picked up the pipe while away

[steak]

I have not been able to be here for the past 3 1/2 yrs or so . Too many back surgery and procedures .
While away I started smoking pipes . I have 3 or 4 WDC`s that I really like .of them the most prized is a smaller meerschaum apple w/ a sterling band that was from the 1880`s [ so I am told } when I bought it , it had about an 8th inch of cake on it . after cleaning it up and a few bowls through it , it started to improve . Another of my faves is a Ben Wade from the early 80`s.
I learned a valuable lesson on this one a few weeks back . after enjoying a relaxing bowl on a sunday morning , I did what many have done , tapped it lightly in the ashtray . To my horror , the stem snapped clean at the shank . panick and a sinking feeling of , nooooooooo was the best I could do that day .
I was given the name of a guy in Columbus Oh. , Tim West . this fellow took care of me in 1st class . I highly recommend him for your pipe troubles.
I tend to favor the Va. blends . having tried many , I tend to smoke McClellands blackwood flake as well as St James Woods . also G L Pease Fillmore is my mainstay . Oddly enough , I started mixing fillmore w/ an equal amount of the b.w.f. and enjoy it a good bit.
I didn`t have much luck w/ Mac B`s dark twist or stockbeys bulls eye flake . always seamed to burn my mouth . just couldn`t get it right . probably due in part to my novice stature
see you all around