop right here and examine this problem. “Bowl Filters”
These “bowl filters” are very useful in pipes that are fitted with mouthpieces too narrow to hold “stem filters” - “Stem Filters”
The 9mm model is a round piece of balsa Watchpoint. Not every pipesmoker wants to use a “filter” in the pipe, and not every blend needs one, so most filter pipes come with an “adapter”. This is either a plug with a hole through it, or a hollow tube, which when fitted into the peg reduces the smoke passage to 3mm or 4 mm. This is the standard size in non-filter pipes. A new trend in the blending of pipe tobaccos, using flavoured Burley, has increased the amount of moisture in the smoke. 9mm “Filter” pipe “Bowl Filter” Pipe Now is a good time because ..
Will using a filter improve the “quality” of your pipe smoking hobby, making it more enjoyable by contributing to a cool dry smoke? Colin Wesley No.472 February 20 to March 4, 2020 You can read previous articles from “Across the Counter” in The Archives Library. |
DRY R695.00
from R995.00
Keystone R715.00
No.473 March 5-18, 2020 Cigar Notes Notes from the Habanos Festival Habanos Festival It is said that the total personal wealth of these cigar aficionados must be many times more than that of Cuba. Day after day special blends and selections are presented at Functions and Dinners. Unfortunately most of these cigars are big! With ring sizes of 52, 54, 57 and more. The summit of the Festival is the Gala Dinner and Auction where funds are raised for various causes. Box pressed cigars – By accident or plan? The second story is quite simple as Rick Hacker, the author of The Ultimate Cigar Book, put it. Believe whichever version you like, but the fans of these cigars are adamant that they smoke smoother and more evenly. This, they say is because, by squeezing them from round to square, excess air is expelled from the cigars as the square corners are made. Then the pressure exerted to hold the square shape causes a small extra fermentation which increases the smoothness of the smoke. The knock on effect of the excise increase on local cigar prices. Right now could be a good idea to check out your selection of cigars and plug any gaps from our wide range of “Handy Packs” of 3 or 5 cigars. Many of the Handy Packs come in Zipseal bags along with a Boveda Humidipak. And now for more space for your cigars, we offer 2 models at very special prices.
If you leave the Boveda Humidipak in with the cigars you won’t have to worry about the humidifier – just the temperature. Colin Wesley No.473 March 5-18, 2020 You can read previous articles from “Across the Counter” in The Archives Library. |
No.474 March 19 – April 1, 2020
Imagination knows no bounds There are 21 steps, in one flight, up to the showroom in the Savinelli building outside Milan. The Savinelli team were waiting for us, and after greetings, an Espresso and a glass of water, we sat down to talk “pipe” with our friends, face to face, a good feeling. Over the years we look forward to these meetings – what will Savinelli have in store this year? This doesn’t mean that we see the same things year after year. This time it was the “Gaius” “Gaius” (guy-us) is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, and was one of the most common names throughout Roman history. The feminine form is Gaia.[1] The praenomen was used by both patrician and plebeian families, and gave rise to the patronymic gens Gavia. Gaius could be considered a fundamental Roman. A Gaius pipe is a pipe, as a man was a man in Roman times: the essence. The Gaius pipes are offered in bold Kingsize shapes, all finished in the same pebble rusticated black with burgundy glint highlights, and polished rim. Just to hold one inspires in you the feel of the underlying strength of the Roman Empire at its height. And if that was not enough, we were offered the pipes at a 19% discount off the Euro price. The shapes:
They are stunning pipes! If so, now is the time to take advantage:
Whenever you choose a Savinelli, you are getting a quality pipe, tailored for your smoking pleasure. Colin Wesley No.474 March 19 – April 1, 2020 You can read previous articles from “Across the Counter” in The Archives Library. |
