We Meet the First Tuesday
of the Month in Stoughton, MA.
Next Meeting is Tuesday, April 5th, 2016 at 7:00 PM
or meet early at C.B. Perkins at 5 PM Cobb's Corner, Canton.
Meeting
Club
Info & Events
Details
from the February Club Meeting
So CB Perkins was closed before our last meeting.... what's
that all about? Fortunately, Derek and Eric had gotten there early
and were able to let the usual suspects know that we would be able
to meet at the Sportsman's club until it was time for dinner. Funny
thing is, being disjointed like we were, we ended up having one
of the largest groups for dinner that we've ever had and broke from
our usual routine of Papa Gino's to eat at Chinatown. Eric was very
happy (insert smiley face here).
The meeting was a lively one with thirteen members present. There
seems to be a bit of an upswing in enthusiasm lately, we're getting
more organized and involved.
At the meeting our President informed us that we may expect a visit
from our good friend and former Treasurer, Rick Frederics at the
March meeting. We all look forward to seeing him after his "great
hiatus". We hope you can make it Rick.
The new treasurer updated us on his plans to get the club monies
situated and collected dues for the first time in a few years.
IMPORTANT NOTE: All member dues are
due at the March Meeting!
The SHPC Club Tobacco Blends Committee updated
us on their efforts to bring back some new club blends. More on
that to follow.
The Activities Committee has been working on something
that has only happened with this club once before. The details have
only just started and we're keeping things under wraps for now.
Stay tuned.
Sherlock Homes Movie Night: Merrick has suggested
that we celebrate the namesake of our club by showing a Sherlock
Homes movie at a couple of meetings each year. The first one is
tentatively scheduled for the April meeting and may be held at the
Sportsman's Club to take advantage of their TV.
The 2016 Club Pipe: The group has decided on a
basic shape and style for the 2016 club pipe. Tim will coordinate
with Premal Cheda to work out the details and possibilities to begin
working on the pipe. The current plan is to have the pipes ready
by the September meeting.
International Pipe
Smoking Day 2016 Nine
SHPC members made the trek to the Old Firehouse Smoke Shop in Fall
River MA, to celebrate International Pipe Smoking Day and what a day
it was. We arrived around 1:00 PM to find standing room only with
something going on in all corners of the shop. Nowadays, you'll find
that most smoke shops that have a smoking area generally contain two
three of the locals smoking cigars so it was nice to see that everyone
today was sporting a briar.
John Brandt the shops owner seemed to be pleased with the outcome.
Along with our group was a group of locals that are fortunate enough
to be able to frequent this great shop on a regular basis. I also
noticed the age range of the Fall River group has expanded quite
a bit from two years ago. Hopefully a good sign of where pipe smoking
is headed. Unfortunately we missed the guys from the Cape Cod who
have recently started the Cape
Cod Pipe Club and are looking to
build their membership. So if you are a pipe smokerw who lives
on the Cape (or visits frequently) you might want to check them
out.
A new addition to the shop from the last time we visited is pipe
maker Robert Clarke of Clark Pipes
who has set up shop in the front window and is there every Saturday
repairing and cleaning pipes for customers. We also met the guy
behind the YouTube Channel Pipe Leisure who did a short interview
with Eric and I about SHPC. I also interviewed him, so those of
you who like to check out pipe related YouTube channels, be sure
to check out PipeLeisure.
There was plenty of open tins of tobacco to try and a couple of
us had some bourbon to sample. John had a nice selection of pipes
available including a dozen or so from resident pipe maker Robert
Clarke and a selection of Peterson St. Patrick's Day pipes just
in time to celebrate St. Patty's Day with. The shelves behind the
counter were filled with tobacco and some of it with quite a bit
of age on it. And for those of you who have always wanted to experiment
with making your own blend, there was a nice variety of blending
tobaccos available to purchase.
We spent about three and a half hours at the shop and made many
new friends. The conversation and smoke competed with each other
for room space. John, the manager was the perfect host and offered
great discounts on pipes and tobacco for all of his IPSD customers.
It was a great way to celebrate International Pipe Smoking Day or
any day for that matter. So if you're ever in the Fall River area
or are just looking to make a pipe pilgrimage, be sure to check
out the Old Firehouse Tobacco Shop.
Tobacco
Review......................
by Ernie Whitenack
Christmas Cheer - from McClelland
My
choice from the tobacco drawing at the December meeting. “A
fine vintage, naturally sweet, in limited quantity”
This pressed Virginia flake, from the 2011 harvest, is definitely
prime tobacco in slices about an eight of an inch thick. It is delivered
in various lengths and widths and must be rubbed out.
Upon opening the bright red and gold tin, the unmistakable sent
of tea, so often associated with some McClelland’s blends
was strong. However it has diminished some in the month I have had
it.
The first thing I noticed when smoking is that it is certainly
not a timid blend but a bold, flavorful tobacco with a heavy sweet/citrus
flavor; to be expected in a premium Virginia, especially after pressing
where the varieties of strength and flavor meld.
Although I prefer a Burley based blend, I find this one delightful.
I now wish I had the patients to cellar it for a few years. I think
this on will be perfection; might even buy another for that purpose.
Give the “2015” a try – but put it away ‘till
2020.
Piper
Profile - Albert Einstein
(from Wikipedia...) Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 –
18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist. He
developed the general theory of relativity, one of the two
pillars of modern physics (alongside quantum mechanics). Einstein's
work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of
science. Einstein is best known in popular culture for his
mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2 (which has been
dubbed "the world's most famous equation"). He received
the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his "services to
theoretical physics", in particular his discovery of
the law of the photoelectric effect, a pivotal step in the
evolution of quantum theory.
Now that we've told you what pretty much everyone knows,
did you know that Einstein loved sailing. He said it was "one
of his favorite pasttimes." Henry Goldman, an American
Banker, had a boat
built for him for his 50th birthday. Did you also know that
although Einstein had been sailing for over a half centruy,
he was never a very good sailor. He would lose his direction,
his mast frequently fell down, he ran aground on several occasions
and had near collisions with other vessels. Funny thing about
all this is that Einstein couldn't swim but he also did not
seem to be concerned about the dangers of sailing.
Country
Squire Radio
Below are links to the Country Squire Radio episodes that
aired since the last Gazette. See them live on Monday Evenings
at around 6:30 PM Central Time on YouTube.
Tobacco Raffle
- Special Raffle Prize In addition to two tins of aged tobacco
from the Old Firehouse Smoke Shop, owner John Brandt also donated
a Erik Stokkebye 4th Generation tobacco pouch to
raffle off.
McClelland's Black Woods Flake (50
g tin) If
there's one thing that McClelland is known for, it's Virginias,
and Blackwoods Flake is among the best-known. Matured red Virginias
are pressed together with lemon-yellow Virginias that have been
stoved until black. The result is a tobacco that has the sweetness
one would expect in a blend of flue-cured leaf without the acidic
edge.
Gawith & Hogarth Balkan Mixture
(50 g tin) Gawith,
Hoggarth & Co.'s Balkan Mixture skillfully combines top quality
Virginias and Orientals with rich, smoky Latakia for a flavorful,
but not overbearing experience. This is an excellent example of
a medium-bodied Balkan-style blend.
Invisible Enemy -
A short story by Ernie Whitenack
From
the Intro.... Hitler’s hidden diamonds and gold were allocated
to fund a secret organization. It was a terrorist group known as
Werwolf (Werewolf) who would disrupt and confuse the Allied occupation,
and planned to overthrow the Allies, and then carry the fight to
the East and Soviet Russia.