The 1st Annual Ken Collins Exchange.

[Natch]

WORK SUCKS!!!!


lol.


I'm watching..

Better yet..

Kens watching...

Well sure, just like Labor Day and most "national" holidays in the US, we celebrate by not working, having a picnic, drinking lots of beer, and generally avoiding anything that approaches "labor"!

Natch

 

[Frost]

I do that during regular "non-holi" days too :scratch: :cheers:

 

[talrmn35]

Just got the last of my goods for the box together...I sure hope they like it. I want to do good being this is my first pass and I wasn't to sure what the "norm" was. Well hopefully my "bomb" will take off by the end of the week!

 

[Frost]

Wahoo! I just got home from jiu jitsu and went to lay my keys on the table and what do I see? A magic box of mystery with my name on it!

Awesomeness.

I was so excited I momentarilly forgot that I need to go take a shower 'cause I just spent a couple hours rolling around on the floor with other sweaty men trying to maim and/or incapacitate eachother and I smell like...unspeakable things.

I almost decided that it was worth risking MRSA rather than wait to see what was in the box, but my better judgement won out for once. After cleansing away all the little germinoids I ran downstairs, shoved my wife out of the way, kicked the cat out of the way and got down to business!

What could it be...?






Ta-da!




Looks like approximately 2 ozs each (best guess, don't have a scale or anything) of

C&D Briar Fox from 2004

G&H Bob's Chocolate Flake

and perhaps the piece de resistance of the lot: Stonehaven from 2005! I have been itching to try this blend for a while but for one reason or another have never managed to get my hands on any of it. Can't wait to smoke this....now, what to smoke it in...?





Oh I know! how about one of these two sandblasted beuties that were also in the box!




Even more awesomeness. Two great looking pipes that I can't wait to smoke. Not sure if it comes through on the pics but the canted dublin has a crazy blast...it's marked Digby which I believe was a GBD line if I recall correctly. The small billiard/lumberman type should be a perfect everday carry pocket pipe. Both look to be almost certainly fine smokers and in a shape and with an old world stlyle that is right up my alley. My benefactor certainly has a good eye and knows where it's at

Thank you sir, your generosity and taste have made Frosty very happy and I feel honored to receive such treasures. Well done. :cheers:

 

[MisterE]

Nice. I am being blown away at the generosity of the bros! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

 

[Blackhorse]

WOW! You're right about the blast on the Dublin...very AGRESSIVE! Awesomeness.



Now about all that stuff re: rolling around on the floor with sweaty men and kickin' yer wife outta the way...

...well, I mighta done the second one...but not with MY wife! lol



Looks like your 'box buddy' done you proud!

 

[puros_bran]

Budda Budda Budda

 

[gandalfpc]

That dublin's a looker :cyclops:

:cheers:

 

[happypipester]

Hey fellas, looks like things are going great! Makes me super-excited to send out my package this weekend.. I'm gonna try my darndest to make this package something Ken would be proud of.

The last week or so hasn't been the most pleasant for me but things like this keep me feeling positive.

Cheers!

 

[Blackhorse]

So - on the last round of pics - I take it the 'Ho Ti" carving is something you had on hand? Good luck piece, as I understand the mythology, etc. Nice. I love stuff like that, being a carver myself. My Dad had one of those aroound and I always thought it was cool, wish I still had that one. At this point I have very little 'memorobilia' of his left. Such is life.


PS: I'm gonna get in there and ammend my profile thing. My posts take up WAY too much room with the list the way it is. Also seems a little 'braggy' which isn't my style. Well...it's NOT!

 

[happypipester]

Well fellas, I checked with one of my sisters to see if anything had arrived at home and the answer was YES! I had her inspect the markings.. it came from the Ken Collins Appreciation Society. Being the patient type that I am, I begged my sister to send a pic of the goodies as soon as she could... I couldn't see everything really clearly in the pic, but it looks like there's 6 tins of some darn fine baccy, some pipe cleaners, a fine looking pipe (Savinelli according to my sister, one of my favourite brands!) and a tamper (I couldn't see it too well, but my sister said she thought it was bone... YESSSS!! I absolutely love the bone tamper my Secret Santa sent me this year.. it will certainly be wonderful to have a second!!). I'll post more info and hopefully some pics this weekend.

