Londons 'Segar and snuff' and its VA and English blends

[Ozzywozywoz]

Hello...

I went to London (UK) to day and visted a little shop 'Segar and snuff' in Covent garden.
After waiting for 20 min while some Germans where faffing about with a cigar cutter and something (while i was just looking at the different pipe eta..) i bought some new Baccy!

so first off, the little chap behind the counter... who was chatting with the other customers, didnt really make much of an effort with me. dont know why! maybe coz im only 26, dont know!
so i asked him about a full VA... "yep" and pulling down a big tub and opened it up. looked lovly, bright and golden, with a few light red strips (a picture is coming)
so no conversation... but i asked for 25 grams.
then i ask if he had a nice English, maybe something similar to MM965.. "yes i do".....
'Balkan blend'.. i got another 25grm pouch.

(rant about the shop)
It was at this point i didnt know why, but you know when you go in to shop and expect alittle magic.. alittle zing, excitement!! its not every day you walk into a tobacconist, well i dont. i know in London pipe shops and tobacconist are very rare! so walking in one and talking about pipes and blends is half the fun!! (well it is for me, young and newish in to pipes... its just nice to talking for fellow pipe/cigar smokers...) anyway, i got nothing from this chap  
so, i tried to start a conversation. i pointed at the Peterson systems and said "i recently bought the 31 straight. but i didnt feel the 'system' part worked as well as the bends, maybe due tot he gravity dropping the moisture in the well, but the  moisture stayed and gurgled alot in the stem, which i removed and it smoked better"
He kinds perked up and looked very weary at me, and asked about it. after which he said he sold them from 1995 and its been his best seller.
wasnt sure if was arguing about it but i was only pointing out my person experience with it...

MHee, lovly littel shop and worth going too, but i was personally put off by the little chap behind the counter! (my age... maybe, who knows)

 

[Fr_Tom]

I have wondered how the system pipes worked in the designs like the 31. I only have one system and it is the 302.

When I worked in a bicycle shop, we had categories of new customers. There were "nose pickers." These were folks who came in and asked a lot of questions, looked at things, etc. They took a lot of sales time away from folks who might actually buy something. These customers were just making mental notes for a catalog order elsewhere. Then there were the "popcorn eaters." They were just there to soak up the ambiance and see what people were buying. They never bought anything but seemed to like the whole shop culture. Sometimes they would have a race jersey or shaved legs just for street cred. This sounds terrible, but they really did fall in a couple of groups. There were exceptions of course. You may have fallen victim to a similar classification system

 

[Ozzywozywoz]

Oki, so i had a puff on the VA.... (jsut to say, i have only had one sample of a VA flake not too long ago, that was my first stright VA, and flake, so thats is all i have to go off thus far)

its was their in house blend 'Luxury Virginia'... scent was fresh and crispish, not too dis-similar to my last VA flake.
so its good for me to tell what VA is
Anyway, a few tangeled pintches, a litel tamp.... sparked up, tamp and a filnal spark, and i was away.
first hit me to the fresh 'summer' scent i got with my last VA... which was gr8, and expected.
all in all, not too different. the ribbions made tampring easier, and it burt well. all the way down to ash.
the 2nd half was alittle gurggeling, had to use a pipe cleaner about 2/3 down to clear it.
I also didnt get a 'N' hit as i did with my last flake... different baccy... different speed i smoked.. packed differently.. dont know!

although, i will say, that for me personly, the room scent is an issue. not necessarly for me.. and not really for the mrs... but the general smell was similare to cigerets.
must be the VA roll up baccy my friends smoke. For me, pipe smoke is/should be different!.. i left the room and came back in a while l8er and the smell was still stong.
although not unplesent... not at all... it was not what i want in a roomscent (i bet that sounds silly)... but its somthing i need to consider, esspealy since the Mrs alows me to smoke (1-2 week) indoors, and id like to keep her happy! lol

so, with the cut, baccy smell, easly burn, no 'N' hit, and the room scent..
my (personl) concultion is a lovly outdoor smoke, fresh and summer'ery... something for a nice walk possibly in the early evning. I feel this will give a nice sping in your step, while you dream away what was and could be...and dwell on lifes little pleasures!

My english blend will be reviewed shortly.

Regards
Ozzy

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Nice review and interesting story. I don't however think that you are alone in having had a somewhat deflating experience with a B&M.

Experiences may vary, that's for sure. I have been to some fantastic tobacco shops that were both larger & smaller operations. My favorite of which sits in a rather inconspicuous looking strip mall. I love the place, not because of the selection but because when I go in it's all stories, laughs & great conversations..(and you are encouraged to smoke a pipe or cigar there).

One time I planned portion of a trip that my wife and I took around visiting a particular "Legendary" although now defunct tobacconist, only to find that it was no where near as welcoming, cozy, or as well stocked as my favorite hole-in-the-wall shop.

 

[Ozzywozywoz]

Well, as promised, here is my first review of their english blend.
'Balkan blend'... very imaginatively named, was one of there 'english' bleands.

first, i get a wofff of smoky fire, very similar to MM965, but with a deep scent.
colour is over-all alittle dark, maybe less VA then i remeber in the 965.. i dont know.
its was not too dry or wet, and to what i have seen was perfect to smoke.

so i pinched, tamped, lit. tamped and lit again...
nice thickish clouds of tasty 'englishy' smoke.
stright off there was the Latakia, deep and ripe note... an lovly earthy aroma which filled the room.
although the latikia was strong, there was a lovly undertone of spice... maybe alittle perique??
i am not sure what went into this blend, so if any1 can tell by the photo, all the better!
ending with a creamy spicy note...and ofc the bonfire which everyone remebers.
It burt realy well, stright down to ash, with 2 relights from me.

no guggerling!

room note was stonger then MM965, and alot more so then EMP (my only 2 other english's iv tried, and what i have to go off)
which was for me to be expected. this is one for me to smoke alone, and not with the Mrs next to me!
but as MM965 was my first every tin of baccy, and one which i took on holiday with friends and smoked alot.... this kind of baccy, (stong balkan) will always take me stright back there and all the fun we all had... a happy memory which will now be always imbedded with latakia smoke.

to conclude, a lovly mid-stong English. something to keep you warm on a cold evening, or just to chill out and relax with a strong hot coffee. A much longer smoke, by what i mean is that it will not be a quick puff. one must have a chair and the time to smoke slow and take time to appriciate the tenderness of life. A veyr thought provoking smoke!

thanks for reading! hope you enjoyed it.... gave me somthing to so at work!

regards
Ozzy

 

[Anonymous]

In my town, the same guy has been working at the local Tinder Box since 1980. I would go in at 18 to buy Sobraine cigarettes (the black papers were cool), 21 to buy the occasional cigar and now go there to pick up various pipe odds and ends. I did always feel like I was overlooked a bit when I was younger but I think it's just youthful expectations. Every clerk is different and some may not be the most friendly. Especially if they're the only gig in town and you aren't a regular. They don't have to be nice... they will make their money anyway.

A good thing to do is to ask them about their preferences. What they like in the store and why. Buy one thing they suggest and one of your intuition. They may remember you next time and it will give them a chance to ask how you liked their suggestion. Be honest and sincere. A good salesman can smell a bullsh*tter.