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PSA

The tintackers shipped to US destinations yesterday and those going overseas will be delivered to UPS Monday.  I do so apologize for the delay and thank you for your patience.

It appears there will be unclaimed tackers–if you’d like to get on the wait list, fill out this form:

WAIT LIST FORM

Simon Gilles CPG sent me a letter recently so insightful I thought it ought to be shared with the PG community. Quite often, as my old friend David Darke would say, “less is more.”

DOES SIZE REALLY MATTER?
by Simon Gilles​

Dear Mark,

I really enjoyed Post #483 and wanted to share a few thoughts with you about my experience with the smaller System pipes.  I believe these pipes have specific characteristics that affect the way they are smoked. But before doing so, I should mention that I have “classic” pipes of small size that are atrocious to smoke, and giant ones that give me an exceptional experience.

My lightweights include a Deluxe 8s, a pair of 313 (the one on the right belonged to my dad and is from the 80s, a ’74 sandblasted 20s, and a grade 0 MIE 314.

As far as Peterson Systems go, I smoke as many small pipes (shapes 8, 20) as medium ones (shapes 4, 9, 14) and large ones (Pub and 140th Anniversary), but over the years I’ve come to realise that smoking small pipes is more enjoyable than smoking very large ones (yet without denigrating the latter and taking them out of my rotation).

My middle-weight brawlers include a Deluxe CP 2s, a modified ’84 Premier system 309, a Deluxe 14B and a Deluxe 9B.

First, small Systems are easier to stuff (at least for me). The adage “less is more” really comes into its own here, as I’ve often found myself overloading large bowls, trying to fill them up at all costs (which is very satisfying, admittedly) but which turned out to be detrimental to the smoking process. As I prefer flake tobacco, which need more space to flourish than conventional cuts, small bowls seem easier to fill correctly.

Also, the moisture from combustion in a small System doesn’t have time to settle in the bottom of the bowl and make the tobacco difficult to smoke. So much is this the case for me that I’m thinking of testing the double-curing method by preparing the last third of my pipe a few hours before the rest of my tobacco. That way the base will be much drier, and when it is loaded with moisture during smoking, layer will take on a hygrometry close to that of burning tobacco.

Lighter, these small Systems are also more comfortable to hold in the mouth for long periods, which contributes to a longer smoking time, and therefore once again making them perfect for smoking flakes.

My heavyweights are a smooth 140th Anniversary and a modified Pub pipe.

Finally, I get the satisfaction of smoking the entire pipe when I smoke a small System, something I can’t do in one go with XXL models–I would love to, actually, but I have two young daughters to look after!

… and sometimes more is MORE.

Jonathon Estes CPG sent pix of his recent acquisition, one of my all-time favorite pipes, the rare first iteration of the Hand Made House Pipe from the 1980s (see Post #407):

∑

The Pete Geeks will bring down the LVIPS this year.
If you plan on attending,
be sure to visit the PG Haberdashery
for your obligatory shillelagh, flat cap, black leather kilt and flask.
Bagpipes optional.

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