When clipper ships were as prevalent as muskets, there was a captain who gained some fame for successfully fighting off pirates of many treacherous waters. Captain Aderman (said to be a descendant of none other than Sven Aderman) was a man who loved his pipe. The Captain was later promoted to Poobah, a title that is now known as Admiral. On a side note, Poobah Aderman was also a rather eccentric man as he had penchant for honey and rarely wore any clothing below the waist. Depictions of Poobah Aderman were often ones with his pipe in his mouth while holding a pot of honey wearing (some) clothes befitting a tough Captain of the sea. Those closest to Aderman lovingly called him "Pooh Bear" a play on "Poobah." Some historians claim there to be a connection between Poobah Aderman and the lovable character Winnie the Pooh which came along many years later sans pipe, however, I believe any similarities to be purely coincidental.
Back to the subject of Poobah Aderman and his uses for pipes...One of his favorite pipes, nicknamed "Gigante" (pronounced Hee-ghan-tay) had a massive bowl in a shape closely resembling what we might call a Zulu today. The stem was custom made to be a tapered round end with only a slight lip. It has been noted in ship digests that Captain Aderman used this pipe, or one very much like it, in the following ways:
- "...he threw his pipe at me in the same fashion I have seen Mohawk Indians throw a styled ax. This pipe, it did stick, mouthpiece first, into the wood of the door just next to my ear. In shock I looked over to not only smell the burning tobacco, but see it's embers burning bright as if it were the heart of the thing. I was not ever late for deck duty again."
- "I have heard men say that he carries no weapon on his belt because he has no belt, but the truth is that he carries his weapon in his teeth. I have seen Poobah Aderman take the eye from a man using only his pipe and from a distance of no less than a mature beluga."
- "I had never seen a war hammer but had only heard of them. But when I saw Pooh Bear Aderman unleash the fury of his pipe upon the head of a would-be mutineer, I knew that a war hammer I had finally seen. The heavy portion of the pipe came down and made that massive man a fine lunch for the locals of the water."
And now you surely know, Poobah Aderman showed us that there are many other uses besides the obvious for our dearly beloved pipes.
—Olie Sylvester
Baron, International Oom Paul Society of Non-Typicals
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