monbla256
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2012
- Messages
- 8,704
- Reaction score
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First, I want to give a heartfelt thanks to all the brothers here for their response to the news of the death of my friend this past week. It has helped more than many of you can know.
Now to my post! This morning I began to "inventory" the 6 pipes his son gave me last week. They have been in the six pipe rack next to my monitor since I took them out of the box and I began to realy look at them one by one this am. I always knew he only smoked Dunhill's but did not really realize he only smoked two shapes, Two variations of their Billiard and the same of their Apple. They were in three finishes, Bruyerre, Shell, and Tanshell. 5 of them were late Patent era pipes and one was an early Tanshell. All the Patent era pipes look to have been late '40s early '50s from what I can research. They are as follows:
* 1- grp3 Patent Shell 107 Apple w/tapered bit
* 1- grp2 Patent Bruyerre 256 Apple w/saddle bit
* 1- grp3 Tanshell 107 Apple w/tapered bit
* 1- grp2 Patent Bruyerre 577 Billiard w/saddle bit
* 2- grp3 Patent Shell 39 Billiard w/saddle bit
All have the stinger's still in them and look like they are the original well smoked stingers. ( he often said it was what helped 'em smoke so good
). They are all caked a bit more than I do mine but not as much as I've seen other pipes of these ages. The black Shell finish has worn through on the Shells to that nice brown/black patina they get with decades of use. The Bruyerre's have that dark mahogany/red brown patina these pipe aquirre after that same length of use. All of the bits do have some green/tan oxidation and two of 'em have some bite-thrus at the button so will have to be replaced for use IMHO. I will probably send the Tanshell off to Walker in the next month or so for a re-furb and then work my way thru the rest over this next year. They satisfied a smoker for over 50 years and I'm sure will do me fine for the few years I will smoke 'em!
As for the three tins of Dunhill Flake that were in the box, one was a tin I gave him this past summer still un-opened and the same for another. One tin was opened and had what looked like 1/4 of it's original contentents but I'm not sure as it looks like he would rub-out a whole tin when he opened it and just load it as a "ready rubbed" 'bac to smoke. I recall him telling me "... ya got to rub-out Va's to get all the flavor ya know" so this looks like what he did with his. For me, this blend now will be known as "Don's Blend" not Dunhill Flake. And ya know, he was right about it's flavor, it is better all rubbed-out
Again, I want to say thank-you to all who responded to me about this, it does mean alot.
Now to my post! This morning I began to "inventory" the 6 pipes his son gave me last week. They have been in the six pipe rack next to my monitor since I took them out of the box and I began to realy look at them one by one this am. I always knew he only smoked Dunhill's but did not really realize he only smoked two shapes, Two variations of their Billiard and the same of their Apple. They were in three finishes, Bruyerre, Shell, and Tanshell. 5 of them were late Patent era pipes and one was an early Tanshell. All the Patent era pipes look to have been late '40s early '50s from what I can research. They are as follows:
* 1- grp3 Patent Shell 107 Apple w/tapered bit
* 1- grp2 Patent Bruyerre 256 Apple w/saddle bit
* 1- grp3 Tanshell 107 Apple w/tapered bit
* 1- grp2 Patent Bruyerre 577 Billiard w/saddle bit
* 2- grp3 Patent Shell 39 Billiard w/saddle bit
All have the stinger's still in them and look like they are the original well smoked stingers. ( he often said it was what helped 'em smoke so good
). They are all caked a bit more than I do mine but not as much as I've seen other pipes of these ages. The black Shell finish has worn through on the Shells to that nice brown/black patina they get with decades of use. The Bruyerre's have that dark mahogany/red brown patina these pipe aquirre after that same length of use. All of the bits do have some green/tan oxidation and two of 'em have some bite-thrus at the button so will have to be replaced for use IMHO. I will probably send the Tanshell off to Walker in the next month or so for a re-furb and then work my way thru the rest over this next year. They satisfied a smoker for over 50 years and I'm sure will do me fine for the few years I will smoke 'em!As for the three tins of Dunhill Flake that were in the box, one was a tin I gave him this past summer still un-opened and the same for another. One tin was opened and had what looked like 1/4 of it's original contentents but I'm not sure as it looks like he would rub-out a whole tin when he opened it and just load it as a "ready rubbed" 'bac to smoke. I recall him telling me "... ya got to rub-out Va's to get all the flavor ya know" so this looks like what he did with his. For me, this blend now will be known as "Don's Blend" not Dunhill Flake. And ya know, he was right about it's flavor, it is better all rubbed-out
Again, I want to say thank-you to all who responded to me about this, it does mean alot.
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