The Titanic Hit an Iceberg

To pay homage to the 100th Anniversary of the maiden voyage of the world's most well know ship, The Titanic, Peterson Pipes designed and carved to life the most elegantly packaged collection of pipes.

The Peterson Iceberg 1912 Collection, created beautiful 4 count boxes. Each one carrying 4 of Peterson's most beautiful creations. Each carefully crafted pipe features the most stunning briar,
handcrafted silver bands, and its own carefully chosen shape.

The RMS Titanic was a British registered four funnelled ocean liner built for the transatlantic passenger and mail service between Southampton and New York.
Constructed at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland Titanic was, on her maiden voyage, the largest vessel afloat.

On April 10th 1912 the Titanic sailed from Southampton with 2,200 passengers and crew, four days later the Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank. 1500 people died and 700 survived.
And to this date we have information coming in about the events and people on the ship. There is even an "Encyclopedia Titanic"! Which clears up information quite often.

These amazing pipes can be found at Bennington Tobacconist in Boca Raton FL
The Iceberg Collection at Benningtons

And here are 10 things I bet  you didn't know about the Titanic:

1. Canceled Lifeboat Drill
   Originally, a lifeboat drill was scheduled to take place on board the Titanic on April 14, 1912 - the day the Titanic hit the iceberg. However, for an unknown reason, Captain Smith canceled the drill. Many believe that had the drill taken place, more lives could have been saved.
2. Only Seconds
   From the time the lookouts sounded the alert, the officers on the bridge had only 37 seconds to react before the Titanic hit the iceberg. In that time, First Officer Murdoch ordered "hard a-starboard" (which turned the ship to port -- left). He also ordered the engine room to put the engines in reverse. The Titanic did bank left, but it wasn't quite enough.
3. The Titanic's Newspaper
   The Titanic seemed to have everything on board, including its own newspaper. The Atlantic Daily Bulletin was printed every day on board the Titanic. The newspaper included news, advertisements, stock prices, horse-racing results, society gossip, and the day's menu.
4. Lifeboats Not Full
   Not only were there not enough lifeboats to save everyone on board, most of the lifeboats that were launched off the Titanic were not filled to capacity. For instance, the first lifeboat to launch, Lifeboat 7 from the starboard side) only carried 24 people, despite having a capacity of 65 (two additional people later transferred to Lifeboat 7 from Lifeboat 5). However, it was Lifeboat 1 that carried the fewest people - only seven crew and five passengers (a total of 12 people) despite having a capacity for 40.
5. Only Two Bathtubs
   Although most passengers had to share bathrooms (only the two promenade suites in first class had private bathrooms), third class had it rough with only two bathtubs for more than 700 passengers.
6. Another Boat Was Closer for Rescue
   When the Titanic began sending out distress signals, the Californian, rather than the Carpathia, was the closest ship; yet the Californian did not respond until it was much too late to help. At 12:45 a.m. on April 15, 1912, crew members on the Californian saw mysterious lights in the sky (the distress flares sent up from the Titanic) and woke up their captain to tell him about it. Unfortunately, the captain issued no orders. Since the ship's wireless operator had already gone to bed, the Californian was unaware of any distress signals from the Titanic until the morning, but by then the Carpathia had already picked up all the survivors. Many people believe that if the Californian had responded to the Titanic's pleas for help, many more lives could have been saved.
7. Two Dogs Rescued
   With the order for women and children first into the lifeboats, plus the knowledge that there were not enough lifeboats for everyone on board the Titanic to be saved, it is a bit surprising that two dogs made it into the lifeboats. Of the nine dogs on board the Titanic, the two that were rescued were a Pomeranian and a Pekinese.
8. The Fourth Funnel
   In what is now an iconic image, the side view of the Titanic clearly shows four cream and black funnels. While three of these released the steam from the boilers, the fourth was just for show. The designers thought the ship would look more impressive with four funnels rather than three.
9. A Royal Mail Ship
   The R.M.S. Titanic was a Royal Mail Ship, a designation which meant the Titanic was officially responsible for delivering mail for the British postal service. On board the Titanic was a Sea Post Office with five mail clerks (two British and three American). These mail clerks were responsible for the 3,423 sacks of mail (seven million individual pieces of mail) on board the Titanic. Interestingly, although no mail has yet been recovered from the wreck of the Titanic, if it were, the U.S. Postal Service would still try to deliver it (the USPS because most of the mail was being sent to the U.S.).
10. Corpses Recovered
    On April 17, 1912, the day before survivors of the Titanic disaster reached New York, the Mackay-Bennett was sent off from Halifax, Nova Scotia to search for bodies. On board the Mackay-Bennett were embalming supplies, 40 embalmers, tons of ice, and 100 coffins. Although the Mackay-Bennett found 306 bodies, 116 of these were too badly damaged to take all the way back to shore. Attempts were made to identify each body found. Additional ships were also sent out to look for bodies. In all, 328 bodies were found, but 119 of these were badly damaged and thus were buried at sea.

