Ravenor Bullen
New in Town
- Messages
- 15
- Location
- Surabaya, Java
Holidays are an excuse to spend more time smoking. It is always a
relief to be able to potter about, pipe in mouth, and not have to go to
the office or waste time getting to work. All in all, holidays provide
a marvellous opportunity to catch up with one's smoking and to get to know one's pipes better. They taste better too. Maybe it is the time one has to mull over them. Or is it the attire that one may adopt: smoking jacket and favourite slippers and not one pressing commitment.
Should the holiday require some form of travel, it may be prudent to
pack some time before departure - to avoid the last minute rush and the
chance of forgetting something important.
It is wise to prepare a checklist of pipe related apparatus to take. I
have a checklist of things needed when travelling (clothes, shaving
things, spirit flask, etc.,) and another one for my pipe things.
It goes something like this:
PIPES (at least seven): I prefer to take various styles to suit my
different moods: billiard, bulldog, Canadian, Oom-Paul. The pipes I
choose to take will vary from the rough, well-worn bulldog I have taken
everywhere from Morocco to Indonesia and which is now showing the wear,
to a couple of "smart" pipes, just in case I should be in formal
company and need to wear a dinner jacket or suit. Seven pipes means that I havesufficient to rest between smokes. If I were away for a weekend I would
just take three.
TOBACCO (a few varieties): I have a regular tobacco which I can smoke
all day long, but it is nice to have a change, so I take a couple of
others. It may be nice, for example, to have a different tobacco in the
evening to what one has been smoking all day. Some prefer something
stronger in the morning. Make sure you have enough to last your
holiday. Always take more than you will need. I have taken less and
spent many an anxious hour worrying about the sufficiency of the
remainder.
TOOLS: A good pipe tool is essential as you may be in a hotel room,
where you can not draw upon substitute devices from the kitchen such as
a knife, meat skewer or fork. I take my standard pipe tool, which
serves as a reamer, shank cleaner and tamper. You may wish to take
separate tools for these tasks, although I personally prefer to do any
pipe maintenance at home, rather when on holiday.
PIPE CLEANERS: Do take plenty of these. They are not available
everywhere.
LIGHTING APPLIANCES: I prefer over-sized matches (these are about 1"
longer than standard safety matches). I take a good number with me. If
you have come to rely upon a lighter than I would advise that you fill
it up with gas or petrol and put in a new flint before you leave, and
take some spare fuel and flints with you. There are so many variations
in fuel nozzle sizes, that you might find yourself not being able to
buy fuel which can fill your lighter. Of course, safety matches are
available just about everywhere, so this is not of serious concern.
TOBACCO POUCH: I have noted a lamentable trend with many a modern pipe smoker.
Many men carry about in public the tin or paper pouch in which they
bought their tobacco originally. I have even noted some types carrying
a small plastic bag - more suitable for a sandwich - than an ounce of
tobacco. This not only looks common, but a tin may cut into a suit or
jacket pocket. The paper pouch does not seal very well and your tobacco
may dry up over a week's holiday. It is very much better to carry with
you a leather roll up pouch, or a zippered one, or even a "Baccy Flap",
such as Parker brought out some years ago - a small round discus shaped
container which can be discreetly concealed in one's pocket. Make sure
you keep a sufficient store of tobacco in a sealed container for
filling your pouch from. (In your suitcase, a tin is perfectly
appropriate). It is always best to fill up a pouch with only as much
tobacco as you need for the day.
OTHER THINGS: It is handy to have a polishing cloth with one on
holiday. Dunhill produce one, or at least they used to. It enables buffing and polishing. This
will allow you to keep your pipes free of scuffs and scratches which
can occur when travelling.
Those who use filters should take a sufficient stock. I carry with me a
folding pipe rack, ingeniously made up for me. This allows me to store
my pipes safely in any hotel room or even when camping. It is a 7 pipe
rack that folds up into one length of wood. A pipe bag is useful for
putting everything together. Most are not big enough to hold
everything, but at least one's pipes, tool, tobacco and matches can be
kept together and ready to be taken when one goes out.
A hip flask is essential. Even if a sufficiency of alcohol is
encountered on your travels, a flask of gin,
whisky or brandy can always be used to clean out one's pipe, should it
become necessary.
