What kind of Smoker is in Your Kit?

[Tsalagidave]

Although smoking has fallen out of social favor over the last 30 years, most of us can recall how prominent it was in earlier days and how prolific it really was in previous centuries.  Over the years, I have put together a collection of various designs but here are the ones  I use that are directly linked to the American Expansionist  era.

The three samples on the right of the photo were recovered from an 1830-1850's era campsite on private land in the vicinity of the Oregon Trail. They are all early period patterns from Ohio (likely Point Pleasant Pottery 1838-60's) as they match molds used by that company during the period.  The top is a punctuate pattern Var. I, Middle is a chevron pattern Var. C, and the bottom is a ringed elbow pattern Var. N.

The Orange George Washington Pipe (also found in green glaze) was made from an original recovered from an excavated trash pit on the site of Camp Floyd, UT. (ca. 1857).  The Paper goods are cigar and pipe tobacco packs, and matches.  What smoking supplies do other members of the site carry in their kits?

-Dave

[Niederlander]

Those are really cool!  Personally, I've never been a smoker, beyond a few cigars, so I've never added anything like that.  Impressive!

[Tascosa Joe]

+1 to what Neiderlander said minus the cigars for me.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Having quit smoking about 60 years ago, I 'bout forgot what all this is about. (My Dad lost a pipe off a mountain during the 30's and decided that that was 'nuff.

I see neat folding scissors just like the ones I use now. Is that PC? Also, what'r the tongs for?

[Tsalagidave]

Thanks gentlemen.  I think we are all on the same page for smoking.  I only smoke a pipe perhaps a half dozen occasions in a year. That said, these samples here are typically used for static display. The original pipe bowls do smoke very well though.

Charles, my ribbon shears (that photo-bombed) the picture, are actually a cheap repro of Victorian embroidery shears.  They do look like folding shears from this angle though.  The tongs are an earlier source of pipe lighting.  They are useful for retrieving coals for purposes like loading bed, hand, or foot warmers or for lighting pipes.

I was hoping to make this thread into a reference for people researching frontier era smoking gear.  Does anyone have any photos of collection items that they would like to contribute?

-Dave

[Capt Quirk]

Having survived lung cancer, I shouldn't be smoking... But, I am a smoker, and cigs are my normal vice. I do/did love cigars too. Since a real tobacconist is unheard of here, I was reduced to Swisher Sweets, wishing I could find some Punch or Cohibas. After my Dad passed, I discovered a pipe that was passed on from my Uncle to my Dad, before I was born. Nothing fancy like yours, just a wooden bowl, likely from the 30's or 40's. It was pleasant to smoke on occasion, but not really for me.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

In my buckskinning kit is a small one piece shear that I bought in a village sporting goods store about 1985. Plated, and about three inches long, meant for cutting fishing line. I figured it was about as close to PC for pre-cutting patches as I was going tto find.

https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrT6VlOSdZZVgkAf0gPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByNWU4cGh1BGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=one+piece+shears&fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&hspart=adk&hsimp=yhs-adk_sbnt#id=1&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ebayimg.com%2Fimages%2Fg%2FbCEAAMXQWlFRp7A8%2Fs-l300.jpg&action=click

[Pay Dirt Norvelle]

I do Civil War reenacting. I used to smoke a pipe, but when I started up reenacting again there were some of the members of my unit that would have a pipe in the evening after dinner and the tourists had gone home.  Well I bought one and another and now have about 40 or so.  I smoke a bowl a day in the afternoon and enjoy the relaxation.

[Capt Quirk]

I do Civil War reenacting. I used to smoke a pipe, but when I started up reenacting again there were some of the members of my unit that would have a pipe in the evening after dinner and the tourists had gone home.  Well I bought one and another and now have about 40 or so.  I smoke a bowl a day in the afternoon and enjoy the relaxation.

Yeah, that is relaxing. I used to love to smoke a cigar, drink a jumbo cuban espresso, and watch the sun set. I still do this, I just don't do the stogie these days.