C. Patrick “Ozzy” Osborn PG

The 39THIRTY New Era Caps Just Arrived see end of post for more information     As I write in The X Pipe, "A pipe show . . .  is one of the few places in the world where men can soberly and without rancor engage in true dialogue. With nothing more than a common passion for pipes and tobaccos, pipemen are able to set aside religion, politics and money differences and simply listen for understanding. They will be the first to tell you they are more aligned by their passion for pipes than divided by their faith, party or wealth.*  And I can think of few people I'd rather meet at a pipe show than our own Lee Skiver  "the Peterson piper." So I was delighted when Lee reached out that he'd be attending the CORPS show in Richmond September 14th and 15th and agreed to be our Peterson ambassador, hosting a Pete Geek Meet. Of course you'll recognize Linwood Hines, founder of the show and Doctor of Pipes (Chicago Pipe Show), whom I ran into almost literally upon entering the event. He also introduced me to a gentleman named Roy, who is a former member of CORPS that flew-in from California for the show and Sutliff's anniversary party the evening before. Mr.  Dwight Davis, PG, would have joined us for lunch, but he had to man his table. He's seen here holding a tin of the CORPS 40th anniversary tobacco--an amazing concoction of black virginia flakes on one side, red virginia on the other. Seen at the lunch table (from top left), C. Patrick "Ozzy" Osborn, Lee Skiver, Tom Dempsey and Mike Remington; Tom and Mike are both members of the Fredericksburg Pipe Smokers Society. I was the odd 'PG' out, as all three of these gentlemen are Marine Corps veterans.   The tractor museum also houses a small, but substantial collection of tobacciana, donated and curated by a gentleman (in orange shirt) named "Bones." He's a multi-generational tobacco farmer and the salt of the Earth. He even showed us a plug of tobacco that he had pressed on a whim the night before. Unfortunately, we weren't offered samples... He also revealed the size of the tobacco leaves they grow on their farm 35 miles west of Petersburg--huge leaves that are apparently not all that useful at that size.  That's Tom holding said leaf. A couple shots of interesting tobacciana; tin plug label that shares a name with common American undergarments (yes, they are one in the same, although I can't recall the details of the backstory) and a lovely advertisement for Edgeworth (sliced plug and ready rubbed). King Merendino, PG was selling some wares and shared a lovely story of his visit the Peterson factory when under Tom Palmer's management. King was acquainted with the Palmers and when he visited there were a number of lattice cut meerschaum bowls lying around. Upon questioning their purpose, the Palmers offered to make King his own custom lattice cut meerschaum…