pipe tobacco

[vbetts]

Snuff

Somebody said snuff?

It was quite the habit among older girls and younger lower to middle class rural women in the mid-19th century South, and some on this board will remember their grandmothers or great-grandmothers sporting a dipping stick out of the side of their mouth, and toting a spit jar around. Of course, we're not talking Copenhagen here, but fine dry Garrett snuff and other brands. I haven't found much mention of men partaking of snuff--they seemed to prefer chaws and pipes and segars.

If anyone is interested in tobacco habits among Southern women, please see my article on "The Social Dip" at

http://www.uttyl.edu/vbetts/snuff.htm

Just this week I located a new Civil War letter from the southeast corner of Smith County, Texas (my home county), written by an aristocratic young man who had refugeed in from West Feliciana Parish, La. The letter is dated August 9th, 1864--
"Brother is making a good deal of tobacco, this year, he is now taking the leaves off the stems, and getting ready to press some of it, he can sell that, at an enormous price, it is now selling at twenty dollars per pound, both men and women use it, it is perfectly disgusting to see the women take snuff, they have a box full all the time and use it with a stick they dip this stick in the box and then put it in their mouths, several have offered their boxes to Sarah, and I have seen the young girls at school use it."

Vicki Betts
vbetts@gower.net

[Rob Weber]

Re: Cigars

Hi,

Just thought I would throw this in. Company H of the 119th NYV went off to war with the DeMott brothers in their ranks. These boys had been listed as being cigar makers for an occupation before they enlisted. I do not have any evidence that they may have taken this skill on the road with them but I suppose that it may be possible that they were very popular amongst the rest of the boys when the situation presented itself.

Thanks,
Rob Weber

[Amtmann]

Re: Cigars

SOMEONE was smoking a helluva lot of cigars right before the War. :)

From the Louisville Daily Journal July 1860.

[K Bartsch]

Re: Cigars

SOMEONE was smoking a helluva lot of cigars right before the War. :)

From the Louisville Daily Journal July 1860.

Super clipping. Thanks.

I am familiar with at least one of the brands listed here. Partagas is still in business in Cuba. That name is also born by a line of cigars made by Partagas family members who fled Cuba and settled in the Dominican Republic. They use Cuban seed.

A bit of brand history from their website:

"Not long after Jaime Partagas sailed from Spain to Cuba, he founded the cigar brand that bears his name. The year was 1845. Yet the greatest chapters of Partagas history were written by two other men, Ramón Cifuentes and the son who was named after him. Whether working together or alone, it was those two great cigar masters who made Partagas the leading Cuban cigar. But in 196l, two years after Fidel Castro had seized control of the Cuban government, Ramón Cifuentes was forced to flee the island, never to return. Seventeen years later, he was finally able to begin creating his Partagas cigars again, this time in the Dominican Republic, where his unmatched tradition of cigar making remains alive and well."

All that to say, you can probably pick up Partagas cigars at your local tobacconist. Virtually anywhere outside the US, you can buy Cuban Partagas cigars -- although I personally believe the ones made outside Cuba are just as nice.

Cordially,

[Amtmann]

Re: Cigars

The main thing is... that was only ONE of the many cigar shops listed in the paper and City directory. That was 300,000 in stock at just one shop in Louisville.


I also have scan of the 1860s Cuban Cigar deportation label that went on the boxes shipped out of Cuba. I can't post it here because of the rules. :(

[markj]

Re: Cigars

SOMEONE was smoking a helluva lot of cigars right before the War. :)

From the Louisville Daily Journal July 1860.

Absolutely. Ads in 1861 numbers of the "Daily Express" of Petersburg VA--a town with a population of probably no more than 3-4,000 people--mention local merchants offering "10,000" and even "27,000" cigars of various brands for sale. There was, in fact, even a cigar manufacturing operation in Petersburg; a "wanted" notice by the firm seeking workers (due to already severe male labor shortages) was also published in the "Express." The demand for "cheroots" seems to have been insatiable. Incidentally, there was also a local pottery operation that made clay "Confederate pipes."

