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  1. dunnyboy

    Water Flush with Bamboo, Bone and Birch

    For the past couple of years I have been cleaning my pipes after each smoke by running hot water through the chamber and out the shank. I also run water through the stem. After swabbing out the airway with a pipe cleaner and the chamber with a paper towel, I let the stummel and stem dry...
  2. dunnyboy

    Show us Your Best Smoker

    You might say that there is no such thing as "the best" smoker. That if a pipe is capable of producing a great smoke even once, then anything short of that must be user error. I can't disagree. But I have one pipe that never fails to do produce a great smoke. It doesn't matter what tobacco...
  3. dunnyboy

    The Origin of Pipe Shapes

    There was an interesting pipesmagazine thread about the history of pipe shapes that was closed in 2015. @cosmicfolklore made some interesting contributions to that thread so I hope he will chime in. What got me thinking about this topic was @Fralphog's post about his restoration of an antique...
  4. dunnyboy

    Optimal Moisture Permits Proper Cadence

    @cosmicfolklore's excellent post on the benefits of slow smoking got me thinking about why we constantly advise struggling smokers to dry their tobacco more. That advice seemed to contradict my own experience. My most flavorful smokes were with flakes and ribbons from freshly opened tins where...
  5. dunnyboy

    Baking Tinned Tobacco in an Oven

    In Fred J. Hanna's book The Perfect Smoke, Fred describes baking tobacco in the tin to speed up the aging process. He recommends baking the tin with the label on for about five hours at just under 200 degrees. I decided to try his experiment with a 2020 tin of GLP Union Square, a lovely blend...
  6. dunnyboy

    Resting Tobacco

    I've often read that tobacco tastes better after it has rested for a couple of weeks. That's been my experience too, especially with Virginia blends. No lesser authority than GL Pease had made this point in one of his columns. What is the explanation for this? Is it like wine that needs to...
  7. dunnyboy

    Castello Epoca with a Replacement Stem

    I recently acquired an estate Castello Epoca in the rare "rock" style that was listed on ebay. The pipe was described as in near-mint condition and in particular that there were no modifications. (See screenshot.) The pipe was overpriced and sat for several weeks before the vendor and I...
  8. dunnyboy

    Are Latakia Blends Better on the Moist Side?

    The general consensus seems to be that virginia blends should be smoked on the dry side. But is this also true for latakia blends? My impression is that English/Balkan blends smoke better on the moist side. They're more flavorful and nuanced. Latakia becomes more friable and burns hotter as...
  9. dunnyboy

    Castello Epoca

    This Castello poker was listed on the site of a popular US-based pipes and tobacco vendor for at least a couple of weeks before I bought it. I was surprised it was still available because Castellos in the "epoca" finish rarely come up for sale. This epoca is in the "dripped-wax" motif.
  10. dunnyboy

    Do You Cold Draw?

    Do you ever pack your bowl and take a puff of the unlit tobacco to see how it tastes? I stuffed a clean pipe with one flake of Solani Aged Burley Flake and left it to dry for an hour. At this point in my smoking career, I don't normally have to test the draw. But the pipe was a recent estate...
  11. dunnyboy

    Horns: What Do You Think?

    It took me awhile to appreciate the beauty of horns and zulus. But about a year ago I saw one that was so exquisite I decided to take the plunge. I have two superb pipes by the carver and have great respect for him. After one careful smoke, however, I was shocked to find that the distal part...
  12. dunnyboy

    Xikar Butane vs Corona Old Boy

    I've had an IM Corona Old Boy for years, probably decades. It underwent professional servicing a few years ago and the old boy was working like a charm until I ran out of Zippo butane and decided to take advantage of a sale on Xikar High Performance butane to "upgrade." (Predictably, I bought...
  13. dunnyboy

    Castello Book

    On his excellent YouTube channel Mike Glukler of Briar Blues showed a recently published book about Castello pipes. I don't see it advertised on the Castello website. Does anyone know where you can buy a copy?
  14. dunnyboy

    Stand for Large Pipes

    Does anyone have a recommendation for a pipe stand (can be for 1, 2 or 3 pipes) that can properly accommodate a Castello greatline or Dunhill group 6 pipes. For example, would the Savinelli ceramic (also known as the Seggiolina) pipe stand work?
  15. dunnyboy

    Longtime Pipe Smoker from NYC

    Greetings, A little about me: I started smoking cigars in HS back in 1965 and added pipes in college in 1971. Over the years, I've collected a nice assortment of Dunhills and Castellos, plus a meerschaum and an assortment of other briars. Until the last couple of years I've been an off and on...
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