Do You Have a Pipe "Brand"?

[mso489]

I have six or more Savinelli, Peterson, Stanwell, Johs, Missouri Meerschaum, Nording and artisan Jerry Perry's. Some of my single pipe treasures are Ferndown, Ser Jacopo, Kemberling, among others.

 

[curl]

I don’t have favorite brand of pipe.

When I go pipe shopping, it’s cause I got a wild hair for a certain shape.

I have a Stanwell 32 cause it’s the best version of a straight bulldog I could afford.

My Brebbia 602 is the best version of an author shape.

My BriarWorks pipe is the quintessential bent pot.

Same story for my Peterson and Savinelli pipes.
Except there’s no accounting for my two dozen MM cob pipes.

 

[ashdigger]

I have bounced around all over the pipe making world.
My two main brands are Ryan Alden and Older Petersons

 

[nitemair13]

At the moment MM is the dominate pipe brand in my small collection. I do have 2 that are made by a company called Fulushou which I know nothing about. I bought them online because they were briar and had good reviews. That's mostly what I go by is reviews on them and if I like the shape. That's basically how I came across MM. They had the best reviews and were recommended everywhere I looked.
Never bought an estate pipe, although I'd love to get ahold of one from the 1800s. Just for history sake.

 

[saltedplug]

When I saw a Doin Carlos smooth on Synjeco for $300.00 very early on I almost had a stroke. Didn't help that my mentor was very frugal and completely destroyed my enthusiasm. Not long later I got a Cavicchi 3C billiard that yet was chambered like a Dublin. For awhile I looked at a lot of Cavicchi's until I tired of his Italian clunky shapes. Since then I didn't really look at brand but bought what was $150.00 or less that struck my fancy, most under $100.00.I felt I got the same value with these pipes that others feel they get from Castello, etc.
I heard that Todd Johnson's pipes are priced high because collectors liked his work early on. What I'm trying to say is that the prices a maker's pipes command is a subjective valuation despite that people who know pipes once pronounced someone's work quite fine. Is the subsequent work always up to that same standard, and who is to say that those who pronounced it did so based on criteria that other pipe people might apply.
In the end brand is myth. What matters is the pipe in hand and what one thinks of it, bearing in mind that the cheap quite likely smoke as good as the expensive.

 

[exbenedict]

Like iris, I don’t really look at brands so much as shape and style and whether it smokes well.

 

[brooklynpiper]

 

[paulfg]

I prefer to buy in the Estate market and looking at my rack I see Barling's Make ,GBD, and Charatans above all else.

In fact I have just sold 2 Castellos as I dont like the lucite bits and found the draw too open.

I am now buying old Britwood only.

 

[mikethompson]

I have a small rotation, but no doubles. As a new pipe smoker you will be drawn to a certain pipes shape or grain before you are drawn to a name.
Jesse, I smile every time someone posts a pic of that guy. What a forum legend.

 

[smittyd]

Stanwell

 

[yaboofive]

I am a fan of Randy Wiley Pipes.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

There was a great radio episode with Rick Newcombe about brand vs briar. Really worth checking it out.
My collection has evolved into just Petersons and American artisan carvers.

 

[bnichols23]

>>"Bar-something or other" -- Sable, you lunatic, you kill me some days. :crazy:
N'mair's question got me thinking (Dangerous, you may want to just run now to avoid the rush.) Totally off the top of my head here --
Pipes I've got more than 5 of (in no order): Comoy; GBD (old ones on both); Savinelli (Oh, God, DUHH, Bill!, like we didn't KNOW that!); Nording, CAMINETTO!!
Got at *least* 2 of: Barling; BBB; Stanwell; Hilson; Ascorti; Soren; Lorenzo (counting a marvelous giant Iwan Ries house billiard here); Jobey; God only knows, several others I can't call to mind right this hot second.
Pipes I only have 1 of but that I'd like to get more of: T. Cristiano; John Lakatosh; Peben Holm (counting this one since I just bought it); Brebbia; Morel; Orlik.

 

[lifesizehobbit]

As my "collection" has increased, I've noticed that I tend to favor Savinelli's. Having said that, I also have 3 Boswells, 3 Rick Black Pipes, 2 Petersons and some other sundry brands.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

I'm still currently working on my pipe collection. Not very many at the moment. I have a couple of cobs, a briar that doesn't smoke the best, but hopefully I'll get something new soon. As far as how I'll likely shop in the future, I tend to be hung on certain shapes now, but I have no idea how I'll like them or even if I'll like them. So until I can pick up some nice briar pipes with different shapes, I'm just sort of winging it.
@sablebrush52 those are mighty fine Barlings, especially that one with the wind cap. I like those older models and having one of those from the 1800's would be really nice to have in a collection. Doubt I'll ever be lucky enough to snag one, but that would be a show piece smoked at home for me. Got to have goals in life, so I reckon I have a new one!

 

[nitemair13]

CCW if you want some briar pipes that are good, those Fulushou I mentioned earlier are briar and smoke really nice. You can find them on Amazon I know and a few pipe sites. They're not overly expensive so you're not taking a big risk there.
I like the look of Peterson and others but I can't afford those prices, not yet anyways haha. I have too many other hobbies to indulge

 

[franklyn22]

I have a variety of pipes in my collection but, by far, I prefer Dunhill. I have a lot of Dunhill pipes and I also have all the Dunhill accessories such as lighters, pouches, tampers, etc. I just love their stuff, I'm not sure why.

 

[tavol]

40% of my pipes where made by Chris Askwith and 40% of my pipes are falcons. Quite a juxtaposition

 

[crashthegrey]

Were I to pick a brand, I tend to pick up really old or really new Kaywoodie pipes. But I also am apt to pick up Thorpe Pipes, Heisenberg Pipes, and Morgan Pipes. I have another brand, not one I collect, but one which I make. However, they are still not being sold as I continue to hone my skill; they go to friends for now.

 

[jpmcwjr]

40% of my pipes where made by Chris Askwith and 40% of my pipes are falcons. Quite a juxtaposition

I'll say!!
As to the below, I am sure it's true of the poster and most of us here. But not true as a blanket statement!

As a new pipe smoker you will be drawn to a certain pipes shape or grain before you are drawn to a name.