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Self Carve Pipe Kits now available in The Tobacconist!
New member… I had alook in your tobacco shop to see if you had some Escudo pipe tobacco. Hope you have it or something like it.
Hi John – I’ve had a look at the breakdown of Escudo and it seems quite an unusual mix, with the addition of Perique a particular difficulty in trying to find a match. We don’t sell it and its hard to recommend an alternative, sorry. Best I can suggest is you try a traditional blend mini sampler and see if anything comes close…?
Sorry, it was Carey’s Soft Aromatic Mixture Tobacco 50g, not cavandish…..
Hi, I ordered a 50g pouch of old English ready rub late on Monday evening, this being the first time I’ve used your site I was wondering who you used for your domestic post, is it royal mail for example and when I could expect this to arrive. Thanks in advance.
Chris.
Hi Chris. Apologies for the delay in replying… Due to Customs restrictions we only despatch tobacco on Mondays, so your order would have missed the cut off time for that week unfortunately. With the Bank Holiday on the 6th the tobacco was shipped on the 7th so I would expect it reached you on the 10th or 11th? I hope you’re enjoying it!
Having started pipes recently, with the soft cavandish mixture, a pleasant smoke, which mixture, in your opinion, would have a sweet creamy after taste ?
Hi Clive – 2002, 2004 & 2009 would be your best bets I would think, although its fair to say we all get something a little different out of tobaccos depending upon our individual palates. Happy hunting!
Self carve pipe kits and ‘How to…’ guide books coming soon!
New Dr Plumb, Big Ben, Savinelli and Barling ranges just added!
New cigar’s from Phillies and Vasco Da Gama now available online in the Tobacconist section!
10% off the Vauen Palma right now – when its gone, its gone! Use code VP10 at the checkout…
I am pretty new to pipe smoking, but already have a couple of Magic Inch pipes. So far, I have only smoked aromatics. My question is this. I am finding nearly every time I smoke my pipe, that I am getting a bitter taste after about a third of the way through it. I’ve tried packing more tightly and more loosely. I don’t think I smoke too quickly. I have cleaned the pipe with brandy but still the problem persists. Should I be emptying the ash as I go? Any help would be gratefully received. I don’t want to have to give up!
Hmmm, not ideal and I’m sorry to hear that. Are you relighting your pipe during your smoke? That is the only time I get a bitterness and at that stage it is best to let the pipe rest, clean it, and return to it later. If that’s not the cause I’m a little stumped to be honest. How long does it take to smoke a bowlful? And no, most pipe smokers do not empty the ash as they go…
Probably around 40 minutes to smoke. Even my ‘Carey’s 10 minute’ takes a good 20! I do have to relight quite often during a bowl. If I leave it to cool half way through, will the tobacco not be too dry to smoke later on?
I think the issue may be the relighting – certainly that’s when most people experience bitterness as by the time you smoke it much of the tobacco is fully desicated from the previous lighting and extinguishing. One of the key elements of pipe smoking is keeping your bowlful lit and its better to only part fill a bowl and smoke it completely than fill a bowl and constantly relight it. And yes, you should never return to a half smoked bowl due to the bitterness… Try smaller quantities and work up from there maybe? Hope that helps…
Thanks. I’ll give the smaller bowl a try!
After more than 40 years of smoking briar pipes I am considering trying a meerschaum but I don’t really know how they work.
Do they carbonise like a briar, and if so does one allow the carbon to build up or not? I imagine that the meerschaum is probably softer than the carbon would be so care would be necessary in trying to remove it. Any advice would be most welcome.
Hi Frank – the main point about meerschaum is that it is more porous than briar, so will absorb more of the tobacco residue and over time change hue as a result. It may also absorb sweat, etc from the hand, again contributing to its colour over time. This ‘living’ process is one of the main appeals… As for the ‘cake’, I have seen uncleaned meerschaums that have eventually cracked due to too much build up so its a good idea to allow a little to develop but not too much – just enough to protect the inside of the bowl but allow still allow the tobacco residue to pass into the meerschaum. I hope that helps…
Carey’s Dark Flake OUTSTANDING, what a great smoke this flake is, you guy’s have some of the best tobacco’s on the market 10/10 from me
Posted on behalf of the author…
On return to my house yesterday, I was delighted to find the items I requested from E A Carey had arrived. I had expected a minimum of a 10 day wait , in fact it took 7 days and that was over the Easter Holiday period. Perhaps 4 working days – amazing!!.
