What Pipe Have You Discovered This Year?

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Jan 8, 2013
7,493
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I thought this could be a nice follow up to Prairiedruid's thread, "What Blend Have You Discovered This Year?"
Along with trying new blends and finding new favorites throughout the year, many of us I'm sure have also discovered new pipes. Maybe just a shape, maybe a brand, maybe a material such as clay, meerschaum, or morta. So again, as with Prairiedruid's thread, with 2017 coming to a close, what new pipes have you discovered over the past year?
I found a few that took me out of my comfort zone and I'm quite pleased with them all. First, it was about this time last year I think that I purchased my first Savinelli 320. I found that these pipes in photos just didn't really appeal to me at all, but I had heard so many great things about how well they smoked that my interest was very much piqued despite that fact. As it turns out, for some reason the shape in many instances just isn't very photogenic. But in person, the shape is actually quite lovely and feels great in the hand as well. I don't believe a shape makes any difference in how a pipe smokes, but I do believe the chamber size does, and I can attest that complex blends such as balkans, englishes, and some aromatics truly do sing in a 320 with it's quite wide drilled chamber. I have a couple 320s now and they deliver great flavor and a wonderful smoke every time. And I always make sure to look for 320s when I'm browsing pipes online because I fully intend to purchase more.
Another pipe I discovered this year is both a brand and a material. I purchased for first L'Anatra this year which was also my first olivewood pipe. This one was quite a large rhodesian shape, well made with beautiful wood. I rather like the little silver duck head ornament on the stem but I've heard opinions vary on those. It's a heavy pipe, definitely not one I'd clench (I rarely clench anyway), but it smokes very well and is a joy to look at with its "oil on water" grain.
I've never been a fan of straight billiards and in fact have only a few straight pipes anyway. Two of which were Moonshine deviled eggs, and a little Diebel that Fnord gifted me years ago to help me round out a decent rotation when I was still very new. I love that Diebel, by the way. Smokes like a dream. I just couldn't bring myself to ever ever buy a straight billiard. They just looked too blah to me. But no XL90's or anything else I could really bring myself to like in the 2017 St. Patrick's Day lineup by Peterson forced me to go outside my comfort zone for something else. Not wanting to break my yearly tradition since 2013 I reluctantly chose a 106... yeah a total run of the mill typical billiard. Basically I just kind of said screw it and snagged the pipe whether I ended up liking it or not. I'm pretty glad I did that, as it became a favorite of mine once I had it, and I now have two 106 with another on the way. That one I'll be sure to post here once it arrives because I basically spent the better part of this year trying to find one and the shape was quite illusive in the line I was trying to find.
And that's all for me unless I remember something else. :puffy:

 

jaytex1969

Lifer
Jun 6, 2017
9,517
50,591
Here
All of my pipes were discovered this year...
That said, the Viking Classic 1/8 bent Dublin I paid a bit too much for at my B&M has turned out to be the awesome ODF single flake burner.
viking-1-600x337.jpg

The Hilson Vintage panel I acquired from foggymountain on a whim has well exceeded my expectations and now handles all of my short session VaPer duties.
hilson-600x337.jpg

Of all the pipes I have, only the Falcon has not found its niche. I find it small and finicky and am still searching for its purpose. More first world problems...
I'd try a 904 some day, but someone keeps snatching 'em up... :nana:
jay-roger.jpg


 

tschiraldi

Lifer
Dec 14, 2015
1,813
3,555
55
Ohio
Great idea, Anthony! As evidenced by several of my recent threads, 2017 has been the Year of Sasieni for me. I have fallen in love! Five family era pipes purchased in the last month! I own or have owned other great old Brit Woods, Comoy's, GBD, Dunhill, Charatan, but I have to say I prefer Sasieni to them all. I still love my Castellos, of course, but I guess I'm now a 2 brand collector!

 
Jan 8, 2013
7,493
733
Jaytex, one of my first briars was a Viking Classic as well. Good little smoker. Get's a bit hot where the shank meets the bowl if not careful though.
I'd try a 904 some day, but someone keeps snatching 'em up... :nana:
I wonder who that might be... :rofl:
Tschiraldi, at some point I intend to discover Castello. I've seen a few that really piqued my interest lately.
Jpmcwjr, good luck with your yachtsman.

 

hawky454

Lifer
Feb 11, 2016
5,338
10,220
Austin, TX
I’ve actually gone all of 2017 without buying a pipe! Been spending all my dough on tobacco. I bought a Gamboni Bodog on 12-20-16 so that shall count as my new find for this year.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,346
I actually rediscovered how much I enjoy my old Big Ben dromedary. Hadn't been smoked for maybe a couple of years, but recently found it in the back of my pipe and tobacco closet, and can't seem to put it down.
img_20160829_021601-337x600.jpg


 
Jan 8, 2013
7,493
733
That dromedary is such a cool pipe, Duane. I recently began changing out my rotation every week which has allowed me to revisit some of my old pipes as well. It seems my Dublin & London 106 has been a permanent part of that rotation though. :D

 

dcrguns

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 19, 2013
892
2,610
57
Ruidoso, NM
Several Winslow Handcuts. Excellent Danish pipes for pretty reasonable prices as far as handmade Danish pipes go. Might pick up another one before the end of 2017.

 
May 3, 2010
6,423
1,461
Las Vegas, NV
I wouldn't say there was one pipe I found this year. For me I found that I'm more into straight pipes now. Straight rusticated/sandblasted classic shapes are really where my eye is drawn these days as far as pipes go.

 

alan73

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 26, 2017
666
653
Wisconsin
I have discovered that I like smooth pipes exclusively. they create a physiological reaction when I hold them before, during, and after smoking. I stare at the straight grain or birds eye . it is mesmerizing.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,346
I have discovered that I like smooth pipes exclusively.
That was me decades ago, but have in recent years taken to nearly 95% sandblasts in my collection. Something satisfying about the tactile experience with a rough ring blast.

 
Jan 8, 2013
7,493
733
I have discovered that I like smooth pipes exclusively. they create a physiological reaction when I hold them before, during, and after smoking. I stare at the straight grain or birds eye . it is mesmerizing.
Same with me. There are a few makers whos blasts I would like though.

 

jeffro

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 18, 2017
163
28
Well I have many types of pipes in my collection.

But for some reason I never owned a church warden pipe. This year I decided to finely purchase one. I don't know why I waited so long. I love this pipe. It smokes cool and surprisingly to me the air-flow is great! for some reason I thought that it would draft tight or not as easy to smoke as a much shorter stemmed pipe. Wrong on that! I have a feeling I will end up with a few others in the next year or so :puffy:

 

5star

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 17, 2017
727
2,018
PacNW USA
I discovered BriarWorks pipes - actually within the last week or so. I bought a straight Rhodesian sandblast and am quite taken with it. It’s a well designed & constructed pipe at a very reasonable price.

 

brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
9,602
14,666
The Al Pascia Curvy. Great looking clenchers that are very comfortable. The drilling is a little less than perfect, but fortunately still smokes quite well.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,346
I've read the Curvies were made by Gubbels. Makers of Hilson, and Big Ben. Should be great smokers.

 
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