1^st Annual Pig Smoke

 

“God must be a cigar smoker!”

(The Memoirs of Don Cerdo Volador, Vol. 3, folio #6)

 

Whether you are a Darwinist and subscribe to The Big Bang Theory or a Creationist and believe God created the world in six days, one thing is for certain – the earth began to spin on its axis at some particular point and the earth began its diurnal trek around the sun and moon.  It is this cyclical aspect of life that allows us chop up time into days, weeks, months, years, decades, etc. and which prompts us to celebrate occasions (Eid, Easter, Hannukah –you get the picture) on a regular basis.  Last Sunday (June 8, 2014) can be considered the beginning of another tradition; i.e, the annual Burlington Pig Smoke.  Who knows, maybe this event celebrated by 50 local cigar (and roast pig) aficionados will someday be celebrated by thousands around the world!

 

All hyperbole aside, the 1^st Pig Smoke (sponsored by Burlington-on-Whyte Tobacconists and kindly hosted by Burlington regulars Doug and Jacquie) was a huge success and will undoubtedly spur on the burghers of Burlington (I love alliteration) to make this an annual event.  What made the inaugural event so successful?

 

Attention to detail – Participants remarked on several occasions on how ‘professionally’ the event was organized.  They were referring to the ticketing process, the promotions, the helpful parking/security attendant, the big tent, the food and beverage service (no plastic plates and cutlery here) etc. etc.

 

The cigars – Each attendee received a “swag bag” filled with four featured cigars (an introductory Club, a Montecristo Petit #2, a Ramon Allones (Super Ramon) Canadian R.E. 2011, and a Punch Serie D’Or #2 Cuban R.E.).  Thoughtfully included in the swag bag were three drink tickets for two frosty craft-brewed beers and a welcome mojito, a double-guillotine cutter, and a door prize ticket.

 

The pig – A delicious meal (the menu would make anyone’s mouth water) was catered by Elizabethan Caterers.  The entire pig, apple-filled snout and all, was on full display and professionally carved for each individual.

 

The music – Bill Damur (another Burlington regular) and his musical group ‘The White Cats’ provided sublime music with a decidedly Cuban groove.

 

The Burlington Staff – Each suitably attired in red Cuban guayabera, the Burlington staff were welcoming, helpful and yet tastefully unobtrusive.

 

Door Prizes – A table full of tobacco-themed door prizes was carefully laid out.  These were kindly donated by Burlington suppliers (Havanna House, Primero) and were appreciated by the many lucky attendees whose names were drawn.  Yours truly was lucky enough to win a classy leather Siglo cigar case which I’m sure will get great use over the years.

 

All told, the perfect weather, the fine food and beverages, the camaraderie, and of course the superb cigars lead me to two dominant conclusions: Conclusion #1 – there will be a 2^nd Annual Pig Smoke in 2015 and Conclusion #2 – Don Cerdo Volador is right – God has to be a cigar smoker!

 

HAVANA HOUSE & PRIMERO

ARE PROUD TO PRESENT

MASTER CIGAR ROLLER

Sr. Reinier (RAY) Borroto Gonzales

Reinier (RAY) Borroto Gonzales was born on July 21st, 1971, in Consolacion

del Sur, Pinar del Rio Province.  He has been working as a Master Cigar Roller

for 13 years and also as head of department for the last 3 years at Paulina

Pedroso Factory in Consolacion del Sur in Pinar del Rio Province.

Local Pipe Carver Meets Local Retailer

By Stephen Goss

 

Who knows!  The evening of Thursday, May 29, 2014 may some day be celebrated as a red-letter moment for Burlington-on-Whyte Tobacconist and for Cody Perkins, a local pipe carver.  At this event, a small but fervent group of pipe smokers were on hand at Burlington’s to meet Cody and to look over his latest creations.  The pipes (and of course if you follow this blog, you will already have seen photos of them) were extremely well received and Cody’s talent as an artisan was clearly in evidence.

Chris Hansen (proprietor of Burlington’s) welcomed the group, introduced Cody Perkins and clearly articulated the context of the evening’s proceedings.  I believe Cody impressed the group with the passion he has for his craft and with his technical expertise.  He spoke about the provenance of each pipe and about the technical aspects and production challenges associated with each of them.

 

The assembled group learned about the varied materials Cody uses in creating his pipes (briar, olive wood for the bowls; ebonite, bone, and various other materials for the stems) and from where he sources all of his materials. He also shared the varied techniques he brings to bear when crafting his pieces.