The package included two new Pipes from the 2013 Catalogue. The Magic Inch ·Explorer Billiard Black Rustic &
The Magic Inch Tacon Semi Bent Dublin.
These are as per photos in the Catalogue and are just as great looking in the hand. I have already set about breaking them in. This is the first time I have tried a pipe with the Magic Inch – so far the bit about a cool smoke seems
justified. More about how I get on will follow in a week or so when the pipes have passed breaking in stage. I found references to E.A.Carey on the internet.
Once again thanks for the great product and service.
Kind regards JTR. Alicante, Spain.
Have been with Carey’s for quite a few years and have never been disssatified with pipes or tobacco or service. For instance last got a phone call to say they did not have the pipe I ordered but would send another. Unfortunately it was damaged so I contacted EA Carey and another is being sent. All this has been done within 4 hours of contacting EA Carey. What more can be said about this company? TERRIFIC!!!!!
Very many thanks for your comments William although I am disappointed the original pipe you ordered was damaged. At least a replacement is on its way and this time, being a Carey pipe, we know there won’t be any issues! Enjoy…
Received my Standard Starter Set (Full bent) yesterday.Just waiting for the tobacco to arrive.
I’ve only one question:
The pipe stem feels quite loose. Will this tighten up with use?
Or should it be a tighter fit?
I know that’s two questions, but what the heck.
Hi Kevin. The plastics of the stem and insert will expand slightly with the heat when you are smoking so it should then ensure a snug fit. Too tight and the plastics could crack. But obviously after a few smokes if it is too loose for your liking please let us know via admin@eacarey.co.uk and we will sort things out for you.
Just wanted to comment on the service of Carey’s. I’ve been searching for some time now for a certain pipe, but was unable to locate one. I spoke to Jenny at Carey’s, and she found the pipe for me, and its just arrived now. You don’t get this kind of service anywhere else to my knowledge. 10 out of 10 guys for your friendly helpful service, you go above and beyond to make the customer happy – forever grateful.
Mr J Lyall
Thanks Mr Lyall – we appreciate your comments!
I love this image… Creating a catalogue the old fashioned way http://ow.ly/i/1A31D
Yes i like it too, it seems to stand out more to the eye,
Soft Aromatic Mixture Tobacco – Is this the mildest tobacco you do?
Hi Clive – personal perception is so varied that it is always hard to answer a query like this, but we (and our blenders more importantly!) believe the Cavendish Mixture (2002) and Soft Black Aromatic (2009) to be the mildest blends in terms of ‘Body’ (the perception of the strength of the tobacco when smoked). Hope that helps…
James, I can highly recommend the Balkan mixture, its truly beautiful. I also smoke Carey’s St Bruno Special which is outstanding.
My quest to find my ultimate tobacco continues, having tried JF Germans Rich Dark Flake and Petersons Irish flake, which are both excellent, I recevied my order of Careys No7 Flake, which again is top stuff. I was wondering, are there any discernable differences between the ready rubbed and flake versions, despite the practical ones?
Hi James – the simple answer is that they are the same tobacco in a different form, although simply from the pouch I think the Flake version has a more intense aroma. Do you know what it is you’re after specifically?
Thanks Marcus. I do enjoy Vir/burley flakes, but they are not that practical when on the move. I do also like latikia blends. I will order some No7 ready rubbed.
Hi James – it may make sense for you to try one of our Traditional Blend Mini Samplers which costs only a little more than a single pack of the No7, so that you can be sure in future you are receiving the most suitable blend for your tastes?