Don't forget to take a good book. This need not be pipe-related, but I
have spent many a lonely night in a hotel room engrossed in Georges
Herment's book, The Pipe (1954). It is an excellent travelling
companion and goes well with any pipe.
relief to be able to potter about, pipe in mouth, and not have to go to
the office or waste time getting to work. All in all, holidays provide
a marvellous opportunity to catch up with one's smoking and to get to know one's pipes better. They taste better too. Maybe it is the time one has to mull over them. Or is it the attire that one may adopt: smoking jacket and favourite slippers and not one pressing commitment.
Should the holiday require some form of travel, it may be prudent to
pack some time before departure - to avoid the last minute rush and the
chance of forgetting something important.
It is wise to prepare a checklist of pipe related apparatus to take. I
have a checklist of things needed when travelling (clothes, shaving
things, spirit flask, etc.,) and another one for my pipe things.
It goes something like this:
PIPES (at least seven): I prefer to take various styles to suit my
different moods: billiard, bulldog, Canadian, Oom-Paul. The pipes I
choose to take will vary from the rough, well-worn bulldog I have taken
everywhere from Morocco to Indonesia and which is now showing the wear,
to a couple of "smart" pipes, just in case I should be in formal
company and need to wear a dinner jacket or suit. Seven pipes means that I havesufficient to rest between smokes. If I were away for a weekend I would
just take three.
TOBACCO (a few varieties): I have a regular tobacco which I can smoke
all day long, but it is nice to have a change, so I take a couple of
others. It may be nice, for example, to have a different tobacco in the
evening to what one has been smoking all day. Some prefer something
stronger in the morning. Make sure you have enough to last your
holiday. Always take more than you will need. I have taken less and
spent many an anxious hour worrying about the sufficiency of the
remainder.
TOOLS: A good pipe tool is essential as you may be in a hotel room,
where you can not draw upon substitute devices from the kitchen such as
a knife, meat skewer or fork. I take my standard pipe tool, which
serves as a reamer, shank cleaner and tamper. You may wish to take
separate tools for these tasks, although I personally prefer to do any
pipe maintenance at home, rather when on holiday.
PIPE CLEANERS: Do take plenty of these. They are not available
everywhere.
LIGHTING APPLIANCES: I prefer over-sized matches (these are about 1"
longer than standard safety matches). I take a good number with me. If
you have come to rely upon a lighter than I would advise that you fill
it up with gas or petrol and put in a new flint before you leave, and
take some spare fuel and flints with you. There are so many variations
in fuel nozzle sizes, that you might find yourself not being able to
buy fuel which can fill your lighter. Of course, safety matches are
available just about everywhere, so this is not of serious concern.
TOBACCO POUCH: I have noted a lamentable trend with many a modern pipe smoker.
Many men carry about in public the tin or paper pouch in which they
bought their tobacco originally. I have even noted some types carrying
a small plastic bag - more suitable for a sandwich - than an ounce of
tobacco. This not only looks common, but a tin may cut into a suit or
jacket pocket. The paper pouch does not seal very well and your tobacco
may dry up over a week's holiday. It is very much better to carry with
you a leather roll up pouch, or a zippered one, or even a "Baccy Flap",
such as Parker brought out some years ago - a small round discus shaped
container which can be discreetly concealed in one's pocket. Make sure
you keep a sufficient store of tobacco in a sealed container for
filling your pouch from. (In your suitcase, a tin is perfectly
appropriate). It is always best to fill up a pouch with only as much
tobacco as you need for the day.
OTHER THINGS: It is handy to have a polishing cloth with one on
holiday. Dunhill produce one, or at least they used to. It enables buffing and polishing. This
will allow you to keep your pipes free of scuffs and scratches which
can occur when travelling.
Those who use filters should take a sufficient stock. I carry with me a
folding pipe rack, ingeniously made up for me. This allows me to store
my pipes safely in any hotel room or even when camping. It is a 7 pipe
rack that folds up into one length of wood. A pipe bag is useful for
putting everything together. Most are not big enough to hold
everything, but at least one's pipes, tool, tobacco and matches can be
kept together and ready to be taken when one goes out.
A hip flask is essential. Even if a sufficiency of alcohol is
encountered on your travels, a flask of gin,
whisky or brandy can always be used to clean out one's pipe, should it
become necessary.
Don't forget to take a good book. This need not be pipe-related, but I
have spent many a lonely night in a hotel room engrossed in Georges
Herment's book, The Pipe (1954). It is an excellent travelling
companion and goes well with any pipe.
