Am I The Only One?

[pruss]

Neil, thanks for a fun thread and interesting discussion.

Nonetheless, my main issue with estate pipes is that I just do not think they are as great of a value as others

My experience with estate pipes has been exactly the opposite. I've purchased restored and ready to smoke estate pipes from reputable online vendors, and from forum members, which afforded me the chance to purchase a much higher grade pipe than I would have been able to buy new.
One great example is this Peterson Rosslare 80S which I purchased from rcstan, here in the Buy & Sell part of the forums. New, this pipe retails for around the $190.00 mark. Can one find deals by shopping from UK/IE online retailers? Perhaps. But then the shipping costs need to get thrown on top of the purchase price, and there is always the potential that a commercial purchase gets dinged on import taxes & duty. rcstan is one of the guys whose posts here lead me to consider refurbing and cleaning estate pipes, so I knew it would be in great condition, and it arrived superbly clean with nary a ghost and ready to smoke.
I bought this beauty for $80 plus $10 shipping.


Could I have saved and purchased it new? Yep. But then I wouldn't have the extra $100 in my jeans for other PAD/TAD or ... you know... food.
$0.05 in the bucket.
-- Pat

 

[mso489]

I enjoy having the pipe be all my own doing, so I don't buy estate pipes. Right now there's an estate pipe

in the same model that I've been looking at new, and I am tempted. But having too many pipes (by my

account) already, I probably won't buy it. Some of my pipes go back so far, like 35 or 40 years, I have

one-owner estate pipes already. Pipes can be cleaned up so they are reasonably sterile. If you have too

vivid an imagination, you might worry about TB which can live dormant in the woodwork, but I've never

heard of it being transmitted this way. It's mostly airborne. The aspect of chatter marks on the stem being

unappetizing might play into this, but not so much. I have a friend who buys only used pipes, cleans them

himself, and spends almost nothing on some pretty good pipes. Breaking in pipes doesn't bother me at all,

in fact I enjoy it.

 

[pitchfork]

I recently bought a very expensive (for me) Rad Davis. It smokes very well.

I bought a $40 Sasieni (50-60 year old pipe) and a WWII era Kaywoodie handmade. Both of those smoke significantly better than the new Rad Davis[.]

I bleeve we got oursels a heretick over here. :mrgreen:
That's amazing, Al. I'm curious what it is that doesn't quite match up. Is it simply that the Rad doesn't have the same mellow smoke as the older pipes, or is it that the Sasieni and Kaywoodie are just overall better smokers.

 

[dochudson]

I mostly buy my estates in person at Smokers Haven.. never had a problem.

 

[durham270]

I've probably owned 300-500 pipes in the past few years and about 98% have been estate pipes. First off I always buy from reputable dealers. Once I receive any estate pipe regardless of it's condition it will get the proper sanitizion and cleaning using the popular current methods.
Only in estate pipes was I able to find a 550.00 Dunhill for 38.00!!

 

[lawmax3]

If you spend the time cleaning an estate pipe correctly there is nothing to worry about.

I love my estate pipes.

 

[adam2]

I must admit that I also would have problems smoking a used pipe. But I wish I didn't since my own "estate pipes" - which are pipes I have bought as new for about 30 years ago - are the best smoking pipes I own.So there is no doubt that an old well smoked pipe is the best you can get.

 

[ssjones]

That's amazing, Al. I'm curious what it is that doesn't quite match up. Is it simply that the Rad doesn't have the same mellow smoke as the older pipes, or is it that the Sasieni and Kaywoodie are just overall better smokers.

I'm not sure, but at the cost of the Rad, I'm hoping it breaks in soon. Don't get me wrong, it smokes very well, but smoking back to back against some of my older British briar, it's just not there (yet?). The Sasieni is just sublime, perhaps one of the best in my cabinet, which includes 10 or so that are remarkable.
I don't typically buy new pipes - so perhaps I'm not used to the break-in period. But, I did find two, NOS unsmoked pipes this year (one Taylor Ashton and one James Upshall) that didn't seem to need any break-in at all. (15 to 20 years old wood, but not smoked)

 

[allan]

Don't get me wrong, it smokes very well, but smoking back to back against some of my older British briar, it's just not there (yet?).

