Thoughts on Vauen Pipes?

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GCW

Can't Leave
Nov 17, 2019
363
1,612
Seattle
Thinking of pulling the trigger on an estate Vauen but don't know much about them. Any owners out there have thoughts?
 

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,055
14,688
The Arm of Orion
They're top notch pipes. Most are drilled for 9 mm filters, which probably explains why they don't get much love here, but they're very well made and durable pipes.

I've three and even the cheapest one, an apple from their Basic line is excellent. The Auenland Almar is my best pipe. Period.
 

marconi

Part of the Furniture Now
May 17, 2019
694
5,322
England
I have ten all made in Germany excellent smokers one of the top factory made pipes IMO.
If you don’t use 9mm filters I wouldn’t bother defeats the object.
I get most of mine new from smoking pipes Eu you can pick up some bargains
You can’t beat their Italian designed German made Mastro de paja line.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,856
29,719
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
I love my one. It's a great pipe. I don't smoke it with the filter and find the filter chamber acts kind of like a system pipe. Tried it with the free filter they come with and I don't like filters but it seemed like if I was I would have found it a top notch filter. Mine is an Ocean and it has a beautiful finish. Under lower lights it looks almost black, under medium lights it looks dark grey and the grain shows beautifully, and when the sun is extra bright it takes on a blue grey sheen and the grain really pops. I think it's typical for pipe finishes to work like this but it's very notable and more extreme then it is with my other pipes. I would highly recommend a Vauen.
 

Misanthrope

Can't Leave
Apr 26, 2020
367
1,127
Texas
I've only got one Vauen pipe (a Minni for strong shags) and it's an absolutely twee little thing. It seems very well made and smokes nicely, so their other pipes are probably generally just as good.
 

TheCROW

Lurker
Feb 11, 2020
37
79
Vauen have been making pipes for almost 170 years!
I have 3 of their pipes. The first one I got was a Basic sandblasted bent apple that I loved so much I bought another dark smooth Basic bent billiard and an Adagio (My favorite) in the following weeks.
They are very well made and precisely drilled, smoke wonderfully, even their Basic line.
I use their Dr. Perl 9mm filters but you can use an adapter if you don't like filters or even smoke without one.
I would buy another Vauen in a heartbeat, so I do recommend them.
 
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olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,055
14,688
The Arm of Orion
I don’t know…is it?

I couldn’t decide which way to put it in, it had no instruction manual and its just a plug with a hole…
I think so, yes.

See here:

VAUEN%20Filteradapter%20509%201.jpg



Also note that the rubber ring doesn't sit right in the centre of the tube:

Vauen_Tabak_Side_WM__96897.1348139841.jpg



Not lecturing you, mind you. When I saw your pic last night I wondered too: so much so that I took my adapter and tried it both ways in my Vauen Quixx—specially because that's one pipe in which the adapter doesn't seem to fit when I insert it in the "right" direction (i.e. rounded end towards mortise).

The rounded end goes towards the stummel because Vauen pipes are not drilled dead centre (and no, this is NOT a defect: it's by design):

Vauens_draught_holes.jpg

thus, if you have the flat end forwards you might end up plugging the draught hole.
 
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paulfg

Lifer
Feb 21, 2016
1,573
2,951
Corfu Greece
well you learn somethin
I think so, yes.

See here:

VAUEN%20Filteradapter%20509%201.jpg



Also note that the rubber ring doesn't sit right in the centre of the tube:

Vauen_Tabak_Side_WM__96897.1348139841.jpg



Not lecturing you, mind you. When I saw your pic last night I wondered too: so much so that I took my adapter and tried it both ways in my Vauen Quixx—specially because that's one pipe in which the adapter doesn't seem to fit when I insert it in the "right" direction (i.e. rounded end towards mortise).

The rounded end goes towards the stummel because Vauen pipes are not drilled dead centre (and no, this is NOT a defect: it's by design):

View attachment 95394

thus, if you have the flat end forwards you might end up plugging the draught hole.
well you learn something every day.
I always assumed the rings were to help you grip/remove it and therefore faced the mortice
 

Andriko

Can't Leave
Nov 8, 2021
382
942
London
I have three which are all excellent, and I think for the mot part I only intend to buy Vauen from now on. The only issue I've had is bublling of the paint on the bowl, which I think it me letting the tobacco get too hot (depite my best efforts not too!).

As mentioned, they do make an adaptor if you don't wish to use a filter.
 
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Dec 10, 2013
2,411
3,049
Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Own one Vauen Solitaire ( solitarius "alone or isolated " ) .
Wonderful to behold and an excellent smoker too. Yes, they fly under the radar and we much
want to keep it that way and not stir up positive emotions :)
Made with German thoroughness and widely available they perhaps suffer from a somewhat dull imago.
Entirely unjustified.