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No
25 - November
1, 2001 "What
can you show me in .nice
wooden pipe racks?" .is
one of the more tricky questions asked in the shop. In those
heady days when 75 South African cents bought 1 US Dollar, we
just imported ranges from the USA, Denmark, Italy, Germany and,
for real budget prices, from the Far East. We were spoilt for
choice, and so were our customers. Local entrepreneurs,
especially those who smoke pipes have tried to fill the gap. Some
of them for the fun of it, and some to make money. Nothing seems
to have really worked. It's not as simple as it seems - not just
3 or 4 pieces of wood with a few holes drilled and then stuck
together. Precision equipment for routing the bowl recess is expensive
and the exacting operations take time. Much handwork is involved
- so for some, 100 is too many; to set up machines though, 100
may not be enough.
Another option
has been to look at using materials other than wood - for example
pottery, ceramic, plastic or
leather.
For this Christmas at least - "pipe racks?" is a less tricky question. Colin
Wesley  |
No
26 - November
15, 2001 The invitations are arriving and the Calendar is looking busy - 6 to 8 here, 5 to 7 there; drinks, snacks and small talk. A nice way to round off the year. But what do you take, or offer, to smoke? (Traditionally many of these venues will have access to the outdoors. Take advantage - relax and enjoy.) Balkan Sobranie Cocktail and Black Russian cigarettes make a well-timed return. Mix or match the bright and pastel colours of the Cocktail or the elegant matt Black Russian - each one gold tipped. For the pure natural tobacco taste choose from the light Dutch Willem II Petitos or Panter Silhouettes; or the richer Cuban Mini Cigarillos from Cohiba, Montecristo or H.Upmann. (For a light, sweet flavour try Ritmeester Moods.) You prefer
something with little more ring size and an extra centimetre or
two in length? Something pleasantly satisfying but not so much
that it rules out the possibility of a more serious cigar later
in the evening? The ultimate
choice at these functions would be a small handmade Cuban cigar.
At present the range and quality of Demitasse
size cigars is excellent - Bolivar Demitasse, Cohiba Panatelas,
Montecristo Joyitas, El Rey Del Mundo Demitasse, Hoyo de Monterrey
Le Hoyo du Maire will all give you 25/30 minutes of pure luxury
with just enough punch to remind you that you are smoking a cigar. At this time
of the year, and especially at functions such as Cocktail Parties,
the words of Zino Davidoff ring true: "Smoke less, but smoke
better" Colin
Wesley
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No
27 - November
29, 2001 A
Prestige Pipe is made from well-aged briar, confirmed
by the good hard grain displayed on the surface of the bowl. Degrees
of close, tight Straight or Bird's Eye grains are the norm. The
bowl is either flawless or only slightly specked. As
we go up the price and quality scale in our Prestige
Pipe Collection (which is constantly changing), you
may notice that the manufacturer has added something to the pipe
to make it even more attractive. A better, more complicated finish
enhancing the grain, a better quality mouthpiece for both appearance
and comfort in the mouth, a little decoration or insignia in brass
or sterling silver in recognition of its quality. Are
they worth the extra price? Colin
Wesley
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No
28 - 13
December,
2001 I am often asked to suggest a cigar - either as a gift or for a personal smoke. Normally I suggest a cigar the size of a Petit Corona, a Corona or my favourite, a Robusto. But this time of the year is not normal, it is the season when one most often has the time to appreciate the quality of a larger cigar - the "Churchill". This could
also be described as the reflective season - a time to sit back
and relax, reflecting on the past year and planning optimistically
for the next year. As you cut and light the Churchill, you begin to anticipate the pleasure that is going to be yours for the next 90 to 120 minutes; the pleasure of smoking it, savouring the development of the taste from beautifully mild for the first quarter, to the full-bodied flavour of the third quarter; then putting it to rest and watching the last wisps of smoke rise and fade away into nothing save the faint aroma of the world's most affordable luxury - a great cigar. In
honour of this season we have prepared for you a selection of
three choice Cuban Churchills: Colin
Wesley
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No
29 - 27
December,
2001 Watchpoints for your cigars We all like
a little sunshine and warmth, but too much is not good for us. The dangers are the growth of mould on the wrapper or the hatching of the dreaded tobacco beetle (both of which result from excessive warmth and humidity) or the other extreme - dehydration. Stay cool!
And keep your cigars cool too. Watch the
humidity - try to maintain the normal humidity they are used to
(read "What do I need to do to keep my cigars in good condition?"
- www.wesleys.co.za/archives2.htm#archive5
). We are in the "Mould" season - high temperatures combined with excess humidity can be a disaster. But don't confuse "Bloom" (or "Plume") with "Mould". In
response to a question, Rick Hacker
has this to say: As discussed
in the latest edition of my book, The
Ultimate Cigar Book, bloom (or plume) refers to the
small, powdery white spots they occasionally appear on cigar wrappers
as the cigars are aged. Easily brushed off with the finger, bloom
does not affect the taste and rather, is indicative of a well-cured
and especially oily wrapper that is aging gracefully. He
added: Richard Carleton Hacker has written more than 11 books on pipe and cigar smoking and is one of the world's best-known authors and authorities on the subject. Colin
Wesley
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No
30 - January
10,
2002 We won't be long into 2002 before the effect of our weakened Rand will be reflected in higher prices for all the imported cigars, pipes and accessories. We have already had substantially increased Zippo prices and are expecting new pricelists from our three major suppliers of cigars and tobaccos. Obviously stock already in the shops is at current prices but new stock will be arriving from January 2002. The anti-smoking lobbyists are already howling for more stringent penalties for individuals and establishments that transgress the law, and no doubt the "sin tax" on tobacco products won't be overlooked in the next budget. But all is not gloom and doom - none of this is really new to us, so with some discretion and tolerance we should all be able to continue to enjoy our smoking pleasure. On our part
we'll be searching for quality products - pipes, cigars and accessories
- at the best possible prices. Some of the names may be new to
you, but try them; sentimental attachment to a particular brand
may have to become a thing of the past. We have great value
pipes in the offing. The current
Feature is a return to the past - in cigars and price. Machine-made cigars are not confined to mass market cigars - we'll be talking next month about machine made cigars from Cuba, comparing them with handmade, and with machine-bunched hand finished, Cuban cigars. The machine-bunched in particular offer very pleasant smoking on casual occasions, and really good value. Colin
Wesley
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No
31 - January
24,
2002 Pipe
prices in 2002 will not be immune to the effect of the weak rand. Take a look
at those old discarded pipes (discoloured, sour, damaged) - some
of them may now easily justify the cost of a professional repair
or refurbishment. D I
Y Next week we offer the Savinelli Con-Dit-Kit (Pipe Clean, Bowl & Stem polishes) at a very special price. Prevention
is better than Cure! The
general principle to bear in mind is that the cleaner and drier
you keep your pipe, the more enjoyable it will be to smoke - and
the longer it will continue to give pleasure. Colin
Wesley PS For Valentine’s Day we offer a Romeo y Julieta de luxe No.3 at a special price – a delightful hand rolled Cuban Half Corona, with very romantic associations.
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