Al
I can understand what you are saying (I'm a real fan of Dunhill and Upshall) but as much as I love those old beauties, they just don't seem to have the same 'flow', 'draw' pipe cleaner ease, etc as many of the new American artisan pipes, such as Rad Davis' entries.
I have purchased two estate Rad Davis pipes that I just love. They are already broken in, so it was out of the box, slight cleaning, and then onto great smoking.
I can also understand those who are bothered by the unknown factors of previous smokers, but to me, grain alcohol and a slight clean, and I'm ready to go.

 

[mso489]

If I got "into" estate pipes, and could get great pipes at low prices, I can't imagine how many I might own.

At least buying them new inhibits the accumulation a little.

 

[sablebrush52]

Last time I looked, there weren't any family era Barlings that weren't estates. I can buy a fine Von Erck pipe for $700-900 new, or I can find one barely used for $170. That's a pretty good savings. And even at my hourly rate, I'm still far ahead of the game.
The few pleasurable hours I spend cleaning up estates are like a vacation to me. It's not work. While I have no illusions that I will sell many of my pipes at a profit over what I spent on them, that's not really the point. I get a lot of pleasure from them.
I also buy new pipes and have commissioned a few.
I don't believe that older briar is superior as a blanket statement. But some of the briar that was used in older English pipes is no longer being harvested because no one wants to do the dangerous work that is involved. Other varieties of heath are more readily available.
And, there's also the question of style. If you like very classic shapes, or period specific proportions, estates are the way to go.
It's no secret that my interest in pipes extends beyond the application of a match to a bowlful of something savory. I'm interested in the history, tradition, and design that goes into pipes. Holding a bit of that history in my hand is very satisfying. That is not going to happen with a new pipe.

 

[woodsroad]

Trailboss makes a very compelling argument.

I'm just grateful for all of you "new pipe" smokers out there, hard at work creating Future Estate Pipes.

 

[ssjones]

@sablebrush52

I'm interested in the history, tradition, and design that goes into pipes. Holding a bit of that history in my hand is very satisfying. That is not going to happen with a new pipe.

Bingo. I enjoy working on, and owning old British cars, motorcycles, so pipes were a natural transition. Working on an estate pipe makes that connection even closer. I know every bump and bruise, particuarly the ones that I could't fix. Most folks might not even notice them, I but I know every millimeter of those pipes.

 

[tbradsim1]

#1 Jesse and Al, wish I was as articulate you"all, well said.

 

[petes03]

In my opinion, a properly sanitized estate pipe should be no different than a new one.

The fact that I've bough pipes as estates with a "New" retail value of $250+ for $35 or less, means that I will continue to seek out estates.

Not to say that I don't enjoy new pipes as well. In fact, the majority of my pipes were bought new, but I have roughly 20 that I bought as estates.

To me, the small amount of time and effort that it takes to restore an estate is well worth it!

 

[layinpipe]

[/quote]That is why I only buy 200 year old Sardinian briar from a particular cliff, that was watered by unicorn piss, made personally by Alfred Dunhill, and reconditioned periodically by Jess Chonowitsch...my tobacco's are only blended collaboratively by Pease, Oulette, from the personally harvested tobacco's by Jorgen Halberg back in the fifties, and tested by Jiminks and Romeowood for quality...Triple sealed in glass "tins" and stored in underground salt caverns with the humidity and temps monitored by a redundantly monitored backup system...with a steady rotation of seal team 6 members providing supervision of adherence to my wishes.
I have standards, and can therefore leave nothing to chance, that I am not getting the very best.

Trailhead, pure gold. Well played, sir.