Until next time...

Dr. Bob, a Pipester or better yet a pipestar...

Bob Keys, best know as Dr. Bob, because he is a doctor, a happy physician who enjoys a great pipeful. So much so that he makes makes the most beautiful pipes!

At the last Pipe Club meeting in Boca Raton Florida, Dr. Bob was described as being one of the
best pipemakers to "rusticate".  A gentle man from Vermont, land of the beautiful Maple trees,
told us of his professors from Medical school, weaving in and out from the different classes with sometimes a pipe clenched in their mouths or cradled in their pockets alongside  their tobacco pouches.
Podcast, Jim Interviews Dr. Bob

Dr. Bob had always loved Briar pipes, starting with his grandfather's and then his chemistry professor. Believing that people had their heads screwed on straight in those days... lol He then saw an add by our dear Mimo from Italy ( just the best briar seller in Italy!) and bought the advertised kit and started making his pipes.
As he started this new hobby, Dr. Bob discovered the passion for nor only appreciating them but, of making them! He received accolades from fellow pipe makers for his rustication techniques and his designs.

The silver work on his pipes is all hand done in his shop in the Vermont woods. An amazing and inspiring place to work at. The briar in all his pipes is aged Grecian or Italian Briar

Packaging & Cellering Pipe Tobacco

Gary Bennington Removing Impurities Before Blending

I read a great article on-line, bulk or tinned tobaccos? As per the writer, the bulk tobacco

would lose some of its aroma or punch, because of opening the bag for measuring for a sale. On the other hand the tinned tobacco would have more consistency because it is never exposed to the environment until the smoker pops it open. The other issue is that it will have more fermentation than the bulk. In light of all this information I went and asked the experts in the Bennington realm.

Weighing the Blended Tobacco

First off Bennington’s has two lines of tobacco: The Custom Blends and the Super Premiums. We sell the “custom blend” tobaccos in 14oz bags or tubs (neither vacuumed). In 7oz bags or tins (neither vacuumed, tins are crimped) and in 1.5oz bags (not vacuumed). The Super Premiums are sold only in 8oz and 2oz tins (not vacuumed, crimped)

Jack Bennington from the Sarasota store did say that the tobaccos with less casing would age longer than the aromatic (with casing). That the tinned tobaccos have higher consistency. The tobaccos in bags are more delicate and age and ferment faster, because they have contact with the environment each time they are opened.

Sealing Tobacco Cans

Our aromatic tobaccos, Dan’s and C&D cannot keep for longer than a year. The English blends with no casing will keep much longer. But once open it will dry faster, so a small humidifier is recommended. In Aromatics, tt seems the sugar will enhance the fermentation and keep it moist longer.

Any tobacco newly opened is like a Beaujolais Nouveau wine; should be consumed within the following 6 to 12 months.

To consume or not after it is opened… Looking through the youtube videos, many people are trying to teach to “reseal” the tins. Resealing does not mean to vacuum seal. That can only be achieved with a vacuum-sealing machine. Once the tobacco tin has been opened it starts its more aggressive aging, just because it’s in contact again with the air.

So where do we go with all this information? Cellaring, aging your tobacco of choice.

Today this is a must. As long as the English tobacco is kept correctly humidified and the Aromatic is vacuumed sealed, any tobacco can be aged for several years.  When you vacuum seal something an amount of its water is also removed. Its left lightly moist and safe from any natural organism found in the air.

Adding The Lables

Start collecting the Bennington tobaccos today! We are one of the last smoke shops to

Blend our own tobaccos, been doing it for the last 40 years!!

THE PICNIC

With so many places banning smoking, we have to get creative regarding where we can smoke… A park or a clearing near a river or a waterfall is a perfect place for a picnic or even a BBQ/Lunch with friends or a date?

Make sure you take a blanket "surplus type", thermos with a good brew of Joe,  chicken sandwiches, beer or soda, a radio or iPod and a deck of cards. 

Then as you will be spending a least a good 45 minutes to an hour, what will be your smoke of choice? Keep it on the light to medium choice. If it is cigars here are some that might tempt you:

DON DIEGOS: easy mild smoke made in the Dominican Republic.

DUNHILLS: very mild, created to go with everything Dunhill. Made in the Dominican Republic.