All of the pipes Cody brought with him were sold that evening.  Personally, I am thrilled with the “horn” I purchased from him which came with an accompanying tamper (both pieces housed in a sturdy, but elegant leather pouch stamped with Cody’s brand “CP”).  I have since packed my first ‘Perkins’ with a fine English blend (Dunhill 965) and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Smoking a new pipe for the first time is often a hit-and-miss enterprise because the bowl hasn’t yet been seasoned, so to speak.  Yet, you can often get a sense of how the pipe will age and will develop its smoking qualities over time with regular use and, of course, with some requisite TLC.  I sense the pipe I purchased, a stunning horn shape, as I indicated before, with a stem crafted from buffalo bone and inlaid with buffalo shin bone, is going to be one that will keep improving as I smoke it and one I that I will treasure for a long time.  Now if only I’ll be able to find a place to display it amid the many fine pipes already in my collection!

 

Cody went home without any of the pipes he had brought with him (albeit with a little extra money in his pocket) and now he will get back to work on his lathe and drill press so he can have more pipes to bring in to Burlington’s.  The idea is that Burlington will start to carry some Perkin’s pipes as early as this fall on a consignment basis.  Do yourself a favor and keep a lookout for them on the shelves along with the other fine brands the guys at Burlington’s carry!  I am happy to say that I was there at the dawn of what is likely to be a happy association of local pipe maker and local pipe retailer.

The Art of Cody Perkins

by Stephen Goss

 

It’s a Sunday afternoon in April, the sun working hard to warm up the day and to announce the arrival of spring in Edmonton.  I find Cody Perkins hard at work in his garage/workshop filling an order for a couple of dozen pipes he has been commissioned to craft and putting the finishing touches on some pipes for his much anticipated debut at Burlington-on-Whyte Tobacconists.  Clad in coveralls, he pulls his safety glasses up onto his head and smiles broadly, welcoming me to his world, a man-cave he is completely at home in and which obviously brings him much pleasure.

An artisan is an old-world construct and while one thinks of artisans as primarily hailing from ‘old-world’ Europe, here I find myself – standing firmly in the heart of Canada’s prairie provinces – in the presence of an artisan.  Cody is gracious enough to spend an hour or two with me and I find myself immersed in the esoteric and fascinating world of pipe carving.

Included here are some highlights of our conversation and I’m sure in scanning them you’ll begin to appreciate Cody Perkins – the artisan.

Cody, what inspired you to carve pipes?

I have worked with my hands all my life (Cody is a machinist by trade) and while I love working in metal I also love working with other materials, especially wood.  Carving a pipe (or making an ashtray/pipe tamper/cigar tube/matchbox) is just a natural extension of who I am.  I am a pipe smoker and having visited pipe shops and pipe factories all over the world I just decided to try crafting a pipe for myself.  When I had completed my first pipe, things just snowballed from there.  A friend asked me to craft a pipe for him too, and then another friend and another… I began experimenting with different bowl shapes and variable stem treatments and there you have it. 

Many of your pipes are quite intricate.  How long on average does it take you to carve a pipe?

The most basic pipe, in a simple but classic shape, will take me 8 – 10 hours of work.  However, I love crafting unique “one-off” pipes whose stem work will take me 8 – 10 hours just by itself, let alone the time spent on shaping the bowl and on other finishing processes.  In broad terms, I spend about a third of my time on the ‘stummel’ (block of briar), a third on the stem, and a third on finishing and bringing these two elements together so they make a pleasing whole.

I’m surprised that a third of your time is spent on the stem! How important is the stem work on a pipe?  Why don’t you just buy commercial stems and fit them to your creations?

When I initially look at a pipe that I’m considering purchasing in a pipe store, I look at the stem first.  If it’s obvious that not a lot of care has gone into the crafting and fitting of the stem, then I’m not going to be very confident in the bowl either.  To me, even more energy needs to be spent on considering the design elements of the stem and on making sure it fits integrally with the pipe as a whole, than on any other aspect of the pipe.  I spend a lot of time ensuring that the stem looks like it’s a natural extension of the pipe.

Where do you get your inspiration for each bowl you carve?

There are two different ways I determine what the relative characteristics of the bowl will be.  One method I use is to scrutinize the block of briar I’m working with and see what bowl-shape it suggests.  I may even wet the block down a little so I can more readily see the grain of the wood and then go from there.  Or, I’ll already have a design idea in mind and then will search out the block of briar that looks like it will accommodate it. 