Thanks guys, for pulling my name out of the hat,£10 discount is very much apreciated,
Allan Massie wrote this article on the Telegraph blog pointing out the more gentlemanly aspects of pipe smoking… http://ow.ly/hInur
Ill never understand why people insist on re writing the past, as if taking Harold wilsons pipe smoking out of the program save people from being exsposed to smoking,even poor santa is no longer aloud to be seen smoking is clay pipe, why do we let people control what we want to do, ill never know.
Greetings
Package has arrived safely.
Thank you for the good pipe.
I appreciate the fast shipment.
Thank you in the next.
Best regards
My 1st order from the tobacco club arrived today, i was like a kid at Xmas, i would recommend everybody to join, its great to know that my celler is stocked up now and my next order will come automatically without me having to do anything unless i want to change something, why oh why did i not come to careys, before now, thanks guys for the great service you give, 5+++++ 100% from me.
Well its been 4 days now with my new tobacco, and im loving it so much its all ive smoked since,come on guys its a must try, St Bruno special get some you wont regret it,
Well my order of the St Bruno Special arrived today, OMG this stuff is FANTASTIC, its better than the other. Needless to say i’ve joined the Tobacco Club so i can take advantage of this wonderful offering. Thanks guys for an outstanding blend.
Thanks for the great comments and review – its our pleasure!
Hi marcus, yes i spoke to Jenny this morning and she explained it to me, i never thought about you being in guernsey silly me,as long as i make it to join the tobacco club before the next shipping out day,
Good morning Marcus,
Just to say i received my pipe and can’t wait to receive my selection of tobaccos. With the East Devon Hunts hunter trial on the horizon for me to organise, I’m hoping the combination will put me in a thoughtful and relaxed mind set when I design the course!! After all, if its good enough for Einstein!!!
Too true Guy! You may well find yourself unwittingly designing in a 20 minute rest break as an excuse to get the pipe out mid trial!
Also Marcus, I bought some tobacco from you on Friday and its still not arrived ??
Don’t be alarmed – thanks to Mr Customs it tends to take a couple of extra days for tobacco to arrive. We only ever despatch tobacco on a Monday and it usually arrives at destination by Thursday, so you should see it tomorrow or Friday if they’ve been on a ‘go slow’
Well I’ve logged in with my facebook name but the avatar is still blank???
OK, well FB have probably changed things (again!) so try this https://en.gravatar.com/ and let us know how you get on. Cheers for now.
Marcus thanks a lot for helping with the avatar
thats done the trick now
puffingthebriar
Good stuff!
Hopefully my tobacco will be here today, im looking forward to trying it and im really low on St Bruno.
Hi James – your tobacco went out this week but its unlikely it’ll arrive today I’m afraid unless Customs and Royal Mail are working overtime. Hopefully Thurs/Fri though! Enjoy.
Hi there. I have just ordered my first pipe from you and wondered if you had any tips on how to ‘break it in’? I seem to remember reading somewhere that it was wise to half fill it for a few smokes. Many Thanks
Thanks for your order Dave. Best thing is to do as you’ve read, just small smokes to start until there is some carbonisation of the bowl. Certainly don’t let it get too hot so outdoor in the current windy conditions may be ill advised! And make sure it’s allowed to rest properly between smokes. The briar in those 10 Minutes is excellent though so you shouldn’t have any issues…
Many thanks for your help!
Thanks for the advice. One more question. Presumably it’s better to store a pipe in the open air but if I keep it in a box, bag or pouch, will this be bad for the pipe?
Hey, if I store my pipe on a pipe rack on a shelf in my room, will the room stink of ash? My wife is not a fan of ‘used pipe’ fragrance. I’ve only used the pipe about 5 times but only with English blends.
Simple answer is that yes, it quite possibly will. The only way to avoid it would be to give it a good clean before resting it, but that’s probably impractical.
Can we have a picture of ourselves as the avatar, instead of the blank box, thanks?
Jimmy
Hi Jimmy. If you have a Facebook account and log in with that it should bring your profile image across and replace the avatar. Give it a try and any probs let us know…
After yrs of smoking St Bruno, I’ve just ordered your St Bruno Special. I look forward to trying it – if its good I’ll be joining the Tobacco Club. Also I smoke only Canadian pipes, but noticed you don’t even sell 1. Is there any reason for that or would you be able to get me some on request?
