Friday, December 9, 2005 - Up your pipe

Well after the birth of my second son Samuel it's official. I'm a pipe and slippers man now, allow me to explain..........

I used to smoke cigarettes up until 7 or 8 years ago, I quit and didn't touch another for at least 6 years, however in the last 2 years once I got over the addiction I had an odd smoke or two when I felt like it at parties or when going out for the odd beer. At the risk of sounding like Bill Clinton I refused to inhale when I did have the occasional smoke in the last 2 years as I did previously, I vowed never to go back to that 20 - 40 fully inhaled Marlboros a day stage of my life, being that I am a weekend football player and work out regularly.

I have passed a store which has intrigued me for some time when driving down Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica, the store is almost an anachronism, it resembles how one would imagine Dickens Old Curiosity Shop might look, but  it is strangely nestled amongst the high rise office buildings and trendy modern stores and is devoted to selling pipes, tobacco, cigars, smoking accessories and toby jugs ;

http://www.tinderboxsantamonica.com/frameset.html

Today curiosity got the better of me and I  just had to stop by the Tinder Box.

On entering the shop it has that sweet smell of pipe tobacco which I've always liked as opposed to that harsh cigar smell. I looked around with great interest at the mostly briar pipes imported from mostly European countries, they also have their own hand blended tobaccos and a very freindly staff.

I  chatted with the store clerk Aaron, who has been at the store for 10 years, he was very knowledgable and explained what to look for in a good pipe along with describing the various pros and cons of the numerous blended tobaccos.

 The Tinder Box boasts a range of pipes priced from $35 to $800 plus, in addition to a box of 'estate pipes',  which are essentially used pipes which have been cleaned and refurbished for resale, where you can find a quality pipe for a good price. Looking at the' estate pipes' pipes I could not help but wonder if at least a few of the previous owners had passed away, one pipe in particular had the teeth marks of the past owner, so I decided against investing in an estate pipe, silently pondering that this practice might be best suited to antique jewelry, as opposed to smoking utensils.

Finally Aaron sold me 2 ounces each of the Contental 51 which promised - "a mild aromatic blend of naturally sweet virginians and cavendishes with a touch of mild, natural blends which help ensure a cool, sweet smoke." and 2 ounces of the non-aromatic 'Harvard street Turkish', along with a free starter pipe.

All I need now is a rocking chair or perhaps a deerstalker hat and long tweed coat?!?!