Castello & IMP Meerschaum

[burleybreath]

Would love to love ya', but your shapes really suck. I've been looking for years for one of either that had a shape that I could stomach, but so far have come up short. Think I'll end the effort. Makes life simpler, and will add days, in effect, to the remainder I have left on earth. Au revoir, you silly mofos.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

There are lots of pipe makers and companies that don't make the styles or shapes that I like or collect. “¯\_(ツ)_/¯“
What do we do? Knowing this makes it easier to look for pipes, I just avoid spending any time looking through their sections.
I have only once seen a bulldog meerschaum that I liked. I hesitated and lost. For a while I kept checking out their sites to see if another popped up, but... now, I just don't even have a desire for a meer.

 

[burleybreath]

I have only once seen a bulldog meerschaum that I liked. I hesitated and lost.

Why, hell, that's eerie--I had the exact same experience. Was it this one? Please don't tell it was. I'm easily frightened.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Why, hell, that's eerie--I had the exact same experience. Was it this one? Please don't tell it was. I'm easily frightened.

View attachment 106621

No, ha ha. It was a squat bent bully that had all of the classic attributes, wide chamber, square shank, black push stem, and perfectly dimensioned double cone that gave it a gem-like shape.

I am quirky about how the stem side of the bowl meets the shank, and so many makers seem to not follow the contours of the bottom cone where the shank meets. It's a deal killer of me, and excludes so many makers.

 

[kcghost]

I can't imagine what problems you had in Castellos but in IMP meerschaum most of the problems center around a poorly crafted bit.

 

[solideogloria86]

I agree with your Castello statement. I love the look of the searock finish. I find all of their shaping unattractive.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I find all of their shaping unattractive.

+1

in IMP meerschaum most of the problems center around a poorly crafted bit.

I find Castello buttons terribly uncomfortable. After returning from going out of business, IMP's buttons are the only acrylic ones that I find comfortable.

 

[DanWil84]

Would love to love ya'.....

But, why? Like you what like, love what you love, "hate" what you "hate". Why would you have to like them? If it where the only 2 brands left on this pipesmoking planet and you want to continue smoking and really have to get a new pipe I get the point, but that's not the case. I am not really a fan of Castello shaping, how to screw up a pot? Make a shape 55. But my point is, that makes me not want to buy one.

I don't have a IMP, but I think they are atleast on par with the Altinay I own which I think is a great pipe. Sure, it might be twice as expensive as a regular briar offering, but it has always been good to me. The stem and button on that one are great for me.

 

[burleybreath]

But, why? Like you what like, love what you love, "hate" what you "hate". Why would you have to like them?

Because they're top quality. It's a shape thing with me. Thought that was clear, at least for a mini-rant. I have two Castellos, but they're on the small side. All I want is a friggin' Searock of damn good size that doesn't look like a child's molding clay reproduction of a proper pipe. Color me biased. I tend to like "English" classic shapes, so...there, I admit it.

I can't imagine what problems you had in Castellos but in IMP meerschaum most of the problems center around a poorly crafted bit.

No problems. As stated above, I have two Castellos, and they're great. The IMPs, shape-wise, are generally beyond redemption.

 

[forloveoffreedom]

All the more season to get a custom pipe. Even some of the Turkish meer carvers will do a custom for ya.

 

[Chasing Embers]

shape-wise, are generally beyond redemption.

That's my biggest issue with Castello. It's like they tried to hard to be different. Even the Sea Rock finish is like a poor attempt at a Corallo di Mare rustication.

 

[Chasing Embers]

All the more season to get a custom pipe. Even some of the Turkish meer carvers will do a custom for ya.

Many of them use those screw in inserts though. I don't mind them, but some despise them. As for IMP shaping, they mostly do traditional shapes.?‍

 

[burleybreath]

That's another thing. I much, much prefer amber tortoise stems on a meerschaum. Seems as though it would look better, or at least more consonant with a theme, once colored--the theme being, of course, varying shades of tannish brown.

Someone stop me before I bitch again! I've a notion to pull off my pants, run wild, and smoke nothing but cobs!

 

[forloveoffreedom]

That's another thing. I much, much prefer amber tortoise stems on a meerschaum. Seems as though it would look better, or at least more consonant with a theme, once colored--the theme being, of course, varying shades of tannish brown.

Someone stop me before I bitch again! I've a notion to pull off my pants, run wild, and smoke nothing but cobs!

CAO and Bekler specifically used much amber acrylic. Very nice, more pricey yet still available pipes. I agree, that color looks great. Personally I would love to see more colored ebonite on meer.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Personally I would love to see more colored ebonite on meer.

Same but most are just colorful acrylic.

 

[tzinc]

Castello has many unique celebrated shapes like the 55, the Hawkbill, the Chubby Canadian, the Chubby Billiard and so on. But they also make regular billiards, canadians and other shapes.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Castello has many unique celebrated shapes like the 55, the Hawkbill, the Chubby Canadian,

Those three shapes alone would put me off of them but even their standard shaping is just too far away from classic for me to like.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Castello seems to make pretty nice and quite classic looking light weigh Liverpools & canadian shapes

 

[Laurent]

I haven’t seen one modern day Castello I’d buy, I just don’t find them attractive and especially for the price.

 

[captpat]

I like Castello, always great smokers. I do wish the button were a tad smaller.