Icarus/Neptune Vs Neerup

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brass

Lifer
Jun 4, 2014
1,840
7
United States
Greetings all:
I've read much hype regarding the well engineered Icarus & Neptune pipes. Neerups seem to be as well regarded - perhaps more so for their artistic shapes and finishes. Both appears to be machine fabricated and hand finished.
I suspect we have members who own pipes from both blenders. I would appreciate your feedback. Is one better than the other in your experience? About the same? Does one smoke any better than the other?
For my eye, I like the Neerups but I've been considering an Icarus, Neptune or one of the new BriarWorks Classics. On average, the Todd and company's lines are lighter but then again, they appear to be small pipes.
Opinions welcomed.

 
Jan 8, 2013
1,189
3
I can't say for sure, never tried a Neerup. I do have an Icarus on the way that I will be reviewing this weekend though, perhaps that may help you some.

 

brass

Lifer
Jun 4, 2014
1,840
7
United States
The first Neerup in the column below is on the way. The second in the list came from SmokingPipes for $65.00. It is the best value pipe buy I've ever made. The last is the first Neerup I've bought and I don't really own a better smoker.
I still intend on getting a Briarworks pipe at some point but I haven't yet seen one that said "Ooh, take me. I know you want me".
And certain reputable folks in the industry have opined that, in there opinion, the Neerups are engineered as well as the Briarworks products.




 
Mar 1, 2014
3,646
4,916
Neerup does look like a good comparison to Briarworks, they have a similar style with the unique bowls, adornments and stems.

Trouble is I can't find any good pictures of the button, and more importantly a clear stem that shows the drilling of the slot.

At least I know Briarworks is going to be the only manufacturer with the Teflon tenon.
Which reminds me of how hard it is to shop for pipes.

If Smokingpipes would photograph the button on every pipe, and come up with a mechanism to measure the draft (theoretically you could use an airflow volume@pressure kind of thing) I'm betting it would entirely change the sales landscape.
It's kind of sad, but at this point I almost don't care that Briarworks makes a perfect pipe because I've become so proficient at fixing everyone else's pipes.

It's kind of like my Fountain Pens. You have an equal chance of getting a dry, hard starting nib (or outright defective nib) at any and every price point, the only way to guarantee a good writing pen is to send it to a nibmeister, so I learned to tune nibs and now my $3 pens write better than anything sold in a store.

Similarly I just received some Barber B-line pipes, the blast is fantastic, and the outside of the stem looks great. In every metric that I can see the pipe is amazing, except for the draft in the pre-formed stem. It's functional but restrictive, but that takes me all of 40 minutes to fix, to my specifications, probably better than most manufacturers could get it if they tried.

Which pipe I'm actually better off buying? A cheap pipe I know I can fix, or take a chance on a more expensive pipe that I might still need to fix, but if I'm lucky I'll get a good one.

Quite frankly I have to wonder if the size of most people's collections isn't based on a lack of information as much as a love of pipes.

 

brass

Lifer
Jun 4, 2014
1,840
7
United States
I don't know if the buzz about the buttons makes that big of a difference in smoking - at least to my preferences. I guess I'll have to pick up a Icarus or cousin, to find out first hand.
I do like the Neerups I have - and the Savinellis and Stanwells and GBDs and Sasienis, etc.

 
Mar 1, 2014
3,646
4,916
Vulcanite wasn't invented until the late 1800's, I'm pretty sure people smoked pipes without a button for at least a few hundred years. Yes I'm sure it's something that it would be possible to overemphasize.

I still enjoyed using pipes with a draft hole as small as 3mm last year, but I will say that even on those pipes with a restrictive draft I can tell when the slot in the button is spread out more. It feels like there's less air pressure on your tongue.

Which still isn't necessarily significant to everyone, but we can theorize.

I guess the point is that when a pipe costs hundreds of dollars, what are you paying for? The upper market has to have a reason to exist, an edge, however slight, perceived or real.

 
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