Tamper collection

[Charley Scanlan]

None of these tampers cost a great deal, all under $25 a piece, but they have helped me get my rotation down to a regular routine, and it's a pleasure to use them. The wooden ones are from Glenwright Pipes, the two acrylic ones are 8deco, the two meerschaums are from Meerschaum Depot, and the honeydripper in the corner came with my Savinelli Miele. The Swatch came on a trip to Hong Kong, my dad and I got matching wristwatches.

 

[Idlefellow]

Digging the Swatchchain!

 

[Idlefellow]

I love tampers but it seems I never have one around when I need it. I very rarely sit down in one place to smoke a pipe so I end up using some random tool, the end of my pocket knife, a stick, my finger...whatever's handy. I do have a folding pipe tool with tamper on my keychain, and I've finally had enough burned fingertips that I have a tamper on a zinger on my fishing bag. Here's my small array....the pewter Sherlock and Thinking Man came from Smokingpipes, the old brass one is Anne Hathaway's Cottage and I think came from the Tinder Box when we had one locally. I made the antler and the wood one (another wood one is on my fishing bag)...

 

[Charley Scanlan]

The good thing about tampers is they fit in that extra pocket of Levi's, they're always handy. I've lost a couple nice ones in the past, one that came with another Savinelli and a briar one I got at the local cigar store, so I made this display box for my recent tampers.

It actually came out of reading Fred Hanna's book The Perfect Smoke. He insists that you use a one hundred dollar tamper when you smoke, a pipe nail reduces your nice pipe to a piece of crap, basically. I scoffed and finished the chapter, I'd only used Czech tools and pipe nails for tampers up until then. But I thought about it, looked around. I didn't get one anywhere near as expensive as he recommended, but now I'm sure he's right. I pick up the cheap tools now like I'm handling a hot turd. It was nice meeting him in Chicago too.

 

[Balisong]

I have a nice tamper that I bought over 40 years ago sitting in a drawer somewhere. There are far too many memories tied to it from the days when you could smoke anywhere and it was always in my pocket. The tobacco pouch that traveled with it lived out it's last seam and was retired to the circular file. Now I have more pipe nails than I know I have. If one gets dropped or borrowed and forgotten nothing is lost. I have one for my pocket, one in each of my homemade pipe ashtrays, one in my pickup, and, the rest in a draw.

 

[Charley Scanlan]

I have a nice tamper that I bought over 40 years ago sitting in a drawer somewhere. There are far too many memories tied to it from the days when you could smoke anywhere and it was always in my pocket. The tobacco pouch that traveled with it lived out it's last seam and was retired to the circular file. Now I have more pipe nails than I know I have. If one gets dropped or borrowed and forgotten nothing is lost. I have one for my pocket, one in each of my homemade pipe ashtrays, one in my pickup, and, the rest in a draw.

I started smoking maybe a year before smoking was disallowed in bars, so I didn't get much practice on that. I went 180 degrees on tampers, but I've been collecting some pretty great pipes in the last year. You've got some sweet looking pipes yourself, and I've been meaning to try some of the GL Pease blends you often smoke. It's hard for me to find a tamper I like, I'm lucky to have these guys in constant rotation.

 

[Balisong]

Charley;
You've got a fantastic rotation of pipes and blends! I was a Dunhill tobacco smoker until it changed to Peterson and London Mixture was discontinued. I wanted a new English/Balkan that didn't have a chemical humectant and C&D manufactured tobacco fit the bill. Moving from briars to cobs is another story!

 

[Charley Scanlan]

C&D manufactured tobacco fit the bill. Moving from briars to cobs is another story!

I enjoy non aromatics out of meerschaum the best. My first pipe was meerschaum. But I don't have a claw, or a skull. I'm attached to those more than briars. I like this quote, "Man does not live by billiard alone."

Does CD own GL Pease? Ah, asking Dr Google, you have to say does CD manufacture GL Pease, yes they do.

 

[daveinlax]

Nice Collection! I’ve collected tampers almost as long as I’ve collected pipes.

 

[Balisong]

Does CD own GL Pease?

Cornell & Diehl produce tobacco under their brand, G L Pease, Drucquer, Captain Earle, BriarWorks, Warped, Low Country and, probably others. Ownership of trade names and recipes vary. I believe Pease contracts the production of his blends and Drucquer to C&D where as BriarWorks might be split.

 

[Balisong]

I enjoy non aromatics out of meerschaum

I've had a few Meerschaum pipes but always found the draw too restricted. I occasionally had a cob or two that I saw as disposable, i.e. I haven't smoked this pipe in a while and need a spot on the rack for a new briar. I had a discussion with an acquaintance who was a pipe smoker and MD who reccomended cobs, non aromatic tobacco and never inhale as the least harmful way to enjoy tobacco. I filed that and only acted on the don't inhale advice. I had just moved to a new place, I had given up smoking for a while and decided I missed it. Rather than go on an immediate search I bought a couple of cobs and some Carter Hall, I was happy when I found my pipes but dismayed that my favorite tobacco, Black & Gold from Ehrlich's in Boston, was no longer available. The pastime grew with the help of the internet and a tobacconist in Seabrook. I read the Corncob Primer on pipedia.org and transitioned to a mainly cob smoker.

 

[Aussiemike]

None of these tampers cost a great deal, all under $25 a piece, but they have helped me get my rotation down to a regular routine, and it's a pleasure to use them. The wooden ones are from Glenwright Pipes, the two acrylic ones are 8deco, the two meerschaums are from Meerschaum Depot, and the honeydripper in the corner came with my Savinelli Miele. The Swatch came on a trip to Hong Kong, my dad and I got matching wristwatches.
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Great tampers Charley. I love collecting them also I bought some antique silver ones from the UK and the vender sent me a free nail tamper with each purchase. The fancy ones sit on my shelf and I really love and use the freebies mostly now. Like Balisong said, I dont care there are probably 3 or 4 lost forever down the side of my recliner. The other one always use is the one with the poker .