Pleasures of life in Belgium 2013

Being an active member on the Dutch/Belgium pipe-smokers forum is fun. Up to a certain level you get to know a lot of like-minded people. But what is even more fun is meeting them in real life! Internet is fine but nothing can substitute actual human contact. So some people from the forum organize a meeting once in a while. And I really thank them for that because it is a LOT of work.

Jan (forum nickname "Paasei" which means "easter-egg". Noo idea where the name comes from ;)

Jan (forum nickname “Paasei” which means “easter-egg”. Nooo idea where the name comes from ;))

Last Saturday we had a meeting in the Belgium town of Wuustwezel. It was organized by forum member Jan (nickname “Paasei”, which translates as “easter-egg”) and his wife.  They had been busy with it for months and on the day before the meeting… Jan’s father died.. Of course the man was devastated. He saw it coming but when it happened it still was very hard to cope with. Nonetheless he wanted the meeting to go on. So some of the participating members put their heads together and in no time all the tasks were divided. A great example of the camaraderie of the forum.

A few minutes before 10 AM Ed (forum nickname St Patrick) rang my doorbell. He was going to pick me up because he drives almost for free; a car from his business, very handy. I just made coffee (essential on an early morning) and we chatted away while I packed my stuff (read: pipes and tobacco).

Mark (Deadl0ck)

Mark (Deadl0ck)

At 10.45 AM we picked up Mark (forum nickname Deadl0ck) at the train station of Deventer. He has no car and public transport all the way to Belgium was not an option. We had space left in the car so.. The more the merrier! Mark is a BIG guy and luckily he has got a heart to match that. Both Ed and me were very glad we took him with us.

Bellekeshoeve at Wuustwezel

Bellekeshoeve at Wuustwezel

After a 2 hour ride we arrived at Wuustwezel. The meeting was held at a farm in the outskirts of the town. There was a large room complete with beer-bar besides the building. Very nice! We opened the door and were overwhelmed by the warmth of both the room and the people. To my surprise Jan was present. He already had arranged a lot for the funeral and was glad he was able to make it. A welcome distraction for him and his wife.

I wanted to buy a beer but only after an hour of non-stop chatting I was able to do it. Talking about beer, we Dutch may be (in)famous for weed but the Belgium claim to fame are their more than excellent beers. Dutch beer, German beer, English beer, Irish beer etc. forget it. Belgium beer is THE best. And that was proven once again by the lovely ladies behind the beer-bar. I had a Vlaamse Leeuw (never had it before) and drank it for the rest of the day.

Jorg (Sidekickelvis)

Jorg (Sidekickelvis)

It always amazes me how many different types of people come to a meeting. Not only old and young, rich and not so rich (like me hehehe), small and large but also real characters. A member new to meetings was Jorg (forum nickname Sidekickelvis). Hair straight to the back, curled moustache, vest with pocket watch and that combined with a jovial personality and a booming voice made it easy for me to remember him.

The generosity of forum members often knows no limits. I was chatting with Klaas (forum nickname Upper Ten), he is a pensioned man and smokes pipes for quite a while. He complimented me with this blog and said he learned so much from me. Out of gratitude for that he presented a vintage tin of De Graaff Abu Riha to me. I was flabbergasted! I smoked it once before and it is my favourite latakia flake (even better then Penzance). Unfortunately it is not made any more. I know that Klaas only has a few tins left of it so his gift meant a lot to me.

Paul (Winslow Collector) and Gaëtan (Jarnogab) comparing pipes

Paul (Winslow Collector) and Gaëtan (Jarnogab) comparing pipes

Also near the end of the meeting I walked over to Paul (forum nickname Winslow Collector). Besides a devoted aromatics smoker and free-thinker Paul is a whisky expert. He brought some (expensive!) bottles with him so everyone could try some. I already had a glass with dinner (more about that in a minute) but now he was gathering his belongings. There was half a bottle of 12 years old Springbank Cask Strength left. “Ah, that is something for you”, Paul said. “Slightly peaty, you’re going to like it. Here, take the bottle. I can’t use it for a whisky tasting any more”. “Ehm, take the bottle? Still half-full? You’re sure?” I asked. And he was sure. So nice of him!

Belgium sausage rolls

Belgium sausage rolls

At 16.30 PM dinner was served. Jan had arranged for the local bakery to bring some kind of sausage rolls. Puff pastry with one or two tasty sausages inside. A real belly-filler, yummie! Fortunately I pre-ordered more than I could eat so I was able to take some of the food home for Ellen, my girlfriend. The next day at home we both enjoyed the Belgium sausage rolls again.

Pacco and Carl from the movie "Up"

Pacco and Carl from the movie “Up”

Pipe smokers often have a good sense of humour. One of the Belgium members is Ghislain (wonderful name, forum nickname is Pacco). An enthusiastic small elderly man with big black glasses and one of the most tuneful accents I’ve ever heard. In the days after the meeting somebody said that he looked a lot like Carl from the movie “Up“. To illustrate that he put together a picture of Ghislain and Carl who indeed bear a striking resemblance.