Thanks
Jimmy
Thanks Jimmy – I hope you enjoy your tobacco and if so we look forward to you joining the club! As for Canadians, we used to have a couple of ranges but they’ve sold out and now it is actually quite hard to find good pipes in that shape. But let us know what you’re after and I’m sure we’ll be able to find something that fits the bill…
Hello guys,
I’m looking for a new pipe as I already have one for aromatics (its a carey pipe which im pretty happy with). I’m looking for something quite large, a Chuck Norris pipe if you will. Something you would expect to see a lumberjack puffing away on haha
It’s hard to tell from the pictures on the site, how they compare to a persons hand. Any ideas or suggestions?
Also if you buy a pipe with a 9mm filter, what are the advantages/disadvantages of removing it, is that even advised?
Hi. Pleased to hear you already use a Carey pipe! I’m not sure from this whether you are looking for another Magic Inch or 9mm pipe so my suggestions would be one of the Tacon range (MI) or Freestand Natura/Honey (9mm). It is true that neither of these are oversize ranges, but certainly full size. In general the fashion for larger pipes has diminished as the weight of quality briar means they are often too heavy to smoke comfortably, and this in turn has led to many larger ranges being made of lighter, lower quality briar thus not smoking so well. Regarding the 9mm filter I’m not sure there are too many advantages to removing them. The pipe is manufactured so that the optimal airflow is achieved with the filter in place. Also, the advantage of 9mm filters (the highly quality ones we sell in any case) is that they are very good at retaining the full flavour of the tobacco.
hi just purchased an estate pipe bowl need a straight stem for it any ideas where to get one the pipe is a bewlay briar 122 london made
Hi. I’m not sure what your best option would be really. Unless you can find the matching stem on eBay or similar I think you would have to provide a pipemaker with the exact style and dimensions of stem you require and hope they can make one for you. Maybe try someone like Northern Briars or Blakemar?
OK VERY HELPFULL THANKS
So looking forward to my delivery next week! I very nearly purchased a cheap pipe today cos I’m like a kid when it comes to waiting but I abstained. Well I settled for couple of cigars which I’m enjoying whilst browsing the salon. I’ve been reading bits all day on here!
Hi Sean – I’ve just managed to catch up after a few days away and would like to say a quick thanks for your input to the Salon. I’m pleased our site has been of use and that we’ve managed to save you a few ££ along the way! I think you have answered your own questions but just to say thatinvesting in a quality pipe will ultimately save you money and effort, and that as long as you allow your single pipe to properly rest between smokes you will have no issues with real briar smoking 3 times per day. Enjoy your pipe smoking, and good luck with the carp!
This site is fantastic. User friendly and informative.
Before stumbling across here I was given advice that because I wanted to smoke my pipe 3+ times a day I would require a separate pipe for each smoke. I was minutes away from spending in excess of £200 just on pipes with that company!
Thank god I’m now better informed! Ok so I haven’t spent that much with you now but you have won my lifetime custom and the thousands that I’m sure I’ll spend lol. I’m only 33 so that’s a fair few years.
There’s another thing, my age. I’ve not had enough time on this earth to come across a pipe smoker within my circle of friends but this site has left me feeling confident I’m armed now with the tools I need for my pipe adventure, by an Essex Stillwater, stalking elusive carp!
Thanks. I can’t wait until next week when my Carey pipe arrives and I can crack on with sampling your blends!
This just in from Carl…
Hi there,
I have placed another order and will soon be ordering again before the Christmas deadline. I hope I may be allowed to rejoin the tobacco club after an absence of over three years. I will do this in January if I may when I have a better idea of my monthly requirements and can place a regular order. I can’t tell you how much I am enjoying smoking my choice of tobacco in the pipes I bought from you such a long time ago: absolutely out of this world!
Careys are the greatest!!!
All the best for Christmas and the New Year, Carl
I was looking through the catalogue and the milano No34 on your web page is diffrent from the milano No34 in your catalogue?