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[markj]

Re: Cigars

For whatever it's worth:

Petersburg VA "Daily Express," 6 November 1861:

FLORIDA LEAF TOBACCO.--We are
now receiving a large supply of

FLORIDA LEAF TOBACCO,
direct from the plantations,

Suitable for Cigar Makers,

of the very finest quality and as agents for the
planters, we can offer a better assortment than
one could possibly get by going on the planta-
tions.
It is packed in cases about four hun-
dred pounds each, and most of it is equal to the
best Cuba Leaf.
We can sell two hundred thousand pounds
and quicker the orders come, the better for the
purchaser.
no 4--6t S. WYATT & CO.,
163 East Bay, Charleston S. C.


Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[48Sarge]

Carving Authentic Pipes

Gents,

I am about to atempt to make an authentic pipe. I plan on carving it one piece like some of the examples I've seen. I was just wondering if any one had any tips that may help. Most important, what, if any would they have finished it with in the field? I know that modern pipes are stained and then coated with a wax? I have not had a chance to handle many originals so any help would be appreciated.

[markj]

Re: Carving Authentic Pipes

There are repeated references to troops carving pipes out of various materials, most notably laurel root. As we discussed in another thread, corn cobs certainly would be another appropriate material.

As for your question about staining and coating with wax, the short answer would be "NO": where are you going to find this kind of stuff in the middle of Nowheresville, Virginia? Maybe lard, tallow, or bacon grease would work in a pinch. I also suppose you could "stain" your pipe using items that could be obtained locally (a stain made from walnuts or, perhaps, even blacking obtained from a sutler).

You might want to look at various examples of prisoner-made pipes (i.e., from Andersonville or Elmira) as these would show you what individuals were capable of doing with only limited resources.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[KentuckyReb]

Re: Carving Authentic Pipes

Aaron:

If you haven't picked a material yet, I would humbly suggest apple wood. I wouldn't trade mine for anything. You do seem to encounter a lot of mention of laurel root for making pipes during the War. For some reason I seem to recall a discussion on the old board regarding whether the wood released dangerous substances when the pipe was lit. Mine's not waxed or stained--just removed the bark down to the smooth wood. The ring around the bowl is starting to darken and mellow as I smoke it, and the bowl (I made it with a reed stem) is gradually darkening and taking on a golden cast from the oil in my skin as I handle it when it's warm from the lit tobacco. Good luck.

[48Sarge]

Re: Carving Authentic Pipes

Thanks for the replies,

Mark, in reference to the finish, the only original carved soldier pipe I was able to actually handle was not finished. I wasn't sure if anyone had seen any examples that were. I've seen various photographs, but can only determine what was popular as a shape and not really get into the details.

By the way, does anyone know a good place to pick up laurel root or apple wood besides digging upa around the neighbors apple trees?

Thanks again!

[Makoski4141]

Re: Carving Authentic Pipes

I handled an original and I copied it about 99.9% perfectly. I took a 2 inch thick tree branch and cut it down and then carved that into the bowl. Then I made a hole into the side of the bowl and whitlled a reed stem in. Every once in a while the bowl lights on fire but not too badly.

Andrew Birnbaum

[Busterbuttonboy]

Re: Carving Authentic Pipes

Aaron
I have had great sucess with useing branches of some of my native trees. Useing some rough judgement to pick out a section for the bowl. Strip the bark and let dry. I carve out the center leaving the walls a thick as possible, to prevent cracking brought on by the heat. Its more or less a guesstimate there. Finished off as andrew said with a reed stem. Just keep a few extras as these tend to break or catch fire easily. Takes me about 2 weeks to get one done. I can usually milk one of these for a season and a half before i gotta start makeing a new one.
Most Respectfully
Drew Gruber
14thNJVI

[edwardwatson]

pipe tobacco

Before the Crash of '06, there was a nice thread on PEC pipe tobacco. Can the experts weigh-in again with their suggestions for a correct pipe tobacco? I know the CRRC2 has an article on it but I can't wait for my copy to arrive. Thank you in advance.

[Son of Eire]

Re: pipe tobacco

There is a very old company out of England called Samuel Gawith that has been making pipe tobacco on the same machinery for 200 years. As opposed to your standard pre-shredded baccy, Gawiths typically comes in small 1 * 2 sheets in a 50g pack that you tear up. They also sell highly accurate rope tobacco. Gawith's is potent stuff, but unlike all too many tobacco's (aromatics), the tobacco Gawith uses is of rather high quality and stands on its on merit instead of flavoring. It is strong, but has a lovely taste. Period incorrect tobacco's are all too common in our hobby and Gawith's is a pleasant relief. Remember that burley is not PEC. I would reccomend Gawith's Full Virginia Flake or one of their English blends