Home from Chicago

9th May, 2008: Posted by glpease in Pipes, Enjoyment

After a fantastic weekend with far too much fun and far too little sleep (my dear friend Tom says, “You can sleep when you’re dead”), and an amazing thunderstorm, I’ve returned to the slightly more mundane California sunshine. Monday night, I couldn’t sleep at all, so I went down to the shop to restore a pipe that I’d gotten at the show. Yesterday, I napped. Twice. Today, I begin to feel human, but only just, so it’s time to share some thoughts from the show, beginning with a single word.

Fantastic.

Really. The show was great. When I checked in, I engaged in some short-lived grumbling, after being greeted with a nastygram indicating that we would not, after all, be allowed to smoke in the MegaCentre. “Bloody hell,” thought I. “Miserable bastards are committed to using their Super Nanny powers to make our lives miserable.” Well, yeah. Sort of. Fortunately, whilst they may have succeeded in keeping us from smoking in the convention hall, they failed dismally to ruin our good time.

It turns out they (the Nannies) had managed to get an injunction precluding us from lighting up at what was basically a private function, staffed by volunteers, and attended by club members. Had we lit up on Saturday morning, we were assured that the authorities would pull the plug. Of course, their injunction rests on very shaky legal legs, but appeals take time, so it was better to be safe than sorry.

Frank and ‘da Chicago Boyz had, fortunately, alaready arranged a 4000 square foot big-top to be installed for the event, complete with heaters, ventilation, carpeted floor, tables and chairs, not to mention a bar. The thing was constantly mobbed with celebrants sharing their tobaccos, having show-and-tell sessions with prized pipes, swapping stories, and just enjoying themselves. The tent was a success.

Of course, it was great to see old friends, and make some new ones.

From what I could tell, Key Largo was well received. Whilst in previous years, people could fill their pipes and light up, giving me the delightful opportunity to share their first experience with them, this year, they had to go into the tent, and I had to settle for the vicarious thrill of delayed reports. Not everyone who took samples got to them - there was much tobacco to be tried, but those who did told me they really liked it. I’m expecting everything to be ready for a release in eight weeks or so.

As usual, there were more beautiful pipes than anyone could possibly see in such a short time. I spent a significant amount of time with Adam Davidson, a relative newcomer whose work is innovative, and outstanding. I first met Adam at last year’s show, when Will Purdy introduced us, and what I saw showed tons of potential, but who’d have thunk he would have come so far so fast. He’s already showing signs of serious aesthetic maturity in his work. He’s an industrial designer by training (Purdue), and talking with him about the design process in general, and its application to the world of the briar was one of many high points of my weekend.

I got to see very little of the show, but a few things stood out for me. Rolando Negoita’s artistry is scaling new heights. Darius Dah, maker of GRC Pipes, is producing stunning work that is priced far too low for its quality, including a straight-grain poker with horn applications that was expertly crafted from the single most beautiful piece of briar I’ve may have ever seen, and ridiculously under-priced. Will Purdy continues to impress and amaze with his unusual shapes, and exquisite craftsmanship. Tom Eltang continues to be Tom Eltang - which means that he is still wonderfully imaginative and completely incapable of producing anything that is less than breathtakingly beautiful. Paolo Becker showed a wide selection of his spectacular pieces. Paul Bonacquisti is doing some new techniques with his sandblasting, and results are gorgeous.

I could go on for days, and would still leave someone out, so I’ll stop here, with apologies to those not mentioned. My mind is still a little fuzzy from the four daze of too-little sleep, and too much fun.

I did manage to score a lovely little Charatan Special in a small cutty shape (pictured above). Despite my exhaustion when I arrived home Monday night, I couldn’t sleep, so I went down to the shop to do a little restoration on it and snap a quick photo. If it’s acceptable to think of a pipe as adorable, this is one that wears the adjective well.

There’s one more bit of news, but I’ll put it in a separate entry on the News page later. (That’s what’s known as a “teaser,” I think.)

-glp

5 Responses

  1. Eric Cioe Says:
    May 12th, 2008 at 9:31

    I thought Key Largo was interesting. Not quite sure what to make of it after one bowl, but I’m indecisive by nature. Certainly I will be buying a tin when they come out. When my friends and I smoked it, I did noticed a really nice room note from their pipes. Some of us also commented on a somewhat higher nicotine content. Has anyone else said something like that?

    And I thought the smoking tent was a good idea, and we all had a good time out there. Some people seemed to have a big problem with it, but it certainly was handled well and I hope that even if this is the future of the Chicago show, that it continues to be the biggest show there is.

    Nice pipe, by the way. My only scores from the show were two tins of Bohemian Scandal for about half of the recent eBay prices.

  2. glpease Says:
    May 13th, 2008 at 10:22

    Hi Eric,

    Key Largo is certainly different, and it’s unlikely that enyone will be able to form a real impression of the blend from a single bowl, or even a couple. Alfredo Buscati did an interesting mini-review on the Brothers of Briar board. You can read his impressions here.

    I saw a few tins of Scandal at the show, some for reasonable prices, others through the roof. At the end of the day, I think all of them were gone, so you lucked out if you got yours for a good price.

    -glp

  3. Kevin Moran Says:
    May 13th, 2008 at 20:00

    I agree that the show was a success and that the tent was a hit. I met a lot of great people (and bought two pipes!) under the big top before the show officially opened. The Chicago crew did a great job and I can’t wait for next year.

  4. Eric Cioe Says:
    May 14th, 2008 at 21:27

    Mr. Pease,

    Yeah, I always try to wait until about 10 bowls of something to really make my mind up about it. If I don’t find anything I like in a blend after 5 bowls, I usually put it aside. Key Largo was certainly interesting so far and I look forward to trying it on a regular basis.

    The Scandal tins I got were for $40. That was the cheapest I saw at the show, with some prices more like $90. I was glad to have found them - I bought a tin of eBay Scandal and fell in love last fall, and it’s almost gone now.

  5. cd Says:
    June 1st, 2008 at 21:40

    If Chicago wont let us smoke there,We’ll take our business elsewhere. ie indian casino (Foxwooods)

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