Sander (Hagar666) and Sofie

Sander (Hagar666) and Sofie

Like all men most pipe smokers like women. And behind the beer-bar stood a pretty example of the female species called Sofie. I am a lover of Belgium women (love the accent, they can even arouse me by reading the phone-book out loud) but Sander (forum nickname Hagar666) took a special liking towards Sofie. Sander is well known for smoking out of a pink poker pipe. It is just his style. 50’s, 60’s, bright colours, flame tattoos and loud music. And also for a big part the style of Sofie. So with twinkling eyes and a big smile Sander flirted away with our beer-girl. He even got her to take a picture with him and her while she lurked on a pipe. Nice sight.

And so the hours flew away until it was time to go, hora ruit tempus fluit. I thanked everyone who was left and in special Jan. He stayed all day and was really tired. Respect! When I wanted to walk out the door I was called back by Robbin (forum nickname Robb). I totally forgot to take all of my pipes with me.. Whoops.. Maybe it was the beer.

Janneman staring at the snow

Janneman staring at the snow

Ed and I decided to bring Mark home, in Zutphen, and to have one last drink in Mark’s favourite pub. A beer pub with the music I like (hard rock/metal) and… where you can smoke! Very rare in The Netherlands. So I will be back there pretty soon!
After the beer Ed brought me home through the snow. Snow that unfortunately prevented Janneman (the pater noster of the forum) from coming to the meeting. He only rides a motorcycle and with slippery snow that is not an option. But luckily for him and the other forum members there will be other meetings!

Rudi

Pipes and tobacco salesman Rudi

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People chatting away at the beer-bar

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Martin Romijn, his son and another Sander (Culann)

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Robbin and me

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Forum administrator Shaun (Nekker) and Jan

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Me babbling away once again..

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Floris (Godewinus), Peter (Eliminator) and Ed

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Tobacco pouches for sale by Rudi

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Tobacco tins for sale by Rudi

The large room inside the Bellekeshoeve

The large room inside the Bellekeshoeve

Rudi and me talking

Rudi and me talking

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You really should try that whisky!

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Smile before the camera

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Me talking once again

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Cheers!

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Roger (Generaal) and his wife Chris. Lovely couple!

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The lovely ladies of the beer-bar

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Richard (Luys) and Jos (Whitesnake) talking

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There even was a poker-game

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Rob (Robvoorburg) and Sander (Hagar666)

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Jan thanks everyone for coming

The Prince of Pipes

The first half year that I smoked pipe I was looking for a shape that appealed to me. One that was able to make my favourite latakia mixtures shine. I found it in the Prince of Wales (or in short “prince”) shape pipe.

Before I mostly used full bents. They hung comfortably in my mouth, smoked pretty good, I was satisfied. Until the point that I smoked blends with latakia more and more. I got the feeling I did not got the maximum out of those mixtures. And that frustrated me. What is the point of smoking excellent tobaccos when you can’t get the most out of them??

© Neill Archer Roan

© Neill Archer Roan

Then I stumbled upon an article by the famous pipe blogger Neill Archer Roan: Finding That Magic Fit Between Pipe and Tobacco. In short, the complexity and tastefulness of English/Balkan blends is amplified in pot and prince shaped pipes. Those have square tobacco chambers which are most of the times more broad than for instance billiards. Because of that broadness there is more tobacco-surface that burns at once. That means more flavour. This was also acknowledged by the old owner of De Graaff. Once one of the most famous Dutch tobacco shops. The man (apparently a walking pipe and tobacco encyclopaedia) always smoked latakia mixtures from a pot. Yes, which has the same smoking characteristics as a prince.

But I prefer a prince above a pot. This because of the more elegant shape. Pot pipes are often straight and I still like a slight bend in the mouthpiece.

Loewe prince

Loewe prince

In contrary to common belief the prince shape was not designed by Dunhill, but by Loewe & Co. An old name in British pipe making, similar to brands like Comoy, BBB and GBD. It is said that Emil Loewe (a Frenchmen by origin) was the first to make pipes made from briar in England. Most of the customers in his shop were theatre people from the West End who liked the elegance in his pipes.

In the 1920’s he designed a pipe for Edward, the then Prince of Wales (hence the pipe-shape name “prince”). Who later became Edward VIII and finally was the Duke of Windsor. The shape is a statement of the stylishness of the period. During the reign of his father (also a heavy smoker) Edward was a leading socialite of the 1920’s and 1930’s. The epitome of the elegance of the period. Befitting his royal stature, nothing he owned was less than first class. His taste was impeccable. At least, that is the story..