DAVIDOFF 2000: The Rolls Royce of cigars. This is the mild blend. Sizes from 1000 to 5000.

ARTUREO FUENTE

8-5-8 mild to medium, made in the Dominican Republic

Robustos: short medium easy smoke

Curley Heads: inexpensive smooth smoke.

MACANUDOS: very mild and smooth. Made in the Domican Republic

Fonseca: A mildly spicy stogie, Made in the Domican Republic

And last but not least Romeo Y Julieta: Any size from the original blend.

If you prefer the darker smokes, a Maduro from Don Thomas will do the trick.

If it is pipe tobacco that makes you happy Benningtons has two fantastic blends created 50 years ago by Mr. William Bennington.

No. 23 – Golden Shag:

A superb blend of very mild and thin burleys from Tennessee,

Kentucky, Malawi and Indonesia. Unlike a large number of burleys

available today, the nicotine content of this blend is well below 1.5%, making

it a perfect mild blender with Virginia or Cavendish tobaccos. It smokes clean

and cool leaving a pleasant light aroma for the people around you.

No. 28: Royal Dutch

A blend of three mild imported Cavendishes that stays lit

and delivers great taste. Matured in wooden casks for several years and Cavendish

cut, makes this blend a rewarding smoke.

If you prefer an aromatic

No. 45: Riches Blend loads of chocolate

Long Cuts of black, double-heat and fermented Green

River Burleys are pressed then aged to ensure a smoothness that is unequaled

by ordinary Black Cavendishes. Golden Virginia Ribbon and Flake are blended

in later with ample amounts of air-cured Kentucky Burleys that are double-heat

fermented for extra body and mildness. It is then laced with imported Swiss

Chocolate for added aroma and taste. It can be smoked all day with no bite.

No.47: Fruit, very tropical

Developed from the fields of Flue-cured tobaccos of

Zimbabwe and Malawi blended with sweet processed black Cavendish and

mild burley tobaccos. The cut of the blend is medium to coarse loose cut. . It

is then laced with fanciful fruit and vanilla flavoring which awakens this mild

blends outstanding taste and evocative aroma. It can be smoked all day with

no bite.

Everything ends well when there is NO FIRE! So take care to bury your ashes, tobacco or leftover stogie well.

Stay dry everyone....

Christina

The S.T.Dupont Story & Our Promotion

1850: 
From Celebrity Photographer to Luxury Travel Case Maker
In 1850, a photographer in Paris by the name of François Tissot Dupont who was proud of the special distinction of counting Napoleon III amongst his clients. He was soon joined by his nephew, Simon Tissot Dupont, as an appointed photographer to the Imperial Court of Napoleon III, in Paris. Although his photographic career would end with the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the first 20 or so years as a photographer he immortalized the Parisian upper class, as well as the wealthy Europeans passing through Paris.

1872
In 1872, Simon Tissot Dupont bought a workshop to produce leather travel goods and began crafting leather-made cases and trunks, for diplomats, celebrities, and the same aristocrats he had photographed years before. By 1880, his business was flourishing and he moved into the ‘‘Hôtel Particulier’’ owned by the Baron Isidore Justin Séverin Taylor, Royal Commissioner and protector of the famous French novelist Alexandre Dumas. His neighbors included illustrious names such as the Goldsmiths, Christofle and Ercuis.

1920

Nobility and celebrities were the most frequent travellers, embarking on journeys that would take several weeks or months. This required trunks and travel cases for different climates and occasions. Travel cases, made exclusively to suit the different needs and tastes of customers. These masterpieces were made with the finest materials and fabrics, and each set or valise was meticulously designed. These travel cases became a luxury part of each traveller’s journey.

1923

Orders began to multiply and in 1923 they opened a second workshop in Faverges, France, the family’s home town, located in the picturesque Haute-Savoie Region, at the foot of the Mont Blanc Mountain in the French Alps. Recruiting only the best and the brightest craftsmen from 17 different trades. S.T. Dupont products continue to be hand-crafted in this very same place today.

 

1929
S.T. Dupont in New York with Louis Cartier
In 1929, the Dupont Brothers joined Louis Cartier in New York to introduce their specially designed trunks and luxury travel cases at the Cartier Boutique on Fifth Avenue (on the first floor). Their products were met with instant success. After the 1929 stock market crash, the brothers continued their rise to success by offering products that were so luxurious that only those who were spared by the crisis could afford to buy. 

  It was in the thirties that S.T. Dupont made its first lighter to The Maharajah Of Patiala, a "faithful" customer of S.T. Dupont who by himself, thanks to his 150 wives, represented a market, expressed the wish to have a small case with an integral lighter. This became S.T. Dupont’s first lighter. In solid gold. The Faverges laboratoire where the factory is located did not waste time-the lighter became part of their unique creations.