Thank you so much to whomever sent this beautiful package. I won't lie, after a week of being sick as a dog while trying to work, keep up with several important family issues and an unpleasant situation with a class project (nothing terrible, but I'll say this: the more I experience the modern world, the more I realize I'm an old soul.. it's things like this exchange that make me very appreciative of the kindness of others who share this simple hobby with me; Ken's name and spirit live on!) I have to admit I almost cried.

Best wishes and God bless,
Travis

 

[Carlos]

Great bombs fellows!! 8)

 

[Frost]

I actually have no idea where that Hotei statuette thingy came from BH, but I dig it so I put it in pics just for the heck of it. I guess it is a good luck thing of sorts, but really it has no intended significance. It's brass or some similar metal. Seems to have alot of joy in the expression which seems appropriate for pipe and baccy pics.

 

[sand18f]

I'm sorry that I missed this one guys. I've been running from one end of the state to the other for the past two months, hopefully have that little bit of business taken care of.

You guys are the heat.

 

[Carlos]

Alright. Found that special something. But I have some work to do. Still going to be a few more days before I get the appliance dolly to tote the MOAB to the Post Office.

 

[Frost]

I need to again thank my benefactor for this '05 Stonehaven...whoever you are you are a magnificent human being. Had my 3rd bowl of the stuff this morning and it is fantastic.

Lord, what is this glorious creature called "Stonehaven from 2005" that thou hath wrought? Why dost thou tempt me so with it's glorious sweetness only to deny me it's presence on my favorite websites? Verily, 'tis a blessing and a curse entwined.

I am ruined.


Lol. :lol:

 

[Blackhorse]

I'm very nearly ready to send out as well. I've finished my blacksmithing project (recipients should scan for a box marked: "Acme Anvils") and I'm now making the final 'theme guided' tobacco selections. I've gone back through my target's history of posts quite a ways to learn a little more about him and tried to tailor the items for the man. Thus far all I lack is the C4 and fuses. I think they were on sale down at Walmart the last time I went over there.

 

[Frost]

Well the C4 should at least ensure a relatively even and thorough burn with whatever tobacco you use it to light.

I'm not sure that is really a good solution for difficult to light tobaccos though. I have a feeling there may be some unforseen consequences.

:lol:

 

[Blackhorse]

The fat cargo jet lumbered down the runway straining to be free of the tarmac. Ed, the aging Ground Crew Chief watched from just inside the hanger doorway, quietly proud of the fact that the 'brick' he was in charge of held the reputation for the highest load rating in the fleet. His pride, however, was rapidly being replaced with a growing concern as his brick approached and then passed the point at which it should have been airborn. He started to stumble forward out of the hanger door, mouth agape, eyes wide with fear. My God, he thought, she's not gonna make it! She's...she's...

Just at that moment the engines roared with a scream of added power and the plane just barely cleared the ground, going into a slight yaw to starboard...then corrected and began a turgid climb clearing the windsock at the end of the field my mere inches...continuing on it's way toward the sun rising behind Mt. Hood to the East.

Wiping his hand across his forehead he let out a huge sigh of relief...followed by a growing rumble, then a shouted curse...

"They wouldn't do it again!" he bellowed, "Not to MY PLANE!"

He staggered over to the cargo manifest desk and began tearing through the paperwork that had been sitting there, finally finding what he needed...the flightlist and manifest for today...and there it was, right there in black and white.

"It WAS that damn Balckhorse!", he whispered in dispair, "Another one of those BoB Exchanges! I TOLD them not to take any more boxes of his! I TOLD THEM NOT TO!"



And so, the Ken Collins Appreciation Box wends its way toward its target...be afraid. Be very afraid!

 

[gandalfpc]

Good news Comrades - preparing the final item for my box now - a box to make Ken proud to be sure :cheers:

Update 4-18-11: all packed - out in the post tomorrow