misterlowercase said
Sixten Ivarsson didn't start out making ultra-high-grades but evolved and grew into a true master.
There is the truth of what and how I feel, he became a master and I bought the pipe one from it's form, two from how it has aged, i.e. appeared to have been well taken care of, three it was complete, i.e. had it's original sleeve, four it spoke to me and five it was in the budget since I do not use house money for my collectibles.
All of the rod makers I have collected over the years were basically purchased as estate rods as is the case with most, but not all, my pipes. They were purchased with the same criteria I used when buying the Ivarsson and none have been bad purchases. With fly rods a bad rod can be cast well by a good caster but a great rod doesn't necessarily cast better with a bad caster.
Pipes are different animals and I venture to say if you purchased pipes as I do, i.e. in the group 1-3 range with an occasional group 4 it might be an epiphany. I never, exception being my daily walkabout, finish a pipe at one smoke, even my small group 1 Dunhill is a smoke and a followup DTG. I have Dr. appointments, PT, OT, Infusion's and life is what happens while I'm making other plans so the days for those group 5, 6 and Magnums have gone the way of the Dodo for me.
I found by accident my cobs, generally group 2-4 size, did not care what tobak I smoked they smoked them all very well but not all my briars in that range do and for that reason some are dedicated to certain tobak. My bar for what constituted my exceptional smokers was that they would smoke any tobak I pumped them with equally well and the three I listed do. If a Weber, which I don't own, would have been a pipe that did it I would have posted that as well, it wasn't until I got the Rainer Barbi that I began this experiment and it was an epiphany.
I don't mind that some of my pipes only like certain tobacco's but I'm happy that I can grab one of my top 3 anytime I want and enjoy my choice to the fullest, it says a lot about that maker and that particular pipe since I know you could easily find a pipe made by one of those makers that won't be in your Magic Three I'm happy I have the three I have.