‘Monk Tabaco and the Square & Compasses’

    

Monk Tabaco

An online discussion of rope tobaccos for the pipe led me to the existence of an Argentine tobacco company named Monk that, for reasons I cannot discover, employs the Square and Compasses for a logo. I thought I’d share some info here.

Monk Tabaco

I gather Monk adheres to the boutique approach, offering its mixtures in small quantities, so the oligarchy of pipe tobacco makers should fear no danger. Maybe success will produce growth. (I don’t find any distribution in the United States.)

Monk Tabaco

It uses ingredients with which we are familiar, and it makes pipe mixtures in the forms we know. There are ribbon, flake, and—impressively—the rope tobaccos. Monk sells aromatics and the usual traditional blends, so there’s something for just about everyone. They manufacture cigars also, but pipe mixtures seem to be Monk’s emphasis. Actually, I’m only assuming they make the goods.

Monk Tabaco

No hablo español, so I can’t decipher its website, but some of its Facebook posts are translated into English.

Monk Tabaco

When looking at the prices, don’t have a heart attack. The goods are valued in Argentine pesos, which is denominated with the same dollar sign we use. For example, the 100-gram tin of Mediterráneo Edición Especial retails for $3,450.00—and, in U.S. dollars, that’s $15.52. (If you think inflation here is debilitating, you won’t believe what’s happening in Argentina!)

The Grand Lodge of Argentina is among the recognized family comprised of most Freemasons. From what I’ve read, I would say our Argentine brethren practice the variety of Freemasonry favored by the Grand Orient of France, as opposed to the Anglo-American type. Click here and check it out.