My story continues when I asked on the Dutch pipesmokers forum if anyone had a prince shaped pipe and was willing to sell it. One member replied and for a measly sum I was able to buy my first prince. It was a Rossi with two smoking channels in the mouthpiece which made it hell to clean.. The sole reason I sold it some time ago. But the pipe smoked very good! Finally I had the idea I was getting more out of my tobaccos. But when proper used you can smoke a pipe only once a day. So I desperately needed a second one. I had read once that Mr. Pease liked the GBD brand much. So after a short search on e-bay I luckily found a GBD New Standard prince from the ’70’s. This one I still have and is one of my favourite pipes. It tastes amazing, especially with Abingdon. The only downside is that it smokes wet. But nothing a pipe cleaner can’t fix.

My Dunhill Shell Briar from the patent era

My Dunhill Shell Briar from the patent era

From there I bought more and more prince shaped pipes and I fell in love with the Dunhill brand. For me the epitome of the prince pipe is an army mount Dunhill shell briar from the patent era. And a few months ago I managed to acquire one on e-bay! Not easy because 1. they only sporadically become available and 2. are VERY expensive. But being Dutch (read: cheap hehehe) I managed to get it for a really good price. I just got lucky that I bought it from someone who did not know much about pipes. All hail to the pipe-smoke God.

Currently my prince collection consists of the following pipes:

GBD New Standard rusticated

GBD New Standard rusticated

GBD New Standard

GBD New Standard

Peterson prince from 1923

Peterson prince from 1923

Dunhill Shell Briar from patent era (1927 or 1928)

Dunhill Shell Briar from the patent era (1927 or 1928)

Dunhill Bruyere from the patent era

Dunhill Bruyere from the patent era

Dunhill Root Briar from 1962

Dunhill Root Briar from 1962

Humble Beginnings part 1.

Young me with a pipe.

As far as I know I always had a fascination for pipe smoking, even in my younger years. I think because of 2 family members and the father of a life long friend of me who practised the “art”.

An uncle (who I really looked up to) of me smoked pipe. He was (and still is) a very intelligent man and studied anatomical pathology which he practised at the  hospital in Groningen in the far North of The Netherlands. Being a well respected and well earning doctor he lived together with his wife and some dogs in a large house in a picturesque town nearby the hospital.
As a kid my parents and me visited him once every 2 years and for me it was a big happening every time. I grew up in the fast urbanizing town of Uden in the South of The Netherlands. The journey to the peaceful and quiet North with it’s still almost unspoiled nature felt like going to another country.
My uncle and his wife spend their evenings reading books, painting and listening to classical music. They did not have television and that fact flabbergasted me as a child. No TV?? Whaaat?? I can still remember my uncle sitting on the sofa, fuming away on his pipe (often a straight billiard) while at full volume listening to The Bolero of Maurice Ravel. I was impressed.
He did take his pipes everywhere together with his favourite tobacco: Amphora. Walking, cycling, sitting, I always saw him smoking.

Another member of my family who smoked the pipe was my grandfather. Well, actually he was not really a member of the family. He married my grandmother several years after my real grandfather (who I never knew) died.
My grandfather looked like a relaxed kind of guy to me who enjoyed life. Besides smoking pipes and cigars he also liked to drink Dutch gin once in a while. Typical things to do for old men in those years.
Because of his pipe smoking I always called him “opa van de pijp” (grandpa with the pipe) and it was from him that I got my first pipes: A plastic Falcon rip-off and a nice small pipe with a metal cap on it. See the picture below.

First pipe given to me by my grandfather.

First pipe given to me by my grandfather.

Of course I was way to young to smoke but playing with the pipes was fun. Nowadays people would be shocked when they see a kid playing with a pipe but in those days it was pretty normal. Unfortunately I do no longer have the pipes my grandfather gave me. The Falcon rip-off got lost and the one with the metal cap broke and I threw it away..
I can’t remember which tobacco my grandfather smoked but I guess something like Voortrekker or Clan which were very common tobaccos in those days.

The father of my long time friend

The father of my long time friend.

The father of a life long friend of mine also smokes pipe. As a kid I visited them often but I can’t remember him smoking in the house. Probably because his then wife (he is divorced now) hates smoking. But the times that I saw him puffing away he smoked Amphora in a straight billiard.
Nowadays I don’t see him very often any more because he moved to Brasil a long time ago. But just a couple of days ago I met him at my friend’s place. He is moving to America for a couple of years because he found a job there and had to finish off some business here in The Netherlands.
Of course the subject of the conversation soon steered towards pipes and tobacco. To my surprise he never liked the typical Dutch tobaccos. “Blah, too sweet!” he said. “But why did you always smoke Amphora?” I asked. “Ha! Because it was the cheapest tobacco that was widely available.” Later I asked him about his pipes. I remembered him smoking Big Ben pipes. “Oh I don’t care about brands. I just care about the shape. I want a straight billiard with a large bowl. Preferably as cheap as possible hahaha!” Later he asked me if I could mail him some good online tobacconists in the States. “You will be delighted when you order there” I said. “In the States the assortment of natural tobaccos is far better than in The Netherlands. And besides that, it is a LOT cheaper then here..”. So yesterday I mailed him all the info he wanted. Very interesting because he can buy tobaccos for me in the States that I can’t buy from here hehehe.

This story continues in Humble Beginnings part 2.