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Seasons' Greetings

Less than two days until December 24 (the big day in continental Europe) and once again, I have completely ignored Christmas pipes. There's no great hurry anyway. If I really liked one, which is rarely the case, I'd have all the time in the world to get this year's edition where 2002 still lingers, right next to its 1991 ancestor.

Hard to say what there is to reject about Christmas pipes - perhaps it's the sheer abundance of the things, all dressed up in rarity like a street artist's eternally identical sketches of Notre Dame or the Tower of London. That's not to say that I'd refuse one of Trever Talbert's Yule Pipes or Mark Tinsky's current offerings. But it is not going to happen. There will be no briar under the Christmas tree. Like many pipe collectors, I have carefully trained my family not to drop the embarrassment bomb. Given sufficient freedom from my obsessions, they don't talk normally about pipes, read about pipes, look at pipes or even think about them (except to find them smelly). The busy holiday shopping season would be a very bad time for a debut purchase.

However, I did give myself a premature Christmas gift of Erica arborea - or rather, I'm considering it a gift since so much fluke was involved. Witness an unsmoked W.O. Larsen Pearl for all of 79 euros. That is what it cost me on local Ebay, where it was offered as a regular, lightly smoked Straight Grain. Of course, even that would have been a major steal for the money.

Christmas tobacco is another phenomenon I will be missing yet again. True, I have the stuff gifted to me by local dealers, but I pass it on as soon as I spot another pipester. I am mystified by the seemingly universal formula equating a lethal overdose of vanilla to the festive spirit. And anyway: I dedicate my pipes to individual blends and am loathe to invite crossover at any time. (Try such purism, if you don't practice it already. Select one or two pieces and run at least two tins of a favourite mixture through them. The first will only exorcise the ghosts of baccies past, but the second will truly claim the pipe for the chosen brand.)

Due to heavy domestic opposition, I shall also be avoiding cigars over Christmas. Kipling's famous words notwithstanding, I'm not up to the aggro. However, I have a nice Punch set aside for New Year's Eve, when it shall be smoked outside and used as a windproof firework lighter. I don't think I can get any more gauche than that, can I?

Perhaps I can, briefly… by talking of funds. Let me stress that I neither invite nor accept individual financial donations, but that Pfeifenbox does involve some spending. Server costs are manageable. However, items such as international phone calls (to arrange interviews and otherwise ensure the content flow) can be more formidable. It's not breaking my back, but the project is a one-man show and help is appreciated. If you care to click through the adverts on this site when buying something from Pfeifenbox's sponsors, you can support this effort at no extra cost to yourself. The important thing when doing so is to make your order traceable to Pfeifenbox - by first visiting this site and going through the banners here to access the store you wish to deal with.

Thanks to those who have already done so and purchased something (you remain anonymous to me in the process, so I cannot thank you personally). My gratitude also extends to everyone who has encouraged me or recommended this site, publicly or otherwise. And, of course, thanks to everyone for reading the material here.

I shan't be offering my New Year's greetings yet, since I hope to be talking to you before then. However, if you are going away for the rest of the year, take my best wishes with you. And to all of you:

Enjoy Christmas the way you like it best!

Martin

(December 22, 2003)

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