 

Maharaja Jubilee commemorative lighter

In December 1953 S.T. Dupont introduced its first gas lighter coded D57. The gas flow was adjusted by means of a separate key. The total output was 320,000 units. This old lighter is no longer repairable by S.T. Dupont in France or J&H Services.

In 1959, S.T. Dupont launched model BS (Briquet Simple or Standard), both small and large version, with a device to stop the flow of gas by means of a small wheel on top, very useful when changing the flint. A total of 1.4 million units were produced up to the end of 1973. This discontinued lighter is still repairable and J&H can restore it to a perfect condition.

1959 BS Model

In 1965, model BR (Briquet Reglable) was introduced. It had an automatic gas flow stop for changing the flint and a gas flow adjuster operated by means of a horizontal cylinder next to the nozzle. A very successful lighter, of which 15 million units sold up to 1984. This lighter is still available by S.T. Dupont and it is called the LINE 1 model, however the automatic gas flow stop does not exist on the new version. This lighter can have a wide cigar flame burner or angle pipe flame fitted.

1965 BR Model

During the ‘seventies’, S.T. Dupont introduced the first table gas lighter, also in lacquer version. It was called BTL (Briquet Table Long). The BT2 (Briquet Table 2), an elegant non-lacquered cylindrical lighter, was produced between 1971 and 1979. This lighter is no longer available but still repairable.

1977 PN Model

In 1977, S.T. Dupont introduced the PN model (Pyrophoric New), a large pocket lighter without gas stop. Production to date is about 1.2 million. This lighter is called today the LINE 2 model and it is the most popular lighter worldwide. This lighter can have a burner fitted with a dual flame for a cigar or an angle flame for a pipe smoker.

And for the next 30 days we at Benningtons will give you the opportunity to own one! We will be running a sale at 40% Off. It will end October 12th, 2012 Use code coupon #232425 at checkout.
 

How To Make A Corn Cob

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from by Bryan Schatz,  from "The Art of Manliness" website, sooooo cool! I couldn't resist :)......... That site is interesting and different and I thought I would introduce you guys to it via this post. 
In the off chance that you don't want to make your own corn cob pipe we carry them at the store. BocaBennington's "Contact Us" Page  Today, September 5th, 2012 they cost $16.00 a piece. And like my friend Renato (pipe smoker from Brazil) says, a corn cob has to be handled carefully. Smoke it slowly, not nervously and quickly. You will burn a hole in it.

Pipe smoking is the oldest form of smoking tobacco, developed during an era in which men would make time to sit at the end of a hard day’s toil, to rock back and forth in their favorite chair and observe the rotation of life. They had an understanding that prolonged satisfaction is greater than the immediate and fleeting gratification we have a tendency to seek today. A pipe is a man’s companion, his smoky warmth on a crisp winter day and the friend with which he watches the passing of time. A pipe requires patience. It instills calmness, observation, and contemplation.
A pipe is best enjoyed from the stoop thrones of rocking chairs, beneath the shade of patio roofs and in the absence of unnecessary noise.
Why the Corn Cob Pipe? In my mind, the corn cob pipe is a tangible symbol of a bygone era. Corn cob pipes are the tobacco smoking instrument of the common man: those who surveyed their surroundings and did what they could with what little they had. These were men of thrift, of inherent frugality and of resourcefulness.
They are the pipes of hard times, when men knew how to work with their hands, when they did what
was required without complaint; when men were hard, lest they perish. Or as the saying goes: “back
when dodge-ball was played with sticks and stickball was played with knives.”
The Corn Cob Pipe Tradition Legend has it that in 1869, a farmer in the Missouri countryside whittled a pipe out of a dried out corn cob. He smoked his tobacco and enjoyed the nice smooth smoking experience so much that he requested his wood-working friend to turn stems for the pipes on his lathe. Hence, the birth of the Missouri Meerschaum Company, the original and sole surviving manufacturer of mass produced corn cob pipes.
Though the beginning of the mass production of corn cob pipes commenced in the late 1800s, their
emergence and individual construction likely began long before that, and certainly persisted for years to come. Within and beyond the Dust Bowl area, corn cob pipes were the instruments of farmers, hobos, migrant laborers and vagabonds of all sorts.
Train hoppers in the Midwest and other corn-growing areas would find themselves in the presence of
this abundant crop, often just off of the train tracks. With a communal sharing of simple tools and the
luck of having a pinch of tobacco, having a soothing smoke on those enormously tiring days was a
welcomed occasion.
Examining the evolution of pipe smoking in the 21st century is more like observing the slow extinction of a dwindling species.
According to “Bowled Over No Longer,” a 2005 Washington Post article by Peter Carlson, there exists approximately 1.6 million pipe smokers in America today. Since the 1970s, there has been a 91% drop in pipe tobacco purchases. With those statistics it becomes apparent that the current number of corn cob pipe smokers has likely declined even more dramatically.
Apparently, appreciating the afternoon with a pipe in hand has been exchanged for quick fixes of
indulgence and gadgetry. People today tend to not simply sit and notice, say, the sun’s departure quietly occurring later and later each day. We may not consider why a particular bee chose to slurp the nectar from one flower and not another, or wonder why it hasn’t rained in so long.
In these days of instant coffee, fast-food chain-restaurants and 5-minute cigarette breaks, the corn cob
pipe persists as a comfortable speed bump in the common rush of a frantic life.
With the immediacy of most things today, it can be easy to forget that we don’t always have to buy
something we want, that we can allow ourselves a few solitary moments to create something with our
own hands-and then enjoy the fruits of our labor.
In an attempt to grasp a few moments for yourself, I encourage you to try making a corn cob pipe, to
take a contemplative breath and appreciate the fact that the world still spins.