Hi Alex – I’m not sure what you mean here as they are the same pipe. The images/angles can sometimes be different and the bend on the stem may not always be exactly the same, but other than that they should be identical.
I just want to revisit a comment I made some time ago on the subject of cleaning out the base of the pipe stem where it meets the bowl, always a tricky corner. I had asked for a tool with a longer rod as some pipes are slightly too long for the 3 in 1 tool you sell.
I made a rod myself – a piece of brass brazing rod or aluminium rod of appropriate diameter from your local DIY (Bricolage) will do. Take a hammer and make end flat, then cut off an appropriate length, work out the length of the pipe stem required and bend to 90 degrees about an inch above that. Used lightly it cleans out the coking and tar/fluff from cleaners quite well, coupled with the brushes, and you can keep the air/smoke flowing through this part very well.
A great bit of inititiative Alun!
Hi there, I’m desperately trying to organise a pipe-related birthday present for my boyfriend’s birthday, ideally a course, a workshop or something like that. Does anyone know whether any such thing exists in London? All help gratefully received! Thanks!
Hi Camilla – I’ll pop this up on our FB page too and see if anyone has any info for you. Great idea for a present!
Being new to pipe smoking I asked a few of my older friends about pipes and tobacco choices. So I decided to ask for a catalogue & I was taken aback by the vast choice of pipes, shapes and sizes and the blends of tobacco. Now the catalogue is in the hands of my friends and a large order of tobbacco and pipes will be coming your way.
That’s great news Alex – thanks for letting us know and for passing the catalogue around. Word of mouth is definitely the best way for us to attract new customers! I hope you enjoy your new hobby and if you need any assistance be sure to let us know. All the best…
I have been pipe smoking on and off for 30yrs now. The demise of the high st tobacconist and my just starting to use the internet has reawakened my love of different flavours. As retirement is upon me and my love of countryside musing meanders has become more frequent the smoking of a good pipe behoves itself to my enjoyment of life. You cant be anything but meditative while smoking a pipe, ask any american indian, if you could find one in hampshire; my little joke. Laurie x jock H.M.ARMY
I have only just started using a pipe after numerous years of cigarettes & I am interested in bent magic inch pipes & English blend tobacco. I love fishing & was wondering what sort of pipe I should get & what type of tobbaco. Thanks for any help. Steve
Hi Steve. Thanks for getting in touch and I’m sure we’ll be able to point you in the right direction. I have answered your tobacco question separately but as far as pipes go there are so many choices! All Magic Inch pipes will smoke in broadly the same way so the main criteria you need to consider are your own preferences regarding shape, size, finish and of course budget. Personally I smoke a Sheer Genius because I like the classic nature of the finish, but at the lower priced end of the scale the Milanos are excellent, although slightly smaller. The Tacon is also a stunning range, but really its down to your preferences. Good luck!
Having received my Milano starter kit a few weeks back (review to follow), I am delighted to have just ordered a 10 minute full bent Billard along with 50g soft aromatic. As a novice to my new hobby, I was hoping to garner some views on ghosting? I have been smoking aromatics to date, however I am tempted to purchase some Dunhill Early Morning Pipe. Should I dedicate or is this a myth?
Hi James – thanks for your custom, and also for your comments. I’ll pop your enquiry onto our FB page and see if it generates much in the way of a response, but my thoughts on this are as follows… there’s no doubting that if you can afford a different pipe for each blend you favour then this is ideal. However, as most people can’t then I think a single pipe for aromatics should be fine as most are made up of ‘lightwieght’ tobaccos with different toppings. Traditionals are a different kettle of fish however and I think using the same pipe to smoke, for example, Latakia as other milder tobaccos will definitely lead to ghosting. But there is also the school of thought that ghosting isn’t such a bad thing as it leads to different flavours that you wouldn’t normally experience…
Thanks to Mr RC for this great feedback, and a huge pat on the back for the customer services team!
“Thank you. I will be placing an order tomorrow. I have to say that I have found you company’s service both swift and helpful. You can be justly proud of your staff. It is companies like yours that can and I am sure will put the Great back in Britain.”