khiddy
New Member
Hello from northern Indiana! I am Ken, living in South Bend, where I work at a local institution of higher learning of some repute. By profession, I am a communications specialist at an academic center on campus, and on the side I am a newspaper columnist, podcaster, and trivia addict.
I've been into tobacco since college, where I took up cigars and pipes more than 30 years ago now. I have smoked off and on over the years, amassing a small collection of cigars (favorites include the JdN Antaño series and Punch Robustos), but lately I have really gotten back into pipe smoking. I've gone pretty deep in the last six months, adding tins and bulk buys to my cellar, while smoking 3 or 4 bowls a day. Favorite commercial blends include Peterson MyMixture 965/Sutliff Match 20, Peterson Royal Yacht, Newminster Superior Round Slices, Sutliff Virginia Slices, and Arango Balkan Supreme.
I've dabbled with home blending and cake pressing, not yet from whole leaf but looking to go that direction in the next few months. I recently read @deluxestogie's books on home blending, and it may have been a bad idea. My bride already gives me some serious side eye when packages arrive nearly every day filled with tobacco (and empty mason jars), so I may have to pace myself and empty a few jars out of my cellar (via my pipe) before I make the move to manufacturing my own blends from whole leaf.
There's just so much good stuff out there to try, and I don't yet know what I'm missing out on. Like Donald Rumsfeld said, the "unknown unknowns" are the things that'll get ya.
Anyhow, it's a pleasure to be here among such august company as yourselves.
I've been into tobacco since college, where I took up cigars and pipes more than 30 years ago now. I have smoked off and on over the years, amassing a small collection of cigars (favorites include the JdN Antaño series and Punch Robustos), but lately I have really gotten back into pipe smoking. I've gone pretty deep in the last six months, adding tins and bulk buys to my cellar, while smoking 3 or 4 bowls a day. Favorite commercial blends include Peterson MyMixture 965/Sutliff Match 20, Peterson Royal Yacht, Newminster Superior Round Slices, Sutliff Virginia Slices, and Arango Balkan Supreme.
I've dabbled with home blending and cake pressing, not yet from whole leaf but looking to go that direction in the next few months. I recently read @deluxestogie's books on home blending, and it may have been a bad idea. My bride already gives me some serious side eye when packages arrive nearly every day filled with tobacco (and empty mason jars), so I may have to pace myself and empty a few jars out of my cellar (via my pipe) before I make the move to manufacturing my own blends from whole leaf.
There's just so much good stuff out there to try, and I don't yet know what I'm missing out on. Like Donald Rumsfeld said, the "unknown unknowns" are the things that'll get ya.
Anyhow, it's a pleasure to be here among such august company as yourselves.