Pipe making is currently a hobby for you.  Do you ever see it becoming more than that?

Right now I am thoroughly enjoying the “hobby-aspect” of pipe making.  Friends or friends of friends have commissioned most of my pipes.  I have sold a few on the Internet but I like knowing that my pipes are going to be enjoyed locally.  That’s why I approached Chris over at Burlington’s to see if he’d be interested in selling my pipes in his shop. 

Pipe making has been an evolutionary enterprise for me and I’m tickled that more and more people are engaging with my pipes.  I am finding that there is more and more demand for Cody Perkins pipes and who knows, maybe someday pipe making will be more than a hobby for me!

You mentioned approaching Burlington-on-Whyte Tobacconists with a proposal to carry your pipes.  What drew you to them as opposed to any other tobacconist?

I am an Edmonton pipe carver and Burlington is an Edmonton tobacconist.  It also happens to be a business with an amazing track record when it comes to the enjoyment of pipes and pipe paraphernalia.  More pipes are sold to and appreciated by loyal Burlington clients than any other tobacconist I know of in Canada.

When you enter the establishment there is a real “at-home” feel to it; the atmosphere is convivial and welcoming.  And – no little thing – the staff is exceptionally knowledgeable.  Any of them can talk to you with authority about pipes, cigars, tobacco and all things related.

 

Cody Perkins will be launching his pipes at Burlington-on-Whyte. Be sure to take advantage of this special opportunity to purchase one of this artisan’s one-of-a-kind pipes. One day you may be able to pull out a ‘Perkins’ and tell your grandkids, “I was at Burlington’s all those years ago when Cody launched his line of pipes and this was one of the first to be had!”

 

 

Cody Perkins – BIO 

I grew up on a small farm in Saskatchewan, where my father was a knife maker, I have since relocated to Edmonton, Alberta. As a young child, I spent hours tinkering in my father’s workshop while he diligently made knives and as a result I developed an interest in design and fabrication early on. At 14 years old I made my first knife and began selling them to the local guided hunters.

Later on in high school, I was introduced to the trade of machining in a shop class and immediately fell in love with the ability to create practically anything I imagined out of metal. I am naturally detail-oriented and was eager to learn how to express this characteristic using metal. I landed my first job as a Machinist apprentice mere months after discovering the trade and have worked as a Journeyman Machinist ever since.

Pipe smoking became a hobby for my friends and I as young adults and eventually, after many smoke nights, a friend challenged me to make my own pipe. Excited by the idea of crafting my own pipe I began sourcing materials. I started with a small order of briar and a mixed bag of pre-molded vulcanite stems.  My first pipe was a simple billiard with a brass band between the stem and pipe shank. My friends were impressed by the finished product and soon began ordering my hand made pipes for themselves.

Ever since that first pipe, I have been absorbed by the story every block of briar has within it and my desire to tell it. The beauty of working with organic material, such as briar, is its unpredictability. I begin by studying the details of the briar block by examining its size, shape, and grain structure. Once I have a vision of what may lie within the block I begin my work. However, unlike steel, where I have a blueprint that does not allow for any deviation, the briar itself dictates the final outcome and I never truly know what the finished product will be.

I have long since moved passed using pre-formed stems and now only hand-cut each individual stem to suit every pipe. Every piece found within one of my pipes has been hand-cut from the raw material. No pre-made stems, bands, or inserts are used. In my pipes you will frequently find materials including Italian briar, bone, horn, antler, exotic hardwoods, ivory, vegetable ivory, German ebonite, Lucite, acrylic, Delrin, brass, and aluminum.

The variation in the grain, and the creative process are what I enjoy most about the art of pipe making. Every one of my pipes is original and unique in its own way. I am very meticulous with the quality of my pipes and you will not find any filler or bowl coats that are often used to disguise imperfections. My pipes are of a high quality, and I would not create a pipe that I would not buy myself.

 

For me, creating each pipe is an exciting journey as the work unfolds, and an excellent showcase of creativity and fine craftsmanship. I look forward to the years of pipe making that lay ahead and the adventure the briar takes me on. To any of those who add my work to their collections, I hope the stories I’ve been able to create out of my pipes add to your enjoyment as you tell yours.

 

 

 

     

 

https://tobacconist.ca/1206/