It's Getting More Difficult

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RSteve

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It's getting more difficult to purchase the base components for home blends. First, I have to qualify my statement. I prefer not to use whole leaf tobacco. I don't like the shredding and relative unpredictability of the whole leaves. I've shredded by hand and by using an altered hand crank former paper shredder. I prefer to let Sutliff, Stokkebye, G & H, C & D, and McConnell do the heavy lifting. Buying base components used to be easy. Smokingpipes, Pipesandcigars, Tobaccopipes, 4noggins, and others all carried ample inventories. Lately, only Pipesandcigars seems to be regularly carrying inventory. They do carry what they label "Blending tobacco." I'm quite certain that the majority of the blending tobacco is from Sutliff, but there's usually no way of knowing, unless you buy a pound and it's sent in a factory label sealed bag. But, it also appears that the manufacturers may be releasing fewer component tobaccos to retailers. I wonder if this trend is because of slow sales or manufacturers would rather you bought more tinned blends at higher prices.

A few hours later: I had a doctor appointment this morning to examine the scar of the incision where I had my spinal surgery. On the way home, I stopped in at a B & M where I occasionally bought a cigar, pre-pandemic. There was always a row of glass "ginger jars" filled with bulk pipe tobacco blends. Today, gone. I asked where the jars had gone. The long time clerk said that with MN tobacco taxes so high, bulk buyers were buying via the internet, and that their tobacco distributor encouraged them to concentrate their pipe tobacco inventory on best selling tins.
 
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Yes, my last supply order for blending tobaccos I couldn't find any bulk Latakia from C&D, Stokkebye or Sutliff so I had to order a tin of McConnell's Pure to hold me over. That's fine, I actually like McConnell's the best, but I can't be using that in quantity. I looked around on a few other sites and it seems Latakia is in short supply. Supply of Latakia may be related to certain times of the year that distributors buy and maybe now inventory is lean. But on your broader point, I worry that there just aren't enough dollars involved for them to make a serious effort with bulk tobacco.
 
Are there specific blending ingredients you seek? I have an excess of some jarred C & D bulk Virginias and Va/Per that don't know what to do.
 
I'm okay on Ginny, mostly just Sutliff or Stokkebye Latakia that I need. Maybe Steve or others have need. Thanks
 
Yes, my last supply order for blending tobaccos I couldn't find any bulk Latakia from C&D, Stokkebye or Sutliff so I had to order a tin of McConnell's Pure to hold me over. That's fine, I actually like McConnell's the best, but I can't be using that in quantity. I looked around on a few other sites and it seems Latakia is in short supply. Supply of Latakia may be related to certain times of the year that distributors buy and maybe now inventory is lean. But on your broader point, I worry that there just aren't enough dollars involved for them to make a serious effort with bulk tobacco.
Bru, have a couple ozs of Sutliff blending latakia. You are welcome to it if you want. Let me know and I will get it off to you.
 
I tend to be extremely OCD when it comes to developing a blend. I test smoke my other blends, make some mental notes, then order only enough tobacco to make the next blend. And, of course, most of my blends tend to be very close to one another. I usually begin with 16 oz. latakia and complete the blend with the latakia comprising 40 to 50% of the blend.
 
Bru, have a couple ozs of Sutliff blending latakia. You are welcome to it if you want. Let me know and I will get it off to you.
Thanks, I see that Cup o' Joes has some in stock, but I'll keep you in mind for an emergency. Thanks for the offer. Of course, if you don't think you'll ever use it maybe we can do an exchange (Bear Claw, Benediction, etc.). I just wish I could order everything I want from one supplier, but it seems I have to get this from one, that from another, so I end up padding my order with stuff I don't really need. Right now I'm after Latakia, Luxury Bullseye Flake, Sillems Black, Deacon's Downfall, and I'd have to order from three places to get those. That's why I just lit up some Crystal Palace to be thankful I've got something to enjoy!
 
It's getting more difficult to purchase the base components for home blends.
Actually, it's getting almost impossible to purchase the base components for home blends. I just ordered smyrna, izmir, Turkish ribbon, and perique before none is available.
 
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