How to Make Your Own Corn Cob Pipe

If meandering to your stoop throne on a sunny day and enjoying the smooth hit of tobacco from a corn cob pipe sounds good to you, then you’ll need to know how to make one. Granted, this will likely not be the quality of a Missouri Meerschaum (mine certainly isn’t), but it will be of your own creation.
It is said that the most important thing for a pipe smoker to do is to find a pipe that feels right. A pipe
may not be sentient, but it will bring its own presence to the relationship between man and pipe. What
better way to find this inanimate companion than to craft it with your own hands?


What You Will Need:

1 Ear of corn
Pocket Knife
Wood branch
Drill with various bits
Tobacco
Matches or butane lighter


Step 1

Make sure the ear of corn you use is as wide as possible and has plenty of pith (the portion of the cob at its center, where the bowl will later be shaped). Break the cob in half with your hands or cut it to the size you want with a pocket knife.


Step 2
Here comes the waiting part. You’ll want that cob to dry out and harden as much as possible;
professional corn cob pipe makers let their cobs dry for two years. Granted, we don’t generally have that much time to wait, so you can throw it in the oven or use a dehydrator to speed up the process. I let mine sit for about one one week after baking it on 100 degrees for a few hours, and while I’m no expert, it seems to work fine.

Step 3
Dig out the pith with your pocket knife to shape the bowl (another reason why “Every Man Should Carry a Pocket Knife”); if possible, make it about one- inch deep. The width of your bowl should be as wide as the pith allows without making the walls of your pipe too thin. Having slender walls will make it hot in your hand when you light the tobacco, so keep them thick.

Step 4
Beneath the bowl, drill a narrow path through the pith towards the bottom of the pipe…If you prefer to refrain from using power tools during this project (which is perfectly understandable and even encouraged), you can also heat up a metal hanger and bore through the pith’s center.

Step 5
While you’re letting the bowl dry out, construct the stem of your pipe. There are a few options here; without a lathe it’s difficult to turn a piece of wood. If you have access to some narrow bamboo, then use that. It’s easy to hollow out with a metal hanger heated up red hot or with a drill, and it will fit nicely into the hole that will be cut near the base of your cob.
I don’t have a lathe nor access to bamboo, so I went out and found a downed Bay Tree branch, cut it, drilled a hole through its center and then whittled it with my knife until it fit the dimensions I wanted. Use a pocket knife to angle one side of the stem down to a point. This side will be pushed into the cob.

Step 6
Drill a hole above the base of the corn cob until it meets the hole in the pith. Make sure that this hole is slightly smaller than your stem. Press your stem into the cob and line up the hole in the stem with the hole in the pith (you may need to shave off small portions of the stem to get a proper fit). All you need now is some tobacco of your choice and a match.

And now I’ll sit upon my stoop throne, observe the pollen sacs collecting on the legs of bees and appreciate the billowing drifts of smoke escaping my lips.          Bryan Schatz

Bennington Pipes Sale!!!!!

Buy 1 get 1 free!!
Our Pipes are made in Italy Ireland and Denmark. We will have them on sale for 2 weeks.
Once you are in the shopping cart make a note, in "additional comments/ shipping Instructions",
of which is your free pipe.

If you have any doubts, just give us a call - 561-391-1372/888-574-5404 we would be happy to answer any inquiry.
We have 4 active lines... The Supreme, the Royale, the Deluxe and Ovesized.
Happy smoking....
Jim