What a year!
Last December marked my return to pipes, pipe collecting, smoking and pipe tobacco after a 17 year hiatus. To be fair, my first experience as a piper was limited. I enjoyed smoking a pipe, I did so regularly, but it was a fad for me then. It has become somewhat more to me now.
My return to piping was brought on by the discovery of estate pipes on eBay. I was looking for something else, and then stumbled across one of Rob Cooper's listings for a beautiful GBD. I was blown away, and then my inner-nerd took over and the online research began. Within a month I had purchased that GBD and a Royal Danish, and then picked up a house-blend of a mild aromatic from the only tobacconist I knew about. I was back, and I was piping.
In the year that followed my collection grew from those first two pipes to a collection of about 20 pipes which I would consider "mine". I have about 40 pipes in my Pipe Cave, but most of those will be re-sold down the road as I clean them up and turn them around.
There are WAY TOO MANY makers, shapes, finishes and sizes of pipes for me to really contemplate. In the last few months I've been looking for a taxonomy to help me narrow the field in building my pipe collection. Here is what I've discovered..
I love long-shanked Canadian pipes
L.J. Peretti Blasted (thanks again samcoffeeman!)
Ehrlich Smooth
I love Bulldogs
Yet to be cleaned Comoy Golden Grain
Pete Rosslare 80S
I have a soft spot in my heart for Made in Canada Pipes
Philip Trypis Collection
I am not as refined in my "ideal pipe" as Harris, although one-day I may well be.
I do think that I will work to focus my collecting on the following: Long shanked Canadians, 1/4 to 1/2 bent Bulldogs and Rhodesians, and Made in Canada pipes.
How do you approach collecting? Do you by what you like, when you see it? Do you ONLY buy a pipe that meets a specific criteria? More importantly... what does your current collection look like?
Thanks for a great year PipesMagazine.com/forum friends. You guys and gals are aces.
-- Pat
Last December marked my return to pipes, pipe collecting, smoking and pipe tobacco after a 17 year hiatus. To be fair, my first experience as a piper was limited. I enjoyed smoking a pipe, I did so regularly, but it was a fad for me then. It has become somewhat more to me now.
My return to piping was brought on by the discovery of estate pipes on eBay. I was looking for something else, and then stumbled across one of Rob Cooper's listings for a beautiful GBD. I was blown away, and then my inner-nerd took over and the online research began. Within a month I had purchased that GBD and a Royal Danish, and then picked up a house-blend of a mild aromatic from the only tobacconist I knew about. I was back, and I was piping.
In the year that followed my collection grew from those first two pipes to a collection of about 20 pipes which I would consider "mine". I have about 40 pipes in my Pipe Cave, but most of those will be re-sold down the road as I clean them up and turn them around.
There are WAY TOO MANY makers, shapes, finishes and sizes of pipes for me to really contemplate. In the last few months I've been looking for a taxonomy to help me narrow the field in building my pipe collection. Here is what I've discovered..
I love long-shanked Canadian pipes
L.J. Peretti Blasted (thanks again samcoffeeman!)
Ehrlich Smooth
I love Bulldogs
Yet to be cleaned Comoy Golden Grain
Pete Rosslare 80S
I have a soft spot in my heart for Made in Canada Pipes
Philip Trypis Collection
I am not as refined in my "ideal pipe" as Harris, although one-day I may well be.
I do think that I will work to focus my collecting on the following: Long shanked Canadians, 1/4 to 1/2 bent Bulldogs and Rhodesians, and Made in Canada pipes.
How do you approach collecting? Do you by what you like, when you see it? Do you ONLY buy a pipe that meets a specific criteria? More importantly... what does your current collection look like?
Thanks for a great year PipesMagazine.com/forum friends. You guys and gals are aces.
-- Pat